Long commutes for school teachers, city staff, restaurant workers, merchants and the list goes on and on for those who are part of an important work ecosystem. When jobs don’t get filled or turnover is high, it impacts everyone’s quality of life. What to do? A panel on the “Invisible Housing Crisis” sponsored by the Women’s Caucus of Los Altos and co-sponsored by GreenTown Los Altos and other groups discussed the issue Nov. 15. There are a lot of things that can be done, and Los Altos Mayor Mary Prochnow says we need to do more than we are doing right now. If you’re interested in the topic, here’s a link to the full meeting and some challenging words from Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian.

Join GreenTown Los Altos on an 12 mile winter solstice night bike ride. A little early. Instead of starting on Dec. 21, for logistical reasons we’re doing the ride a day before the actual solstice. Think of it as extending the fun. Starting Point We start at Peet’s on State Street in Los Altos, decorate our bikes with lights (we have some to share) and take quiet streets to Christmas Tree Lane in Palo Alto. This is a family-friendly ride and last year we saw amazing lights and enjoyed a stop for hot chocolate. Registration starts at 6:30 and we expect to be back by 9:00. We’ve got you covered Wear your helmet and it will be dark – so make sure your lights work! The pace is slow and GreenTown provides a leader and a sweeper, but there is always some inherent risk in riding a bike and by joining this ride you understand and accept that risk. This is a fun ride, and a nice way to enjoy the holidays. Sign up at Eventbrite & get wheeling!

Holiday giving is fun for many reasons, including the excitement of gift giving. With the challenge of what to get the kids always top of mind, it is rare for the issue of waste coming on the gift giving radar screen. We consider toys, books, a new computer, a phone, clothes and more. How about doing everything in our power to leave an Earth to call home when they are adults as the best present of all? Because we don’t usually think in those terms when we think of presents, it takes a bit of work to achieve that gold. We can become engaged in all kinds of sustainability efforts with some simple actions to simply reduce waste, especially during the holidays. Reduce paper. Use a free service. Start by considering how many catalogues you receive during the holiday season. Do you  simply pitch them (hopefully into recycling bins)? You could probably reduce unwanted catalogues all year round by using a convenient tool like Catalog Choice which can opt you out of all the nuisance catalogues you receive. Go direct to the website. Alternatively, you can go to the website of the company sending the catalogue, click on “contact,” and send an email asking them to take you off the catalogue distribution list. Take on the wrapping paper challenge. The easiest solution to abundant waste is to use wrapping paper wisely.  Foil wrapping paper is not recyclable and the petroleum based inks in most wrapping paper emits dioxin, a deadly compound. So what to do? Use and reuse gift bags which brings on the welcome challenge of unwrapping with care. BYO (Build Your Own) wrapping paper out of repurposed materials, creating endless fun while getting the creative juices flowing. For other ideas, check out GreenTown Los Altos’ post here and New Dreams’ More of What Matters. #HolidayWaste #PaperRecycling #Waste

Kathleen Santora started collecting gently used bikes 20 years ago at St. Nicholas School in Los Altos Hills. Her good friend Lori Johnson has been helping over the years and she commented, “Every time we always wonder, will anyone come?” They always do. GreenTown Los Altos started helping 5 years ago, and this year we were at Los Altos High School and we had lots of help – students washing bikes, filling tires and doing minor repairs. We collected 80 bikes! Two schools in Mountain View, Castro Elementary, and Graham Middle School will get 40, Los Altos High School will get 17 and the rest will go to Hope Services, an organization that helps the homeless and disabled. GreenTown is proud to be part of this wonderful tradition!

A team of intrepid hikers braved the beauty of Russian Ridge on Sunday, October 22 as part of an auction item from GreenTown’s 2016 Farm to Table Dinner. Debbie Mytels, a docent for the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District and long-time leader at Acterra, led the group through a spectacular hike on the Ancient  Oaks Trail and onto Borel Hill, which afforded gorgeous views of the whole San Francisco Bay. It was magnificent! We also shared stories about ecology and the environment and capped off the journey with wine and cheese at the Audrey Rust overlook.

