Palo Alto Weekly 02.11.2011 - section 1

Palo Alto

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Zumot guilty: first-degree murder Page 3

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End of the line for Caltrain?

Budget cuts threaten transit viability page 15

Spectrum 12

Movies 30

Eating Out 34 N Sports

Puzzles 60

Wrestlers pinning down honors N Arts West Bay Opera premieres epic ‘Turandot’ N Home Camellias: Providing a sea of color

Page 20 Page 27 Page 37

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital 20th Anniversary

LECTU R E S E R I ES It’s Time to Talk About It:

Eating Disorders and the Athlete Dispelling the Myths and Finding the Facts February 24, 2011 at 7pm Our panel of experts from the comprehensive eating disorders program will discuss how to know when too much exercise is unhealthy and identifying young athletes at risk for eating disorders.

Panel Experts: James Lock, MD, PhD; Hans Steiner, MD; Neville Golden, MD; Jennifer Carlson, MD

This free lecture will be held in the Freidenrich Auditorium at Packard Children’s Hospital.

Pre-registration is required. Reserve your space online at calendar.lpch.org or call (650) 724-3783.

For additional 20th Anniversary Lecture Series offerings, visit anniversary.lpch.org

The people depicted in this brochure are models and are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Upfront

1ST PLACE

BEST LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE California Newspaper Publishers Association

Local news, information and analysis

GUILTY: Palo Alto man convicted of 2009 murder Jury finds Bulos ‘Paul’ Zumot, 37, guilty of first-degree murder of Jennifer Schipsi, 29

by Gennady Sheyner

B

ulos “Paul” Zumot, 37, the Palo Alto hookah lounge owner who was charged with the Oct. 15, 2009, death of his girlfriend, realestate agent Jennifer Schipsi, was found guilty of first-degree murder Thursday afternoon in a San Jose courtroom.

Zumot was also convicted of arson, stemming from the Oct. 15 fire at the Addison Avenue cottage the couple shared. Schipsi’s body was found inside the cottage.

The four-man and eight-woman jury took less than 14 hours to return the verdict following a trial that began Jan. 3 and included three days of testimony from Zumot in his own defense.

Minutes after the verdict was read, the victim’s father, Jim Schipsi, thanked the Palo Alto police detectives who investigated the case and the prosecuting attorneys.

“At last, the person responsible will pay for his crime,” he said.

“Now I can go on living my life with my two children, doing what Jennifer wanted, which was for us to be happy,” he said.

When he heard the verdict, he said, it released the tensions and the emotions the family’s had since day one.

Jennifer Schipsi’s grandmother, Peggy Schipsi, said the outcome was never in doubt in her mind. Nonetheless, she said she prayed a little longer than usual Wednesday night.

It felt wonderful to hear the verdict,

she said: “Sad but wonderful. Justice has been done.”

Members of Zumot’s family declined to speak to reporters, but defense attorney Mark Geragos pledged outside the courtroom that he and his client would not accept the guilty verdict.

“It’s a difficult time. The client is bewildered and so am I, but the jury was diligent. We’ll be filing a motion for a new trial, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll appeal,” Geragos said.

The prosecution, led by Deputy District Attorney Charles Gillingham, painted a picture of a man who had a history of domestic abuse and killed his girlfriend following an argument on his birthday.

“This is no longer a whodunit — it never was,” Gillingham said early in his closing argument on Tuesday, before going on to summarize the evidence from cell phones, witnesses and surveillance videos that the jury saw. (continued on page 5)

BUSINESS

Go-ahead for new Apple store Structure ‘reinforces retail core’ in downtown, anchors Florence Street

by Carol Blitzer

P

Veronica Weber

One year after a plane crashed into her house in East Palo Alto, Lisa Jones is still unable to repair the home and restore her daycare business while she awaits financial assistance.

COMMUNITY

East Palo Alto plane crash: one year later Residents of Beech Street neighborhood still wait for healing

by Sue Dremann inkie Hudleton looked sky“I’m telling you, every time I ward, toward the sound of a hear those planes fly over, I say, small plane flying over her ‘Oh God, please don’t let it come Beech Street home in East Palo down on me,’” she said.

Alto. Her eyes tracked the aircraft Feb. 17 will be the first annicautiously from the front porch of versary of when a twin-engine her well-tended home.

Cessna 310R did plummet from Hudleton’s breathing grew tense the sky above Hudleton’s home, as the plane came closer, its en- killing three Tesla employees on gines growling. board: pilot Douglas Bourn, 56,

P

and passengers Brian Finn, 42, and Andrew Ingram, 31.

Five homes were damaged, including Hudleton’s, along with several vehicles.

A year later, a few charred stains from the fire mark where the plane had skidded and burned. Hudleton’s carport has long since been repaired and the damaged vehicles have been towed away, replaced or repaired. But the emotional impact has lingered in the neighborhood of quiet, neat homes.

“Money is good — we all need money,” Hudleton said Tuesday afternoon. “But even if they gave me a million dollars, I still wouldn’t forget that plane coming through here that morning.”

Her voice dropped to barely a whisper, her eyes looked far away.

“I haven’t forgotten it. I haven’t forgotten,” she said.

Last week, as residents greeted each other in the street, they talked about the crash’s upcoming anniversary, Hudleton said. Checking in with each other by e-mail, they trade news about who has successfully received compensation for the damage and who still has not.

Talking about the crash has mostly receded from daily conversation, but the healing is still incomplete. A knot forms in the pit of the stomach and heartbeats quicken, every time a plane gets a little too close or an engine sounds a bit too rough, residents said.

In the middle of the block, Lisa Jones’ home at 1225 Beech remains a constant reminder of that (continued on page 6)

lans for Apple’s new glassfronted and topped retail store in downtown Palo Alto edged closer to final approval this week, as Curtis Williams, Palo Alto’s planning director, was scheduled to give the plan one last review.

The city’s Architectural Review Board gave its stamp of approval to the modern design at 340 University Ave., the former Z Gallerie, on Jan. 20, with only a minor tweak.

The two-story, 16,600-squarefoot building, which would replace the current structure that is deemed seismically unsafe, could be open for business in early 2012. The new design features ground-floor retail plus storage and office areas, with a second floor at the rear of the building and a basement.

The store will be located a few blocks away from Apple’s current retail space at 451 University Ave. An earlier project was approved in 2009 that would have retained the existing building but added a new facade and roof and improved the interior spaces. But structural analysis disclosed “evidence of hollow clay tile” walls and substandard concrete support columns, according to a staff report. The report noted that the city’s building division recommended demolition and reconstruction to meet current codes.

The new building will feature clear glass panels, framed by stonepaneled vertical columns, under a glass entry canopy, with 10-foot(continued on page 7)

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Upfront 450 CAMBRIDGE AVE, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jocelyn Dong, 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 Dale Bentson, Colin Becht, Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Chad Jones, Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Jeanie K. Smith, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Contributors Sarah Trauben, Zohra Ashpari Editorial Interns DESIGN Shannon Corey, Design Director Raul Perez, Assistant Design Director Linda Atilano, Diane Haas, Scott Peterson, Paul Llewellyn, Senior Designers Gary Vennarucci, Designer PRODUCTION Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager Dorothy Hassett, Samantha Mejia, Blanca Yoc, Sales & Production Coordinators

www.renewforhome COM s #A ,IC -EMBER OF THE 0ALO !LTO #HAMBER OF #OMMERCE

ADVERTISING Walter Kupiec, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Judie Block, Esmeralda Flores, Janice Hoogner, Gary Whitman, Display Advertising Sales Neil Fine, Rosemary Lewkowitz, Real Estate Advertising Sales David Cirner, Irene Schwartz, Inside Advertising Sales Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst.

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EXPRESS, ONLINE AND VIDEO SERVICES Rachel Palmer, Online Operations Coordinator Rachel Hatch, Multimedia Product Manager BUSINESS Penelope Ng, Payroll & Benefits Manager Elena Dineva, Mary McDonald, Susie Ochoa, Doris Taylor, Business Associates ADMINISTRATION Amy Renalds, Assistant to the Publisher & Promotions Director Janice Covolo, Receptionist Ruben Espinoza, Courier EMBARCADERO MEDIA 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, Circulation Assistants Chris Planessi, Chip Poedjosoedarmo, Computer System Associates The Palo Alto Weekly (ISSN 0199-1159) is published every Friday by Embarcadero Media, 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306, (650) 3268210. 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.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

‘‘

‘‘

Heating Bills Through the Roof?

I haven’t forgotten it. I haven’t forgotten. — Pinkie Hudleton, a resident of the East Palo Alto neighborhood where a plane crashed one year ago, killing three Tesla employees. See story on page 3.

Around Town FOR THE BIRDS ... When Palo Alto’s landfill finally reaches its garbage capacity this summer, there will be plenty of witnesses to mark the occasion — most of them with long wings and tiny legs. That’s because seagulls love garbage, and in the past few months, there’s been trash galore flowing into the landfill at Byxbee Park. The City Council recently approved the “fast fill� option for the landfill in hopes of getting the facility filled by the middle of the year and capped next year. Once that happens, the site would revert to parkland as planned. The option entails tossing more residential trash into the local landfill rather than hauling it to the SMaRT Station in Sunnyvale — the city’s traditional method of disposal. Palo Alto has also recently resumed acceptance of commercial waste at the landfill (a practice it temporarily suspended last year) to make the “fast fill� even faster.

Mike Sartor, the city’s acting public-works director, said the influx of residential garbage is the main reasons seagulls are flying to the landfill in such great numbers. So far, their presence has not caused any problems, he said. They are too far from the more pristine sections of the Palo Alto Baylands to threaten or disturb any of the city’s endangered species. And while these birds like to hang out at the landfill, they haven’t hindered the work of landfill staff in any way. Sartor said he doesn’t expect these visitors to stay at the landfill for too much longer. “Once we’re done filling, hopefully by the end of the summer, they’ll presumably go away,� he said.

PARTING WITH PANDA ... The word “panda� comes with plenty of baggage. Some think of Chinese food that’s not quite Chinese, others envision San Francisco Giants baby-faced slugger Pablo Sandoval, who adopted the animal as his nickname.

Still others think of dramatic births at major zoos. But few outside Palo Alto link the image of the black-and-white bamboochewing bear to emergency

preparedness. To the city’s emergency-preparedness leaders, that’s a problem. The panda has long served as the emblem for the Palo Alto Neighborhood Disaster Activity (you guessed it, PANDA) — a program that offers residents free courses on disaster-management and preparedness. PANDA has long been following the curriculum of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) — a national program with guidelines for emergency training. This month, Palo Alto officials have finalized their decision to officially drop the name PANDA and rename the program the Palo Alto CERT. Paul Lufkin, the coordinator of the program, said the members like the panda emblems and all the panda-related merchandise they have given away to volunteers and community members over the years.

But the name also caused a slight problem. “It’s gotten in the way a little of people taking the program seriously, which is kind of an issue,� Lufkin said. “We are backing up paid professionals in a disaster when there are too many things for them to take care of — that’s how we want to be seen in their eyes and in the people’s eyes.� He said some members of the organization had initially resisted dropping PANDA but after further discussion they agreed to change the name. “We’ve gone ahead with it,� Lufkin said. “Everyone who had remorse about PANDA has come on board.�

A GIANT PRIZE ... Palo Alto’s baseball fans will have a chance to get a close look at the sport’s grandest prize on Feb. 15, when the World Series Trophy makes its way to downtown Palo Alto.

The San Francisco Giants won the coveted trophy in November when the team defeated the Texas Rangers in five games.

The trophy will be displayed at Lytton Plaza, at the intersection of University Avenue and Emerson Street, between 4 and 6 p.m. Fans will have a chance to view the World Series trophy and to have their photos taken with it. N

Upfront

Public Agenda

A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week CITY COUNCIL ... The council plans to hold a closed session on the recruitment process for the city attorney; hear a presentation from the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation; and vote on a plan to reduce lanes on California Avenue as part of a grant-funded streetscape project. The closed session is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 14. Regular meeting will follow in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

COMMUNITY

Tall Tree Award honorees announced Local citizens, organizations selected for community contributions

by Karla Kane

D

owntown retailer University Art, nonprofit organization Youth Community Service, local developer Jim Baer, and father/daughter duo William Alhouse and Jane Alhouse Gee are this year’s Tall Tree Award winners, the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce announced Thursday at a reception at the Garden Court Hotel.

The awards, which recognize community service and civic contribution in four categories, are cosponsored by the Palo Alto Cham-

Guilty

(continued from page 3)

ma, a person against whom Schipsi and Zumot had both filed a restra ining order shortly before the fire, and for not following up on a statement made Jennifer Schipsi

by Zumot’s landlord, John Eckland, who testified that he saw a dirty white sedan parked close to the house on the day of the fire. “ T h e y Bulos Zumot didn’t show you any evidence linking Bulos to the crime,�

Geragos told the jury.

During Zumot’s time on the witness stand, he testified that he and Schipsi had completely reconciled on Oct. 15 and “everything was fine.� He said he became extremely concerned about Schipsi when he learned the house was on fire. But Gillingham pointed to phone records showing that when Zumot arrived at the scene of the fire, he made dozens of phone calls over a two-hour stretch, but only two to Schipsi.

He also didn’t send her any text messages that evening — behavior that Gillingham argued was unusual for a man who on a typical day would

The business also provides prizes for local contests, such as the Palo Alto Weekly’s annual photo contest and other art shows and competitions. Owner Cornelia Pendleton is the daughter and niece of the store’s co-founders. “Cornelia has been a passionate and tireless fundraiser for our programs and for our renovation project,� Palo Alto Art Center Director Karen Kienzle wrote.

HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD ... The board plans to discuss 300 Homer Ave., a proposal to rehabilitate the Roth Building. The meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

CITY-SCHOOL LIAISON COMMITTEE ... The committee will discuss school demographic and enrollment forecasts, teen mental health and the Stanford University Medical Center expansion project. The meeting is scheduled for 8:15 a.m. in Conference Room A of school district headquarters (25 Churchill Ave.).

(continued on page 10)

ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD ... The board plans to discuss a proposal by Stanford University Medical Center to build a new Stanford Hospital & Clinics building at 300 Pasteur Drive. The new building would feature 1.1 million square feet of floor space; 600 beds; new operating, diagnostic and treatment suites; and a parking facility with 970 spaces. The meeting is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

Gennady Sheyner

Gillingham said Zumot, former owner of Da Hookah Spot in downtown Palo Alto, was the only person who had the motive, the opportunity and the desire to kill Schipsi, 29. He pointed to their two-year history of domestic disputes — disputes that led both Zumot and Schipsi to file police complaints against one another. He also emphasized the long strings of insulting text messages Schipsi sent Zumot early in the morning of Oct. 15 — messages in which she threatened to go to the police if he didn’t pay her the money she claimed he owed her.

Gillingham argued that Zumot strangled Schipsi that day and later dowsed the house with gasoline and turned on the burner on the stove in hopes of causing an explosion that would hide his crime. There were no signs of a forced entry into the home nor of a burglary, Gillingham said, and no one disputed the coroner’s finding that Schipsi was murdered before the fire occurred.

Gillingham told the jury that Zumot was with Schipsi all day and had “absolutely no alibi� for Oct. 15. No one who could vouch that they saw Zumot until that evening, he said.

During his closing argument, Geragos had dismissed the prosecution’s evidence as “a lot of nonsense� that the prosecution put in front of the jury “in the guise of evidence.�

He told the jury that the prosecution’s theory about Zumot taking Schipsi’s phone and traveling with both phones on the day of the fire didn’t stand up to evidence.

Geragos also pointed to a lab report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which examined Zumot’s clothing and did not find any evidence of accelerant on his sweatshirt, pants or socks. This finding contrasted with that of Rosie, an accelerant-sniffing dog used by arson investigators after the fire.

Geragos recalled testimony from a Palo Alto police officer who testified that Zumot did not have any scratch marks or bruises on Oct. 15, 2009.

The fact that there “wasn’t a single mark� on Zumot suggests that he did not get into a fight with Schipsi that day, Geragos argued.

He also criticized Palo Alto police for not investigating Hisham Ghan-

ber of Commerce and the Palo Alto Weekly.

This year’s honoree in the business category, University Art, has been selling art supplies and gifts in Palo Alto since 1948. The Hamilton Avenue store has supported the Palo Alto Art Center and its assorted programs, including Project Look! and Cultural Kaleidoscope, both of which introduce local children to the world of art, noted 2009 Tall Tree Award winner Carolyn Tucher in her nomination letter.

POLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE ... The committee plans to discuss council procedures and protocols and the challenges of working with a smaller city staff. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

Relatives of murder victim Jennifer Schipsi — (from left) father Jim Schipsi, aunt Dee Towner and grandmother Peggy Schipsi — react to the conviction of Bulos Zumot Thursday (Feb. 10) outside the Hall of Justice in San Jose. exchange dozens if not hundreds of texts. During his closing argument to the jury, Gillingham recalled Zumot’s lack of texts to Schipsi on the evening of the fire. “His silence is damning. His silence is deafening,� Gillingham told the jury during closing arguments. “His silence yells louder than anything he could’ve said at the witness stand: ‘I murdered Jennifer.’�

Roy Endemann, Schipsi’s best friend, cried outside of the courtroom after the verdict. “I’m glad he’s guilty, but it’s sad for me to close this chapter in my life,� he said. “It definitely makes things better for me, but it’s very hard to hear from the jury, the judge, that your best friend had been killed.� N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@paweekly. com

RAIL CORRIDOR STUDY TASK FORCE ... The task force plans to discuss the community’s vision for the Caltrain corridor. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in the Lucie Stern Community Room (1305 Middlefield Road).

PUBLIC ART COMMISSION ... The commission plans to discuss acceptance of a donation from the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation and hear a presentation from the city manager’s office on the “Way Finding Project.� The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

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A round-up of

Palo Alto government action this week

Commission: The council appointed Leonardo Hochberg, Mary Beth Train and Eileen Landauer to the Library Advisory Commission.

Fire study: The council discussed the Fire Department Services, Resources & Utilization Study, which recommends regionalizing fire-training services, merging two fire stations and eliminating the Fire Department’s minimum-staffing requirement.

Action: None

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City Council (Feb. 8)

City attorney: The council held a closed session to discuss the hiring of a new city attorney. Action: None

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Upfront

News Digest

Plane crash

Palo Alto council lauds proposed fire changes

day’s tragedy, neighbors said.

Jones’ home, where Eppie’s Day Care Center was located, is still boarded up. Black plastic covering a hole in the roof flaps in the wind and the city’s weathered condemnation notice is peeling near the door.

“One of our members still feels very wounded,” said Heather Starnes, who witnessed the crash and explosions from her front yard.

“There’s no closure for any of us.

You can’t, when one of us is still suffering.”

While other residents have been able to move forward with their lives, Jones has not. Church and community leaders have donated money to an account that helps Jones with day-to-day expenses, neighbors said, but her home, which sustained structural damage, has not been repaired due to bureaucratic snafus, Jones said.

Help has come in small but meaningful ways from neighbors and friends. Starnes has taken one of Jones’ daughters into her home.

Monty Mouton, an East Palo Alto landscaper, has dutifully kept up Jones’ vacant property, fertilizing, watering and mowing the lawn, raking leaves and pruning the rose bushes.

Jones’ claim against Bourn’s estate is wending its way through the courts, as are claims of several other residents, according to Santa Clara County Superior Court papers.

But Jones remains homeless and jobless, having lost her livelihood of 17 years. Nearly every day since, she has driven from her friend’s home in Foster City where she is staying to the Beech Street house.

On weekdays, she takes her daughter to school and then parks her sta-

Palo Alto City Council members Monday night praised a report by outside consultants that recommends sweeping changes to the city’s fire department.

While noting that some of the recommendations — such as merging two fire stations — are controversial and will require further analysis and discussion, council members appeared anxious to adopt smaller reforms as quickly as possible.

City Manager James Keene said he would return to the council in “roughly a month with an action plan and a potential implementation schedule of the recommendations, some of which can be done immediately.”

The 190-page report blasted the fire department for a “leadership malaise” and outmoded practices, while acknowledging that it provides a high quality of service to Palo Alto residents.

In particular, there is an absence of relevant data for decision-making and excessive reliance on overtime, said Thomas Wieczorek, director of ICMA Center for Public Safety Excellence of Washington, D.C. Wieczorek presented his recommendations along with Stephen Brezler of TriData Division of System Planning Corp., which co-authored the report.

“Training for captains is poor, expectations for officer performance is low ... and planning is mostly non-existent,” Wieczorek said.

“You’ve become just kind of an OK department — not dynamic,” he said.

Although most of the department’s activity now comprises emergency medical services (EMS), 75 percent of its effort is still directed at fire suppression, the consultants said.

Between 2000 and 2009, the number of total incidents increased 19 percent, from 6,207 to 7,366, while EMS calls grew by 48 percent, from 2,742 to 4,070, they said.

Firefighters’ Union President Tony Spitaleri told the council he thinks many of the 48 recommendations in the report are attainable and that they “move in the right direction,” adding the union also “might have some disagreements.”

Assistant City Manager Pamela Antil said city staff members will meet again with firefighters before sorting the consultants’ recommendations into three buckets: those already being implemented; those requiring union negotiations; and those calling for further discussion or possibly a “blue ribbon” commission. N — Chris Kenrick

Palo Alto resident with webcam warns of intruder A tech-savvy homeowner on Tennyson Avenue in Palo Alto used a webcam to record footage of a suspicious man taking pictures of his house and apparently trying to open his front door last Friday morning (Feb. 4).

The morning incident surprised the resident, who said in an e-mail he was not at home at the time but accessed the webcam remotely. He reported the situation at 10 a.m. to Palo Alto police and e-mailed a warning to neighborhood leaders.

“I saw him, after standing there for a few minutes, nervously looking in the house and around the front yard, reach for our front door handle to see if he could open it,” the resident stated in the e-mail to neighbors.

The resident, who said the man seemed to be “casing the joint,” attached several still images from the video footage to the e-mail, which spread like wildfire throughout the city via neighborhood e-mail lists.

A few people reported receiving the e-mail third- or fourth-hand.

Police are reviewing the video footage but the initial police report had no mention of the resident’s suspicion that the man was trying to enter the house, Palo Alto police Agent Rich Bullerjahn said.

The unknown man was described as Hispanic and in his 30s, 5 feet 8 inches tall, approximately 160 pounds, with dark hair and a goatee. He was wearing a tan puffy jacket. N — Sarah Trauben

Faith groups unite for ‘youth well-being’ meeting Palo Alto school board President Melissa Baten Caswell and Superintendent Kevin Skelly will discuss youth health and well-being Sunday (Feb. 13) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in a public meeting at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

“Stand Up For Our Youth” is the theme of the gathering, organized by the St. Mark’s Advocates for Youth Committee as well as at least eight other local congregations and Peninsula Interfaith Action, a regional faith coalition.

The meeting will be the second such event organized by the St. Mark’s group, which convened in October 2009 following a series of student suicides.

The St. Mark’s group has pushed the school district to ensure that every student — especially the shyest — has a sense of connection at school.

The committee has said it hopes to use the meeting to review progress the school district has made toward implementing steps to improve “connectedness” among students. The district’s Student Services Coordinator Amy Drolette will also attend.

Child care and Spanish interpretation will be provided at the meeting.

For more information, call Greg Smitherman at 650-321-2266. N — Chris Kenrick Page 6ÊUÊ iLÀÕ>ÀÞÊ££]ÊÓ䣣ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

(continued from page 3)

WATCH IT ONLINE

www.PaloAltoOnline.com A multimedia presentation will be posted on Palo Alto Online next week, in conjunction with the anniversary of the plane crash.

tion wagon in front of her damaged home. From morning until afternoon, she stays in front of the house “to keep an eye on it,” she said.

“I don’t want to lose all sense of my community. It’s still my block.

I just wanted to have a sense of belonging,” Jones said Tuesday. A 15-seat van parked in the driveway used to take the children on day trips, she recalled. “It’s my closet now,” she said.

Jones gave a tour of the backyard where the plane struck her home. Most of the rubble has been removed, but charred debris is still visible. Colorful children’s playground equipment still stands; a yellow evidence flag still pokes up out of the ground beneath the domed jungle gym.

“Look at those little chairs.

They’re all rusty now,” she said, observing a jumble of tiny seats once inhabited by preschoolers.

When the plane hit, Jones’ two daughters were asleep in their bedrooms; Jones was in the shower.

“The flames were in our faces,” she recalled.

Back on the street, planes droned overhead, taking off from Palo Alto Airport’s runway. The aircrafts’ Tshaped forms appeared above the baylands — like white cemetery crosses pinned against the blue sky, in the eyes of some.

Soaring toward Beech Street, from Jones’ vantage point, they seemed headed directly toward the power lines that had snagged Bourn’s plane. But at the last moment, the planes banked right, turning away from the neighborhood

and the hazardous power lines, over San Francisco Bay. “When you see it go over, you say, ‘Lord, thank you.’ Your nerves get jittery. You’re ready to run and you don’t know where you’re running to,” she said, adding that she and her daughters are in therapy. She misses the photographs she used to keep of the day care’s children, of kids on play swings and on field trips and bicycles — and down at the baylands, where they waved at the planes, she said.

Residents thought they’d have had a celebration by now, a party to rejoice their healing and a memorial for the three men, Irene Silva, Jones’ immediate neighbor to the south, said.

But that won’t happen until Jones is back in her home, Silva and Starnes said.

“This is my memorial,” Silva said, gesturing toward Jones’ burned home, located just 20 feet away.

“It’s February already, the month of the big accident. That our neighbor is still not back in her home and the kids are gone, that’s the part that really hurts,” she said.

Silva was opening her driveway gate when she saw the plane fly over her house and explode in flames into Jones’ home.

“Every time there’s a rumble of a plane you just look up to make sure it isn’t coming down,” she said.

“I say, ‘Lord, don’t let me be a witness of anything that drastic anymore.’”

Starnes remains hopeful that the celebration residents long for will happen.

“There’s a great reggae band, and we wanted to invite the fire department and the police. Maybe we should do it — as a fundraiser for Lisa,” she said. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be e-mailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.

What’s happened since the accident Questions, lawsuits remain after Cessna 310 crash last Feb. 17

A

year after the Feb. 17, 2010, plane crash in East Palo Alto that took three lives, much has been repaired, but much still remains unresolved, including the cause of the crash. Here is an update on the people and places impacted by the accident: s 4HE TWIN ENGINE #ESSNA 2 disabled both of the City of Palo Alto’s electrical power conduits, blacking out all of Palo Alto and hampering communications for hours. City leaders have since invested $300,000 in a mobile-command unit, which has its own dispatch capabilities for emergencies.

To avoid possible future blackouts, the city is negotiating with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and is exploring an existing western feed line through Stanford Linear Accelerator. s 0AUL AND "ARBARA )NGRAM CRASH victim Andrew Ingram’s parents, filed suit in San Mateo County Superior Court against pilot Douglas Bourn’s estate and his company, Air Unique, Inc., on Aug. 17, 2010, for unspecified damages. Their attorney, Ara Jabachourian, said the case is moving forward. s 6ICTIM "RIAN &INN S WIFE

Sherina Yuk Chan, and his young child, Erin Silei Finn, filed suit in San Mateo County Superior Court against Bourn’s estate and his company on Jan. 10, 2011. Mother and child now reside in Hong Kong, according to court documents. s 4HE 0ALO !LTO !IRPORT !SSOCIAtion, in conjunction with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, held a seminar at Cubberley Auditorium on Sept. 20, 2010, to discuss safety operating procedures and the risks associated with low-visibility departures. The association regularly tells members to reduce power and maintain an altitude of 1,500 feet if possible above all areas in the vicinity of the airport, according to Ralph Britton, the airport association’s president. s 4HE AIRPORT ASSOCIATION ESTABlished a fund to assist people affected by the crash. It purchased and delivered a truck to replace the uninsured one belonging to the Ramirez family on Beech Street that was destroyed, and the group covered insurance for the initial period, Britton said. Dave Hengehold of Hengehold Truck Rental in Palo Alto aided the association in finding an appropriate vehicle.

s 0INKIE AND %RVIN (UDLETON

whose carport was destroyed, received insurance compensation and rebuilt the structure. A car that was damaged has been repaired, she said. s 2AFAEL #ORTES WHOSE HOME WAS damaged by the fire and explosion, said insurance has covered much of the cost for repairing the home, but there have been out-of-pocket costs. His brother’s vehicle, which was destroyed in their driveway, still has not been compensated for, he said. s ,ISA *ONES WHOSE HOME AND day care center was structurally damaged, remains homeless and jobless. She and residents of her home filed claims against Douglas Bourn’s estate on Sept. 2, 2010. s $EMETRA 3COBY WHOSE GARAGE was damaged by the aircraft’s motor, has repaired the damage. She filed a claim against Bourn’s estate on Sept. 2, 2010. s 4HE .ATIONAL 4RANSPORTATION Safety Board (NTSB) is still investigating the cause of the plane crash. No final report has been issued. N — Sue Dremann

Upfront

Apple store (continued from page 3)

tall entry doors. The slightly curved roof would be made of insulated glass panels supported by a painted steel truss system, the report noted.

“The new glass facade and roof creates an inviting day-lit interior that is designed to dissolve the boundary between exterior and interior to connect the activity on the street and within the store,” according to Apple’s architectural firm, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

“The goal is to create a total experience where distracting elements have been edited out of the visual field,” Bohlin Cywinski Jackson’s letter to the Architectural Review Board said.

The overall structure would be slightly smaller than the old building.

With its ground-floor retail space, the new building meets the key requirement of the University Avenue district. The report also pointed to the design’s contribution to “an exciting outdoor and pedestrian environment, including vibrant and eclectic architecture.”

The report noted that “the intent of the glass material is to create a more open look and feel to the facade,” making it consistent with the Downtown Urban Design Guide.

“There didn’t seem to be any significant objections to the project,” said Steven Turner, advance-planning manager for the city, of the review board’s deliberations.

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The design for the new Apple store at 340 University Ave. in Palo Alto offers a curved glass roofline and entry through 10-foot glass doors.

The new structure replaces the seismically challenged former home of Z Gallerie, below, originally Liddicoat’s Market back in the 1920s.

The only adjustment required is to expand a recessed area in the storefront from 57 square feet to 75 square feet.

In addition, bicycle racks, newspaper racks and a trash receptacle along the sidewalk near the store

front would be moved, with details to be worked out with the publicworks department and transportation division.

The proposed building could earn 44 points on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) checklist, the report stated.

The building-permit process could take two to three months, Turner said.

Before housing Z Gallerie, the building was the home to a retail food court and earlier to Liddicoat’s Market. It was built in the early 1920s. N Associate Editor Carol Blitzer can be e-mailed at cblitzer@ paweekly.com.

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Upfront

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 “News” in the left, green column.

Watchdogs project spiking costs for high-speed rail California’s high-speed-rail project would cost the state about $65 billion under projections released Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 9) by the Palo Alto-based rail watchdog group Californians Advocating Responsible Rail Design (CARRD). (Posted Feb. 10 at 9:45 a.m.)

Twitter founder tweets his breakfast menu The founder of Twitter believes it’s worth tweeting what he had for breakfast. Or so he told a Stanford University audience Wednesday (Feb. 9). Jack Dorsey, chairman of Twitter and founder of the mobile device credit card startup Square, spoke at Stanford’s Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Seminar. (Posted Feb. 10 at 9:44 a.m.)

Two mountain lions seen near Canada College Two mountain lions were seen near the west side entrance to Canada College in Woodside around 4:50 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 9), county officials said. (Posted Feb. 10 at 9:26 a.m.)

‘Unlocking creativity’ is subject of Feb. 15 talk Neuroscientist and creativity guru Tina Seelig will speak to Palo Alto teens and parents Feb. 15 in a public presentation at Stanford University. (Posted Feb. 10 at 9:11 a.m.)

Menlo Park to reach out before poisoning again Here’s a recipe for sparking outrage in Menlo Park: Poison ground squirrels without telling the public. The city has now decided that’s not a recipe it wants to try again. (Posted Feb. 9 at 3:15 p.m.)

Crash reported on Embarcadero and Highway 101 Paramedics, firefighters and CHP officers responded to the scene of a crash on southbound U.S. Highway 101 just south of Embarcadero Road at 5:04 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 8), according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash was cleared by 5:17 p.m. and no injuries were reported, CHP Officer Art Montiel said. (Posted Feb. 8 at 5:12 p.m.)

‘Declaration of war’ in nurses’ contract impasse A bitter contract dispute between Stanford and Packard hospitals and their nurses’ union has reached a stalemate, with the union accusing the hospitals of “a declaration of war” after the hospitals declared an official impasse and implemented a contract the nurses rejected in March 2010. (Posted Feb. 8 at 2:05 p.m.)

VTA proposals could save Caltrain — for now With Caltrain considering eliminating nearly half of the Peninsula’s train service to fix a $30 million deficit, VTA general manager Michael Burns has some proposals to keep Caltrain on track until more permanent funding can be found. (Posted Feb. 8 at 9:07 a.m.)

Google executive freed by Egyptian authorities Google marketing executive Wael Ghonim has been released after 10 days of confinement in Egypt for his involvement in ongoing protests there. (Posted Feb. 7 at 1:48 p.m.)

Sand Hill School serves struggling early learners Sand Hill School, a new private school for struggling students in kindergarten through third grade, concluded its first week of operation Friday (Feb. 4). The early-intervention program provides small classrooms and individualized teaching strategies to help students with social and attention difficulties before they can get traditional diagnoses when they begin to read. (Posted Feb. 7 at 2:07 p.m.)

Armed thieves rob man in carport on Willow Road A strong-arm robbery in a carport in the 1300 block of Willow Road in Menlo Park Friday (Feb. 4) at around 10 p.m. left a man poorer by $300 after two men held him down on the ground and stole his wallet and car keys, police said. The crime was similar to several robberies reported in residential areas of Palo Alto at the end of 2010. (Posted Feb. 7 at 11:29 a.m.)

Simitian: June tax extension for K-12 education The “draconian” state budget proposed last month by Gov. Jerry Brown is the “good news” version, State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, told a crowd of educators Saturday (Feb. 5). (Posted Feb. 7 at 9:46 a.m.)

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Upfront

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acebook’s plan to shift headquarters from Palo Alto to Menlo Park has possibly been the worst-kept secret of the past month. On Tuesday, the socialnetworking giant finally confirmed that the former Sun/Oracle campus along Bayfront Expressway will be its new home.

John Tenanes, Facebook’s realestate director, said the company leased back the 1-million-squarefoot, 11-building campus from real-estate investment-management firm RREEF. About a third of the campus will continue to host Oracle employees for up to a year, Tenanes

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Palo Alto Weekly • February 11, 2011 • Page 9

Upfront

Tall Tree Awards (continued from page 5)

Outstanding nonprofit Youth Community Service (YCS) provides volunteer opportunities to local middle and high schoolers, linking them with projects ranging from tree planting to feeding the homeless and visiting the elderly.

Through Youth Community Service, kids interact with peers from different schools and communities, supporters said.

“YCS is one of the few nonprofits that has been able to bridge the divide between East Palo Alto and Palo Alto,” Santa Clara County Su-

pervisor Liz Kniss wrote.

Nominator Dan Dykwel, whose son has participated, wrote, “The value I observed was their selfless commitment to many of our citizens and environment. Participation also moved them beyond their safe circle of friends and gave them the chance to engage with many other youth.”

Eleven-year-old Ellen Goncher wrote that she was looking forward to going on to middle school next year because of the opportunity to join Youth Community Service.

“Once, even though I was in elementary school, YCS let me help cook for the homeless. I felt like I was making a difference, helping people who really needed some

help,” she said.

Developer Jim Baer, honored in the professional/business person category, has shaped the city through numerous projects over the years, but what makes him really stand out is his commitment to the environment, nominator Walt Hays wrote. Baer’s Wave One program helps local businesses achieve green certification and energy efficiency.

He’s also “contributed to virtually every civic and charitable cause in the community, both with his own funds and through the help of his clients,” Hays wrote.

City Councilman Larry Klein wrote that Baer has “learned Palo Alto’s rules and regulations inside

out and has mastered the market, block by block, lot by lot. He’s always been looking for ways to make Palo Alto a better place to live and work.”

For the first time in Tall Tree history, the award for outstanding citizen/volunteer will be shared by a father and daughter — William Alhouse and Jane Alhouse Gee. William Alhouse has volunteered as a baseball coach for Stanford University, Gunn High School and Menlo School and was previously honored as Realtor of the Year by the Palo Alto Board of Realtors.

“He has been a mentor and role model for integrity and fair dealing in business and in giving back to the

community,” nominator John King wrote.

Daughter Alhouse Gee has organized an annual symposium on motherhood since 1997.

“Like her father before her, she is the kind of citizen we need to celebrate — one who humbly gives — never seeking limelight or title,” wrote Megan Swezey Fogarty, another former Tall Tree winner.

Both Alhouse and Alhouse Gee, Steve Player wrote, should be honored for their service and for “making this community a better place to live.” N Editorial Assistant Karla Kane can be e-mailed at kkane@ paweekly.com.

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Palo Alto Feb. 2-8 Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Child abuse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft related Commercial burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Prowler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Shoplifting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle related Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Driving w/suspended license . . . . . . . . .2 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .4 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .3 Vehicle impound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Drunk driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Possession with intent to sell . . . . . . . . .1 Miscellaneous Disturbing phone calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Menlo Park Feb. 2-7 Violence related Assault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Robbery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Spousal abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft related Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Possession of burglary tools. . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle related Auto recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Abandoned auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Driving w/suspended license . . . . . . . . .4 Driving without license . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .4 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Possession of drugs with intent to sell . .1 Miscellaneous Found property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Info. case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Juvenile problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Mental evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Outside assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Probation violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Resisting/obstructing police . . . . . . . . . .1 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Atherton Feb. 2-7 Theft related Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle related Parking/driving violation . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle accident/ property damage . . . .1 Vehicle code violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Traffic hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Alcohol or Drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

CITY OF PALO ALTO

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NOTICE OF PREPARATION

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) will be prepared by the City of Palo Alto Department of Planning and Community Environment for the project listed below.

The agency and public comment period for this notice will extend from February 11, 2011 to March 14, 2011 a copy of the Notice of Preparation is available to be reviewed at the Development Center which is located at 285 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA. 94301. If you have comments or questions regarding the preparation of the EIR, please contact Jennifer Armer of the Planning and Community Environment Department at 650-329-2149 or via email at jennifer.armer@cityofpaloalto.org.

2080 Channing Avenue [08PLN-00157/10PLN-00198]: Request for Planned Community zone change to allow renovation of three existing retail structures and construction of 10 new single family homes. The proposed project would allow redevelopment of an existing shopping center on a 3.58 acre site. The project includes relocation of one of the three existing shopping center buildings on the site and renovation of the two to remain in place. The project also includes ten, two-story residences and a 0.24-acre public park. The residences would border the retail uses on Channing Avenue.

Edgewood Plaza (also known as Edgewood Shopping Center) was designed and built by Eichler Homes, Inc. as part of the Edgewood Tract developed in 1956-57. Edgewood Plaza appears to be a signiďŹ cant historic resource because it is the only retail center designed for an Eichler development, it reects Eichler’s interest in integrating community related buildings into residential projects, and it embodies the distinctive characteristics of Eichler exterior design. Under the proposed project, one of the existing shopping center buildings would be moved to the east on the site, and two retail buildings would remain in their current location. The three buildings would be renovated for continued retail use, including a grocery store.

Adoption of a new Planned Community Zone, detailing the mix of uses, setbacks, building height, access, and other development criteria is proposed for the mixed-use project.

