Palo Alto Weekly 10.16.2009 - Section 1 by Palo Alto Weekly

Palo Alto

Vol. XXXI, Number 2 • October 16, 2009 ■ 50¢

City tries to nail down business tax Page 3

w w w.PaloA ltoOnline.com

A new breed Silicon Valley’s unemployed turn to volunteering PAGE 20

Spectrum 18

Movies 31

Eating Out 34

Crossword/Sudoku 68

Arts When is a book not a book? ■ Sports Defining moments for Menlo water polo ■ Home Evergreen Park: quiet and well-located ■

Page 24 Page 37 Page 49

Photography by Frank Gaglione; Physician: George A. Fisher, Jr., MD, PhD; Patient: Gary Grandmaison

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Page 2 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

Upfront

Local news, information and analysis

College Terrace development earns key approval Dense project would include offices, apartments, new JJ&F Food Store

by Gennady Sheyner

proposal to expand and rebuild the popular JJ&F Food Store as part of a dense, office-heavy development on El Camino Real earned long-awaited

support from a previously skeptical Planning and Transportation Commission Wednesday night. But project applicant Patrick Smailey still has to clear a series of

procedural hurdles before he gets the city’s final approval for the controversial College Terrace Centre. After a nearly six-hour discussion spanning topics such as parking time limits; elimination of a rooftop gazebo; implementation of special fines for noncompliance; creation of drawings for a hypothetical expansion of JJ&F; and conversion of

ground-floor office space to retail, the commission voted 5-2 to support the zone change requested by the applicant. Commissioners Karen Holman and Susan Fineberg dissented. The commission’s approval, which included more than 10 amendments and conditions, came about six months after it vehement-

ly rejected a similar proposal from the applicant. In April, the commission argued the project was far too dense and that the grocery store it includes would be too small to be viable. But on Wednesday night most of the members agreed that the (continued on page 14)

election ’09

Palo Alto revising business-tax guidelines Planned changes include policies to exclude minors, nonprofits from filing statements

(continued on page 5)

(continued on page 13)

Veronica Weber

virus, a Stanford press release said. Meanwhile, the first doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine arrived in Santa Clara County Oct. 6. The initial shipment of more than 14,000 doses of the vaccine in nasal form (FluMist) went to “a limited number of private and public medical providers in the county, as well as to the Public Health Department,” the Santa Clara County Public Health Department announced. Early supplies should go to healthy children between the ages of 2 years and 10 years, since they are at a high risk for illness from H1N1, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease

alo Alto officials are revising the rules for implementing a proposed business-license tax in response to criticism from a vocal group of small-business owners. The tax, listed as Measure A on the Nov. 3 ballot, would be based on employee count and would have varying rates for different business types and a ceiling of $30,000 for large firms. But while Measure A cements the method of taxation and the tax rates, it also gives the City Council and staff leeway to refine exemption rules and repeal parts of the ordinance even after it is enacted. With three weeks to go until Election Day, staff and council members are already thinking about changing the rules for collecting the tax. The changes include a new policy that excludes minors who are working from having to file statements declaring their exemption from the new tax, Senior Assistant City Attorney Cara Silver said. The ordinance currently exempts teenagers, nonprofit organizations and some disabled veterans, but specifies that anyone claiming an exemption must file a sworn statement. Silver said staff has decided to issue an “administrative guideline” specifying that minors engaged in a business — babysitting or yard work have been used as examples — would not need to file any statements. Staff is also considering doing the same for nonprofit groups, Silver said. She said the council under the or-

Singin’ in the rain? Pedestrians walking along University Avenue during Tuesday’s storm clutched their umbrellas close, as winds howled, branches fell and everyone just got wet.

health

Stanford study: Early flu shots save lives, money Many saved by October versus November shots, math model says

by Chris Kenrick

tarting a vaccination campaign a few weeks earlier could save nearly 600 lives and more than $150 million in a city the size of New York, according to a study by the Stanford University

School of Medicine. Under mathematical models that tested many alternative assumptions, researchers concluded that vaccinating in October would save more lives and money than in No-

vember and that vaccinating in November would save 1,468 lives and $302 million in New York City compared to no vaccination campaign at all. “To put it simply, the most costsaving and life-saving strategy is to vaccinate as many people as possible as soon as possible,” said the study’s first author, Dr. Nayer Khazeni, an instructor of medicine in pulmonary and critical care. She also is an associate at Stanford’s Center for Health Policy and Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research. “The study makes a compelling case for the benefits of vaccinating sooner rather than later” relative to current concerns over the H1N1 flu

by Gennady Sheyner

Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 3

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450 CAMBRIDGE AVE, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor Carol Blitzer, Associate Editor Keith Peters, Sports Editor Tyler Hanley, Express™ and Online Editor Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Chris Kenrick, Gennady Sheyner, Staff Writers Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant Veronica Weber, Staff Photographer Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, Colin Becht, Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Jeanie Forte, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Contributors Royston Sim, Editorial Intern Be’eri Moalem, Arts & Entertainment Intern DESIGN Shannon Corey, Design Director Raul Perez, Assistant Design Director Linda Atilano, Diane Haas, Scott Peterson, Paul Llewellyn, Senior Designers Laura Don, Gary Vennarucci, Designers PRODUCTION Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager Dorothy Hassett, Blanca Yoc, Sales & Production Coordinators ADVERTISING Walter Kupiec, Advertising Director Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst. Judie Block, Janice Hoogner, Gary Whitman, Display Advertising Sales Kathryn Brottem, Real Estate Advertising Sales Joan Merritt, Real Estate Advertising Asst. David Cirner, Irene Schwartz, Inside Advertising Sales Alicia Santillan, Classified Administrative Asst. EXPRESS, ONLINE AND VIDEO SERVICES Rachel Palmer, Online Operations Coordinator Molly Stenhouse, Online Sales Consultant BUSINESS Mona Salas, Manager of Payroll & Benefits Elena Dineva, Mary McDonald, Sana Sarfaraz, Cathy Stringari, Doris Taylor, Business Associates ADMINISTRATION Amy Renalds, Assistant to the Publisher & Promotions Director Janice Covolo, Receptionist; Ruben Espinoza, Jorge Vera, Couriers EMBARCADERO PUBLISHING CO. William S. Johnson, President Michael I. Naar, Vice President & CFO Walter Kupiec, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Frank A. Bravo, Director, Information Technology & Webmaster Connie Jo Cotton, Major Accounts Sales Manager Bob Lampkin, Director, Circulation & Mailing Services Alicia Santillan, Susie Ochoa, Circulation Assistants Chris Planessi, Chip Poedjosoedarmo, Computer System Associates Lisa Trigueiro, Assistant to the Webmaster The Palo Alto Weekly (ISSN 0199-1159) is published every Friday by Embarcadero Publishing Co., 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306, (650) 326-8210. Periodicals postage paid at Palo Alto, CA and additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for Santa Clara County. The Palo Alto Weekly is delivered free to homes in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, East Palo Alto, to faculty and staff households on the Stanford campus and to portions of Los Altos Hills. If you are not currently receiving the paper, you may request free delivery by calling 326-8210. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302. Copyright ©2009 by Embarcadero Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Printed by SFOP, Redwood City. The Palo Alto Weekly is available on the Internet via Palo Alto Online at: www.PaloAltoOnline.com Our e-mail addresses are: editor@paweekly.com, letters@paweekly.com, ads@paweekly.com. Missed delivery or start/stop your paper? Call 650 326-8210, or e-mail circulation@paweekly. com. You may also subscribe online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Subscriptions are $60/yr.

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‘‘

quote of the week

‘‘

MENLO PARK

Upfront

We’re not a community that beats down doors to collect $75.

—Peter Drekmeier, Palo Alto mayor, regarding fears that a business-license tax would prompt audits of home-based businesses. See story on page 3.

Around Town

HOME INVASIONS ... Opponents of Palo Alto’s proposed business-license tax have argued for months that the proposed tax would be too onerous for small businesses to comply with. But now, the group Small Businesses Against Taxes is claiming that the tax — which will be on the Nov. 3 ballot — has already created a climate of fear for small businesses. On Tuesday, Harold Justman, the leader of the anti-tax campaign, said he’s spoken to business owners and residents who said they were frightened by the prospect of city officials barging into people’s homes and businesses to cross-examine minors and seniors who supplement their income with small side jobs such as tutoring and mending clothes. “It puts them in danger of audits and interrogation from city administrators,” Justman said at a debate hosted by the Midpeninsula Community Media Center. But city officials have repeatedly maintained that the opponents’ Kafkaesque fears are misguided. The city plans to have two-and-a-half employees assigned to collecting revenues from the tax, Mayor Peter Drekmeier said at Tuesday’s debate. City officials are also adding language to the tax guidelines specifically excluding minors from having to file statements requesting exemptions. “The city has no intention of having home raids,” Drekmeier said. “I go on the record that it’s never going to happen.” The media center will broadcast the debate between Justman and Mayor Peter Drekmeier on Channel 27 on the following dates: Monday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.; Saturday, Oct. 24, 2:30 p.m. POWER CHARGES ... Setting utility rates in Palo Alto is a bit like making sausage. The city’s Utilities Department has a stack of plans and guidelines — some of which contradict each other — and they use these documents to propose rates, which are then subject to public hearings, reviews by the Utilities Advisory Commission and the City Council and ultimate approval by the council. But the city notably lacks a “rates policy”

that utility officials can use to weigh the competing interests (for instance, low rates vs. environmental protection). That, however, is about to change. Last week, the utilities commission heard a presentation from Utilities Department staff on a proposed new rates policy — a one-page document that includes three “required elements” (recovery of all costs of service, equitable returns to the city and no undue discrimination), two “key objectives” (rates and revenue stability and encouraging efficient use of resources), and desirable attributes (simplicity, ease of implementation and rate assistance for low-income residents). But some commissioners, including Steve Eglash, argued that the proposal is too vague and philosophical. “I’m concerned it’s so high-level and so abstract that it fails the test of being a truly useful document,” Eglash said. Chairman John Melton said the policy doesn’t need to be a “recipe book,” but said it should have more “specificity.” Staff was directed to revise the proposed policy in the next few months so that it could be used to set rates in March. “If we don’t have it, we’ll just go with what we’ve got, which is nothing,” Utilities Director Valerie Fong said. JOB SEARCH 101 ... The Palo Alto Library is trying to take the mystery out of job hunting by launching a series of programs next week focusing on jobseeking resources. Each of the five programs will include an informational presentation followed by hands-on practice. The programs include “Find the Right Employer Using Reference USA” (Oct. 20), “Social Networking as a Way In” (Oct. 27); “The California Employment Development Department Website: More Than Just Benefits” (Nov. 6); “Applying Online Made Easier” (Nov. 10), and “Prepare for Your Interview Using Company Research” (Nov. 17). Each program is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon and will be held at the Art Center Auditorium, 1313 Newell Road. To register, use the Library Calendar of Events at www.cityofpaloalto. org/library or call the reference desk at 650-329-2436. n

Upfront business

East Palo Alto gives green light to Mi Pueblo Public divided over Hispanic grocer, with some fearing mom-and-pop markets will lose business he supermarket Mi Pueblo will move into East Palo Alto after all, after the City Council approved its liquor off-sale license and architectural permits at a special city council meeting Tuesday night. The council voted 3-2 in favor of the San Jose-based company, with council members David Woods and A. Peter Evans dissenting. More than 250 people attended the meeting to object to or support a new supermarket, an issue that has sharply divided the local community. East Palo Alto city officials have attempted to attract a supermarket to town for decades so residents need not drive to other cities for their groceries. Supporters lauded Mi Pueblo as a long-awaited supermarket that adds diversity to the city, while opponents have labeled it a specialty market catering to Hispanics that would shut out local mom-and-pop grocers. “This store coming in is going to offer our community more options, and that’s what we need,” said Councilwoman Laura Martinez. “The small markets are not going anywhere. It’s now their turn to step up their game and see what they can offer to this community.” Mayor Ruben Abrica and Councilman Carlos Moreno concurred. Moreno said Mi Pueblo would keep shoppers in town and prevent “economic leakage” from grocery trips to other cities. It would also generate a large amount of foot traffic, which in turn would bring additional revenue to other businesses nearby, he said. Mi Pueblo operates 12 markets in Northern California, including one in Mountain View. It is moving into the former Circuit City store in the Ravenswood 101 Shopping Center along East Bayshore Road, next to existing businesses such as Home Depot. Councilman Woods said that site should be reserved for a tax-generating business, as many groceries

aren’t taxable under state law. “I would be for Mi Pueblo if they were coming to any other location in East Palo Alto,” Woods said. “We are giving up too much to get very little.” The public hearing, the second on the controversial topic, lasted more than two hours, with residents voicing their support and concerns before the council discussed and voted on the issue. Opponents argued that small grocers have fostered lasting relationships with the community and said the city would benefit more from a general supermarket such as Safeway or Wal-Mart. “The potential benefits of shopping at mom-and-pop businesses are well-documented,” said resident Susi Feltch. “We need to remain loyal to them, especially when they’ve remained loyal to the community.” Mi Pueblo’s supporters said it would offer lower prices than local markets and finally grant the city a full-service grocery store. “We deserve progress,” said resident Guadalupe Martinez. Other residents countered with claims of discrimination, saying Mi Pueblo catered mostly to Hispanics and alleging it would not hire people of other races. “All of us want a supermarket in East Palo Alto, but this one is not a full-service market,” said resident Keisha Evans, an African American who said she felt disrespected by staff at Mi Pueblo while shopping there. A cashier had allegedly returned her change without looking her in the eye. “The salespeople, they don’t see me,” she said. Resident Rosa Gutierrez was saddened by such claims. “Ever since I’ve been able to vote, every candidate has promised to bring a supermarket to the city,” Gutierrez said. “Now that it’s here, I’m saddened to see it has become a racial issue and brought about racial tension.”

Councilman Woods took issue with the security Mi Pueblo brought to the council meeting last week. “I do find it offensive for someone who’s wanting to do business with the community that would need security at a City Council meeting,” he said. Perla Rodriguez, vice-president of public affairs for Mi Pueblo, said her company employs a third-party security company for all its stores and for all key activities such as Tuesday’s meeting to ensure safety for its staff and customers. East Palo Alto has long struggled to both house and retain supermarkets, even as small grocers such as Pal Market and Oakwood Market continue to operate. A former Palo Alto Co-Op Market briefly occupied a site on Bay Road and University Avenue, but it closed in the early 1970s. A small Value Max supermarket located in the former Whiskey Gulch area closed in the 1990s. Mi Pueblo supporters were elated after the council vote, but their joy did not spread round the room. “I feel really betrayed by the city,” said Pal Market owner Rafik Shuman, a member of the East Palo Alto Merchants Association. Shuman said the city was not transparent or forthcoming with local merchants about its negotiations with the company. Meanwhile, Rodriguez said Mi Pueblo aims to open in East Palo Alto before Thanksgiving if possible. The store plans to hire about 200 people and open 365 days a year from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., she said. For the merchants’ group, however, the issue isn’t over yet. “We’ll evaluate what occurred this evening and take appropriate steps,” said merchants association attorney A.K. Abraham. “I can reasonably assure that there will be court action in the near future.” n Editorial Intern Royston Sim can be e-mailed at rsim@paweekly.com.

Flu shots

Palo Alto has seen “a modest amount of genuine, bona fide cases” of the H1N1 flu, some of which required hospitalization, according to Dr. Charles Weiss, a public-health physician and medical director of the flu committee at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. “We’ve seen H1N1 throughout the entire summer. Our patient population sort of dropped off in late August and has picked up again in the last week or two,” Weiss said. “We’ll need a couple more weeks of statistics to know whether it’s really gone up compared to the end of the summer. We were never really overwhelmed and we’re not overwhelmed at this point, but that may change. “The numbers may go up sharply. There’s certainly a lot of activity

across the United States.” The medical foundation received “a modest amount” of H1N1 intranasal vaccine from the county health department, which is being reserved for the priority patient groups identified by the CDC, Weiss said. The foundation has provided seasonal flu vaccination clinics for its patients over the past several weekends, but cancelled Oct. 17 sessions in its Los Altos and Dublin locations because of shipping delays. The foundation said it has not yet scheduled vaccination clinics for H1N1 flu but will follow the situation and post updates to its website (www.pamf.org) when new information becomes available. n Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be emailed at ckenrick@paweekly.com.

(continued from page 3)

Control and Prevention (CDC). It is expected that there will be enough vaccine, in nasal or vaccination form, for everyone who wants it when larger shipments arrive in the coming weeks and months, the health department said. Once larger shipments arrive, most people should be able to get vaccinated through their regular medical providers, the county said. Seasonal flu vaccinations have been widely available over the past month through health providers as well as through outlets such as Safeway pharmacies, CVS and other drug stores.

Board seeks ‘order’ from new California Ave. trees Architectural Review Board urges quick selection of new trees, cohesive landscape design

by Royston Sim

city hall

by Gennady Sheyner

alo Alto’s tree-replacement project on California Avenue should strive toward continuity and purpose and should avoid relying too heavily on public requests, members of the Architectural Review Board said Thursday morning. The tree-replacement project, which has been in the planning stages for about five years, unleashed a storm of controversy after workers removed 63 holly oaks from California Avenue on Sept. 14 without first alerting the public. Since then, Public Works officials and City Manager James Keene have publicly apologized and scheduled a series of meetings with the community and local commissions to solicit input. But on Thursday, Architectural Review Board member David Solnick argued the city is giving residents a bit too much power over the project. While he acknowledged the importance of getting input from the public, he also said the city should have hired a landscape architect to manage the streetscape project and devise a “cohesive” design. Solnick called the city’s decision not to engage a landscape designer in the process “astounding” and said it was a “far bigger mistake than the removal of trees.” The city’s process turned the public from a “client” to a “designer.” Solnick said he expects this approach to lead to chaos. “What you have is design by a merchant group with Public Works,” Solnick said. The board met to consider a list of 13 trees that a panel of four arborists — including two city employees and two consultants — recommended for the business district. Staff had previously recommended planting 59 red maples and 13 other trees but revised its

list of species after receiving input from arborist Barrie Coate, the two city arborists, the nonprofit group Canopy and members of the public at a contentious community meeting on Oct. 8. The new list includes both deciduous and evergreen trees, as well as trees of various sizes. The recommended trees are: coast live oak, southern live oak, white ash, valley oak, sycamore, autumn-blaze maple, Brisbane box, Engelmann oak, Cimmaron ash, Shumard red oak, Chinquapin oak, ornamental pear and silver linden. Board members didn’t express preference for any particular tree species on Thursday, saying the choice should be left to landscape specialists and arborists. But members urged Public Works staff to make sure the tree selection reflects a clear and cohesive vision for California Avenue. Board member Clare Malone Pritchard said the design should include one main tree species, with a few other species planted at select locations. “There should be a sense of order,” Malone Pritchard said. Board member Alexander Lew said the city should work as quickly as possible to come up with several different concept plans for tree replacement so that the trees could be planted before the end of the year. Arborists are expected to develop several alternatives and to present them at an Oct. 22 community meeting. The Planning and Transportation Commission will also review the alternatives on Oct. 28. “I live near Castro Street, and we had to remove trees twice in 10 years,” Lew said. “Though it’s initially shocking, it’s amazing how fast a well-selected and wellplanted tree can grow.” (continued on page 7)

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Upfront

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City targets carbon dioxide Palo Alto Mayor Peter Drekemeier (from left), Assistant to the City Manager Debra Van Duynhoven and City Manager Jim Keene launch a city campaign Wednesday to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 5 percent.

L U C I L E P A C K A R D

C H I L D R E N â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S H O S P I T A L

Online This Week

These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com/news or click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Newsâ&#x20AC;? in the left, green column.

Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health University Lucile Packard Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital offers classes and seminars designed to foster good health and enhance the lives of parents and children.

Police are looking for witnesses to a drive-by shooting in East Palo Alto Tuesday afternoon that left a 20-year-old man wounded in the hip and abdomen. (Posted Oct. 14 at 7:52 a.m.)

Storm dumps 4.5 inches of rain, half-fills creeks

Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rain-and-wind storm dumped approximately 4.5 inches of rain in the Palo Alto Foothills, but area creeks swelled to only half full. (Posted Oct. 13 at 9:03 p.m.)

ALL ABOUT PREGNANCY Our newest class is designed to offer an overview of pregnancy for the newly pregnant or about-to-be pregnant couple. The program will include the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy, comfort measures for pregnancy, maternal nutrition and ďŹ tness, pregnancy precautions, fetal development and growth, pregnancy testing, life changes and more.

Thousands lose power as storm continues

This ďŹ rst offering of the class will be complimentary but please call to reserve a space. - Sunday, October 25: 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Proposed pre-K class targets â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;achievement gapâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

PREPARING FOR MULTIPLES SEMINAR Are you expecting twins, triplets or more? With the potential for early delivery, expectant parents of multiples are encouraged to learn everything there is to know about carrying and delivering multiple infants. - Sunday, November 1: 12:30 - 5:00 pm PEDIATRIC WEIGHT CONTROL PROGRAM OPEN HOUSE This family-based, behavioral and educational weight management program promotes healthy eating andexercise habits for overweight children and their families. More than 80% of children achieve long-term weight loss through this program â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and parents lose weight too! Call (650) 725-4424 for information. - Tuesday, November 3: 7:00 - 8:00 pm CHILDBIRTH PREP CLASS Our Childbirth Prep Class is designed to explain the variations and choices surrounding birth. Along with preparation for labor and birth through lecture, discussion and ďŹ lm, the class includes relaxation and breathing techniques, medical pain relief options and the important role of the support person for the laboring mother. - Two Sundays: November 8 & 15: 1:00 - 5:00 pm

Call (650) 723-4600 or visit www.lpch.org to register or obtain more information on the times, locations and fees for these and other courses.

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A cost-effective way to narrow the achievement gap is one goal of a three-year â&#x20AC;&#x153;Springboard to Kindergartenâ&#x20AC;? pilot program for prekindergartners proposed for the Palo Alto Unified School District.

(Posted Oct. 12 at 11:59 p.m.)

Palo Alto fourth in state among K-12 districts

Palo Alto ranks fourth statewide among K-12 school districts, as measured by the state Academic Performance Index. But â&#x20AC;&#x153;much remains to be accomplishedâ&#x20AC;? in boosting the achievement of certain student groups, including English learners, students with disabilities, students from poor families and minorities. (Posted Oct. 12 at 10:45 p.m.)

Palo Alto council-candidate videos online

Fourteen candidates â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including 13 newcomers and one political veteran â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will be jostling for five seats on the City Council on Nov. 3. Video interviews with the 14 candidates are now available to watch online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. (Posted Oct. 12 at 1:05 p.m.)

Motorcyclists severely injured on Highway 84

Two motorcyclists were severely injured after colliding at Skyline Boulevard and Highway 84 in Woodside early Sunday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol. (Posted Oct. 11 at 10:03 p.m.)

Fire burns 3,500-square-foot Atherton home

Investigators were at a 3,500-square-foot home in Atherton Saturday afternoon trying to determine what caused a fire there, Menlo Park fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said. (Posted Oct. 10 at 4:32 p.m.)

Boy may lose eye after â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;assaultâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at Mitchell Park

(Posted Oct. 9 at 5:08 p.m.)

Former Paly student dies from polo horse fall

H O S P I T A L TODAY

More than 35,000 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. customers were without power in the Bay Area Tuesday afternoon as crews dealt with heavy rain and high winds, a spokeswoman said. (Posted Oct. 13 at 4:39 p.m.)

A young boy may lose sight in his left eye after he was chased by at least three other boys and shot with a plastic pellet gun at Mitchell Park Monday afternoon, according to Palo Alto police Sgt. Dan Ryan.

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CALL

Drive-by shooting in EPA hits 20-year-old man

723-4600

Ariel Shaker, 21, a 2006 graduate of Palo Alto High School and a horse enthusiast since she was 8, was pronounced dead Wednesday night from injuries from a â&#x20AC;&#x153;freakâ&#x20AC;? accident while exercising a horse for the Harvard University polo team Oct. 1. (Posted Oct. 9 at 12:37 a.m.)

Upfront

Calif. Ave.

(continued from page 5)

A few residents attended the Thursday meeting to voice their support for the tree options and to urge more public participation in the process. But Terry Shuchat, a member of the California Avenue Area Development Association, said he was skeptical about some of the trees on the list.

“You can take a tree — and someone can see it’s a beautiful tree, it’s a magnificent tree — but it doesn’t mean the tree will work (on the street),” Shuchat said. “Those trees look absolutely huge.” Kate Rooney, a project manager from the Public Works Department, said staff is considering trees of different sizes with the goal of achieving the “healthiest canopy possible.” She said staff has been working

CityView A round-up of

with the public on selecting the appropriate trees and will continue to do so. The goal, she said, is to get the City Council’s approval by midNovember so that the trees could get planted before the year’s end. “We deeply apologize for the way the project progressed to date, but in some ways, we’re now hearing everyone’s input and coming up with a better plan than what we originally worked up,” Rooney said. “That’s because we’re hearing from everybody and incorporating the information into the streetscape plan.” ■ Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

Woodland School Open House November 7, 2009, 1:00-3:00 Preschool through eighth grade Visit our beautiful 10 acre campus in Portola Valley and learn about our strong academic and enrichment programs in the areas of the arts, science, math and technology. You‘ll see why Woodland School was voted Best Private Day School in the San Francisco Bay Area by Bay Area Parent Magazine.

