When: Saturday, January 24th from 10am to 1pm

Where: Alice Loughry’s home, Los Altos

The Annual Program Planning meeting is that important time of year for all of our members to decide what issues to focus on in 2015 at the local, county, Bay Area and state levels. Members will also be asked to vote to approve the renumbering of the Articles of Incorporation.

Are there issues that you believe the League needs to address? This is the time and place to share your ideas. Remember program planning and policy formulation enables our League to participate in government and to actively influence public policy. We may also consider new issues raised by other levels of League.

Join us for study, animated discussions, and a light lunch provided by the board.

Resources

A PDF containing all of the below resources (except for the positions themselves) can be found here.

Several local League members and other Leagues in the state are proposing state studies. All known proposals are listed below. Please contact programplanning@lwvlamv.org if you know of another proposal or are the author of a proposal and would like to adjust the content.

• Raising and Maintaining a Livable Minimum Wage, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville
• Death with Dignity, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of San Diego
• Electoral Methods, submitted by Steve Chessin of the League of Women Voters of the Mountain View – Los Altos Area and Paula Lee of the League of Women Voters of Sacramento

We also have proposals for issues for state education and advocacy:

• Proposition 13 Commercial Property Reform, submitted by Julie Lovins of the League of Women Voters of the Mountain View – Los Altos Area

Other resources for the Program Planning session:

• Agenda
• Articles of Incorporation memo from Dianne Gershuny
• Articles of Incorporation proposed change from Dianne Gershuny
• LWVC Program Planning response form
• Natural Resources position review from acting portfolio chair Cathy Lazarus
• Government positions review from portfolio chair Katie Zoglin
• Social positions review from portfolio chair Crownie Billik

To get the most out of Program Planning participants are encouraged to read our current positions at our local, county, and state level. These can be found at the back of the yellow Member Directory (which was just mailed out) or online:

Local: http://www.lwvlamv.org/?p=1117

County: http://sclaraco.ca.lwvnet.org/positions.html

State: http://lwvc.org/issues/lwvc-positions

Update Nov. 3: Don’t forget to vote at your polling location tomorrow or to drop off your mail-in ballot. Your ballot or mail-in ballot must be RECEIVED before the polls close Nov. 4 at 8 pm; a postmark before that date does not matter.

Mail-in ballot drop off Santa Clara County

• On Nov. 4 Election day, you may drop off your mail-in ballot at any polling place during voting hours 7 am till 8 pm.
• At the Registrar of Voter’s Office (1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Jose). There is a white 24-hour drop box in the parking lot.
• At local Vote-by-Mail Drop-off Sites (during business hours)
• • • Los Altos Library, 13 South San Antonio Rd., Los Altos
    • Los Altos City Hall, City Clerk Office, 1 N. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos
    • Los Altos Hills Town Hall, City Clerk Office, 26379 Fremont Rd., Los Altos Hills
    • Mountain View City Hall, City Clerk Office, 500 Castro St., Mtn. View
  •  24 hours/day until 8 p.m. on Election Day at Foothill College (at Bldg. 1900/Administration near Flag Pole) 12345 El Monte Rd., Los Altos Hills

Early Voting – too late!

The Los Altos Library (13 S. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos) is an Early Voting Center, which is available to all registered voters and was open on Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 1-2) from noon to 5 p.m. You can also return your vote-by-mail ballot to the Early Voting Center.

The deadline for requesting a Vote by Mail ballot was Tuesday, October 28th.

On Election Day – Nov. 4

You can vote in person or drop off a vote-by-mail ballot on Election Day from 7 a.m.- 8 p.m. To find your precinct, check the envelope of your voter packet or the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters website or SmartVoter. Do not go to the last location you used when you last voted! Your polling place probably has been changed. Check your voter packet.  Or go to http://votersedge.org and type in your address.

Nearby Vote-by-Mail dropoff locations

• On Nov. 4 Election day, you may drop off your mail-in ballot at any polling place during voting hours till 8 pm.
• Any day, at the Registrar of Voter’s Office (1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Jose). There is a white 24-hour drop box in the parking lot.
• Any day at local Vote-by-Mail Drop-off Sites (during business hours)
  • Los Altos Library, 13 South San Antonio Rd., Los Altos
  • Los Altos City Hall, City Clerk Office, 1 N. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos
  • Los Altos Hills Town Hall, City Clerk Office, 26379 Fremont Rd., Los Altos Hills
  • Mountain View City Hall, City Clerk Office, 500 Castro St., Mtn. View
•  24 hours/day until 8 p.m. on Election Day at Foothill College (at Bldg. 1900/Administration near Flag Pole) 12345 El Monte Rd., Los Altos Hills

 

photo credits:
(small image) Kenn Wilson, I Voted? on flickr (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic)
(banner image) Denise Cross Photography, Day 36/366…..I Voted on flickr (resized and cropped, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

 Tom Myers

Executive Director of the Community Services Agency

Our November 2014 Lunch with The League speaker is Tom Myers, Executive Director of the Community Services Agency of Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills. He has held the position since October 1999.

