The cherry blossoms around the Library are blooming and hte apricot trees in the orchard are getting ready to pop! Spring is truly here!

That mean the hotly anticipated summer camp registration has begun! With over 200 camps, there is sure to be something to peak every child's interest!

View the whole summer camp offerings here! And enjoy today's rain as it brings more flowers!

Comimg off a record week at Camp Shoup! Our newest camp is gathering quite a following...52 campers enjoyed this old-fashioned camp this week! 

If you had stopped by to enjoy this park this week, chances are you saw AND heard (!) our day campers running, playing games (such as Steal the Bacon), doing arts & crafts (such as making paper bag puppets), and enjoying their lunches under the giant redwood trees at Shoup Park.

If you stop by the park tomorrow morning, wear your rain slickers because Friday is WATER DAY at camp! Sure to be a splash hit!

Good times are being had by all--our day campers and their camp leaders--and the fun continues next week. If you have a youngster between the ages of 6 and 12, sign 'em up...space is available! Plus, ask about our 20% discount for Camp Shoup! It's a good deal for a good deal of fun!

A blurry photo (quickly taken while Mama Junco was out foraging for food) confirms three babies have hatched so far. We're all rooting for the fourth to hatch soon!

We're keeping the Hillview Community Center nest location secret but will continue to post updates.

Some Dark-Eyed Junco facts:
    +Juncos raise two sets of babies each year
    +They eat mainly seeds & insects
    + The babies will leave the nest within 11-14 days.

The Cornell Lab of Ornthology has a wonderful website- click here to learn more about the Dark-Eyed Junco.



 

The clocks have sprung forward, the Spring Recreation guide is out and the History Museum's annual display of beautiful spring blooms is underway.

The Civic Center's 18 acres (of which Hillview Community Center is part) has many hidden beauties that reveal themselves unexpectedly. From the amazing camellia display on the northside of the library to the stunning flowering pear tree tucked beneath the huge Deodar tree outside Room 2.

The bulbs scattered throughout Hillview are wonderful surprises each year. I laugh at myself when I'm shocked to see them-- having completely forgotten they exist.

A large clump of Narcissus is the first to pop-up each year in the desolate median between the front parking lot and the street. For 11 months of the year, the packed dirt strip is enlivened only by long suffering Japanese Iris and rangy street trees. However, in late February, a gloriously scented, white cloud of happiness suddenly appears.

Last year, a special spring herald arrived that we all hoped would repeat this year. Two Dark-Eyed Juncos raised their family outside one of our office windows. What a treat it was!

Four eggs hatched and two babies grew to adulthood. The entire office staff and "in-the-know" visitors followed the daily progress from newly hatched chicks to fledglings. Once they left the nest, it was hard to keep track of them but the reassuring chirps from the hedge convinced us they had made it.

This week, they returned! Their nest was spotted a few inches away from last year's spot and already has two eggs! We'll be following their progress and providing frequent status updates. No one really knows if it's the same birds, but we like to think so. ;-)

When the newly formed Senior Committee sent out a questionnaire in January to all residents over age 55 in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, the members were anticipating a five to seven percent return. Well over 20% have already been returned, with more arriving each day.

The questionnaire polled senior residents on a wide variety of subjects including transporation, volunteerism, health & wellness, recreation & leisure, life long learning, qualilty of life issues and more.

The Senior Committee is eagerly awaiting the questionaire findings. 

The final data will give the Committee insight into general trends and interests specific to seniors in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. The data will also assist the Committee in developing recommendations to both City Councils on senior services and programs.

The responses are currently being entered into a database for tabulation and analysis. The Committee anticipates reporting on its findings in three to four months.

The public is welcome and encouraged to attend all Senior Committee meetings! The Committee meets the first Monday of every month at 4:30 pm in the Los Altos Senior Center, Room 11.  The Senior Center is located in the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.

For more information on the Los Altos Senior Center, click here.

Opened in 1949 as an elementary school, the Hillview Community Center is home to the main Recreation Department office, the Los Altos Senior Center, numerous classes and camps as well as local community groups. This school year, Hillview is also the temporary home of Tiny Tots Preschool & Kinderprep while the San Antonio Club undergoes seismic retrofitting.

The grand old lady has good bones, but her joints, skin & internal organs are failing. Through it all, she valiantly struggles to hold it all together.

Our venerable Center recently received some much needed love! Although gutters & drainpipes are mundane, they are of significant importance to maintaining a building's integrity. Bright new downspouts and flashing were installed in key locations replacing pipes over 60 years old. Many of the pipes crumbled after removal.

This largess was an anonymous donation installed by a private volunteer with guidance from the City's Maintenance Services Center. This gift will help us make it through a few more storms while we await a new Center. We are truly grateful!

Comparison photos below (click on any photo for a description & larger image):

The Brick Brothers, a service club from St Francis High School, is one of many groups that has worked hard removing invasive species and restoring native habitat at Redwood Grove with Acterra. Their work was documented by Eco Company TV in the video above. Terrific work everyone!

Acterra sponsors Redwood Grove work days two Saturdays each month for the general public. No special skills are needed and Acterra staff will provide tools and instruction. Participants learn about native habitats, wildlife and habitat restoration in the process. The next work day is February 12th, 2011. It's free but please register in advance! For details and future work days, click here.