Please call our Admissions Office at 650.854.9065 Reservations recommended. Woodland School 360 La Cuesta Drive, Portola Valley www.woodland-school.org

Palo Alto government action this week

Board of Education (Oct. 13)

Springboard to Kindergarten: The board heard about a plan to offer low-income children in the Palo Alto school district a “kindergarten readiness” course. A vote is scheduled for Oct .27. Action: None Academic Performance Index: The board heard a report that Palo Alto’s K-8 students rank fourth among the state’s K-12 districts as measured by the Academic Performance Index. But board members expressed concern at the slower academic progress of some minority subgroups. Action: None High School Landscaping: The board hired the landscape architecture firm Gates & Associates to create master landscape plans to accompany the major construction programs at Palo Alto and Gunn. Yes: Unanimous Palo Alto High Field Expansion: The board criticized a proposal to remove 13 large sycamores from the Palo Alto High School’s entrance from Churchill Avenue to make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. District Superintendent Kevin Skelly said he would return with some new proposals at the board’s Oct. 27. Action: None

Planning & Transportation Commission (Oct. 14)

College Terrace Centre: The commission voted to recommend approval of a mixeduse development at 2180 El Camino Real. The project includes an 8,000-squarefoot grocery store intended for JJ&F Food Store, 38,980 square feet of office space, 5,580 square feet of other retail and two levels of below-grade parking. The commission included 11 amendments, among them ones regarding noise mitigation; a cut of 5 percent of office space; and a requirement that the project return to the commission after a review by the Architectural Review Board. Yes: Garber, Tuma, Lippert, Martinez, Keller. No: Holman, Fineberg

Architectural Review Board (Oct. 15)

California Avenue: The board reviewed staff plans for tree replacement on California Avenue, between El Camino Real and the Caltrain station. The board considered 11 proposed tree species and urged staff to create a sense of continuity through tree selection. The item will return to the board next month. Action: None

Public Agenda PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL ... The council is scheduled to hold its annual meeting with state Sen. Joe Simitian. The council is also scheduled to discuss the recommendations of the Compost BlueRibbon Task Force, hold a study session on federal legislative priorities, consider continuation of the Community Farm Shop program and discuss a colleague’s memo regarding early reopening of a portion of Byxbee Park. The meeting with Sen. Simitian will begin at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall. The regular meeting will follow in the Council Chambers in City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

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PALO ALTO FINANCE COMMITTEE ... The committee is scheduled to discuss the city auditor’s fiscal year 2010 work plan, the implementation plan for the telephone-audit recommendations, and a report on the status of audit recommendations. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). PALO ALTO PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ... The commission is scheduled to discuss the Housing Element section of the Comprehensive Plan and consider the vision, goals and key issues of the section. The commission is also scheduled to discuss its annual report to the City Council. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). PALO ALTO LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION ... The commission is scheduled to hear a presentation on concepts for public art at the new Mitchell Park Library and Community Center. The commission is also scheduled to elect a vice chair and review the commission’s mission and responsibilities. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22, in the Downtown Library (270 Forest Ave.).

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Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 7

Upfront

Foothill-De Anza

Community College District Board of Trustees seeks applicants for its

Measure C Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee

community

Palo Alto’s oldest black church celebrates rebirth Historic University A.M.E. Zion Church restored, turned into office space

Candidates appointed to the independent, volunteer Measure C Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee review and report to the public on the district‘s Measure C bond expenditures. Applicants must reside in the district’s service area, which includes the cities of Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and portions of San Jose, Santa Clara and Saratoga. Applicants may not be an employee, contractor, consultant or vendor of the district. The Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee bylaws are available at www.measurec.fhda.edu or by calling (650) 949-6100.

This committee is responsible for reviewing expenditures related to the district‘s $490,800,000 general obligation bond, Measure C, approved by the voters on June 6, 2006. Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their qualifications, and noting which of the above categories they would represent, to any of the following: Mail:

Office of the Chancellor Foothill-De Anza Community College District 12345 El Monte Road Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

E-mail: chancellor@fhda.edu Fax: (650) 941-6289

Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9. For more information, please call (650) 949-6100 or email chancellor@fhda.edu.

Page 8 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

Jocelyn Dong

Currently four committee members are needed in the following categories: • Representative, Taxpayers Association • Representative, At Large • Representative, Business Organization • Representative, Foothill-De Anza Auxiliary Organization

larence Nicholas, 90, stood outside a small, stucco building in downtown Palo Alto last Saturday afternoon, his hands clutching a piece of paper on which he’d written the lyrics to “Because He Lives.” It was his late wife’s favorite hymn. They married in the stucco church on Ramona Street in 1957, he said. “It was very sunny and very warm, just identical like it is today,” he said, his voice gravelly but melodious. “We were so happy. ... We had a wonderful afternoon here.” For Nicholas and about three dozen other members of the oldest black congregation in Palo Alto, University A.M.E. Zion Church, Saturday was a homecoming of sorts. Their original church at 819 Ramona, built in 1925, had faced near-certain demolition for decades. But aided by the City of Palo Alto and real-estate developer Menlo Equities, the dilapidated building was recently restored as part of a larger office-and-housing project on the corner of Ramona and Homer Avenue. The church itself will become office space. Members of the congregation got their first peek inside the historic building on Saturday. Many had never seen the old church — the congregation had moved in 1965 to a new facility on Middlefield Road and sold its original home to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. But a handful of old-time members returned. Among them was Ruth Anne Gray, the granddaugh-

by Jocelyn Dong

The historic University African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church at 819 Ramona St. in Palo Alto was recently rehabilitated as part of a larger office-and-retail project. It will become office space. ter of co-founder Isaac M. Hinson. In the late 1980s, she led the fight to save the church from demolition after it had fallen into disrepair and the medical center planned to use the land for expansion. She applied to the National Register of Historic Places, securing the church’s historical significance on the register in 1996. Among its notable features, she wrote, was the story of how the young, black church had benefited from the help of the wider Palo Alto community during the 1930s. Despite ongoing racial segregation nationally, the church received donations from whites and Asians alike to keep the building from foreclosure. In 1935, half of the church’s $3,500 debt was covered; by 1939, the mortgage was paid off, according to news articles at the time. On Saturday, a bell tower and triangular stained-glass window, pointing heavenward, rose above Gray. “It was in pretty bad shape until Menlo Equities started working on it in 2007,” she said. “I’m absolutely delighted it has been restored. ... This is the result after so many years.” She said she’d oohed and ahhed over the hardwood floor, which had been restored to the state she’d remembered, along with the stainedglass windows, freshly painted stucco walls and wood trim. Only the addition of a bathroom and wheelchair lift and the closing of a tiny mezzanine were new. The rehabilitation had its challenges, according to staff with Menlo Equities of Palo Alto and construction firm Webcor Builders, whose work on the mixed-use project also included the restoration of the historic French Laundry building on Homer. The church had to be jacked up onto stilts while a basement and underground garage were constructed. Then the church had to be rebuilt

to add structural integrity. Broken window panes were replaced with new glass made to match the original panes, according to a Menlo Equities spokeswoman. Those difficulties fell to the wayside Saturday as congregation members held an hour-anda-half-long worship service in the restored church. Members of the city’s Historic Resources Board and city Historic-Preservation Planner Dennis Backlund attended the event. The simple building deserved the efforts made to save it, Backlund said. Its history represented the core values of the city: freedom, equality and the unity of all people into a single community. “The restoration of this building is kind of a mirror image of a communal effort by which it was built and by which it was maintained during difficult times,” he said. “We did our part to make sure the historical outcome really represented its history. We feel ... it does, and so meticulously, too.” Doris Richmond, a slight woman whose late husband also fought to save the church, said she was grateful to see the old building reflecting its former glory. She recalled the days when she would stop by on Saturdays to stoke the pot-bellied stove, so the building would be warm enough for Sunday school the next day. She said she’s been touched by the building’s transformation and the good memories it’s brought back. “Sometimes,” she said, “I just sit on the steps and cry.” n Managing Editor Jocelyn Dong can be reached at jdong@paweekly.com.

Watch it Online

www.PaloAltoOnline.com A video about the church’s re-opening is posted at Palo Alto Online.

Warren R. Thoits (1922 – 2009)

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Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 9

The Business License Tax will help keep Palo Alto a place where businesses want to locate ...

ou dy ? l u o s w x fails e c i a v ser ense T y t i ic n mu ess L m n o C si ich he Bu h W if t cut

... the charge that Measure A, the Business License Tax, will drive businesses from Palo Alto is a myth that has it backwards. In fact, the rich array of quality services provided by the City is a major reason why businesses want to be in Palo Alto. And, without the passage of Measure A, the City will be required to make significant cuts in those services. The Measure A tax rates are very modest ... similar to many neighboring cities and less than others. It will raise much of its revenue from lawyers, accountants, venture capitalists, and other professional service providers who do not pay sales tax.

* *

of Measure A would have you believe that a $75 Opponents modest tax of $75 would drive small businesses out of

town ... and that is all a service provider working alone would pay. A retailer with four full time employees would pay just $177 per year. A law office with three attorneys and a secretary would pay only $360. These modest costs will not discourage businesses from keeping their highly desirable Palo Alto locations.

If you care about Palo Alto’s parks, libraries, playing fields, recreation programs, and other services, join the many prominent Palo Alto elected officials and community and business leaders who support Measure A ... vote Yes on A, and Yes for those services. Elected Officials:

Community Leaders:

Ray Bacchetti, Past President, PAUSD Board Betsy Bechtel, Former Mayor Jim Burch, Former Mayor Pat Burt, Council Member LaDoris Cordell, Former Council Member Peter Drekmeier, Mayor; Ellen Fletcher, Former Council Member Julie Jerome, Past President, PAUSD Board Yoriko Kishimoto, Council Member Larry Klein, Council Member Cathy Kroymann, Past President, PAUSD Board Jack Morton, Vice Mayor Gail Price, Former Board Member, PAUSD Board

Eve Agiewich Mike Alexander Alex Ameri Jim Baer Fred Balin Jagdish Basi Dorothy Bender Jeff Blum William Bochert Richard Bowden Jay Boyarsky Jeffrey & Katie Bramlett Ralph Britton Dean Bunderson Michael Closson Janet Dafoe

Jack Hamilton Ben Hammett Susan & Harry Hartzell Bruce Hodge Walt Hays Ed Holland Su Hwang Ray & Eleanora Jadwin Olana Khan Dr & Mrs. Ronald Kaye Adele Khabbaz Jessup Steve Levy Ernest Lieberman Barbara Lindsay Grainger Marburg

Jane David Winter Dellenbach Beth Delson Jeannie Duisenberg Anne-Marie Duliege Dan Dykwel Penny Ellson Claude Ezran Herbert & Alice Fischgrund Jon Foster Andy Freedman Dan Garber John Garcia, Mark & Romola Georgia David Greene Norma Grench Raju & Pooja Gupta

Pat McGaraghan Elke McGregor Gery Masteller John Melton Bob Moss Trish Mulvey Debbie Mytels Nadia Naik Peter Neal Fred Nichols Bonnie Packer Joan Paulin Al & Barbara Platt Marlene Prendergast Hope Raymond Robert Redfern-West Joe & Diane Rolfe

Non-proft organizations, from Community Child Care to the Chamber of Commerce, will pay no tax. Owners of rental property with less than four units will also pay no tax.

To ensure fairness, the Business License Tax is set up on sliding scale with a cap so that no business will pay more than a very small fraction of their income. What the Tax will do is raise $3 million each year — 1/3 of solution to the City’s $10M structural budget deficit. (The balance will come from reductions in expenditures and employee compensation.) And, this is local funding that can’t be ‘raided’ by the State. Susan Rosenberg Alice Schaffer Smith Arlene & Jack Schaupp Nancy Shepherd Lillian Tibby Simon Roger Smith

ser vices. d e u l a ’s v o t l A o l Pa g n i rv e s e r p Barbara Spreng Yes on A ... the key to Brian Steen Diane Reklis, Past President, PAUSD Board Emily Renzel, Former City Council Member Greg Schmid, Council Member Dana Tom, Board Member, PAUSD Board Carolyn Tucher, Past President, PAUSD Board Lanie Wheeler, Former Mayor Gail Wooley, Former Mayor Edel Young, Former Board Member, PAUSD Board

Judith Steiner Suzan Stewart Valerie Stinger Megan Swezey Fogarty John Tarlton Tig Tarlton Malay Thaker Sven Thesen Susie & Craig Thom Terry Trumbull Samir Tuma Teri Vershel Bill Warrior Elizabeth Weal Elizabeth Wolf Rega & Allen Wood (partial list)

— PAID ADVERTISMENT —

Page 10 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

Yes on A — Save Palo Alto Services. www. SavePaloAltoServices.org Greg Schmid, Treasurer FPPC # 1320789

Upfront

News Digest Teachers’ union, district at odds over co-pays

The Palo Alto teachers’ union has asked the school board to restore $780,000 worth of health benefits to the school district’s latest contract offer. But the district said it can’t afford to. Nearly two dozen teachers sat at the board meeting Tuesday night to support Gunn High School math and social studies teacher Ronen Habib, negotiations chair for the Palo Alto Educators Association, who spoke to the board. Noting that the union is not seeking a salary increase this year, Habib said the group is asking for “one of our most basic needs — health insurance — to be covered without increases in co-pays, as that equates to a pay cut.” The school district and unions representing teachers and other employees are in the midst of negotiating contracts for the 2009-10 year. Scott Bowers, the district’s assistant superintendent for human resources, said employee health-insurance premiums have gone up more than $1 million, along with increases in dental premiums. A committee comprised of union members and district representatives came up with a plan that included increasing co-payments on prescriptions and office visits, generating enough savings to cover the increased costs, Bowers said. However, the union wanted the district to cover the extra costs without making any of the planned changes, Bowers said. “Given our budget situation at this time we really couldn’t commit ongoing funds beyond this year, especially with a projected multi-milliondollar deficit next year,” he said. The school district’s 2009-10 operating budget is $154 million, 86 percent of which goes to employee salaries and benefits. ■ — Chris Kenrick

Court ruling gives boost to high-speed rail

Design work can proceed on the planned Peninsula segment of highspeed rail despite flaws in the environmental analysis of the overall project, a Sacramento County Superior Court judge has ruled. The ruling last Friday by Judge Michael Kenny is a setback for a coalition of opponents of the rail plan and of the Peninsula segment. The coalition of Menlo Park, Atherton and environmental groups had hoped Kenny would send the California High Speed Rail Authority back to redo the environmental studies and halt design work on segments, such as the Peninsula segment. The ruling means the rail authority — charged with building the 800mile line between San Francisco and Los Angeles — can continue studying design alternatives for the Bay Area section of the line. California voters approved $9.95 billion to provide seed funds for the $40-billion-plus rail line in the Nov. 3, 2008, election. The coalition had sued the rail authority, arguing that the agency was hasty in approving Pacheco Pass as its preferred alternative for the Bay Area segment of the line. The coalition argued that the line should pass through the East Bay via the Altamont Pass. It also argued that the authority failed to describe the project adequately when it approved the broader environmental report that identified Pacheco Pass as the preferred alternative. Kenny agreed in August that the authority failed to describe fully some sections of the line, specifically the segment between San Jose and Merced. Kenny also ruled that the authority failed to consider Union Pacific’s opposition to sharing its right-of-way with high-speed rail and ordered the authority to revise those sections of the environmental-impact report. ■ — Gennady Sheyner

Residents fight to save sycamores at Paly

A proposal to remove 13 large trees from Palo Alto High School’s sycamore-lined entrance from Churchill Avenue was headed off by residents and school board members Tuesday night. The Board of Education sent school officials back to the drawing boards in their effort to rebuild the adjacent football field bleachers to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Residents argued passionately for saving the trees, comparing Paly’s sycamore-lined entrance to the Cours de la Reine in Paris or to the northern Virginia estate of 18th-century statesman George Mason. “I’m here to urge you to preserve the great treasure that double allee of sycamore trees represents for the school district and for the city,” resident Rega Wood said. Paly Principal Jacqueline McEvoy and Athletic Director Earl Hansen said the planning committee had struggled since last spring to find an alternative to the tree removal. “It’s been a real struggle because unfortunately the choice of having to remove trees is one we didn’t anticipate. But one thing the facilities committee is adamant about is capacity of the bleachers,” McEvoy said. District Superintendent Kevin Skelly said he would return with some new proposals at the board’s Oct. 27 meeting, possibly adding capacity by extending the bleachers south beyond the light poles toward Churchill. ■ — Chris Kenrick LET’S DISCUSS: Read the latest local news headlines and talk about the issues at Town Square at www.PaloAltoOnline.com

WANT Palo Alto to make the right choices to ensure the quality

of life that we all cherish. That is why I’m running for City Council now and asking for your help.

“Another Candidate who will push for strong fiscal discipline is Greg Scharff, who also pledges to limit city wage increases to inflation. We also like his idea that the city should actively recruit high sales tax generating businesses. To accomplish that he said Palo Alto needs to be perceived as business friendly. But he is also against high density housing and he favors finding places for new parks. Scharff has the ability to tell the unions “no” and has rejected their support. He’s an independent thinker, is serious about the issues and knows this community well—the characteristics one wants in a council member.” “Greg Scharff, a 20-year resident and sole-practitioner attorney making his first run for council, is the “surprise” candidate in the race. We were impressed with his knowledge of the issues, his directness and his ideas for improving the effectiveness of city government. Of all the candidates, he was the most clear and thoughtful on why Palo Alto’s “planned community” development process, the method used by most developers in proposing major projects that exceed the allowable size in exchange for often nebulous “public benefits,” needs to be reformed and why developers have gained unfair advantage from it. He is also adamant about government transparency and accountability, proposing that no item be allowed on a council agenda unless all materials relating to that item have been available for at least 10 days. He believes past labor negotiations have resulted in excessive and unsustainable retirement benefits for city employees which must now be rolled back. He supports the expansion of the Stanford hospitals assuming agreement on strong traffic-mitigation measures.” t My Video a Check Out om ltoOnline.c om A lo a .P w w w harff.c lectGregSc and www.E

Scharff For City Council 2009 � Karen Neuman, Treasurer � 1301 Parkinson Avenu Palo Alto, CA 94301 � FPPC#1320354 Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 11

Upfront

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city hall

Court bars 87 SEIU city workers from striking Palo Alto wins a permanent injunction to keep ‘essential’ workers on the job by Gennady Sheyner

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Page 12 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

f Palo Alto’s largest labor union were to go on strike, 87 workers would be barred from participating, a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday. City Attorney Gary Baum succeeded in having 87 members of the Service Employees International Union Chapter 21 designated as “essential employees,” which means they would not be able to participate in any future strike. These include workers at the city’s wastewater-treatment plant, fire and police dispatchers and utility workers, City Manager James Keene said Wednesday. Most of these workers had already been barred from striking by a temporary restraining order the court had issued before the union’s one-day strike on Sept. 24. During that strike — which the union called a “self-imposed furlough” — 99 workers were required to show up to work. These workers included Greg Schulz and Mike Keate, who are members of the union’s negotiating team and employees of the city’s Utilities Department. With the temporary restraining

order set to expire on Oct. 13, the city narrowed its list of “critical workers” to 87 and succeeded in getting a permanent restraining order prohibiting these workers from striking, Keene said. Judge William Elfving upheld the city’s request to have each of these workers listed as essential to the city’s health and safety. “The city certainly supports and understands the labor’s right to strike,” Keene said. “But the court ruling certainly ensures that in the event of the strike, the city’s critical services will not be impacted.” Palo Alto has been in tense contract negotiations with the SEIU since May and the two sides have met more than 25 times but have not reached a consensus. The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20, Keene said. The union vehemently opposes the city’s plan to trim health care and pension benefits. City officials have repeatedly maintained that the cuts are necessary to reduce Palo Alto’s “structural deficit” in its budget of about $10 million. On Tuesday, Mayor Peter Drekmeier alluded to the union negotiations during a debate on the

business-license tax. He referred to the negotiations as “very contentious” and said a strike may be on the horizon. Drekmeier said the city remains firmly committed to winning $3 million in concessions from the labor unions. He said SEIU workers have been reticent about accepting the city’s proposal for a new labor contract. “The employees’ morale has been down because of this tense debate over the future of benefits,” Drekmeier said at the debate. “We’re losing some employees to early retirement.” Elfving’s preliminary injunction states that the city has established “the probability that there is an immediate danger that defendant SEIU will violate the Government Code by engaging in a strike or work stoppage.” “Failure to issue this preliminary injunction would result in an imminent threat to public health, safety and welfare,” the injunction reads. n Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

Upfront

Business tax (continued from page 3)

dinance has the full right to repeal technical issues without a vote of the people. However, changes that would result in a higher tax rate would require a new public vote. Mayor Peter Drekmeier said Tuesday that the council could later modify some of the details in the tax ordinance to address any procedural problems business owners encounter. The business-license-tax ordinance, which needs the approval of more than 50 percent of the voters to be enacted, has met fervent resistance from a small group of smallbusiness owners who claim the new tax would be too onerous and invasive. Harold “Skip” Justman, an attorney who is leading the opposition to the tax, reiterated these arguments at a Tuesday afternoon debate with Drekmeier, who favors Measure A. “Small businesses feel completely neglected — they feel punished and burdened,” Justman said during the debate at the Community Media Center. The proposed tax would charge each business $75 for the first employee and then between $34 and $95 for each additional employee. Hotels, stores, wholesale businesses and manufacturers would pay $34 per employee; professional businesses such as law firms, medical practices and real estate brokerages would pay $95 per employee; and landlords with fewer than four rental units would be charged $75 for the first unit and $25 for each additional unit. Justman said he has spoken to residents with home-based businesses and said these residents are frightened that the city will start auditing them and demanding money. Justman said one senior citizen told him she supplements her income by washing and mending clothes and said “she would be darned if she let some city employee come in and get into her supplemental income.” But Drekmeier said the issues Justman brought up have not materialized in neighboring communities, all of which already have a businesslicense tax. He said the city would never raid a home or target a minor and described Justman’s arguments as “scare tactics.” “We’re not a community that beats down doors to collect $75,”

Drekmeier said. “The scare tactics are not going to come to fruition. “We’re certainly going to work with businesses to make this work,” he added, noting that this could include “cleaning up the language” in the tax ordinance. Drekmeier, like other supporters of the tax, argued it is urgently needed to help close the city’s financial woes, even though the tax would not start until 2011. The city’s structural deficit this year exceeds $10 million. The tax would bring in $3 million annually, the city has estimated. Supporters of Measure A have also created a website, www.SavePaloAltoServices.org, to inform the public about the tax measure and to solicit contributions for the “Yes on A” campaign. The site lists a coalition of business-license-tax supporters, including developer Jim Baer, City Council watchdog Bob Moss, Planning and Transportation Commission Chair Daniel Garber, conservationists Walter Hays and Emily Renzel, and five candidates for the City Council — incumbent Councilman Larry Klein, Gail Price, Dan Dykwel, Nancy Shepherd and Brian Steen.

Commitment To Excellence

Baer, Klein and former Silicon Valley Bank CEO Roger Smith have also contributed $1,000 each to a “Yes on A — Save Palo Alto Services” campaign, which had collected $4,450 in contributions as of Sept. 24. Meanwhile, the “Small Businesses Against Taxes” group has created a Facebook group to oppose Measure A and has held a “pub crawl” to urge residents to vote against the new tax. Justman said Tuesday that the group is getting ready to send out fliers this week urging residents to vote against the business-license tax. But the group hasn’t come close to its original goal of raising $100,000 for the campaign. Its campaign statement shows that it has received $8,450 in contributions as of Sept. 24. Contributors include Palo Alto Theatre; Barbara Gross, general manager of Garden Court Hotel; Denovo Ventures, LLP; and planning consultant Carol Jansen. “Businesses are in hard times,” Justman said. “They just don’t have the money to contribute right now.” n Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

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• • •

—Nancy

Gary Fazzino, Former Mayor Megan Swezey Fogarty, Community Leader Carolyn Tucher, Former School Board President

as well as endorsers

• • •

Joe Simitian, State Senator, 11th District Liz Kniss, Pres., Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Betsy Bechtel, Pres., Foothill-De Anza Comm. Coll. Board of Trustees

•

Peter Drekmeier, Palo Alto Mayor

and many more elected officials and community leaders. For more information, visit www.electNancyShepherd.com Nancy Shepherd for City Council 2009 FPPC # 1319774 Amanda Hechler, Treasurer • 1625 Madrono Avenue • Palo Alto, CA

GAITHER PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL

SINCERELY COMMITTED, Strong Advocate, Serving all Palo Altans.

Fired up and

Ready to Serve!