One of the night’s honoree, Kacey Fitzpatrick (in red). On Sept. 23, GreenTown celebrated its 10th Anniversary at the Fourth Annual Farm-to-Table Dinner & Auction. More than 100 movers and shakers from Los Altos and Los Altos Hills came together celebrate local environmental heros and raise money to support the important work GreenTown is doing in our communities. Honoring Environmental Heroes The night wouldn’t have been complete without our special honoree, GreenTown’s founder Kacey Fitzpatrick, sharing a recap of the genesis of GreenTown Los Altos. Folks new and old to GreenTown thoroughly enjoyed her tale! Two incredible volunteers were also honored as our Environmental Heroes for 2017: Barbara O’Reilly and Linda Ziff. Barbara O’Reilly Barb O’Reilly receiving her award from GreenTown Los Altos’ Kris Jensen. Barbara O’Reilly, a.k.a. “Garbage Girl,” is one of GreenTown’s most passionate and enduring volunteers. Barbara has been with GreenTown since the very  beginning. She has led efforts to increase community awareness of overflowing landfills and immense plastic gyres in the ocean. She spearheaded GreenTown’s twice yearly creek cleanup and this year’s Farmers Market recycling and composting efforts. Don’t let the white hair fool you, Barbara O’Reilly is a true force for sustainability in our community! Linda Ziff Linda Ziff is a dynamo, a genuine wonder woman! She has all four GreenTown W’s covered: Linda Ziff, as GreenTown’s Gary Hedden discusses her many accomplishments. Water. This is her favorite W. She leads creek cleanups and organized one just last weekend on Permanente Creek. She walks the walk, too. Her house has never had a lawn, instead it has lovely drought tolerant landscaping. WoW! That’s our walk or wheel program. While Linda doesn’t ride a bike, she promotes biking by finding good yards for the Lawn-Be-Gone bike tours. Waste. Garbage is a pet peeve of Linda’s. Together with Barbara, she has been spending her free time at the Farmers Market, setting an example of how to divert waste form the landfill. And it’s working! Linda was a founding member of GreenTown and ten years later she is still leading the way and providing inspiration for us all! Prior years’ Environmental Hero Awards include: 2015: Vicki Moore, Founder Living Classroom 2016: Mary Clark Bartlett, CEO and Founder, Epicurean Group and Karl Danz, Volunteer with Citizen’s Climate Lobby. People like Barbara, Linda, Mary, Karl and Vicki inspire us to keep up the good work building a more sustainable community. A special part of the evening was a presentation by leaders of the Los Altos High School (LAHS) Green Team, Anya Gupta and Sarah Chang. They provided inspiration and hope for the dinner guests, sharing stories of their passion f Beautiful artwork by GreenTown Los Altos’ Linda Gass were one of many auction items that were met with a wow. or the environment and how they are helping to create a greener LAHS campus. Guests enjoyed delicious food prepared by Catered Too, wine from Portola Vineyards and Thomas Fogarty Winery, and beer donated by Laugunitas Brewery. Throughout the evening attendees bid on our incredible silent auction items culminating in a live auction led by Deb Kilpatrick. Many generous donors provided auction items like a dinner at Bumble, a party at Honcho, a cooking class with “Silicon Valley’s Best Personal Chef” Joni Sare, and a beautiful art print by GreenTown member Linda Gass! Many businesses and community members donated generous gifts from vacations to private parties to gift baskets. A beautiful Northern California raffle basket, donated by Connie Miller of Alain Pinel Real Estate and Jim and Jim from Present of Los Altos, went to Mary Clark Bartlett, a long-time supporter of GreenTown’s work and recipient of last year’s Environmental Hero award! The Valerie Jay Band played delightful background music throughout the evening. None of this would have happened without the dedicated work of our organizing committe: Pat Hedden, Jana Schlansker, Margie Suozzo and Deb Torok. We also owe a huge thanks to our event sponsors Epicurean Group, El Camino Hospital, California Water Company, Avalon Enterprises and Mission Trail Waste Systems in addition to our table sponsors.

It’s fall. Some people are ready to roll, but we hope even more are ready to stroll! Fall is a perfect time to walk in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Cooler days bring out bold fall colors making walking to many local events attractive. Unlike bicycling, most walking activities can start right out our front doors and enjoyed by anyone. Wherever you live, you can walk to one of our community’s shopping districts, local parks and schools to enjoy the outdoor beauty.  The Trust for Public Land says that everyone deserves a great park within a 10 minute walk of their home. We agree, and this is the month to go explore all those destinations within 10 minutes of your home. If you’re a new resident, the City’s Bike Map is a useful resource and includes all the secret passageways that join many of our neighborhoods. Additionally, our neighborhood schools are an easy walk for most residents. And this year is a special year for walking to school – the 21st anniversary of Walk to School Day – so make sure you walk with your child on October 5th! We asked Suzanne Ambiel, BPAC Chairperson her thoughts. “Take a walk! And if you’re out and about at dusk or after dark – remember to bring a flashlight and wear some reflective gear.  Stay safe – be visible – morning, noon and night!” In addition, check out these helpful resources to get your walking juices flowing: City of Los Altos Bicycle Map (includes all of the secrets passages between neighborhoods) Los Altos Hills Pathways Map (can be purchased at LAH City Hall) City of Los Altos Pedestrian Master Plan – with suggested routes to school Bay Trail Map Mid Peninsula Open Space Maps So join with us in celebrating the beauty of walking in one of the most beautiful cities around.

