Los Altos Adult 50+ program provides free tax preparation
The Los Altos Adult 50+ Program has scheduled a free tax return preparation service Monday mornings Feb. 3 through April 14.
The Tax-Aide service, sponsored by the AARP Foundation, is the nation’s largest volunteer tax assistance program, and Los Altos has hosted a Tax-Aide site since 1997.
Trained, IRS-certified volunteers meet with clients, review their tax forms and records, then prepare and electronically file both federal and California tax returns.
“There is absolutely no charge for any of these services,” said Niki Theil, Los Altos program coordinator. “The program focuses on clients with moderate incomes, with a special emphasis on those age 50 and over, but every taxpayer is welcome regardless of age or income, and clients can live in any community in California.”
Tax-Aide also can file extensions with the IRS if a taxpayer does not have all needed tax documents before the tax filing deadline.
Clients should bring photo ID, Social Security card or statement, their 2023 tax return, all 2024 tax information and evidence of healthcare coverage if available.
This year Tax-Aide will be preparing tax returns at the Los Altos Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave. Appointments for tax services are required. To make an appointment, visit secure.rec1.com/CA/LosAltosRecreation/catalog or call the Los Altos Adult 50+ Program at (650) 947-2797.
Vietnam veterans to be honored at dinner
A pasta dinner commemorating Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day is scheduled April 2 at the American Legion Los Altos Post 558 Hall, 347 First St. Doors open at 5 p.m. for a no-host bar, followed by a buffet-style pasta dinner at 6:15 p.m. Dennis Whittaker of Vietnam Veterans of America #201 will speak at 7 p.m.
The dinner is open to the public. Free to Vietnam veterans; $15 for all others. Register by March 28 at tinyurl.com/April2VeteransDinner.
The event is sponsored by American Legion Los Altos Post 558 and Los Altos Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution NSDAR.
Exhibition of Native American photos coming to museum
“She Sang Me a Good Luck Song: The California Indian Photographs of Dugan Aguilar” offers 28 compelling images to Los Altos History Museum through June 8.
This traveling exhibition from Exhibit Envoy redefines conventional portrayals of Native peoples, capturing the resilience and artistry of basket makers, dancers, military veterans and motorcyclists.
Based on the Heyday Books publication edited by Theresa Harlan (Kewa Pueblo/Jemez Pueblo), the exhibition showcases the work of the late Aguilar (Mountain Maidu/Pit River/Walker River Paiute), who documented Native cultures for over 40 years.
“These vibrant, deeply personal photographs celebrate California Native communities and their enduring connections to their ancestors and the land,” said Amy Ellison, curator and director of exhibitions. “This exhibition is vital because it presents contemporary California Indigenous peoples, countering the common tendency of history books and exhibits to focus only on Native American history before or around European contact.”
In addition to Aguilar’s photographs, the exhibition will feature videos, photographs and objects representing the Muwekma Ohlone tribe, with a focus on the 2024 Trail of Truth, in which members of the tribe traveled by horseback from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of their fight for federal recognition.
“It has been an amazing experience to see and hear firsthand accounts of this journey,” Ellison said. “We are honored to collaborate with the tribe and grateful for their trust in sharing this important history with our visitors.”
The museum will host a series of exhibit-related programs:
• “The Trail of Truth” presentation by Charlene Nijmeh, chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe. March 20, 5:30-7 p.m. $15; free for museum members.
• Family photography workshop with photographer S.M. Lieu. April 5, 9:30-11:30 a.m. $30/family; $15/family for museum members.
• “Reframing Indigenous Histories in the Bay Area,” a lecture by Indigenous scholar Michael Wilcox (Stanford University). April 16, 5:30-7 p.m. $15; free for museum members.
• “A History of the Chochenyo Language,” a talk by Bernadette Quiroz (Muwekma Ohlone). May 21, 5:30-7 p.m. $15; free for museum members.
Space is limited for all programs, and registration is required at losaltoshistory.org/events.
The exhibition is presented in partnership with Exhibit Envoy, Heyday Books and the Native Fund, and curated by Theresa Harlan and Dugan Aguilar.
