Palo Atlo Weekly 12.16.2011 - Section 1

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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Parents irate over math standards Page 3

Palo Alto makes room for new lodging page 33

Donate to the HOLIDAY FUND page 42

Spectrum 14 Movies 25 Holidays 29 Eating Out 45

ShopTalk 47

N Sports Castilleja grad wins national soccer honor Page 20 N Arts Local LEGO world is a miniature metropolis

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N Home Homemade holiday gifts from the heart

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# " $ ! $ Obstetricians Karen Shin and Mary Parman spend their days caring for patients and delivering babies. When each doctor became pregnant with her ďŹ rst child, the choice of where to deliver was clear: right here where she delivers her patients’ babies — Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. “ When you’ve seen how skilled and supportive the physicians, nurses and staff are, you instinctively want that level of care for you and your baby. â€? ! 0 " % " labordelivery.lpch.org

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Upfront

Local news, information and analysis

Students, parents challenge schools on math Palo Alto groups call for curriculum that meets but does not exceed basic UC/CSU entrance criteria by Chris coalition of students and parents challenged the Palo Alto school board Tuesday (Dec. 13) to ensure the district’s two high schools offer a basic, non-honors track in math and science that satisfies entrance requirements for University of California (UC) and

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Kenrick California State University (CSU) schools. School board members in turn asked Superintendent Kevin Skelly to clarify current course offerings after the students and parents angrily testified against what they called the “math letter,” a statement signed

by Palo Alto High School’s math department in May. In the letter, department head Radu Toma and his colleagues had argued against raising Palo Alto’s graduation requirements to meet UC/CSU entrance criteria because doing so would “either stop a significant number of students from graduating or, alternatively, force us to drastically lower standards in our courses as too many other

schools have done.” Toma indicated that Paly’s “regular lane” Algebra 2 class exceeds “basic benchmarks.” Easing those standards so that they meet but do not exceed UC/CSU entrance requirements would hurt the school district’s reputation, he wrote. In emotional testimony at Tuesday night’s school board meeting, students and parents criticized the letter as “arrogant, elitist and pater-

nalistic,” reflecting a math and science program at Palo Alto’s two high schools that caters to high achievers while failing to offer a basic path to college for many students. They called for the district to ensure the availability of at least one lane of high school math and science offerings that meet, but do not exceed, the UC/CSU requirements. (continued on page 7)

PARKS

Palo Alto eyes major changes to Cogswell Plaza City seeks to deter ‘unsavory activity’ by changing landscaping, adding tables to downtown plaza by Gennady Sheyner

S Veronica Weber

Rudf Robles, 1, with her mom Alondura Robles, looks at her wrapped present, which was given by Ani Safavi and Moms Against Poverty. More than 800 presents were handed out at the Cesar Chavez Academy in East Palo Alto on Dec. 14. See story on page 11.

HOLIDAY FUND

Housing agency offers support for struggling parents Program hopes to reach more groups, individuals in the community by Angela Johnston

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ike many parents, Nina Haletky struggled to make her relationship with her young son a positive one. “It was a constant battle. I was reading different books and trying different things, but it’s hard when you’re a single mom and you can’t talk with anyone,” Haletky said. “I just didn’t want to fight every single night. I wanted to control my temper and learn how to stay calm.” Now, with the help of Palo Alto Housing Corporation’s parent-support services, Haletky’s relationship

with her 8-year-old son is improving every day. Haletky began taking parenting classes offered by the nonprofit housing corporation, which manages the apartment complex she lives in, five years ago. The classes slowly evolved into an informal discussion group for low-income families, in which parents discuss problems and brainstorm solutions in an open and supportive forum. “I was blown away by the strategies and how quickly my son’s behavior changed because I changed,” Haletky

said. “I saw changes within a week.” Some of the most common concerns are routine-related, such as getting ready for school in the morning or getting the kids to bed at night, explained Sue Garber, a parenting coach hired by the housing corporation when it introduced parentsupport services in 2005. “We fix these problems by creating exercises that put responsibility on kids,” she said. “We find the strengths of the parents and the children and utilize those strengths to move forward.” Haletky said the group has encouraged her to model her behavior so her son would emulate it. She uses strategies from “Positive Discipline,” a guidebook the group uses, such as hosting family meetings and checking in to see how her son is feeling. (continued on page 6)

eeking to spruce up and revitalize one of downtown’s most neglected open-space areas, Palo Alto officials are planning to add new landscaping, furniture and lighting to Cogswell Plaza. The plaza, which once hosted the city’s “Brown Bag Concert” series, has been getting little use in recent years, despite its prominent location one block north of University Avenue. Those who do patronize the plaza often engage in what the city’s landscape architect, Peter Jensen, called “unsavory activities,” often involving drugs, alcohol and urination. The problem has gotten worse in recent months, Jensen said, since El Camino Park across from the Stanford Shopping Center closed to accommodate construction of a new reservoir. Among the major problems with Cogswell, located at Lytton Avenue and Ramona Street, is the landscaping. Jensen said the hedges and shrubs at the periphery of the plaza screen plaza visitors from view and make it hard for police to catch perpetrators. The city’s $150,000 renovation plan would remove these shrubs, improving visibility and bringing more attention to the plaza’s crop of oaks and redwoods. Jensen said the goal is to encourage more daytime visitors — including people from the adjacent Avenidas senior center — to spend time at the plaza. “Right now, it’s really an unused outdoor space in downtown — which is unfortunate because there’s not a lot of outdoor space that’s open in the downtown area,” Jensen told the Parks and Recreation Commission Tuesday night (Dec. 13). The proposed improvements include removing the old shrubs and hedges and installing low-growing

plants. In a report, Jensen said the new plantings will “give the Plaza a fresh clean look, require less water and maintenance and will grow to an appropriate size to allow clear lines of sight through the space from one side to another.” The plan also calls for removal of a turf area in the north section of the plaza and installation of a circular seating area with game tables; repair broken sections of concrete pathways; install trash receptacles and make lighting improvements. Jensen said staff hopes to begin renovations in the coming year. In their first look at the renovation plan, commissioners expressed enthusiasm for the project, which they agreed would vastly improve the long-neglected plaza. Commissioner Edward Lauing called Jensen’s proposal a “great plan” and said the current situation definitely calls for more lighting. Commissioner Sunny Dykwel agreed, calling the existing plaza “aesthetically not pleasing” and stressing the importance of removing the “trip hazard” at the plaza. The only debate Tuesday evening centered on whether the plan should include more tables or more benches. Chair Daria Wash advocated for benches. Visitors to Cogswell Plaza, she said, tend to come either alone or in small groups and do not need tables to accommodate them. “People who really enjoy that park are sitting on the bench, and a few more benches might make it more attractive at lunch,” Walsh said. Commissioner Jennifer Hetterley disagreed and said she prefers to sit at a table, rather than on a bench, when visiting a park. Jensen said staff has been talking to Avenidas about the proposed plans and has the full support of the (continued on page 10)

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FINALLY! A VERY SPECIAL GIFT

THE SCOTTE VEST Available At

609 Stanford Shopping Center (In the Courtyard next to * ,> « Ê >ÕÀi ®ÊUÊÈxä ÎÓÈ ÓäÈÈÊUÊÜÜÜ°} } ÃÌÞ i°V

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

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION OF BIDDERS PQ-11-JLS J.L. STANFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL MODERNIZATION& NEW CONSTRUCTION The Palo Alto Unified School District is inviting qualification information from General Contractors to provide Construction Services for the following upcoming construction project. J.L. STANFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL (JLS): Construction of a new classroom building, permanent storage additions, remodeling and upgrades to multiple existing buildings, and site & landscape modernization. ($12 Million estimated cost) Contractors that were previously prequalified for PQ 11-01 Gunn High School New Classroom Buildings A&B, PQ 11-02 Gunn High School New Gymnasium and remodeling of the existing Gym and/ or PQ 11-03 Palo Alto High School New Classroom & Media Arts, and/or PQ-11-MS Jordan and Terman Middle Schools conducted earlier this year of 2011 only need to submit Part I – Contact Information & Part III-E –Financial Strength to provide updated financial information. Due to the disparity in estimated cost of construction, Contractors that were previously prequalified for only PQ-11-FM Fairmeadow Elementary School ($6.5 Million estimated cost) must re-submit a full, completed Prequalification Questionnaire. There will be MANDATORY prequalification conferences for Contractors who have not previously attended a prequalification conference conducted by the District during 2011, on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:00 AM and Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 10:00 AM at 25 Churchill Avenue, Building “D”, Palo Alto, CA. The project and the Prequalification package will be discussed. Contractors may attend either of the mandatory conferences listed above to comply. All responses to this RFQ must be received no later than 4:00 PM Wednesday, January 4, 2012. Interested firms shall submit Qualifications as described in the Prequalification Package to: Palo Alto Unified School District Facilities Department 25 Churchill Avenue, Building “D” Palo Alto, CA 94306 Attn: Heidi Rank Please note the District mail room is closed from December 17, 2011 thru January 2, 2012. Please direct any questions regarding this Request for Qualification (RFQ) to Heidi Rank at hrank@pausd. org or faxed to (650) 327-3588. These are not requests for bids or offers by the District to contract with any party responding to this RFQ. 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. Page 4ÊUÊ iVi LiÀÊ£È]ÊÓ䣣ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

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 Tom Gibboney, Spectrum Editor Sue Dremann, Chris Kenrick, Gennady Sheyner, Staff Writers Veronica Weber, Staff Photographer Kelsey Kienitz, Photo Intern Dale F. 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 Yichuan Cao, David Ruiz, Editorial Interns DESIGN Shannon Corey, Design Director Raul Perez, Assistant Design Director Linda Atilano, Diane Haas, Scott Peterson, Paul Llewellyn, Senior Designers Lili Cao, Designer PRODUCTION Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager Dorothy Hassett, Samantha Mejia, Blanca Yoc, Sales & Production Coordinators ADVERTISING Tom Zahiralis, Vice President Sales & Advertising Judie Block, Janice Hoogner, Gary Whitman, Display Advertising Sales Neal Fine, Carolyn Oliver, Rosemary Lewkowitz, Real Estate Advertising Sales David Cirner, Irene Schwartz, Inside Advertising Sales Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst. Diane Martin, Real Estate Advertising Asst. Alicia Santillan, Classified Administrative Asst. Wendy Suzuki, Advertising Sales Intern EXPRESS, ONLINE AND VIDEO SERVICES Rachel Palmer, Online Operations Coordinator Rachel Hatch, Multimedia Product Manager BUSINESS Susie Ochoa, Payroll & Benefits Elena Dineva, Mary McDonald, Claire McGibeny, Cathy Stringari, Business Associates ADMINISTRATION Janice Covolo, Doris Taylor, Receptionists Ruben Espinoza, Courier EMBARCADERO MEDIA William S. Johnson, President Michael I. Naar, Vice President & CFO Tom Zahiralis, Vice President Sales & Advertising Frank A. Bravo, Director, Information Technology & Webmaster Connie Jo Cotton, Major Accounts Sales Manager Bob Lampkin, Director, Circulation & Mailing Services Alicia Santillan, Circulation Assistant 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) 326-8210. Periodicals postage paid at Palo Alto, CA and additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for Santa Clara County. The Palo Alto Weekly is delivered free to homes in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, East Palo Alto, to faculty and staff households on the Stanford campus and to portions of Los Altos Hills. If you are not currently receiving the paper, you may request free delivery by calling 326-8210. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302. Copyright ©2011 by Embarcadero Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. The Palo Alto Weekly is available on the Internet via Palo Alto Online at: www.PaloAltoOnline.com Our email addresses are: editor@paweekly.com, letters@paweekly.com, digitalads@paweekly.com. Missed delivery or start/stop your paper? Call 650 326-8210, or email circulation@paweekly. com. You may also subscribe online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Subscriptions are $60/yr.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

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FOR THE MAN OR WOMAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING!

Upfront

This doesn’t mean there’s a problem with their brains, just their school. — Lucas Brooks, a black senior at Palo Alto High School, on why some students struggle to learn math. See story on page 3.

Around Town OPEN DOORS ... Downtown Palo Alto’s bookworms have a reason to rejoice these days. The newly refurbished Downtown Library is about to add an extra day of operations. The city announced this week that starting Jan. 5, the library would be open on Fridays, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (the same hours as Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday; Thursday hours will be noon to 6 p.m.). Library Director Monique le Conge said in a statement that library officials have been getting requests from patrons to extend hours ever since the downtown library reopened last summer, equipped with better lighting, a new community room, better furniture and other amenities. “It’s obvious that our customers are enjoying the changes,” le Conge said. “I’m thrilled that we’re able to meet the demand.” The city’s library-renovation effort is also scheduled to receive a major boost on Monday night, when the Palo Alto Library Foundation is set to present a $1.9 million check to the city for furniture and equipment at the new Mitchell Park library, currently under construction.

CALENDAR PUP ... Gizmo, a 4-yearold toy Yorkshire terrier from Palo Alto, appears to be achieving his 15 minutes of fame — in Workman Publishing’s 365 Puppies-AYear 2012 calendar. Loura Kobza, Gizmo’s owner, says her husband loves to take pictures of Gizmo running around the backyard. “I always bought the puppy calendars and knew that you could submit photos, so we submitted one of my husband’s photographs. Three years later, we received a package with the calendar and a letter saying Gizmo had been chosen!” Kobza says Gizmo, who has caramel whiskers and a jet-black body, has grown into one of the “most fabulous dogs.” “When we bought him he was 1 pound, 4 ounces. Now he weighs

6 pounds and thinks he is bigger and stronger than our two beagles, Roxy and O.D.,” Kobza says. Workman Publishing assembles a year’s worth of the “most-talented, bestlooking and most interesting canine and feline companions” submitted to them from around the globe, according to its press announcement. Gizmo shares his spotlight, Nov. 5 and 6, with pictures of 23 other terriers in the November section of the calendar. TURN IT DOWN! ... The Federal Communications Commission gave U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo a birthday present Dec. 13 when it issued rules that broadcasters must follow to comply with Eshoo’s CALM Act. The act, whose acronym stands for Commercial Advertising Loudness Mitigation, targets annoyingly loud television commercials. Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, who was celebrating her 69th birthday that day, said it was gratifying to see the approval take place on her special day and lauded the CALM Act for addressing one of the most common (and most ignored) consumer complaints. The act, which cleared Congress and was signed into law a year ago, mandates that commercial volumes not exceed the highest decibel level of regular programming. Broadcasters have one year to comply. “More than anything, it’s an acknowledgement that consumers across the country have been clamoring for a long, long time,” Eshoo told the Weekly. “While the country has huge challenges before it and Congress is being held in such a low esteem, there is this one small bright spot.” A NATURE APP-ORTUNITY ... Eager to walk the Baylands? There’s an app for that. A new free app for a self-guided walking tour of the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve has been created by the nonprofit Environmental Volunteers. The Baylands Walking Tour app directs users to eight different locations throughout the preserve, offering short audio narrations about a range of topics, including the importance of bay marshes, the preserve’s flora and fauna, and the history of the preserve and the San Francisco Bay. It also features more than 100 pictures from local photographers. Palo Alto Mayor Sid Espinosa officially launched the app Wednesday with a group of students guiding him. N

Upfront SAN FRANCISQUITO CREEK

Residents near creek may be asked to tax themselves Joint Powers Authority eyes finance district for residents in flood-prone areas of Palo Alto, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto by Gennady Sheyner

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ith federal funding up in the air, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park officials may look to residents who live near the volatile San Francisquito Creek to tax themselves in order to pay for flood protection. The San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (JPA), an agency that includes elected officials from the three cities, is considering creating a finance district for residents in about 5,400 parcels near the floodprone creek. This includes about 3,600 Palo Alto parcels, according to Len Materman, executive director of the creek authority. Materman told the Palo Alto City Council Monday night (Dec. 12) that the goal is to pass a bond that would help owners in the floodplain properties leave the National Flood Insurance Program, which costs an average household $1,300 a year. Materman said the bond would cost the parcels between $600 and $700. Once construction is completed property owners would see major

savings, he said. With flood-insurance rates rising by about 3 percent annually, the annual rate is slated to go up $2,000 in 15 years and more than $3,500 in 35 years, Materman said. “We do know that an argument for passing a bond measure would be to achieve substantial savings for property owners following the construction period,” Materman said. The proposed finance district is one of many funding sources the creek authority is considering to pay for its ambitious plan to calm the fickle creek. The agency was formed in 1999, one year after the creek flooded, causing tens of millions of dollars in damages (including $28 million in Palo Alto alone). The creek authority — which also includes elected officials from the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the San Mateo County Flood Control District — is also seeking various state grants to build a new levee downstream and to upgrade bridges in the three cities.

‘If we rely on the Corps it could be several decades.’

— Len Materman, executive director, San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority

Officials from the three cities had initially hoped to acquire federal funding for the proposed flood-protection measures. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in the midst of a feasibility study analyzing ways to protect the properties around the creek from the “100-year flood” (an event that, by definition, takes place once every 100 years). The study was launched in 2005 and still has a way to go, Materman said. Both the appropriations for the study and the progress with the appropriations have been “suboptimal,” he said. Given the slow progress on the federal front, the cities are now

focusing on funding sources at the state, county and local levels. “If we rely on the Corps it could be several decades, but if we take ownership of funding and try to apply for a two-county funding district, it’s faster,” Materman said. The creek authority had earlier this year applied for a state grant to help pay for the design costs associated with upgrading the Newell Road bridge between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. It is planning to seek a similar grant for the Middlefield Road bridge between Palo Alto and Menlo Park. The Pope-Chaucer Street and University Avenue bridges would be next in line. Other funds could come from the water district, which passed a bond in 2000 with support from Palo Alto voters. The water district is now considering asking voters for another bond next year. Some of the proceeds from the future bond could also potentially be used to support the creek authority’s flood-protection effort.

Brian Schmidt, a member of the water district’s board of directors, told the council that the board still hasn’t decided whether to put the bond on next year’s ballot. And even if the bond measure goes on the ballot, there is no guarantee that it would pass, he said. “I think we’re going to do it if we think we’re going to win, but we don’t know yet,” Schmidt said. The first phase of the creek authority’s plan targets the vulnerable downstream area between U.S. Highway 101 and the San Francisco Bay. It includes excavating a channel, connecting the creek to the Baylands and building a levee (a project that would require reconfiguration of the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course). The project, which would provide protection from a 100-year flood to the downstream area, has an estimated cost of $26 million. The second phase would focus on the area between 101 and El (continued on page 10)

DEVELOPMENT POLICE

Palo Alto bids farewell to ‘Downtown’ Sandra Brown Popular lieutenant retires after 24 years in the Palo Alto Police Department by Gennady Sheyner

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Courtesy of City of Palo Alto

fter nearly a quarter century of patrolling the streets, testifying at trials, and counseling students, “Downtown” Sandra Brown is stepping down. Lt. Brown, whose energetic presence and distinguished career made her one of the department’s most popular and well-known officers, received a standing ovation and a special resolution Monday night (Dec. 12) from the City Council. She is retiring at the end of this week. The resolution, which Councilwoman Karen Holman read into the record Monday, cites her long list of assignments, including stints as a field-training officer, a traffic-team supervisor, a recruiting officer, community-relations officer and a bike officer — an assignment that prompted the San Jose Mercury News to give her the moniker, “Downtown” Sandra Brown. The council resolution also praises Brown for her “genuine care for people” and “passion for youth.” Interim Public Safety Director Dennis Burns praised Brown Monday for being an “outstanding ambassador not only for city but also for police department.” Brown, he said, is “someone who made everyone play better every day.”

