The Voice’s endorsements START ON PAGE 22
NOVEMBER 2, 2012 VOLUME 20, NO. 42
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MOVIES | 28
ELECTION ELECTION WILL SHAPE LOCAL ISSUES
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FOWL-WEATHER FRIEND
MICHELLE LE
Kindergartner Nazli Cruz Sanchez embraces Castro Principal Judy Crates, who was not wearing a costume for Halloween. For the second year in a row, Castro students beat their peers by reading the most books over the summer break. As a reward, on Oct. 29 their principal flapped, clucked and delivered plastic eggs to her students while dressed as a bright yellow barnyard fowl. More photos by Michelle Le are on page 10.
Huff student a whiz at math FIFTH-GRADER TAKES SECOND PLACE IN NATIONAL ‘TRIMATHLON’ CONTEST By Nick Veronin
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student from Mountain View has been named the second-best “Mathlete” among all fifth-graders in the country by a national chain of math tutoring centers. Huff Elementary School student Nitin Kumar claimed a trophy, $750 in cash and other prizes for his strong showing in the second national Trimathlon Competition, hosted by Mathnasium Learning Centers. “At first I couldn’t believe it,” Nitin said, reflecting upon the
INSIDE
news of the competition’s results. “I was just really happy that I got second place.” Nitin’s father, Ashok Kumar, said he and his wife were elated to learn of their son’s accomplishment. “It feels great that he did so well, Nitin Kumar and we’re really proud of him.” According to Kumar, the nineyear-old Nitin loves math and
has “enjoyed figuring out complex problems ever since he was young.” Then again, Kumar added, his boy has proven adept at all things academic, so much so that he skipped a grade when he was 6. “He’s good at everything.” “I like math, because it’s a way to solve complex problems and it helps me get the answers to real life problems,” Nitin said. Kumar first read about the preliminary round of the competition in an article in the Voice. See MATH WHIZ, page 21
VIEWPOINT 22 | GOINGS ON 31 | MARKETPLACE 33 | REAL ESTATE 35
hen Mountain View voters head to the polls on Tuesday, they’ve got some big decisions to make in local races. On the crowded Nov. 6 ballot, a majority of the seven seats on the City Council are up for grabs, with only two incumbents in the race. After a tumultuous year, El Camino Hospital is facing a referendum of sorts, with three seats on its five-member district board of directors in the balance. Two incumbents are competing against three newcomers to keep their place on the board. The union-backed Measure M seeks to cap executive salaries at El Camino, something sure to lead to a legal battle if it passes. And the Mountain View Whisman School District is holding its first contested elections since 2004, with not a single incumbent in the race for three seats.
Inks, Clark are top spenders in council race
Expensive race for hospital board
By Andrea Gemmet
By Nick Veronin
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evelopers, unions and advocacy groups are making their presence felt in the latest round of campaign contributions in the City Council race. According to the latest campaign finance reports, covering Oct. 1 through Oct. 20, Chris Clark is leading in fund-raising and spending so far, amassing a war chest that’s just under the city’s voluntary campaign expenditure limit of $21,388. Candidates who stay under the limit are See COUNCIL RACE, page 7
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he race for three seats on the El Camino Hospital District’s board of directors is shaping up to be an expensive one, with all of the candidates — and their backers — spending big bucks. All together, non-incumbents Dennis Chiu, Bill James and Julia Miller have raised a total of $58,686 and spent $46,504, according to the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. See HOSPITAL BOARD, page 18