Holiday gift guide in this issue NOVEMBER 19, 2010 VOLUME 18, NO. 46
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INSIDE: HOLIDAY SECTION | PAGE 25
MountainViewOnline.com
Three MV council members eyeing Kniss’ seat MACIAS, KASPERZAK AND ABE-KOGA CONSIDERING RUN FOR COUNTY SUPERVISOR IN 2012 By Daniel DeBolt
“Being someone who’s run two successful campaigns, I’m really trio of Mountain View excited. I think it could be really city council members — fun,” Macias said. She attended a Margaret Abe-Koga, Laura campaign camp over the summer Macias and Mike Kasperzak — paid for by the memorial fund said this week that they are con- of Paul Wellstone, the Minnesidering a run to replace county sota democratic senator killed in supervisor Liz Kniss when she a 2002 plane crash. terms out in 2012. Abe-Koga, a stay-at-home mother A number of prospective candi- of two, was a little less excited to talk dates from Palo Alto and Cupertino about the county supervisor’s race, are also lining up to replace Kniss having just won re-election this after her 12th year on the Santa month to the City Council. She Clara County Board of Supervisors, said she felt like she came under even though fire for being the general the top fundelection is two (she ‘ If you can’t raise money raiser years away, the spent about council mem00) you aren’t viable as a $and2 0for, 0being bers said. Running a endorsed candidate.’ typical counby several MARGARET ABE-KOGA ty supervisor unions. The campaign South Bay requires raisLabor Couning as much as $250,000, Abe- cil said she was the best candidate in Koga said, as well as making it the Mountain View council race. through a June primary before “If you can’t raise money you the November general election. aren’t viable as a candidate,” AbeCampaigning is really only a year Koga said. “People expect you to away, Macias said. be able to raise $100,000 (for the Lawyer and mediator Kasper- county supervisor’s race). When zak said he had the advantage of you say ‘No thank you, I don’t having had worked with Liz Kniss want your support,’ you are pickon all three of her campaigns. He ing and choosing who you are said the county is facing many going to listen to. That doesn’t of the same sort of financial make for a good policy-maker.” problems the city has had to deal Abe-Koga is a rising star among with. There are so many issues, established democrats. Rod Dirihe said. “To me the most serious don recently called her a “dynamo” issues have to do with continuing in an interview with the Voice. She’s financial stability of the county.” quickly moving up the ladder on Macias, who works in govern- the Santa Clara Valley Transportament relations for Comcast, said tion Authority (VTA) board and she would advocate for merg- has already served on the board of ing the Valley Transportation the county office of education. Authority and the Santa Clara Macias joked that even the Valley Water district with the county supervisor job was aiming county in order to find “econo- low for Abe-Koga. mies of scale” and to have more See SUPERVISORS, page 14 accountability in leadership.
A MICHELLE LE
Andy Lin, left, and Claire Wells touch the moss on a tree during their field trip in Los Trancos, on Nov. 11.
With science, seeing is believing By Nick Veronin
T
rudging through the brisk morning air, a small group of fourthgraders paused occasionally to overturn rocks, examine hoof prints and to admire the very yellow belly of a newt.
They had made their way to the top of winding Page Mill Road to hike around the foothills on a field trip led by Environmental Volunteers. The Palo Alto-based non-profit organization — in collaboration with several local educational and philanthropic groups — is
providing free field trips and inclass workshops to students in the Mountain View Whisman School District as part of a pilot program aimed at boosting science and environmental learning in the Bay Area. See SCIENCE, page 7
Hangar One saved, almost By Daniel DeBolt
I
n a move that seems to make the restoration of Hangar One all but a done deal, NASA officials have agreed to spend $20 million on the restoration of Moffett Field’s iconic structure, an officials of NASA Ames said Tuesday. NASA Ames deputy director Deb Feng said NASA has agreed to spend the $20 million on new siding for Hangar One and is looking for a source of the funds within its own budget.
INSIDE
The $20 million “should be just about enough” to restore the structure, Feng said, but that is only if Congresswoman Anna Eshoo is successful in getting another $10 million by month’s end during the congressional lame duck session. And cost estimates for the work would have to come in under $30 million. The cost of restoring Hangar One has not been finalized, Feng said. Estimates have ranged from $15 million to over $40 million. NASA will know what it will cost when it goes to bid
on the project, Feng said. “That’s obviously great news, but with the federal budget being the mess that it is, we don’t know when the money will become available,” said Lenny Siegel of the Save Hangar One committee. “NASA Ames went to bat for this community, and I fear that NASA headquarters will use this commitment to reduce support for other activity at Ames. We should therefore be prepared, as a community, to go to bat for Ames and See HANGAR ONE, page 8
GOINGS ON 22 | MARKETPLACE 31 | MOVIES 20 | REAL ESTATE 33 | VIEWPOINT 15 | WEEKEND 17