Tom has been President of the Association of United Way Agencies (AUWA) and has held a seat on the board of directors of United Way Silicon Valley. Tom is a former member of the Human Relations Commission for the City of Mountain View and served as that body’s first chair when it was implemented. He has served on the board of directors and as President of the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee (BAYMEC). He is currently the President of the Mountain View Rotary Club. Issues he has focused on have included the arts, health care, health education, human and civil rights and social services.

A Chance To Give

Each year CSA hosts a “Holiday Sharing” program where low-income parents can select toys and clothes to give their children as gifts for the holiday. At the November Lunch with the League we are asking League members to consider bringing an unwrapped new toy, warm pajamas, sweats (shirts and pants) or $25 gift cards from Target or similar stores (for older children) to be sure the CSA Holiday Store is fully stocked for the season.

And, you can also bring canned goods for CSA to distribute in its nutrition program. Our goal is to be sure Tom’s car is fully loaded with donations after our lunch!

Location & Time

Ristorante Bella Vita
376 First Street, Los Altos
Nov 21st, 11:30am to 1pm

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Reserve Offline

Cost is $27 per person. If you don’t wish to RSVP and pay online, you can RSVP by phone or email with Ellyn Corey at 650-559-1828 by November 19 with your choice of entree (Dover Sole or Vegetable Pasta). Bring your payment check with you on November 21. We look forward to seeing you there! Bring a friend.

 

MAP • Ristorante Bella Vita • 376 First Street, Los Altos

View Larger Map

The questions asked to the candidates and their answers from the Los Altos City Council forum are now available as follows:

Downtown Parking: You mentioned downtown parking. People have been arguing about downtown parking for decades. Do you believe there is a parking problem now? Do you think there will be a parking problem in 10 years? And if so, what would you do when in office to solve that problem?

Measure N and Schools: Do you support or oppose Measure N, and give us your reasons for that, and what can the city council do to improve relationship with the schools?

Pool at Community Center: Do you see a pool as a must have for the Community Center? Why or why not?

First Street Developments: Do you like how the developments on First Street between Edith and Main turned out, and should those developments serve as a template for future development in the rest of downtown?

Traffic: Los Altos has thorough fares like Grant Rd and Fremont Ave that are heavily trafficked and link outside Los Altos’ jurisdictions– the backup on Fremont in the morning and evening is from lights at Hwy 85, for example). How will you improve this kind of situation when you are in office?

Safe bike and pedestrian routes: Please describe how you would incorporate safe bike and pedestrian routes into all planning so that biking/walking is a safe and desirable option in Los Altos and not an afterthought?

Library: What is your outlook for a new library and where should it be ranked with all the civic center priorities?

City P.R. Person: In December 2012 the city hired a full-time, $86,000 a year, Public Affairs officer – a P.R. person – is that position necessary in a city government as small as Los Altos? If so, why?

Good government: How do you define good city government?

Stevens’ Creek Trail: Do you favor future expansion of Steven’s Creek trail in Los Altos?

Loyola Corners: It seems like little attention has been given to Loyola Corners over the years. What’s your take on the needs of the area and how would you meet those needs on the council?

Citizen Input: How will you learn what citizen’s want? What will determine your response to citizen opinion? And a context statement: How do you define the difference between reaching a consensus versus succumbing to “group-think”? How would you avoid the latter?

Questions to Audience and Candidates:

• Walter Singer Bust location: Stand up if you think the Walter Singer Bust should be moved from its current community plaza location to the Front of Le Boulanger where Singer’s business used to be.
• Walter Singer Bust location 2: Stand up if you agree with the council’s decision, which was to move the Walter Singer bust from the Community Plaza to a location at the History Museum, which I guess actually even surprised the people at the History Museum.
• Downtown parking: Is parking downtown a problem for you?
• First Street developments: Stand up if you like how the First Street developments between Main and Edith have turned out.
• City code limiting temporary signs: Do you support the city code that limits all temporary signs, including campaign signs, to 12 square feet?
• City code limiting temporary signs: Do you support the city code that limits all temporary signs, including campaign signs, to 12 square feet?

