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!

In creating and implementing its programs, the Recreation Department works in tandem with all of the other Departments in the City. The Finance, Maintenance Services and Police Departments are particularly important in keeping Recreation programs running smoothly. 

The Police Department provides special event support, issues rental alcohol permits, coordinates emergency preparedness classes, and gives special presentations to both preschool age programs and the Senior Center. (It also assists when a little extra muscle is needed to enforce park ordinances.)

On March 29, the Recreation staff was excited to attend the Los Altos Police Department’s Promotional Ceremony for Sergeant Scott Bunch, Agent Mark Bautista, Sergeant Brent Butler and Agent Neal Randles in the Council Chambers. It was wonderful to see so many family, friends and fellow employees in attendance to mark the special occasion.

Congratulations!

Special thanks to Alyssa Green, Lead Records Specialist & Court Liaison, Los Altos PD, for the photo & details.

Where does the time go? Childhood flies by so fast! The baby Junco's hatched and have left the nest! Three out of the four eggs hatched and the last one never even cracked. The babies seemed to have grown up even faster than last year. And all three grew at the same pace. Last year, two of the four really struggled and eventually died. Mama stayed so close to the nest this year we weren't able to get another photo without stressing her out. She did a terrific job! We all hope they return next year! I found a great photo of a fledgling that looks just like ours when they left the nest. Thanks to westernview.us

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.

My office is perfectly situated to catch wonderful bits of Los Altos Youth Theatre’s rehearsals—not too loud, not too soft, but just right. For three afternoons last week, the area outside my windows was filled with young people nervously warming up and rehearsing their audition songs, hoping for a juicy role in “Seussical the Musical, Jr”. Although they ranged in age from 10-20 years, they all sounded remarkable. I was very relieved not to have anything to do with making the cast selections.

This week rehearsals began next door in the multi-purpose room. Tonight, instead of hearing a variety of Broadway show stoppers, I hear the nascent musical. I know from past seasons I’ll be entertained with music, laughter and listening to the cast gain confidence over the next several weeks. This show has "Jr" in the title since it's been pared down from the full-length Seusscial the Musical to make it shorter and more accessible for younger actors.

I never see the actual LAYT shows until they move over to the Bus Barn Theatre for formal performances. Then I try to figure out which faces match the voices I recognize. I'm always so impressed by the caliber of the performers.

Tonight, there was so much laughter; I had to peek inside. The cast was going through blocking for a song (I have no idea which one yet) and having a great time! I took a few iPhotos and posted them below. This is the beginning of a terrific show. I can’t wait for March!

click for more details on LAYT & Seussical

posted by beverly

A new year and a new blog!

The Recreation Dept kicked off 2011 with the annual New Year's Day 5k Fun Run. Over 800 brave souls showed up in the cold & wet but, just before Councilmember Val Carpenter started the race, the sun broke through the clouds! The rain held off long enough for most of the runners and walkers to complete their final laps.

This year's first male and female finishers were two local high school students. Sophmore, John Beutter finished in 17 minutes 53 seconds and Gunn High School senior, Erin Robinson, was right on his heels, finishing in 18 minutes 32 seconds. This was Erin's second year in a row as the first female finisher!

The Fun Run started during the City's 50th anniversary celebration in 2002 and has stayed free thanks to support from local businesses and volunteers. This year over 40 people volunteered during the fun and five businesses donated cash and goods: De Martini Orchard, Hobee's, IKB, Starbucks and Whole Foods. Thank you one and all!

2011 is going to be a great year in Los Altos!

posted by Beverly