Lt. Sandra Brown “(She is) probably the most recognized Palo Alto police officer in our recent history and one of the best known personalities around,” Burns said. A well-known presence in downtown Palo Alto who earned her nickname in the 1980s while patrolling, Brown is lauded in the council resolution being “instrumental in the Department’s problem-solving and community policing approach to crime and quality of life issues in the Downtown area” and for her “creative and inventive collaboration with the business community.” In accepting the council reso-

lution, Brown thanked the volunteers at the Palo Alto Police Department and her colleagues, whom she praised for honorably serving the community even while getting disparaged by the city’s vocal police critics. The citizens of Palo Alto, she said, can “sleep peacefully.” She also thanked Burns and her colleagues in the department for “all the adrenaline rushes and for the opportunity to lead and be led.” Former Mayor Vic Ojakian said he met Brown more than a decade ago, when he was on the City Council, and said he was “impressed with her and how she connected with the people in this town. “I’m very grateful that she served on the force, and we are losing a real asset,” Ojakian said. Brown’s departure is the latest in a department that has seen an exodus of experienced officers in recent months. Lieutenants Scott Wong and Douglas Keith and Sgt. Rebecca Lynn Phillips had all received council resolutions over the past month in recognition of their recent retirements.N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

Busy Palo Alto intersection could see new hotel City board members generally like Hilton Garden Inn, but some residents critical by Gennady Sheyner

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he latest addition to Palo Alto’s dynamic hotel scene could soon go up near one of the busiest intersections on the south part of the city. A four-story Hilton Garden Inn, featuring 176 rooms and various upscale amenities, has been proposed for 4217 El Camino Real, across the street from where the venerable Rickey’s Hyatt once stood. The proposal, which received its first review at Thursday’s Architectural Review Board (ARB) meeting, is the fourth hotel application the city has received in the past two years (see cover story on page 33), though one has since been withdrawn. Unlike the others, it would not need to go through extensive planning commission and council meetings because it would conform to the site’s commercial zoning. The board did not vote on the proposal and had mostly good things to say about the planned design, which includes a U-shaped building and a porte-cochere fronting El Camino Real. Jeffrey MacAdam from the firm Architectural Dimensions, which presented the plan to the ARB, said the new hotel would have two levels of parking to accommodate 178 parking spaces along with 28 bike racks. But the proposal by OTO Development also drew some criticisms

from area residents and board members, some of whom said they were concerned that the 50-foottall building would be too massive for a block currently dominated by shorter structures such as car-rental agencies and a dry-cleaning business. The hotel would stand across the street from Arbor Real, a townhouse development that replaced Rickey’s Hyatt. The Garden Inn would stand just south of the prominent intersection of El Camino and Arastradero Road — an intersection that is frequented by students commuting to Gunn High School, Terman Middle School and several smaller schools. The city is in the midst of a multiyear traffic-calming effort aimed at making the busy stretch of Arastradero west of El Camino safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. Four speakers, including three Arbor Real residents, shared with the board their concerns about the project’s impact on the intersection. They called for the city to undertake an independent study to evaluate the traffic impacts of the new hotel. Land-use watchdog Bob Moss was the most vehement critic of the proposed hotel design, saying, “On a good day, I’d call it ghastly.” He compared it to the Arbor Real development, which is frequently criti(continued on page 10)

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Upfront

N OT I C E

Housing agency

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

(continued from page 3)

Upgrade existing storm drainage system throughout the property to improve dispersal of rain flow from the property.

“Every kid needs a voice and a chance to make choices,” she said. “I learned to involve my son in making rules and give him more responsibilities.” Kate Young, the director of resident services at the housing corporation, introduced the parent-support services along with Garber, a parent coach affiliated with MorrisseyCompton educational services. “Parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world,” Young said. “A lot of parents reach out for support in one way or another, but those services aren’t really available to the parents in low-income housing.” Haletky agreed and said that most people who live in low-income housing can’t afford to pay for counseling services or buy self-help books. Haletky and a group of mothers meet once a month in a small classroom off the main community room at Arastradero Park apartments on Arastradero Road near El Camino Real in Palo Alto. The community center is a new addition to the apartment complex and features a big-screen TV on which kids can play video games while their parents meet. The housing corporation also offers complementary childcare and healthy dinners during the parenting sessions. Garber leads discussions based on “Positive Discipline,” a popular book written in the 1980s by Jane Nelsen. “We provide each parent a free copy of the book in English or Spanish,” she said. Haletky said even though the group lacks an interpreter, many of the stronger English speakers pair up with Spanish speakers who need help. “We have formed a really strong neighborhood community,” Haletky said. “It’s been amazing, and I’m really lucky.

GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK: 1. Provide trenching for 160’ down center between front of buildings 1 and 2 with borings under sidewalks for 4” piping. 2. Run eight 3” lines to buildings to attach onto existing downspouts. 3. Provide cleanout fittings at high end of pipe and 100’ downstream. 4. Saw cut driveway 6’ out from grass area and install bubbler box to disperse rain flow to high end grade of driveway. 5. Provide 220 feet of 3” DWV copper pipe and fittings each along back side of building 1 and 2 and attach to 6 existing downspout roof ports. Set grade of pipe as necessary to disperse rain flow to front of property. 6. Clean work area daily and remove debris off-site. 7. All materials used must be manufactured in the USA. Bid specifications pertaining to this project are available from (Friday, Dec 16, 2011) to (Friday, Dec 30, 2011). Please call to schedule a mandatory job walk. Bid closing date is (Wednesday, Jan 18, 2012) at 5:00 PM. Bid opening at 725 Alma Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 on (Thursday, Jan 19, 2012) at 10:00 AM. This project is funded by the City of Palo Alto Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. All federal regulations listed in the Bid Specifications will apply, including equal opportunity, non-discrimination, and Federal Labor Standards provisions (Davis-Bacon). Reference is hereby made to bid specifications for further details, which specifications and this notice shall be considered part of the contract. For information and bid walk-through, contact Jim Brandenburg at 650321-9709 ext. 19.

N OT I C E NOTICE INVITING SEALED BIDS for WINDOW REPLACEMENT in two buildings consisting of six units each (#1 thru #12) of Ventura Apartments, 290-310 Ventura Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project is to remove and replace old windows with glass energyefficient products in two buildings with six residential units each. GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK: 1. Remove existing windows and screens. 2. Contractor to supply storage for supplies and materials. 3. Furnish and install double-paned Low-E glass sliding windows and screens to fit individual dimensions of existing openings. 4. Seal and caulk installations as appropriate. 5. Furnish and install locks on all windows. 6. Remove and dispose of all old material each day. 7. Clean glass and window/door frames. 8. All materials used must be manufactured in the USA. Bid specifications pertaining to this project are available from (Friday, Dec 16, 2011) to (Friday, Dec 30, 2011). Please call to schedule a mandatory job walk. Bid closing date is (Wednesday, Jan 18, 2012) at 5:00 PM. Bid opening at 725 Alma Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 on (Thursday, Jan 19, 2012) at 10:00 AM. This project is funded by the City of Palo Alto Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. All federal regulations listed in the Bid Specifications will apply, including equal opportunity, non-discrimination, and Federal Labor Standards provisions (Davis-Bacon). Reference is hereby made to bid specifications for further details, which specifications and this notice shall be considered part of the contract. For information and bid walk-through, contact Jim Brandenburg at 650321-9709 ext. 19.

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Kelsey Kienitz

NOTICE INVITING SEALED BIDS for Upgrade of Site Storm Drainage at 290-310 Ventura Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306.

Kate Young, director of resident services for the Palo Alto Housing Corporation, provides parenting workshops and support groups for residents with a grant from the Palo Alto Weekly’s Holiday Fund. “We share stories and talk about our situations. It’s so nice to realize that I’m not alone, and it isn’t just me who’s struggling.” Garber explained parents tend to feel isolated, and some parents don’t want to admit they need help. She said she is amazed at how supportive and understanding the participants have been so far. “This group has been so honest, open and non-judgmental. It’s very emotional, and it’s really impressive how much empathy and support there is,” Garber said. Recently the housing corporation added individualized coaching to its support services, which allows parents to participate in two one-hour sessions with Garber to address specific needs. “It’ll be a new concept, and I hope more people will join as they build trust with me,” Garber said. Haletky and a handful of other residents have already registered. “We expect this number will grow as parents settle into the group and feel more comfortable expressing

their needs,” Young said. As a Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund recipient of $5,000, the housing corporation has completed half of the parent-support group meetings funded by the grant. The support groups will continue for another six months at the Arastradero Park complex. With the funding, Young and Garber hope the program will reach more parents in the community and provide more individual counseling opportunities “We would like to see the group grow,” Young said. “There are moms who we know would benefit from this program but just aren’t coming yet, so we’ve asked each mother to bring one of their neighbors next time.” Haletky said she hopes the services will impact other families in the same way they helped her and her son. “It’s been life changing. I’d recommend it to anyone, anywhere.” N Editorial Intern Angela Johnston can be emailed at ajohnston@ paweekly.com.

Upfront

Math

(continued from page 3)

Peninsula Christmas Services

“This letter is offensive on so many levels I don’t have time to explain,� parent Kim Bomar said. “For Mr. Toma to say (certain students) cannot be expected to pass is a total abrogation of the duty to teach.� About 20 percent of Paly’s and Gunn’s Class of 2011, including a disproportionate number of black and Latino students, graduated without fulfilling the entrance requirement for CSU and UC, the socalled “A-G requirements.� While it’s possible to graduate without meeting the four-year-college-prep curriculum, Palo Alto has struggled to boost the percentage of its graduates who meet the UC/ CSU entrance requirements. The concern was identified as a priority in the district’s 2008 strategic plan, and the board set a goal of having 85 percent of its graduates meet the criteria by 2012. Skelly in May recommended that the school board boost Palo Alto’s

graduation requirements to align with the UC/CSU entrance criteria as one way of raising expectations for all students. That idea has been endorsed by a variety of interest groups, including the Student Equity Action Network, the Network of Parents of Students of Color and the group We Can Do Better Palo Alto, which has pushed for measures to reduce academic stress. But the Board of Education reacted cautiously to Skelly’s May proposal, expressing worries about unintended consequences for struggling students, including many in special education. At the time, Skelly said he would bring the issue back to the board after researching why some students are not fulfilling A-G. He returned with an analysis in October. At Tuesday’s board meeting, students and parents criticized the tone of the math letter as “unacceptable in every possible way� while renewing their request that Palo Alto align its graduation standards with UC/ CSU entrance criteria. Lucas Brooks, an African-American

‘But the elitist attitudes expressed in the letter should be repudiated in the strongest possible terms.’

— Wynn Hausser, member, We Can Do Better Palo Alto

senior at Paly and member of the Student Equity Action Network, said he’s fortunate to have “two MIT graduates, constant access to the Internet, and the time and money to hire a tutor. “But unfortunately, most of my minority and economically disadvantaged friends as well as many others cannot say the same,� Brooks said. “Unfortunately, they go home and struggle to teach themselves material designed for students like me. This doesn’t mean there’s a problem with their brains, just their school. “It doesn’t make sense to me to design even the middle lane classes so that students in them need to

learn much more than they’ll need to achieve their collegiate dreams,� Brooks said. He also urged the board to reform graduation requirements to comply with UC/CSU entrance criteria. Parent Wynn Hausser, a member of We Can Do Better Palo Alto, said he was “flabbergasted to read the letter from the Paly math department that indicates these teachers are more concerned with reputation and awards than doing their jobs as educators — that is to educate all their students to the best of their ability. “I do not think, or at least I hope, that this letter does not represent the viewpoint of the majority of Palo Alto teachers. But the elitist attitudes expressed in the letter should be repudiated in the strongest possible terms,� Hausser said. Skelly apologized to the parents, saying he took responsibility for overlooking Toma’s comments in the context of the A-G debate in May. “I should have gone back to the math department and worked on that issue,� he said Tuesday. “I think the math department re-

grets the contents of that letter and wish they’d expressed concerns about the psychic implications for students more articulately and more sensitively. “While folks may not trust the math department on this, I do. They’re people of good will who want to see kids be successful.� Skelly said he will bring the A-G matter back to the board but wants assurance that staff members will have a safe environment to express their views. “We’re not proud of the results we have (on A-G attainment) to date and I take those as personal failures,� he said. “I think others do as well, including the math department.� N Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be emailed at ckenrick@paweekly. com.

TALK ABOUT IT

www.PaloAltoOnline.com Should the Palo Alto Unified School District reform its graduation requirements to conform with UC/CSU entrance criteria? Share your opinions on Town Square on Palo Alto Online.

Christmas Eve

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St. Bede’s Episcopal Church 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, 854-6555 www.stbedesmenlopark.org

Celebrate the Season of Promise Fulfilled! Sunday, December 18th

Christmas Eve at Bethany 5:00 p.m. Family Christmas Children tell the story of Jesus, as shepherds, angels, wisemen, and the holy family. Join us between services to enjoy wonderful food and Christmas cheer!

4:00pm A Service of Christmas Lessons & Carols

7:00 p.m. Musical Christmas

Saturday, December 24th Christmas Eve

Joy-ďŹ lled music to honor and remember the birth of God’s son.

4:00pm Christmas Pageant & Holy Eucharist 10:00pm Candlelight Choral Eucharist

Sunday, December 25th Christmas Day 9:00am Holy Eucharist with Carols, Rite I

10:00 p.m. Candlelight Christmas A quiet, contemplative time to refocus your evening with familiar hymns in the glow of candlelight.

Sunday, January 1st Feast of the Holy Name 9:00am Holy Eucharist with Carols, Rite II

BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH 1095 CLOUD AVENUE MENLO PARK at the corner of Avy & Cloud

www.bethany-mp.org *>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?ÞÊUĂŠ iVi“LiĂ€ĂŠÂŁĂˆ]ĂŠĂ“䣣ĂŠU Page 7

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Vineyard Christian Fellowship of the Peninsula CHRISTMAS EVE CELEBRATION

CHRISTMAS at FIRST LUTHERAN 600 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto | 650-322-4669 www.flcpa.org Pastor Kempton Segerhammar

December 24, 5:00 p.m. | Family Worship

Holy Communion and Carols First Lutheran children dramatize the Christmas story. First Kids’ Choir sings

December 24, 10:00 p.m. | Pre-service Music Harpist Dan Levitan joins Choir to present Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols

10:30 p.m. | Holy Communion by Candlelight

Katherine McKee, Choir Director | Andrew Chislett, Organist

Saturday December 24th, 2011 5:00pm

December 25, 10:30 a.m. | Worship | Holy Communion

Cubberley Community Center, Pavilion 4000 MiddleďŹ eld Road, Palo Alto

All services include congregational singing of traditional carols.

Lessons and Carols for Christmas | Andrew Chislett, Organist

Come join us for a beautiful relaxed time together. Special refreshments served at 5:00 pm followed by a candlelight service. Children of all ages welcome.

For more info on this service and other Advent events, go to www.vcfp.org

Valley Presbyterian Church in the Redwoods

St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish, Palo Alto

945 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 650-851-8282 www.valleypreschurch.org

Our Lady of the Rosary, 3233 Cowper Street St. Albert the Great, 1095 Channing Avenue St. Thomas Aquinas, 751 Waverley Street

Christmas Eve Worship 5:00 pm

Family Candlelight Service

10:00 pm

Candlelight Service Lessons & Carols

Christmas Day Worship 10:45 am

Christmas Celebration!

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CHRISTMAS EVE – SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24TH 5:00 pm Family Mass – Our Lady of the Rosary (Children’s Christmas Pageant during Mass) 5:00 pm Family Mass – St. Albert the Great (Children’s Christmas Pageant during Mass) 6:00 pm – St. Thomas Aquinas 7:00 pm – Our Lady of the Rosary (Spanish) Midnight Mass 12:00 am – St. Thomas Aquinas (Gregorian)

CHRISTMAS DAY – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25TH 7:30am – St. Thomas Aquinas; 9:00am – Our Lady of the Rosary (Spanish) — St. Albert the Great; 10:30am – Our Lady of the Rosary; 10:30am – St. Thomas Aquinas; 12:00 Noon – St. Thomas Aquinas (Gregorian)

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH PALO ALTO . #ALIFORNIA AT "RYANT s WWW FIRSTBAPTIST PALOALTO ORG

Sunday, December 18, 10:00 AM: Family Worship, “Gratitude and Love� followed by finger food brunch

Peninsula Christmas Services

Friday, December 24, 5:30 PM: Christmas Eve Family Service Sunday, December 25, 10:00 AM: Family Worship, “Jesus, the Light of the World�

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC

All Saints’ Episcopal Church

A Child is Born‌ Join Us for the Celebration Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

5:00 pm Family Eucharist with Choir & Blessing of the Crèche 10:30 pm Musical Prelude with Choir 11:00 pm Festive Candlelight Eucharist 10:00 am Communion & Carols

ST. MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH PALO ALTO CHRISTMAS EVE V 4:00 pm Children’s Christmas Pageant & Communion V 10:00 pm Festive Choral Christmas Eve Holy Communion beginning with Carols

CHRISTMAS DAY

www.asaints.org (650) 322-4528

Sundays 8am & 10am 555 Waverley at Hamilton, Palo Alto

V 10:00 am Holy Communion with Carols 600 Colorado Ave, Palo Alto (650) 326-3800 www.saint-marks.com

1985 Louis Road, Palo Alto ­ĂˆxäŽĂŠnxĂˆÂ‡ĂˆĂˆĂˆĂ“ĂŠUĂŠĂœĂœĂœ°vVVÂŤ>°ÂœĂ€}ĂŠ -Ă•Â˜`>ÞÊ7ÂœĂ€ĂƒÂ…ÂˆÂŤĂŠ>ĂŒĂŠ£ä\ääĂŠ>°Â“°ĂŠ>˜`ĂŠx\ääĂŠ°Â“°

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Sunday, Dec. 11th Christmas Pageant Sunday Dec. 18th Festival Worship with Brass and Choir and the Hallelujah Chorus Christmas Eve, December 24th 3:30 & 5:00 pm Family Services 10:00 pm Candlelight Service Christmas Day, December 25th 10:00 a.m. Worship An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ

Celebrate Christmas With Us! Wherever you are in your journey, whether church is familiar or not, we welcome you to join us for one of our Christmas services. Whether you prefer a simpler children’s service or a more traditional one with the Church Choir, infused with a sense of the sacred that fills Christmas Eve night, we invite you.