NO: Business License Tax (Measure A) s NO: High Speed Rail (Great Concept, Bad Plan) SPENDING: Control it Now! (For Our Future) VISION: Community building with Police, Fire and Schools Balanced land use – Stop over-crowding Retail Services –- Help our business community to thrive Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 13

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College Terrace (continued from page 3)

project has evolved enough since April to merit their support. The applicant has reduced the number of below-market-rate apartments from 14 to eight to create space for a future expansion of the grocery store; reduced office space by 1,000 square feet and widened the sidewalks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve become considerably more comfortable with the public benefit as it is being proposed,â&#x20AC;? commission Vice Chair Samir Tuma said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m increasingly confident that we not only will get a grocery store but that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get JJ&F back. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve become convinced that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s truly the best intentions of the applicant and the grocery-store operator that it happens.â&#x20AC;? The applicantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revisions were largely based on feedback from the City Council, which approved the initiation of a zone change for the project on July 13. At that meeting, the council began the process for establishing a planned community (PC) zone, which would enable the mixed-use project to be more dense than city zoning regulations would otherwise allow. In exchange for the higher density, the developer is required to provide significant public benefits. In this case, the chief benefit is the a new and improved JJ&F â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a beloved family-run store that currently operates on the corner of El Camino Real and College Avenue.

John Garcia of JJ&F told the commission Wednesday night he would be willing to sign a long-term lease for the new store as soon as the project is approved â&#x20AC;&#x201D; allaying residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fears that JJ&F could close, leaving the busy corner overrun with a mass of office space. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our current building is obsolete, and we desperately need a new store,â&#x20AC;? Garcia told the commission. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have worked out a strong and fair agreement with property owners that enables us to stay afloat during the construction period and to come back better than ever.â&#x20AC;? While dozens of residents filled the council chambers at previous discussions of the College Terrace Centre, Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hearing was more subdued. A few residents asked the commission to approve the project and keep the grocery store in College Terrace, while several others argued that the project still has far too much office space. Doria Summa, a member of the College Terrace Residents Association Board of Directors, said changes made by the applicants since the April hearing have not been significant enough to satisfy residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; concerns. She also emphasized the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position that the neighborhood should not be transformed into a â&#x20AC;&#x153;regional business district.â&#x20AC;? The College Terrace Centre includes 38,980 square feet of office space, 5,580 square feet of groundfloor retail space and an underground garage with 216 parking spaces on two levels. Several commissioners, includ-

ing Lee Lippert, Arthur Keller, Susan Fineberg and Karen Holman, said they would have liked to see a greater reduction in office space. Holman asked the applicant to trim office space by 10 percent, while Lippert urged a 5 percent cut. Lippertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposal was approved 4-3, with Chair Dan Garber, Vice Chair Samir Tuma and Eduardo Martinez dissenting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At a time when we have such a glut of office space, do we really need to build more office space?â&#x20AC;? Lippert said. The commission also tacked on more than a dozen conditions, including requirements that the residential units have access to the roof, which includes landscaping and a gazebo; that the applicant provide traffic mitigation; and that the project return to the commission one more time before it goes to the council for final approval. The project would still have to be reviewed by the Architectural Review Board and approved by the council before construction could begin. n Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DISCUSS:â&#x20AC;&#x2C6; Read the latest local news headlines and talk about the issues at Town Square at www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Pulse A weekly compendium of vital statistics

Palo Alto Oct. 6-12

Violence related Attempted suicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Theft related Checks forgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Credit card forgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Residential Burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Shoplifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle related Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Driving with suspended license . . . . . . . 3 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Lost/stolen plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . . 7 Vehicle accident/prop. Damage . . . . . . 6 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Drunken driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Possession of paraphernalia . . . . . . . . . 1 Miscellaneous Animal call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Disturbing the peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Found property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Misc. penal code violation . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Noise ordinance violation . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sex crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

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Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Domestic Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft related Attempted Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Grand Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle related Auto recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Driving w/ suspended license . . . . . . . . 4 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle accident/no injury . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Vehicle accident/property damage . . . . 2 Vehicle impound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Alcohol or drug related Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Miscellaneous Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Disturbing/annoying phone calls . . . . . . 1 Info. case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Juvenile problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Medical aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Other/misc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Probation violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Warrant arrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

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Transitions Births, marriages and deaths

Deaths N ATU R ALLY EXT RA O RDINA RY

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Charles Hitt

Charles “Chuck” Hitt, 56, a former resident of Palo Alto, died Sept. 21. He was born in Palo Alto and graduated from Gunn High School in 1971. He was a track and field athlete as well as a dirt-bike racer in his adolescence. He attended Northern Arizona University, then returned to the Bay Area and worked as a welder, salesman and shipping/receiving supervisor. In 1979 he moved to Santa Cruz, Calif., where he met his wife, Sheri. They were married in 1983 and had two children. In 1988 he moved to the town of Felton, where he took pride in his home.

He loved gardening, riding motorcycles and exercising. He was also an avid fan of his kids’ sports. Loved ones recall his sense of humor and caring nature. He is survived by his wife, Sheri Hitt of Felton; children, Bobby and Michelle Hitt; sister, Christine Buss; brother, Vincent Hitt; and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws.

Ariel Shaker

Ariel Shaker, 21, a Palo Alto native, died Oct. 1 from injuries sustained in a horsebackriding accident. She grew up in Palo Alto and graduated from Palo Alto High School in 2006. While at Paly, she was a member of the rowing team, and had a strong interest in athletics, English and journalism, writing numerous articles on a range of subjects for the Campanile student newspaper. “She was one of these kids who always did more than you expected. She just exceeded expectations,” her journalism teacher, Esther Wojcicki, told the Weekly. She was a senior at Harvard University. She was in the university’s visual and environmental studies program and was known for her bold painting style. A longtime horseback riding enthusiast, she was a member of the Harvard polo team and formerly of the rowing team. The Harvard Crimson student newspaper quoted roommates as saying Shaker loved talking, writing, literature, and spending time with people. In an e-mail to students, Dean of the College Evelynn M. Hammonds cited the words of Shaker’s college interviewer to describe her personality. “She is easily the most personable applicant I’ve interviewed in my years of interviewing for Harvard,” the interviewer wrote. “She is well spoken, poised, engaging, sharp and witty. I’d be shocked if she isn’t a real leader among her peers.” Shaker is survived by her parents Douglas Shaker and Teresa Feiock and a brother, Isaac Shaker, all of Palo Alto.

Robert Spinrad

Robert J. Spinrad, 77, a resident of Palo Alto, died Sept. 2 from Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was a pioneer in computing and director of Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s. He was born in Manhattan, N.Y. He graduated from the Bronx High

Page 16 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

School of Science, where he met Verna, his wife of 55 years. He received a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in electrical engineering from Columbia University and a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined the Brookhaven National Laboratory, where he designed a computer he named Merlin, which was part of an early generation of computer systems used to automate scientific experimentation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was really the father of modern laboratory automation,â&#x20AC;? Joel Birnbaum, a physicist who designed computers at both I.B.M. and Hewlett-Packard, said in a New York Times report. He joined Scientific Data Systems in Los Angeles as a computer designer and manager. When Xerox Corporation bought the company to compete with I.B.M., he helped put a research laboratory next to the Stanford Campus. As director of the laboratory in 1978, he helped pioneer technology that included the first modern personal computer, the Ethernet local area network and the laser printer. He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He also served on the board of directors of the California Council on Science and Technology, the board of governors of the Pardee RAND Graduate School of Policy Analysis and the National Research Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Policy and Global Affairs Division committee. He is survived by his wife, Verna; two children, Paul Spinrad of San Francisco and Susan Spinrad Es-

terly of Palo Alto; and three grandchildren. A â&#x20AC;&#x153;celebration of lifeâ&#x20AC;? memorial will be held Oct. 20 at 3 p.m. in the Palo Alto Research Center Auditorium, 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto. Memorial donations may be made to the ALS Association.

Matthew Wilson

Matthew Wilson, 87, a former resident of Palo Alto, died in Mountain View Oct. 4. He was born near Orlando, Fla. He served in the military during World War II, earning three medals for distinguished service. He moved to San Francisco after the war and started a plumbing service. He married Hazel Mae Owens in 1965 and they lived together in the Ventura neighborhood of Palo Alto. Loved ones recall the two as active

at numerous community church, community and sporting events. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grandaddy Matt was a hardworking man who instilled in us the value of education and of getting along with people,â&#x20AC;? granddaughter Tamala Williams said. He is survived by his children, Rosie Lee Williams-Murray and Willie Lee Atkinson of Mountain View; brother, Jimmy Sceal of Florida; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one greatgreat-grandchild; and several nieces and nephews. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, the Palo Alto Veterans Administration, or Alzheimer-Dementia charities. A military funeral will be held Friday, Oct. 16, at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Gustine, Calif.

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34%0(%. ,/5)3 (-%,!2 32 Stephen Louis Christopher, Justin, Ashley, Amanda, Natalie, FĂŠ, Hmelar, Sr., aged Seattle, Gracia, Marissa, Emma, Thomas, Cody, 79, died of cancer Isabel, and Olivia. Mr. Hmelar started his career in Cleveland September 27, 2009, at his home in Palo in the 1950s, as an engineer doing research Discount development on pacemakers and medical Alto, where heSenior lived and & Sunday!systems. He later worked in for the lastWednesday 31 years. communications He was born Buffalo, New York, and Boston, Massachusetts, November 9, 1929, for Sylvania, where he developed defense Open Monday Friday 9 to 8systems. At Raychem and thru communications in Cleveland, Ohio, Saturday & Sunday 9 to 7 the only son of Corporation, in Menlo Park, California, he was Stephen J. and a highly skilled manufacturing process engineer Elizabeth Hmelar. In 1952 he graduated from who created the Engineering Services group Case Institute of Technology with a bachelor of and later designed and built factories around the science in electrical engineering. He continued world. Mr. Hmelar also had served on the Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with graduate studies and research at Case Advisory Council for California State Polytechnic Western Reserve, Northeastern University, and University and was a past chairman of the San University of California, Berkeley, and at the Mateo County Private Industry Council. His brilliant mind, gentle good humor, and Stanford Engineering Executive Program. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ann Marie mighty heart will be sorely missed. Mr. Hmelarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ashes will be scattered in a (Sheridan) Hmelar, and his seven children and their spouses: Steve Hmelar and Debra Cen, Palo private ceremony. A public memorial will be held Alto; Frank and Christine Hmelar, Palo Alto; Tim on Sunday, October 18, at 1 p.m., at the SDA and Monica Hmelar, Palo Alto; Anni Hmelar and Church, 786 Channing Street, in Palo Alto. In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests Muralidhran Nadarajah, San Carlos, California; Lisa Hmelar, Palo Alto; Michael and Marion that donations be made to Pathwayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home & Hmelar, Palo Alto; and Susan Hmelar Queisser Health Hospice and The Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Institute, and Andreas Queisser, Corvallis, Oregon. He both of Sunnyvale, California. is also survived by fourteen grandchildrenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;

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Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 17

Editorial

Measure A tax plan needs more work

Palo Alto needs ‘business license tax’ funds but the plan is overly complex with too many ‘administrative adjustments’ and clarifications required

he debate over whether Palo Alto should have a business-license tax has popped up periodically for at least four decades, beginning back when few other cities had one. Inertia and mild opposition from businesses kept a tax from ever being adopted.

Now, facing a $10 million budget shortfall, the City Council wants voters to approve a measure that will raise an estimated $3 million per year (in 2011 when implemented) from anyone doing business in the city (whether located here or not) plus an automatic cost-of-living increase each year. Unlike the taxes implemented long ago in most other California communities, which weren’t designed to be a significant revenue source but instead a registry of businesses, Palo Alto’s proposed system would immediately become a major revenue contributor to city coffers and add yet another burden to doing business here. This newspaper has supported virtually every school or municipal tax or bond proposal brought before the voters over the last 30 years. We cannot, however, support Measure A in its present form. One only needs to read the measure and the various city attempts to clarify its provisions to realize it is too complex, poorly written and would be difficult for businesses to implement and the city to administer. The Weekly last June editorially supported such a tax, in concept. Property-tax contributions of businesses have declined as a proportion of city revenues since the 1978 Proposition 13 (because business properties turn over more slowly than homes), and our burgeoning service sector generally pays no sales tax. The financial impact on businesses would be modest, starting at $75 per employee and ranging from to $34 to $95 per employee per additional employee depending on kind of business. Law firms and other high-margin businesses will not be strained, but low-margin, labor-intensive businesses (such as restaurants and many retailers) will consider it significant. City Manager James Keene and the council are striving to close the city’s “structural deficit” with a three-pronged approach: implementing the business license tax; trimming city employees through program cuts; and reducing employee benefits in the union contract currently being negotiated. The city’s largest union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), is fiercely resisting the benefits rollbacks. As for the proposed tax, the old saw that the “Devil is in the details” is holding true. The text of the Measure A ordinance, as distributed in full to voters in the sample-ballot pamphlet, is lengthy and confusing, with requirements that are already being amended by administrative clarifications. For example, the wording of the ordinance requires juveniles who are operating businesses to file sworn statements in order to be exempt. Nonprofit organizations would also have to file such statements. The city now has issued administrative language stating that it won’t require applications for exemptions from juveniles after all, stating that was not the intent of the ordinance. Nor will it go into homes to audit home businesses, another provision contained in the measure, according to recent clarifying statements (see www.paloaltoonline.com/media/reports/1255641335.pdf). A larger problem is the council’s overzealous and illconsidered effort to capture tax revenue from independent contractors. The result is an immensely complicated set of rules that will ensure widespread confusion and non-compliance. The inclusion of these and other provisions in the original measure indicates to us that the city attorney’s office was significantly out of sync with the council’s intent and failed to recognize the importance and necessity of preparing clearly written, simple implementation guidelines that would assure businesses and the community that this is not a haphazard, reactive process. For these reasons Measure A deserves defeat. But a businesslicense tax is needed, and once Measure A is defeated the city should return with a properly developed proposal, free of present flaws, at next year’s general election. Defeating Measure A will enable the council to deliver on its commitment to achieve benefit concessions from city workers in their new contract. With a new union contract that includes reductions in employee health and retirement benefits and decisive action by the council to cut other city spending, we are confident that the public will approve a revised and improved business license tax measure. Page 18 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions

‘Undergrounding’ answer

Editor, Three cheers to Yoriko Kishimoto and Brian Steen, who helped lead a two-day workshop that came up with a plan for an environmentally friendly way for high-speed rail to pass through our communities. The idea put forward for Atherton, Menlo Park and Palo Alto is to pay for undergrounding the trains by buying the surface-development rights for the roughly eight-mile by a hundred-foot strip. The roughly $1 billion cost of undergrounding probably equates to the value of this strip, which cuts through some of the most valuable real estate on the planet. A hundred years from now our great-grandchildren will thank us for breaking through the barrier that now separates our cities and providing a green corridor that bikers and pedestrians can use to get from city to city. Steve Eittreim Ivy Lane Palo Alto

Health care hope

Editor, To disheartened Democrats and supporters of Obama fearing a demise of health reform, there is some light to brighten the tunnel’s end. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow notes there are three ways to press for health reform: 1) Shame the recalcitrant congresspersons by holding large-scale free health care clinics in their constituencies, to put a human face to the statistics of those currently outside the benefits of health care 2) Dethrone committee chairs and other key position holders from their current functions if they vote against the health reform 3) Use the reconciliation rule to preclude the use of filibuster as a means to kill the reform bill. The reconciliation rule requires just 51 votes, not 60, with Vice President Biden’s vote counting as the 51st vote. Though Republicans are crying foul and some even erroneously suggesting the rule applied to health reform will be the first time ever that it is so applied, it may be recalled that President Bush used it to get his tax bill giving relief to the wealthy passed exactly the same way! Neera Sohoni Carolina Lane Palo Alto

Police cameras

Editor, A few years ago, late at night, I was stopped by a Palo Alto policewoman because my annual registration had been ripped off. I had made an appointment to get a new one and had the receipt (the procedure at the time). When I showed her my license, she noticed I had not thrown away my old one. She asked me to

whom I loaned the old one. I protested but she replied that she knew foreigners; they were all crooked. (She had heard my accent). All evening it was the tenor of her insults. She decided I was drunk, arrested me and took me to the police station. I was stunned. The doctor who was called to get my blood mentioned that my wrists were bleeding and she should not put the handcuffs so tight but she did and my arms were swollen for weeks. In addition she drove me to jail on a potholed street at 90 so that my behind was blue and sore for weeks. A lawyer I saw asked me for a retainer of $700. After three weeks I called the police and heard there was no case against me. If my husband had not been dying those days I would have shown my bruises to my doctor and could have convinced the police department that the policewoman had also bruised me emotionally. When I asked for the report, I discovered that the small portion of the interrogation that had been audio recorded was accurate. The rest was a novel. I started campaigning to have audio recordings of all the interactions of police and suspects. After the

Rodney King affair, I switched to videocassettes. When I learned that police precincts recorded the conversations of patrol officers and suspects, I was given a demonstration and was convinced that it was the only way to have reliable witnesses, in other words to get due process. I asked Palo Alto to install cameras in police cars. The police did, but the police officers have the right to turn the cameras off and on! When I protested, I was asked by the mayor, “Christiane, you want our officers to lose their privacy?” Yes. When I lecture in a classroom I have no privacy. The cameras should be placed and removed by a dispatcher and the videos read by a city official or in court but never put in the hands of an officer that may tamper with them. I did not hear Chief Dennis Burns say he is going to make those expensive cameras do the job for which they were purchased. If officers have no control on the cameras there will be no profiling and no possible complaints about police misconduct. Christiane Cook Emerson Street Palo Alto

YOUR TURN The Palo Alto Weekly encourages comments on our coverage or on issues of local interest.

What do you think? What does BLT mean to you – a sandwich or a business license tax – and do you support the latter? Submit letters to the editor of up to 250 words to letters@paweekly.com. Include your name, address and daytime phone number so we can reach you. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, objectionable content, libel and factual errors known to us. Anonymous letters will generally not be accepted. You can also participate in our popular interactive online forum, Town Square, at our community website at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Read blogs, discuss issues, ask questions or express opinions with you neighbors any time, day or night. Submitting a letter to the editor or guest opinion constitutes a granting of permission to the Palo Alto Weekly and Embarcadero Publishing Co. to also publish it online, including in our online archives and as a post on Town Square. For more information contact Editor Jay Thorwaldson or Online Editor Tyler Hanley at editor@paweekly.com or 650-326-8210.

Check out Town Square! Hundreds of local topics are being discussed by local residents on Town Square, a reader forum sponsored by the Weekly on our community website at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Post your own comments, ask questions, read the Editor’s blog or just stay up on what people are talking about around town!

Guest Opinion Salt ponds may become next huge development-impact battle by Yoriko Kishimoto ur Peninsula has an overreaching positive vision for its future. At its heart is intelligent, progressive planning, so we can manage the future of our communities in the face of immense pressure for growth without negatively impactingour natural environment. Our future lies in healthy communities where shopping, school and work can all be just a short bike or train trip away. Peninsula officials, neighborhood leaders and urban designers are working together to integrate some population growth into our fine-grained neighborhoods and historic downtowns rather than allow growth in the wrong places. Today, there is a threat to this vision: a proposed development in Redwood City so breathtaking in its size and misguided in its scope that nothing of its kind has been seen in half a century. Minnesota-based Cargill, Inc., the international agribusiness giant, is proposing to pave over 1,400 acres of Bayfront salt ponds for a new mini-city of 25,000 people. Throughout the Peninsula — in Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Mateo — we are seeing downtowns revived with smart growth that preserves the open space we need for our economy and quality of life. In the midst of our communities’ positive efforts, it is unsettling to see a proposal for a massive new development that harkens back to a different era, one that will impact the entire

Midpeninsula and beyond. Cargill’s so-called “Saltworks” development site is on the wrong side of Highway 101, more than a mile from downtown and Caltrain. This is not an infill site and this is not the place for housing. It is several times the size of the equally misguided Mobil Land Co. proposal for Bair Island, just north of the Cargill salt ponds, that in the early 1980s was fiercely debated and defeated (by 43 votes) in a hard-fought referendum. That plan for several thousand new, highpriced homes and 12,000 jobs, would have ultimately destroyed a major bird-nesting area and would have added 20 minutes a day to the average commute on Bayshore Freeway. It would have required many thousands of cubic yards of imported fill, from someplace not designated in the project’s environmental impact report. That land is now preserved as permanent open space, thanks to the Peninsula Open Space Trust. The effort took a quarter century. Back to the present, under California’s new AB 375, we are required to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by curbing sprawl. Real infill doesn’t need new roads, let alone the 223 acres of them in Cargill’s plan. Redwood City officials have begun to lay a foundation for processing of Cargill’s new city-in-a-salt-pond. There is no doubt that city officials intend to study the proposal in good faith. But the big picture can get lost in the details, the forest obscured by the trees — and that may just be the developer’s slim best hope for getting the project approved. The San Francisco

Chronicle agrees that restorable bay wetlands are no place to build a massive development, calling this “an unacceptable site for housing.” The site should be restored to thriving tidal wetlands instead, to benefit people and wildlife. Urban sprawl, massive bay fill and

This development scheme faces intense opposition and enormous hurdles from the many agencies that would have to approve it. The state Natural Resources Agency, for one, is recommending that “State agencies should not plan, permit, develop or build any structure that might require (flood) protection in the future.”

diking have already reduced the bay’s size by one-third and destroyed more than 90 percent of the bay’s wetlands. We must have a clear vision of what core assets we must preserve and what fundamental changes for which we need to prepare. Top among those assets is our threatened open spaces; high among the coming changes are rising sea levels from a warming planet. Cargill’s proposal is simply at odds with

where the Peninsula needs to go as a community. Cargill Oct. 2 notified the state that it is withdrawing its lands from the Williamson Act, which provides tax breaks for a 10-year commitment to leave the land open. Cargill officials say they hope top break ground by 2013, notwithstanding the 10-year commitment. This development scheme faces intense opposition and enormous hurdles from the many agencies that would have to approve it. The state Natural Resources Agency, for one, is recommending that “State agencies should not plan, permit, develop or build any structure that might require (flood) protection in the future.” Yet none of the region’s time and effort need be wasted if the developer is delivered a simple message by local officials here on the Peninsula: Don’t pave our bay. The Bay Area needs more housing, but not in the bay itself or what historically were bayfront wetlands. If sprawl into the baylands is seen as an answer then we have to revisit the question being asked.n Yoriko Kishimoto is on the Palo Alto City Council and was mayor in 2007. She serves on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of DIrectors, the Joint Policy Committee that coordinates regional policies and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors. She can be e-mailed at ykishimoto@earthlink.net. Note: The Redwood City approval process is detailed at www.redwoodcity.org/ cds/planning/saltworks/review_process. asp .

Streetwise

How prepared do you think the Bay Area is for the next big quake? Asked along California Avenue. Interviews by Royston Sim. Photographs by Veronica Weber.

Robert Hall Consultant Sherman Avenue, Palo Alto “It’s reasonably well prepared. People are fairly conscious, and buildings are seismically retrofitted.”

Fabio Riccardi

Engineer Ross Road, Palo Alto “They’re prepared, though they could talk about it more.”

Richard McKeethen

Customer-support Worker Rengstorff Avenue, Mountain View “Not at all. And I should know better, I was here when the quake hit in ’89.”

Mary Fisher

Salesperson Marmona Drive, Menlo Park “I don’t think we’re really prepared. The communications system and infrastructure are not where they need to be.”

Shymala Dason

Writer Park Boulevard, Palo Alto “We’re not prepared at all. There’s no money.”

Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 19

Cover Story

As unemployment rates have risen, so has volunteerism

volunteer A new breed of

by Sue Dremann

Top: Vanessa Binder, who was laid off in January 2008, stands at the reception desk of the American Red Cross, where she often works in the mornings. Above: George Turner, a volunteer at the Palo Alto VA hospital, greets a patient in his room. On the cover: Ralph Ackermann, a former teacher, volunteers at the InnVision/Urban Ministry Food Closet, helping a client choose food to take home. Photo by Veronica Weber.