Multiple choice – Know the Facts

• Skate park funds: Has City Council ever appropriated funds for a skate park to be built in Los Altos?
• City budget: What is the size of the 2014-15 Annual City Operating and Capital Budget?
• City council meetings attended: How many city council meetings have you attended in person in the last year?
• Seniors: What percentage of Los Altos residents are over 65 years old?
• City staff: How many fulltime employees or approved positions does the City of Los Altos employ?
• City commissions: How many Commissions or committees has the Council created and staffed?
• City manager job performance: How would you rate the job performance of Marcia Somers? If elected or re-elected would you retain her?
• Seniors: Does the city need to do more to cater to its senior population, with elements like free shuttles, more lighting & benches in public places, or other things?
• Police services: Our police services cost about $8 million per year. The county sheriff has offered to provide the same for $4 million. What should we do?
• Community groups: Do you believe community groups should be involved in city planning processes? If so, how?

 Who do you admire in Los Altos: Could you tell me who do you admire the most in Los Altos ­­– it could be a person living or dead?

What makes you unique: What makes you unique? What makes you stand out among the rest of you? Give me one unique quality about you that you would bring to the table that the other candidates don’t quite match up with?

 Connecting Civic Center and Downtown: How would we connect the Civic Center to Downtown? Would you have any ideas?

Overflow questions from the Forum are posted at 

Residents can continue to post and vote on questions at this link as well.

The Los Altos Town Crier is continuing to publish responses to questions that have been developed by the sponsors, which include:

American Association of University Women-Mountain View & Los Altos Area, Center for Age Friendly Excellence, GreenTown Los Altos, League of Women Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area, Los Altos-2020, Los Altos Community Foundation, Los Altos Education Association, Los Altos Forward, Los Altos Town Crier, Los Altos Women’s Caucus.

featured image created by Coolcaesar at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons and cropped

 

Measure N – Local LASD  $150 Million Bond

Our October 2014 Lunch with The League speaker is Jeffrey Baier, Superintendent of the Los Altos School District. Jeff will explain LASD’s Measure N – a $150 million capital improvement bond for 1) accommodating enrollment growth with extra facilities and also 2) upgrading current campuses’ facilities.  In addition, he will also present an update on the current school year’s plans for curriculum, teacher training, technology initiatives, etc. 

Location & Time –

Ristorante Bella Vita
376 First Street, Los Altos
Oct. 17, 11:30am to 1pm

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Reserve Offline

Cost is $27 per person. RSVP and reserve your lunch by mail or phone.  

If you don’t wish to RSVP and pay online, you can send a check made out to the League of Women Voters Los Altos-Mountain View. Please add attendee names, menu selections and a memo that the payment is for LWL 9/19/2014 so that we may process your check properly. Mail the check and your notations to the LWVLAMV League office at 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos, CA 94022. To RSVP by phone, call Ellyn Corey at 650-559-1828 by October 15 with your choice of entree, lemon chicken or vegetarian pasta and your payment arrangements. We look forward to seeing you there. Bring a friend.

MAP • Ristorante Bella Vita • 376 First Street, Los Altos

View Larger Map

 

BIO

Jeffrey Baier, Superintendent in the Los Altos School District, inspires a passion for learning in students and staff.  With more than 20 years of experience in education, Jeff has served students as a teacher, assistant principal and principal, spanning elementary through middle school, all within the Los Altos and Mountain View School Districts in California.

He is passionate about improving learning experiences for students and has challenged the status quo in a top performing public school district to ensure students are prepared for their futures. Jeff was among the first to develop blended learning environments with Khan Academy and has led the effort to bring numerous innovative programs to LASD.

When not focused on schools, you can find Jeff with his family, with his camera, at a lacrosse field, or all three simultaneously.

Prepare to vote. Mark your calendar!

Our LWV Local Election Events for 2014

September 19

Pros and Cons: An explanation of three State ballot measures at Lunch with the League
 Friday, September 19th from 11:30am to 1pm
. Cost is $27. Register at http://www.lwvlamv.org/league-news/nancy-cavagnaro-sept-19-lunch-with-the-league/
Ristorante Bella Vita, 376 First Street, Los Altos

September 28

Meet and Greet with the candidates for El Camino Healthcare District, Santa Clara Valley Water District, and Superior Court Judge #24
 Sunday, September 28th from 1pm to 3pm
 Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N San Antonio Road
 Co-sponsored by American Association of University Women Los Altos-Mountain View and the Los Altos Library