On Sunday, Sept. 24th , experienced gardeners, along with beginners, gathered at the new drought-tolerant garden by the Woodland Library in Los Altos. This garden is a Girl Scout Gold Award project created by Alyssa Robbins in partnership with GreenTown Los Altos, the City of Los Altos, Cal Water and Bay Maples Landscaping. At the event, expert horticulturist Jeffrey Caldwell answered gardeners’ questions ranging from “How much mulch is ideal?” to “What are recommended soil amendments?” among other topics of interest to all. We learned how to choose plants from a nursery,  how roots effect plant growth and much more. A pruning demonstration and garden walk-and-talk were highlights of the program. Many thanks to Jeffrey Caldwell for sharing his expertise. —

On Sept. 16, 2017, GreenTown Los Altos led another creek cleaning all in the name of being part of the solution to water pollution. This year’s cleaning led as if often does, to surprises. With a team of 30 volunteers, we managed to haul away 150 pounds of scrap metal from Permanente Creek at Heritage Oaks Park. Some eager volunteers, cleaning the waters at the Permanente Creek in Heritage Oaks Park. In addition to these rusting car parts, we removed much from the creek bed, diversion channel and park area: 50 pounds of trash 33 pounds of recyclable and compostable material More than 150 cigarette butts Our enthusiastic volunteers, ages 8 to 80, were part of a county-wide effort organized by the Santa Clara Valley Water District on National Coastal Cleanup  Day. Ready, willing and able, teams of volunteers getting read for their big “haul”. On that day throughout Santa Clara County, collectively, 1,892 volunteers removed 50,838 pounds of trash and 6,912 pounds of recyclables from our local waterways. Thanks to all the GreenTown Los Altos volunteers for making it possible to accomplish so much. Check out the Los Altos Crier article on that day’s event, here.

On Sept. 10, almost 40 riders toured Los Altos on bikes to see historic homes along with assorted local properties. It’s nice and quiet on a Sunday morning, making it a perfect time for a family-friendly ride. We started at the History Museum, made our way around town to take in 20 stops and ended back at the Museum for a picnic lunch and a chance to see the current exhibition, Eichler Homes: Modernism for the Masses. Some of the riders have taken the tour before, and came back because it’s a nice way to reconnect with the history of our town; other riders new to the area just wanted to learn about Los Altos. Either way, everyone had a great time. Lined up and ready to go at the History Museum. Co-leaders Gary Hedden and Jim Thurber are front and center. Visiting the Farnsworth Farm house. This home was built in 1895. The nicely restored and maintained Guy Shoup house on University Avenue. Everyone enjoyed Armond King’s model trains at the Bleibler house.

Solar is coming to LASD schools and with it comes construction challenges and traffic congestion. But GreenTown has the solution – and it’s simple, healthy and fun: WALK, BIKE and CARPOOL to school! In early October, the school district will begin construction to install solar panels at all elementary and junior high school campuses. While the drop-off zones will be open, traffic will be significantly impacted at all schools. The school district is partnering with GreenTown Los Altos and its Walk or Wheel (WoW!) program to increase walking, biking, and carpooling during this period. “We are excited to leverage this opportunity to get more kids walking and biking to school,” says Margie Suozzo, GreenTown program co-lead. “We are hoping to ensure that these new habits will carry through the rest of the year, for the sake of our kids and the environment.” GreenTown has been working with each of the LASD schools to design effective encouragement programs that reduce single family car school commutes and bolster biking, walking and carpooling. In the end, schools will be powered by clean electricity and kids will be powered by their own two feet! We think that’s the way to move sustainability forward, which is what GreenTown Los Altos is all about.

Welcome to the DownTown Green Faraday’s e-bikes were very popular. Lots of test rides. GreenTown partnered with the city of Los Altos to host an energy themed show, It’s Electric! Located on the DownTown Green at Third Street, we had electric cars, electric bikes, Acterra with energy efficiency ideas, four solar panel installers, HEA with a smart meter program, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, and solar cookers baking cookies and popping popcorn. GreenTown had a table, of course, with information about water saving ideas, an electric leaf blower, and an electric trimmer. KellyAnne Tang at the GreenTown table with Linda Ziff, Kris Jensen and Maddy McBirney. We also introduced our new initiative, the GreenTown Challenge, to answer the question, “What can I do about climate change?” We will have a community meeting Sept. 13 at the Los Altos Library to describe the GreenTown Challenge and give you a chance to get signed up!