Christmas Eve (All services will be about an hour) 4:00 pm 6:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm

Children’s Communion Service with Pageant Christmas Communion Service with the Festival Choir Carol Sing Christmas Communion Service with the Festival Choir

Christmas Day 10:00 am

Christmas Day Communion with Hymns

Trinity Church In Menlo Park, An Episcopal Community 330 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park (Between El Camino and Middlefield) 650-326-2083 www.trinitymenlopark.org *>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?ÞÊUĂŠ iVi“LiĂ€ĂŠÂŁĂˆ]ĂŠĂ“䣣ĂŠU Page 9

Upfront

CityView A round-up of

Palo Alto government action this week

Facilities bond construction: The board awarded a $3.1 million contract to Taisei Construction for the Palo Alto High School stadium and field improvements. The board awarded a $6.4 million contract to Best Contracting Services, Inc. for a new, two-story classroom and other improvements at Fairmeadow Elementary School. The board approved a $9.3 million contract with Hagensen-Pacific for construction and renovations at Terman Middle School Yes: Unanimous Palo Alto High School construction: The board discussed a proposed schematic design for a new Performing Arts Center at Palo Alto High School..Action: None Open forum:The board heard testimony from students and parents urging the superintendent to assess high school course offerings to assure standard lanes in Palo Alto’s two high schools that meet, but do not exceed, entrance requirements for the University of California and California State University. Action: None

Council Finance Committee (Dec. 14)

Financials: The committee approved the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and adopted an ordinance closing the fiscal year 2011 budget. Yes: Unanimous Capital improvement: The committee reviewed and recommended accepting a report on the fiscal year 2011 year-end capital improvement program. Yes: Unanimous

Planning and Transportation Commission (Dec. 14)

Housing: The commission discussed its priorities list and the ongoing update to the Housing Element chapter in the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Action: None

Rendering courtesy of City of Palo Alto

Board of Education (Dec. 13)

Cogswell Plaza in downtown Palo Alto would see a host of improvements next year, including new landscaping, fixed tables and brighter lighting under a proposal the city released this week.

Architectural Review Board (Dec. 15)

Varian: The board approved a plan by Hoover Associates on behalf of Stanford University for a two-story employee-amenities building for Varian to replace an existing one-story building. Yes: Lew, Malone Prichard, Young Absent: Lee, Wasserman Hilton Garden Inn: The board reviewed a proposal for a four-story, 178-room Hilton Garden Inn at 4214 El Camino Real. Action: None

Public Agenda CITY COUNCIL ... The council plans to receive a donation check from the Palo Alto Library Foundation; hear a presentation from the PTA Council; revise the city’s guiding principles on high-speed rail and review the city’s 2011 accomplishments. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). INFRASTRUCTURE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE ... The committee plans to discuss the city’s infastructure backlog and consider ways to pay for the items on the list. The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22, in the Lucie Stern Community Center (1305 Middlefield Road).

Ring in the New Year with your loved ones at Amber Dhara Featuring a gourmet three-course menu with special wine and cocktail selections. We promise it will be an evening to remember. Limited seating, reservations recommended.

150 University Avenue | Palo Alto, CA 94301 (650) 329-9644 | www.amber-india.com Page 10ÊUÊ iVi LiÀÊ£È]ÊÓ䣣ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

Cogswell Plaza (continued from page 3)

senior facility. The improved plaza, he wrote in the report, “will allow a larger user group to utilize the Plaza,

New hotel

(continued from page 5)

cized for its density. The building, he said, is too bulky and should be scaled down by 10 to 20 percent. “This makes Arbor Real look wonderful,” Moss said. The board was far less critical, though board member Alex Lew concurred that the proposed hotel looks too bulky, even compared to

promoting employees and visitors to eat lunch and enjoy the Plaza, and allow a space for members of Avenidas to congregate outside.” Walsh said she supports having the senior facility involved in the plaza’s redesign but urged staff to

consider the needs of all residents. “I do want to think about it as a park for the whole city and make sure we remember that,” Walsh said. N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

the Arbor Real development. “It seems like your building might just overwhelm the street, given that you’re building up very close to the property line,” Lew said. But Lew also praised the hotel’s U-shaped design and said its proposed entryway on El Camino Real complies with the design guidelines for the El Camino corridor. Board member Clare Malone Prichard also said the proposed hotel is generally a good project but encouraged the

applicant to make the roof and the lobby more “interesting.” According to a report from city Planner Jason Nortz, the ground floor of the hotel would also include meeting rooms, a patio, meeting rooms, an exercise room, a restaurant and lounge and offices. Guest rooms would be located on the upper floors. N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

Creek tax

tection from coastal flooding by building levees in the Baylands, the project would cost $40 million to $45 million. Total cost for all projects: between $126 million and $146 million. Councilman Pat Burt, who represents Palo Alto on the JPA board of directors, said the authority has shifted in recent years from depending on the federal government to pay for a “grand solution” to pursuing smaller projects that could be implemented in the nearer future. “As recently as three or four years ago, there began to be a recognition by the JPA board and JPA staff that we didn’t want to wait until some future decade for federal funding to really start solving this problem,” Burt said. “There was a switch to try to say, ‘What can we do sooner?’” Burt said there is now a greater likelihood than before that a major portion of the project can be done in the “foreseeable future” and that construction on the downstream project can begin at the end of 2012. N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

(continued from page 5)

Camino Real. It would include either building floodwalls — a complex project that would require acquisition of right of way — or creating a bypass channel under Woodlawn Avenue. That project would cost between $20 million and $25 million and would offer 50-year protection to the properties in the area. Other options to boost flood protection in the area include upgrading bridges, modifying the bottlenecked portions of the creek and creating an upstream retention basin. Materman estimated that achieving 100-year protection for this area would cost between $40 million and $50 million. Materman said he hopes much of the funding for the work in this area, particularly for the bridge repairs, will come from the state. “We’re hoping to whittle away at the $20 million to $25 million through various funding sources but we imagine some local funding needs will remain,” he said. If the cities want to bolster pro-

Upfront

Neighborhoods A roundup of neighborhood news edited by Sue Dremann

AROUND THE BLOCK

FESTIVAL OF TREES ... Lytton Gardens Senior Center invites the community to attend the Festival of Trees on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. Eighteen festively decorated trees will be on display. Previous trees include the Flamingo Tree, Grinch Tree and Gingerbread House Tree. There will be a Santa’s ornament workshop, visit from Santa, carolers and beverages. Entrance is at 437 Webster St., Palo Alto. EVACUATION ... An electrical short leading to a hydrogen gas unit at Varian Medical Systems, 911 Hansen Way, on Monday (Dec. 12) caused more than 100 people to evacuate the building as a precaution. The building is in the Stanford Research Park. There was no fire, according to Palo Alto Fire Battalion Chief Chris Woodard. A hydrogen leak from a storage tank at the same address occurred March 14, 2010, releasing a whitish-vapor cloud that dissipated quickly and posed little danger to Barron Park homes a short distance away, fire officials said at the time. NO DONKEY PARADE ... The annual Barron Park Donkey Parade will not take place this year, due to the retirement of organizer Donald Anderson. No other organizer could be found, according to Doug Moran, a Barron Park Association spokesman. The parade and caroling event, which includes the neighborhood donkeys Perry and Niner, would have celebrated its 11th year. N

Send announcements of neighborhood events, meetings and news to Sue Dremann, Neighborhoods editor, at sdremann@paweekly.com.

Veronica Weber

REINVENTING RINCONADA ... The City of Palo Alto is looking for resident liaisons from neighborhood associations to join the Rinconada Park Master Plan stakeholder group. The group will begin meeting in early 2012 to assist with creating the park master plan and will include community groups associated with the park as well as neighborhoods representatives. Members of the stakeholder group act as liaisons between their respective neighborhood associations, the design consultant and city staff to provide design input and community comment. There will be five to eight community meetings and about five stakeholder meetings throughout 2012. Interested persons can contact Peter Jensen at Peter. Jensen@CityofPaloAlto.org.

Ani Safavi, top left, owner of Como Esta? Taqueria in Midtown, and volunteers from Moms Against Poverty present gifts for kids at Cesar Chavez Academy in East Palo Alto on Wednesday.

MIDTOWN

Restaurateur hosts party for 800 children in need 250 chickens, 25 hams and 900 toys distributed in East Palo Alto by Sue Dremann

A

Christmas party hosted by a Midtown Shopping Center business owner for an estimated 800 school children and their families brought abundant food, gifts and joy to Cesar Chavez Academy in East Palo Alto on Wednesday evening. The party was thrown by Ani Safavi, owner of Como Esta? Taqueria in Palo Alto, and Moms Against Poverty, a Burlingame nonprofit organization headed by Iranian and Iranian-American women. Approximately 91 percent of the school’s students live below the poverty line. Paulina Salazar brought her daughter, Katherine, 8, a student at Cesar Chavez, and two young friends. “I love it. It is so fun for the kids,” she said, watching third-grader Filiberto Zaragoza’s eyes light up as he unwrapped a LEGO jet airplane kit. “It feels good. Palo Alto seems like they think we have low schools and a low community. That people come to see us and don’t feel in danger, that’s good. I live here, and it’s been really good,” she said of the community.

This isn’t the first year that Safavi and Moms Against Poverty have teamed up for charity. Last year Safavi approached the group about doing a toy and food giveaway at the taqueria. In only 10 days, they amassed 400 toys and put together bags of food for the families. But they found that many people did not have transportation to get to Palo Alto, so this year the party was brought to East Palo Alto, she said. The dinner and gift-giving included Santa Claus, music and a twinkling tree. Children who depend on school meal programs for two out of three daily meals were able to take food home after the party, school Principal Amika Guillaume said. Safavi used her restaurant on Middlefield Road to cook dozens of chickens and hams and gallons of beans for the party. “I have been in the restaurant business in Palo Alto for 25 years. I have a passion for food and children. I have been successful, so I thought, ‘Why not use my business as an anchor to help the community?’” she said.

Midtown residents and the restaurant’s customers filled the colorful donation boxes Safavi placed at the restaurant’s entrance and in the indoor seating area. The Burlingame Fire Department donated 10 bags of toys this year, she said. Rob Steele, zoo director of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, donated 170 toys through the City of Palo Alto’s Toys for Kids drive. “I think it’s fantastic,” he said of the effort. Between 20 and 30 volunteers spent last Saturday and Sunday wrapping 900 gifts, Safavi said. On Wednesday morning, her car was filled to the roof with wrapped gifts. Safavi forgot about them when she went to drive her son to school. “He had to hide under the presents,” she said. East Palo Alto police officers handed out the gifts — a way to help put the officers in a positive light, she said. A mass of children crowded around the officers as they tossed ageappropriate gifts to each recipient. Guillaume said the party and toy/ food giveaway fills an enormous gap. Most students rely on breakfast, lunch and two snacks provided by the school each day for most of their nutrition. With the holiday break,

the students will not be fed at school. The bags of rolls, meats and fresh oranges and bananas will help fill that gap during the break, she said. At the party, colorful red and green tablecloths adorned a sea of round tables like giant polka dots. Each had a centerpiece assigning the seated families as a team. Each bore the name of a college or university: Team SCU, Team Vassar, Team Chapman, Team UCSC — hopeful and encouraging reminders that the students can fulfill their dreams and the community is behind them. “You feel close to yourself and to everyone,” volunteer Negin Lotfi said, dishing out slabs of ham and roasted chicken. Moms Against Poverty helps needy children in the United States through its Helping Hand Project to provide food, clothing and educational assistance. Overseas, Moms Against Poverty provides food and shelter, has opened orphanages, provided medical care and education to help break the cycle of poverty among the neediest in Sierra Leone, Iran, Cambodia and Afghanistan, cofounder Delfarib Fanaie said. Already, Fanaie and Guillaume (continued on page 12)

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Upfront

News Digest Police investigate shootings Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man and the shooting of another in East Palo Alto Wednesday (Dec. 14), a police spokeswoman said. The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as East Palo Alto resident Brandon Bradford. Officers were dispatched to the 2400 block of Gonzaga Street after the city’s ShotSpotter system detected possible gunfire in that area at about 11:50 a.m., East Palo Alto police Officer Veronica Barries said. Arriving officers found Bradford, who had been shot multiple times, Barries said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A second man was also shot Wednesday. Tywaun Livingston, 18, of East Palo Alto, suffered a gunshot wound to his torso. Livingston was walking with a friend in the 100 block of Verbena Drive when an unidentified suspect fired upon them. Livingston found a friend to transport him to the hospital. The East Palo Alto Police Department is looking into the possibility that both shootings might be related. Both Bradford and Livingston played football for the Palo Alto Knights Pop Warner team in the mid-2000s. Anyone with information regarding either crime can contact the East Palo Alto Police Department anonymously by emailing epa@tipnow.org or call or text-a-tip to 650-409-6792. N — Palo Alto Online staff (with Bay City News)

Police release sketch in attempted robberies, burglary Palo Alto police are investigating two attempted street robberies and one residential burglary that occurred in the north end of the city last Saturday morning (Dec. 10). Police released a sketch of the man believed to be responsible for the crimes Thursday. No one was injured in any of the events, which occurred on Waverley Street, Tasso Street and Walter Hays Drive. Officers said they believe the same person likely committed the three crimes. The first attempted robbery occurred in the 300 block of Waverley about 10:10 a.m. A man on a bicycle approached a female pedestrian in her 50s and, in Spanish, demanded money. When she refused, he gestured toward his waistband and said, in Spanish, that he had a gun. No weapon was seen or displayed. The victim again refused to give him money and he rode away. The second attempted robbery occurred about 10:25 a.m. in the 1900 block of Tasso. The suspect rode a bicycle up behind a 14-year-old male pedestrian who was carrying an iPod. The suspect said “hi” in Spanish, causing the boy to turn around. The suspect tried to grab the iPod, but the victim held onto it and ran away. No weapon was seen or displayed. The residential burglary occurred at 10:40 a.m. in the 100 block of Walter Hays. A neighbor observed the suspect ride a bicycle into the driveway of the victim’s residence, enter through the open garage door, steal a bicycle from the garage and ride away, leaving the old bicycle behind. The description of the suspect was similar in all three events. Victims and the witness described him as a Hispanic male in his 40s, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a thin build. He was last seen on a stolen gray 21-speed Marin mountain bike. Anyone with information is asked to call the Palo Alto Police 24-hour Dispatch Center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips may be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org. N —Chris Kenrick

Walgreens arsonist committed to psych facility Nearly two years after his conviction for burning down the Walgreens building on University Avenue, Donald Ray Williams was finally committed to a federal psychiatric facility, a federal prosecutor said on Friday (Dec. 9). Williams, 48, of East Palo Alto, was convicted of arson by a jury in Jan. 29, 2009, of setting the July 1, 2007, fire that destroyed the 1903 structure at the corner of Bryant Street and University Avenue, but his sentencing had been put off innumerable times because of his psychiatric condition, according to court documents. Williams has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and had not been taking his medications to control the disease. Williams’ attorney, Susan Steiger Dondershine, on Feb. 4, 2010, asked U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel to throw out the jury verdict, maintaining that Williams was incompetent during the 2008-09 trial and never received a psychiatric evaluation despite a 20-year history of severe mental illness. Fogel in 2010 admitted that Williams had outbursts during court and was obviously mentally ill. But “lots of people have mental illness but are not incompetent,” he said. Dondershine tried but failed to get the conviction overturned prior to sentencing. Fogel said in a report by a defense psychiatric expert, Dr. Arturo Silva, was compelling enough to open an inquiry into Williams’ mental incompetence during the trial but maintained that procedurally the time for such inquiry would come after sentencing and not before. N — Sue Dremann Page 12ÊUÊ iVi LiÀÊ£È]ÊÓ䣣ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

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.

Man attacked with a bat in downtown Palo Alto A man who had been out drinking in downtown Palo Alto bars was attacked and beaten with a bat or stick near Pizza My Heart restaurant at University Avenue and Emerson Street Tuesday night (Dec. 13), according to police. (Posted Dec. 14 at 5:03 p.m.)

Palo Alto police bust alleged copper thieves Palo Alto police this week arrested two men who they said broke into an East Meadow Circle business and made off with copper pipes. (Posted Dec. 14 at 10:50 a.m.)

Media Center to broadcast Jim Burch Tribute series The Midpeninsula Community Media Center will honor former Palo Alto Mayor Jim Burch, who was a longtime supporter of the center, with a special Jim Burch Tribute series on Saturday, Dec. 17. Burch died Nov. 28 at the age of 85. (Posted Dec. 14 at 8:53 a.m.)

FCC sets rules to ‘calm’ loud commercials Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill seldom see common ground these days, but just about everyone is supporting an effort by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, to turn down the volume on those annoyingly loud television commercials. The FCC approved its plan to implement Eshoo’s law Tuesday (Dec. 13). (Posted Dec. 13 at 8:10 p.m.)

Supes reject Stanford’s $10.4 million trail offer The 3-2 vote tally on Tuesday (Dec. 13) was different than the unanimity of votes in 2006 and 2010, but the outcome was the same: the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors rejected an inflation-adjusted offer of $10.4 million from Stanford University to upgrade a deteriorating asphalt path that runs along the south side of Alpine Road between Portola Valley and Menlo Park. (Posted Dec. 13 at 5:26 p.m.)

Firefighters douse blaze in Menlo Park Firefighters extinguished a one-alarm fire Tuesday morning (Dec. 13) at a Menlo Park home near Menlo-Atherton High School, a fire official said. (Posted Dec. 13 at 10:49 a.m.)

Facebook launches suicide-prevention service Facebook is offering a new service on its website to help prevent suicides in the United States and Canada, the social-networking giant announced Tuesday (Dec. 13). (Posted Dec. 13 at 9:48 a.m.)

Stanford OKs expanded list of trail routes along Alpine Road Stanford University has agreed to expand the range of options it would consider in its 2006 offer to pay up to $10.4 million to upgrade an aged asphalt path along Alpine Road between Portola Valley and Menlo Park. (Posted Dec. 13 at 9:38 a.m.)

Holiday lights shine at Lytton Plaza Palo Alto officially kicked off the holiday season Friday (Dec. 9) with a tree-lighting and dedication ceremony at Lytton Plaza. Video by Veronica Weber/Palo Alto Online. (Posted Dec. 12 at 10:33 a.m.)

Police probe two street robberies and a burglary Palo Alto police are investigating two attempted street robberies and one residential burglary that occurred in the north end of the city Saturday morning (Dec. 10). (Posted Dec. 10 at 3:09 p.m.)

EDUCATION

Townsend to head school board

P

alo Alto school board members Tuesday night (Dec. 13) elected Camille Townsend to lead the board as president for the coming year. She took the gavel from outgoing president Melissa Baten Caswell. Board member Dana Tom was elected board vice-president. Townsend, first elected to the board in 2003 and re-elected in 2007, also served as board president in 2006-07. In rare split votes of the board, she has parted with the majority on the 2009 decision to adopt the Everyday Mathematics curriculum for Palo Alto elementary schools, and a decision this year to shift the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic calendars to an earlier school start date in order to end the first semester before the December holidays. Townsend is an officer of the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation, which sponsors the Palo Alto Black & White Ball, a fundraiser for recreational and youth activities in the Palo Alto area. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, a master’s degree in public policy from American University and a law degree from Loyola University of Chicago. She has publicly commented that although both her parents did not go beyond the eighth grade, all eight of their children went to college and beyond. Her two daughters are graduates of Palo Alto High School. Townsend’s second term — along with the first terms of board members Caswell and Barbara Klausner — had been due to expire last month. However, following the resounding passage last year of a Palo Alto measure to consolidate City Council elections with even-year county and state balloting as a costsaving effort, the Board of Education in January voted to follow suit. As a consequence, school board elections were moved from November 2011 to November 2012, adding a year to the board tenures of Caswell, Klausner and Townsend. N — Chris Kenrick

Local agencies drop prices for pet adoptions Six Silicon Valley animal rescue agencies, including Palo Alto Animal Services, are offering discounted pet adoptions in a bid to find homes for 1,000 animals by New Year’s Eve. (Posted Dec. 10 at 1:10 p.m.)