October 1

Candidate Forum for Los Altos City Council 
Wednesday, October 1st from 7pm to 9pm
 Eagle Theater at Los Altos High School 
201 Almond Avenue, Los Altos 
Co-sponsored by American Association of University Women Los Altos-Mountain View, GreenTown Los Altos, Los Altos Community Foundation, Los Altos Forward, Los Altos Town Crier, and Los Altos Women’s Caucus

October 2

Candidate Forum for Mountain View Los Altos High School District and Mountain View Whisman District School Boards: Thursday, October 2 6:30pm to 8:00pm: Mountain View Los Altos HS 
8:15pm to 9:15pm: Mountain View-Whisman
 Co-sponsored by American Association of University Women Los Altos-Mountain View

October 5

Pros and Cons: An explanation of the ballot measures 
Sunday, October 5th from 11:30am to 1pm 
Foothills Congregational Church, 461 Orange Ave, Los Altos

October 8

Candidate Forum for the Los Altos School District Wednesday, October 8th from 7pm to 9pm 
Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Rd, Los Altos
 Co-sponsored by American Association of University Women Los Altos-Mountain View and the Los Altos Library

October 14

Pros and Cons: An explanation of the ballot measures 
Tuesday, October 14th from 7pm to 8:30pm
 Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Rd, Los Altos, Co-sponsored by the Los Altos Library

October 15

Candidate Forum for Mountain View City Council candidates, Co-sponsored with Google
 Wednesday, October 15th from 4pm to 6pm.
 Google Headquarters at 1600 Amphitheater Pkwy, Mountain View

 

Lunch with the League is back – with Ballot Propositions!

Our first luncheon speaker of the new 2014-15 season is Nancy Brewer-Cavagnaro, a practicing lawyer who has been following the California ballot propositions. Nancy will explain three ballot propositions for us – Prop 1, the water bond, Prop 45, health care insurance, and Prop 46, trial lawyers medical malpractice. 

Location & Time –

Ristorante Bella Vita
376 First Street, Los Altos
Sept. 19, 11:30am to 1pm

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How to Reserve –
Sorry, ONLINE ORDERS NOW CLOSED

Cost is $27 per person. RSVP and reserve your lunch on this web page (preferred).  

If you don’t wish to RSVP and pay online, you can send a check made out to the League of Women Voters Los Altos-Mountain View. Please add attendee names, menu selections and a memo that the payment is for LWL 9/19/2014 so that we may process your check properly. Mail the check and your notations to the LWVLAMV League office at 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos, CA 94022. To RSVP by phone, call Jan Letson at 650-941-5387 by September 15 with your choice of entree, lemon chicken or vegetarian pasta and your payment arrangements. We look forward to seeing you there. Bring a friend.

We are no longer taking online orders.
Last Minute Orders: phone Jan Letson.
MAP • Ristorante Bella Vita • 376 First Street, Los Altos

View Larger Map

 

UPDATE AUG. 27 2pm

Last minute Walk-in registrations are now OK.  Over 200 people pre-registered online using Eventbrite. The event has been moved to a  larger auditorium to meet the demand.  If you are a walk-in today, staff from Microsoft and the Chamber will help you register and make a name tag.  Please join us for this much anticipated event.

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The League of Women Voters and the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce are jointly hosting an August 27 forum for Mountain View City Council Candidates 2014 from 6 to 8 pm. Many thanks to Microsoft Corporation for providing the venue for the forum and the reception which follows the forum.

The forum will be conducted following League Q&A protocols, but with Oscar Garcia, President & CEO of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, acting as forum moderator.

This year, with 3 open seats and 9 candidates, the make-up of our Mountain View City Council will change significantly.  In what is expected to be one of the most contested candidate races, your vote will influence the dynamics of Mountain View. Please join us and hear from the candidates directly on issues that will impact our community now and in the future.

** Question cards for the Candidates will be collected in the 30 minutes before the forums and also during the forum.**

 

 

 

DATE: Aug. 27. Doors open at 5:30pm. Candidate Forum begins at 6:00pm ends 8:00pm

LOCATION: Microsoft, Bldg. 1, 1065 Avenida Street

REGISTRATION: Eventbrite pre-registration is strongly urged
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/city-council-candidate-forum-tickets-12311745763

Pre-register to avoid lines. People arriving without pre-registration will be asked by security to register upon arrival. In that case, please arrive 30 minutes early. If you have concerns about Eventbrite, you may email communications@lwvlamv.org, and a volunteer will register for you.



Candidates for Council:

(as of July 24, 2014)

(invited)

Margaret Capriles

Greg Unangst

Ellen Kamei

Lisa Matichak

Jim Neal

Ken Rosenberg

Mercedes Salem

Lenny Siegel

Pat Showalter

Candidate Forum will be videotaped by and aired on: