Crunchfully yours | P.5
APRIL 16, 2010 VOLUME 18, NO. 15
INSIDE: WEEKEND | PAGE 14
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HSR may cut into Central RAIL AUTHORITY PROMISES NO ‘BERLIN WALL’ IN MOUNTAIN VIEW By Jocelyn Dong and Daniel DeBolt
S MICHELLE LE
hould high-speed rail come to Mountain View, it will not sit atop a massive “Berlin Wall,” as some rail opponents have feared. But it may mean the loss of two lanes on part of Central Expressway, according to a report released last week by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Though a berm is being counted out for Mountain View, the trains still could zip along on an aerial viaduct, or in an underground tunnel or open trench, or at street level. According to the Rail Authority’s “Preliminary Alternatives Analysis,” any options for adding two additional tracks to
The “Raygun Gothic Rocketship,” installed by Oakland artists’ collective Five Ton Crane, drew flocks of people eager for a look inside during “Yuri’s Night” at Moffett Field.
NASA pays homage to Russian cosmonaut STUNT PLANES, HIP-HOP, CRAZY ART AND MORE MARK ‘YURI’S NIGHT’ EVENT AT MOFFETT FIELD Moffett Field tarmac and another inside Hangar 211 — the same hangar where the founders of Google usually park their personal airplanes. Big-name performers were scheduled this year, including electronic music by the Glitch Mob, hiphop by N.E.R.D and Common as well as
events, some of it hands-on activities such as building and launching rockets. They ir stunts, hip-hop, space talk, high heard Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak talk tech, grand art — you name it, about the secrets of his success, and from DJ “Yuri’s Night” had it. Q-Bert, an innovator in electronic music, NASA’s annual celebration drew 12,000 about record scratching. people to Moffett Field over the weekend. Talks covered a range of subjects, from Some came to see performances by the International Space Station to Les Claypool, Common and the virtual worlds, and a panel of hipBlack Keys. Others looked skyward NASA hoped to make its scientific hop artists spoke on how to bridge to watch Moffett Field’s first air show “digital divide” with poorer work more appealing to young the in years. communities. The event’s name is homage to This was the fourth Yuri’s Night people through a sort of Burning celebration Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the and coincided with othfirst person to make a flight into space ers around the world. There were Man-meets-space flight theme. 49 years ago on April 12, 1961 (prefour other such celebrations at NASA ceded by a Russian dog named Lika). centers in the U.S., but perhaps none With Yuri’s Night 2010, NASA hoped to alternative rock from Les Claypool (the was a more ironic place to celebrate a Rusmake its scientific work more appealing bassist from Primus) and the Black Keys. sian icon than NASA Ames at Moffett to young people through a sort of Burning NASA Ames said about 12,000 people Field, where P-3 Orion aircraft were based Man-meets-space flight theme. attended the event, including 6,000 stuSee YURI, page 7 Two large stages were set up, one on the dents on Friday, ages 9 to 18, for educational By Daniel DeBolt
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GOINGS ON 19 | MARKETPLACE 20 | MOVIES 17 | REAL ESTATE 22 | VIEWPOINT 13
See HSR, page 8
Council approves $625,000 for new studies MEMBERS ALSO CONSIDER EXTENDING DOWNTOWN TAX DISTRICT By Daniel DeBolt
T
he City Council approved a slew of studies worth $625,000 Tuesday to help navigate the future of Castro Street, where officials are concerned about losing millions a year in redevelopment money. With the downtown’s 1969 revitalSee COUNCIL, page 9