It is anticipated that the proposed project may have the following environmental effects: land use, cultural resources, transportation, noise, air quality, geology and seismicity, hazardous materials, hydrology and ooding, aesthetics, biological resources, public services, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy. *** 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.

Answers to this week’s puzzles, which can be found on page 60

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Editorial Approve redesign of California Avenue Reducing popular street to two lanes, adding new pavement, crosswalks and landscaping, will attract more pedestrians

A

lready a vibrant and popular shopping district, California Avenue is poised to become even more attractive if the City Council approves a $1.7 million makeover plan next week.

This exciting new redesign would include a pedestrian-friendly two-lane street with bike lanes, more parking, additional landscaping, and a park-plaza at the east end near Caltrain. The street would be completely repaved and feature bulb-outs to ease pedestrian crossings, colored crosswalks and parking areas that would add variety to the expanses of asphalt.

The idea is to create an environment that is much more open to pedestrians and bicycles and present opportunities for strolling and leisurely dining outside. More plantings would be added to compliment the crop of new street trees that are taking root now after the unfortunate tree-cutting experience in 2009.

The concept of converting four lanes to two is already working well for Menlo Park’s Santa Cruz Avenue and Mountain View’s Castro Street, which both cater to pedestrians and outdoor dining.

Merchants on these thoroughfares are happy with the changes.

Menlo Park has added a row of street trees on Santa Cruz and many merchants on Castro Street use plants to separate their dining areas from the street.

The number of parking spaces on California Avenue would ‘This is not an arterial. If jump to 135 from 111, anything, this is really a and the current 45 de- shopping center…The goal gree angled parking would be changed to is to make the retail area a 60 degree angled spac- destination point.’ es. More loading zones would be included to Planning Commission make sure merchants Vice Chair Lee Lippert can get timely delivery of their products.

D u r i ng hea r i ngs before the Planning Commission’s unanimous vote to support the project, Vice Chair Lee Lippert had it right when he said of California Avenue, “This is not an arterial.

If anything, this is really a shopping center. The goal is to make the retail area a destination point.”

When testifying at an earlier commission hearing, some merchants disagreed, fearing another “project” would keep customers away from the popular street.

Jessica Roth, of European Cobblery, said, “People are finicky about their time and convenience. Six months of construction is going to kill my business, just kill my business.”

And David Bennett, a partner in Mollie Stone’s, the anchor market near the Caltrain station, is even more concerned, giving the commission a written statement and petition signed by several residents and businesses objecting to the lane closures. He said the loss of lanes would “put the market in a difficult position with reduced access” and could lead the company to develop the property for a different use.

But we like the city’s promise to deal with these issues. Planning director Curtis Williams said he understands the merchants’ concerns and has pledged to reduce construction impact during the project by phasing the work and making sure entrances remain clear.

And a massive study shows that worries about reduced traffic capacity are unfounded. In fact, the study shows that the lane reduction will not reduce capacity on the street by significant amounts. Vehicles may experience delays of two to three seconds, but that is far below the 10-second delays considered meaningful by traffic engineers.

In an unexpected move Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission agreed to put off approval of the project after an appeal by a number of California Avenue merchants, but city officials say the move is unlikely to halt the plan. The merchants, including Mollie Stone’s Bennett, told the MTC that they did not receive adequate notice of the project and wanted a delay. The $1.2 million grant from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority must win MTC approval before the city can claim the money.

Despite this setback, when this project is completed California Avenue merchants and shoppers will get to enjoy a much more interesting and inviting environment. The makeover uses the latest techniques in urban design to create safe and comfortable spaces on the avenue. We urge the City Council to give this project a thumbs up when it comes before them Monday night.

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Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions

Composting facility is regional Editor, The recent cover article, “Fading Borders,” suggests that maintaining a composting facility in Palo Alto would not be a regional solution. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Palo Alto currently operates a regional wastewater-treatment plant at the end of Embarcadero Road that also serves Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford and East Palo Alto. This facility is one of only two in the state that sill incinerates sewage sludge (our dirty little secret).

Burning our sewage sludge uses more than $1 million worth of energy per year, releasing 6,000 tons of previously sequestered carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. Through anaerobic digestion, we could retire the incinerator and instead of burning fossil fuels we could turn our sludge into biogas to power the wastewater-treatment plant.

It is impractical to truck our sewage sludge to another community, so the ideal site for the digester is on 8 percent of the current landfill immediately adjacent to the wastewater-treatment plant. The city could accept other organic wastes, especially food waste, which has a high energy content, from neighboring communities to make the facility even more cost effective while producing more green energy.

Opponents of an anaerobic digester use the term “regional solution” to mean anywhere but Palo Alto, but don’t be fooled. Look for an opportunity to sign the Palo Alto Green Energy and Compost Initiative. It makes sense both for the environment and for our budget.

Peter Drekmeier Fulton Street Palo Alto

Caltrain’s importance Editor, Caltrain serves San Jose (the 10th-largest U.S. city), San Francisco (the 12th-largest) and Silicon Valley (where a third of U.S. venture capital flows). And yet this vital transit service lacks dedicated funding.

Only some kinds of transportation are called “public” but the fact is that no transportation system in this country thrives without public funding. The federal government subsidizes car travel with almost $80 billion a year, well over half the Department of Transportation’s budget; the interstate highways were the biggest public works project in U.S. history. The highways can’t survive on tolls alone and transit can’t survive on passenger fares.

If we don’t fund transit and rail

service at comparable levels to roads, bridges and highways, cars will become our only option.

Amy Zucker Morgenstern San Francisco and Palo Alto

Green Energy Initiative Editor, The Feb. 4 article on fading borders was a splendid example of well-written local journalism but it mischaracterized the Palo Alto Green Energy Initiative as local rather than regional. As proposed, this “high-tech composting” facility would process yard waste including not only Palo Alto’s “green bin” collections but drop-offs by regional landscapers.

It would also process all of the regional sewage sludge, extracting clean green energy while converting the sludge into a safe soil amendment for land reclamation.

Ideally, it would also take in food waste from neighboring cities if sufficient land were made available.

The current practice of disposing of food waste in landfills is a tremendous source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

The controversy over the pro-

posed facility is not about local versus regional, it is about “NIMBY” (Not In My Back Yard) versus fiscal responsibility and environmental leadership. An artificial park built on the heavily impacted dump land would be expensive to build and expensive to maintain, and would not provide much environmental benefit to native species.

In a time of highly restricted budgets, global warming, vanishing forests and mass extinctions, we need to emphasize true environmental habitats, like our local wetlands.

Let’s enjoy Shoreline as a regional park and use a portion of the heavily impacted dump land to build a regional organics facility.

The proponents of the Palo Alto Green Energy Initiative “get it,” as do the majority of Palo Alto citizens: Rather than paying escalating amounts to have our waste hauled far away, we need to come together with neighboring communities and take responsibility for our environmental impacts, in a way that keeps our expenditures under control.

Bryan Long Dana Avenue Palo Alto

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

What do you think? Do you agree with the jury that found Paul Zumot guilty of first-degree murder?

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 Jocelyn Dong 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!

On Deadline

Dr. Walter Bortz — health care visionary or a Dr. Quixote?

by Jay Thorwaldson n a spring day in early 1982, I bumped into Dr. Walter M. Bortz, II, a longtime Palo Alto area geriatrician, outside the former Palo Alto Medical Foundation/Clinic building at 300 Homer Ave. We paused in the warming sun and chatted. Then he made a comment: “You know, Jay, most physicians don’t have any idea what’s about to happen to them economically.”

He had been studying more than the health of older people, of which we have many in the Palo Alto area (which once rivaled Dade County, Fla., as the fastest-aging population in America). He had been reading up on medical economics, the emergence of large for-profit systems and the growth of the health-insurance industry.

I was doing public-affairs work for the brand-new foundation and looking for a way to let people know that the nonprofit foundation now was more than just a group practice.

From those prophetic words emerged a series of biennial national conferences on health care economics and policy, which drew hundreds of physicians, administrators, insurance people and even some government leaders and legislators — and a bevy of journalists. Throughout the 1980s the conferences tracked economic trends in medicine into the world of “managed care” and “for-profit medicine.” Critics of the trends assailed the profit-motive thinking. It is a debate that still

O

rages across America.

Dr. Bortz has been far more than a cerebral thinker about how to encourage healthier lifestyles for American families, promoting physical activity, healthful diets and challenging mental activity as a way to slow aging and prolong a good quality of life.

He became nationally known in the early 1990s for a provocative book, “We Live Too Short and Die Too Long” — detailing the heroic (and hugely expensive) efforts to prolong the lives of people who have spent decades clogging their arteries and stressing their bodies by doing nothing, or too little.

Somehow the TV generation has morphed into the computer-keyboard generation.

His second book created an even bigger stir: “Dare to be 100.” That, Bortz maintains, is the natural lifespan of humans.

Instead, our diets and sedentary patterns have resulted in overweight children, a huge percentage of whom will develop diabetes, and adults who will become ill and require expensive treatment.

Now at 80, Dr. Bortz and his wife are both known for putting their feet where their opinions are. He is getting in shape for the Boston Marathon and she is planning a competitive run, although against fewer competitors her age these days. They have provided much of the energy behind the “50-Plus Fitness Association,” a locally based organization with chapters scattered across the nation. I served on the board for a time in the 1990s — I was their bad-example mascot, I quipped.

Now Dr. Bortz has a new book out, his seventh, in which he digs deeper into the fabric of medical care and emerges with deeply disturbing conclusions. He describes today’s medical care as “disease-based medicine” as

opposed to “health care.”

The book is called simply, “Next Medicine: The Science and Civics of Health.”

The cover shows a calm prairie-like field of grassland under a blue, cloud-studded sky.

But it is too calm, too pretty. The title and cover fail to convey the conflict he outlines within its pages. It leaves the Bortzes wondering and puzzled about why the book’s sales haven’t taken off, well, like a prairie fire. Dr. Bortz spoke Wednesday night (Feb. 8) at Kepler’s bookstore in Menlo Park and is scheduled to speak Feb. 22 at the Commonwealth Club. In January, he spoke on what he feels is the “corruption” of the profession by the economic interests — a brief recording is on the Commonwealth Club’s website.

His Feb. 22 talk is entitled: “Wealth Before Health: Is American Health Care Threatening the Stability of the Nation?”

In the book, he goes deeply into what he considers the malaise of medicine, which is dominated by special economic interests and the old fee-for-service pattern of medical care, too often misnamed “health care.”

The economics reach down in many cases to individual physicians and medical school researchers/professors who have investments or interests in genetic research, the hot-ticket item today after a century and a half of “germ medicine.”

The core message of the richly detailed book is that the payment mechanism is tied directly to medical practice, and actually gets in the way of doing it right. This is not a new message, and seems deceptively simple, even simplistic. Much lip service has been done on health promotion and disease prevention. Dr. Jack Farquhar and his team

at Stanford University School of Medicine did groundbreaking work in the 1970s and 1980s on how to promote healthier lifestyles, using “refrigerator magnets” to convey easyto-understand messages. Yet their careful research failed to penetrate the profession, the insurance industry, big pharmaceutical firms or our political system.

Only when (or if) American medical professionals can develop a new funding mechanism, such as pre-paid health care to replace fee-for-service, will real “preventive care” be achievable, Dr. Bortz believes.

“The recent meltdown in our financial system is a painful reminder of the heavy price we pay when we fail to keep a close eye on the events occurring on the commons,” he wraps up in the book. “Vigilance requires that the medical system be exposed to strict review. We need capitalism to reconfigure its product for our health benefit rather than for our pain.

“Feeling worse and paying more is not a healthy prescription. ...”

Only when “people realize that one of their most important institutions has veered from its mission and become a hazard, not only to its own integrity of purpose but to the overall Commonhealth, then a moral imperative arises, and absolute individual and collective responsibility to fix what has gone wrong,” he concludes.

“Of all the thousands of prescriptions that I have written, of the thousands of patients I have tended, this is the most important prescription, for the most important patient, all of us.” N Jay Thorwaldson is the former editor of the Weekly. He can be e-mailed at jthorwaldson@paweekly.com.

Streetwise

What do you think about potential cutbacks with regard to Caltrain service in Palo Alto?

Asked on California Avenue in Palo Alto. Interviews and photographs by Zohra Ashpari.

Rohini Arulanantham

Nurse at Stanford University Sheridan Avenue, Palo Alto “I pray that the cutbacks don’t happen because people use it to go to the airport and it’s very convenient. Also public transport helps with the environment. I am all for going green.”

Kimberly Connolly

No occupation Ash Street, Palo Alto “I’m disappointed. I use Caltrain to go to games and also to visit my mother in San Bruno.”

Dan Moos

Consultant Clara Drive, Palo Alto “It doesn’t really impact me in any way but I’m a big proponent of public transport. I think it’s responsible to subsidize passenger trains.”

Latrich Ross

Security Officer California Avenue, Palo Alto “I think it’s bad because I have a lot of employees who use the train coming from San Jose or Los Banos. Now they have to catch the bus, which will take nearly two and a half hours. Some of them work on weekends, too.”

Wyatt Smith

Scientist La Selva Drive, Palo Alto “I don’t use Caltrain much but I have friends who do. They commute around the Bay and back. In theory, I don’t like the idea of the cutbacks.”

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Thomas M. Small

Palo Alto mourns the passing of one of its great native sons. Tom Small, a prominent local lawyer and musician, died at age 54 on January 26. Tom was a special friend to many in the community and he will be greatly missed. He was a graduate of Palo High school class of 1975 where he excelled in academics and music. Tom was a proud member of the Viking Marching Band, a member of California Youth Symphony, and other symphonic and jazz bands. He went on to the University of California, Berkeley where he played trombone in the Cal Bear Marching Band all four years there. He earned a B.A. degree in Political Science and Economics in 1979. He also received a law degree from the University of Santa Clara in 1982, and passed the California Bar Exam in 1983.

Very independent and with a keen legal mind he practiced law on California Avenue in Palo Alto for the rest of his adult life. He resided nearby and walked or rode his bike to work every day. Tom was a practitioner of the Golden Rule “Do Unto Others as They Do Unto You”.

Tom’s real passion was music. He tutored young musicians and did many gigs on the side. He played many instruments including trombone, piano and bass. One of his favorite experiences was touring with the Stanford Symphony when it went to New Zealand and Australia in 2003. He played at many local restaurants, at many non-profit/political events, and tailgate parties and he marched in many parades. He played with the Los Trancos Woods Marching Band, at the Harvest Festival, as well as at many Dixieland Festivals. In 2004, he put together the Big Egg and Butter Band that featured many of the area’s best musicians.

Tom was a true Renaissance man. He devoured books and loved radio. An avid sports fan, he was seen at many Stanford Football and Basketball games and supported the local team except when it played his alma mater California. He also enjoyed rugby and Earthquake soccer matches. He will be missed by his soccer and rugby buddies and his fraternity of fellow musicians. Tom also did a great deal of pro bono legal work for economically disadvantaged individuals.

He is survived by his parents Melvin and Victoria of Murphy’s CA, and sisters Mardi Quain of El Dorado Hills, CA; Susan Breurer of San Mateo, CA, Barbara Esslinger of Raleigh, NC, and Janice Brethauer of Arnold CA. “Tommy boy we will miss you on Marching Day for you still had many great tunes left to play.”

His family and friends believe he has gone to a place where the Cal Bears go to the Rose Bowl every year.

A family only memorial service will be held on February 13, and a service for friends and family will be held later this month. Please contact Gary Fazzino at aefazzino@yahoo.com for details.

PA I D

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O B I T UA RY

Transitions

Rebecca Karlson

Rebecca Davidson Karlson, 63, a resident of Palo Alto, died Dec. 23, 2010, while visiting family in Minneapolis, Minn.

She was born in Santa Monica, Calif., and attended Mills College and UCLA, majoring in French.

She was a ballet enthusiast, gourmet cook, world traveler, accomplished sailor and school volunteer.

A longtime congregant at Stanford Memorial Church, she was appreciated as a spirited reader of scripture.

She lived her life with dignity and grace, her husband recalled.

She is survived by her daughter, Sarah Karlson of San Diego; and son Doug Karlson and husband Doug Karlson, both of Palo Alto.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 3 p.m. at Stanford Memorial Church.

Contributions in her memory can be made to Mills College or the Stanford University Hospital Spiritual Care Service.

Memorial Services A memorial service for Mary Fortney will be held Saturday, Feb. 12, at 10 a.m. at the Shrine of St. Therese Catholic Church, Fresno.

Births

Sirin and Leonardo Hochburg of Palo Alto, a son, Dec. 5 Stacy and Forrest North of Palo Alto, a daughter, Dec. 8 Arati and Henrik Gerdes of Palo Alto, a son, Dec. 8 Amy and Jason Kinder of Menlo Park, a son, Jan. 23

Jeannette Riechers Remmel Oct. 14, 1923 – Jan. 29, 2011

Jeannette was born in Palo Alto and attended the neighborhood schools of Addison Elementary, Jordan Middle School (in the first class) and Palo Alto Senior High School.

Jeannette attended San Jose State for one year and then St. Luke’s Nursing School in San Francisco. After receiving her Registered Nursing Certification she worked at the Old Palo Alto Hospital and Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu during World War II. In 1946 Jeannette married Harlan Ray Remmel. They lived in San Luis Obispo and San Francisco before settling down in Palo Alto. In 1954 the Remmel Family moved into an old home in Professorville where Jeannette remained until late 2006. Jeannette was the mother of six children, all of whom also attended Addison Elementary, Jordan Middle School, and Palo Alto Senior High School.

Jeannette was an extremely active mother who enjoyed playing tennis, being a Camp Fire Girl leader, Cub Scout leader, a Rotarian, a member of the Palo Alto Yacht Club, and later traveled with her husband and friends. She was also a devoted fan and longtime season ticket holder for both the San Francisco Giants and the University of California Golden Bears football team.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray Remmel and sons Bruce and Mark. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Annette Letts (Jeffrey), Ronald Remmel (Jenene), Georgia Santos (Jeffrey), Linda McGregor (Bryan), (Bruce) Janalee Remmel, (Mark) Marina Remmel,17 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Life was held Friday February 4th at Lucie Stern Community Center.

Memorials may be made in Jeannette’s name to: Pathways Hospice, 585 N Mary Ave., Sunnyvale, CA, the Palo Alto Humane Society, P.O. Box 60715, Palo Alto, CA 94306, and the Mark & Bruce Remmel Memorial Scholarship Fund at Palo Alto High School, 25 Churchill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301.

PA I D

OBITUARY

Janice Arlene Kuck Becker

Resident of Sunnyvale - 03/27/40-10/31/10 Jan, age 70, died at home on October 31, 2010 from metastatic cancer after battling and surviving breast cancer (16 yrs) and lung cancer (6 yrs). Jan was born March 27, 1940 to Lawrence and Minnie Kuck in Grand Island, Nebraska, where she met her future husband, Richard Walter Becker, while both were in grade school.

Jan’s first job, at age 16, was at Wolbach’s Department Store, where she worked in many different departments. Jan attended the University of Nebraska for two years. Jan and Richard married September 3, 1960. Jan worked in the University of Illinois library and spent a year teaching while Richard attended graduate school.

The couple moved to California in 1962, living in Mountain View, Menlo Park, Palo Alto (25 yrs), and finally, Sunnyvale. While her children were in school, Jan worked and volunteered at their schools. She also took classes at night, earning her BA degree from the College of Notre Dame in Belmont. Jan worked as a buyer at two biomedical companies and then became a freelance bookkeeper.

Jan had a great passion for books and people, and combined these passions with her business skills when she became an owner of the San Jose Bookshop. She continued to do freelance bookkeeping after she sold the bookstore 14 years later. She always loved learning and working, never wanting to retire, even towards the end she was excited by the prospect of working with new clients.

Always very artistic, Jan created many wonderful paintings in acrylics as part of her weekly art class for cancer survivors. Jan never met a stranger as her passion was meeting new people and getting to know them and their stories. She joined writing groups to write stories from her own life, and looked forward to helping others to tell their stories. She loved spending time with family and friends. Her life was full of passion, creativity, curiosity, caring, friendship, and stories. She will be greatly missed by the many people whose lives she touched.

Survivors include her daughter Stacey Becker of San Jose, CA, her son Greg Becker (Sarah), grand-daughters Samantha and Alexandra, her brother Larry Kuck (Peg) of Pacific Grove, CA, her brother-in-law Joe Becker (Michele) of Evanston, IL, along with five nieces and nephews: Rachel Kuck Napoli, Matt Kuck, Peter Kuck, Dana Becker Smith and Larry Becker. Jan was preceded in death by her husband Richard and parents Minnie and Lawrence Kuck.

Cremated and interned at Alta Mesa Cemetery, Palo Alto.

PA I D

O B I T UA RY

Cover Story

End of the line for Caltrain?

How Silicon Valley could fare if the West’s second oldest passenger rail line were to curtail service

T

Caltrain ridership demographics Menlo Park 3.7%

Other 20.4%

San Mateo 3.5% Sunnyvale 4.7% Hillsdale 5% San Francisco 23.6% Millbrae 6.8% Redwood City 5.5% San Jose 7.3% Mountain View 8.9%

Palo Alto 10.6% Source: Caltrain

the Caltrain board has warned.

But business and grassroots groups are galvanizing to find short- and long-term solutions to Caltrain’s woes.

Curtailed Caltrain service would affect everything from jobs and housing to traffic congestion and pollution, they said.

Silicon Valley Leadership Group — a business and government nonprofit organization that works to address growth, economic health and quality-of-life issues — and Friends of Caltrain, a grassroots organization that formed last spring, are working on dozens of ideas they hope will produce funding to close the deficit. The groups want to see Caltrain positioned as the engine of a comprehensive 21st-century regional transportation plan, they said.

“Caltrain is central to planning for the Bay Area,” said former Palo Alto Mayor Yoriko Kishimoto, who is spearheading Friends of Caltrain. With Caltrain and a “reasonable” road system, the area can avoid unnecessary urban sprawl, she added.

Businesses and cities have much riding on Caltrain: Stanford University’s proposed medical-center expansion hinges on using public transit to ensure thousands of new employees and their cars don’t add more traffic to Palo Alto’s streets.

Cities are relying in part on a robust Caltrain to meet state-mandated environmental goals. The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 addresses carbon-dioxide (continued on next page)

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Veronica Weber

BY SUE DREMANN he Caltrain advertisement reads like a 1930s luxuryrail travel poster, luring urban sports fans toward a comfortable ride free from traffic jams, long lines, hunts for parking spaces and exorbitant parking fees: “Caltrain is an Ace for Tennis Fans at the SAP Open.

Attendees at the SAP Open can take advantage of Caltrain’s convenient service and unmatched proximity to the action on the tennis court,” it reads, referring to the station’s location across from San Jose’s HP Pavilion.

But 25.76 miles up the Peninsula, on Feb. 3, the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board told a packed auditorium that such special event, nighttime and weekend Caltrain service could go the way of the steam locomotive

by July 2.

Draconian cuts are planned for the 147-year-old passenger-rail line, which is facing a $30 million deficit on a $100 million operating budget due to multi-million-dollar subsidy cuts from San Mateo’s, Santa Clara’s and San Francisco’s transit agencies, which supplied 43 percent of Caltrain’s revenues in the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years.

The number of weekday trains could drop from 86 to 48; daytime service, except for peak commuter times, would end, and no service would run south of San Jose Diridon station — not to Gilroy, San Martin or Morgan Hill. Up to seven additional Peninsula stations could close, including Burlingame, Belmont, San Antonio in Mountain View, Lawrence in Sunnyvale and Santa Clara,

Cover Story

Caltrain (continued from previous page)

W

SamTrans employees Christopher Dacumos and Charla Welch tape up attendee’s responses to the question, “Why is Caltrain important to the region?” during the Save Our Caltrain! summit in San Carlos.

Veronica Weber

Above, former Palo Alto Mayor Yoriko Kishimoto, who hosted the San Carlos Save Our Caltrain! summit, says Caltrain service is essential for transit-oriented development and walkable communities. Right, Mountain View City Councilman Tom Means criticizes Caltrain as having a bad business model.

SamTrans is likely to slash service Chairwoman Margaret Abe-Koba by half in three years if its deficit is said. not contained, Mike Scanlon, San hrinking Caltrain services could Mateo County Transit District CEO have a drastic effect on Silicon and Caltrain executive director, said Valley businesses. at the Joint Powers Board’s Feb. 3 Dan McCoy, associate director meeting.

Meanwhile, VTA projects its of transportation at Genentech, told funds to decline by 24 percent, cit- Leadership Group members on Jan. ing less funding from sales taxes and 21 that Caltrain is a key element of Measure A, Santa Clara County’s Silicon Valley corporate planning.

“We’re trying to get as many peo1996 Transportation Improvement Program, which is funded from a ple to work without cars as possible.

1/2-cent general sales-tax increase. Caltrain is an essential piece of our Keeping services at current levels recruitment and retention. Three hunwould depend in part on annual state dred to 400 employees use Caltrain transit-assistance funds to return in every day,” he said.

The full traffic impact of losing fiscal year 2012, according to the MTC report. But transportation of- Caltrain won’t be realized in the curficials and local state legislators have rent economic downturn, but that will said state funds might not return for change, he said.

“We’re one economic recovery four to five years due to California’s away from a big, big problem,” he budget deficit.

“It’s hard to say. We’re more skepti- said.

Caltrain reductions could also cal than optimistic. We hope,” VTA

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S

Veronica Weber

hat might the Peninsula look like if Caltrain service were drastically cut? The predictions are grim.

Nearly 40,000 people ride Caltrain every day, 74 percent of whom are employees commuting to work, according to the rail service.

Losing Caltrain altogether would cripple the regional transportation system and economy, limiting mobility and employment options, said Elizabeth Deakin, U.C. Berkeley professor of city and regional planning.

She estimated that there would be 20,000 more vehicles on the road, and U.S. Highway 101 between the South Bay and San Francisco would need 2.5 more lanes to keep the commute flowing at current levels, she said.

“If Caltrain closed, people would have two pretty undesirable options: sit in their car on a congested highway or cram into an overcrowded bus,” Deakin said.

Putting commuters back into cars would increase regional carbondioxide emissions by 89,850 metric tons or 198,085,342 pounds annually, according to the Joint Powers Board.

Caltrain reduces regional traffic congestion by removing the equivalent of 300 million annual passenger miles.

Bus service is unlikely to make up for diminished Caltrain service.

San Mateo County’s SamTrans faces a projected 24 percent operating-expenses deficit over a 25-year period ending in 2035, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s report, “Transportation 2035.”

The numbers could go even higher.

“Declining sales-tax revenues have become a major structural problem for VTA,” the agency noted in its short-range operations forecast through 2019. Revenue will drop from $140 million in 2009 to roughly $115 million in 2011-12 and is expected to remain flat or in slight decline to a little more than $100 million through 2019.

Veronica Weber

emissions levels, and Senate Bill 375, enacted in 2009, requires regions to develop “sustainable communities” by planning for transportation, land use and housing to reduce traffic and lower greenhouse gases.

And the Grand Boulevard Initiative, a regional collaboration to revitalize the El Camino Real corridor through San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, is largely conceived around Caltrain. It champions placing housing and businesses near mass transit, thereby decreasing traffic and making communities more walkable and accessible.

Kishimoto said transportation conundrums such as Caltrain are at the heart of why she entered politics in the early 1990s.

“In Palo Alto at that time, the transportation philosophy was, ‘Just get those cars across town as soon as possible.’ I saw that if things didn’t change, the Peninsula would be gridlocked.

“There is no room to expand (U.S. Highway) 101 unless we double-deck it. Caltrain is essential to the Peninsula’s quality of life. Our commute alternative and economic vitality and the three counties must come together to work on solutions,” she said.

cause problems for Stanford University.

Stanford’s General Use Permit requires the university to keep the amount of traffic the same during peak hours, regardless of new development and new employees.

“Caltrain ridership has been a key component of the university’s success in the last decade in controlling peakhour commute trips,” spokeswoman Jean McCown said.

The Stanford University Medical Center is banking on Caltrain to help it reach a goal of having 35.1 percent of its employees use alternate forms of transportation, as a condition for gaining the City of Palo Alto’s approval of the hospitals’ proposed expansion.

If the hospital can’t reach the goal by 2025, it would pay the City of Palo Alto $4 million. The one-time amount would allow the city to invest

in its own programs for achieving citywide traffic reduction, McCown said.

If Caltrain’s commute-hour trains continue to run, “there may not be a significant effect on continuing to achieve Stanford’s transportation goals,” she said. “However, we don’t know what the effect may be on Stanford employees if Caltrain closes certain stations.”

Under the hospital’s proposed expansion plan, up to 9,000 GO Passes for hospital workers to use Caltrain would be purchased. The GO Passes allow employees to ride the train at no cost during commutes. Stanford would also add four additional Marguerite shuttles to link with train commuters.

About 19 percent of Stanford University employees use Caltrain, McCown said. “Stanford presently funds more than 50 percent of the GO Pass

Cover Story

Caltrain stations proposed for closure

‘Saving’ Caltrain

San Francisco 22nd St

Business and grassroots groups brainstorm ideas for keeping the passenger rail line afloat umerous ideas for funding Caltrain in the near and long terms were proposed at recent events sponsored separately by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and Friends of Caltrain.

N

s 5SE MILLION FROM THE $UMBAR ton Rail Project for temporary, immeDIATE RELIEF FOR #ALTRAIN 4HE $UMBAR ton project has a capital shortfall of several hundred million dollars and further need of operating funds. It is not expected to move forward for years. s 3ANTA #LARA AND 3AN &RANCISCO counties owe San Mateo County’s 3AM4RANS A COMBINED MILLION FOR ITS PURCHASE OF THE #ALTRAIN right-of-way from Caltrans. That money could be reimbursed and earmarked for Caltrain. s &ORM A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION agency that would merge the transit systems of the three counties and reallocate the money. s !DD A TOLL ON THE $UMBARTON "RIDGE specifically to fund Caltrain. s !DD hCONGESTION PRICINGv ˆ CHARG ing higher tolls during peak commute hours. s !DD A HIGH OCCUPANCY TOLL LANE ON 5 3 (IGHWAY WITH DEDICATED REV enue for Caltrain. s !SK 3ILICON 6ALLEY BUSINESSES TO chip in to cover short-term costs. s !DD A VALUE ADDED FEE TO NEW TRAN sit-oriented developments. s !DD EFFICIENCIES TO ATTRACT NEW RID ers, such as WiFi and, as capital permits, electrification. s #HARGE A TRANSIT FEE ON ALL SPORTS TICKETS TO ERS 3HARKS AND 'IANTS games. s !SK VOTERS TO APPROVE A NEW TRANSIT tax (requires 2/3 approval). N — Sue Dremann

Watch the broadcast /N &EB FROM A M TO P M THE &RIENDS OF #ALTRAIN *AN summit will be broadcast by Midpeninsula Community Media Center on cable channel 27, with additional playbacks at future dates. More information is available at www.midpenmedia.org.

program at an annual cost of almost MILLION 4O OUR KNOWLEDGE THIS is the largest financial commitment TO #ALTRAIN FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR v From the Stanford Research Park,

RIDERS USED THE -ARGUERITE SHUTTLE IN TO GO TO AND FROM #AL TRAIN ACCORDING TO "RODIE (AMILTON

Stanford’s director of parking and transportation services. *IM "IGELOW "AY !REA 4RANSPOR TATION AND (OUSING !SSOCIATES A "ELMONT BASED CONSULTING FIRM PRE dicted that companies would increase

South San Francisco San Bruno Millbrae San Francisco Bay

Broadway Burlingame San Mateo Hayward Park

ZONE 2

Hillsdale Belmont San Carlos

Redwood City Atherton Menlo Park Palo Alto Stanford California Ave.

ZONE 3

San Antonio Mountain View

Sunnyvale Caltrain Station

Lawrence

Proposed station for closure Proposed station for closure (event or weekend service)

Santa Clara College Park

ZONE 4

San Jose Diridon Tamien All stations south of San Jose (currently Zone 5) proposed for closure.

their private shuttle services for employees as Caltrain services are cut and stations are closed. %MPLOYEES WHO DON T WORK TO shifts would also need to arrange for new transportation, should Caltrain only run trains during peak commute hours, he said.

T

ZONE 1

Bayshore

he Peninsula’s land-use patterns depend on having a financially self-sustaining, well-functioning transit system, said Jessica Zenk, director of transportation policy for the

Silicon Valley Leadership Group. h) DON T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL ABOUT what the geography of our growth WILL LOOK LIKE "UT WE CAN GROW smartly or we can sprawl. We want to encourage compact development in strategic places. That builds a very different transport system than a very DISPERSED CAR ORIENTED SYSTEM v SHE said. h/UR BEST HOPE FOR GROWING SUS tainably is completely hampered (by Caltrain’s service cuts). Nothing (continued on page 19)

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Cover Story Palo Alto Unified School District Notice is hereby Given that proposals will be received by the Palo Alto Unified School District for bid package: Contract Name: Interactive White Board & Classroom Audio system Contract No.: WBS-4 & WBS-5

Caltrain’s revenues 2%

7%

DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK: The work includes, but is not limited to: The supply and installation of Interactive White Boards and Classroom Audio Systems at five elementary schools. Work includes the removal and disposal of older existing Interactive White Board, the removal and replacement of standard white boards, Installation/Modification of tack able wall surface. Patch and paint wall surfaces as may be necessary. Bidding documents contain the full description of the work.

PREVAILING WAGE LAWS: The successful Bidder must comply with all prevailing wage laws applicable to the Project, and related requirements contained in the Contract Documents.

Palo Alto Unified School District will maintain a Labor Compliance Program (LCP) for the duration of this project. In bidding this project, the contractor warrants he/she is aware and will follow the Public Works Chapter of the California Labor Code comprised of labor code sections 1720 – 1861. A copy of the Districts LCP is available for review at 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D, Palo Alto, CA 94306.

1. A pre-job conference shall be conducted with the contractor or subcontractors to discuss federal and state labor law requirements applicable to the contract.

2. Project contractors and subcontracts shall maintain and furnish to the District, at a designated time, a certified copy of each payroll with a statement of compliance signed under penalty of perjury.

3. The District shall review and, if appropriate, audit payroll records to verify compliance with the Public Works Chapter of the Labor Code.

4. The District shall withhold contract payments if payroll records are delinquent or inadequate.

5. The District shall withhold contract payments as described in the LCP, including applicable penalties when the District and Labor Commissioner establish that underpayment of other violations has occurred.

Bidders may examine Bidding Documents at Facilities Office, Building “D”. Bidders may view the Plans and Specifications at the Districts Facilities office.

All questions can be addressed to: Palo Alto Unified School District 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D Palo Alto, CA 94306-1099 Attn: Ron Smith Phone: (650) 329-3927 Fax: (650) 327-3588

6% 7%

48%

46%

43%

44%

43%

34%

2011

2010

2009

There will be a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit: WBS-4 & WBS-5– 9:00 a.m. on February 17, 2011 starting at the District Facilities Office located at 25 Churchill Building D. Palo Alto, California Bid Submission: Proposals must be received at the District Facilities Office building D, by: 10:00 a.m. for WBS-4 on February 25th , 2011.

10:15 a.m. for WBS-5 on February 25th , 2011.

9%

10% 1%

revised budget

Farebox revenues

JPB member agencies

Operating grants

Parking, shuttles, rental, other

Other sources

Use of one-time funds 2011 2010 2009 2008 -

$6.2 million in rail-operator contract and fuel savings $3.7 million in fuel savings and $2 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant $6 million in operating savings $4.6 million; $3.8 million in rail-operator contract and fuel savings and $800,000 in excess fare revenue Source: Caltrain

On the verge of collapse?

Lack of dedicated funding source a major factor in rail line’s woes

D

espite Caltrain’s dire predicament, the passenger rail service is actually one of the best performing of the Bay Area’s transit options. According to a May 2010 Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) report, 47.4 percent of Caltrain’s 2009 fiscal-year revenue came from ticket sales.

By comparison, San Mateo County’s SamTrans bus service took in only 17.5 percent of its revenues from fares and Santa Clara’s Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) netted 14.2 percent. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) was the only transportation agency to outperform Caltrain, with 62.3 percent.

Caltrain also performed comparably to major U.S. commuter lines, according to the National Transportation Database. Its operating expenses ($12.62 per vehicle-revenue mile) were below those of major rail services in Virginia, Florida and Los Angeles, and its administrative costs,

at 5.9 percent, were less than half of the other three.

But unlike many other rail lines, Caltrain does not have a dedicated subsidy. In 1991, three Peninsula counties — San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Francisco — took over Caltrain after state transportation agency Caltrans decided it would no longer support a regional rail service.

Caltrain has received 43 percent of its total revenues in subsidies from the three counties’ transit agencies — SamTrans, VTA and San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) — in the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years.

In 2011, it’s budgeted to receive just 34 percent from those sources. Declines in state revenues, sales taxes and other funds that support bus and light-rail services have prompted SamTrans to lessen its contribution to Caltrain, from $14.7 million in fiscal year 2011 to $4.8 million for fiscal year 2012, which begins July 1. The other two agencies by

agreement would automatically reduce their subsidies to match SamTrans’ rate — from $14.1 million in 2011 to $4.6 million for 2012 for VTA and from $6.2 million to about $2 million for the MTA, according to a Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) report.

Last week, however, the VTA board discussed paying more to Caltrain if it could form an agreement with the other two agencies to fund more of their shares, Margaret Abe-Koba, VTA board chairwoman, said.

VTA does have the funds to pay its entire contribution, she said.

Another option is for the VTA to pay the $7.1 million it owes SamTrans for the right-of-way, with the proviso that the funds would all go to Caltrain, she said.

VTA is also looking at possibly paying its entire share — up to $16 million — in exchange for buying back service for Santa Clara County that Caltrain plans to cut, she said. The board will have further discussions on March 3.

That same day, the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board is scheduled to meet to consider service cuts and could vote to declare a fiscal emergency.

The broader question of funding, however, is both a historical and economic issue, according to Jessica Zenk, director of transportation policy for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

“It’s not our history (to consider subsidizing rail). Our transportation has been built around the car. It absolutely dictated our land uses and has made transit so much harder to retrofit compared to the type of grid of New York.

It’s absolutely a different animal,” Zenk said.

“We think of transit operations as subsidized because fares don’t cover them, but our roads are 100 percent subsidized with minor exceptions for things like bridges that have tolls. We never set up the system well to sustain itself,” she said. N — Sue Dremann

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Cover Story

Caltrain (continued from page 17)

WATCH IT ONLINE

www.PaloAltoOnline.com SEE MORE ONLINE See video interviews of regular Caltrain patrons who’d be impacted by the proposed rail-service cuts at Palo Alto Online.

hensive and integrated mass-transit system.

“Whether Caltrain survives is not an important question. Perhaps they shouldn’t, since the subsidized annual cost per daily rider exceeds $3,000. That’s calculated on the basis of a 40 percent farebox return.”

Engel does think there should be an effective, cost-effective commuter rail service on the Peninsula.

“It certainly doesn’t need to be heavy-rail, like the current rolling stock, since that’s a vestige of the freight-operator technology of yesteryear,” he said.

Part of the problem lies in Caltrain’s perception of itself, he said.

“They think they are in the railroad business, when they should understand that they are in the urban commuter mass-transit business.

There’s a huge difference in business models,” he said.

Caltrain focuses more on solving problems around fixed assets rather than on how to provide and coordinate service for its passengers, he said.

Engel said as an example, BART could take over Caltrain. A close integration and coordination would successfully link the two operators into one, he said. “That would mean a complete transit rail ‘spine’ ringing the Bay: single fare for any length trip; single financing model.” N — Sue Dremann

Is this any way to run a railroad?

Some in Silicon Valley believe it’s time for Caltrain to get a new business model or pull up stakes om Means, Mountain View City Councilman and San Jose State University economics professor, has harsh words for Caltrain proponents who are trying to stave off the decline of the commuter-rail service.

When the Silicon Valley Leadership Group recently asked the council for $2,000 to help fund its Jan. 21 “Save Caltrain” summit, council members turned the group down.

“They put on these dog-and-pony shows — ‘Let’s get together and do something!’” he said.

“My concern is they are going to throw bad money to fix something that can’t be fixed. What they don’t know how to deal with is how to run a profitable business. Caltrain is a company that has lots of passengers but can’t figure out how to be profitable. If these agencies think we can depend on public coffers to fix our debts, they’ll never fix the problem,” he said.

But there are private trains that are run successfully, he said. “You buy stock and get dividends. I’d like to see some people who have business

T

Veronica Weber

really replaces that if Caltrain goes away,” she said.

Cities throughout the Bay Area, Palo Alto included, face pressure from Association of Bay Area Government to plan for new housing to meet projected population growth.

Palo Alto would need to build 2,860 housing units by 2014.

Transit-oriented development, or TOD, is considered essential by the region’s city governments to achieving those goals.

Without Caltrain, “you are talking about taking the ‘T’ out of the TOD. That deeply frustrates and angers mayors. For 20 years, we were encouraged to build around Caltrain.

It betrays the trust (the mayors) had in Caltrain’s future. It puts in danger the investment developers put into TOD. And it undermines the political capital that city council members and mayors put on the table in championing walkable communities,” Kishimoto said.

From a commercial point of view, diminishing Caltrain lowers the value of real estate, which lowers property taxes cities get from new developments, according to Tony Carrasco, Palo Alto architect and Friends of Caltrain member.

In San Mateo County, cities have received millions of dollars in incentives for transit-oriented developments through the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County. Mixed-use developments of 40 units or more that are

within a half-mile of the train or a transit hub net $2,000 per unit for city transportation projects, Bigelow said. That money can be used flexibly for sprucing up neighborhood landscaping, adding lighting or fixing potholes.

The City of San Mateo received $750,000 for a 218-unit project near Caltrain. The same project applied for a similar grant through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

From both grants, the city netted a total $1.2 million, he said.

“That is repeated up and down the county,” Bigelow said. “Redwood City did a similar project. You don’t have to use general-fund money.”

Carrasco made a longer-term argument for keeping and expanding Caltrain.

Higher density housing leads to residents walking more to grocery stores, movies and doctors’ appointments, he said.

“That will be the issue for many Baby Boomers. On the flip side, younger people want to live in closer proximity to where they can walk to entertainment. Those lifestyle needs won’t change because Caltrain goes away,” he said. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be e-mailed at sdremann@paweekly. com.

backgrounds (running Caltrain),” he said.

Martin Engel, a Menlo Park highspeed-rail blogger, said Caltrain’s financial problems keep resurfacing.

“Before anything is done to help Caltrain, they have to get their house in order,” he said.

“Caltrain as an organization should be terminated. They should go bankrupt, go into receivership and be replaced with an entirely new management team, or better, restructured into a more compre-

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n n o e C c p t i o m n a C

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1ST PLACE

PREP WRESTLING

BEST SPORTS COVERAGE

It’s a chance to pin down more honors

California Newspaper Publishers Association

Sports Shorts

Gunn freshman heads into league finals after already winning a girls’ CCS title

COACH LEAVES . . . The Sacred Heart Prep girls’ basketball team is finishing the West Bay Athletic League season without head coach Lamont Quattlebaum, who left the team following the Jan. 29 game against Woodside for undisclosed reasons. Assistant coach Keith Halcovich was elevated to head coach on an interim basis. Halcovich has been in charge for three games, during which the Gators have gone 0-3.

Heading into Friday’s regularseason finale at home against Menlo School, SHP is 1-8 in the Foothill Division and 10-9 overall.

Sacred Heart Prep went 0-10 in league last season and 10-18 overall, reaching the semifinals of the Central Coast Section Division IV playoffs. Quattlebaum was in his second stint as head coach of the Gators, returning for the 200910 season after coaching the men’s basketball team at Canada College from 2004-08. His first stint at SHP started in 1997-98.

He coached the Gators to the CIF Division IV state title in 1999. In 2001-02, Quattlebaum made local history by coaching the Sacred Heart Prep boys’ and girls’ basketball teams at the same time.

He performed that duty again in 2002-03 and coached the boys in ‘04 before leaving for Canada College.

ON THE AIR Friday Prep basketball: Menlo-Atherton boys at Woodside, 7:45 p.m.; KCEA (89.1 FM).

Saturday Women’s basketball: Washington at Stanford, 2 p.m.; KZSU (90.1 FM) Men’s basketball: Stanford at Washington, 5:30 p.m.; Comcast Sports Net Bay Area; XTRA (860 AM); KZSU (90.1 FM)

Thursday Men’s basketball: UCLA at Stanford, 7:30 p.m.; Fox Sports Net; XTRA (860 AM); KZSU (90.1 FM)

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

Freshman Jamin Ball from Menlo School made his Stanford tennis debut in singles on Tuesday and won his match during a victory over visiting Utah as the Cardinal stayed unbeaten.

(continued on page 24)

STANFORD TENNIS

WATER POLO

Menlo grad Ball a winner in singles debut for Stanford

Playing just for fun will help injured player’s recovery

by Keith Peters rowing in Palo Alto, Jamin Ball couldn’t help but be close to the Stanford University tennis programs. Less than 10 minutes away from campus, Ball was more than a casual observer, especially when it came to the postseason.

“I always came out to the NCAA matches, when Stanford held the first and second rounds,” Ball said.

“I always wanted to go here . . . I visualized myself playing on these courts.”

Those dreams have become reality for Ball, a freshman on the Stanford men’s tennis team. The former Menlo School All-American made his collegiate debut in singles on Tuesday to help the nationally No. 8-ranked Cardinal (5-0) sweep visiting Utah, 7-0, in a nonconference match.

Currently No. 8 on the team’s ladder, Ball moved up to No. 6 singles for the Utah match when No. 1 and 3 singles players, Bradley Klahn and Ryan Thacher, had the afternoon off to play doubles at the SAP Open.

Klahn and Thacher won their opener at the Courtside Club in Los Gatos, 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 10-5, to reach the second round.

Ball took advantage of the opportunity and won his

by Keith Peters side from the women’s college season, water polo is taking a break until the summer season.

However, that won’t stop hundreds of players from playing on Sunday at Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center for a very good cause.

Over the Thanksgiving break, Stanford Water Polo Club member and St. Francis High student Caroline Hansen was involved in a terrible auto accident, a rollover on Highway 280 that initially left her in a coma.

Hansen is out of that coma and taking steps on the road to a hopeful recovery.

“She is doing great, but has SO far to go,” said Susan Ortwein of the Stanford Water Polo Club and the associate head coach of the Stanford University women’s team. “Obviously, she still has some medical issues, but she is able to stand some with some support. She’s working on speech therapy, but she can speak some.

G

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(continued on page 26)

A

Keith Peters

READ MORE ONLINE

G

Keith Peters

DIVING HONORS . . . Stanford divers Meg Hostage and Brent Eichenseer have swept the Pac10 Conference’s monthly diving awards, as each was named the conference’s top male and female diver for the month of January.

This past month, the Stanford senior won six of eight dual events and also took home top finishes in the one and three-meter events at the Bruin Invite. Eichenseer, meanwhile, won his first award, posting six wins in nine tries in January. The senior swept Arizona with wins in the one and three meter at Arizona and at Arizona State and also won the threemeter at the Bruin Invite.

by Keith Peters unn High freshman Cadence Lee is a pretty good soccer player, perhaps good enough to start on the Titans’ varsity this season. While Lee did try out and make the team, she never made it to the field. A decision changed all that.

“It was a really tough decision,” Lee said. “I just think wrestling is more unique. There are fewer girls and I thought it would set me apart from everyone else.”

That it did. Not only did the 103-pound Lee earn a starting role for the Titans this season, but she made some history, as well, by winning her weight division at the Central Coast Section Girls’ Wrestling Championships last weekend at Oak Grove High in San Jose.

Lee now will represent Gunn at the inaugural CIF State Championships in Lemoore on Feb. 25-26.

“My mentality is like CCS,” Lee said, regarding the state meet. “I have to go in thinking I’m going to win the whole thing.”

At CCS, Lee was unseeded in her 16-girl bracket but, after opening with a first-round bye, proceeded to pin her way through the tournament and become the first female wrestling champ in school history.

Although Gunn’s only entry, Lee’s pins and victory added up to enough points to give the Titans a 21stplace finish out of 51 teams that competed.

Lee won her match in the Round of 8 with a pin in just 41 seconds. She then pinned the No. 1 seed from Santa Teresa in 3:55 to advance to the finals, where she pinned the No. 3 seed from Branham in 3:59.

“I always have to have the mentality that whatever I go in, I’m going to win,” Lee said. “In wrestling, you have to have a certain confidence, and that really helped that I was going to be champion.”

Before the finals, Lee was one of two athletes who were presented with the CCS Sportsmanship Award for “Pursuing Victory With Honor.”

Palo Alto’s Jamin Bell celebrates his first college singles win.

(continued on next page)

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

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Will McConnell

Gunn High

Sacred Heart Prep

The freshman became the first female wrestler in school history to win a CCS title as she pinned three opponents, including the No. 1 and 3 seeds, to win the girls’ 103-pound title and earn a trip to the state meet.

The senior forward scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a win over King’s Academy and added 27 points and 14 boards to beat second-place Pinewood as the Gators opened a two-game lead in the WBAL basketball race.

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Honorable mention Takara Burse Eastside Prep basketball

Shamelia Clay Palo Alto basketball

Sydney Davis Palo Alto basketball

Drew Edelman Menlo basketball

Ahjalee Harvey* Eastside Prep basketball

Kendall Jager Sacred Heart Prep soccer

Davante Adams* Palo Alto basketball

Joseph Bolous* Sacred Heart Prep soccer

Lydell Cardwell Mid-Peninsula basketball

E.J. Floreal* Palo Alto basketball

Richard Harris Menlo basketball

Edgardo Molina Menlo-Atherton soccer * previous winner

To see video interviews of the Athletes of the Week, go to www.PASportsOnline.com

NO WORRIES.

Water polo

(continued from previous page)

She recognized us when we walked in and can have a small conversation. “I went a week ago and she has improved so much, just since then,� continued Ortwein. “She has had a lot of support with many of her teammates having been able to visit her. It is very inspiring. Today, she was able to read all the get-well notes our team wrote for her. Caroline is one strong person.�

The local water polo community will do its part to help Hansen in her recovery by hosting Sunday’s fundraising tournament from noon to 4 p.m. The event is called the C3 Tournament, for Caroline’s name and her cap number.

Each scrimmage will be 40 minutes long and is free and open to the public. Teams are coming from as far as Davis. Four Masters teams will be playing, along with some alumni teams, coaches and players from the Stanford Water Polo Club and Hansen’s teammates from St. Francis.

Former Menlo School and current Stanford women’s assistant coach Kyle Utsumi is planning on playing, in addition to coaxing some club coaches to do likewise.

At St. Francis, Hansen helped the

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Caroline Hansen Lancers win two Central Coast Section Division I water polo titles in addition to playing on the school’s basketball team. She is a veteran member of the Stanford Water Polo Club has competed in two USA 20-Under National Championships in addition to numerous Junior Olympics.

Hansen was seriously injured in a multiple-car pileup in late November.

Hansen scored a goal in the Lancers’ 6-5 loss to Menlo-Atherton in the CCS Division I championship game on Nov. 20. She was a firstteam all-WCAL selection this past season.

For further information, contact Susan Ortwein at sortwein@stanford.edu (725-9016) or Kyle Utsumi at kyleutsumi@gmail.com. N

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Sports PRO FOOTBALL

Kehillah Jewish High School 7th Annual Fundraising Gala Featuring Will Durst

Albert and Janet Schultz Cultural Arts Hall at the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life We hope you will join us in supporting outstanding contemporary Jewish education.

For tickets, sponsorship information, or to donate an auction item, please contact Juliette Goldman at 650.213.9600 or jgoldman@kehillah.org

KEHILLAH A CONTEMPORARY

JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL

w w w. ke h i l l a h . o r g Kehillah is a beneficiary of the Levine-Lent Family Foundation, Len & Vivian Lehmann, area Jewish Community Federations, and the Jim Joseph Foundation.

BE GOOD

Paly grad Peter Hansen is settling in with his NFL dream team

by Keith Peters but this one has me very excited!” hen Peter Hansen sat down Hansen, 31, is the 49ers’ defensive with his father, Earl, last assistant/quality control coach.

Sunday to watch Green Bay “He is doing basically the same and Pittsburgh battle in the Super thing that he was doing at Stanford,” Bowl, it perhaps was said Earl Hansen, Palo a bit more meaningful Alto High’s head footthan just a father-son ball coach and athletic get together. director. “He’s helping Peter Hansen has Fangio. That’s pretty more of a vested inneat.” terest in the National Peter Hansen spent Football League now the past two years as a that he’s a member defensive assistant on of the San Francisco the Stanford football 49ers’ coaching staff. coaching staff, working “I’m fired up to be closely with defensive there,” Hansen said. “I coordinator Vic Fangio, grew up with one favor- Peter Hansen who accepted that same ite team and that’s the Niners. I’ve position with the Niners after Jim known this profession is unpredict- Harbaugh was hired as head coach. able so I’ve been open to any path, Hansen will perform similar duties

W

Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 6pm

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to your heart.

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with the Niners while helping with film breakdown, scouting reports and practice preparation. He had previously served as a strength-andconditioning intern for the Cardinal, in 2008.

Earl got word of Peter’s new job three weeks ago when Peter called Earl at Paly and said: “I’m a 49er.”

“Harbaugh had called him and then handed the phone to Fangio, who explained what he would do,” Earl Hansen related. “He (Peter) knows the defense better than anyone but Fangio. They (the 49ers) are going to run the same defense they ran at Stanford.”

Peter Hansen was assured of keeping his job at Stanford by new Cardinal head coach David Shaw, had Hansen wanted to stay.

Hansen was an assistant coach under his father at Palo Alto High for four seasons (2004-07), working primarily with the Vikings’ tight ends and defensive ends. He also served as the team’s defensive coordinator during the 2006 and 2007 campaigns.

A two-sport athlete at the University of Arizona, the 6-foot-8 Hansen majored in economics and played both football and basketball.

Hansen played professional football for the Cannes Iron Mask in Cannes, France, in 2003, and later played professional basketball for Club Falcon in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the 2003-04 season.

A Palo Alto native who still lives in town, Hansen attended Palo Alto High and played football for his father. N

Sports

SHP boys just a win away from soccer title; M-A misses opportunity Palo Alto girls can win SCVAL De Anza Division basketball title by beating Gunn on Friday night; Paly boys can clinch co-title with a win

by Rick Eymer he Menlo-Atherton boys’ soccer team lost a golden opportunity to control its own destiny in the PAL Bay Division race. Sacred Heart Prep, however, did not.

That means only one of the teams will be playing for a league championship on Friday. That team is Sacred Heart Prep.

Getting a little unexpected help, the Gators moved to within one victory of clinching the West Bay Athletic League title with a 4-1 triumph over visiting Menlo School on Wednesday. The Gators (10-0-1, 15-0-1) now have 31 points and need only to beat visiting Eastside Prep on Friday (3:30 p.m.) to wrap up the division crown.

Second-place Priory (8-3) was upset by King’s Academy (7-1-3) on Tuesday, 2-1, and both those teams are tied for second with 24 points with three matching remaining. The best they can do is finish with 33 points. One more win for the Gators will give them 34 points.

SHP sophomore Joseph Bolous scored two goals to pace the win over Menlo, which mirrored the teams’ first meeting, also a 4-1 win

by SHP. Marcelino Perez and Robert Ojeda added the other goals, with Ojeda providing an assist.

“I felt like we deserved a lot more goals, but the (Menlo) goalkeeper (Tommy Costa) made good saves,” said SHP coach Armando Del Rio. “Overall, we played pretty well at home. However, we were disappointed to give up a soft goal at the end of the game. My goal right now is to keep the team sharp, disciplined, focused for what is to come in CCS. Although, we still have not guaranteed our spot.”

In Portola Valley, Priory (8-3, 9-5-4) lost a chance to delay SHP’s possible title celebration by falling to King’s Academy (7-1-3). Priory coach Paul Moran said his team came out flat in the first half and fell behind 1-0 in the first 10 minutes.

Evan Filipczyk provided the assist on Austin Mirabella’s tying goal in the second half, but King’s picked up their tempo and scored the winning goal midway through the second half.

Menlo-Atherton coach Jacob Pickard, meanwhile, was less then pleased by how his team responded to Wednesday’s challenge and looks to get back on track with three matches remaining.

“At this point, our CCS seeding doesn’t matter,” Pickard said after the Bears dropped a 2-1 decision to host Burlingame on Wednesday.

“Our hope was to win the league, get a high seed and a first-round bye. That’s not going to happen.”

M-A (8-2-1, 10-3-2) handled the Panthers the last time around but a bad-luck loss to Terra Nova cost the Bears the chance to open an edge on the rest of the league. M-A plays host to the Tigers at 3 p.m. Friday.

“I’m deeply disappointed with our effort,” Pickard said. “Everything Burlingame did, pressuring us in the middle, getting an early goal, we practiced against. We lacked com-

T

munication.”

The Panthers (9-1-1, 13-2-4) scored an unassisted goal in the first five minutes on an apparent miscommunication between a defender and goalkeeper Jonathan Friedman, who was calling for the ball but appeared to hesitate slightly.

No one was guarding the net when Burlingame’s Andy Gonzalez chipped the ball over everyone’s heads. All anyone could do was watching helplessly as the ball dribbled across the line and to the back of the net in the lower left corner.

“We did not play well for 60 minutes,” Pickard said. “No offense to Burlingame because they played well but I sincerely feel we handed them the game.”

Edgardo Molina scored M-A’s only goal, with 20 minutes remaining. The scoring play rejuvenated the Bears and they went back on the attack in an attempt to tie the game.

Daniel Gil created a scoring opportunity in the final five minutes, which ended when William Cabral’s header was scooped up by the Burlingame goalie.

Cedric Brossard started the Bears’ scoring play when he won the ball and sent an outlet pass to Thomas Kaheli, who found the open Molina.

In the SCVAL De Anza Division, host Palo Alto remained in fourth

place and in danger of missing the Central Coast Section playoffs following a 0-0 deadlock with Los Gatos (1-4-5) on Wednesday.

The Vikings (3-0-7, 7-2-8) missed an opportunity to move into third place, where Paly needs to finish in order to gain an automatic berth into the CCS playoffs. Mountain View continues to lead with 26 points with Saratoga second (20 points) and Los Altos third with 17. Paly has 16 with tough matches remaining at Los Altos (Friday) and at home against Mountain View (Wednesday).

Palo Alto has to beat Los Altos and get no worse than a draw with Mountain View to tie LA for third place. If Saratoga loses its last match, there could be a three-way tie for second between Los Altos, Paly and the Falcons -- all with 20 points.

While their offense faltered, the Vikings’ defense of junior Gerritt van Zyll, senior Austin Smith plus sophomores Peter Laminette and Grant Shorin kept Los Gatos scoring threats to a minimum. Paly keeper Austin Shiau needed only one save in the match.

Boys’ basketball First-place Palo Alto (8-1, 15-6) can clinch at least a co-championship in the SCVAL De Anza Division by beating host Gunn (6-4, 14-7) on Friday night at 7:45 p.m.

Palo Alto Unified School District 25 Churchill Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306

January 28, 2011

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

The Vikings have a two-game lead over Homestead (7-3) and Cupertino (6-3) with three to play. A victory over the Titans means Paly can win the division outright by beating visiting Los Gatos on Tuesday night.

Gunn played itself out of title contention by dropping a 42-49 overtime decision to host Cupertino on Tuesday night. Gunn senior Matt Redfield led the way with 20 points while fellow seniors Jack Hannan and Anthony Cannon added 10 apiece.

Girls’ basketball Gunn kept its hopes alive of possibly tying for the SCVAL De Anza Division title by defeating host Wilcox on Tuesday night, 41-34. The Titans (8-2, 16-4) remain in second place behind Palo Alto (9-0, 16-4), which can claim the crown outright by beating host Gunn on Friday (6:15 p.m.). Cat Perez had 11 points for Gunn while Claire Klausner added nine.

Please be advised the Planning and Transportation Commission (P&TC) shall conduct a meeting at 6:00 PM, Wednesday, February 23, 2011 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 Hearing: 1.

The Palo Alto Unified School District is inviting qualification information from Contractors to provide General Construction Services for three upcoming construction projects.

PQ 11-02 Gunn High School New Gymnasium: Construction of a new Gymnasium and remodeling of the existing Gym. Construction estimate is $9.6 mil.

PQ 11-03 Palo Alto High School New Classroom & Media Arts: Construction of a new Classroom building and a new Media Arts building. Construction estimate is $23.3 mil.

There will be a MANDATORY pre-qualification conference on Tuesday, February 15, 2011, at 9:00 am, at 25 Churchill Avenue, Building “D” Palo Alto, California 94306. The three prequalification packages and projects will be discussed.

All responses to this RFQ must be received no later than 2:30 P.M. Tuesday, March 1st. Interested firms shall submit their Qualifications as described within the prequalification package: Palo Alto Unified School District Facilities Department 25 Churchill Avenue, Building “D” Palo Alto, CA 94306 Attn: Alex Morrison Questions regarding these three Requests for Qualifications (“RFQs”) may be directed via fax to Alex Morrison at 650-327-3588.

These are not requests for bids or offers by the District to contract with any party responding to these RFQ’s. The District reserves the right to reject any and all responses. All materials submitted to the District in response to this RFQ shall remain property of the District and may be considered a part of public record.

Girls’ soccer Gunn perhaps kept its slim postseason hopes alive with a 2-1 victory over visiting Monta Vista on Wednesday evening. The Titans improved to 3-5-3 in league (8-6-5 overall) with their second straight victory, only the third time this season that Gunn has won back-to-back matches.

Sarah Robinson scored in the first half for Gunn, which got the winner from Holly McKenna following intermission. N

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING of the Palo Alto Planning & Transportation Commission

MULTIPLE NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS PALO ALTO AND GUNN HIGH SCHOOLS

PQ 11-01 Gunn High School New Classroom Buildings A&B: Construction of two new Classroom buildings. Construction estimate is $18.8 mil.

Meanwhile, Eastside Prep and Pinewood remained deadlocked for first place in the WBAL Foothill Division following lopsided victories on Tuesday.

In Atherton, Eastside Prep (8-1, 17-6) romped to a 61-31 victory over Sacred Heart Prep (1-8, 10-9) while Pinewood (8-1, 17-5) drubbed visiting Menlo School, 83-56, in Los Altos Hills.

488 University Avenue: Request by Christopher Fowler, on behalf of University President Associates LLC and AT&T, for an amendment to an existing Conditional Use Permit [99-CUP-53] and staff level Architectural and Historic Review for the addition of two wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) antennas mounted to the front façade of the Hotel President. Zone District: CD-C(GF)(P). Historic Designation: Category II. Environmental Assessment: Exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act per Section 15301 and 15331.

Study Session: 2.

Study session to receive Commission’s input and direction to Staff and consultants to proceed toward a draft plan which will include policy, funding, implementation strategies for the updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan. The consultant, Alta Planning + Design will present their preliminary findings of existing conditions and needs assessment.

Other Items: 3.

Update Regarding Sustainable Communities Strategy and Housing Needs Assessment.

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, Director of Planning and Community Environment

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Palo Alto junior Kalen Gans (top) will be among the favorites for the 160-pound division title at Saturday’s SCVAL Championships at Wilcox High. The Vikings also are in the running for the team title.

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This marks both the first time Gunn has had an entry in the girls CCS Championships for wrestling and Gunn’s first champion in this event.

Lee is 15-4 overall this season, with eight pins, and 5-0 in duals. She won her match, 8-0, during a 36-33 victory over Fremont last week as Gunn wrapped up the SCVAL El Camino Division dual-meet title.

“She ranks sixth on my team for team points,” said Gunn coach Chris Horpel. “She had a strong judo background coming in, so it was no surprise that she was this good right off the bat. Her brother, Blaze Lee, is my starter at 140 pounds.”

Horpel has known Cadence since she went out for wrestling as a seventh-grader at Terman Middle School.

“She never lost in middle school,” Horpel said, “and lost (only) her first matches this year in tournaments.”

The Gunn and Palo Alto wrestling teams will be in action this weekend when the SCVAL Championships are held at Wilcox High, Friday and Saturday. Menlo-Atherton, meanwhile, will compete at the Peninsula Athletic League Championships at Burlingame on Saturday.

Horpel isn’t quite sure how his team will fare against the upper De Anza Division wrestlers.

“It’s really hard to tell.” He said.

“I think we will have a fair number of CCS qualifiers, but with 15 teams, a lot of them teams we did not see much of this year.”

One sure bet for Gunn is senior Stefan Weidemann at 154 pounds.

He’s undefeated this season.

“Our second-best bet to win a league title is our 119-pounder, Eric Cramer. I think we have about seven solid wrestlers right now.”

While Cadence Lee will be in action for Gunn in the league finals, where she places won’t have any bearing on CCS, since girls aren’t allowed to wrestle at the boys’ section finals.

Meanwhile, Palo Alto coach Dave Duran is a bit more optimistic after finishing 5-1 during the De Anza Division dual-match regular season.

“We are still hoping for a threeway tie,” he said. “If Cupertino can defeat Los Gatos (on Thursday night), all three of us will be 5-1.

If that does happen, I believe the team that finishes the highest at league finals will be the dual-meet champion. With that being said, it looks like a three-team race for the 15-team tournament championship — Palo Alto, Cupertino and Los Gatos.

“Cupertino is the favorite. They have the best tournament team in the league. They have six or seven wrestlers that are big-point scorers.

LG has five point scorers; we have our share, as well.”

Paly’s best bets to challenge for honors are Kalen Gans (160), Nick Ortiz (125), Joey Christopherson (119) and Trent Marshall (130).

“All placed multiple times this season,” Duran said. “They all have the potential to win the league . . .

Sophomore Erik Anderson has been improving every week and will do some damage at 171 pounds. Junior Ryan Oshima (154) is back from surgery (August). He is extremely dangerous. People do not want to wrestle him. He has state potential.

“We will need our young wrestlers to come back through the wrestle backs. If we can get those wrestlers

in the third- and fifth-place matches, we can win the tournament.”

At the PAL championships at Burlingame, Menlo-Atherton will have its hands full after breezing through the PAL Ocean Division for the second straight season.

“League finals will be interesting,” said M-A coach Peter Wright.

“We will only have 8-9 wrestlers competing at the varsity level, so the team finish is not all that important to us (although I would love to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish). We have some wrestlers where winning two matches this weekend would be a big step. But, that being said, every one of the varsity wrestlers is expecting/hoping to place and won’t be happy settling for just a win or two.

“We have three or four contenders for a league title, and a couple others that could pull out a shocker. Andre Delagnes, at 119, is a strong contender (dare I say, favorite) to win the weight class as is Koji Kameda at 152. A pair of brothers, Anthony and Dino Andrighetto, will likely place and have an outside chance to each win a league title at 103 and 125, respectively. And Austin Escobedo is returning from injury looking to improve on his fourthplace finish at 215 last year.”N

Butch Garcia

Wrestling

Gunn freshman Cadence Lee (bottom) won the 103-pound title at the Girls’ CCS Wrestling Championships last weekend.

Sports

Stanford women’s basketball closing in on all-time homecourt winning streak

by Rick Eymer

T

he Stanford women’s basketball team must feel invincible whenever it’s within sight of Maples Pavilion. After all, the third-ranked Cardinal (11-0, 20-2 entering Thursday night’s game against Washington State) has won 56 consecutive home games, the second-longest in school history.

The Stanford record is 59 in a row, accomplished from Nov. 25, 1994, through March 14, 1998. Saturday’s 2 p.m. contest against visiting Washington could bring the Cardinal within one of tying its mark.

Stanford tied its own Pac-10 record with Saturday’s 91-61 victory over Arizona in Tucson, the 48th in a row against Pac-10 competition (includes Pac-10 tournament games), matching the mark first set from Feb. 9, 1995 to Jan. 12, 1998.

Stanford’s last loss to Pac-10 competition was on Jan. 18, 2009, a 5754 loss to California in Berkeley.

Against the Wildcats, Nnemkadi Ogwumike had a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds, senior guard Jeanette Pohlen led the Cardinal with 17 points while going 5-for-9 on 3-pointers, and handing out eight assists.

Lindy La Rocque went 4-of-8 from behind the arc and scored a career-high 14 points, while Kayla Pedersen (14 points) and Chiney Ogwumike (11) also reached double figures.

Stanford had won all 51 previous meetings heading in Thursday night’s game against the Cougars.

Washington State (5-6, 7-16) comes to Maples after recording its first Pac-10 sweep in 10 years.

Pohlen had 499 career assists heading into Thursday night’s contest. She’s set to join Jennifer Azzi, Sonja Henning and Nicole Powell as the only members of Stanford’s “1,000-400-500” Club, making her one of only four players in Cardinal history to have accumulated at 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 500 assists in her career.

Stanford plays five of its next seven games at home.

Men’s basketball Stanford meets Washington in Seattle on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in a Pac-10 contest.

The Cardinal (5-6, 12-10) met host Washington State Thursday night.

Stanford has won two of nine road games this season, but beat the Huskies at Maples Pavilion on Jan. 13.

The Cardinal followed that game with a loss at home to the Cougars, which started a four-game slide.

Stanford is coming off an 8375 victory over Arizona State last Saturday, a game in which Jeremy Green scored a season-high 23 points and Josh Owens added 16 points.

Men’s volleyball Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play resumes Friday when fourth-ranked Stanford (5-2, 8-2) hosts UC San Diego at Maples Pavilion. The defending conference champion Cardinal is in fourth place in the 12-team conference.

Stanford returned home from snowy Chicago to conclude a travel odyssey of 9,227 miles that began on Jan. 20 and took the team to Hawaii, Los Angeles, back to Stanford, and off to Chicago during a sevenmatch in seven-cities tour.

“It’s been a great weekend and a great stretch for us,” Cardinal coach John Kosty said. “We’re not tired; we’re just getting into the heart of our season. We’re ready.”

Softball With the whole of the Stanford pitching staff returning, the Cardinal looks to build on its success when the season opens at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe Friday against Cal State Northridge.

Senior Ashley Chinn made 21 starts, including 14 of 19 down the stretch, to lead Stanford. Sophomores Teagan Gerhart and Jenna

Rich both gained experience during their rookie seasons.

Chinn has improved in each of her first three years. She won 12 games for the Cardinal last season, including four of her last six. She ended the year with a 3.17 ERA and career highs with 117 strikeouts and 128 innings pitched. Chinn’s 36 career wins rank ninth in school history, while her 310 career strikeouts rank fifth.

Gerhart, the younger sister of Stanford football record-holder Toby Gerhart, had her freshman year cut short with a season-ending injury. She’s at full strength, though stamina may not be at the same level. Her 1.65 ERA ranked sixth in the Pac-10, while her 173 total strikeouts were eighth last year. She struck out 173, the 10th best single season mark in school history. Gerhart threw 18 complete games with 11 shutouts, including a perfect game, two other no-hitters and a one-hitter, and finished with a 22-6 record.

Wrestling Stanford completes the regular season with a pair of Pac-10 home meets.

The Cardinal (2-2, 7-9-1) hosts Cal Poly on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Stanford will hold Senior Day on Sunday at 2 p.m. against Arizona State, both in Burnham Pavilion.

Women’s lacrosse Stanford won’t have to play its way into the NCAA tournament this year. A Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament title means an automatic bid into the postseason.

The Cardinal, which opens its season Saturday with a home match against Notre Dame at 11 a.m., looks to build on its best season ever when it was ranked eighth in the nation at one point and gained admittance to the first round of the NCAA tournament for the second time in school history. N

Klahn enjoys short stay in SAP Open Stanford junior loses in the first round of singles in pro tour stop

by Rick Eymer radley Klahn was motivated.

The crowd, all of his teammates and more than a handful of frat buddies, was behind him and he was playing tennis in a professional venue.

“They’re used to the dual meets where you can make a lot of noise,” Klahn said smiling. “They like to have some fun. It was a great crowd.”

The Stanford junior won a few points but ultimately fell to the world’s No. 12 player, Gael Monfils of France, 6-2, 6-2, in the first round of the SAP Open at HP Pavilion in San Jose on Wednesday night.

“At this stage it’s all about taking away any positives,” Klahn said. “I try to learn as much as I can from these guys and soak in as much as I

B

can as I continue to get better with each new experience.”

Klahn and Monfils are no strangers. They played against each other in a doubles match at the U.S. Open last September. It was Klahn’s reward for winning the NCAA singles championship.

“I had to be ready to play,” Monfils said. “Here he was with his buddies and he was pumped.”

Monfils moves on to play qualifier Robert Kendrick in the second round. Klahn, ranked 792nd, got another opportunity to play with doubles partner Ryan Thacher against Alejandro Falla and Xavier Malisse on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals.

They won’t have to worry about playing against BYU on Friday though, as that match has been postponed to later in the season.

They could, however, face a conflict against Stanford’s match at Cal on Saturday.

After winning Tuesday night, Klahn didn’t have much time to enjoy the victory. He had to rush back to campus and deliver a talk to his public speaking class.

“I had to make Ryan drive so I could pull up the speech on my computer and try to memorize it,” he said. “It was hard to switch mindsets from playing in a big professional tournament back to the classroom in a hour. I took some heat for that one.”

The Stanford doubles team earned 45 tour points for reaching the quarterfinals and could double that with a win Thursday.

The prize money, minus expenses, will have to be returned so they can keep their amateur status. N

Ginny J. Wen Financial Advisor 2775 Sand Hill Road, Suite 120 Menlo Park

650.926.7142 ginny.wen@morganstanley.com www.fa.smithbarney.com/ginnywen © 2010 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC NY CS 6341062 BC007 07/10 GP10-01505P-N06/10

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benefiting art in action

Celebrating Art & Creativity Experience Local Artists at Work Bid on Unique Art Tours and Original Art Enjoy Lunch with Friends Guest Speaker: Sculptor Fletcher Benton Honorees: Goodstein Foundation, Fran Eastman, Edward Goodstein

Monday, March 7, 2011

11 am - 2 pm Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club, Menlo Park $85, $75 before 2/14/11

For reservations and information 650.566.8339 x202 • www.artinaction.org Benefit for Art in Action’s art education programs This space donated as a community service by

SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2011

15th Annual Juana Run A fun family and competitive road race with events for all ages. A complimentary pancake breakfast for all 8K participants immediately follows the race.

EVENTS:

UÊn Ê>ÌÊn\ÎäÊ> ]Ê£ iÊ££\£äÊ> UÊ `ÃÊÀ>ViÃÊ£ÉÓÊ> `Ê£É{Ê iÊ­}À>`iÃÊ* x®Ê£ä\ääÊ> Ê >««À Ý°ÊiÛiÀÞÊ£äÊ ÕÌià LOCATION: Juana Briones Elementary School, Palo Alto PARKING: Gunn High School (780 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto) CONTACT: Juana Run, 3530 Whitsell St., Palo Alto, CA 94306 RACE HOTLINE: (650) 599-3434 ON-LINE REGISTRATION: www.JuanaRun.org EMAIL: juanarun@aol.com COST: 8K race $25 before 2/14/2011; $30 before 3/4/2011; $35 race day 1-mile race $15 before 2/14/2011; $20 before 3/4/2011; $25 race day Kids races $10 before 2/14/2011; $13 before 3/4/2011; $15 race day

Entry includes a t-shirt, finisher ribbon (kids), age group prizes, raffle and free food and drink. Scholarships are available for kids races.

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debor ah’s palm Steppin' Out for Ecumenical Hunger Program Island Style at TRADER VIC'S 4261 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Saturday, March 5th 6:00 pm-10:30 pm For 35 years, EHP has provided emergency food, clothing, furniture and other safety-net resources to families in need in the local community. Support EHP’s critical programs by joining us for an evening of delicious food, live entertainment, and exciting array of auction items!

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first career dual-match in singles, 6-1, 5-7, 10-8, over Utah freshman Garrett LaBarre.

“I’ve never played No. 6 singles before,” said Ball, who played even higher during his freshman year at Menlo. “This was the first time.”

Ball breezed in the first set but nerves eventually set in.

“Yeah,” he said about being nervous, “just because I have a lot to prove on this team.”

Ball got a little tight in the second set and fell behind, 4-1.

“I was pretty tense and nervous,” he said, “but when you’re losing, there’s no reason to be tight anymore.”

Ball battled back and held serve to get it to 5-5 before losing the next two points. With the outcome of the team match already decided, Ball headed into a 10-point super-tiebreaker. He made a nice half-volley to go ahead at 9-6 before winning it two points later.

“I played pretty solid in the tiebreaker,” Ball said. “I definitely was nervous. It’s a lot different playing college tennis.”

While Ball played in a number of big events during his high school career — he helped Menlo win the National High School All-American Boys Invitational Team Tournament last season in addition to Central Coast Section and NorCal titles as the Knights finished 27-0 — college is different.

“Every match is like a national team coming in,” Ball said. “Plus, you have the reputation at Stanford and you have to live up to it.”

This season is perhaps the most important for the Stanford men since 2006, the last time the combined NCAA championships were held at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium.

The Cardinal men and women will host the nationals again, beginning May 19.

Ball remembers the 2006 event, how crazy it was with all the fans and their cheering. The Georgia men won the NCAA crown last season playing at home in front of their fans. Ball hopes the Cardinal men will have a similar opportunity.

They haven’t won an NCAA title since 2000.

“We’re definitely a contender this year,” he said. “We want to be a topfour seed, and just see where it goes.

All the guys are working hard and are ready.”

Ball would love to be playing and contributing at that time of the season, but understands his role.

“I’m just hoping to work my way up the ladder here,” he said. “I’d definitely love to play in the stadium sometime in my career.”

To do that, Ball will have to be one of the top three singles players or on one of the three doubles teams. He’s certainly getting the competition to improve.

“All these guys, bottom to top, are great,” Ball said. “I’m hitting every day with some of the best players in the country. That can only make you better.”

15th Anniversary FOUNDATION FOR A COLLEGE EDUCATION

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Be inspired by keynote speakers Cornel West and Miriam Rivera in conversation on the topic: “Access, Success, Impact: How low-income students of color succeed in college and beyond.”

Garden Court Hotel, Palo Alto Saturday, March 5th 6pm Cocktail Reception 7 pm Dinner and Program Complimentary valet parking

Memorial Auditorium Saturday March 5th, 1:00-2:30pm Students: $5 General Admission: $15

Speakers: Cornel West & Miriam Rivera Honorees: Joanna and L.W. “Laurie” Liston, Bernard A. Newcomb Foundation, Stephen Player Master of Ceremonies: State Senator Joe Simitian

For more information: 650.322.5048 or www.CollegeFoundation.org

Stanford will visit No. 18 Cal on Saturday before hosting Fresno St. on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Friday’s home match against BYU was postponed to later in the season.

Ball likely will be back in a spectator’s role for a while, providing vocal support while waiting his turn to contribute — like senior Alex Clayton did Tuesday.

After helping win the doubles point, Clayton played No. 1 singles for only the second time since his All-American sophomore season and cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 victory after sophomore Denis Lin had given the Cardinal a 2-0 lead with a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles. Senior Greg Hirschman officially wrapped things up with a 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles. Sophomore Walker Kehrer won his first career dual match in singles at No. 5, 6-4, 6-1, before Ball walked off the court a winner for the first time while his mother, Angie, and Menlo School assistant coach David Wermuth watched.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Ball said of the college life. “I’m definitely enjoying it.”

Women’s tennis Top-ranked and defending NCAA champion Stanford was favored to make visiting SMU the latest notch on the team’s record-breaking homecourt winning streak on Thursday.

The Cardinal, which took a 4-0 record into the nonconference match, won its 168th straight homecourt dual match last weekend by dominating No. 4 UCLA, 5-2.

Senior Hilary Barte won her match at the top of the singles ladder to clinch the nonconference win.

“I feel like I’m playing the best I ever have,” the nationally No. 5-ranked Barte said after her 6-4, 6-1 win over McCall Jones. “I’m just having more fun, and I’m physically and mentally stronger.”

That certainly didn’t come as good news to the Bruins (4-2), who entered play ranked fourth in the nation and were coming off a 4-3 loss a day earlier at No. 8 California.

After winning the doubles point, Stanford made quick work of UCLA. Barte’s win extended The Streak, the longest homecourt winning streak in NCAA Division I history in any sport. The streak spans 12 years, seven national championships and nine national championship match appearances.

The Cardinal has not lost at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium since a 5-4 setback against No. 4 California back on Feb. 27, 1999.

“We don’t talk about it,” Barte said. “But, it speaks a lot about the program.”

Stanford sophomore Mallory Burdette returned to action after missing a pair of matches with shoulder problems. She paired with Barte to help win the doubles point and was first off the court in singles with a 6-0, 6-1 decision playing at No. 4 singles.

Freshman Nicole Gibbs won at No. 3 singles in straight sets just ahead of Barte’s clinching victory.

Cardinal freshman Kristie Ahn won at the No. 2 singles position.

“It’s still early in the season,” Barte said of the importance of the win, “but we can take it as a lot of confidence.” N

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

Clockwise from left: Alexandra LoBianco gets fearsome as the princess Turandot; David Gustafson as Calaf and Liisa Dávila as Liù; Emmanuel Franco, Michael Mendelsohn and Michael Desnoyers play a trio of royal advisors.

Epic Puccini W e s t B ay O pe r a ta k e s on ‘ T u r a n d o t ’

by Mort Levine | photos by Veronica Weber

“A

n intimate opera on an epic scale” is the way West Bay Opera’s charismatic general director, José Luis Moscovich, characterizes the monumental Puccini creation “Turandot.” His company will tackle the opera for two weekends beginning Friday, Feb. 18, at Palo Alto’s Lucie Stern Theatre.

This is the first time West Bay has presented “Turandot” in its 55 seasons. As with the other two operas in the season, “Turandot” is a company premiere.

Now in his fifth year as the head of the Palo Alto-based company,

Moscovich has a significant challenge as conductor of the rich, diverse score. In composing, Puccini threw off the romantic and gritty verismo tradition of his earlier successes. Instead, he ventured into an exploration of writing that has elements of atonality, Chinese pentatonic themes, echoes of Wagner and Stravinsky, and even jazz riffs of the early 1920s, when the opera was written.

Puccini died after composing all but the final scene, and the Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini had it completed by composer Franco Alfano from sketches left by Puccini. (continued on page 28)

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Clockwise from top: Liisa Dávila as the slave Liù with Adam Paul Lau as the dying, deposed king Timur; Alexandra LoBianco singing the aria “In questa reggia”; David Gustafson playing the heroic Timur; conductor José Luis Moscovich leading the chorus.

BRENTANO STRING QUARTET SUN / FEB 13 / 2:30 PM / DINKELSPIEL AUDITORIUM “The Brentanos are a magnificent string quartet….This was wonderful, selfless music making.” —The Times (London) Beethoven, Renaissance works, and more from Princeton University’s acclaimed resident quartet.

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TICKETS: livelyarts.stanford.edu | 650-725-ARTS Page 28 • February 11, 2011 • Palo Alto Weekly

Turandot

(continued from page 27)

“Turandot” is rarely staged, perhaps because it usually aspires to be the grandest of grand opera requiring unlimited budgets. The West Bay interpretation is expected to rely more on nuance, subtlety and the opera’s innate fated triangle of an icy repressed Princess Turandot; Liù, a tragic slave girl who cares for the dying deposed king Timur; and Prince Calaf, the heroic but insensitive son of Timur.

Almost equally important musically and dramatically is a trio of comedians in the old commedia dell’arte tradition: Ping, Pang and Pong, ministers to Turandot’s father, the Emperor Altoum.

Puccini took the story of “Turandot” from a tale by 1700s storyteller Carlo Gozzi. Driven by a hatred of men, Turandot will consent to marry only a man who can answer three riddles.

Many overconfident suitors literally lose their heads before Calaf’s arrival.

He successfully answers all three, but generously allows her to be free of her pledge by guessing his name. A nationwide search ensues while no one

sleeps,” the famous “Nessun dorma” tenor aria sung by Calaf. Turandot finally discovers she is transformed by the hero, and admits she has succumbed to the power of love.

The title role requires a barn-burner of a soprano with Wagnerian power. In this production, the princess is played

by Alexandra LoBianco, whose performance of the “Turandot” aria “In questa reggia” helped her win the 2011 Liederkranz Foundation Vocal Competition in New York.

Calaf will be sung by tenor David Gustafson, with Liù sung by lyric soprano Liisa Dávila. Bass Adam Paul Lau, winner of the 2010 Henry and Maria Holt Scholarship Award, plays the dying Timur, the moral center of the opera.

Ping, Pang and Pong are sung by baritone Emmanuel Franco, tenor Michael Desnoyers and tenor Michael Mendelsohn. The cast also features Ken Malucelli, Matthew Lovell, Ernest Alvarez, Megan Cullen, Emily Pelc and nine members of the Ragazzi boys’ chorus augmenting the West Bay chorus.

David Cox, a veteran director and singer, is directing. The Chinese fantasy set is designed by Peter Cromp-

ton. Lighting is by Rob Anderson and the sound design is by Tod Nixon.

The orchestra will be supplemented with special doublings and unusual instruments such as Chinese gongs, glockenspiel and bass xylophone that will occupy space under the stage. ■ What: West Bay Opera presents the Puccini opera “Turandot” Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto When: Feb. 18 and 26 at 8 p.m., and Feb. 20 and 27 at 2 p.m.

Cost: Tickets are $35-$60, with group discounts available.

Info: Go to wbopera.org or call 650-424-9999.

SEE MORE ONLINE

www.PaloAltoOnline.com Weekly photographer Veronica Weber also shot video at a recent West Bay Opera rehearsal. To watch soprano Alexandra LoBianco singing the aria “In questa reggia,” go to PaloAltoOnline.com.

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From ‘startup’ to regional art center Director Thomas Seligman, retiring this year, has spearheaded dramatic growth and change at the Cantor Arts Center

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by Rebecca Wallace

n 1991, when Thomas K. Seligman became the first full-time director of the Stanford Museum, he joined what he called “a 100-year-old startup.�

The venerable museum had been closed since suffering damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Not only would the new director have to spearhead the rebuilding (and fundraising), he would have to ensure that the museum’s 25,000 works of art were kept safe in the process.

This was a different world from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, where Seligman had worked for two decades. “It was a leap of faith, I have to say,� Seligman said in a recent interview. “I had no idea if we would end up being able to rebuild the museum. At that time they weren’t even really talking about expanding.

They were just talking about trying to get it back up on its feet.�

But Seligman had longtime connections to the campus — he’d earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford in 1965 — and he saw an opportunity. “It had a terrific old building,� he said of the museum. “The bones of it were great. And it had a small but very loyal constituency.�

The museum reopened in 1999 as the expanded Cantor Arts Center, and today hosts 12 to 16 exhibitions a year, along with lectures, tours and other educational endeavors. Seligman has been at the helm all along, but this year will be his last as director; he’s announced his plans to retire at the end of 2011.

Seligman, a San Francisco resident, plans to continue doing research and teaching at Stanford, where he’s taught courses on art and identity, cultural property issues and museum governance.

He has also taught on African art, a major focus of his. Seligman, who describes himself as more of an anthropologist than an art historian, has spent a great deal of time living, working and traveling in Africa. He was in the Peace Corps in Liberia from 1968 to 1970, during which time he also worked as a curator and assistant university professor of art.

In addition, he’s made many research trips to the continent. His 2007 exhibition “Art of the Tuareg: Saharan Nomads in a Modern World� was the culmination of 20 years of research. The traveling exhibition headed to the Smithsonian Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., after its time at the Cantor.

Under Seligman’s leadership, the Cantor has also expanded its collection through many major acquisitions. Some pieces are purchased, but about 90 percent are gifts, Seligman said. They’ve included an Alexander Calder mobile, prints

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ed,� Hennessy said. “In many ways, his successes at the museum have set the stage for establishing a transformative Arts Initiative at Stanford, and he has our thanks.�

A university committee will soon oversee an international search for Seligman’s replacement.

When asked what advice he would give to young people aspiring to become museum directors or curators, Seligman said that the role of director has become more complicated over time. Besides being schooled in art, museum directors must handle legal, management and sometimes architectural issues. “I think I run a business that is called an art museum, and I have to run it in a business-like way,� Seligman said. “It’s never dull, but it is taxing.�

He added: “You must be passionate about and interested in and trained in art, and the history thereof. And you’ve got to go through complicated organizational experience. If you like all these things, then you’ll probably end up being a good museum director. If you hate most of the business and legal ... then you should be a curator.�

Seligman counts himself fortunate that he has gotten to play both roles, thanks to working in a supportive university environment. “I never gave up my research work and territorial work in Africa,� he said. “I didn’t have to.� N

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Thomas K. Seligman, retiring this year as director of the Cantor Arts Center, plans to continue doing research and teaching at the school. His course topics have included art and identity and cultural property issues. still life that at least one curator had been eyeing for years. That still life, “Goldfish and Autumn Leaves,� is now on exhibit in the museum’s recently renovated contemporary gallery.

Seligman’s philosophy on acquisitions is to work closely with Cantor curators to create a common framework of questions for judging works of art: What does our collection currently hold in this area? Is this piece right for us? How will our Stanford colleagues be able to use the piece in teaching?

It’s all a careful strategy. As an example, Seligman cited the sculptor Mark di Suvero. “We have two large Mark di Suveros already. If someone offered us a maquette of his, for example, we might say yes — we’re trying to show a breadth of works. But maybe not another large work of his.�

He added: “Museums used to be measured by quantity. I don’t care about quantity. I care about quality and unity. ... You’re trying to build a collection that’s purposeful.�

Overall, Stanford president John L. Hennessy said in a press release, the Cantor center has grown into “a source of tremendous pride� on campus under Seligman’s leadership. “During the 19 years of his tenure, the museum has been rebuilt, its holdings have been strengthened, and its education program expand-

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Movies

★ ★ ★ 2nd ANNUAL ★ ★ ★

Voice your opinion in the second annual Palo Alto Online Oscar Challenge. Go online to select your picks for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and the other major Oscar categories. The person with the most correct picks will WIN dinner and a movie for two ($75 value). The winner will be announced Monday, Feb. 28, and the deadline to enter is Sunday, Feb. 27, at 5 p.m. One entry per person.

Think you’ve got your ďŹ nger on the pulse of the Academy?

Well, then on with the show....

MOVIE TIMES

Gnomeo & Juliet ---

★

★★

VOTE ONLINE: www.paloaltoonline.com/oscars

Another Year (R) (((1/2

Aquarius Theatre: 2:30, 5:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Barney’s Version (R) (((

Guild Theatre: 2:30, 5:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Bedlam (1946)

Stanford Theatre: Thu. at 7:30 p.m.

Biutiful (R) ((1/2

Palo Alto Square: Fri., Sun.-Tue. & Thu. at 1:15, 4:30 & 8 p.m.; Sat. at 4:30 & 8 p.m.; Wed. at 1:15 p.m.

Black Swan (R) (((

Century 16: 11:30 a.m.; 2:15, 5, 7:40 & 10:15 p.m.

Century 20: 12:05, 2:45, 5:20, 7:55 & 10:30 p.m.

Blue Valentine (R) ((((

Century 16: 12:50, 4:10, 7:05 & 10:10 p.m.

The Body Snatcher (1945)

Stanford Theatre: Thu. at 6 & 9 p.m.

The Eagle (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 11:05 a.m.; 1:45, 4:25, 7:30 & 10:25 p.m. Century 20: 11:25 a.m.; 2:15, 4:55, 7:40 & 10:20 p.m.

The Fighter (R) ((1/2

Century 16: 12:40, 3:35, 6:50 & 9:35 p.m. Century 20: 11:55 a.m.; 2:40, 5:45 & 8:30 p.m.

From Prada to Nada (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 11:50 a.m. Century 20: 5, 7:35 & 10:10 p.m.; Fri. & Sun.-Thu. also at 11:45 a.m. & 2:25 p.m.

The Gang’s All Here (1943)

Stanford Theatre: Sat.-Mon. at 5:35 & 9:35 p.m.

The Girl from 10th Avenue (1935)

Stanford Theatre: Fri. at 6:10 & 9:20 p.m.

Gnomeo & Juliet (G)

Century 16: 11 a.m.; 1:20, 3:40, 6:10 & 8:30 p.m.; In 3D at 11:40 a.m.; 2:20, 4:30, 7 & 9:20 p.m. Century 20: 11:40 a.m.; 1:55, 4:10, 6:25, 8:35 & 10:45 p.m.; In 3D at 12:50, 3, 5:15, 7:30 & 9:45 p.m.; In 3D Sat. also at 10:35 a.m.

(((

The Green Hornet (PG-13) (1/2

Century 20: 4 & 9:55 p.m. (Sat. also at 10:20 a.m.); In 3D at 1:10 & 7:05 p.m.

Heaven Can Wait (1943)

Stanford Theatre: Sat.-Mon. at 7:30 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. also at 3:30 p.m.

The Illusionist (2011) (PG) (((

Aquarius Theatre: 3, 5, 7 & 9 p.m.

Just Go With It (PG-13)

Century 16: Fri.-Sun. at 11 a.m.; 12:30, 1:50, 3:30, 4:50, 7, 8, 9:50 & 10:45 p.m.; Mon.-Thu. at 11 a.m.; 12:30, 1:50, 3:30, 4:50, 7, 8:30 & 9:50 p.m. Century 20: 11:35 a.m.; 1, 2:20, 3:45, 5:05, 6:35, 7:50, 9:20 & 10:35 p.m.; Sat. also at 10:15 a.m.

(1/2

$

((

& ( '( " ( ! #( ( ( " ( % JEFF CRAIG, SIXTY SECOND PREVIEW

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (G) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Fri.-Sun. at 12:20, 2:50, 5:30, 8:20 & 10:55 p.m.; Mon.-Thu. at 12:20, 2:50, 5:30 & 8:30 p.m.; In 3D (Fri.-Thu.) at 11:20 a.m.; 2, 4:40, 7:20 & 9:55 p.m. Century 20: Fri 12:30, 3:05, 5:40, 8:10 & 10:40 p.m. (Sat. also at 10 a.m.); In 3D at 11:15 & 11:50 a.m.; 1:50, 2:25, 4:25, 5, 7, 7:35, 9:40 & 10:10 p.m.

The King’s Speech (R) (((1/2

Century 20: 11:25 a.m.; 2:10, 4:55, 7:45 & 10:25 p.m. Palo Alto Square: 1:30, 4:20 & 7:15 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. also at 10 p.m.

Marked Woman (1937)

Stanford Theatre: Fri. at 7:30 p.m.

The Mechanic (R) ((

Century 16: 2:30, 5:05, 7:45 & 10:20 p.m. Century 20: 1:05, 3:30, 5:50, 8:15 & 10:35 p.m.; Sat. also at 10:30 a.m.

The Metropolitan Opera: Palo Alto Square: Wed. at 6:30 p.m.

Boris Gudonov (Not Rated) (Not Reviewed)

The Metropolitan Opera: Nixon in China (Not Rated) (Not Reviewed)

Century 20: Sat. at 10 a.m. Palo Alto Square: Sat. at 10 a.m.

No Strings Attached (R) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 11:10 a.m.; 1:55, 4:35, 7:50 & 10:30 p.m. Century 20: 11:30 a.m.; 2, 4:50, 7:25 & 10:15 p.m.

RISE (PG) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Thu. at 8 p.m. Century 20: Thu. at 8 p.m.

The Rite (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 20: 2:30, 5:10, 8 & 10:45 p.m.

The Roommate (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Noon, 2:25, 4:55, 7:35 & 10:05 p.m.

Century 20: 12:25, 2:55, 5:30, 7:55 & 10:30 p.m.; Sat. also at 10:05 a.m.

Sanctum (R) (

Century 16: 12:10 & 3:10 p.m. (Fri.-Wed. also at 6:20 & 8:55 p.m.); In 3D at 1, 4, 7 & 9:45 p.m. Century 20: 11:15 a.m.; 1:50 & 4:30 p.m. (Fri.-Wed. also at 7:10 & 9:50 p.m.); In 3D at 12:15, 2:50, 5:25, 8:05 & 10:40 p.m.

Tangled (PG) (((

Century 20: Noon.

True Grit (PG-13) (((

Century 16: 11:25 a.m.; 2:10, 4:45, 7:25 & 10 p.m.

Century 20: 11:20 a.m.; 1:55, 4:35, 7:20 & 10 p.m.

( Skip it (( Some redeeming qualities ((( A good bet (((( Outstanding

IN THEATRES EVERYWHERE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11th CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATRE LOCATIONS AND SHOWTIMES !

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OPENINGS

Internet address: For show times, plot synopses, theater addresses, trailers and more information about films playing, go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com.

(Century 16, Century 20) Just when you thought you had seen every possible spin on Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet,� Hollywood plants something fresh in the cineplex: garden gnomes. This charming crowd-pleaser offers a more uplifting take on the Bard’s classic tragedy and features excellent animation, entertaining characters and ample humor.

On the verge of Valentine’s Day, there’s nothing sweeter than a little gnomance.

Two bitter neighbors on Verona Drive, Ms. Montague and Mr. Capulet, argue at every opportunity. Their only commonality is that both have lush, gorgeous gardens — and a smorgasbord of garden gnomes. But Montague’s blue gnomes and Capulet’s red gnomes are just as divided as their bickering owners. The blues are led by Lady Blueberry (voice of Maggie Smith) while the reds are run by Lord Redbrick (voice of Michael Caine).

Blueberry’s son Gnomeo (voice of James McAvoy) is a clever daredevil who engages in regular lawnmower races with brutish red gnome Tybalt (voice of Jason Statham). Gnomeo’s dislike of the reds seems boundless — until he sets eyes on Redbrick’s enchanting daughter, Juliet (voice of Emily Blunt). Gnomeo and Juliet’s serendipitous first meeting happens under the moonlight and the chemistry is palpable for both. Things are about to get very interesting on Verona Drive.

As Gnomeo and Juliet plan clandestine rendezvous in the abandoned yard across the alley, conflict quickly escalates between the red and blue gnomes. Attacks against the others’ gardens grow in intensity and brutality, culminating in a knock-down, drag-out war that threatens to rip both gardens to shreds. Love may be the only thing that can mend the broken fences, but we all know how the story of Romeo and Juliet ends ... don’t we?

Executive producer Elton John’s indelible stamp is all over this colorful family film. The music legend’s recognizable tunes are melodically splashed throughout and there are even a few quirky visual references, such as an energetic gnome sporting John’s flashy sunglasses. The vocal talent — made up of mostly British actors — is impressive and fuels the Shakespearean atmosphere.

A handful of unusual side characters, including a lonely plastic flamingo, a water-spouting frog and a canine-esque toadstool, boost the playful flair. Subtle touches in animation and sound highlight that these gnomes are made of clay or

ceramic, adding to the otherwise strained believability.

Some juvenile dialogue and a few silly moments keep “Gnomeo� out of the upper echelon of animated films, and the lackluster 3D is certainly not worth the additional ticket price. But to pass on this delightful family film because of a few minor flaws would be tragic.

Rated G. 1 hour, 24 minutes. — Tyler Hanley

The Illusionist ---

(Aquarius) In a bit of cinematic sleight-of-hand, Jacques Tati returns from the dead for “The Illusionist,� Sylvain Chomet’s Oscarnominated animated feature.

French national treasure Tati was known for his clownish Monsieur Hulot character, but he was also the

director and principal screenwriter of his most well-known films. His daughter Sophie Tatischeff (to whom “The Illusionist� is dedicated) was the keeper for many years of an unproduced Tati screenplay.

She handed off the material to Chomet — well-known for the likewise Oscar-nominated animated feature “The Triplets of Belleville� — who happily fashioned a hand-drawn adaptation. (A bone of contention: It is Tati’s uncredited, illegitimate first daughter, Helga, who supposedly inspired “The Illusionist.�)

Tati’s masterful mime easily inspires an animated treatment, recapturing Tati’s graceful comic body language and “no subtitles required� international appeal. Set in 1959, the story concerns Tatischeff, a kindly, borderline-washed-up magician living hand to mouth on

the touring circuit. Though nothing ever comes easy (even his rabbit has a nasty bite), the illusionist has long since acclimated to the drudgery of the touring life, with its constant geographical disorientation and general bemusement.

With little more than the clothes on his back and a single poster carried in a tube from venue to venue, the lanky magician endures but with a noticeable lack of joie de vivre.

Tatischeff makes his way from the Music Hall de Paris to a British music hall and a Scottish pub, where he captures the fancy of the establishment’s young maid. The girl invites herself on the tour, following after the illusionist like a lost puppy (their next stop: Edinburgh, depicted in glorious detail).

Emotionally ill-equipped to resist the girl, the magician acquiesces, and the odd couple settles into a

chaste domesticity reflective of Tati’s real-life guilty longing for a greater connection with his daughters.

This point serves as the primary thematic raison d’être of Chomet’s slight but très charmant film, but “The Illusionistâ€? can also be taken as an elegy for “bygoingâ€? simple pleasures, including hand-drawn animation itself. Tatischeff briefly considers selling out by “turning tricksâ€? in a department-store win-

dow, but decides he’d rather fade away than burn out, eventually conceding, “Magicians do not exist.�

In this sense, the magician is in prolific company, which he realizes when he and the girl check into a boarding house populated by a sad (nay, suicidal) clown and such soon-to-be-extinct performers as a ventriloquist and a team of acrobats.

True to form, Chomet populates the film with(continued such comical caricaon next page)

The Kings Speech 1:30, 4:20, Biutiful 1:15, 4:30, 8:00 The Kings Speech 1:30, 4:20, Biutiful 4:30, 8:00 The Kings Speech 1:30, 4:20, Sun-Tue 2/13-2/15 Biutiful 1:15, 4:30, 8:00 Weds ONLY 2/16 The Kings Speech 1:30, 4:20, Biutiful 1:15 Thurs ONLY 2/17 The Kings Speech 1:30, 4:20, Biutiful 1:15, 4:30, 8:00

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CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

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MUSIC COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS A HAPPYEXECUTIVEMADISON PRODUCTION A FILM BY DENNIS DUGAN “JUST GO WITH IT� SUPERVISION

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UNQUESTIONABLY ONE OF THE YEAR’S BEST.�

-Betsy Sharkey, LOS ANGELES TIMES

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THE NEW FILM BY SYLVAIN CHOMET FROM AN ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY BY JACQUES TATI WWW.SONYCLASSICS.COM

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Movies (continued from previous page)

tures, each with a distinct appearance and lively set of idiosyncracies. (The one moment that breaks the wistful spell is an unfortunate, politically incorrect spoof of Brit-

ish Invasion rockers as mincing, limp-wristed buffoons.)

This is not, of course, the film Tati would have made, but a lovely tribute all the same. The unhurried pace and boutique use of one-off set pieces â&#x20AC;&#x201D; most notably a sequence

involving the magicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempt to wash a car â&#x20AC;&#x201D; make â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Illusionistâ&#x20AC;? a pleasantly relaxing opportunity to laugh at life for a while rather than live it.

Rated PG for thematic elements

PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL CIVIC CENTER, 250 HAMILTON AVENUE BROADCAST LIVE ON KZSU, FM 90.1 CABLECAST LIVE ON GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL 26

32nd

A N N U A L

THIS IS A SUMMARY OF COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS. THE AGENDA WITH COMPLETE TITLES INCLUDING LEGAL DOCUMENTATION CAN BE VIEWED AT THE BELOW WEBPAGE: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/knowzone/agendas/council.asp

1. CLOSED SESSION: City Attorney Recruitment SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY 2. Community Partners Non ProďŹ t Presentation - Recreation Foundation 3. Resolution to Valerie Stinger 4. Resolution to Vibhu Mittal 5. Resolution to Shauna Mora 6. Selection of Candidates to be Interviewed for the Human Relations Commission CONSENT CALENDAR 7. Ordinance to Remove Provisions Related to Reading of Ordinances and Resolution Titles 8. Amendment No. 4 to the Alma Street Affordable Multifamily Rental Housing Project 9. Contract with BMS Design Group for the Preparation of a Palo Alto Rail Corridor Study ACTION ITEMS 10. Negative Declaration and Establishment of a Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to Fund the California Avenue Project Improvements in the Net Amount of $550,000 Out of the Infrastructure Reserve Fund STANDING COMMITTEE MEETINGS A Special Policy and Services Committee Meeting will be held at 7 PM on February 15.

The Finance Committee Meeting scheduled on February 15 has been cancelled.

Page 32Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; iLĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x2022;>Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;ÂŁÂŁ]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;䣣Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;*>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;7iiÂ&#x17D;Â?Ă&#x17E;

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(TENTATIVE) SPECIAL COUNCIL AGENDACOUNCIL CHAMBERS February 14, 2011 - 6 PM

T A L L T R E E

and smoking. One hour, 20 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Peter Canavese

Just Go with It -1/2

(Century 16, Century 20) There are â&#x20AC;&#x153;movies with Adam Sandler in them,â&#x20AC;? and there are â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adam Sandler movies.â&#x20AC;? The former offer some hope of thoughtfulness and subtlety and style, while the latter strictly shoot for populism. Adam Sandler movies are for everyone!

Unless youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ugly, uncool, old, fat, gay, non-white or, heaven help you, all of the above.

Adam Sandler movies are also, of course, critic-proof, though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard not to read the title of the latest as some kind of a warning to my profession. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just Go with Itâ&#x20AC;? implies that people just need to lighten up, ditch political correctness and buy what Sandlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hawking: a patentmedicine formula of crass, classless humor and artificially sweetened, family-first romantic comedy.

From an artistic standpoint, these elements mix as well as oil and water, but financially speaking, nothing succeeds like success, so what do I know?

Sandlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sixth collaboration with repeat offenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; err, director Dennis Dugan, derives from an unlikely source: the 1969 comedy â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cactus Flowerâ&#x20AC;? with Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman and Goldie Hawn.

Scripted by legendary Billy Wilder cohort I.A.L. Diamond (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some Like It Hot,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Apartmentâ&#x20AC;?), â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cactus Flowerâ&#x20AC;? itself derived from

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a Broadway play based on a French farce. The 2011 version casts Sandler as successful plastic surgeon Danny, a cad with a heart of gold.

For a quarter-century, Danny has swindled women into his bed by flaunting a ring left over from an aborted wedding. A problem arises when Danny makes a love connection with Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), the hottest sixth-grade math teacher in recorded history. Caught with the ring, Danny doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell the simple lie of omission available to him, but rather fumbles his way into having to produce a wife heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supposedly in the process of divorcing and, whoops, kids. Here, he relies on the good will of his assistant, Katherine, a divorcĂŠe with two kids from central casting â&#x20AC;&#x201D; err, her first marriage.

Matters get yet more complicated when another landslide of lies forces Danny to take Palmer, Katherine, the kids and Dannyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cousin Eddie (Nick Swardson) to Hawaii.

This is great news, not only for the Maui Chamber of Commerce, but because it gets â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sports Illustratedâ&#x20AC;? swimsuit model Decker under a waterfall in a scene that, well, hubba hubba. These Adam Sandler movies arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t above any appeal to the red-blooded American male: They stoop to conquer.

For the ladies, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the growing realization between Danny and Katherine that they mean everything to each other, as well as a subplot about a years-long competition between Katherine and â&#x20AC;&#x153;frenemyâ&#x20AC;?

Devlin (Nicole Kidman). Yes, Kidman is so desperate to appear in a box-office hit that she will engage in the strange spectacle of nuzzling with Dave Matthews and the stranger one of a hula competition with Jennifer Aniston, emceed by sportscaster Dan Patrick.

Like all Adam Sandler movies, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just Go with Itâ&#x20AC;? profitably taps into a juvenile energy, but the trade-off is racial stereotyping, loud product placement, and a cruel determination to laugh at people rather than with them. It all amounts not so much to romance or comedy as to the most strained of 20th-century farce.

Rated PG-13 for frequent crude and sexual content, partial nudity, brief drug references and language.

One hour, 56 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Peter Canavese

Palo Alto Online Oscar Challenge Voice your opinion in the 2nd annual Palo Alto Online Oscar Challenge! Select your picks for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and several other major Oscar categories. The person with the most correct picks will win dinner and a movie for two ($75 value).

The winner will be announced Monday, Feb. 28, and the deadline to enter is Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m.

One entry per person. Go to www.

PaloAltoOnline.com/Oscars to submit your ballot.

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Thaiphoon Restaurant 323-7700 543 Emerson St., Palo Alto Full Bar, Outdoor Seating www.thaiphoonrestaurant.com Best Thai Restaurant in Palo Alto 5 Years in a Row, 2006-2010

Spalti Ristorante 327-9390

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JAPANESE & SUSHI Fuki Sushi 494-9383

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Scott’s Seafood 323-1555 #1 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto Open 7 days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner Happy Hour 7 days a week 4-7 pm Full Bar, Banquets, Outdoor Seating www.scottsseafoodpa.com

THAI

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Trader Vic’s 849-9800 4269 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Dinner Mon-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 5-11pm; Sun 4:30 - 9:30pm Available for private luncheons Lounge open nightly Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-6 pm

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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 Fri-Sat 5:00-10:30pm, Sun 5:00-9:00pm www.sundancethesteakhouse.com

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520 Showers Dr., MV in San Antonio Ctr.

www.darbarcuisine.com

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s no place like home.â&#x20AC;?

Redwood City - San Mateo - San Jose

Eating Out FOOD FEATURE

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Veronica Weber

Heba Badran layers filo dough and butter in the commercial kitchen she rents in Redwood City.

A fresh take on baklava Stanford resident brings her delicate version of traditional sweets to local markets

by Sarah Trauben

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20th Annual Photo Contest CALL FOR ENTRIES New: Digital Entries Only ENTRY DEADLINE: April 8, 2011 ENTRY FORM & RULES AVAILABLE at www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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eba Badran offers local gourmets and market-goers a taste of the cosmopolitan with her dainty baklava and orange tea cakes.

On a recent morning at the Menlo Park Farmers Market, where Badran started selling her desserts in 2008, Grace, a 10-year-old Palo Alto resident, sampled Badranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s light, airy orange tea cake. A playful smile spread about her face as she complimented Badran: â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I grow up, I want to be a chef.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got into this because I like to bake,â&#x20AC;? Badran replied warmly.

Starting the Stanford-based business 5KCuisine L.L.C. was not a forgone conclusion for Badran. Born in Egypt, she attended London secondary schools. For 10 years, she wielded her MBA as a marketing executive with Proctor & Gamble in Egypt.

In a recent interview, Badran said that while she was inspired by a long family line of â&#x20AC;&#x153;fantastic cooks without a single cooking class to their names,â&#x20AC;? she gives her preservative-free desserts her own special touch. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My mother taught me to make

baklava when I was 10. Egyptian baklava is sweeter, and she mixes nuts, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve taken a more purist approach,â&#x20AC;? Badran said.

She offers four varieties of delicately sliced baklava at her farmers-market stall and at several local gourmet groceries ($5 for six pieces, $7 for 12). Customers and colleagues say that its taste and texture have earned the tagline: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Better than baklava.â&#x20AC;?

Three different nuts each provide a subtle riff on the lemoninfused pastry, made up of dozens of delicate sheets of phyllo dough sweetened with homemade sugar syrup and a rich, nutty base.

Walnuts provide a kick in one of her offerings, while the pistachio variety lets a sweeter nut be the star. A less traditional take, her almond baklava allows lemon, sugar and pastry layers to shine through the lightly flavored nut base. She also serves up a nut-free variety.

Baklava can often be overly sweet or have too dry a mouthfeel, but Badranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recipes avoid both pitfalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My specialty is a very light take on baklava, so that you can take in its taste, not just its sweet-

ness,â&#x20AC;? she said.

A newcomer to the Happiness Within line is an orange tea cake ($3.25 for four miniature cakes, $5 for nine cakes). The recipe, Badran said, was inspired by her adolescence and later years in London.

Flavored with orange rind and freshly squeezed juice, the cakes contain whipped egg whites and are so airy and light that Badranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers sometimes serve them as a continental breakfast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trace my cakes to any specific part of my time in England, but as you know, they like their tea and cakes,â&#x20AC;? Badran explained.

She first decided to make her hobby of cooking a professional endeavor when her she received positive feedback from guests as well as from her husband, an engineer, and her son, then 8 years old. Armed with samples, she approached the Menlo Park Farmers Market, only blocks away from her previous home, to try her luck selling the desserts.

Badran jumped a long waiting list of people looking to open a stall, farmers-market manager Lori Hennings said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really looking for a new addition, but there was just something about her entrepreneurial spirit,â&#x20AC;? Hennings said.

Heba said that many customers approach her to hoping to start a craft or prepared-food stall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Farmers markets seem more accessible as a place to start (in contrast to grocery stores), but in reality, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not that accessible.

Many people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just walk out of your kitchen with your product and take it to the market,â&#x20AC;? Badran said.

Badran credits the Menlo Park Farmers Market organizers and stall-workers with giving her advice on how to start and run her business, from how to set up shop in a commercial kitchen to how to weigh down her awning on windy days.

As her sales grew â&#x20AC;&#x201D; they have almost tripled since the beginning of 5KCuisine â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Badran expanded her sights beyond the farmers market, contracting with an established baker to use her recipe exclusively.

She sells her pastry at seven local gourmet groceries, including Crossroads World Market, Bianchiniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Sigonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Draegerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Bianchiniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pastry chef Amber Cid said Badranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baklava clearly stands out to customers when she provides samples in the San Carlos location. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She puts a lot of heart into her product. Hers has a more traditional, homemade feel, and you can tell the pieces are hand-cut,â&#x20AC;? Cid said.

Getting her signature desserts into stores wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a simple task, Badran said. (continued on next page)

TIDBITS LYFE LAUNCH PLANNED ... The new restaurant LYFE Kitchen (short for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love Your Food Everydayâ&#x20AC;?) is scheduled to open this summer at 167 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto.

The venture is headed by investment banker Stephen Sidwell and Mike Roberts, former global president at McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. A press release describes the menu as featuring â&#x20AC;&#x153;responsibly sourced ingredients, from local farms and sustainable whenever possible,â&#x20AC;? with butter banned in the kitchen. One planned menu item is a Niman Ranch beef burger with agave ketchup and pickles. One of the chefs, Art Smith, was personal chef to Oprah Winfrey; the other, Tal Ronnen, is the author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Conscious Cook.â&#x20AC;? The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website is lyfekitchen.com.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wouldfrom call,previous try to find out who (continued page) is responsible for the bakery, write a presentation and bring samples. I expected to present in an office, but sometimes I found myself giving a pitch at the check stand!â&#x20AC;?

Contracting with local businesses hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stopped Badran from keeping a stall at the market where she got her start. Noting that many customers give her baklava as a gift, she experimented with gift sales this

holiday season and will debut them on her website. N Info: Happiness Within baklava and orange tea cake can be found at the Menlo Park Farmers Market every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., as well as at Sigonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Bianchiniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Draegerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Roberts, and Crossroads World Market. More information is at happiness-within. com.

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★ ★ WE’VE GONE

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Call for Entries 20th Annual Palo Alto Weekly Photo Contest

ADULT

YOUTH

1st Place - $100 Cash 2nd Place - $50 Gift Certificate to University Art 3rd Place - $25 Gift Certificate to University Art

UÊ Ê 9Ê , Ê -

1st Place – $250 Cash, $100 Gift Certificate to Bear Images 2nd Place – $200 Cash, $100 Gift Certificate to University Art 3rd Place – $100 Cash, One-year Membership to Palo Alto Art Center

YOUTH

ADULT

1st Place – $250 Cash, $100 Gift Certificate to Bear Images 2nd Place – $200 Cash, $100 Gift Certificate to University Art 3rd Place – $100 Cash, One-year Membership to Palo Alto Art Center

Veronica Weber, a Los Angeles native, first began working at the Palo Alto Weekly in 2006 as a photography intern. Following the internship, she was a photographer for The Almanac in Menlo Park. She is currently the Weekly staff photographer responsible for covering daily assignments and producing video and multimedia projects for PaloAltoOnline.com. She has a BA in Journalism from San Francisco State University and currently resides in San Francisco.

ANGELA BUENNING FILO

Categories and Prizes U PORTR AITS

VERONICA WEBER

1st Place - $100 Cash 2nd Place - $50 Gift Certificate to University Art 3rd Place - $25 Gift Certificate to University Art

Angela Buenning Filo, a Palo Alto resident, photographs changing landscapes, most recently focusing on Silicon Valley and Bangalore, India, during their respective tech booms. Her photographs are in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and were included in the book "Suburban Escape: The Art of California Sprawl." Her installation titled "1,737 Trees," focusing on one of the last orchards in Silicon Valley, is on permanent display in the lobby of the San Jose City Hall.

Photographs from her Silicon Valley and Bangalore series are on view in the new terminal of the San Jose airport.

DAVID HIBBARD ADULT

1st Place – $250 Cash, $100 Gift Certificate to Bear Images 2nd Place – $200 Cash, $100 Gift Certificate to University Art 3rd Place – $100 Cash, One-year Membership to Palo Alto Art Center

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U VIEWS BEYOND THE BAY AREA

1st Place - $100 Cash 2nd Place - $50 Gift Certificate to University Art 3rd Place - $25 Gift Certificate to University Art

ENTRY DEADLINE: April 8, 2011 Entry Form and Rules available at: www.PaloAltoOnline.com/photo_contest For more information call 650.223.6508 or e-mail photocontest@paweekly.com

www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Page 36ÊUÊ iLÀÕ>ÀÞÊ££]ÊÓ䣣ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

David Hibbard, a Menlo Park resident, has photographed natural landscapes and wild places most of his life. He is the author of "Natural Gestures," a book of images from the beaches and coastal forests of northern California. A major retrospective of his work was shown last year at Xerox PARC in Palo Alto. Website: www.davidhibbardphotography.com.

BRIGITTE CARNOCHAN

Brigitte Carnochan's photographs have been exhibited at galleries and museums nationally and internationally and has recently been featured on the covers of Lenswork, Camera Arts and Silvershotz and in Color, View Camera, Black and White UK, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Zoom magazines. Brigitte's newest series, Floating World: Allusions to Poems by Japanese Women from the 7th to 20th Centuries, will be on view at Modernbook Gallery at their new location at 49 Geary Street, San Francisco, until February 26.