Page 20 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

photos by Veronica Weber

ope Benham loaded the hospitality cart with things she thought the ill and injured veterans might like: squeeze balls and sunglasses, books and magazines, lap blankets knitted by church women. In the hospital store room, she filled plastic bags with toiletries, including little bottles of shampoo, soap and tubes of toothpaste. “Many come here and they don’t have anything,” she said, taking one last look around the VA Palo Alto Health Care System store room before wheeling the cart into the corridor. On the second floor in the acute-care ward, she worked her way door to door. A veteran took a brown quilt and a T-shirt. Feet wrapped in warm socks stuck out from behind privacy curtains. Benham peeked in, wheeling away if the occupants were sleeping. In other rooms, she stopped to chat. “Oh, you bring in that goody wagon,” a man said, pleased with the note cards donated by strangers. In the wake of an unemployment rate that has risen to 12 percent in Santa Clara County, volunteerism has also increased — by 15 to 20 percent in the last year, according to local charitable organizations. Some new volunteers are pursuing interests for which they never before had time. Others are acquiring skills and building their resumes, nonprofit staff members said. “There is definitely greater interest this year. A federal report this summer led by the Corporation of National Community Service found that during the 2009 ‘Summer of Service’ there was 15 percent more volunteer activity over last year’s summer from mid-June to the end of September,” said Robert Rosenthal, spokesman for

Cover Story Volunteer Match, the largest volunteer organization in the country, which recruits for 71,000 nonprofit organizations. From June to September, 4,417 Palo Altans visited Volunteer Match’s website to find volunteer opportunities. In the last five years, skilled volunteering has been the trend, he said. The unemployed are taking positions in health care, office administration, Web support, disaster services — along with the host of small and seemingly unheroic roles that nonprofit coordinators said provide badly needed services. At the VA hospital, Benham’s cart-pushing brings with it a smile and a connection to the outside world to which hospitalized vets do not have access, according to Bill Ball, the VA’s director of volunteer services. Benham, 52, sold a business in Norway, returning to the U.S. when the economic crisis took hold. She is “not gainfully employed,” she said. She became inspired to volunteer at the VA after listening to a radio program about how Americans are disconnected from the Iraq War. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Benham said of walking in with a smile while seeing the damage of combat.

anessa Binder, an American Red Cross Silicon Valley volunteer, has used the time since she was laid off in January 2008 to add volunteering to her resume, she said. It wasn’t her first thought, however. Binder got a rude awakening when she applied for a job just five months after leaving her education position. “I went to a job interview and they asked, ‘What have you been doing for five months?’ I was looking for a job and doing the laundry, and sometimes I cooked for my husband. In our society where people are busy and motivated ... it was a real eye opener. It’s not OK for a woman not to be working. It brought home to me that I need to get busy,” she said. Binder became a shelter worker, aiding victims of Hurricane Ike in Arkansas in September 2008. Going to Arkansas was “the most rewarding and gratifying experience of my life. You meet the best of the best when you’re out on a disaster. Your clients are so grateful that you gave your time,” she said. She volunteers in the health-andsafety department and Workplace Emergency Readiness Center and teaches classes in food safety. And she became an emergency-vehicle driver. “I guess I might say I jumped in with both feet,” she said. Volunteering has become “a huge part of life,” but the flexibility still allows Binder to look for employment. (continued on next page)

As part of his volunteer job at the Palo Alto VA hospital, George Turner coordinates many of the activities and outings for patients in hospice care. Here he stops to chat with a patient on the fourth floor. Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 21

Cover Story

Clockwise from top: Charlton Sanchez, shown here letting a passenger out of the electric-vehicle shuttle, parlayed his volunteer job driving for the VA to a paid job in food services; Ralph Ackermann, a volunteer at the InnVision/Urban Ministry Food Closet and unemployed teacher, grabs peanut butter off the shelf for a client; Deberra O’Brien, who used to design hospitals in Hawaii, now volunteers in the gift shop at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, where she was blowing up balloons.

Volunteers

(continued from previous page)

“It looks good on my resume. When people ask what I’ve been doing, I can say I’ve been volunteering

for the Red Cross for a year. It’s a win-win for both of us,” she said. At Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, 82 potential volunteers packed the Oct. 5 volunteer orientation. Maryellen Lozzi, manager of volunteer services, gave a Power-

Page 22 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

Point presentation of dozens of volunteer positions, including arts and crafts with young patients; clinic readers; intensive-care family-care navigators, baby cuddlers, foreignlanguage interpreters and infantdevelopment research assistants.

In the past year participation in the orientation sessions has grown 20 percent, Lozzi said. “People say, ‘I’ve always had a passion to work with children’ or ‘I’ve always had a passion to be in the health-care industry.’ We usually have people who spent their lives doing technology and now want to do something different. ... Many are starting over. They are going back to school in recreational therapy, rehabilitation services or like playing with kids. They are trying things on for size,” she said. Charlton Sanchez is one of the lucky ones who parlayed his volunteerism into a job. An unemployed food-service worker, Sanchez, 48, offered to operate a shuttle, taking veterans to appointments and around the hospital grounds. Laid off last December, he wanted to do

something useful while seeking employment, he said. He was hired by the VA’s foodservice department Oct. 7. “I shared many happy tears yesterday,” he said the next day. “Finally, I’m going back to work — in a place where I can still volunteer. “Just to be able to have the opportunity to tell these guys, ‘Thank you for your service’ — it’s a big thing. You’ve got to be a people person to make this work. You have to have that character on and off this campus,” he said. Ball, the VA’s director of volunteer services, said many unemployed volunteers hope for work at the VA hospital. “We can’t guarantee jobs, but there is a value of volunteering (if jobs are available). It brings a face to a resume. If I know an individual,

Cover Story

UNCOMMON EXCHANGE A new breed of conversation series exploring what it means for individuals and communities to make complex decisions in a high-stakes environment

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Oshman Family Jewish Community Center Volunteer Hope Benham adds extra handmade blankets to her cart before stopping off at patients’ rooms to distribute ‘goodies’ at the Palo Alto VA Hospital. I know if someone is going to be on time or if he interacts well with the veterans,” he said. Last year, 1,800 people volunteered for a full year at the Palo Alto and Menlo Park campuses. And 100 new volunteers were recruited. The largest percentage of volunteers at the Palo Alto facility, nearly 20 percent, consists of 21- to 30year-olds. Adults ages 51 to 60 comprised the third-largest group — and increased 29 percent over 2007, according to VA statistics. The American Red Cross Silicon Valley has also seen a surge in volunteers in the last six months as more people are out of work, according to Cynthia Shaw, director of communications for the chapter. More people are asking specifically for opportunities in office volunteering, which is unusual, said Crystal Paul, Red Cross director of volunteer and youth programs. The positions, available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., used to be hard to fill or were done by retired persons, she said. But “younger people in their 20s to 40s are coming in who want to put something on their resume,” she said.

espite the rise in volunteerism, the work is temporary for many people, even those who would prefer to continue long-term. It’s just a fiscal reality. Ralph Ackermann, 51, an unemployed teacher, bundled fresh asparagus on a recent morning at the InnVision/Urban Ministry Food Closet at 425 Hamilton Ave. in Palo Alto. A year ago, he and his wife left their jobs in Asia and returned to Palo Alto to attend graduate school. They figured they would trade off working while each pursued a degree. But Ackermann hasn’t been able to find work. Now, his wife supports the couple. They are thinking about returning overseas, he said. “I’m riding it out. While I have down time, I’m volunteering through the church. It’s a really good experience,” he said. Deberra O’Brien might also give up volunteering. She spent 35 years designing hospitals, mostly in Ha-

waii. When she retired, she and her husband returned to the Bay Area. The couple planned to live off realestate investments, and everything went as planned until October 2008, she said. “Our investments in the retail properties started going south. We were not getting the passive income we were expecting,” said O’Brien, who has started interviewing at architectural firms again. O’Brien is a board member of the Roth Auxiliary, which runs the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital gift shop. She’s volunteered at the store for two years but may not be able to afford to volunteer, much to her chagrin, she said. “I love being in the medical environment. I love to go into the gift shop where everyone is happy. Although they are there because their children are in really dire straights, when they are looking for a toy or candy the atmosphere changes. And every penny we make goes to uncompensated care. If I could possibly get paid for it, that’s what I’d do,” she said. While some people are volunteering because they are unemployed, and others may stop volunteering due to financial reasons, Volunteer Match’s spokesman Robert Rosenthal is optimistic the overall trend in voluntarism will continue upward. “We’re in a society with a lot of problems. People are stepping forward. The President is a vocal proponent of service, and that is inspiring people,” he said, citing figures that have increased year over year. Jaynie Neveras, volunteer coordinator at InnVision, isn’t worried. She said the nonprofit has seen a 20 percent increase in volunteers in the last six months, many of whom are corporate employees. High-tech engineers have put up walls and installed carpet and flooring in the 20 shelters run by the nonprofit. Volunteers have shown up in teams of 20 to 45, she said. “Every single day I get calls. There is not a day that goes by that someone doesn’t turn in an application to volunteer,” she said. n Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be e-mailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.

3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto

T.J. Rodgers is founder, president, CEO, and a director of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. A proponent of free markets, he has been a passionate defender of shareholder rights & has been cited for his achievements in supporting the philosophy of capitalism and freedom. In its October 2001 issue, Upside Magazine cited Rodgers as one of the “100 People Who Changed Our World.” “T.J. is a forceful, thoughtful, and articulate spokesperson for the benefits of the private sector and free markets to society. He is bold, decisive, and unafraid to stir the gods of contemporary thought.” - J. Richard Braugh Senior Vice President, UBS

Tickets are $20; $10 for nonprofits/seniors and free for students. Register at www.alfsv.org or contact alfsv@alfsv.org, 408-554-2000. Ample free parking on site. Uncommon Exchange is a program of the Common Good Collaborative. Additional partners for this event include the Commonwealth Club of California and the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 23

Arts & Entertainment

“Fern Book” by Judith Hoffman includes copper, watercolor paper and pinhole-camera photos.

AT ANNUAL BOOK ARTS JAM, A BOOK CAN TELL A STORY IN MANY MATERIALS: BAMBOO, HEMP, METAL, EVEN GARDEN CLIPPINGS

book by Rebecca Wallace

A weekly guide to music, theater, art, movies and more, edited by Rebecca Wallace

AN OPEN

Pati Bristow’s “Zorro Journal,” with comic-book pages covering book board.

Left: Pati Bristow’s “House of Destiny,” an altered book with an altered children’s board book.

“7 Extinction Events,” a plastic dinosaur with a book in his chest, by Judith Hoffman. Shawn Fender

Shawn Fender

Kent Manske’s “prophet,” made from a children’s board book.

Book artist and instructor Kent Manske in the Foothill College studio, with his work “Between.”

he book is part recycled paper, part hemp. The book artist says he was feeling both “personal optimism and intellectual pessimism” when he created it. The finished product is called “Between.” Artist Kent Manske made “Between” in February 2009, buoyed — somewhat — by Barack Obama’s election. He spreads the broad pages out wide in the Foothill College studio where he teaches book arts and graphic design. “I’m ecstatic about the new U.S. leadership, but also questioning individuals’ ability to make a difference,” says Manske, wearing an apron spattered with the ink he mixes himself. Each set of facing pages in “Between” has one large, carefully lettered word; flip through the book and you get “He is do be us.” Say it fast.

Page 24 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

Besides playing with language “in its evasiveness and wonder,” Manske has also placed symbols throughout. A birdcage could stand for the limitations people lock themselves inside. A hand has a break in the ring finger. While Manske is married (to fellow book artist Nanette Wylde), he recognizes that there are many people who still cannot wed. “Their opportunity for equal rights has been severed,” he says. Clearly, these are not tomes meant to sit demurely on a shelf. Books, Manske says, are “like individual stories that breed conversation ... opportunities to learn about people’s perspectives.” Manske crafted “Between” in an edition of four. One is on exhibit at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto as

The multi-folded “Kill Your Television” by Rae Trujillo.

part of a group show of book art. This Saturday, Manske plans to bring another edition to the eighth Book Arts Jam at Foothill. Co-sponsored by Bay Area Book Artists and by the college, the event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 17 in the Campus Center and art studios. Some 50 book and paper artists, printmakers, letterpress printers and fine-press owners will display and talk about their work. There will be a silent auction and a slide show of more artwork, and the print studio will host an open house. Meanwhile, visitors can also watch demonstrations and participate in “make-and-take” activities with artists. For instance, Susan Sullivan will host “Relief Printing for Families and Kids,” with visitors learning to make prints with foam boards, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In one of the

demos, at 12:30 p.m., Judith Hoffman shows how to construct a book using wire-edged binding. Even visitors who don’t take part in the activities can still get a hand in. Nearly all the books on display are meant to be looked through. “From the very beginning we decided that books have to be touched,” Palo Alto artist Jone Small Manoogian said in a phone interview. “Just having a book that sits there and looks pretty ... isn’t enough.” Manoogian, who finds many of her books inspired by her poetry and travels in Hawaii, founded Bay Area Book Artists in 1995 as an informal way for artists to connect. In 1996, the group held a small exhibition in a studio at the Cubberley Community Center in Palo Alto. To her surprise, Manoogian recalled, the line of visitors snaked

out the door. Apparently there was a real audience for book art. Manske took over as head of Bay Area Book Artists a few years later, and the group’s shows morphed into a regular jam at Foothill. Now printmaking and paper arts have become part of the jam, as the arts are interwoven. Bay Area Book Artists continues to meet regularly, with workshop sessions structured as a Foothill class. For Manoogian, books have an enduring appeal, despite — or because of — the march of technology. “We’ve gotten away from books and gotten on to the computer so much. It’s very impersonal,” she said. With books, “you kind of slow down. You can sit in a chair (continued on next page)

Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 25

Arts & Entertainment

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and look in a beautiful book with different kinds of papers and handdone illustrations. And with blank journals, you take them with you and write in them, and then they become part of your history.” Would Manoogian ever buy a Kindle? She laughed. “I’m not interested. I’m not even a Twitter-er. I’m 76.” At tomorrow’s jam, Manoogian will have a few books for sale in the silent auction, including a set of the very first books she made (part of an edition of 25). One book contains poetry about Maui, bound in red bamboo paper; the other has poetry about Kauai, on white paper with bamboo leaves. Some of her books will appear in the jam’s slide show as well, such as a project called “Earth Song,” in which the artworks are round and basket-like. They may not sound like one’s typical idea of a book, but artists are often all about pushing the boundaries. According to Kent Manske: “If the artist calls it a book, it’s a book.” In his classes, he and his students talk a lot about the traditional definitions of books, and he encourages challenging convention. Must there be a cover and a linear narrative, for example? “A book doesn’t need a narrative. Think of a scrapbook,” he said. For him, creating a book is all about processing thought, looking at language, reflecting on the world around him. And this is done with a wealth of techniques. Even a quick look at the list of Book Art Jam exhibitors yields an eclectic array. There’s Menlo Park artist Nancy Welch crafting handmade papers from garden clippings; Redwood City’s Kit Davey making altered books with found objects such as hammerheads; San Francisco’s Doug MacNeil using the covers of books discarded by libraries to make journals. “Book artists are seeking the new,” Manske said. “Whenever you make something that someone else hasn’t, there’s a tinge of excitement.” n What: Book Arts Jam, with exhibitors, demonstrations and hands-on activities Where: Foothill College’s Campus Center and art studios, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 Cost: Admission is free (parking $2), with small donations requested at some activities to cover materials Info: Go to www.bookartsjam. org. The Bay Area Book Artists are also holding a group exhibition called “Books as Art as Community” at the Pacific Art League at 668 Ramona St. in Palo Alto. The show runs through Oct. 31, open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 to 4. Call the art league at 650-321-3891 or go www.bayareabookartists. org.

Arts & Entertainment

The Bowman program builds confidence, creativity and academic excellence. Lower School - Grades K - 5 Middle School - Grades 6 - 8 Individualized, self-directed program Rich international & cultural studies Christian Steiner

Proven, Montessori approach State-of-the-art facility Low student-teacher ratio The vocal ensemble Anonymous 4 performs at Stanford University on Oct. 21.

Voices from the past Anonymous 4 delves into 13th-century Spanish monastic music by Diana Reynolds Roome

earing Anonymous 4 can be a transcendent experience, particularly when the fourwoman ensemble sings from the repertoire of 13th-century monastic music — like the Codex Las Huelgas, found in an ancient abbey near Borgos in northern Spain just over 100 years ago. Music from this manuscript, to be sung by Anonymous 4 at Stanford’s Memorial Church on Oct. 21, brings to light a 700-year-old mystery. Some of it is plainchant, in which all voices sing the same line, producing an ethereal yet powerfully spiritual unison — and this is officially what the nuns of Santa Maria la Real de las Huelgas would have sung, according to Marsha Genensky, a founding member of Anonymous 4. Yet the medieval manuscript found at the abbey contains mostly polyphonic works written for two, three or four different voices. That complex type of singing was forbidden to nuns of the Cistercian order at that time, Genensky said. The codex also contains Spanish, French and English music and melodies from other parts of Western Europe. So the cloistered nuns of Las Huelgas, whose abbey was on the famed route of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, may have been more in touch with the modern world of the 1300s than they could admit. Did they practice this demanding polyphonic music clandestinely, as the program’s name, “Secret Voices,” implies? Though polyphony was the new challenge of that time, chant’s apparent simplicity is deceptive, said Genensky, who lives in Menlo Park and will also be part of the team leading an Oct. 19 chant workshop for experienced amateur and professional singers from the community. The team also includes Anonymous 4 singer Susan Hellauer and mem-

bers of Stanford music faculty. “In Chant Camp, we’ll work on singing a single line together. And you have no idea, unless you’ve tried, how hard that is, though it sounds like the easiest,” said Genensky, who explains that chant presents unique challenges, including “deciding how it goes together ... how the phrasing goes, how the entire line of music goes, or what the intent of the piece is. On top of that (there’s) the idea of listening as much as you’re singing.” Chant Camp will offer the opportunity to learn some of the theoretical underpinnings of chant. Those include the modes, a system of melodic classification not entirely unlike modern keys, which dominated Western music for hundreds of years, said Stanford professor Jesse Rodin. Rodin directs Cut Circle, an ensemble specializing in Renaissance music, and will be teaching at Chant Camp. Modes also underlie the folk songs and carols of Europe, which are another area of specialty for Anonymous 4 (the group is currently recording “The Cherry Tree,” medieval English carols of the 15th century), and still provide the point of departure for some compositions today. Even more than the theory, Chant Camp will focus on the practice of chanting, including Iberian chants that will be part of the “Secret Voices” performance. Also leading the workshop will be Professor William Mahrt, who has kept the tradition of Gregorian chant alive for more than 40 years through Stanford’s Early Music Singers and the St. Ann Choir, which sings the year-round cycle of liturgical chant at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Palo Alto. “Chant is a bit of music history,” Genensky said. “No matter what kind of music you do in real life, and whether it’s the kind of music

www.bowmanschool.org

you intend to pursue or not, chant is a fabulous exercise.” Founded in 1986 in New York, Anonymous 4 has performed in 30 countries and nearly all the states in the U.S. The ensemble now performs together only part-time. The intensity of performing in a small group, with major scheduling commitments and constant travel, was wearing, Genesky said. “We were so cloistered, working more than full-time, and we started to have the urge to do other projects.” Now Anonymous 4 singers also pursue other passions — mostly musical — including solo performing and recording, teaching, musical scholarship, directing, and projects such as Susan Hellauer’s Chant Village. A shuffle occurred only once, when Ruth Cunningham left to pursue varied musical interests, including music and healing, and a new member, Johanna Rose, was brought in after an intensive search. Cunningham has now returned to Anonymous 4. Marsha Genensky will be teaching for Stanford’s Continuing Studies program in the winter quarter, giving a class called “Longtime Traveling: Roots of Anglo-American Secular and Sacred Song.” n

What: Anonymous 4 performs “Secret Voices: The Sisters of Las Huelgas,” music from 13th-century Spain. Where: Memorial Church, Stanford University When: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21 Cost: Tickets are $40 general and $10 for Stanford students. Info: Go to livelyarts.stanford. edu. Chant Camp, for experienced amateur and professional singers, is from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, at Stanford; tickets are $20 (or $10 for those holding tickets to the Oct. 21 performance). Space is limited; those interested should call the ticket office at 650-725-ARTS.

4000 Terman Drive l Palo Alto, CA l Tel: 650-813-9131

R EL ATIONSHIP BA NK ING

Business | Personal

business needs: community connections, bright minds, caring clients

& personal needs: a good stretch, rolling hills, room to run

Deborah Pappas loves her work at Borel Private Bank in Palo Alto. She also loves to run. When it comes to banking, understanding both the business and the personal needs of her clients helps to build stronger working relationships. Borel – where business and personal banking meet.

Member of Boston Private Wealth Management Group

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Deborah Pappas, Palo Alto Office Manager · www.borel.com 650.463.8700 · 245 Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA San Francisco · Burlingame · San Mateo · Palo Alto · Los Altos

Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 27

Arts & Entertainment play is very wordy: big on talk and slim on action. In this production, the opening baseball sequence is beautifully done and fun, but later the first act bogs down in lengthy philosophical speeches that are difficult to stick with. The pace often drags, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sometimes given more narration than we need. The second act fortunately picks up, with more variety of action and a better balance of dialogue. The touching revelation towards the end between father and son appropriately touches the heart.

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Potokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is an important work for our time, still relevant for both heart and head.

First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto Sunday Services â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8:30 & 10:25 Sunday School â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9:00 Rev. Love & Rev. McHugh Office Hours: 8-4 M-F

625 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto

(650) 323-6167 s WWW &IRST0ALO!LTO COM FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC ÂŁÂ&#x2122;nxĂ&#x160; Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;,Â&#x153;>`]Ă&#x160;*>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;ÂĂ&#x2C6;xĂ¤ÂŽĂ&#x160;nxĂ&#x2C6;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Â°vVVÂŤ>Â°Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;}Ă&#x160; -Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;`>Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;7Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2C6;ÂŤĂ&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;`>Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;-VÂ&#x2026;Â&#x153;Â&#x153;Â?Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;ÂŁĂ¤\Ă¤Ă¤Ă&#x160;>Â°Â&#x201C;Â°

An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ

Stanford Memorial Church University Public Worship Stanford Memorial Church Sundays, 10:00 am

Sermons by the Dean, the Senior Associate Dean and the Associate Dean for Religious Life, as well as occasional guest speakers. All are welcome. Information: 650-723-1762

Music featuring University Organist, Dr. Robert Huw Morgan, and the Memorial Church Choir, under the direction of Gregory Wait. http://religiouslife.stanford.edu

Los Altos Lutheran Church ELCA

Pastor David K. Bonde Outreach Pastor Gary Berkland 9:00 am Worship 10:30 am Education Nursery Care Provided Alpha Courses

650-948-3012

460 S. El Monte Ave., Los Altos

www.losaltoslutheran.org

We Invite You to Learn and Worship with Us.

Come to Sunday Bible Study 9 AM, Interim Pastor Dick Spencerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Biblically based Sermons and Worship Service 10:30 AM

www.fpcmv.org 1667 Miramonte (Cuesta at Miramonte) 650.968.4473

INSPIRATIONS

A resource for special events and ongoing religious services. To inquire about or make space reservations for Inspirations, please contact Blanca Yoc at 326-8210 x6596 or email byoc@paweekly.com Page 28 â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly

Tracy Martin

This Sunday: Seizing Greatness Rev. David Howell preaching

Reb Saunders (played by Corey Fischer) and his son, Danny (Thomas Gorrebeeck).

From page to stage

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Chosenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; brings familiar novel of friendship and family to TheatreWorks with warmth and skill

by Jeanie Forte Smith

he stage adaptation of Chaim Potokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much-loved novel â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Chosenâ&#x20AC;? is TheatreWorksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; latest offering, and at times it delivers a powerful, moving portrayal of friendship and father-son relationships. The late Potok revisited â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Chosenâ&#x20AC;? several times after its publication in 1967. He wrote the screen treatment for a film version in 1981, and the book for a less successful musical in 1988. When approached by Aaron Posner of Arden Theatre Company, he happily agreed to co-author a stage adaptation, which played Broadway to much acclaim in 1999. Aaron Davidman, who directed the show before with A Traveling Jewish Theatre in San Francisco, helms the current production. The story follows the friendship of two Jewish boys in Brooklyn from 1944 to 1947. Reuven Malter (Jonathan Bock) lives with his father, David (Rolf Saxon), who encourages intellectual curiosity and political activism. Through the utterly American vehicle of baseball, he meets Danny Saunders (Thomas Gorrebeeck), whose father, Reb Saunders (Corey Fischer), leads a Hasidic congregation. Dannyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world is markedly different from Reuvenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, circumscribed by Hasidic tradition and the Talmud, but he has discovered forbidden books and their treasures

THEATER REVIEW for the mind â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including Hemingway, Dostoyevsky and Freud. The relationship develops against a significant historical backdrop: the end of World War II, the death of Roosevelt, the discovery of the horrors of the Holocaust, and the emergence of the new state of Israel. The context provides fodder for playing out the differences between the two Jewish households. For example, Reuvenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father actively promotes Zionism, which leads Reb Saunders to â&#x20AC;&#x153;excommunicateâ&#x20AC;? Reuven from Dannyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friendship. But the focus of the story is really on friendship, and on the boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; relationships with their fathers as they come of age and begin to make life choices. Their differences, while striking, cannot destroy their relationship, and in fact serve to help them grow and better understand the wider world. An older Reuven (Michael Navarra) serves as the voice of the novel, the narrator, and occasionally as minor characters as well. His presence, especially at the beginning and end, helps to tie the piece together, to remind us of its central theme. As is sometimes the case with stage adaptations from books, the

Acting by Bock and Gorrebeeck is superb. These two newcomers to TheatreWorks are delightful to watch, and they bring a believability and depth to the young charactersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; friendship that is sweet. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never a false or superficial note between them. Saxon as Malter senior gives us a real sense of a warm and wonderful parent, but also embodies the passion of Zionism, without apology or caricature. Navarra does a good job with a relatively thankless role, keeping it as engaging as possible. We can also nicely see the younger Reuven in the adult character. Fischerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appearance for the role of Reb Saunders is impressive and imposing, and he has clearly processed a great deal of research and observation, but his portrayal too often feels mannered and ponderous. He adopts a heavy accent and sing-song delivery that occasionally render his speech unintelligible. Fischer is a dynamic, powerful actor in other vehicles, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to say what has gone wrong here. Still, the requisite emotion comes through satisfactorily in Act Two. The set, by Giulio Cesare Perrone, says volumes with the simple device of contrasting bookshelves, and the use of slide projections helps to recall the historical context. I would have appreciated even more visuals. Costumes by B. Modern are agreeably period and evocative, and Steven B. Mannshardtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lighting gives us atmosphere without distracting. Potokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is an important work for our time, still relevant for both heart and head. We can all stand reminding of its beautiful message from time to time. n What: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Chosen,â&#x20AC;? by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok, presented by TheatreWorks Where: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View When: Through Nov. 1, on Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Saturdays & Sundays at 2 p.m., and Sundays at 7 p.m. Cost: Tickets range from $24 to $62. Info: Go to www.theatreworks. org or call 650-463-1960.

Arts & Entertainment

Worth Wo Wor th a Lo Look

Clockwise from left: Lance Fuller, Katie Anderson, Diane Tasca and Jonathan Shue in Noel Cowardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comedy of manners â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hay Fever,â&#x20AC;? opening next week at the Pear Avenue Theatre. McIntosh and Dana Flahr. The film, made by the Wyoming extreme-sport production company Teton Gravity Research, will be shown this Saturday, Oct. 17, at Stanford Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cubberley Auditorium. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the film beginning at 8. The Stanford Ski Team hosts the event. Tickets are $10 if bought online at egroups.stanford.edu, or $15 at the door. For more information, go to www.stanford.edu/group/ skiing or email ski team president Ben Sumers at bsumers@stanford. edu.

Art Ray Renati

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Paint Allied Artsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Theater â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hay Feverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Wit and drama are all well and good â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in manageable doses. If you happen to be a shy guest in the Bliss home, where theatrical and emotional excess reign, you may just want to hide behind the sofa. Fortunately, this is a Noel Coward comedy of manners, not a painful weekend. Cowardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hay Feverâ&#x20AC;? debuted in 1925 and today is still challenging actors to bring on their best timing and delivery. Starting next week, the work takes the stage at the Pear Avenue Theatre. A pay-what-you-can preview starts at 8 p.m Thursday, Oct. 22, with opening night at 8 p.m. on Oct. 23. The show then runs through Nov. 8, Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets (after the preview) range from $15 to $30. The Pear is at 1220 Pear Ave., Unit K, in Mountain View. Go to www.thepear.org or call 650-2541148.

do, Utah, Montana, Alaska, Slovakia and British Columbia. The daredevils on film include Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Seth Morrison, Jeremy Jones, Kye Petersen, Ian

Who says creating art is a solitary pasttime? A plethora of painters with a bevy of brushes will gather on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Allied Arts Guild from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to paint the gardens and Spanish-style buildings. The event is free and open to the public, so who knows? Visitors might find themselves captured on canvas for posterity. Thirty-some artists are expected, with local names including Palo Altoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Steve Curl, Karen

Music

Tyler Matthew Smith

He was a horn player until another kind of muse struck, and then Tyler Matthew Smith vamped into a singer/songwriter. Now the musician still performs on saxophone and flute, but his own songs, a bit folk and a bit soul, are now a major focus. The musician, whose Facebook page lists his hometown as Nevada City, Calif., will be in Mountain View this weekend, playing an 8 p.m. gig on Oct. 17 at Red Rock Coffee. Songs he performs might include his chipper â&#x20AC;&#x153;Power of a Smileâ&#x20AC;? or plaintive â&#x20AC;&#x153;Suffocat-

ing Slow.â&#x20AC;? The easy groove of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Songâ&#x20AC;? might also fit right in at the coffee house. Red Rock Coffee is at 201 Castro St.; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no cover for the show. Go to www.redrockcoffee. org or call 650-967-4473.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Beloved Brahmsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Sometimes, you just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t beat Brahms. This Sunday, Oct. 18, Schola Cantorum takes on the popular â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ein deutsches Requiemâ&#x20AC;? with Brahmsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; arrangement scored for piano four-hands, featuring pianists Dawn Reyen and Paul Zawilski. There should be nuances aplenty. The lyrical and the playful wrapped in love waltzing are also on the bill, with the group performing Brahmsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Liebeslieder Walzer op. 52.â&#x20AC;? Led by music director Gregory Wait, the concert starts at 4 p.m., following a pre-concert talk at 3:15, at First Congregational Church, 1985 Louis Road, Palo Alto. Also featured will be soprano Elyse Nakajima and baritone Jeff Fields. Tickets are $24 general, $20 for seniors and $12 for full-time students. Go to www.scholacantorum.org or call 650-254-1700.

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Film

The Dairy Store Round Table Pizza (2 locations) Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Seafood Su Hong Eatery Subway (3 locations) Sundance The Steakhouse Thai City The Ace of Sandwiches The Counter Three Seasons Trellis Quattro Restaurant and Bar Wahooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fish Tacos

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Re:Sessionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Californians may not immediately think of Poland as a top skiing destination â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but the ski and snowboard film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Re:Sessionâ&#x20AC;? could change their minds. In the movie, adventurers head to the Central European country for powder, along with Jackson Hole, Wy.; Alagna, Italy; Colora-

White and Mary Stahl; and Menlo Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Carolyn Jones and Alice Weil. Paintings â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including the new ones created that day â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will be offered for sale, with 20 percent of the proceeds scheduled to benefit the Lucile Packard Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital. Allied Arts Guild is at 75 Arbor Road in Menlo Park. For more information, go to www.portolaartgallery.com and click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Events,â&#x20AC;? or call artist Karen Leoni at 650302-2534.

*Coming Soon* Dine For Kids Online Auction Dine out, bid at home - or both! .OV TH TH WWW PACCC CMARKET COM Find participating restaurants and auction details at: www.paccc.com/dineforkids

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Allied Staircaseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Julia Munger Seelos, one of the artists taking part in the annual plein-air painting event at Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. The paint-out happens this year from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 24.

For more information contact Cory Ervin-Stewart CERVIN PACCC COM s X Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 29

Goings On The best of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening on Fall festivities

Gamble Garden Halloween Haunted House Haunted house and activities for kids. Halloween costumes encouraged. Sun., Oct. 25, 6:30-8 p.m. Members: $10/person, non-members: $15/person. Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. Call 650-329-1356 ext. 201.

Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x192;iĂ&#x2022;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x160;+Ă&#x2022;>Â?Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;,iÂŤ>Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x192; UĂ&#x160;*Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;ViÂ?>Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;*Â&#x153;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; >Ă&#x20AC;LÂ?iĂ&#x160; UĂ&#x160; >`iĂ&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x203A;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Â?>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;7Â&#x153;Â&#x153;`Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;i

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www.restorationstudio.com

the Midpeninsula

www.gamblegarden.org Halloween Extravaganza, starring Melinda and Peter Wing Scary Halloween stories for kids. Sponsored by the Friends of the Palo Alto Library. Wed., Oct. 21, 3:30-4:15 p.m. Free. Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Library, 1276 Harriet St., Palo Alto. Halloween Haunts A haunted trail complete with treats and characters along the way. At the end of the trail there are snacks and stories around a campfire. Halloween costumes encouraged. Oct. 23 and 24, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $18 per person for all adults and for children over 2 years old. Hidden Villa, 26870 Moody Road, Los Altos Hills. Call 650-949-9704. www.hiddenvilla.org â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thrillerâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Learn the dance Just in time for Halloween, this workshop will teach the video choreography to Michael Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classic â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thrillerâ&#x20AC;? dance. Women only. Sun., Oct. 25, 1-3 p.m. Every Woman Health Club, 611 Jefferson Ave., Redwood City. www.everywomanhealthclub.com Montreal Pianist Mimi Blais in PreHalloween Concert Montreal pianist/ composer Mimi Blais performs spinetingling ragtime and other Halloween music to help benefit the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry. Costumes encouraged. Wed., Oct. 28, 7-9:30 p.m. $25 or any donation gratefully accepted. First Baptist Church of Menlo Park, 1100 Middle @ Arbor, Menlo Park. Call 650-323-8544.

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING of the City of Palo Alto Architectural Review Board (ARB) Please be advised that Thursday, November 5, 2009, the ARB shall conduct a public hearing at 8:30 AM in the Council Chambers, 1st Floor, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Any interested persons may appear and be heard. 2180 El Camino Real (The New College Terrace Centre) 07PLN-00327: Application by Carrasco and Assoc. Architects for the Clara Chilcote Trust for Architectural Review of a proposed Planned Community (PC), a mixed use development containing three two- and three-story buildings with 57,360 sq. ft. of floor area for retail, office and residential use (8 affordable units), below-grade and surface parking facilities, with a Design Enhancement Exception application for height and setback exceptions: (1) two five-foot elevator tower height encroachments, (2) one ten-foot height encroachment for a signage spire, (3) one five-foot encroachment for a gazebo roof, and (4) one 7â&#x20AC;&#x2122;-9â&#x20AC;? setback encroachment for 66 feet of a grocery store wall on Oxford. A Comprehensive Plan Amendment to a Mixed Use designation is also requested. Environmental Assessment: A Mitigated Negative Declaration has been prepared. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations to access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn more about the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), please contact the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ADA Coordinator at 650.329.2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org. Amy French Manager of Current Planning Page 30 â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly

www.firstbaptist.com After-school Special: Graveyard Garden Halloween tricks and treats in the garden. Grades K-5 only. Wed., Oct. 28, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Library, 1276 Harriet St., Palo Alto. Halloween Spooktakular For ages newborn to 10 years old. Carnival games, monster maze. Transylvania treats, prizes. Costume parade at 1:30 p.m. Sat., Oct. 24, noon-3 p.m. $5 per child. Red Morton Community Center, 1120 Roosevelt Ave., Redwood City. www.redwoodcity.org/parks/Spooktakular.htm Fairmeadow Harvest Fair with Facebook Chefs The public is invited to attend Fairmeadow Elementary Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 16th Annual Harvest Fair, featuring a benefit BBQ by award-winning Facebook chefs, family activities and the Scaremeadow Haunted House. BBQ proceeds donated to building and planting the Fairmeadow Green Team Garden. Sat., Oct. 24, noon-4 p.m. Event is Free. Facebook Chef BBQ is $12 for adults, $7 for children. Fairmeadow Elementary School, 500 E. Meadow Drive, Palo Alto. Call 650-269-4679. PNS School Carnival Parents Nursery Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fall carnival; a day of entertainment, games, prizes. Costumes are encouraged. Sun., Oct. 18, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Parents Nursery School, 2328 Louis Road, Palo Alto. www.parentsnurseryschool.org/index. html Bird Walk at Charleston Slough Take a look at the new fall arrivals in the wetland as the fall migration takes place. Ages 8 and up. Meet at east end of San Antonio Road. Sat., Oct. 17, 10-11:30 a.m. $3 Palo Alto residents / $5 non-residents. Palo Alto Baylands, Palo Alto. Call 650-3292506. www.enjoyonline.cityofpaloalto.org Fall Native Plant Sale Native plant species, seeds, and bulbs suitable for California gardens. Speak to experts about lawn alternatives such as native perennials, wildflowers and grasses. Organized by California Native Plant Society, Santa Clara Valley Chapter. Sat., Oct. 17, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Hidden Villa Ranch, 26870 Moody Road, Los Altos Hills. www.cnps-scv.org Gunnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Fall Choir Concert Gunn High School Choral Department presents its annual Fall Concert featuring: Concert Choir, Treble Choir and the Chamber Singers, under the direction of William Liberatore. Sun., Oct. 25, 7 p.m. $7 adults, $5 students. Grace Lutheran Church, 3149 Waverley St., Palo Alto. Call 650-354-8287. www.gunnchoir.org Palo Alto H.S. Fall Choral Concert Palo Alto High Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choirs, under Michael Najar, will perform a program which includes Mozartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coronation Mass,â&#x20AC;? Lauridsenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;O Magnum Mysteriumâ&#x20AC;? and others. Sun., Oct. 25, 7 p.m. Students free, $7 adults (tickets available at the door) St Markâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Church, 600 Colorado Ave., Palo Alto. Harvest Crafts and Collectibles Faire Hand-crafted items by 65 artisans will be sold, including vintage collectibles and small antiques. Buffet lunch and snacks, and child care provided on Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sponsored by Los Altos United Methodist Women. Fri.-Sat., Oct. 16-17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Ave., Los Altos. Call 650-949-2069.

CALENDAR LISTINGS CALENDAR. Information for Weekly and Master Community Calendar listings must now be submitted online. Please go to www.PaloAltoOnline. com, click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Master Community Calendar,â&#x20AC;? and then click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Submit a listing.â&#x20AC;? Listings are published in the papers on a space-available basis. e-mail editor@paweekly. com; fax (650) 326-3928, Attn: Editor; or mail to Editor, Palo Alto Weekly, 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306.

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OF NOTE

A pensive pair

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sistersâ&#x20AC;? is among the works of ceramic art by Shu-Shia Chow now on exhibit at Gallery 9 in Los Altos. Eastern and Western influences meet in Chowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art, illustrating themes of love, friendship, values and family. The show runs through Oct. 25 at the gallery at 143 Main St., open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Go to www.gallery9losaltos.com or call 650-941-7969.

Movies

, Kyle Smith

“The funniest comedy since ‘The Hangover.’”

Movie reviews by Jeanne Aufmuth, Peter Canavese, Tyler Hanley, Renata Polt and Susan Tavernetti OPENINGS Where the Wild Things Are MMM1/2

(Century 16, Century 20) In her 1974 essay “Family Structure and Feminine Personality,” Nancy Chodorow posited that maternal bonding and absent fathers lead boys to define their masculinity through traumatic separation and defensive individuation. At the time, 5-year-old Adam Spiegel was just a few years off from becoming a child of divorce; now, he’s film director Spike Jonze, whose adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” projects childhood emotions onto a not-terribly inviting landscape and its monstrous denizens. Maurice Sendak’s children’s book was always a sort of psychodrama, the story of an Everyboy named Max who throws a tantrum and transforms his room into an island where he can romp with fellow “wild things.” As co-scripted by Jonze and Dave Eggers, the film version of “Where the Wild Things Are” extrapolates that 9-year-old Max (Max Records) — a child of divorce, natch — endures a lonely childhood. His pubescent sister is too cool to spend time with him, and his loving but frayed working mom (the alwayswelcome Catherine Keener) is inviting a new man (Mark Ruffalo) into the home. Since Max can already feel his world growing colder, it’s something of an anti-climax when Max’s teacher informs him that the sun is dying. Donning his terrycloth wolf suit, the proud uniform of his childishness, Max busts out his primal scream therapy: howling at the moon and blurting to his mother, “Woman! Feed me! ... I’ll eat you up!” Given a stronger motivation than spoiled farmgirl Dorothy Gale, Max runs away from home on a “Hero’s Journey” into his own mind, where his wishfulfillment fantasy of unfettered play cannot wrestle free of deepset social neuroses. Sure, no man is an island, but how about a child? In the wild, Max becomes the “king” of a dysfunctional family of monsters, voiced by familiar actors: Judith (Catherine O’Hara), KW (Lauren Ambrose), Ira (Forest Whitaker), Douglas (Chris Cooper), Alexander (Paul Dano) and the mercurial Carol (James Gandolfini), something of a father figure (and alter ego) to Max. In these wild things, Max has conjured peers likewise grappling with separation anxiety and fear of social rejection; they’re all splinters of his psyche (with a dash of Mom’s perspective). Records turns in fairly amazing work, thanks in no small part to Jonze’s ever-creative direction. The actors voicing the wild things physically performed their roles as a model for the actors who later donned the suits, while the expressive faces on the beasts owe to CGI. Jonze and Eggers have pulled off a rare trick by fashioning not only an honorable take on a classic but slim children’s book, but also an adventurous art film made with studio dollars. It’s a fine conversation piece for gifted kids, and a fascinating psychological study for adults looking back on the roiling emotions of childhood. Rated PG for mild thematic elements, adventure action brief language. One hour, 34 minutes. — Peter Canavese

A Serious Man MMMM

(CineArts) The camera pulls back from the wallsized blackboard that college physics professor Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbar) has covered with numbers. ”Even if you can’t figure anything out, you’re still responsible for it on the midterm,” the professor says to the stunned class. In Ethan and Joel Coen’s latest film, “A Serious Man,” it’s not only the students who are baffled. So is

Larry, who’s like the schlemiel — the guy to whom everything happens — in a thousand Jewish jokes. His wife wants a divorce so she can marry smarmy family “friend” Sy Ableman; Larry’s bar-mitzvah-boy son Danny is smoking dope; his daughter Sarah steals money from his wallet to save up for a nose job. One of his students is trying to bribe him to change a failing grade. And on it goes. Larry consults three rabbis, one of whom advises that “you have to see these things as God’s will.” The other two aren’t any better help. Since God gives the questions, wonders Larry, why doesn’t he give the answers too? Set in an arid, practically treeless Minneapolis suburb in 1967 — the kids listen to transistor radios, a doctor smokes in his office — “A Serious Man” is based much more closely than the Coens’ other films on their own childhoods, and many of the actors are local talent. But the subjects it deals with are far from provincial. In their unique blend of black comedy and existential bafflement, the Coen brothers pose no less than the ultimate question: What is the meaning of life? (Without, of course, making it seem as portentous as that.) ”A Serious Man” is a serious film that makes you squirm, laugh and ponder all at the same time.

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Rated R for language, some sexuality/nudity and brief violence. One hour, 45 minutes. — Renata Polt

New York, I Love You MM1/2

(Century 16) Despite the title, New York has been cast in a supporting role. The city that pulses with life in the films of such diverse directors as Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Jim Jarmusch and Abel Ferrera plays second banana to 11 short tales of love and longing in this follow-up to “Paris, je t’aime.” Similar to the 2006 feature set in the distinctive neighborhoods of the City of Lights, this Five Boroughs grab bag boasts a lineup of well-known actors and less familiar international directors. Most of the shorts are structured with a twist, reinforcing the statement of the Mali-born video artist (Emilie Ohana of “Paris, je t’aime”) whose footage links the segments: “New York is full of surprises.” But surprises don’t necessarily make for good storytelling. Natalie Portman wrote and directed a head-scratcher about a little girl (Taylor Geare of “Four Christmases”) and her caretaker (ballet dancer Carlos Acosta) spending most of the day in Central Park. The child utters an off-screen line of dialogue that provides the segment’s amateurish punchline at the end. Although very well acted, Yvan Attal’s (“And They Lived Happily Ever After”) staging of brief encounters between smokers outside restaurants (Ethan Hawke and Maggie Q; Chris Cooper and Robin Wright Penn) unspool into seen-it-before scenarios. Just as predictable, but with a comic tone, is Joshua Marston’s (“Maria Full of Grace”) take on an elderly couple’s (Cloris Leachman and Eli Wallach) trek to Brighton Beach. Some installments successfully present more developed narratives. Mira Nair (“The Namesake”) sets off sparks between a soon-to-be-wed Hasidic woman (Natalie Portman) and a diamond merchant (Irrfan Khan of “Slumdog Millionaire”), drawing unexpected associations between Jewish and Jainism traditions. Brett Ratner reteams with screenwriter Jeff Nathanson

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To view the trailers for “New York, I Love You,” “Where The Wild Things Are.” “Law-Abiding Citizen,” and “ A Serious Man ” go to Palo Alto Online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 31

OVERTURE FILMS

2 COL. (3.87") X 7"

ircle one:)

eated by: vised by: PDF by:

Movies MOVIE TIMES

“UNUSUALLY VIVID AND CONVINCING.

A Serious Man (R) MMM An Education (PG-13) (Not Reviewed) The Boys are Back (PG-13) MM

CHRONICLES THE EARLY LIFE OF THE WOMAN WHO WOULD BECOME PERHAPS THE SINGLE MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURE IN 20TH-CENTURY FASHION.”

–A.O. SCOTT, THE NEW YORK TIMES

“SMART AND SUMPTUOUS!

Bright Star (PG) MM Capitalism: A Love Story (R) MMM

AUDREY TAUTOU IS PHENOMENAL! IT’S A SPECIAL PLEASURE TO WATCH THIS VIBRANT COCO.”

-Joe Morgenstern, WALL STREET JOURNAL

Palo Alto Square: 2, 4:40 & 7:20 p.m. Fri.-Sat. also at 9:50 p.m. Century 16: Fri.-Wed. at 12:20, 1:25, 2:50, 4, 5:25, 6:30, 7:50, 9:10 & 10:25 p.m. 20: 11:45 a.m.; 4:50 p.m. Fri.-Wed. also at 9:40 p.m. Aquarius: Fri. & Mon.-Thu. at 2:30 p.m. Fri., Sun. & Wed.-Thu. also at 5:30 p.m. Fri., Sun. & Tue.-Thu. also at 8:30 p.m. Guild: 2, 5 & 8 p.m. entury 20: 11:35 a.m.; 2:35, 5:30 & 8:30 p.m. Palo Alto Square: 1, 4 & 7:15 p.m. Fri.-Sat. also C at 10:05 p.m. Century 16: Fri.-Wed. at 11:55 a.m.; 2:20, 4:40, 7:35 & 10:05 p.m. Century 20: 11:35 a.m.;12:45, 1:55, 3:10, 4:25, 5:35, 7:05, 8:10, 9:35 & 10:25 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at 10:30 a.m.

Century

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 3D (PG) (Not Reviewed) -Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES Coco Before Chanel (PG-13) MM1/2 Aquarius: 2, 4:30, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Couples Retreat (PG-13) MM1/2 Century 16: Fri.-wed. at 12:10, 1:30, 3:10, 4:15, 6:15, 7:15, 9 & 9:55 p.m. Century 20: 11:40 a.m.; 12:35, 1:35, 2:25, 3:20, 4:15, 5:10, 6, 7, 7:50, 8:45 & 10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at 10:45 a.m. Fri.-Sat. also at 11:25 p.m. Fame (PG) (Not Reviewed) Century 20: 1:55 & 7:10 p.m. A FILM BY ANNE FONTAINE From Mexico With Love (PG-13) Century 20: 9:45 p.m. WWW.SONYCLASSICS.COM (Not Reviewed) The Informant! (R) Century 16: Fri.-Wed. at 8:50 p.m. Century 20: Fri.-Thu. at 11:20 a.m.; 4:30 & 9:40 p.m. (Not Reviewed) The Invention of Lying Century 16: Fri.-Wed. at 1:10, 3:50, 7:20 & 10:10 p.m. Century 20: 12:05, 2:40, 5:20, 7:45 & (PG-13) MM1/2 10:20 p.m. VIEW THE TRAILER AT WWW.COCOBEFORECHANELMOVIE.COM Julie & Julia (PG-13) MMM Century 20: 2 & 7:25 p.m. entury 16: Fri.-Wed. at 11:35 a.m.; 2:20, 4:55, 7:40 & 10:15 p.m. Century 20: 11:50 a.m.;1:05, Law Abiding Citizen (R) M C 2:25, 3:45, 5:05, 6:20, 7:40, 9 & 10:20 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at 10:35 a.m. Fri.-Sat. also at 11:30 3.875" X 3.5" FRI 10/16 p.m. PALO ALTO WEEKLY New York, I Love You (R) MM1/2 Century 16: Fri. - Wed. at 1, 3:45, 7:05 & 9:50 p.m. Paranormal Activity (R) Century 16: 11:40 a.m.; 12:40, 2:15, 3, 4:35, 5:30, 7:10, 8, 9:40 & 10:20 p.m. Fri. & Sat. also (Not Reviewed) at 12:01 a.m. Century 20: 11:25 a.m.;12:30, 1:40, 2:45, 3:55, 5, 6:10, 7:20, 8:25, 9:35 & 10:35 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at 10:25 a.m. Fri. & Sat. also at 11:45 p.m. ART APPROVED Artist: (circle one:) AE: (circle one:) Race Across the Sky (Not Rated) Century 16: Thu. at 8 p.m. Century 20: Thu. at 8 p.m. Emmett Jay Jewel Rochelle Angela Maria (Not Reviewed) AE APPROVED The Stepfather (R) Century 16: Fri. - Wed. at noon, 2:30, 5, 7:30 & 10 p.m. Century 20: 11:45 a.m.; 2:15, 4:50, Dawnyelle Heather Staci Steve Trevor Josh Julie Tim (Not Reviewed) 7:35 & 10:10 p.m. CLIENT APPROVED Surrogates (PG-13) Century 20: 2:20 p.m. Fri.-Wed. also at 7:20 p.m. (Not Reviewed) Confirmation #: Toy Story 2 in Disney Digital 3-D Century 16: Fri.-Wed. at 1:20, 5:20 & 9:20 p.m. Century 20: 1:25, 5:25 & 9:25 p.m. (G) (Not Reviewed) Toy Story in Disney Digital 3-D Century 16: Fri.-Wed. at 11:25 a.m.; 3:25 & 7:25 p.m. Century 20: 11:30 a.m.; 3:30 & 7:30 p.m. (G) (Not Reviewed) Where the Wild Things Are Century 16: Fri. - Wed. at 11:30 a.m.; 12:50, 2, 3:20, 4:30, 6, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Century 20: 11:30 (PG) MMM1/2 a.m.; 12:25, 1:15, 2, 2:55, 3:50, 4:40, 5:30, 6:25, 7:15, 8, 8:55, 9:50 & 10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. also at 11:25 p.m. Sat. also at 10:45 a.m. © 2009 Whip It (PG-13) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: Fri.-Wed. at 12:30, 3:15, 7:55 & 10:35 p.m. Century 20: 11:25 a.m.; 4:45 & 10:15 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS p.m. Zombieland (R) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 11:45 a.m.; 2:40, 5:10, 7:45 & 10:30 p.m. Century 20: 11:20, a.m.;1:30, 3:40, 5:50, CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATRES AND SHOWTIMES 8:05 & 10:25 p.m.

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UNIVERSAL PICTURES OF A MOVIE!” 2 COL (3.87") X 3.5" (continued from previous page) “A MIRACLE to deliver a clever, albeit somewhat -PETER TRAVERS, PALO ALTO WEEKLY objectionable, Make-A-Wish tale in which store-owner James Caan FRIDAY: 10/16

�� “ONE OF THE BEST OF THE YEAR.” (HIGHEST RATING)

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PALO ALTO WEEKLY

FRI 10/16

convinces a teen (Anton Yelchin of “Terminator Salvation”) to take his wheelchair-bound daughter (Olivia Thirlby of “Juno”) to the high school prom. SM Two segments stand out stylistically. Shekhar Kapur (“Elizabeth”) captures the faded beauty of a hotel and an opera diva (Julie Christie) in a haunting offering that co-stars Shia LaBeouf and John Hurt. Allen Hughes (“From Hell”) mirrors sub-

A Serious Man 2:00 4:40 7:20 Fri/Sat 9:50 Capitalism: A Love Story 1:40 4:15 7:15 Fri/Sat 10:05

CinéArts at Palo Alto Square: 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (493-3456) Guild: 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (266-9260) For more about films playing, go to Palo Alto Online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com/

way sounds and interiors with the inner workings of the minds of lovers (Drea de Matteo of “The Sopranos” and Bradley Cooper of “All About Steve”) in an appropriately disjointed, impressionistic piece. Wen Jiang (“The Sun Also Rises”) stages a slick sleight-of-hand scene between Andy Garcia and Hayden Christensen, while Shunji Iwai (“All About Lili Chou-Chou”) directs Orlando Bloom in a quirky, charming tale of romantic possibility. But many of the segments have characters searching futilely for connection, such as Fatih Akin’s (“The Edge of Heaven”) painterly installment set in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Unfortunately, the shorts never really connect either — or add up to much more than tricks on viewer expectations or small fragments of life. Without a strong sense of place, “New York, I Love You” could have been set anywhere. Even Oakland. Because there is very little there there. Rated R for language and sexual content. 1 hour, 52 minutes. — Susan Tavernetti

Law Abiding Citizen M

(Century 16, Century 20) “It’s going to get Biblical!” So promises the psychotic prime mover of the new thriller “Law Abiding Citizen.” Now there’s a lot of crazy stuff in the Bible, which would no doubt get an “R” from the MPAA for much the same reasons “Law Abiding Citizen” did. But this movie sets new standards of lunatic plotting as it goes about its smiting. Gerard Butler plays Clyde Shelton, a seemingly everyday engineer who must watch helplessly as his wife and daughter are slaughtered by two random, home-invading sickos. When the case reaches the Philadelphia courts, it lands with hotshot prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), who touts his 96-percent conviction rate. In part because he’s unwilling to risk his record, Rice insists on cutting a deal with one perp in order to ensure conviction for the other. “This is just how the justice system works,” Nick explains, but Clyde is having none of it. Ten years later, Nick is still upwardly mobile, missing his daughter’s violin recital (yet again) to at-

Movies stanford Theater The Stanford Theatre is at 221 University Ave. in Palo Alto. Go to www.stanfordtheatre.org or call 650-324-3700.

The Apartment (1960) A man tries to climb the company ladder by letting executives use his apartment for trysts. With Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Fri.-Sat. at 7:30 p.m. Sat. also at 3 p.m. Some Like It Hot (1959) When two male musicians witness a mob hit, they go undercover as members of a female band. Fri.-Sat. at 5:15 & 9:45 p.m. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) James Stewart is the everyman chosen to fill a Senate vacancy. Sun.-Mon. at 7:30 p.m. Sun. also at 3 p.m. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) An American man (James Stewart) accidentally witnesses a murder in Morocco. Sun.-Mon. at 5:20 & 9:50 p.m. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Two sweet old ladies arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t what they seem in this Cary Grant comedy. Tue.-Thu. at 7:30 p.m.

Local film festivals

Along with Hollywood films, this weekend also brings other celluloid stories with two annual festivals: the United Nations Association Film Festival, and the 18th Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival. Based in Palo Alto, the United Nations festival focuses on energy-related issues this year, with documentaries from some 50 countries. Screenings will be in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and San Francisco and at Stanford University, beginning at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Aquarius Theatre, 430 Emerson St., Palo Alto. Films that night are about a Brazilian tribe battling extinction, Native American leaders exploring solar and wind power, and other topics. Go to www.unaff.org or call 650-724-5544 for details. The Jewish Film Festival, which shows feature films, documentaries and docu-dramas, holds several screenings in Palo Alto. Oct. 17, the Spanish film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letters for Jenny,â&#x20AC;? about a young woman facing an unexpected pregnancy, screens at 7:30 p.m. at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center at 3921 Fabian Way. Later screenings are at the JCC and Palo Altoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road. Go to www.svjff.org or call 1-800-838-3006.

tend an execution. The man strapped to the table is one of Clydeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tormenters, and when the execution goes horribly wrong, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not long before the authorities realize that Clyde has begun his own search for vigilante justice. But heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not content with getting back at the two killers; now heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at â&#x20AC;&#x153;warâ&#x20AC;? with â&#x20AC;&#x153;this broken thingâ&#x20AC;? called the justice system. (The crisis reaches all the way up to the character simply called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mayor,â&#x20AC;? played â&#x20AC;&#x201D; unfortunately for her â&#x20AC;&#x201D; by recent Oscar nominee Viola Davis.) The return of director F. Gary Gray (â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Italian Jobâ&#x20AC;?) is a braindead revengerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drama casting Clyde as a sort of Special Forces version of Hannibal Lecter; the governmentcontracted engineer turns out to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;a born tacticianâ&#x20AC;? capable of anything. Early on, Clyde is tossed into maximum-security prison, but he still manages to go on a rampage that holds the entire city hostage. How? That would be telling, but believe me, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to know. The big reveal about how Clyde is serialkilling from his cell wins, hands down, Most Ludicrous Plot Device of 2009. Nothing much makes sense in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Law Abiding Citizen,â&#x20AC;? though: not the fact that Clyde tolerates Nick, who should be an equal object of Clydeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anger; not Clydeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s labyrinthine stratagems; and not the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s implicit sympathy with Clyde as he sticks it to the man. On a primal â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and most certainly base level â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Law Abiding Citizenâ&#x20AC;? is something of a crowd pleaser, and only because it is so ludicrous. Since the story is

impossible to mistake for reality, the audience gets license to enjoy seeing murderers and fat cats pay for their transgressions. But the tragedy isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t what happens in the movie; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what happens in the movie theater.

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Eric Schmidt

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Pritzker Pritzker Penny Penny Ortiz Guillermo Chairman Chairman Governor TransUnion TransUnion of Mexico Bank

Dean Dean Saloner, Saloner, Garth Garth Pritzker Penny Business Business of of School School Graduate Graduate Chairman University University Stanford Stanford TransUnion

Schmidt SchmidtDean EricEric Saloner, Garth CEOCEO School of Business Graduate Google GoogleUniversity Stanford

Join renowned interviewer and 2009 moderator Charlie Rose and a distinguished panel of leaders Eric Schmidt CEOfor the fourth Roundtable at Stanford University. Google

Eric Schmidt CEO Google

SCREEN GEMS PRESENTS A MAVERICK/IMPRINT ENTERTAINMENT/GRANADA PRODUCTION â&#x20AC;&#x153;THE STEPFATHERâ&#x20AC;? DYLAN MUSICWALSH SELA WARD PENNMUSICBADGLEY AMBER HEARD AND JON TENNEY SUPERVISOR MICHAEL FRIEDMAN BY CHARLIE CLOUSER EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS MEREDITH ZAMSKY J.S. CARDONE GUY OSEARY ROBERT GREEN JULIE MELDAL-JOHNSEN PRODUCED BY MARK MORGAN GREG MOORADIAN STORY BASED ON A SCREENPLAY BY DONALD E. WESTLAKE AND BY CAROLYN STARIN & BRIAN GARFIELD AND DONALD E. WESTLAKE DIRECTED SCREENPLAY BY NELSON McCORMICK BY J.S. CARDONE

STARTS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES SORRY, NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT

Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2009 Page 33 2 COL. (3.875") XPalo 6"Alto = 12" FRIâ&#x20AC;˘10/16 PALO ALTO WEEKLY

Eating Out RESTAURANT REVIEW

Swanky Sakoon Bollywood meets Vegas in thoroughly modern Indian restaurant by Kelsey Mesher

Don Feria

The food is as lively and colorful as the decor at over-the-top Sakoon.

DINNER BY THE MOVIES AT SHORELINE’S

Pizzeria Venti

alking into Sakoon off the sidewalk on Castro Street in Mountain View is like ascending into an Indian fantasy land where no color is too bright and no morsel too flavorful. The restaurant is Bollywood dream meets Las Vegas swank, melding modern interior design aesthetics with traditional Indian themes. Three large chandeliers dominate the main dining room, their “branches” hanging artistically like jellyfish tentacles with glowing color-changing LED lights on the ends. Grab a booth seat along the wall for the best view of the spectacle — and it is a spectacle, with lights dancing off large mirrors and ornate decorations. The space of the restaurant is

itself impressive: Sakoon boasts a main dining room and an upstairs lounge for private parties. While a long hallway back toward the bathroom could have been lost space, Sakoon designers lined it with intimate round booths for couples or small parties, giving the venue a cool yet sophisticated club-vibe. Emerging from the end of a long hallway, diners find an additional small seating area and the most elaborate, intricately designed and detailed bathrooms I’ve ever seen in a restaurant. I would make the argument that Sakoon is over-designed, had its food not lived up to the grandeur of its aesthetics. Fortunately for Sakoon — and its patrons — the food was as lively and colorful as

Ciao Bella!

t didn’t take long for businesswoman, Bella Awdisho, to recognize something was missing in Mountain View. After long research, it became apparent that finding a one-of-a-kind restaurant to bring to the Mountain View area would not be easy. “I just could not see opening another run-of-the-mill restaurant in an area filled with such innovation” said Mrs. Awdisho. Her search ended when she found Pizzeria Venti, a small boutique pizzeria based in Italy. Her introduction to Italian cuisine was in-depth, to say the least. It began with a culinary arts program that included training under the Tuscany sun. “The training was really eye-opening. I learned about the nuances of true Italian cooking; about the quality and passion that goes into every dish. It’s amazing.” said Bella. “Covering everything from pasta and sauces to the tradition of Italy famous “pizza al taglio” or pizza by the cut, the training was a once-in-a-lifetime experience which is simply not available to most restaurateurs.”

Traveling in Italy

A now a

ons

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for y

liday our ho

party!

able l i a v a ing

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1390 Pear Ave., Mountain View (650) 254-1120 www.mvpizzeriaventi.com

Page 34 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday Monda through Thursday 9 a.m. a m to t 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday

wdisho said that she was extremely anxious to start her own Pizzeria Venti right here in Mountain View. “I recognized the uniqueness of our location,” she noted “so I put many resources into the marketing of the location. We continue to offer to our customers many of the dishes I was introduced to in Italy.” So successful was this introduction that Awdisho had to double the size of her kitchen, adding additional equipment to handle the demand. Executive Chef, Marco Salvi, the training chef in Italy, provided many new recipes for use in her restaurant. Chef Marco provided some insight “The ingredients say it all. We work to provide a finished dish which will honor its origins and create a wonderful experience for our customers.”

Authenticity – Not just a word

ach new dish is hand selected with an eye towards authenticity. Even its rustic style pizza has a bit of Italia in it, made daily on-premise and using only imported water from Italy. “For me, one of the most important components of the training in Italy was the cultural understanding of these recipes. I was able to bring this back to our customers,” said Bella. She continues, “I know our customers really appreciate what we do. We are so grateful that they allow us our passion.”

ShopTalk by Daryl Savage

✔ Reservations ✔ Credit cards Lot Parking

✔ Alcohol ✔ Takeout ✔ Highchairs ✔ Wheelchair access

✔ ✔

Professional Refinishing and new cabinet construction. Specializing in bamboo kitchens.

Irene Pepping ■ 650.868.3772 CSL 728490

Szechwan & Hunan Gourmet Tel: (650) 328-6885 Fax: (650) 328-8889 443 Emerson St. Palo Alto, CA 94301 jingjinggourmet.com

Catering Outdoor seating

Bathroom Cleanliness: Excellent

– ½ Price Appetizers between 4-7 pm – Specialty Cocktails – Live Music Daily – Fun & Food for the Whole Family Bring your Stanford Football ticket in after the game, and receive MacArthur Park Beers for $3

Correction

Heard a rumor about your favorite store or business moving out, or in, down the block or across town? Daryl Savage will check it out. She can be e-mailed at shoptalk@paweekly.com.

FOOD TO GO • DELIVERY

JOIN US FOR ‘AMERICAN FOOD AT ITS FINEST.’ AWARD WINNING BBQ RIBS & CHICKEN

Noise level: Low

and Hacienda in Redwood City. TOYS”R”US AT STANFORD MALL ... The Stanford Shopping Center has a new tenant for a few months. Toys “R” Us Holiday Express opened its doors Oct. 8 and will close shortly after the holiday season. Called a “popup” store by retailers because it appears quickly and disappears just as quickly, it is often seen as a quick fix for malls looking to fill vacancies. It is one of 350 Holiday Express locations nationwide. Toys R Us Holiday Express is located next to Smith & Hawken, which will be open for another month before it shuts down for good. The gardening store had been in business for 30 years. The Smith & Hawken chain announced it was closing its stores earlier this summer. NOVEMBER RE-OPENING FOR EVVIA ... Evvia restaurant at 400 Emerson St. in Palo Alto is making a quick recovery from its Sept. 28 fire. It is scheduled to reopen Nov. 1. The blaze, which originated next to a faulty chimney flue, caused an estimated $200,000 in damage.

Call for special banquet and catering menu

SCORE A WINNING TOUCHDOWN AT MACARTHUR PARK!

Banquet

The Oct. 2 Shop Talk column incorrectly stated how long the French restaurant Chez Sophie had been in business in Palo Alto. The restaurant opened in 1995 and closed in 2000, when owner Sophie Nicolas decided to spend more time with her family, said her daughter, Isabelle Nicolas Baeck.

• Specialize in hot and spicy dishes (mild also available) • Banquet and catering are available

Serving Lunch Monday through Friday and Dinner Seven Nights a Week. 27 UNIVERSITY AVEUNE

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overwhelmed by the number of people there,” Forcellini said. “Some of them had been getting their hair cut by Tony ever since they were kids.” WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES ... Adam Torres always seems to be one step ahead of the curve. The entrepreneur opened his latest Mexican restaurant in Palo Alto last week, just days after selling La Tiendita (“Little Market” in Spanish) in East Palo Alto — which was locally famous for its fish tacos served from a small deli at one end of the tiny store, where meat was labeled by its Spanish name. His new restaurant, Sancho’s, at 491 Lytton Ave., opened Oct. 8. “We offer an economical option,” he said. The taqueria’s red snapper tacos sell for $3.95. “And they’re big,” he said. Opening Sancho’s was not easy. “I’ve been trying to open this restaurant for a year. We’ve had a lot of issues with the city but everything has been resolved,” he said. The new Sancho’s is Torres’ third restaurant in the area. He also owns Sancho’s

Sakoon 357 Castro St. Mountain View 650-965-2000 sakoonrestaurant.com Hours: Lunch: Weekdays 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Sat.Sun. noon-3 p.m. Dinner: Sun.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m.; Fri.Sat. 5:30-11 p.m.

KITCHEN CABINETS

TONY THE BARBER: RETIRED ... When Tony Nicosia, who owned the barbershop at Charleston Shopping Center in Palo Alto, went on his daily jog last May he had no idea his life would change forever. A freak accident landed him in the hospital with major injuries. So after a 46-year-stint as Palo Alto’s “Tony the Barber,” he had to hang up his cutting shears. Charleston Barber Shop remained closed and locked until early July, when professional hair stylist Peggy Forcellini came on the scene. “I heard the shop was closed and I always thought it would be great to have a barbershop,” she said. Although Forcellini, a Redwood City resident, spent 20 years as a film and television hairdresser, she had never worked in a salon atmosphere. “I immediately loved it. It just felt right,” she said. So she and partner John Namet became the new owners. They held a retirement party for Nicosia on Oct. 9. “More than 50 customers showed up. Tony personally greeted everyone and was

pairing with any main dish. For dessert we unanimously agreed that the coconut lime soup ($7) was truly delicious. Sweet and bold, it had coconut flavors that were complemented nicely by just a hint of lime — a satisfying ending to a sensory eating experience. Diners looking to enjoy Sakoon at home will miss out on the jazzy decor, but receive 10 percent off their takeout orders. The food alone, though, will have patrons returning to Sakoon for more. n

were especially good when paired with the house tamarind sauce (which we found complex and very tasty). We found the avocado dish a refreshing digression from standard Indian fare. Presented beautifully in a layer-cake style, the appetizer had all the flavors of what you could imagine to be a deconstructed Indian guacamole. For the main courses we sampled the phool makhane ki subzi ($13), popped lotus seeds with cheese, peas and cashews. A fellow diner who is a vegetarian said this dish was light in flavor, but with good texture. The lotus seeds were slightly chewy, almost meaty in consistency, adding substance to the dish. A heavier vegetarian option is a sauce-laden mushroom and cheese dish with bell peppers, ginger and onions. The textures of the rajasthani khumb paneer ($13) weren’t quite right for a few of my dining companions, though I found the flavors of the mint tomato sauce and vegetables exciting. The paneer tasted lighter than normal. The rack of lamb ($22) was plated like a piece of art. Though it looked almost too good to eat, the tender meat, which was actually served a bit rare for my liking, paired well with curry-flavored mashed potatoes. The flavors of the dish were distinctly Indian, but the presentation was an interesting and sophisticated departure from more commonplace lamb dishes. In addition to the many flavorful main courses on the menu, Sakoon offers several unique rotis, naans and rices to accompany the food. Coconut fans and people with a craving for sweets should try the Kashmiri naan ($4), which is sweet with coconut flakes and rose essence. The coconut rice ($5) is more neutral in flavor, and makes a good

the decor. Like many Indian restaurants, Sakoon features a lunch buffet ($11.95 weekdays, $12.95 weekends) overflowing with such favorites as butter chicken and served with a basket of fresh naan. From the many choices, the most successful were the dishes that could withstand, or even benefit from, the buffet-style service. While the fried dishes were slightly soggy — or, in some cases, very hard — from sitting out, the eggplant curry was rich, the vegetable tender and loaded with sauce. Other highlights from the lunch menu included the chicken tikka with pickled mango, which was moist and flavorful, and the chicken kali, a saucier dish with onions and a nice spice. One of the weekend features of Sakoon’s buffet is its “live” station, which changes weekly, and features a special dish that a chef prepares out in the dining room. The Saturday we lunched, diners were filling their plates with pani puri, small pastry shells filled with potato and mint, accompanied by a minty sauce to drizzle over the bite-sized snack. Though the buffet was highly satisfying, diners should make time to stop in for dinner for a truly authentic Sakoon experience. In the evening the dining room really dazzles, the tables lit by sparkling orb-like candles. It would be a good choice for a dinner date or birthday outing. Our waiter helpfully pointed out his favorite dishes — a long list — and we elected to start with a trio of samosas ($6), a ubiquitous Indian dish; and avocado jhalmuri aloo ($6.50), which seemed less traditional. The samosas came out hot from the kitchen, the pastry casing crunchy and flaky. Their unconventional fillings, like pomegranate seeds with feta, potato and peas,

FREE DELIVERY (with min. order)

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Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 35

PIZZA Pizza Chicago 424-9400 4115 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

of the week

This IS the best pizza in town Spot A Pizza 324-3131 115 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto Voted Best Pizza in Palo Alto

R ISTOR A NT E

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AMERICAN

CHINESE

Armadillo Willy’s 941-2922

Peking Duck 856-3338

1031 N. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos Range: $5.00-13.00 Hobee’s 856-6124 4224 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Also at Town & Country Village, Palo Alto 327-4111

Burmese Green Elephant Gourmet (650) 494-7391 Burmese & Chinese Cuisine 3950 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto (Charleston Shopping Center) Dine-In, Take-Out, Local Delivery-Catering

CHINESE Chef Chu’s (650) 948-2696 1067 N. San Antonio Road on the corner of El Camino, Los Altos

2310 El Camino Real, Palo Alto We also deliver.

Jing Jing 328-6885 443 Emerson St., Palo Alto Authentic Szechwan, Hunan Food To Go, Delivery www.jingjinggourmet.com Ming’s 856-7700

Trader Vic’s 849-9800 4269 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Dinner Mon-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 5-11pm;

Su Hong – Menlo Park Dining Phone: 323–6852 To Go: 322–4631 Winner, Palo Alto Weekly “Best Of”

Sun 4:30 - 9:30pm Available for private luncheons Lounge open nightly

8 years in a row!

Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-6 pm

INDIAN

SEAFOOD

Darbar Indian Cuisine 321-6688

Cook’s Seafood 325-0604

129 Lytton, Downtown Palo Alto

751 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Lunch Buffet M-F; Open 7 days Janta Indian Restaurant 462-5903 369 Lytton Ave., Downtown Palo Alto Lunch Buffet M-F; Organic Veggies

ITALIAN

2008 Best Chinese MV Voice & PA Weekly

POLYNESIAN

Seafood Dinners from $6.95 to $10.95

Enjoy the freshest pasta, salads, seafood, veal, chicken and lamb attractively presented with the experience of dining in Italy.

THAI

417 California Ave. Palo Alto 327-9390

Thaiphoon Restaurant 323-7700

www.Spalti.com

543 Emerson St., Palo Alto Spalti Ristorante 327-9390 417 California Ave, Palo Alto ÝµÕ Ã ÌiÊ `ÊUÊ"ÕÌ` ÀÊ } www.spalti.com

JAPANESE & SUSHI Fuki Sushi 494-9383

1700 Embarcadero East, Palo Alto

4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

www.mings.com

Open 7 days a Week

New Tung Kee Noodle House

MEXICAN

520 Showers Dr., MV in San Antonio Ctr.

Full Bar, Outdoor Seating www.thaiphoonrestaurant.com Best Thai Restaurant in Palo Alto 3 Years in a Row, 2006-2007-2008

STEAKHOUSE Sundance the Steakhouse 321-6798 1921 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2:00pm Dinner: Mon-Thu 5:00-10:00pm

Voted MV Voice Best ‘01, ‘02, ‘03 & ‘04

Palo Alto Sol 328-8840

Prices start at $3.75 See Coupon

408 California Ave, Palo Alto

Fri-Sat 5:00-10:30pm, Sun 5:00-9:00pm

947-8888

Õ}iÊ i ÕÊUÊ iÃÌÞ iÊ,iV «iÃ

www.sundancethesteakhouse.com

Page 36 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

Spalti Ristorante serves delicious, authentic Northern Italian cuisine, in a casually elegant, comfortable and spacious setting.

Search a complete listing of local restaurant reviews by location or type of food on PaloAltoOnline.com

Sports Shorts

Friday Women’s volleyball: Stanford at Oregon St., 7 p.m., KZSU (90.1 FM)

Saturday College football: Stanford at Arizona, 4:30 p.m.; XTRA Sports (860 AM); KZSU (90.1 FM) Women’s volleyball: Stanford at Oregon, 7 p.m.; KZSU (90.1 FM)

SPORTS ONLINE For expanded daily coverage of college and prep sports, please see our new site at www.PASportsOnline.com

Cardinal needs to be resilient on Saturday and beat host Arizona by Rick Eymer enior linebacker Will Powers had no lingering doubts a few days after the Stanford football team stumbled in losing its first conference game of the season. As the Cardinal (3-1, 4-2) prepares for its next Pac-10 contest against Arizona (1-1, 3-2) in Tucson, Powers said he believes in the team’s ability to bounce back. “I expect we will respond with character and resolve,” he said. “That’s what we’ve built this program on. It’s not fragile. It’s been tested but not broken. We have a deep belief in the players and coach- Will Powers es. If anything, this will make us stronger.” Stanford hasn’t exactly been road warriors the past few years. The Cardinal has dropped eight of its last 10 road games, but Arizona Stadium has been an oasis through tough times. Stanford has won four straight there. Overall, the Cardinal has won five of the past six meetings between the teams and six of eight since winning, 50-22, in 1999 to snap a sixgame losing streak to the Wildcats. Arizona will be playing its first home game since Sept. 12 and is also smarting after an unlucky loss at Washington last week. The Wildcats did win at Oregon State, its only road victory in three trips. They are 2-0 at home. The Cardinal is coming off a 38-28 loss to Beavers in Corvallis. Stanford fell behind 21-0 and 31-7 before closing the gap in the second half. “I think we’re resilient,” Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck said. “We showed character coming back last week and I think we will bounce back strong. Arizona is a good challenge.” Stanford goes on the road once more during the regular season following the weekend and that’s at the Los Angeles Coliseum to face USC. The Trojans are 46-2 at home since the 2001 season. Both of those losses were to Stanford. The Cardinal beat Arizona, 2423, when Toby Gerhart scored on a 1-yard run and Aaron Zagory kicked the extra point in the final 30 seconds. That win gave Stanford a 4-3 record but the team finished 1-4 and was left out of the bowl picture for the seventh straight season. Stanford went seven years between bowl games from 1979-85.

Menlo senior Jack Foley reaches high to block a shot attempt by Menlo-Atherton while goalie Keegan Williams watches and Menlo-Atherton’s Jed Springer (8) gets dunked in the waning moments of Wednesday’s 8-7 come-from-behind victory by the Knights.

PREP WATER POLO

Menlo’s big win is perhaps a defining one Knights rally for 8-7 victory with two goals to topple rival M-A by Keith Peters hen the 2009 water polo season is all tucked in and put to bed, Menlo boys’ coach Jack Bowen may look back on a specific match and smile — perhaps because that one contest helped make a difference in his team’s season. That one defining match might have been played Wednesday, when the Knights put their first-place ranking and unbeaten PAL Bay Division record on the line against visiting Menlo-Atherton. The game matched two veteran coaches in Bowen and M-A’s Johnny Bega, both of whom know each other well. Thus, their matchup proved to be a chess match of sorts. With time running out in the fourth

Keith Peters

on the air

The goal is quite obvious

Keith Peters

OAKS’ NOTES . . .Menlo College junior linebacker Shawn Winters was named Northwest Conference Football Defensive Player of the Week after a strong performance in the Oaks’ 14-3 victory at Puget Sound over the weekend. Freshman quarterback Cruz Castillo earned honorable mention in the offensive category. Winters finished the game with five solo tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery as Menlo’s defense shut down the Loggers in Tacoma, Wash. The Oaks limited Puget Sound to 217 yards of total offense and forced five turnovers en route to their first NWC victory of the season. Winters leads Menlo(1-3, 2-4) with seven and a half tackles for loss, three sacks, and two fumble recoveries. He is third on the team with 18 solo tackles and has 22 tackles overall. Castillo completed 22-of-33 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns in his first college start. In men’s soccer, Menlo dropped a 2-0 decision to host William Jessup in a Cal Pac Conference match on Tuesday and will return to action on Saturday against William Jessup. The Oaks (1-3, 2-9) travel to Simpson for a match Saturday at 3 p.m. . . . The Menlo College women’s volleyball team hosts Simpson University in a Cal Pac Conference contest Friday at 7 p.m. The Oaks enter the match on a roll, winning three straight, including a 25-23, 25-19, 19-25, 25-23 road victory over Academy of Art on Tuesday night at venerable Kezar Pavilion. Senior middle blocker Deborah Bekowies recorded 15 kills, a .448 hitting percentage and six blocks as Menlo (5-0, 9-9) beat the Urban Knights for the first time in three meetings. Bekowies has 194 kills on the season and 1,307 for her career heading into Friday’s match. The Oaks own a 19-match Cal Pac winning streak and are 43-4 in conference play since the 2006 season. Academy of Art assistant coach Ali Tyson-Taufoou spent the 2006 season as a setter at Menlo. Bekowies and current senior Sarah Poole, who recorded 11 kills against the Urban Knights, were teammates. Stephanie Williamson had a fine all-around match with 39 assists to go with a pair of service aces, nine digs and a .500 hitting percentage.

STANFORD FOOTBALL

Menlo senior Luke Carrino celebrates his winning goal with 38.9 seconds to play, lifting the Knights to an 8-7 victory over visiting MenloAtherton and keeping Menlo unbeaten in the PAL Bay Division. quarter, the Bears appeared to have the Knights in checkmate. Menlo, however, escaped that predicament and pulled off an 8-7 victory that left the Knights in first place (7-0, 12-4) and the Bears (6-2, 12-5) scratching their collective heads, wondering how it happened. “For the guys to be able to play like that when they were tired is great to see,” said Bowen, who lost

senior Chris Akin to fouls in the second quarter and was without another key reserve, Jack Lucas, who was out sick. “They were understandably tired and under pressure,” Bowen added. “To learn that about themselves, is probably more important than the X’s and O’s.” (continued on page 46)

(continued on page 38)

Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 37

IT P

Sports

Graduate Education at the Frontier of Psychology and Spirituality

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

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Find out more: www.itp.edu/steve Academic Programs: On-Campus & Online r Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology r 1Äľ % ÄśÄť 5Ĺ&#x20AC;ÄŽÄťĹ Ä˝Ä˛Ĺ&#x20AC;Ĺ ÄźÄťÄŽÄš 1Ĺ Ĺ&#x2C6;Ä°ÄľÄźÄšÄźÄ´Ĺ&#x2C6; r . " ÄśÄť $ÄźĹ&#x192;ÄťĹ Ä˛ÄšÄśÄťÄ´ 1Ĺ Ĺ&#x2C6;Ä°ÄľÄźÄšÄźÄ´Ĺ&#x2C6; .'5 -ÄśÄ°Ä˛ÄťĹ Ĺ&#x192;Ĺ&#x20AC;Ä˛

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Christine Renschler Sacred Heart Prep

The senior outside hitter had 20 kills in two WBAL volleyball victories to keep the Gators in first, then added 26 kills and five aces in only eight games to help her team go 4-1 for a third-place tie at the Wildcat tourney.

Skylar Dorosian Becca Dorst*

Page 38 â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly

Sacred Heart Prep water polo

Alex Berenfeld

Menlo-Atherton water polo

Marissa Florant* Palo Alto volleyball

Gunn water polo

T.J. Braff Palo Alto football

Rachel Harrus

A.J. Castillo

Palo Alto water polo

Trina Ohms*

Palo Alto football

Danny Diekroeger

Palo Alto volleyball

Menlo football

Margot Roux

Paul Summers

Sacred Heart Prep volleyball

Gunn cross country * previous winner

ON THE WEB: Up-to-the-minute local sports headlines at www.PaloAltoOnline.com

PREP FOOTBALL

Palo Alto has a new QB to open a tough stretch

you do. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be doing your part to help the Palo Alto community achieve its Zero Waste goal.

www.cityofpaloalto.org/zerowaste (650) 496-5910

Philip Bamberg

Palo Alto water polo

you shopâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;at the market, pharmacy, wherever. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter how you remember it, as long as

Make it a Habit and Grab It.

The senior quarterback carried five times for 69 yards and completed 15 of 22 passes for 203 yards and five touchdowns to keep the Panthers unbeaten (5-0) in eightman football with a 50-6 win over Calvary Christian.

Honorable mention

Your bag misses you when you leave it behind. Do it a favor and bring it with you every time

For tips on how to remember your reusable bag, visit www.cityofpaloalto.org/byobag

Max Lippe

Pinewood School

Braff replaces the injured Bono as Vikings take on Homestead by Keith Peters alo Alto junior T.J. Braff wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be playing as much when the Vikings take on Homestead in a SCVAL De Anza Division game Friday night at Fremont High in Sunnyvale. Braff, the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s starting strong safety who can play tight end among his various positions, will be limited to one position against the Mustangs when the teams kick it off at 6:15 p.m. Braffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new position, however, is an important one. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be starting at quarterback for the first time during Palo Altoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine 4-1 start. With the most difficult portion of Palo Altoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s season about to begin with four tough contests in the final five games of the regular season, but the Vikings will begin this journey without starting quarterback Chris-

toph Bono. Bono suffered a shoulder injury during the second quarter of Palyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 27-7 nonleague victory at Gunn (3-2) last Friday night. Bono had his shoulder wrapped and spent the rest of the first half on the sideline. He was taken to urgent care at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, where an X-ray revealed a crack in his right (throwing) collarbone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We knew (about the injury) before we left Gunn,â&#x20AC;? said Paly coach Earl Hansen, who heard from Christophâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father, Steve (a Paly assistant coach), that the shoulder was indeed cracked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I felt really bad for Christoph,â&#x20AC;? Hansen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was devastated. But, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll bounce back.â&#x20AC;? (continued on page 41)

T BA

WES

Sports

OPER

Keith Peters

SHP senior Christine Renschler was all smiles with her 17 kills and 10 digs in a victory over Castilleja.

PREP ROUNDUP

SHP girls look solid in volleyball Gators appear ahead of schedule while sitting atop WBAL race by Keith Peters he Sacred Heart Prep girls’ volleyball team didn’t win its 16th game of the 2008 season until Oct. 28. The Gators reached that point on Tuesday night and now are two weeks ahead of last year’s pace. Whether that translates into a very successful ending remains to be seen. However, everything points in that direction following Sacred Heart’s 25-10, 25-20, 27-29, 25-13 triumph over host Castilleja on Tuesday in a West Bay Athletic League (Foothill Division) match. SHP improved to 3-0 in league (16-7 overall) while Castilleja dropped to 1-2 (10-9) just one season removed from winning the CIF Division V state championship. Sacred Heart reached the Central Coast Section semifinals last season before losing and finishing 21-11 in coach Damien Hardy’s first year on board. The Gators graduated six players, three of whom started. SHP returned six players — seniors Kira Whitehouse, Christine Renschler, Margot Roux, DeAnna Kneis, Kate Kerwin and Chantal

HE EARNED HIS B.A. WITH A MAJOR IN PHILOSOPHY AND MINOR IN BIOLOGY, FROM SAINT JOHNS UNIVERSITY IN COLLEGEVILLE, MINNESOTA, HIS MASTERS IN SACRED THEOLOGY AT SAINT PATRICK SEMINARY IN MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA (1969-72) AND WAS ORDAINED TO THE PRIESTHOOD IN 1972. He received “The Knight of Golden Cross Award” from the President of the Republic of Hungary in June 2009 as an acknowledgment of his work as an educator and as a leader working with the Hungarian Community in California. Before he came to the Priory, he worked as a Lumberjack in Canada, has three Citizenships and has a great love for horticulture and all living things. His favorite quote is: “My son, Work as if you would live on this Earth for ever and Pray as if this hour would be your last “ – Fr, Maurus’ Mother (Translated from Hungarian). He’s taught for more than 40 years and wants his students to realize “that knowledge is very important, but life is greater than knowledge and to realize that, requires wisdom.”

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(continued on page 40)

Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 39

Sports

Prep roundup

in Games 2 and 3,â&#x20AC;? said Castilleja coach Tracie Meskell. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our passing was up and down all night, hence the bad first and fourth games. The Morgan â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and has added a solid positive note is that our middles hit group of newcomers to balance its very well, making few errors. We attack in 2009. also showed a toughness Against Castilleja, and ability to come back SHP got 17 kills and 10 after a bad first game. digs from Renschler and â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are a young team 25 digs from Kneis with and we are still trying contributions from Roux to be more consistent. (setting), Whitehouse When we are, we win and Kerwin (blocking) games and play much plus sophomore Sarah better â&#x20AC;&#x201D; like we did in Dashbach (hitting). our second and third Castilleja started out games. We are happy to shaky with numerous have taken a game off of receiving errors and lost Margot Roux SHP, which has played Game 1 quickly. The very well this season. Gators gained some momentum We hope to play even better against in Game 2 before finally winning them in a couple of weeks.â&#x20AC;? Game 3. Laura Rose, a 6-foot-1 juIn another WBAL match, host nior, had 10 kills to pace Castilleja Menlo defeated Harker on Tuesday while 6-1 sophomore Hannah Bo- night, 25-17, 25-18, 25-23 in Atherland added nine kills and three ton. The Knights improve to 1-2 in blocks while joining with Rose for league (8-13 overall) while Harker some solid play at the net. Junior So- is now 0-3 in the Foothill Division. phie Koontz provided 23 assists. Sophomore Natalie Roy tallied a â&#x20AC;&#x153;We actually played much better career-best nine kills and six digs (continued from page 39)

for the Knights, and senior Elizabeth Augustus recorded 19 digs and three aces. Senior Sarah Rosales had eight kills, seven digs and three aces, and junior Jazmin Moledina hit .375 with seven kills, including a big one at 23-all in the third set. Menlo junior Anelise Hohl hit .444 with four kills, seven digs and two aces; freshman Alexandra Ko recorded 25 assists and a career-best 14 digs, and senior Tess Brown had 14 digs. Junior Emily Ryles also had six digs. In the WBAL (Skyline Division), host Pinewood (0-3 league) dropped a 25-16, 25-17, 25-19 decision to first-place Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Academy (3-0) on Tuesday. In the PAL Bay Division, MenloAtherton saw its possible title hopes dim following a 25-18, 25-23, 25-21 loss to host Burlingame on Tuesday. The Bears (5-3, 13-7) now trail first-place Carlmont (7-1) and Burlingame (7-1) by two full games. Menlo-Atherton visited Carlmont on Thursday with a chance to get back into contention. M-A now is in fourth place in the division. Aragon

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(5-2) did not play Tuesday due to a power outage. In the SCVAL De Anza Division, Palo Alto tightened its grip on first place with a 25-21, 25-13, 26-24 victory over visiting Los Altos. The Vikings stretched their winning streak to 21 matches while improving to 23-3 overall (7-0 in league) despite playing â&#x20AC;&#x153;a match fraught with errors,â&#x20AC;? said Paly coach Dave Winn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But, in this league, any win is a good win.â&#x20AC;? Next up for Palo Alto will be rival Gunn on Tuesday in the Titansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; gym at 6:45 p.m. Gunn (0-6, 12-15), which played Los Altos on Thursday night while searching for its first division victory, dropped a 25-20, 25-15, 14-25, 25-17 decision to visiting Los Gatos on Monday night despite 11 kills and seven digs from Teresa Skelly and 14 assists and seven digs from fellow senior Shelly Kousnetz. Girls tennis Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rainstorm washed out an entire slate of matches, but a sunny (albeit overcast) Wednesday

allowed Menlo and Sacred Heart Prep to meet in a match moved back from Thursday. The visiting Gators (2-3, 8-6) actually held the lead in four matches before falling to the Knights (5-0, 7-5), who won their 163rd straight league match dating to the start of the 1994 season. Sacred Heart was the only team in the West Bay Athletic League (Foothill Division) expected to challenge Menlo this season. The Knightsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; path to a 16th straight league title now seems assured. Menlo topped SHP in the first meeting, 7-0, but the Gators didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have freshman Alyssa Kohrs in the lineup then. She beat Menlo senior Anjali Ranadive, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 3 singles and the win impressed even Menlo coach Bill Shine. Menlo swept the doubles after splitting the singles, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re happy with the outcome,â&#x20AC;? said Shine, who has his team in Newport Beach this weekend for the annual National Invitational tournament.â&#x2013;

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Palo Alto junior quarterback Christoph Bono (right), throwing over Gunnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jasper Dean (80) and Palyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kevin Anderson, is likely lost for the remainder of the season after suffering a cracked collarbone last Friday.

Prep football (continued from page 38)

The junior quarterback will be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks, Hansen said. The Vikings have only five regular-season games remaining, thus itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s questionable whether Bono will be back this season. With Bono likely sidelined the remainder of the season after throwing for 1,087 yards and 14 TDs, Braff will take over as the starting quarterback. Braff completed seven of 11 passes for 126 yards, including a 94-yard scoring toss to the fleet Maurice Williams that gave Paly a 27-0 lead in the fourth quarter. Williams caught two passes for 118 yards with Bono and Braff combining to throw for 238 yards. Bono was seven of seven passing until Gunnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Henry Ayala landed on him following a play. Bonoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next pass attempt was intercepted at the goal line by Gunn cornerback Deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Vaughn Campbell. Bono headed for the sideline after that for medical attention. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a dirty play,â&#x20AC;? Hansen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was no intent. He went down, plain and simple, and people just landed on him. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a hit, just everyone falling on him.â&#x20AC;? Braff got off to a slow start, but finished strong Ăą thanks to the speedy Williams, who earlier had caught a 24-yard scoring pass from Bono. Williams also had a TD reception in the third quarter called back by a penalty. Braff threw a two-yard TD pass to Michael Cullen for a 21-0 halftime lead before hooking up with Williams in the final period. Joc Pederson was another offensive standout for Paly with five catches for 79 yards in the first half. Cullen later was ejected from the game and will sit out the Homestead contest. That will force Hansen to change his lineup around, since Cullen was on a lot of special teams

in addition to being a starting linebacker. With Braff moving from strong safety to quarterback, that leaves another spot to fill, as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It (Bonoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s injury) hurts us depthwise,â&#x20AC;? Hansen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a domino effect. We have to adjust defensively.â&#x20AC;? Hansen isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worried about Braff at quarterback. He played well against Gunn and did start two games last season when then-senior starter Will Brandin was injured. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good,â&#x20AC;? Hansen said of Braff. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have no concerns with him. We should be alright.â&#x20AC;? Bono was feeling well enough on Sunday to attend the San Francisco 49ersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; game against visiting Atlanta,

a reunion game for past 49ers. Steve Bono, of course, played QB for the Niners. Gunn, which had lost the past four years to Paly by an average score of 47-5, did a much better job on defense behind the play of linemen Jon Chaplin, Jim Hinton and Jasper Dean. Paly did gain 150 yards rushing, but the Vikings had to earn every one. Campbell and Maceo Parks both had interceptions for the Titans. Gunn, which gained 255 yards on the ground in last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s win over Lynbrook, was held to just 61 on Friday. The Titans managed only three (continued on page 44)

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/ + . // ,. - . Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 41

Sports STANFORD ROUNDUP

International School of the Peninsula

Top-ranked womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soccer team plays host to USC and UCLA

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by Rick Eymer hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no break in the Pac10 womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soccer race; not even for top-ranked Stanford, which puts its unbeaten record (2-0, 13-0) on the line this weekend with visits from No. 23 USC on Friday night at 7 p.m., and No. 3 UCLA on Sunday at 1 p.m. Stanford has outscored its opponents by a 58-7 margin to date, and produced seven shutouts. The defense was considered Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soft spot with the graduation of its top two defenders from a year ago. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turned out not to be the case. Olympian Ali Riley and senior Alicia Jenkins have filled the leadership void and freshmen Rachel Quon and Alina Garciamendez have filled big shoes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Alina and Rachel have done a great job stepping in as freshmen,â&#x20AC;? Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have shown composure and confidence. We really needed Ali

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Rick Bale/Stanford Athletics

Another tough weekend

Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ali Riley (right) is one reason why the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defense has been so solid this season for the top-ranked Cardinal. and Alicia to step up as leaders. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an added ingredient to have that leadership on the field. They are tremendous role models. We also have people coming off the bench and making solid contributions.â&#x20AC;? Junior goalkeeper Kira Maker has also done her part when the rare errant ball finds its way toward the net. While the Cardinal allowed eight goals all of last season, it needed 19 games before scoring goal No. 58. UCLA handed Stanford its first loss last season, and is the defending conference champion. The Bruins and Cardinal each reached last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Final Four and USC won the national title two years ago. Every conference match takes on

added significance since itĂs a single round-robin and there is not conference tournament. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a do-over,â&#x20AC;? Ratcliffe said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to get it right 'SFODI 1SPHSBN *OGP /JHIUT the first time. You have to earn every win.â&#x20AC;? $IJOFTF 1SPHSBN *OGP /JHIUT WomenĂs volleyball Fifth-ranked Stanford (4-1, 11-4) takes to the road this weekend, meeting Oregon State on Friday at 7 p.m. and Oregon at 7 p.m. Saturday. Historically, the Cardinal has handled both Oregon schools. The Beavers have never beaten Stanford in 48 career meetings, while the Ducks have lost the last 37 straight to Stanford. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a treacherous journey, as both schools have been nationally ranked and have surprised the top teams in the Pac-10 in the past. With a collection of freshmen, redshirt freshmen and veterans who have worked hard for the chance to get on the court, the Cardinal has struggled early, but now put together four consecutive victories, all ranked opposition. Nursery throughagainst 8thexperience,â&#x20AC;? Grade Stanford coach â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nursery through 8th Grade Progressive Education John Dunning â&#x20AC;&#x153;You think Sincesaid. 1925 Progressive Education Since 1925 you know what it feels like (to play Nursery through 8th Grade under pressure) and you think you Progressive Education Since 1925 know how youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll operate under those circumstances. 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UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;7Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;}iĂ&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201C;>}Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;7Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;}iĂ&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201C;>}Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;LĂ&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Â?`Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;7Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;}iĂ&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201C;>}Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; iÂ?iLĂ&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;>V>ìÂ&#x201C;Â&#x2C6;VĂ&#x192; Dunning said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone through UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;LĂ&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Â?`Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;LĂ&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Â?`Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;ViĂ&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Â?i>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} three weeks now where weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve taken IMPORTANT DATES UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;LĂ&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Â?`Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;7Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;}iĂ&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201C;>}Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; big steps forward. Against (previUĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;ViĂ&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Â?i>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;ViĂ&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Â?i>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;ìÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;i>VÂ&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x201C;>Â?Â?Ă&#x160;VÂ?>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă˘i UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;ViĂ&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Â?i>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;LĂ&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Â?`Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} ously undefeated) Washington, that Nursery, Kindergarten & 1st Grade Open House UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;ìÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;i>VÂ&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x201C;>Â?Â?Ă&#x160;VÂ?>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă˘i UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;ìÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;i>VÂ&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x201C;>Â?Â?Ă&#x160;VÂ?>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă˘i was a huge step forward against a Saturday, Nov. 15 & Jan. 10, 10:00â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11:30 a.m. Children welcome. UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;ìÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;i>VÂ&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x201C;>Â?Â?Ă&#x160;VÂ?>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă˘i UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;ViĂ&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Â?i>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} very good team.â&#x20AC;? UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;ìÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;i>VÂ&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x201C;>Â?Â?Ă&#x160;VÂ?>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă˘i School Toursâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. IMPORTANT DATES Cross country 6, 20, Dec. 4, Jan. 8DATES and 15. Parents only, please. The top-ranked Stanford men IMPORTANT IMPORTANT DATES Oct. 9, 16, Nov. Nursery, Kindergarten & 1st Grade Open House IMPORTANT DATES and sixth-ranked women compete Saturday,please Nov. 15 Jan. 10, 10:00â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11:30 a.m. Children welcome. Nursery, Kindergarten & 1st Gradeext. Open For anOpen appointment, call& 650.325.1584, 5. House at the NCAA Pre-National meet, Nursery, Kindergarten & 1st Grade House IMPORTANT DATES Nursery,a.m. Kindergarten & 1st House a.m. Children welcome. Saturday,welcome. Nov. 15Grade & Jan.Open 10, 10:00â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11:30 traditionally one of the top meets Saturday, Nov. 15 & Jan. 10, 10:00â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11:30 Children Toursâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.welcome. Saturday, October 10:00-11:30 a.m. Children welcome. Saturday, Nov.School 1524 & Jan. 10, 10:00â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11:30 a.m. Children of the season, on Saturday in Terre Nursery, & 1st Grade Open House 920 PeninsulaKindergarten Way, Menlo Park, CA | 650.325.1584 | www.peninsulaschool.org Oct. 9, 16, Nov. 6, 20, Dec. 4,at Jan. 8 and 15. Parents only, please. Toursâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Thursdays 10:00 a.m. School Toursâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. Nov.School Haute, IN on the same course as the Saturday, 15 & Jan. 10, 10:00â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11:30 a.m. Children welcome. Toursâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Thursdays a.m. Oct. 9, 16, please. Nov.at6,10:00 20, Dec. 4, Jan. 8 and 15. Parents only, please. Oct. 9, 16, Nov. 6, 20, Dec. 4, Jan.School 8 and 15. Parents only, national championships. Oct. 9, 16, Nov. 6, 20, Dec. 4, Jan. 8 and 15. Parents only, please. For7an appointment, ext. please. 5. Oct 15, Nov 5, Jan & 14 atKindergarten 10a.m. andplease Dec 3 call & 10650.325.1584, at 9 a.m. ParentsGrade only School Toursâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. Nursery, & 1st Open The House Stanford men will race in a an 5. appointment, please 650.325.1584, For an appointment, please call Oct. 650.325.1584, 9, 16, Nov.For 6,ext. 20, Dec. 4, Jan. 8 and 15.call Parents only, please.ext. 5. field that includes No. 4 Colorado, For an appointment, please call 650.325.1584, ext. 5. Saturday, Nov. 15 &CAJan. 10, 10:00â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11:30 a.m. 920 Peninsula Way, Menlo Park, | 650.325.1584 | www.peninsulaschool.org No. Children 6 BYU, No. 8welcome. Portland, No. 12 Nursery, Kindergarten & 1st Grade Open House an appointment, please 650.325.1584, ext. 5. 920| Peninsula Way,call Menlo Park, CA | 650.325.1584 | www.peninsulaschool.org Iona, No. 18 Iowa State, No. 19 Ari920 Peninsula Way, Menlo Park, CA |For 650.325.1584 www.peninsulaschool.org 920 Peninsula Way, Menlo Park, CA | 650.325.1584 | www.peninsulaschool.org Saturday, Nov. 15 & Jan. 10, 10:00â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11:30 a.m. Children welcome. at 10:00 a.m. zona State, No. 21 New Mexico, No. School 28 Florida State and No. 30 Min920 Peninsula Way, MenloToursâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Thursdays Park, CA | 650.325.1584 | www.peninsulaschool.org

Peninsula School Peninsula School Peninsula School

Peninsula School Peninsula Peninsula School We believe education isSchool challenging and joyous Peninsula School Peninsula School We believe education is challenging and joyous

UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; iÂ?iLĂ&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;>V>ìÂ&#x201C;Â&#x2C6;VĂ&#x192; UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;7Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;}iĂ&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201C;>}Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; iÂ?iLĂ&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;>V>ìÂ&#x201C;Â&#x2C6;VĂ&#x192; Mid-Peninsula High School UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;LĂ&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Â?`Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;7Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;}iĂ&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x160;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201C;>}Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; FALL OPEN HOUSE UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;ViĂ&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Â?i>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;LĂ&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Â?`Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;ìÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;i>VÂ&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x201C;>Â?Â?Ă&#x160;VÂ?>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă˘i UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;ViĂ&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Â?i>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;} Saturday, UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;ìÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;i>VÂ&#x2026;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x201C;>Â?Â?Ă&#x160;VÂ?>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă˘i October 24

10:30-12pm

IMPORTANT DATES

Choose a small, caring, innovative high school

1340 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025-1516 Oct. 9, 16, Nov. 6, 20, Dec. 4, Jan. 8 and 15. Parents only, please. Toursâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. (650) 321-1991 School www.mid-pen.com (continued on next page)

Oct. 9, 16, Nov. 6, 20, Dec. 4, Jan. 8 and 15. Parents only, please.

Page 42 â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly

For an appointment, please call 650.325.1584, ext. 5.

Sports nesota. The Cardinal women will be one of nine ranked teams, joined by No. 4 Oregon, No. 7 Iowa State, No. 11 Florida State, No. 13 Georgetown, No. 19 Colorado, No. 24 Michigan State and No. 29 Iowa. It’s important to note that defending NCAA champions Oregon (men) and Washington (women) are not in the same field. The women feature a pair of runners who were part of championship teams Stanford. Kate Niehaus was a member of both the 2006 and 2007 NCAA championship teams, while Alex Gits was a scoring member of the 2007 team. For the men, Chris Derrick earned four All-America honors during his freshman season, which included a seventh-place national finish in cross country. Derrick is listed as a potential NCAA champion in 2009, having earned international experience at the World Junior Cross Country Championships and setting an American Junior record in the 5,000 meters last spring. All-Americans Elliott Heath and Jacob Riley, who were also scoring members of the 2008 cross country team that placed third nationally, also return for Stanford. Menís swimming Stanford (2-0) travels to Stockton for the Pacific Invitational on Saturday, which the first swim scheduled for noon. The host Tigers, Brigham Young, Air Force and Cal will also compete. The Cardinal owns a 13-match win streak dating to the 2007-08 season. Stanford has finished in the top three nationally 25 times, winning seven NCAA titles, over the past 30 years. Freshman Aaron Wayne, a part of the nation’s top-rated recruiting class, recorded the nation’s sixthfastest 50-yard time (20.63) and the ninth-best 100-yard time (45.70). Senior Eugene Godsoe owns the nation’s top 100 back time at 48.99, while returning distance swimmers, David Mosko, Michael Zoldos and Chad La Tourette have posted top 10 NCAA times in the 1,000 free. Men’s water polo Stanford looks to rebound from its first loss of the season when it hosts Santa Clara in a nonconference game on Saturday at noon and Pepperdine in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game Sunday at noon at the Avery Aquatics Center. The third-ranked Cardinal (1-0, 12-1) dropped from the top spot in the nation after losing to Cal in the semifinals of the UC Irvine Invitational. Sacred Heart Prep grad Michael Wishart tends the goal for the Broncos. He averages 7.5 saves and 5.94 goals against. Palo Alto grad Mike Sorgenfrei has played in all 18 games for Santa Clara, recording 14 goals, 22 assists and 13 steals. Women’s golf Stanford hosts the three-day Stanford Intercollegiate on the Stanford Golf Course beginning Friday. The tournament represents the last scheduled competition of the fall. The Cardinal returns to the links for the Peg Barnard Invitational beginning Feb. 13, also at Stanford.n

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Title of Publication: Palo Alto Weekly Publication Number: 604-050 Date of Filing: October 1, 2009 Frequency of Issue: Weekly No. of Issues Published Annually: 52 Annual subscription price: $60 1 year Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto 94306-1507 Mailing Address of Headquarters of Publisher: Same Publisher: William S. Johnson, 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto 94306-1507 Editor: Jay Thorwaldson, 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto 94306-1507 Managing Editor: Jocelyn Dong, 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto 94306-1507 Owner: Embarcadero Publishing Co., 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto 94306-1507 Stockholders owning 1% or more of the total amount of stock: Jean and Dexter Dawes, Ely Trust, Leonard W. & Shirley Ely, Trustees, Franklin P. Johnson, William S. Johnson, Lewenstein Family Trust, Harry & Marion Lewenstein, Trustees, Teresa M. Lobdell, Helen D. Pickering, Trustee, and Jeanne Ware, all of Palo Alto, California; Walter A. and Margaret R. Haneberg Trust, Margaret Haneberg, Trustee, Robert Heinen and E.E. and Russella van Bronkhorst Trust, Russella van Bronkhorst, Trustee of Menlo Park, California; Jerome I. Elkind of Portola Valley, California; Anthony Sloss of Santa Cruz, California; Elizabeth Sloss of Seattle, Washington; Karen Sloss of Bellingham, Washington. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 25, 2009 Extent and Nature of Circulation Average no. of Actual no. of copies each issue copies of single during preceding issue nearest to 12 months filing date A. Total Number of Copies (Net press run)

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415

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PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL CIVIC CENTER, 250 HAMILTON AVENUE BROADCAST LIVE ON KZSU, FM 90.1 CABLECAST LIVE ON GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL 26 (TENTATIVE) AGENDA-SPECIAL MEETING COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM OCTOBER 19, 2009 - 6:00 PM 1.

Meeting with Senator Simitian Regarding State Issues 7:00 PM or as soon as possible thereafter COUNCIL CHAMBERS

(TENTATIVE) AGENDA-SPECIAL MEETING COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM OCTOBER 21, 2009 - 6:30 PM 1. 2.

Interviews of Candidates for the Public Art Commission for One, Three-Year Terms Ending April 30, 2012 Interviews of Candidates for the Architectural Review Board for Three, Three-Year Terms Ending September 30, 2012 STANDING COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The Finance Committee Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m. regarding 1) City Auditor's Fiscal Year 2010 Work Plan with Risk Assessment, 2) Report on the Status of Audit Recommendations, 3) ASD/ City Manager's Implementation Plan for Telephone Audit Recommendations, and 4) Participation of the Planning and Transportation Commission and Other Council Appointed Groups in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Capital Budget Process Page 44 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

Sports

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Palo Alto City Manager or his designee will consider the application of Stanford Yellow Cab, for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to operate a taxicab service in the City of Palo Alto under the business name of Stanford Yellow Cab, and the Amendment to the current Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for Yellow Checker Cab Company, Inc to increase the number of taxicabs to operate in the City of Palo Alto under the business name of Silicon Valley Checker Cab Company and Yellow Cab Company of Palo Alto, at a special meeting on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in the First Floor Human Resources Conference Room, located at 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto.

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING of the Palo Alto Planning & Transportation Commission Please be advised the Planning and Transportation Commission shall conduct a special meeting at 6:00 PM, Wednesday, October 28, 2009 in the Civic Center, Council Chambers, 1st Floor, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Any interested persons may appear and be heard on these items. Staff reports for agendized items are available via the City’s main website at www.cityofpaloalto.org. and also at the Planning Division Front Desk, 5th Floor, City Hall, after 2:00 PM on the Friday preceding the meeting date. Copies will be made available at the Development Center should City Hall be closed on the 9/80 Friday. NEW BUSINESS Public Hearings: 1. 164 Hamilton Avenue: Request by Ryan Amaya of Kier & Wright on behalf of SPI 164 Hamilton, LP for a recommendation of approval for a Tentative Map to create six commercial condominium units within an existing office building. Environmental Assessment: Categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15301 (k) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. Zone District: CD-C(P). 2. California Avenue Streetscape Improvements (Phase I): Request by Public Works Engineering on behalf of the City of Palo Alto for California Avenue streetscape modifications from El Camino Real to the Caltrain Depot, focusing on tree replacement. The street improvement project involves various upgrades to the public right of way along California Avenue. The overall project includes replacement and addition of street trees, replacement of street benches, news racks, waste receptacles, replacement and addition of bicycle racks, crosswalk improvements and restriping of road and automobile parking spaces. An Initial Study and Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration have been prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements for Phase I of the project, the replacement and addition of street trees within the project area. The other components of the project as described above are Phase II and will undergo a separate environmental analysis when the details have been more fully developed. Other Items: 3. Comprehensive Plan Amendment: Discussion of Land Use and Community Design Chapter, Vision, Policies and Programs. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Special Meeting of October 14, 2009 NEXT MEETING: Special Meeting of November 4, 2009 at 6:00 PM Questions. Any questions regarding the above applications, please contact the Planning Department at (650) 329-2440. The files relating to these items are available for inspection weekdays between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This public meeting is televised live on Government Access Channel 26. ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations to access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn more about the City’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), please contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at 650.329.2550 (voice) or by e-mailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org. *** Curtis Williams, Planning Director

Maceo Parks will be crucial to Gunn’s offense on Friday against Monta Vista.

Jeff Dean

Approval of Final Recommendations of the Compost Blue Ribbon Task Force 3. Discussion of Federal Legislative Process and Preliminary Development of 2010 Federal Priorities 4. Colleagues Memo from Council Members Kishimoto, Schmid, and Espinosa Regarding Byxbee Park 5. Review of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Pilot Program at Palo Alto City Hall King Plaza and Recommendation for Continuation of the Program 6. Adoption of a Resolution Amending Green Building Standards for Compliance for Private Development Projects and Review of Report on Implementation of the City's Green Building Ordinance 7. PUBLIC HEARING: Adoption of Two Ordinances: (1) Repealing Chapter 16.17 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code and Amending Title 16 to Adopt a New Chapter 16.17, California Energy Code, 2008 Edition; and (2) Repealing Chapter 16.18 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code and Amending Title 16 to Adopt a New Chapter 16.18, Establishing Local Energy Efficiency Standards for Certain Buildings and Improvements Covered by the 2008 California Energy Code. 8. Approval of Extension of Destination Palo Alto Contract for 2009-10 9. Approval of Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. ________ with Axon Solutions, Inc. in the Amount of $ ______ for a Total Not to Exceed Amount of $ _______ for Software System Integration Services to Effect the Implementation of SAP Industry-Specific Solution for Utilities; and Adoption of a Budget Amendment Ordinance for FY 2009 to Increase Appropriations of $_______ to CIP TE-07006, SAP Continuous Improvement Project CLOSED SESSION THE FOLLOWING CLOSED SESSION WILL BE HELD WITH THE CITY LABOR NEGOTIATORS. 10. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS Agency Negotiator: City Manager and his designees pursuant to Merit System Rules and Regulations (James Keene, Kelly Morariu, Russ Carlsen, Sandra Blanch, Darrell Murray, Marcie Scott, Lalo Perez, Joe Saccio) Employee Organization: Local 521 Service Employees International UnionAuthority: Government Code Section 54957.6(a)

CITY OF PALO ALTO NOTICE OF CITY MANAGER’S PUBLIC HEARING CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY

Prep football (continued from page 41)

first downs in the first half. Gunn’s only score came in the final period when quarterback Anthony Cannon hit Dean for a 19-yard TD. Gunn will host Monta Vista on Friday in a SCVAL El Camino Division game on homecoming night at 7:30 p.m. In other games this weekend: Menlo School (0-1, 3-2) will host Half Moon Bay on Friday at 3:30 p.m., in the Knights’ homecoming game. Menlo lost its PAL Ocean Division opener last week despite a 350-yard passing performance by Danny Diekroeger. Sacred Heart Prep (0-1, 3-2) will visit Woodside on Friday at 7 p.m. The Gators are coming off a 49-42 loss to Terra Nova in a PAL Bay Division opener last week. Menlo-Atherton (0-5) will open its Bay Division season on Friday at favored King’s Academy at 7 p.m. The Bears had a bye last weekend. Pinewood (5-0) will play host to rival Crystal Springs on Friday at 3:30 p.m. in a Coast Athletic League eight-man game. The teams split games against each other last season, with Crystal winning the last meeting. Pinewood is coming off a big 50-6 thumping of Calvary Christian last week as Panthers’ QB Max Lippe threw for 203 yards and five touchdowns in addition to rushing for 69 yards. Also in the Coast Athletic League, The Priory (1-1) will visit Anchorpoint Christian on Saturday at 1 p.m.n

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Sports

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(continued from page 37)

David Gonzales/Stanford Photo

The Cardinal has not had a longer drought since an 18-year stretch ended with the 1971 Rose Bowl, when it took a conference title to advance. The current streak of seven straight losing seasons is the longest in Stanford history. “Losing stinks,” Luck said. “This is horrible.” Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh hopes to break the trend. “When you lose you try to figure out a way it doesn’t happen again,” Harbaugh said. “I felt like I went to the funeral of a close friend Saturday. A little piece of you is left in Corvallis. But then you move on with new life. Every week you have life again.” Stanford may have to play without senior defensive end Erik Lorig, who endured a groin injury during practice before the UCLA contest. He tried playing against the Bruins, but came out early in the game and hasn’t appeared since. He remains questionable. “When you lose a player like Erik everybody else on the team has to step up,” Harbaugh said. “They have to play better than they thought they could play. It’s like a quarterback going down; he’s a star player who went down.” Powers is one of those guys who has stepped it up. He has five tackles for a loss, including three sacks. That’s second to defensive end Thomas Keiser, who is in the midst of a sensational season. The redshirt sophomore has a team-high 8 1/2 tackles for a loss, including 5 1/2 sacks. He was named a freshman All-American last year with a team-leading six sacks. He also forced three fumbles. Keiser, Powers and the rest of the Stanford defense will be charged in trying to stop the Pac-10’s secondbest offense. The Wildcats average 421.8 yards a game, bettered only by USC’s 430.6. The game features the conference’s top two quarterbacks in terms of pass efficiency. Sophomore Nick Foles has an efficiency rating of 145.0. Luck is second with his 142.7. Stanford once again arrives at a crossroad. With four home contests remaining, things might be looking bright indeed, even with Arizona State, Oregon, California and Notre Dame on the home dance card. A win over the Wildcats would put Stanford in the driver’s seat for the rest of the year. A loss might shove the Cardinal into the background. NOTES: Game days for walkons Stanford coaches wanted to reward younger players with an opportunity to make the travel squads, so they created an environment that allows them to battle it out for those coveted final spots. Friday scrimmages pit the 30-40 players that have not locked up one of the 64 travel spots against each other. With as many as four spots on the line, the young players battle it out with the rest of the team watching. “In terms of player development, we wanted to do more to the younger guys,” coach Jim Harbaugh said.

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, on hoping to end seven years of losing: “When you lose you try to figure out a way it doesn’t happen again.” “The idea of Friday came about to reward the guys who play well. This is their game day.” Among those those who have won travel spots are freshmen walkons such as receivers Brad Busby and Menlo-Atherton High grad Sam Knapp, linebackers Brent Etiz and Brent Seals, offensive lineman Jacob Gowan and safety Myles

Muagututia. “The coaches tell us to treat these scrimmages like games, so we take them very seriously,” Knapp said. “It gave me some extra confidence knowing I can make the team. But it also makes you push yourself so you can become one of those guys who travels every week.”n

Harvest Carnival Duveneck Elementary School Oct 17, 12-3pm Come to this wonderful, annual event where families, friends, teachers, and staff have fun and celebrate our great school community! We gratefully acknowledge the support of our Just Parties sponsors – please see the list at www.duveneck.pausd.org/just_parties Special thanks to the Palo Alto Weekly for donating this space for community service

18th

Parents Nursery School

Carnival

A day of entertainment, games, prizes and fun for the whole family!

Sunday, October 18, 2009, 11 am-3:30 pm 2328 Louis Road, Palo Alto (between Oregon Expressway and Embarcadero Road)

Featuring: "Mr. Horsefeathers" – magician, juggler, and clown! Live Music Costumes are welcome! For more information, call (650) 856-1440.

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Stanford football

This space donated as a community service by the Palo Alto Weekly

WOULD YOU LIKE TO PARTICIPATE? The City of Palo Alto is now accepting applications for membership on the COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) CITIZEN’S ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CAC). Annually, the seven-member CAC makes recommendations regarding the expenditure of approximately $700,000 in Federal CDBG funds. Grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations to address a variety of local housing, homeless, human service, and community development needs. Additionally grants may be awarded for economic development for non-profit and for-profit subrecipients. Those who are, or who advocate for, persons of low and moderate income, persons with disabilities, members of minority groups, or the elderly are encouraged to apply. Members will be appointed by the Mayor to serve a twoyear term. Committee members must live or work in Palo Alto. The Citizen Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday or Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. during the months of January, February and March (if needed) with two or more additional meetings the rest of the year. For an application and/or further information, please contact: Kathy Marx 650/329-2428 phone; or kathy.marx@cityofpaloalto.org Applications are also available on the City’s website at www.cityofpaloalto.org/cdbg. APPLICATION DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 29, 2009 AT 5:00 P.M. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. Persons with disabilities who require auxiliary aids or services in using City facilities, services or programs, or who would like information on the City’s compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact: (650) 329-2550 (voice), ada@cityofpaloalto.org. Sign language interpreters will be provided upon request with 72 hours in advance notice.

Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2009 • Page 45

Sports City of Palo Alto

Water polo

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

(continued from page 37)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration has been prepared by the Palo Alto Department of Planning and Community Environment for the project listed below. This document will be available for review and comment during a minimum 20-day inspection period beginning October 21, 2009 through November 9, 2009 during the hours of 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Development Center, 285 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. This project is tentatively scheduled for consideration by the City Council at a public hearing on Monday, November 16, 2009 at 7:00 P.M. in the Palo Alto City Council Chambers on the first floor of the Civic Center, located at 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California.

Keith Peters

California Avenue Streetscape Improvements (Phase I): The street improvement project involves various upgrades to the public right of way along California Avenue (100-400 blocks). The overall project includes replacement and addition of street trees, replacement of street benches, news racks, waste receptacles, replacement and addition of bicycle racks, crosswalk improvements and restriping of road and automobile parking spaces. The environmental review will focus on Phase I of the project, the replacement and addition of street trees within the project area. The other components of the project as described above, Phase II, will undergo a separate environmental analysis when the details have been more fully developed.

Menlo-Atherton’s Eric Wright fires a shot past Menlo’s John Holland9UBC7519RTL_Priority_PAW_3.875x8.0625_BW.indd McCowan during the Bears’ tough 8-7 loss on Wednesday. Pub: Palo Alto Weekly / Run Date: 10-16-09 / Size: 3.875x8.0625 / BW

Curtis Williams, Director of Planning and Community Environment In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, listening assistive devices are available in the Council Chambers and Council Conference Room. Sign language interpreters will be provided upon request with 72 hours advance notice.

CALIFORNIA AVENUE STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS PUBLIC MEETING The City of Palo Alto is holding a follow up public meeting to gather input on tree selections for California Avenue. Thursday, October 22, 2009 6:30 p.m. Escondido School Auditorium 890 Escondido Road Stanford, CA 94305 Tree replacement is part of the comprehensive Streetscape Improvements Project planned for California Avenue from El Camino Real to the Caltrain Station. The overall project includes replacement of street trees, furnishings, bike racks, news racks, repaving, new curb ramps, restriping for accessibility parking, enhanced crosswalks and proposed lane modifications. City staff will discuss the proposed project and present concept planting plans based on the input gathered at the October 8, 2009, meeting. Public preferences and comments are sought for the project. For more information, call (650) 617-3127 or visit the project web site at at www.cityofpaloalto.org/calave Page 46 • October 16, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

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Menlo-Atherton, which battled back from a 5-2 deficit in the third quarter, got three goals in that period from 6-foot-9 senior Jed Springer. His third goal of the period was a five-meter penalty shot that brought the Bears to within 6-5. After teammate Andrew Higgitt tied the match at 6 with 5:48 left in the fourth quarter, Springer put the Bears on top with his fourth goal at the 4:40 mark. At that point, Bowen had little to say to his players. “We have a system we’ve been working on since last September,” he said. “I believe in it; the guys believe in it. We had the right game plan. At that point, there was very little to change.” So the Knights went right back to what has been successful for them — scoring goals, playing pressure defense and getting opponents into foul trouble. Menlo took advantage of the first of two 6-on-5 situations when senior Jack Foley scored with 3:42 left to tie the match at 7. With just 58 seconds to play, Springer was called for a second personal foul and Menlo had another man advantage. Senior Luke Carrino, playing a position in the 6-on-5 offense for the first time this season, took a pass from sophomore Nick Hale and found the back of the net with 38.9 seconds to play for an 8-7 Menlo lead. Menlo’s swarming defense clamped down after that to secure the victory. Carrino finished with three goals to pace Menlo, which wrapped up the No. 1 seed for the postseason PAL Tournament. Menlo junior goalie Keegan Williams had a sensational game with 14 blocks, one a point-blank attempt by Springer in the second quarter. Had Springer made it, the game would have been tied at 3. Instead, Menlo came down and scored when Akin tipped in a pass for a 4-2 lead. Williams then came up with two more blocks to end the first half. Springer scored three times in the third quarter to make it a 6-5 game and then got his final goal to put his team ahead in the fourth. Other than getting bombarded by Springer, Williams was solid in the cage. “He blocked every shot he was supposed to block and he made two really outstanding saves,” Bowen said of Williams. “It’s really nice to have a goalie behind our defense like that.” Menlo and Menlo-Atherton likely will meet for a fourth time this season (M-A beat Menlo in the CCS-NCS Challenge last month) in the PAL Tournament championship match, set for Nov. 7 in the Bears’ pool. Should the Knights win that one, it will be their 14th straight PAL title and their 16th in the past 17 years. In the SCVAL De Anza Division on Wednesday: Gunn overcame a five-goal deficit heading into the fourth quarter (continued on next page)

Sports

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Menlo-Athertonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jed Springer (right) scored four goals but had this point-blank shot blocked by Menlo goalie Keegan Williams during the Bearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 8-7 loss to the Knights in a key PAL Bay Division match.

Water polo

(continued from previous page)

and pulled off a remarkable 16-12 victory in overtime against host Mountain View. The Titans (7-1, 12-3) rallied to tie the match at 11 on a goal by senior Alex Berenfeld at the end of regulation before outscoring the Spartans in the two extra periods, 5-1, to secure the important triumph. Girls Menlo-Atherton remained a game in front of Castilleja in the PAL Bay Division with a 12-3 victory at Menlo on Wednesday. The Bears improved to 9-0 in league (16-1 overall) while the Knights fell to 3-5 (5-10). Senior Becca Dorst, the reigning Central Coast Section Division I Player of the Year, scored four goals to lead M-A. Claire Sutton, Heather Bogott and Vanessa Lane all added two goals. Hailey Smith, Morgan Cundiff and Nikki Wemple scored for Menlo. Castilleja (8-1, 10-5) kept pace with the Bears with a 16-5 victory over host Sequoia. Junior Natasha von Kaeppler led the Gators with six goals while senior Katie Eulau continued her recent offensive awakening with four goals. In the SCVAL De Anza Division, Palo Alto (6-2,13-7) won its fourth straight league game and its seventh in the past eight outings with a 9-6 victory over host Homestead on Wednesday. Shameen Jamil and Haley Conner, both juniors, each scored three goals to pace the Vikings.n

Keith Peters

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FREE FREESEMINAR SEMINAR Joelle Osias, M.D. Adjunct Clinical Educator Former Adjunct Clinical Instructor Stanford University

Thursday, October 5:30-7:30pm Thursday, October22 22 from from 5:30-7:30pm R.S.V.P. 650-843-0600 R.S.V.P. 650-843-0600

Upcoming Topic: Topic: Upcoming Osteoporosis and Hormones Osteoporosis andBio-identical Bio-identical Hormones November 19thth November 19

Silicon Valley Restaurant Week Visit SiliconValleyRestaurantWeek.com for participating restaurants

ummc University Mission Medical Clinic

744 San Antonio Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 (650) 843-0600