Gifts

(continued from page 11)

Stanford offers early admission to 755 Stanford University Friday (Dec. 9) offered admission to 755 high school students under its “restrictive early action program” for the undergraduate Class of 2016. The number of early applicants to Stanford fell slightly this year — to 5,880 — after rising for the past three years. (Posted Dec. 9 at 10:06 p.m.)

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital fined $50,000 Five Bay Area hospitals, including Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, were issued a total of $215,000 in penalties by the California Department of Public Health for noncompliance with policies and administrative errors that could have resulted in serious injury or death, the state agency announced Thursday (Dec. 8). (Posted Dec. 9 at 10:32 a.m.)

are strategizing how to be better organized for the onslaught next year. For Safavi, the opportunity to open her kitchen and her heart was a great gift, she said. “Just to see them happy for that moment. It may not resolve the situation permanently, but it’s wonderful to see the community so excited. It’s a wonderful way to create an anchor,” she said. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.

Pulse

A weekly compendium of vital statistics

THESE COLORS CHANGED CYCLING.

POLICE CALLS Palo Alto Dec. 7-13

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Give blood for life!

Menlo Park Dec. 7-13

b l o o d c e n t e r. s t a n f o r d . e d u

B E T T E R

B A N K I N G

W I T H

Violence related Assault w/a deadly weapon . . . . . . . . . .1 Attempted armed robbery . . . . . . . . . . .2 Child abuse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Theft related Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Possession of stolen property . . . . . . . .1 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Shoplifting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle related Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Driving w/suspended license . . . . . . . . .4 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Lost/stolen license plates . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Traffic misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .9 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Liquor law violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Possession of paraphernalia. . . . . . . . . .1 Miscellaneous Brandishing a weapon . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. penal code violation . . . . . . . . . . .1 Municipal code violation . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Noise complaint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Other/misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .2 Terrorist threats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Violence related Battery on an officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

G R E A T

Shooting at dwelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft related Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle related Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Driving w/suspended license . . . . . . . . .3 Hit and run of property . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .4 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .4 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Alcohol or drug related Drug activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Miscellaneous Coroner case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Gang validation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Mental evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Information case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Juvenile problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Located missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Outside assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Resist arrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Atherton Dec. 7-13 Theft related Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle related Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Parking/driving violation . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Suspicious vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

(continued on page 19)

R A T E S

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Editorial Support local charities with a Holiday Fund gift Join the hundreds of local residents who make donations to support nonprofits serving the needs of children and families in the Palo Alto area espite Palo Alto’s well-deserved reputation as the home to some of Silicon Valley’s most innovative and caring residents, there are many children and families in this community and others nearby who are barely making ends meet this winter. Those with chronic needs are right under our noses, if we take the time to look. These are the people who get a helping hand from the agencies supported by the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund, which last year awarded more than $230,000 to 42 local nonprofits. These gifts often go to the truly needy who may need shelter or food to keep going. Other organizations, like the Red Cross, Breast Cancer Connections and Lytton Gardens, as well as the YMCA and several PTA groups, also receive support from the wide-ranging Holiday Fund grants. A complete list of last year’s grantees can be found in the ad on page 42. Beyond the altruistic reasons, there are other good reasons for choosing to contribute to the Holiday Fund. For starters, your tax-deductible gift will be doubled by the matching funds provided by the Hewlett, Packard, Peery and Arrillaga foundations, as well as the proceeds from the Weekly’s Moonlight Run. In addition, the Weekly and Silicon Valley Community Foundation cover all administrative costs, so every dollar raised goes directly to work in the community. Organizations that receive grants submit proposals for a wide range of projects, including many from East Palo Alto where need is great. For example, earlier this year the East Palo Alto Kids Foundation received $5,000 to provide small grants to teachers; East Palo Alto Youth Court received $3,000 to support a diversion program for young people who have committed a minor crime by using a peer jury to determine an appropriate sentence, and East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring received $5,000 to support a new assessment program called JustREAD, which will aid in assessing a student’s reading levels. Other grants were given to help East Palo Alto organizations such as Art in Action, Bread of Life, Cleo Eulau Center (counseling for at-risk teens), and the Music in the Schools Foundation. Grants to Palo Alto nonprofits included $7,500 to Adolescent Counseling Services for programs serving middle and high school students; $5,000 to Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, $5,000 to the grief counseling program Kara, $15,000 to the Downtown Streets Team and many more. The Holiday Fund will run through mid-January, with a goal of raising $250,000, which will be a challenge in this year’s tough economy. We believe our readers are up to the task. In terms of value, both human and financial, there is no better investment. All grants benefit children and families, and there are no overhead costs — so 100 percent of every donation goes to grants, and matching funds double the value of the donations. Make this the year that you either continue donating to the Holiday Fund, or begin a lasting relationship that will help support more than 40 nonprofit organizations in our communities. Whether through the Holiday Fund or directly in other ways, we hope our readers will pause to help those in need and support the good work of our local nonprofits Complete and return the coupon below or donate online at www. paloaltoonline.com/holidayfund.

D

Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions

Thanks for the memories Editor, We want to thank everyone who came by the California Avenue Plaza last Sunday to celebrate the 50th birthday of the California Avenue Fountain. It was a lovely day and could only have been better if the fountain was still functioning. Some took the time to document their favorite fountain memory, but sadly many, especially the small children, couldn’t remember the fountain ever having water in it. A very refreshing addition to the celebration, however, was the arrival of three awesome city ambassadors, firefighters Debbie Burk, Bill Dale and Jesus Zuniga. It felt right to pay tribute to this 50-year-old California Avenue landmark, but also bittersweet since we know that its days are numbered. Jan St. Peter and Paul T. Pitlick High Street Palo Alto

Reputation vs. teaching Editor, I was outraged to learn from LaToya Baldwin Clark’s “Guest Opinion” (Palo Alto Weekly, Dec. 12, 2011) that the PAUSD is refusing to provide an Algebra II class (required for UC/CSU admission) at a level appropriate to the needs of many district students. Apparently, other California high school districts provide such courses, but the PAUSD will not do so because it would hurt its reputation!!!!! How can we support teachers who believe that their district’s “reputation” is more important than actually teaching algebra to students who may have to struggle to learn? When other districts in the state are helping their students meet UC/USC requirements, it is unconscionable that the PAUSD will not do the same. When our children were in the district many courses were offered at different levels. What has changed? Beth Lyon Ronald Lyon (Professor Emeritus) Tolman Drive Stanford

Save Cubberley Make checks payable to

Enclosed is a donation of $___________________________ Name __________________________________________________ Business Name _________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________ City/State/Zip___________________________________________

Silicon Valley Community Foundation and send to: PAW Holiday Fund c/o SVCF 2440 W. El Camino Real, Suite 300 Mountain View, CA 94040

E-Mail __________________________________________________ Phone______________________

Q Credit Card (MC or VISA) _______________________________________ Expires ______________ Signature _______________________________________________________ I wish to designate my contribution as follows: – OR –

Q In name of business above

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Q Please withhold the amount of my contribution.

The Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund is a fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. All donors will be published in the Palo Alto Weekly unless the coupon is marked “Anonymous.”

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Editor, I write to express my amazement that the city is considering options to sell or long-term lease the cityowned 8 acres at Cubberley Community Center. I think that Foothill College could well be situated at Moffett Field where there is public transportation readily available; such location does not impact the Arastradero/Charleston corridor — an already heavily used area with additional 700 parking spaces and presumably 7,000 (five people per space * two in and out * 700) additional or more trips per day. Cubberley is already under con-

sideration for the reopening of a high school complex. Protect the open space in the area. Retain Cubberley as a city-owned facility. Cubberley is a city-resource that is not replicable anywhere else in Palo Alto. Land is at a premium. We need to protect resources for the future. You owe a duty of care to the Palo Alto Unified School District and the future students living in Palo Alto. Let’s not proceed with any draft letter of interest. This is not why I worked so hard to elect most of you to the city council. Alice Schaffer Smith Los Palos Circle Palo Alto

need and should be addressed on a regional basis. Surely each Peninsula city won’t burden taxpayers with a $125,000 (plus benefits) resource when we all share the same need. We cannot accept anything less than a city-wide vision that always pursues regional cooperation to maximize service and minimize cost. (As a reminder, we still have a lot of potholes and infrastructure to update as essential priorities.) Again, great progress, but we must include a regional vision in our future. Timothy Gray Park Boulevard Palo Alto

Can we share resources?

Lament on tree removal

Editor, Congratulations to Palo Alto on making real strides towards the essential goal of disaster preparedness by hiring Kenneth Dueker, a veteran of the Palo Alto Police Department, to head the Office of Emergency Services. Now, let’s see if we can share this resource on a regional basis to defray some of the cost, as Emergency Preparedness is a regional

Editor, When I first moved to this area almost two years ago one of the things that was most impressive were the trees along San Antonio Road near Middlefield Road. Now I’ve learned of the imminent removal of those beautiful trees. Unfortunately, Palo Alto is not as progressive as I once thought, (continued on page 18)

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

What do you think? Should the City of Palo Alto encourage development of new hotels? 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 Media 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!

Guest Opinion Fazzino calls for electing mayor to two-year terms Former mayor also urges council to give Sid Espinosa another term to lead the city By Gary Fazzino t is hard to believe Sid Espinosa’s term as mayor is almost over. And what a great year of accomplishment it has been... approving the Stanford hospital project...establishing a long-term infrastructure plan... approving a fiscally sound budget without a significant negative impact on city services. And perhaps most important, exhibiting a style of leadership that focuses on transparency, inclusiveness and decision-making. One good year deserves another! But unfortunately, due to Palo Alto’s current mayoral selection system — which is a 25-year tradition and not part of the municipal code, Sid is limited to only one year as mayor. He could accomplish so much more as mayor for two years. This is not intended to raise any concerns about Sid’s presumed successor, Yiaway Yeh, who also is a bright young visionary leader and would be a great mayor as well. In fact, Yiaway also deserves two years as mayor. One year is simply not enough time for a mayor to accomplish all that is needed to be done. It is not enough time for a mayor to establish and follow through on major priorities, grow into a strong leader presiding over meetings and working collaboratively with the city manager, or providing critically important leadership on regional or state issues impacting Palo Alto such as

I

high-speed rail. Throughout most of Palo Alto’s history and until the 1980s, mayors regularly served for two or more years. Some served for four, five and one even served for eight years. These mayors were chosen for their leadership abilities, representation of the public’s priorities, ability to get things done, and to represent the city on challenging local and regional issues. And several of those multiterm mayors such as Hutchinson, Porter, Arnold, Comstock and Henderson are recognized as some of our greatest mayors. But once the great pro- and slow-growth battles were over in the early 1980s, it was decided to pass the mayorship around among different council members. Imagine how much more Larry Klein could have accomplished on regional transportation and landuse issues in the late 1980s as a multi-year mayor or if we had had one mayor for several years — whether it was Jean McCown, Liz Kniss or me — addressing East Palo Alto issues impacting our community and theirs in the early 1990s? I would also change the way mayors are selected. Under the council election of mayor system, either everyone gets the chance to be mayor — which typically occurs in a five-member council — or in the case of Sunnyvale, Mountain View or Palo Alto with seven or nine members, one half to three quarters of the members become mayor. There is little public transparency associated with the process of becoming mayor in such a system, and often times — particularly in a pure rotational system, where the expectation is that everyone will become mayor — sometimes we trade a

great presiding officer and leader for others who do not have similar skills. But unless there is a pure rotational system, which is the case in Palo Alto, there are unintentional violations of the Brown Act in the mayoral selection system. I am surprised this issue was not raised during the recent campaign to enact a directly elected mayor system in Sunnyvale. At annual city council reorganization meetings, council members are not sitting in papal conclave waiting for the Holy Spirit, or spirits of mayors past, to inspire them at that particular moment in time to vote for a particular candidate. Conversations have been going on among members for weeks as to who has an interest in becoming mayor, and commitments are made to vote for specific individuals. Although this is human nature, and a natural result of the system in place, it also is a technical violation of the Brown Act. Kelly Fergusson in Menlo Park got in trouble last year with the San Mateo County DA’s office for speaking with other council members about the upcoming mayor selection vote, and yet, countless council members in other local cities — including Palo Alto — have been engaged in the same activity for many years. There is little transparency associated with the current mayoral selection system because de facto decisions regarding the mayorship are made prior to the council vote and as a result of serial conversations. I have long supported a directly-elected mayor system for Palo Alto but with a couple of twists. I would not significantly change the current powers of the mayor in a city government whose success is heavily dependent on an appointed city manager. The mayor’s

primary responsibilities are to run meetings, appoint committee and task force members, represent the city on regional committees and use the power of the bully pulpit to effect necessary change. I propose having an election for a twoyear mayorship alongside the city council elections every two years. Anyone currently on the council or running for election could become a candidate. It assures transparency, avoids Brown Act violations, and gives the public an opportunity to decide who is the most qualified to be leader of the community and presiding officer at council meetings. And I would make it a two-year term because the reality is that one can get very little done in just one year’s time. It also provides important continuity of leadership on regional bodies. But the proposal does not increase mayoral powers significantly and maintains the proper balance of power between mayor and manager. Limit terms to two two-year terms to avoid too much concentration of power. If the successful mayoral candidate does not win a council seat, the second place finisher becomes mayor. I doubt that would happen often, but the system has to plan for it. Mayors selected by the voters, public transparency, avoidance of Brown Act problems and two-year terms represent definite improvements over the current system. Gary Fazzino served on the city council from 1977 to ’81 and from 1989 to ’02, and as mayor in 1992 and 1999. He is vice president of government affairs at Applied Materials.

Streetwise

Will you be volunteering or donating to charity this holiday season? If so, where and why? Asked at Mollie Stone’s on California Avenue, Palo Alto. Interviews and photographs by Angela Johnston.

Lottie Price

Ed Johnson

Ferne Koolpe

Ilana Aldor

Richard Green

“I volunteer with the local library and will be doing so over the Christmas holidays as well. I am also helping with the Christmas party at work.”

“Yes, I’ll be volunteering in the form of singing with The Gryphon Carolers at rest homes.”

“I’ll be donating to the Ronald McDonald house. My friend was one of the founders and I like that almost all of the money goes toward children and their families.”

“I am starting a new job next week and will donate to whatever charity the company is affiliated with.”

“I donate and volunteer at random times throughout the year, but Christmas is no different.”

Researcher Edlee Avenue, Palo Alto

Musician North Fair Oaks, Menlo Park

Retired school teacher Price Court, Palo Alto

Fermentation Scientist College Avenue, Palo Alto

In between jobs Ash Street, Palo Alto

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A community health education series from Stanford Hospital & Clinics

Special Care for the Spirit Is Good Medicine, Too

Now, Flynn’s life was about to change again and a familiar face appeared: Father John Hester, a tall, ruddy-faced man with a deep, calming voice full of warmth. “I was surprised,” Flynn said, “but I actually knew him from our church. He sat and talked to me for a while. We prayed together and he gave me communion, and it felt like I wasn’t alone.” For the staff and volunteers of the Spiritual Care Service at Stanford Hospital, that’s been the exact idea for several decades now—adding something extra to the work done by medicine and medical professionals, reaching out to patients who need their faith’s familiar rituals, like communion, and to those patients

whose faith might be shaken in the crucible of illness. The service now stands as one of the most well-known, respected and innovative programs in the country. Those who trained in its model of clinical pastoral care lead respected programs around the world; young physicians find valuable new perspective when they shadow chaplains; and hundreds of volunteers make it possible for someone to be at a patient’s bedside whenever needed, and for as long as needed.

An extra element of value Stanford’s model of care reflects major changes to what once was commonly called pastoral care and served up Christian denominational beliefs and little else. “The Catholics did sacraments and the Protestants read from the Bible and made a prayer,” said the Rev. George Fitzgerald, DMin, director of the Spiritual Care Service since 1988. “Now we’re interfaith, and what we do is about support and cooperation. Now we teach the value of active listening, and we never try to convert anyone.”

“We’re not there to proselytize. We’re there to support, to care. It’s not something we force on people.” – Mike Flynn, volunteer, Stanford Spiritual Care Service

Norbert von der Groeben

Cindy Flynn has recovered well from her heart transplant, with enough energy to keep up with her grandchildren, including Delphine, a regular visitor to the Flynns’ home. Page 16ÊUÊ iVi LiÀÊ£È]ÊÓ䣣ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

Underlying all those changes has been a broader acceptance of “spirit as a significant part of a person’s life and something that can really contribute to health and healing,” Fitzgerald said. “There are all kinds of studies that show that when patients have a supportive religious community, they tend to do better. And there are other studies that show that at hospitals where chaplains visit patients, those patients drift toward earlier discharge and need less pain medications.” Physicians, too, Fitzgerald said, “have really recognized

the importance of spirituality in a patient’s life. They don’t always have the time to sit down and take an hour with a family, but they are interested in working together with us, to see us as a part of the health care team.” And that includes the many volunteers— more than 200—who have regular visiting hours or are on call. Mike Flynn, Cindy’s Cindy Flynn survived a heart attack at age 50, but nearly two decades later, a husband, has been heart transplant was her only option. During her stay at Stanford, her treata Spiritual Care volment included visits from the hospital’s Spiritual Care Service team. unteer for five years. support, to care. It’s not something we He had always gone force on people. For people who can’t get to Mass on Sundays, and taught a relito a service, we can bring it directly to gion class to kids at church; it was not them—the kind of spiritual nourishuntil he retired in 2001 that he had ment people can’t get any other way.” the time to pay attention to that part of him that wanted something more to do—to help, he said. One morning at his church in Palo Alto, the call went out for volunteers for the Spiritual Care Flynn makes his rounds to Catholic team at Stanford. “I just said, ‘I’m going patients. Other volunteers and chapto give it a try.’ I went to the classes, lains serve specific faiths or respond to and it turned out to be exactly, for me, needs that are more universal. Stanford the best thing I could do because of the has a chaplain, the Rev. Susan Scott, personal nature of it. It’s like saying, who is focused on patients facing death ‘What would Christ ask of me? Christ and their families. Scott has special would ask of me to bring his spirit to knowledge of the paperwork and other other people.’” arrangements to be made, stepping in to help make the process less difficult. The volunteers are trained to respect Through her work with patients, the all the responses they might get when hospital created a pamphlet to help they enter a room, Flynn said. “We’re patients complete an advanced direcnot there to proselytize. We’re there to tive, a document that specifies what

Norbert von der Groeben

In the midst of the noise and bustle and bright lights of the intensive care unit at Stanford Hospital, about to get a new heart, Cindy Flynn was not afraid. It wasn’t the first time she’d been there. Seventeen years earlier, then just 50 years old, Flynn had arrived at Stanford, pain gripping her chest. A heart attack, doctors told her. And the damage done meant she would need a transplant one day. It was world-turning information.

Broad diversity of views

After he retired, Mike Flynn, Cindy’s husband, became a volunteer eucharist minister at Stanford Hospital. Because of his w the value of spiritual care at a hospital.

special feature

Serving Spiritual Needs And Sharing the Knowledge Stanford Hospital’s Spiritual Care Service is designed to provide the broadest possible resources for patients and their families. Its services include:

The Spiritual Care Service’s clinical pastoral education program is certified by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education and offers a year-long training or summer internship. It also offers a shadowing program for Stanford School of Medicine students. Stanford’s model for spiritual care service has grown to include important innovations: t Dedicated volunteers created the first-ever guidebook of its kind to train volunteers for Muslim spiritual care. Published in 2007, that guidebook inspired a training manual for all Spiritual Care volunteers. t The hospital’s Jewish Chaplaincy is directed by Bruce Feldstein, a former emergency medicine physician. He is an adjunct professor of family medicine at Stanford and teaches a required class at the School of Medicine titled ‘Spirituality & Meaning in Medicine” and an elective class titled “The Healer’s Art.” t In the No One Dies Alone program, volunteers under the supervision of the Rev. Susan Scott serve as compassionate companions by sitting with patients who are dying and alone. t The most recent addition to the Spiritual Care Service team is Rabbi Lori Klein, who serves as the chaplain for the Stanford Cancer Center.

t supportive visits by chaplains and volunteers to serve faith groups whether Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jew, Muslim, Sikh and other options t religious resources such as Bibles, Buddhist chanting tapes, Muslim prayer rugs, Shabbat candles and other prayer materials t onsite observances of holidays including Christmas, Chanukah, Eid al-Adha, Diwali and others t memorial services t an interfaith chapel open 24/7 that contains sacred writings and prayer books of several faith traditions t trained volunteers from a variety of faiths

For more information about all the Stanford Hospital Spiritual Care Service’s programs, call 650.723.5101 or visit stanfordhospital.org/spiritualcare. Join us at http://stanfordhospital.org/socialmedia. Watch the new Stanford Hospital Health Notes television show on Comcast: channel 28 on Mondays at 8:30 p.m., Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. and Fridays at 8:30 a.m.; channel 30 Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. It can also be viewed at www.youtube.com/stanfordhospital.

– Father John Hester, Associate Director, Stanford Spiritual Care Service actions are to be taken if a patient is unable to make decisions because of illness or incapacity. Just as Scott has a special assignment, so do others. Rabbi Lori Klein works with patients at the Cancer Center; Father Hester is the one who responds to calls from the intensive care units. It’s one way to make sure that everyone most in need will have a resource, said Barbara Ralston, the hospital’s Vice President for Guest Services. The success of the program, she said, is visible in the philanthropic support it receives from the community and the substantial resources it offers at the hospital. “This service really means a lot to people,” she said, “and we’re very proud of it.”

“That’s when I said, ‘We’ve got to replicate presence, and we’ve got to bring in more caring volunteers,” Hester said. “Now we have Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, a diversity of Christians, Wiccan—everyone. We train them in the ministry of presence—to be totally open to the other human beings, to listen. We train them to be respectful, to be reverent, to be gentle in every way so patients can tell us anything they want, how they want, or they can go silent. We’re there for them in that moment.”

Steady support Hester and his colleagues try to anticipate when they might be needed at weekly meetings with all the clinicians on a unit. “Sometimes they’ll say, ‘Would you go and meet with the family? We’re going to be giving him bad news and we’d like you to be there.”

Norbert von der Groeben

ife’s medical history, he brings a special understanding of

In 2010, Spiritual Care Services made 245,000 visits to patients, and its volunteers—from 12 countries, speaking 10 languages—gave 103,000 hours. Hester knows quite well the difference those volunteers have made. In the early years of his nearly four decades at the hospital, he might see 80 people in a day, forgetting to eat or drink. Finally, a nurse sat him down and said, “Right now, I should have you see a doctor. What have you been doing?”

Norbert von der Groeben

“We train them to be respectful, to be reverent, to be gentle in every way so patients can tell us anything they want, how they want, or they can go silent. We’re there for them in that moment.”

The Stanford Hospital Spiritual Care Service program includes more than 200 volunteers in addition to its regular staff and chaplains.

“I don’t know how to explain it, but it does make a difference. It’s just having somebody there and talking to you as a person, and not just a patient.” – Cindy Flynn, patient, Stanford Hospital & Clinics Cindy Flynn didn’t have much doubt that she would be OK, but she does believe that she would have felt more pain and would have been more afraid

had she not known that so many prayers were being said for her, including Hester’s. Knowing that she was in the thoughts of others, she said, built a feeling that “was very, very peaceful. And that felt good. I felt relaxed enough so I could just concentrate on getting better. It truly does make a difference. I don’t know how to explain it, but it does make a difference. It’s just having somebody there and talking to you as a person, and not just a patient.”

Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. It is currently ranked No. 17 on the U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list and No. 1 in the San Jose Metropolitan area. Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. The Stanford University Medical Center is comprised of three world renowned institutions: Stanford Hospital & Clinics, the Stanford University School of Medicine, the oldest medical school in the Western United States, and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, an adjacent pediatric teaching hospital providing general acute and tertiary care. For more information, visit http://stanfordhospital.org/.

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THE NEW YEAR IS FAST APPROACHING! YOUR FLEX DOLLARS ARE EXPIRING!

Spectrum

Letters

(continued from page 14)

sacrificing very old and beautiful trees to the renovation of a street. So what if the street and sidewalk have a few bumps in them? Is that so bad? For many many years those trees have stood as comforters to the millions of people who passed below them. They are to be no more. Now, they stand for a limited time as sentinels over a city’s foolish officials who make foolish decisions. McNair Ezzard Thompson Avenue Mountain View

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Editor, Public discourse about the future of the Palo Alto Municipal golf course is welcomed, as long as it is based on factual assumptions. In reading your editorial (Palo Alto Weekly, Dec. 9, 2011), I do not believe you’ve provided an unbiased background for the issue. Your comments about the use of the facility by non-Palo Alto residents appear to cast a negative tone to the city’s desire to “subsidize” the golf course. Non-residents pay a higher fee, and residents have other preferential treatment. The city supports the upkeep of its parks, which in many cases (excluding Foothill Park) are used as much by non-residents as residents. Limiting public access to parks has rightfully been met with resistance by the city. Why should the golf course be treated any differently? The golf course has already contributed land allowing the Winter Lodge to remain in its current location. The golf course received nothing in return. I’m aware of the difficulty of access to soccer fields during the season. The new Stanford fields have lessened this problem considerably. More importantly, soccer for most isn’t a year-round sport and demand for fields is limited to certain times, days and months. The golf course is used all year from sunrise until sundown, by all ages and genders, offering an affordable option for those who enjoy the sport. In this challenging economy, the council should recognize that the course is an economic asset to the city, providing needed revenue and employment to a sizeable staff. Robert Goldin Pitman Avenue Palo Alto

A questionable investment Editor, For an old golf nut (who played his first time in 1933 and gave up the game for health reasons — two heart attacks on the golf course — 61 years later) it is sad to read in the Dec. 9 Weekly about the situation at Palo Alto Muni. Sad but not too surprising! The desire for a course was strong since in the early 1950s there was not a full-size, 18-hole public course between San Mateo and San Jose. When the course was planned some 60 years ago there were several of us who were residents of Palo Alto, who disagreed with the location for two reasons.

The main concern was with the water table below the land. It was felt there would be significant drainage problems and the salt content would not be beneficial to the growth of trees, and which might also affect the growth of grass. The second concern was with the wind. Spending some $4 million to upgrade (?) the course is (at least in my opinion) a questionable investment. The cost would now be five to 10 times as high, but Palo Alto still has a large park in the hills. That is the location many wanted some 50 years ago! Dan Goodman Trinity Drive Menlo Park

What about the workers? Editor, With all the hype about the High-Speed Rail there is one very important issue that hasn’t been addressed. There are thousands of men and women who are earning their living by working on this project. I can’t help wonder what will happen to their homes, medical insurance and lives if a few discontented people stop it. Yvonne Holcomb Ross Road Palo Alto

Routine maintenance? Editor, Every year at Christmas time, the city conducts “routine maintenance” on our water system. During the time of this routine (that means it could be done at any time of the year, doesn’t it?) maintenance, our water, while safe and potable, doesn’t taste as good and looks bad. When I make a cup of tea, a brown deposit is left inside the cup when the tea is gone. Yuck! You have to use soap to get it off; it doesn’t just rinse off, so that a second cup of tea could be enjoyed. When I make a cup of tea with our “normal” water, no residue is left in the cup. I can survive this yuck stuff, but every year we have houseguests at Christmas, and every year they are subjected to this substandard water. They think our water is AWFUL. Couldn’t this maintenance that ruins the appearance of our water and leaves a mess in the teacup, be done during any other month of the year? I’m sure I am not the only person in town who is having houseguests. Sue Kemp Seale Avenue Palo Alto

We can do better Editor, We (parents, teachers, and administrators) need to recognize that half of our kids are below average. As the parent of two very different children (one significantly below average, the other significantly above), our family’s experience clearly indicates the PAUSD’s priorities are on the higher achieving half. Until the district can take pride in helping every student reach their full potential, we won’t get there. We can, and should, do better by our kids. Brian Suckow Southampton Drive Palo Alto

Transitions Births

Ana Vargas and Flavio Romero of East Palo Alto, a daughter, Nov. 23

Nicole and Todd Pavlovich of Palo Alto, a son, Nov. 28 Samantha and Michael Stacey of Menlo Park, a daughter, Dec. 5

Trespassing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Welfare check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Pulse

(continued from page 13) Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .3 Vehicle code violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Alcohol or drug related Drug activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Miscellaneous Animal call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Building check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Construction site check . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Juvenile problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Medical aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Outside assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Pedestrian check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .4 Suspicious person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Town ordinance violation . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Tree down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

VIOLENT CRIMES Palo Alto 300 block Waverley Street, 12/10, 10:11 a.m.; attempted armed robbery. Unlisted block Tasso Street, 12/10, 10:28 a.m.; attempted armed robbery. Unlisted block Sutter Avenue, 12/11, 10:45 a.m.; domestic violence/battery. Unlisted block Miranda Avenue, 12/11, 7:55 p.m.; domestic violence/battery. Unlisted block Manresa Lane, 12/12, 2:45 p.m.; child abuse/physical. Unlisted block University Avenue, 12/14, 1:53 a.m.; assault with a deadly weapon.

Menlo Park 1300 block Windermere Drive, 12/9, 8:45 p.m.; shooting at occupied dwelling. Unlisted block Hamilton Avenue , 12/10, 1:24 p.m.; battery on an officer.

Dorothy Kelley Hemstreet Dorothy Kelley Hemstreet, 88, a 60-year resident of Palo Alto, died December 7, 2011 in Redwood City, CA. Dorothy was born in 1923 in Chicago, IL, daughter of Thomas Bramlett Kelley and Selma Brunke Kelley. She met Sherman L. (Lee) Hemstreet, a Palo Alto resident, in Chicago in 1944 while he served in the Navy and she was a USO hostess. They married in 1946, moving to California where Lee had secured a job with United Air Lines. Dorothy and Lee celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this year. Dorothy was a devoted wife, homemaker and mother of five, grandmother of fourteen, and great-grandmother of four. She was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Palo Alto for 58 years, singing in the choir for many years. She is survived by her beloved husband, Sherman L. Hemstreet, children Larry (Susan) Hemstreet, Mary Lou (Fred) Marshall, Dorothy (James) Catlin, Patricia Hemstreet, Carol (Cleve) Dean, cherished grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and extended family. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Dec. 17, 11:00am at Wesley United Methodist Church, 470 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto. Memorial gifts may be made to Heifer International, PO Box 8058, Little Rock, AK 72203-8058.” PA I D

OBITUARY

SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY

Vivian Distler

May 7, 1965 – December 6, 2011 Longtime Palo Alto resident and Jewish community leader Vivian Distler passed away on December 6, 2011. Born in Montreal, Canada in 1965, Vivian took pride in her heritage and upbringing in a closelyknit Jewish community. She brought those experiences into her many volunteer commitments, ranging from service on the boards of the Jewish Community Center, Kehillah Jewish High School and JCF South Peninsula Council, to training in local emergency preparedness and participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society “Team in Training” program. She chaired the 2007 “To Life! Jewish Cultural Street Festival” and was a board member of New Bridges to Jewish Community. Vivian graduated from Boston University in 1987 with a BS in broadcasting and film and a BA in history. She earned a JD from UC Berkeley School of Law in 1994, where she was managing editor of the California Law Review. She was a law clerk at the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada. Her early career was in television production, first in New York, and then in Los Angeles. Later, she practiced law at Wilson Sonsini. In 2007, she joined the Institute for the Future and became Director of Re-

search and Collaborative Networks for the Health Horizons Program. Always accompanied by her cherished canine companions, Vivian shared her love for them with everyone. Her keen intelligence, compassion, wisdom, loyalty and generous nature were evident in all she did. Vivian wrote, “I am largely about connecting with people—building and nurturing relationships, managing teams to get a job done, and communicating effectively.” Vivian is survived by her brother Jacques Distler of Austin, Texas; sister-in-law Suzanne Fremont; beloved niece and nephew, Lauren and Avi; her many friends; and dog Buddy. A community memorial service will be held on January 29, 2012 at the OFJCC. Donations may be made to: Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 www.paloaltojcc.org/give-back/give-back/; or Team in Training, 675 N. First Street, Suite 1100, San Jose, CA 95112-5156 www.teamintraining.org/sj/donate/ PA I D

O B I T UA RY

Julia Fuller

April 26, 1923-Nov. 28, 2011 Julia Caveglia Fuller, 88, a resident of Palo Alto for nearly 50 years, died of peripheral vascular disease Nov. 28 in Fremont, where she had been living for the past three years. Mrs. Fuller was extremely active at the board level in the Parent Teacher Association during the 1950s and 1960s in Palo Alto and at the district and state levels. She served as President of the Sixth District PTA of Santa Clara County from 1985 to 1987. She received several statewide awards of recognition for her work on drug abuse prevention and sex education issues. She also served for years as a board member of the Pathways Society drug abuse prevention organization. She was born in Pinckneyville, IL April 26, 1923 to David and Crescentia Caveglia. She attended Catholic grammar school there and was graduated from Pinckneyville High School in 1940. She attended the University of Louisville where she was a member of the Delta Zeta sorority. While at the university, she worked at DuPont’s Indiana Ordnance Works testing gunpowder for use during World War II. It was there that she met her future husband, Bernard W. Fuller, a chemical engineer with whom she had been sharing a carpool. They were married May 19, 1943

in Louisville. The couple later moved to Memphis, TN, and then to New York City where Mrs. Fuller worked at the B. Altman department store while attending the Laboratory Institute of Fashion Merchandising. They were living in North Arlington, NJ when their first child, David William Fuller, was born in 1949. The family moved to Delaware, first to Wilmington, and then to Hockessin in the countryside just outside Wilmington where they lived until moving to Palo Alto in 1958. Her second child, Mary Teresa Fuller, was born in 1965. Mrs. Fuller was living with her daughter in Fremont at the time of death. In addition to her two children, she is survived by a son-in-law David Heminger of Fremont; a cousin Clorinda Hite of Santa Clara; and a daughter-in-law Carlene Canton and two granddaughters, Cameron Canton Fuller and Courtney Canton Fuller, all of Seattle. Mrs. Fuller’s ashes will be scattered beyond the Golden Gate Bridge with those of her husband of 53 years. PA I D

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Sports Shorts

STANFORD FOOTBALL

It will be a real Fiesta

LIN’S NEW TEAM . . . Palo Alto High grad Jeremy Lin wasn’t out of a job very long, after being waived by the Golden State Warriors last Friday. On Sunday, the Houston Rockets claimed the 23-year-old Lin off waivers, picking up the second year of his nonguaranteed contract — worth close to a reported $800,000. The 6-foot-3 Lin, a Harvard graduate, was a popular player with the Warriors but averaged only 2.6 points on 38.9 percent shooting in 29 games as a rookie last season. He spent much of the year traveling back and forth between the Warriors and their NBA Development League team, where he averaged 18 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists with the Reno Bighorns. Lin’s younger brother, Joseph, meanwhile, dished out five assists to help the Hamilton College men’s basketball team defeat Vassar College, 96-71, last Saturday. Joseph also is a Paly grad.

COACHING CORNER . . . The Palo Alto Babe Ruth baseball program has openings for head coaches and team managers for the spring 2012 season. Tryouts will be in late January 2012. Those interested should contact the league at pabr.baseball@gmail.com. For more details, go to www.pababeruth.org.

ON THE AIR Saturday Women’s basketball: Princeton at Stanford, 1 p.m., KZSU (90.1 FM) Men’s basketball: UC San Diego at Stanford, 5 p.m., KNBR (1050 AM)

Monday Tuesday Women’s basketball: Tennessee at Stanford, 7 p.m., Comcast Sports Net Bay Area; KZSU (90.1 FM)

READ MORE ONLINE

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

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a job offer to remain in America. As a result, the family settled in Bellevue, a few miles from Husky Stadium. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, David DeCastro excelled in swimming, baseball and basketball. He eventually settled in with football, found his way to Stanford and the rest, as they say, is history.

he Tostitos Fiesta Bowl features a myriad of activities, from charity events to various parties, and puts on one heck of a parade. The football game itself, which features No. 4 Stanford and No. 3 Oklahoma State in what many feel will be an old-fashioned western shootout among two of the nation’s top quarterbacks, represents the culmination of a year’s worth of preparation. “It’s not just a football game,” said Matt Winter, who serves on the Board of Directors of the Fiesta Bowl. “It’s a festival of college football.” With a city like Tempe, Ariz., which knows how to party, the festival lasts seemingly weeks. In fact, the Fiesta Bowl brings two bowl games into the limelight. The Insight Bowl, the undercard if you will, pits Iowa and Oklahoma on Friday, Dec. 30 at Sun Devil Stadium. Tempe hosts a Block Party on New Year’s Eve and the Stanford Alumni Association is planning several events centered in and around Tempe. Other hosted parties include the Insight Big Huddle, Fiesta Bowl’s College Football’s Biggest Party and the Fiesta Bowl Stadium Club. “It is a great honor, and it will be a tremendous challenge for us,” Stanford coach David Shaw said. “This was the goal when we got here four years ago with Coach (Jim) Harbaugh. It really was to establish, first of all, a tough team and estab-

(continued on page 23)

(continued on page 24)

Stanford junior guard David DeCastro (52) was named a first team All-American by The Associated Press while quarterback Andrew Luck was named to the second team on Wednesday.

DeCastro an All-American lineman Luck, Martin make AP second team; Shaw up for another coach-of-the-year honor by Rick Eymer avid DeCastro could have ended up playing rugby or soccer in South Africa, instead of knocking heads as an offensive lineman for the Stanford football team and protecting its quarterback, who spent his early childhood in Germany as a soccer fan. DeCastro’s parents, Colin and Jennifer, emigrated from South Af-

D

rica and, after marrying, planned to return. Had that occurred, David would have been born in South Africa and likely would have followed the path of his father and maternal grandfather — both of whom played rugby at the University of Cape Town. But, that never happened. While DeCastro’s mother was getting her masters degree from the University of Washington, his father received

PREP SOCCER

WOMEN’S SOCCER

SHP girls searching for a new identity

Soccer America names Taylor player of year

by Keith Peters

by Rick Eymer

he Sacred Heart Prep girls’ soccer team has been the most successful local squad in the area during the past three years. The Gators have compiled a 53-1311 record and reached the Central Coast Section Division III semifinals three times — advancing to the finals in 2009 and winning it. While the Gators had depth and talent during that three-year span, two standout reasons behind the success story were Abby Dahlkemper and Geena Graumann. Both Dahlkemper (UCLA) and Graumann (USC) continued their

indsay Taylor has made it a trifecta. The Castilleja grad was named Soccer America’s Women’s Player of the Year on Thursday, making it three in a row for Stanford. Kelley O’Hara won the award in 2009 and Christen Press won it last year. Taylor led the Cardinal with 20 goals en route to its first national title. She did not score at the Women’s College Cup but had an assist in the 3-0 win over Florida State in the semifinals and the key pass in the long sequence leading up to Stanford’s lone goal in its 1-0 win over

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Rick Bale/stanfordphoto.com

Men’s basketball: Bethune-Cookman at Stanford, 7 p.m., KNBR (1050 AM)

by Rick Eymer

Bob Drebin/stanfordphoto.com

4TH AT NATIONALS . . . The Palo Alto Knights had two teams finish in fourth place at the American Youth Football National Championships last week in Orlando, Fla. The Pee Wee team dropped a tough 8-6 decision to the Mesa Soldiers from Arizona in the third-place game. Palo Alto reached that game following a 30-16 semifinal loss to the Phoenix Thunder. The Knights began their hopes for a possible national title with a 28-0 victory over the New York state champion Harlem Jets. The Palo Alto Unlimited (ninth grade) team had a great chance to play for a national title as the Knights were tied with the Florida Poinciana Predators, 14-14, in the fourth quarter and had the ball inside the one-yard line. The Knights, however, fumbled in their backfield with Florida picking up the loose ball and returning it 99 yards for the winning touchdown. Palo Alto won its opener, 12-6, over Boston, but dropped its semifinal game to the Fairlawn Cardinals of Rhode Island, 28-20.

Stanford-Oklahoma St. matchup is only part of postseason party

Stanford senior Lindsay Taylor from Castilleja has been named the Women’s Player of the Year by Soccer America.

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Prep soccer

STANFORD ROUNDUP

(continued from previous page)

Exams over, hoop teams get back into action Cardinal squads at home on Saturday, while date with visiting Tennessee looms for Stanford women on Tuesday night

Sacred Heart Prep junior Kendall Jager (left) scored a goal to help end the Gators’ scoring and winless drought this season. pete.” Sacred Heart will take a 1-2-2 record into Saturday’s nonleague home match against Willow Glen at 11 a.m. Then, instead of traveling to Orange County for the annual Excalibur Tournament as in previous years, the Gators will take a break until their WBAL opener on January 3. One team that always challenges Sacred Heart Prep is rival Menlo School, which is 2-2-2 after defeating visiting Prospect, 3-1, in a nonleague match on Tuesday on two goals by sophomore Lindsay Karle and one by junior Priya Medberry. Menlo out-shot Prospect, 20-6, while the tandem of junior goalies Julia Dressel and Kelly McConnell was solid again. The Knights are on holiday break until opening the WBAL season on January 5. Also on break is Menlo-Atherton, which responded to a 1-0 deficit in the second half and scored three unanswered goals to post a 3-2 nonleague triumph over visiting St. Ignatius on Tuesday. Jen Kirst sent a cross to Meryssa Thompson, who tied the match in the 64th minute. Kirst then gave the Bears (4-2) a 2-1 lead off an assist from Gabby Zanutta. Just nine

minutes later, Kirst and Thompson hooked up again, with Thompson getting her second goal. Palo Alto, like Menlo, is 2-2-2 heading into the holidays after finishing second in its own Palo Alto Winter Classic last weekend. The youthful Vikings are also struggling a bit on offense, but have been solid on defense — registering three straight shutouts in the tourney that forced the matches to penalty kicks. In boys’ soccer, Menlo-Atherton is off to a 4-0-1 start after blanking visiting St. Francis on Monday, 2-0. The Bears will play host to Ygnacio Valley on Friday at 4 p.m., before heading into the holiday break. Gunn was 2-0-2 before Thursday’s match at Santa Clara and could be busy this weekend at the Homestead Christmas Cup before taking a break. Menlo School will take a 3-0-2 mark into its WBAL opener on January 4 against league favorite Sacred Heart Prep, which will take a 2-0-2 mark into Saturday night’s preseason finale at Soquel. Palo Alto, meanwhile, had Thursday’s nonleague match at Carlmont as a final chance to win its first game of the preseason. The Vikings (0-6-1) are struggling with youth and inexperience this season. N

Pinewood boys off and running with 8-1 mark by Keith Peters ny team taking the floor against the Pinewood boys’ basketball team this season had better be in good shape because they’re in for a footrace. The Panthers like to run and press and run some more, which was evident in an 81-54 nonleague victory over visiting Menlo-Atherton on Wednesday night. After holding just a 17-16 firstquarter lead, the Panthers clamped down defensively and began forcing some of the 27 M-A turnovers for the game. Pinewood scored points over the second and third quarters to leave the Bears gasping by game’s

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by Rick Eymer t’s time for the Stanford men’s basketball players to wipe the sleep from their eyes, stretch out those tired muscles and shake all those nasty exam-cramming facts from their head. It’s time for a little basketball. The Cardinal (8-1) entertains San Diego on Saturday at 5 p.m., breaking the fast of a long winter’s library visit. It’s the first of three games over a six-day span that also includes Monday night’s game against Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m. and Thursday’s tipoff against Butler at 6 p.m. The women’s basketball team also re-engages the court with three games over six days. Princeton visits Saturday for a 1 p.m. contest and then Tennessee visits Maples Pavilion for a 7 p.m. televised contest Tuesday. Cal State Bakersfield comes in Thursday for a 2 p.m. game. The next three games are the lead into the Pac-12 openers for both teams, which arrives a few days after all the Christmas cheer has been soaked up and the New Year is staring at us in the face. The Stanford football team, meanwhile, will still be around to catch the nonconference action but will have to watch the conference openers from afar. In other athletic news, Stanford freshman Kristian Ipsen heads to Nashville for the Winter National Championships that begin Saturday. The Cardinal present will be joined by Cardinal past Dwight Dumais and Cassidy Krug and Cardinal future Kelly Markle and Lillian Hinrichs. Stanford wrestlers are also on the road, taking part in the Reno Tournament of Champions at the Reno Events Center in Nevada on Sunday. And this just in from the baseball front: Stanford third baseman Stephen Piscotty was named a first team preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association on Wednesday. He led the Cardinal and the Cape Cod League in hitting this past season. In basketball, you probably recall, the Stanford men won its last time on the court, beating North Carolina State, 76-72, after trailing by as much as 12 points. The Cardinal is receiving votes in the AP poll with its hot start and quality loss, a six-point setback to now top-ranked Syracuse in the finals of the NIT Preseason Tipoff. After nine games, 10 different Stanford players have already reached double-digits in scoring, matching last year’s total. Freshman guard Chasson Randle has made 15 consecutive free throws dating to the second half of Stanford’s game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 23. The fourth-ranked Cardinal women (6-1) match wits with the Tigers (and Stanford grad Milena Flores,

I

Keith Peters

careers at the Pac-12 level this past season with Dahlkemper earning third team All-American honors. When those two graduated along with eight other SHP seniors this past spring, it marked an end of perhaps one era and the beginning of another for the Gators, who lost only one West Bay Athletic League match during the past three years while winning three straight titles. Sacred Heart Prep will begin its title defense in January, but the Gators won’t be the heavy favorites as in years past. Right now, SHP is in the starting-over stage and the preseason has been anything but easy. Heading into a nonleague match against visiting South San Francisco on Tuesday, the Gators hadn’t won in four matches and hadn’t scored a goal. All that finally changed as Sacred Heart Prep’s dormant offense exploded for four goals in the second half in a 4-0 victory. “It was certainly nice to put the ball in the back of the net and get the win,” said SHP coach Jake Moffat. “We have a lot of roles that we need to fill, and it takes some time for the team to gel. We have started filling those roles from the back, and the results have been good. I have been wonderfully pleased with the defense; they have only given up two goals in five games. “We are now just looking for the right chemistry up front. It’s impossible to replace players like Abby or Geena, but we can still be dangerous. Today was a nice example.” After dominating the first half on the offensive side but not finding the back of the cage, the Gators exploded for four goals after intermission. Freshman Christine Callinan gave SHP its first goal of the season, the eventual winner, before freshman Hailey Goldberg made it a 2-0 match. Junior Ali Jordan followed with a third goal off an assist from junior Kendall Jager, who finished off the scoring with freshman Nicola Wheeler assisting. “I was thrilled to have the freshmen step up and have fun doing it,” said Moffat, who has five freshmen on his roster and only three seniors. “We got two goals and an assist from three different freshmen.” How quickly the young players mature will determine how the Gators will fare in the WBAL this season. “I imagine the whole makeup of the WBAL will be different this year,” Moffat said, “but we will bring a team that is ready to com-

end. When Pinewood won the Redwood Classic to open the season, the Panthers averaged 81 points over a four-game stretch. On Wednesday, Pinewood (8-1) took advantage of the Bears missing starting guard Miles Weiss by concentrating on Bears’ scoring leader Ian Proulx. After scoring six points in the first quarter to keep his team in the game, Proulx was held scoreless thereafter and finished just three of 11 from the floor. Senior Bradley Naumann led Pinewood with 18 points, three steals and two assists while senior Solomone Wolfgramm added 15 points,

13 rebounds, and five assists. The Panthers also got 16 points, eight steals and three assists from senior Dante Fraioli as Pinewood forced 27 turnovers by the Bears (4-2) in the fast-paced game. Dominic Tully, a 6-foot-7 center, led M-A with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Bears inched ahead at 2019 in the second quarter before the Panthers used a 13-4 to grab the lead and hold a 40-25 halftime advantage. Wolfgramm had 10 points during the run. In nonleague action Wednesday, senior Gabor Somogyi scored 21 (continued on next page)

a member of the Princeton coaching staff) before their big matchup with the sixth-ranked Lady Vols on Tuesday night. Stanford has won its first game back following the exam period in each of the past nine seasons. The last Cardinal loss was a 68-62 setback at home to No. 2 Tennessee on Dec. 16, 2001. Stanford will be seeking to extend its program best 66-game home winning streak, which dates to March of 2007, over the next week. Among the more significant victories along the way were against then No. 1 Tennessee in 2007, then-No. 3 Rutgers and No. 3 California in 2008-09, then-No. 7 Duke and No. 3 Tennessee in 2009-10 and thenNo. 4 Xavier and No. 1 Connecticut last season. Baseball Piscotty’s .364 average ranked second in the Pac-10 last year. He also drove in 39 runs and scored 35 times as the team’s starting third baseman. His 16 doubles ranked fifth in the conference. During the summer, he hit a Cape Cod-best .349 during the regular season, while also getting two hits in the All Star Game. He also had a 1.69 ERA in five relief appearances. Piscotty is one of six Stanford players ranked by Baseball America in its early ìtop college draft picks,î settling in at No. 14. Projected Friday night starter, RHP Mark Appel is the publication’s projected No. 1 pick, while infielder Kenny Diekroeger (No. 17) and returning weekend starter, LHP Brett Mooneyham (No. 31) are also in the top-40. Twosport standout Tyler Gaffney (No. 54) and two-year starting center fielder Jake Stewart (No. 86) are also on the list. Diving Ipsen will compete in the 3-meter synchro on Saturday and 3-meter springboard on Sunday. Dumais will also compete in both events, while Krug competes in the 3-meter on Tuesday. In the individual 3-meter and platform, the top-18 will advance to semifinals and top-12 will head to finals. For 3-meter synchro, 12 will advance to finals, with no semifinals. Ipsen has competed in two collegiate meets this fall, winning both the 1- and 3-meter dual meets with Utah and Hawaii. Ipsen and Troy Dumais (Dwight’s brother) were fourth at the world championships in July prior to the start of his collegiate career. Ipsen, Krug, Dumais and Markle were also all at the National Championships in August. Ipsen and Krug both won titles at Nationals. Ipsen placed first in the senior 3-meter and with Troy Dumais were first in the 3-meter synchro. Krug won the 3-meter and was part of the winning 3-meter synchro (continued on page 24)

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Sports ATHLETES OF THE WEEK CROSS COUNTRY ALL-WEST BAY ATHLETIC LEAGUE Most Valuable Player: Daniel Pugliese (Menlo School) Sr. First Team Zach Kaplan (Sacred Heart Prep) Sr.; Matt Myers (Menlo School) So.; Jake Kohn (Crystal Springs) Sr.; Andrew Schmitt (Menlo School) Jr.; Kyle Burbach (Sacred Heart Prep) Sr.; Joshua Keefe (King’s Academy) Jr.; Johnny Trudelle (Priory) So. Second Team Kaveh Motamed (Crystal Springs) Jr.; Corey Gonzalez (Harker) Fr.; Sam Klotz (Crystal Springs) Sr.; Bill White (Sacred Heart Prep) Sr.; Tyler Yeats (Harker) Jr.; Joey Putnam (Sacred Heart Prep) So.; Steven Glassmoyer (Sacred Heart Prep) Jr. Honorable Mention Proteek Biswas (Harker) Sr.; Michael Machlin (Menlo School) Jr. Peter Williams (King’s Academy) Sr.; Carter Kremer (Sacred Heart Prep) So.; Preston Lam (Crystal Springs) So.; Ryan Kaveh (Crystal Springs) Jr.; Kyle Cheng (Crystal Springs) Sr.; Simon Willig (Crystal Springs) Jr.; Collin Ching (Crystal Springs)

FOOTBALL ALL-SCVAL DE ANZA DIVISION Most Valuable Player: Garret Zeiter (Los Gatos) RB Outstanding Defensive Player: Shane Smith (Los Gatos) Outstanding Offensive Player: B.J. Boyd (Palo Alto) WR Outstanding Quarterback: Mike Butler (Mountain View) Co-Outstanding Lineman: Dominick Jackson (Homestead), Vita Vea (Milpitas) Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Tory Prati (Palo Alto) Outstanding Defensive Lineman: Ken Hampel (Mountain View) Outstanding Offensive Backs: Dre Hill (Palo Alto), Tyler Bond (Homestead) Outstanding Wide Receiver: Robert Graham (Homestead) Co-Outstanding Tight Ends: Max Friday (Los Gatos), Ozzy Braff (Palo Alto) Outstanding Inside Linebacker: Corbin Jackson (Wilcox) Outstanding Outside Linebacker: Morris Gates-Mouton (Palo Alto) Outstanding Defensive Back: Squally Canada (Milpitas) Co-Outstanding Seniors: Jordan Lockett (Milpitas), Shane Bond (Homestead) Outstanding Junior: Kyle Dozier (Saratoga) Outstanding Sophomore: Keller Chryst (Palo Alto) Co-Outstanding Freshman: Vita Musika (Milpitas), Api Mane (Milpitas) First Team Offense Running Backs: Jorge Talamante (Homestead); Sammy Fanua (Milpitas); Roland Luke (Wilcox); Marcus Jones (Mountain View) Wide Receivers: Teddy Enfantino (Los Gatos); Bemi Onipede (Los Altos); Jayshawn Gates-Mouton (Palo Alto); Rodney McKenzie (Milpitas); Tre Hartley (Milpitas); Kevin Fletcher (Wilcox) Quarterback: Mitch Casas (Saratoga) Offensive Linemen: Chuck Sullivan (Los Gatos); Nico Aimonetti (Los Gatos); Kevin Tjon (Los Gatos); Spencer Drazovich (Palo Alto); Michael Lyzwa (Palo Alto); Sam Moses (Palo Alto); Darrien Hamberry (Milpitas); Sefa Mikaio (Wilcox); Malik Letatau (Mountain View); James Tilton (Mountain View) Placekicker: Cameron Heen (Homestead) First Team Defense Defensive backs: Jake Bevans (Los Gatos); Brent McCoy (Los Gatos); Justin Loveett (Milpitas); Todd Grimm (Los Altos); Matt Tolbert (Palo Alto); Gabe Landa (Palo Alto) Inside Linebackers: Mario Aguirre (Milpitas); Brandon Oliveri-O’Connor (Saratoga); Devin Shaumburg (Mountain View); Dylan Auerback (Mountain View) Outside Linebackers: Zac Janovich (Los Gatos); John Marden (Homestead); Mosa Likio (Wilcox); Martin Ankovic (Wilcox) Defensive Lineman: Chris Martinez (Palo Alto); John Antuna (Homestead); Alex Peni (Homestead); Talla Brown (Wilcox); Kareem Hyver (Los Altos); Demarco Leonard (Milpitas) Utility: Stephen Ruff (Saratoga); Stefan Lemak (Mountain View)

ALL-SCVAL EL CAMINO DIVISION Most Valuable Player: Adam Garza (Santa Clar) So. Most Outstanding Offensive Player: JJ Strnad (Gunn) Sr. Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Jason Aguirre (Santa Clara) Jr. Most Outstanding Lineman: Joe Malcolm (Monta Vista) Sr. Most Outstanding Back: Jordan Sheade (Monta Vista) Sr. First Team Quarterback: Spencer Quash (Harker) Jr. Running Backs: Sam McCann (Monta Vista) Sr.; Austin Brady (Lynbrook) Sr. Wide Receivers: Kingsley Okakpu (Santa Clara) Sr.; Skyler Larson (Gunn) Sr.; Robert Deng (Harker) Jr. Tight Ends: Patrick McCaffrey (Santa Clara) Jr.; Denis Nakelchik (Lynbrook) Jr. Offensive Linemen: Brent Richofsky (Santa Clara) Sr.; Eliot Watson (Monta Vista) Sr.; Keenan Venuti (Gunn) Sr.; Ozzie Aufang (Fremont) Jr.; Daniel Truckai (Lynbrook) Sr. Defensive Linemen: Leo Oshiro (Santa Clara) Sr.; TJ Towns (Santa Clara) Jr.; Eugene Clarke (Monta Vista) Sr.; Jeff Sun (Gunn) Sr.; Adam Apolinar (Cupertino) Jr. Inside Linebackers: Dion Perry (Santa Clara) Jr.; Michael Whittaker (Monta Vista) Sr.; Jimmy Roslund (Monta Vista) Sr.; Outside Linebackers: Robert Kato (Gunn) Sr.; Joseph Ochsner (Cupertino) Jr.; Kyle Williams (Lynbrook) Jr.; Joe De Los Santos (Fremont) Jr. Defensive Backs: Raymond Remo (Santa Clara) Sr.; Nathan Faccahiola (Monta Vista) Jr.; Tim Wallis (Lynbrook) Jr.; Avinash Patel (Harker) Sr.; Mahesh Vishwanith (Monta Vista) Sr. Utility Players: Patrick Johnson (Cupertino) Jr.; Steven Hansen (Monta Vista) Sr. Special Team Players: Graham Fisher (Gunn) Sr.; Peter Esparza (Monta Vista) Sr. ALL-PAL BAY DIVISION Offensive Player of the Year: Chris Forbes (Terra Nova) Sr. Defensive Player of the Year: Taylor Mashack (Menlo-Atherton) Sr. Utility Player of the Year: Cameron Moody (Menlo-Atherton) Sr. Special Teams Player of the Year: Sam Falkenhagen (Menlo-Atherton) Sr. Coach of the Year: Bill Gray (Terra Nova) First Team Daidyn Stewart (Burlingame) Sr. RB; Tyler McCool (Sacred Heart Prep) Sr. RB; Pat Bruni (Sacred Heart Prep) Sr. WR; Elias Bargas (Terra Nova) Sr. WR; Nick Manessis (Terra Nova) Sr. WR; Jake Smith (Terra Nova) Sr. WR; Richard Cornew (Menlo-Atherton) Sr. TE; Leo Koloamatangi (Sacred Heart Prep) Sr. OL; Sean Olsen (Terra Nova) Sr. OL; Benji Palu (Burlingame) Jr. OL; Lealofi Tamasese (Jefferson) Sr. OL; Ricky Vea (Menlo-Atherton) Sr. OL; Hunter Hillen (Terra Nova) Sr. DL; Ryhan Virgin (Terra Nova) Sr. DL; Joe Johnson (Burlingame) Jr. DL; Sean Olsen (Terra Nova) Sr. DL; Ivan Mailangi (Terra Nova) Sr. LB; Dustin Nascimento (Menlo-Atherton) Sr. LB; Luke Pinkston (Menlo-Atherton) Sr. LB; Deryke Murray (Terra Nova) Sr. LB; Miles Holmes (Jefferson) Jr. DB; Cody Johnson (Burlingame) Sr. DB; Stephen Kmak (King’s Academy) Sr. DB; Brian Bostrum (King’s Academy) Sr. punter OCEAN DIVISION Offensive Player of the Year: Wesley Walters (Half Moon Bay) Sr. Defensive Player of the Year: Joseph Lowman (Half Moon Bay) Jr. Special Teams Player of the Year: David Flores (Half Moon Bay) Sr. Utility Player of the Year: Joshua Lauese (Sequoia) Sr. Coach of the Year: Matt Ballard (Half Moon Bay) First Team Rick Hoffer (Woodside) Sr. QB; Victor Jimenez (Aragon) Sr. RB; Julian Bertero (Sequoia) Jr. OL; Frank Conrad (Half Moon Bay) Jr. OL; Derek White (Aragon) Sr. OL; Keenan Woodard (Aragon) Sr. OL; Alex Medan (Aragon) Sr. OL; Connor Paterson (Menlo School) Jr. WR; John McKee (Woodside) Sr. WR; James Egan (Aragon) Sr. WR; Jerick Anicete (South SF) Jr. WR; Greg Lyons (Aragon) Sr. TE; David Flores (Half Moon Bay) Sr. placekicker; Wyatt Rouser (Menlo School) Jr. DL; Luis Gonzales (Half Moon Bay) Sr. DL; Tavita Faaiu (South SF) Sr. DL; Rika Levi (South SF) Sr. DL; Chris Zeisler (Menlo School) Sr. LB; Abhineet Ram (Sequoia) Sr. LB; Ramzy Azar

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(South SF) Sr. LB; Kevin Durham (Aragon) Sr. DB; Dylan Mayer (Menlo School) Sr. DB; Daniel Welch (Half Moon Bay) Jr. DB; David Flores (Half Moon Bay) Sr. DB; Max Parker (Menlo School) Jr. punter

WATER POLO ALL-PAL BAY DIVISION Player of the Year: Nick Hale (Menlo School) Sr. Goalie of the Year: Connor Dillon (Menlo School) Sr. First Team Brad Haaland (Menlo School) Sr.; Morgan Olson-Fabbro (Menlo-Atherton) Jr.; Brian Bligh (Woodside) Sr.; Jack Lucas (Menlo School) Sr.; Eric Baker (Burlingame) So.; Alexander Carlisle (Menlo School) Jr.; Alex Gow (Menlo-Atherton) Sr. goalie Second Team Max Wilder (Menlo-Atherton) Sr.; Alex Snyder (Burlingame) Sr.; Nick Bauer (Burlingame) Sr.; Matt Cremers (Woodside) Jr.; Nick Goldman (Menlo School) Sr.; Adam Fecher (Carlmont) Sr.; Marley Edwards (Sequoia) Sr. Honorable Mention Johnny Wilson (Menlo School) So.; Harrison Holland-McCowan (Menlo-Atherton) Jr.; Julian Lavanchy (Carlmont) Jr.; George Archbold (Sequoia) Jr.; Nick Dallimanti (Woodside) Jr.; Kevin Garibaldi (Burlingame) Sr. OCEAN DIVISION Most Valuable Player: Gabriel Hargis (Aragon) Sr. Most Valuable Goalie: Jeff Arnaudo (Terra Nova) Sr. First Team Joel Crossfield (Terra Nova) Jr.; Shay Tassi (Terra Nova) Sr.; Carter White (Half Moon Bay) Sr.; Spencer White (Half Moon Bay) Sr.; Aaron Kim (Aragon) Sr.; John Halet (San Mateo) Jr.; Robert Dorst (Hillsdale) Sr. Second Team Christian Larsen (Aragon) Sr.; Blake Tandowsky (Aragon) Sr.; Brian Luhrs (Terra Nova) Sr.; Kyle Walden (Priory) Jr.; Dylan Babbs (San Mateo) Jr.; Mathew Tolar (Half Moon Bay) Jr.; Michael Sweeney (Hillsdale) Sr. Honorable Mention Will Loewenthal (Aragon) Sr.; Zachary Zorndorf (Terra Nova) Sr.; Eric Turnquist (Priory) Sr.; Shadi Barhoumi (San Mateo) Jr.; Jake Spaeth (Half Moon Bay) Sr.; Samuel Joly (Hillsdale) Jr. 2011 ALL-SCVAL DE ANZA DIVISION First Team Matt Orton (Los Altos) Sr.; Adam Warmoth (Los Altos) Sr.; Ian McColl (Los Altos) Jr.; Sam Lisbonne (Los Altos) So.; Paul Bergevin (Los Altos) Jr.; Oleg Koujikov (Mountain View) Sr. MVP goalie; Aaron Lim (Mountain View) Sr.; Russell Blockhus (Mountain View) Jr.; Michael Magee (Mountain View) Jr.; Tyler Wilson (Gunn) Sr.; Gavin Kerr (Gunn) Sr.; Bret Pinsker (Palo Alto) Jr.; Peter Rockhold (Palo Alto) Sr.; Aaron Zelinger (Palo Alto) Sr.; Evan Weiser (Los Gatos) Sr.; Cameron Yates (Monta Vista) Sr.; Brendon Duffy (Monta Vista) Jr. Second Team Chip Cantrell (Los Altos) Sr.; Kevin Stangl (Los Altos) Sr; Coby Wayne (Gunn) So.; Ari Wayne (Gunn) Fr.; Sam Paulsen (Mountain View) Sr.; Daniel Armitano (Palo Alto) Sr. goalie; Connor Dodds (Los Gatos) Sr.; Colin Hong (Monta Vista) So. ALL-WEST CATHOLIC ATHLETIC LEAGUE First Team Will Runkel (Sacred Heart Prep) Jr. goalie; Harrison Enright (Sacred Heart Prep) So.; Michael Holloway (Sacred Heart Prep) Jr.; Kyle Koenig (Sacred Heart Prep) Sr.; Mitch Hamilton (Bellarmine) Sr.; Matt Godar (Bellarmine) Sr.; Chase Schaaf (Bellarmine) Sr.; Joey Wall (Bellarmine) Sr.; Peter Simon (St. Francis) Sr.; Patrick Goodenough (St. Francis) Sr.; Corey McGee (St. Francis) Jr.; Ryan Klaus (St. Francis) Sr. goalie; Paul Smallman (Serra) Sr.; Daniel Buzzetta (Valley Christian) Sr.; Shawn Welch (Mitty) So.; Eric White (St. Ignatius) Sr. Second Team Bret Hinrichs (Sacred Heart Prep) Jr.; Zach Churukian (Sacred Heart Prep) Jr.; David Petroni (Bellarmine) Sr. goalie; Demarco Orella (Bellarmine) Jr.; Nick Naruns (St. Francis) Sr.; James Olson (St. Francis) Jr.; Steve Olujic (Serra) Jr. goalie; Con O’Leary (Serra) Jr.; Cameron Martino (Valley Christian) Sr.; Brian Roush (Valley Christian) So. Goalie; Ken Koltermann (Mitty) Sr. goalie; Victor Stolle (Mitty) Sr.; Brendan Collins (St. Ignatius) Sr.; Reilly May (St. Ignatius) So.

Erin Chang Palo Alto High The junior keeper made numerous saves in regulation in three 0-0 matches and blocked four of 10 penalty shots as the Vikings advanced twice on PKs and finished second in the Palo Alto Winter Classic.

Solomone Wolfgramm Pinewood School The senior scored 58 points and grabbed 35 rebounds in three basketball wins, 23 points and 14 boards coming in the championship game as he earned MVP honors as the Panthers won the John McMillan Classic title.

Honorable mention Josie Butler Palo Alto basketball

Hashima Carothers Eastside Prep basketball

Emy Kelty Palo Alto soccer

Emilee Osagiede Palo Alto basketball

Cat Perez Gunn basketball

Anisah Smith Eastside Prep basketball

E.J. Floreal Palo Alto basketball

Kalen Gans Palo Alto wrestling

Richard Harris Menlo basketball

Cameron Helvey Pinewood basketball

Cole McConnell Sacred Heart Prep basketball

Nick Ortiz Palo Alto wrestling * previous winner

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

Prep basketball (continued from previous page)

points and grabbed 12 rebounds to pace Priory to a 52-35 victory over visiting St. Thomas More on Wednesday night. Andy Dolezalek and Andy Isopkephi combined for another 21 points for the Panthers (4-0), who outscored the visitors, 36-22, in the second half after leading by only four points at intermission. In Palo Alto, Gunn opened its home season with a 55-27 nonleague victory over Mt. Pleasant. Sophomore guard Patrick Skelly tallied 15 points to lead the Titans (5-3) while senior Scott Kressie added nine. Gunn grabbed a 29-9 halftime lead. With juniors E.J. Floreal and Aubrey Dawkins combining for 46 points, Palo Alto rolled to a 71-52 nonleague victory over host Oak Grove on Tuesday night. Floreal poured in 25 points and Dawkins added 21 as the Vikings improved to 6-1 after holding only a one-point lead after one quarter. The margin was nine at halftime and 11 entering the fourth quarter. Junior guard Kenny Jones added a seasonhigh 13 points for the Vikings, who

pulled away with a 22-point fourth quarter. In San Francisco, Sacred Heart Prep kept it close through three quarters before host St. Ignatius pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 58-50 nonleague victory. Ricky Galliani had 12 points for the Gators (3-2) with Matt McNamara and Cole McConnell adding 10 apiece. Girls’ basketball Pinewood bounced back from a 54-45 loss at Salesian on Tuesday and shut down host Overfelt, 59-18, on Wednesday as freshman Marissa Hing scored 19 points and added five assists. The defending CIF Division V state champion Panthers (3-3) also got 10 rebounds and eight points from Leeana Bade plus nine points and five rebounds from Shani Rosenthal. With Cat Perez tossing in 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds, Gunn bounced back from a pair of losses at the Pinewood Classic to beat host Pioneer, 43-31, in nonleague action Tuesday night. In Atherton, Melissa Holland tallied 14 points to help Sacred Heart Prep remain unbeaten with a 35-21 nonleague victory over visiting Evergreen Valley on Tuesday night. N

DeCastro

(continued from page 20)

In a season filled with awards and honors, DeCastro added yet another to his growing resume as the redshirt junior right offensive guard was named a first team AllAmerican by The Associated Press on Wednesday. “We knew that he was as good as anybody in the nation coming into the year,� Stanford coach David Shaw said. “He’s had a phenomenal year. David is a great athlete.� Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck, who very well could have stayed with soccer, his first love, had he remained in Europe, and left tackle Jonathan Martin were named to the second team while tight end Coby Fleener earned third-team honors. DeCastro, one of Stanford’s unquestioned leader and recognized as the heart and soul of its offensive line, has made 37 consecutive starts at his right guard position. This year’s line allowed the ninthfewest sacks in the nation while paving the way for a Cardinal running game that averaged 209 yards per game. Stanford’s offensive line has allowed just 22 sacks over the past three seasons with DeCastro in the lineup, while helping the ground attack average 214 yards. DeCastro, Luck, Martin and Fleener will lead the Cardinal into the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2 against Oklahoma State. The outcome of that game could help Stanford coach David Shaw earn some postseason recognition of his own after he was named one of 10 finalists for the Paul “Bear� Bryant Coach of the Year Award. In his first season as Stanford’s head coach, and fifth overall, Shaw guided the Cardinal to its second straight 11-1 regular season record and its first back-to-back 10-win seasons in program history. Shaw beame just the ninth major college head coach in history to post 11 or more wins in his first season and the first since Chris Peterson (13-0) of Boise State and Bielema (12-1) of Wisconsin accomplished the feat in 2006. Shaw is also one of five regional FBS coaches of the year selected by the American Football Coaches Association, and is a finalist for national coach of the year honors from that organization. The honors kept on coming on Thursday as outside linebacker Chase Thomas joined with DeCastro and Fleener on the Sporting News All-America team. Stanford’s three selections were tied with LSU and ranked second only to Alabama’s four on the Sporting News All-America squad. By conference, the SEC had nine representatives, followed by the Pac-12 and Big Ten with five and the Big 12 with four. With the selection of Thomas and Fleener, Stanford has had five players earn spots on NCAA-recognized All-America teams, which include the Walter Camp Football Foundation, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, Associated Press, along with Sport-

ing News. It’s the most All-America selections ever turned out by the Stanford program in one season, topping the 1973 squad, which produced four All-Americans in Mike Boryla, Pat Donovan, Rod Garcia and Roger Stillwell. By being named to the Sporting News squad, DeCastro has earned the distinction of being a unanimous All-America selection, having already landed spots on the Walter Camp, AFCA, FWAA and AP squads. He is Stanford’s second unanimous All-American in the last three years, following Toby Gerhart in 2009. Fleener is the second tight end in Stanford history, the first since Chris Burford in 1959, to earn All-America recognition. The fifth-year senior grabbed 32 passes for 648 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns, which topped all FBS tight ends. Thomas keyed a defensive unit that led the Pac-12 in five categories while ranking second in three others. He is the first Stanford linebacker to earn All-America honors since Ron George in 1992. N

Taylor

(continued from page 20)

Duke in the College Cup final. Taylor scored 16 goals as a freshman in 2008, when she was named the Soccer America Freshman of the Year, but health problems, most notably, a bad hip, that set her back. She recovered and had a big senior season for the Cardinal. She finished her career with 56 goals and 27 assists in 102 games. “Technically, she’s one of the most gifted players I’ve ever coached,� Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. “Her goal scoring with both feet is the best I’ve ever coached. She can also head the ball very well. She’s just an outstanding talent.� Stanford is only the second school to have Soccer America’s Women’s Player of the Year in three consecutive years. North Carolina did that in 1998-90 (Shannon Higgins was a repeat performer) and 1992-94 (when Mia Hamm won two years in a row). Its string was broken in 1991 when Julie Foudy, the only other Stanford player to earn Player

of the Year honors, got the nod. Taylor also is among three finalists — along with teammate Teresa Noyola and Penn State sophomore Maya Hayes — for the Missouri Athletic Clubís Hermann Trophy, which will be awarded on January 6. Press and OíHara each won the Hermann Trophy, as well. If Noyola wins the Hermann, it would mark the second time that different winners from the same team received womenís soccerís two major awards. The only other time was in 2003, when North Carolinaís Lindsay Tarpley won the Soccer America honor and Catherine Reddick won the Hermann Trophy. Taylor was joined on Soccer America’s MVPs first team by fellow seniors Camille Levin and Noyola. Junior Alina Garciamendez was named to the second team. In addition, Stanford’s Chioma Ubogagu and Kendall Romine were named to Soccer America’s AllFreshman team. Sacred Heart Prep grad Abby Dahlkemper, a defender for UCLA, also was named to the national team. Virginia’s Morgan Brian was

Rick Bale/stanfordphoto.com

Sports

Castilleja grad Lindsay Taylor is a national player of the year. named Freshman of the Year and Duke’s Robbie Church was named Coach of the Year.N (Dave Kiefer, Stanford SID contributed)

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Sports

Stanford football (continued from page 20)

lish a team that can compete at the highest level.” The Cardinal (11-1) and Cowboys (11-1) line up a few miles west at the University of Phoenix Bowl in Glendale on Monday, Jan. 2, with a scheduled 5:30 p.m. kickoff (PST). “We’re as excited as you could possibly be,” Winter said. “The interesting thing will be watching the two offenses. I hope for a high score and a great finish.” Oklahoma State, with its no-huddle offense, and Stanford, with its reliance on Andrew Luck in both the running and passing game, will certainly feel fast-paced. “We try to play as fast as we can and more spread out and don’t use fullbacks and tight ends as much as what would be a traditional offense,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “We like the up-tempo, and we’ve had success with it. And our players enjoy competing in our system.” The Cardinal suffered its lone loss

of the season to Oregon’s no-huddle offense. “Oregon is a little different. The speed on the field and the speed with which the plays get run is about the closest thing, but the schemes are different and the quarterback as a runner is a different dimension for Oregon,” Shaw said. “That’s the thing that gets you. You have to be able to line up quickly and have all 11 guys on defense ready to play because they will snap in a heartbeat.” Phoenix, which lies between Tempe and Glendale, hosts the parade (Arizona Diamondbacks’ manager Kirk Gibson was named Grand Marshall) on New Year’s Eve, beginning at 11 a.m. near the intersection of Bethany Home Road and Central Ave. The finish line is near 7th Street and Minnesota Ave. “The parade attracts up to 200,000 people along the route,” Winter said. The favored breakfast eatery of media types remains Chompies, a few blocks east of the Arizona State campus on University. Dinner spots

are many and include favorites Richardson’s Cuisine of New Mexico at 6335 North 16th Street in Phoenix and Carlsbad Tavern on Hayden Road in Scottsdale and The Roaring Fork on Scottsdale Ave., also in Scottsdale. Stanford begins serious preparations for the contest on Monday, with finals out of the way. The athletes will pretty much have the Stanford campus to themselves until it’s time to depart for Arizona on the day after Christmas. “We practiced twice during the week to get them running around,” Shaw said. “It was a big week academically. We’ve made some general game plans in meetings with the coaches. Now we will start to ramp it up.” Luck completed a whirlwind tour of the nation last weekend, collecting hardware in some cities and finishing second in others. He was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year, and offensive linemen Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro joined him on the first team. Luck also was presented the Maxwell Trophy for Most Outstand-

ing Player. Luck was named CoSIDA’s Academic All-American of the Year for Football, carrying a 3.48 GPA as an architectural design major, and was honored with the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. He was a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award and Heisman Trophy, each time finishing second to Baylor’s Robert Griffin III. “He’s just been everything that we’ve needed him to be,” Shaw said. “First and foremost, from the leadership standpoint, he’s a leadby-example kind of guy. We put a lot on him mentally. We put a lot on him physically, which is what we need from him. “He’s got all those tools and all the skills that you look for in a quarterback,” Shaw added. “And right on top, with everything else, is that he’s an absolute competitor who loves the game and loves when the game is on the line and loves when the ball is in his hands. “Andrew doesn’t even like all that awards stuff,” Shaw said. “It’s good for him to get the recognition though, the pats on the back.” N

Stanford roundup (continued from page 21)

team with partner Kassidy Cook. Women’s volleyball Stanford sophomores Rachel Williams and Carly Wopat were recognized as All-America honorable mention by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, which announced its selections Wednesday. Williams, an outside hitter, led the Cardinal with 4.32 kills per set (fifth in the Pac-12) and 4.96 points per set (fifth in the Pac-12). She led the conference this season, along with teammate Karissa Cook, with 20 double-doubles and registered eight 20-plus kills matches. Wopat, a middle blocker, led the Pac-12 and ranked second nationally in blocks per set (1.63). She was third in the conference with a .383 hitting percentage. Wrestling The TOC gets rolling at 9 a.m. The championship consolation round follows at 2:45 p.m. and the championship finals beginning at 6 p.m. Two-time All-American Nick Amuchastegui leads a bevy of Cardinal athletes into the fray. Amuchastegui, top-ranked at 174 pounds, has won his first 11 matches this season. He has recorded four major decisions, three falls and a technical fall. He is the reigning tournament champion at 174 pounds. N

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Movies

acter’s sloppy, terribly sad neediness, but the picture belongs to her co-star. Fassbender makes a strong case for himself as the next Jeremy Irons, taking on mostly seriousminded work and quietly revealing tormented men from inside-out embodiment. (It’s hard not to wonder about how much Fassbender, with his presumable ease of attracting partners and his transitory lifestyle, may have inspired McQueen in the writing of the character.) The story’s events make the shameful Brandon more desirous of healing than ever, but he seems unable to change his ways, even as age threatens to force something of a lifestyle shift. True to form, the film’s theme ends on an unresolved note.

OPENINGS

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows ---1/2

(Century 16, Century 20) Director Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” film of 2009 seemed to split viewers. Some applauded the strong cast, solid production values and interesting blend of mystery and action. Others argued Holmes was depicted as being too reliant on his fighting abilities, skills that are only alluded to in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories about the iconic sleuth. “Game of Shadows” probably won’t make any converts out of the second group, although the inclusion of Holmes’ nemesis, Professor James Moriarty, will be a welcome one for Holmes traditionalists. The first group, however, will be thrilled with this full-throttle follow-up that is faster, funnier and more compelling than its predecessor. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprise their roles as Holmes and his sidekick Dr. John Watson, respectively. Holmes’ adversary this goround is none other than Moriarty (Jared Harris of TV’s “Mad Men”), a genius professor with nefarious plans I won’t go into (it is a mystery, after all). Holmes’ investigation takes him and Watson on a European tour through France, Germany and Switzerland. The duo finds assistance in the form of knife-wielding gypsy Madam Simza Heron (Swedish actress Noomi Rapace of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”). Heron hopes Holmes and Watson will help her locate her missing brother as Moriarty’s scheme rolls closer to fruition. Holmes has met his match in the brilliant Moriarty, but danger and threat of death won’t deter Holmes from out-strategizing his enemy. Downey Jr. and Law make an exceptional tandem. The top-notch actors play off each other incredibly well and their witty banter feels remarkably natural. Ritchie ratchets up the action in “Shadows,” much of it beautifully choreographed and nicely paced. Ritchie has a tendency to rely on both fast- and slow-motion techniques, tricks that work well in showcasing Holmes’ observation skills and quick-thinking abilities. Harris is an inspired casting choice as Doyle’s legendary villain. He plays the part with a quiet calm that is at once confident and creepy. There are a plethora of clues sprinkled throughout the film that will surely keep viewers on their toes, and Holmes’ wide array of disguises are entertaining. And, akin to the first film, the musical score by Hans Zimmer is tremendous. There is more at stake in the action scenes here than in the previous picture, and Ritchie doesn’t shy away from throwing Holmes and Watson right into the mix. “Shadows” is like the cinematic equivalent to a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats — the adult

Rated NC-17 for some explicit sexual content. One hour, 41 minutes. — Peter Canavese

Young Adult ---

(Century 16, Century 20) Diablo Cody knows she’s screwed up, and isn’t afraid to admit it. The Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Juno” specializes in whip-smart, neurotic heroines driven by selfdestructive impulses. Now “Young Adult,” starring Charlize Theron as an emotionally wounded writer of trashy YA fiction, would seem to have a whiff of confession to it. Like Cody, Mavis Gary (Theron) proudly wears the crown of a pop(continued on next page)

Jude Law, left, and Robert Downey Jr. in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” in me likes the thought-provoking mystery, but the kid in me likes seeing Sherlock kick a thug in the sternum. Rated PG-13 for some drug material, intense sequences of violence and action. Two hours, nine minutes. — Tyler Hanley

Shame ---

(Aquarius) As the title implies, Steve McQueen’s “Shame” is a mood piece, as abstract and as engrossing as the many Bach piano selections laid on the soundtrack. It’s yet another impressive showcase for the subtle work of Michael Fassbender, who literally bares all to play a sex addict. Fassbender plays Brandon Sullivan, who not only beds women on the regular, but also compulsively masturbates to all manner of kinky Internet porn and maintains a collection of DVDs and sex toys to enhance and/or fill the hours between conquests. His secret low-life plays out in counterpoint to his upscale Manhattan lifestyle: Brandon lives and works in skyscraping, hermetically sealed chambers, flashing a Mona Lisa smile to create just enough of an appearance of normality to deflect inconvenient questions. There’s one person in the world from whom Brandon can’t hide, much as he tries: his bipolar sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan). Despite his dodging, Sissy storms the castle and Brandon cannot refuse her request to stay for a spell. Quickly, we’re led to wonder if part of Brandon’s neurosis involves carrying a torch for his torch-singing sis. In one of two scenes that compete to be Brandon’s ultimate nightmare, his manic, married-with-kids boss (James Badge Dale) makes — right in front of Brandon — an aggressive bid to bed Sissy, following a languid performance of “New York, New York” that moves her brother to tears. A yet-more-devastating di-

Charlize Theron in “Young Adult.” saster involves a literally and figuratively impotent attempt at forging a meaningful relationship with someone other than Sissy. Writer-director McQueen (“Hunger,” also with Fassbender) makes a clear choice to suggest rather than spell out the siblings’ backstory. The Irish-born, Jersey-raised Brandon obviously shares with his sister memories of some form of abuse. (“We’re not bad people,” she insists. “We just come from a bad place.”) Bonded by surviving the unnamed horror, neither has been able to find a partner more comforting than the other, and Brandon’s attempt to keep Sissy at arm’s length may well reflect his fear of his own romantic or sexual feelings for her. Or not. McQueen leaves such matters for the audience to decide, which makes the seedily sexual “Shame,” while hardly an ideal date movie, a definite if divisive conversation starter. Another appealing ingredient is the film’s interesting use of New York City geography (especially in a tracking shot that follows Brandon on a head-clearing run) as a reflection of the protagonist’s isolation. Mulligan does her most impressive work yet in conveying her char*> Ê Ì Ê7ii ÞÊUÊ iVi LiÀÊ£È]ÊÓ䣣ÊU Page 25

Movies (continued from previous page)

culture princess. Pretty and pretty much a mess, Mavis guzzles two liters of Diet Coke for her morning pick-me-up (or, perhaps, more accurately, her diet), and her procras-

tination routines include “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,� “Kendra� and the odd bout of Wii Fit. Even as her gig ghostwriting “Waverly Prep� novels nears its ignominious end, a blast from Mavis’ past sticks in her craw: a birth no-

tice from ex-boyfriend Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) and his wife, Beth (Elizabeth Reaser). Perhaps as much to avoid writing as to make a romantic correction, Mavis compulsively jumps in her Mini and drives from Minneapolis

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to small-town Mercury, Minn. As matters stand, her only functional relationship is with her Pomeranian (named Dolce), but the overconfident plan is to steal back Buddy, who must be miserable with an ordinary girl and the shackles of

parenthood. Yep, she’s dead set on being a homewrecker. It only becomes clearer with time that Mavis is a total disaster, which is, of course, part of the film’s irreverent appeal. In Mercury, Mavis reconnects

Roger Ebert,

★★★★

“

“

“Michael Fassbender delivers a riveting, can’t-take-your-eyesoff-him performance.�

“Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender give unusually daring, committed performances.� “Michael Fassbender mesmerizes.�

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Movies MOVIE TIMES Times for the Century 16 theater are for Friday through Monday only unless otherwise noted. Times for the Century 20 are for Friday through Tuesday only unless noted. The Adventures of Tintin (PG) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Tue 12:01 a.m.; In 3D also at 12:01 a.m. Century 20: Tue. at 12:01 a.m.; Wed. & Thu. at 10:35 a.m.; 1:10, 3:45, 6:25 & 9:05 p.m.; In 3D Tue. at 12:02 a.m.; In 3D Wed. & Thu. at 11:20 a.m.; 2, 4:40, 7:25 & 10 p.m.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 10 & 11 a.m.; 12:40, 1:40, 3:30, 4:30, 6:20, 7:20, 9:15 & 10:15 p.m. Century 20: Fri.-Tue. at 10:35, 11 & 11:35 a.m.; 12:10, 12:55, 1:25, 2, 2:35, 3:15, 3:50, 4:20, 5, 6:10, 8:30 & 10:45 p.m.; Fri.-Mon. also at 5:40, 6:40, 7:25, 9 & 9:45 p.m.; Wed. & Thu. at 11 a.m.; 1:30, 3:55, 6:10, 8:30 & 10:45 p.m.

Arthur Christmas (PG) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 1:20 & 6:40 p.m.; In 3D at 10:30 a.m.; 4:20 & 9:45 p.m. Century 20: 11:20 a.m. & 4:15 p.m.; In 3D at 1:45 p.m.; In 3D Fri.-Mon. also at 6:55 p.m.

The Artist (PG-13) (((1/2

Palo Alto Square: 1:30, 2:45, 5:15 & 7:45 p.m.; Fri.-Tue. also at 4 & 6:30 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. also at 9 & 10:10 p.m.

Brief Encounter (1945)

Stanford Theatre: Sat. & Sun. at 5:50 & 9:40 p.m.

The Descendants (R) ((1/2

Aquarius Theatre: 4, 7 & 9:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. also at 1:15 p.m. Century 20: 10:55 a.m.; 1:40 & 4:20 p.m.; Fri.-Mon. also at 7:10 & 9:55 p.m.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Century 16: Tue. at 7 p.m. & 12:01 a.m. Century 20: Tue. at 7 & 10:30 (2011) (R) (Not Reviewed) p.m. & 12:01 a.m.; Wed. & Thu. at noon, 3:30, 7 & 10:25 p.m.

New Year’s Eve (PG-13) (1/2

Century 16: 10:40 a.m.; 12:30, 1:45, 3:15, 4:35, 6:30, 7:35, 9:20 & 10:30 p.m. Century 20: Noon & 2:50 p.m.; Fri.-Mon. also at 5:35, 7:40, 8:45 & 10:25 p.m.

Shame (NC-17) (((

Aquarius Theatre: 4:45, 7:30 & 9:55 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. also at 2:15 p.m.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (PG-13) (((1/2

Century 16: 10, 11 & 11:50 a.m.; 12:30, 1, 2, 3, 3:40, 4:10, 5:10, 6:10, 7:10, 7:50, 8:50, 9:50 & 10:50 p.m. Century 20: 10:25, 11:10 & 11:55 a.m.; 12:35, 1:20, 2:10, 2:55, 3:40, 4:30, 7:35 & 10:40 p.m.; Fri.-Mon. also at 5:15, 6, 6:45, 8:20, 9:05 & 9:50 p.m.; Wed. & Thu. at 10:25 a.m.; 1:20, 4:30, 7:35 & 10:40 p.m.

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

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

The Sitter (R) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 11:20 a.m.; 12:20, 1:30, 2:30, 3:40, 4:40, 6:10, 7:30, 8:50 & 10:10 p.m. Century 20: 12:15, 2:30 & 4:45 p.m.; Fri.-Mon. also at 7:05, 8:10, 9:15 & 10:20 p.m.

Stage Door (1937)

Stanford Theatre: Fri. at 5:45 & 9:35 p.m.

Tower Heist (PG-13) ((

Century 16: 7:50 & 10:20 p.m. Century 16: 10:50 a.m.; 1:35, 4:25, 7:25 & 10:15 p.m. Century 20: Fri.Mon. at 7:50 & 10:35 p.m.; Sat.-Mon. also at 11:05 a.m.; 1:55 & 4:50 p.m.; Tue. at 11:05 a.m. & 1:55 p.m.

Great Expectations (1946)

Stanford Theatre: Sat. & Sun. at 3:40 & 7:30 p.m.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Happy Feet Two (PG) ((1/2

Century 16: 10 a.m. & 2:50 p.m.; In 3D at 12:25 & 5:15 p.m. Century 20: 1:40 p.m.; In 3D at 11:20 a.m. & 4:25 p.m.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Stanford Theatre: Wed. & Thu. at 5:35 & 9:20 p.m.

Young Adult (R) (((

Century 16: 11:10 a.m.; 2:10, 4:50, 7:30 & 10:05 p.m. Century 20: 11:45 a.m.; 2:20, 4:40, 7:10 & 9:35 p.m.

Hugo (PG) (((1/2

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

J. Edgar (R) ((

Century 16: 10:10 p.m.

Jack and Jill (PG) (Not Reviewed)

Century 20: Fri.-Mon. at 9:20 p.m.

Little Women (1933)

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

The Metropolitan Opera: Hansel and Gretel

Century 20: Thu. at 6:30 p.m. Palo Alto Square: Thu. at 6:30 p.m.

The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute

Century 20: Wed. at 6:30 p.m. Palo Alto Square: Wed. at 6:30 p.m.

Mission: Impossible -Ghost Protocol (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Tue. at 6 p.m. & 12:01 a.m.; Wed. & Thu. at noon, 3:20, 7 & 10:35 p.m. Century 20: 12:45, 4 & 7:15 p.m.; Fri.-Mon. also at 10:30 p.m.; Tue. also at 6 & 9 p.m. & 12:01 a.m.; Wed. & Thu. at 10:30 a.m.; 12:45, 1:45, 4, 5, 7:15, 8:15 & 10:30 p.m.

The Muppets (PG) (((

Century 16: 10:10 a.m.; 12:45, 3:20, 6:20 & 9:10 p.m. Century 20: 10:50 a.m.; 1:50 & 4:35 p.m.; Fri.-Mon. also at 7:20 & 10 p.m.

My Week With Marilyn (R) ((1/2

Century 20: 11:30 a.m.; 2 & 4:30 p.m.; Fri.-Mon. also at 7 & 9:30 p.m. Guild Theatre: 3:15, 6 & 8:30 p.m

with her prom-queen past even as she makes an unlikely friend of the biggest loser from school: Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt). Mavis obviously sees herself in Matt, with his acid wit, pop-culture addiction and weight of failure. She isn’t quite sure what to do with this reorienting knowledge, but her need to unload flash-bonds her to Matt, a guy who lives with his sister and seems to do nothing put pay tribute to science fiction and anime by repainting action figures and making “Mos Eisley Special Reserve� bourbon in his garage. Simultaneously off-kilter and pat, this anti-romantic comedy has plenty to admire even though its attempt to cohere into a satisfyingly rounded narrative proves clumsily abrupt (perhaps that’s the price to pay for the film’s 94-minute concision, or just a reflection of its anti-hero). Director Jason Reitman (who also helmed “Juno�) makes a good match for this shaggy-dog story, though he never tops his road-trip title sequence, which fetishizes a Day-Glo Memorex tape as Mavis rewinds it over and over again to sing along to Teenage Fanclub’s “The Concept.� What ultimately makes “Young Adult� worth the trip is Theron’s uncompromising performance, which dares to make Mavis unlikeable and, in the process, earns our pity and, more disturbingly, our identification. In a land of corporate chain stores (and, as Mavis dubs them, “KenTacoHut�s), alone and on a

soon-to-be-undeniable decline made steeper by encroaching middle age, Mavis can neither bear the thought of becoming part of the American landscape nor can she abide being an exile. Like so many of us, she’d rather regress into ignorant bliss than

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

Aquarius: 430 Emerson St., Palo Alto (2669260) Century Cinema 16: 1500 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View (800-326-3264) Century 20 Downtown: 825 Middlefield Road, Redwood City (800-326-3264)

no Real, Palo Alto (493-3456) Guild: 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (2669260) Stanford: 221 University Ave., Palo Alto (3243700) Internet address: For show times, plot synopses, trailers and more information about films playing, go to PaloAltoOnline.com.

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grow up and face facts. Rated R for language and some sexual content. One hour, 34 minutes. — Peter Canavese

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Movies NOW PLAYING The Artist --(Palo Alto Square) Any filmgoer undaunted by something a little different will surely walk out of this brand-new silent film with a big, goofy grin. Though this pastiche has been crafted by film nerds and largely for them, Michel Hazanavicius’ feature has an emotional generosity that speaks louder than words. Opening in 1927, “The Artist� begins with a premiere of the latest silent film starring the dashing George Valentin (Jean Dujardin). When Valentin stumbles into a photo op with a girl named Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), the ground for a relationship is paved. Plucked from obscurity, Peppy sees her star begins to rise in direct proportion to George’s fall, precipitated by the arrival of talkies and the market crash of 1929. Writer-director Hazanavicius mostly steers clear of comparisons to

the era’s epics and great screen comics, instead inhabiting the more manageable territory of melodrama. The acting is inventive, and the film joyously celebrates the movies. Rated PG-13 for a disturbing image and a crude gesture. One hour, 41 minutes. — Peter Canavese (Reviewed Dec. 2, 2011) The Descendants --1/2 (Aquarius, Century 20) George Clooney plays Matt King, a lawyer and hapless father troubleshooting domestic and business concerns in a Hawaii he drily notes is not the “paradise� mainlanders imagine. King’s petulance derives mostly from his wife being in a coma due to a boating accident, and his inability to do anything about it. As a father, he’s clumsy at best; by pampering 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller), Matt hopes to distract her from her mother’s decline. No such trickery works on 17-year-old Alexandra (Shailene Woodley), a borderline delinquent who

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

***************************************** 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

(TENTATIVE) AGENDA – SPECIAL MEETING – COUNCIL CHAMBERS December 19, 2011 - 6:00 PM SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY 1. Presentation of Donation Check from the Palo Alto Library Foundation 2. Community Partnership Presentation: PTA Council CONSENT CALENDAR 3. Approval of a Budget Amendment Ordinance to Accept and Appropriate a Donation in the Amount of $1,900,000 from the Palo Alto Library Foundation for Furniture, Technology and Collection Materials for the Library Measure N Building Projects and Receive and Appropriate $15,000 from the PaciďŹ c Library Partnership for Library Website Redesign 4. Recommendation From the Policy and Services Committee on Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Policy 5. Approval of Rail Legislative Advocacy Services Contract 6. Approval of City of Palo Alto Letters to the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) commenting on the Authority Business and Funding Plans 7. City Council 2011 Year in Review 8. Rail Committee Update including review and consideration of Economic & Planning Systems (EPS) High Speed Rail and Caltrain Economic Analysis Reports, Proposed new Rail Guiding Principles and Caltrain Capacity Analysis information 9. Approval of a Resolution with Revisions to Employee Merit Rules CLOSED SESSION 10. Labor

won’t be handled. Matt’s business issue involves his role as trustee of his family’s ancestral land: 25,000 pristine acres in Kauai that will bring the Kings a pretty penny if they can agree on a buyer. As this subplot lingers in the background, Matt becomes obsessed with a third concern: investigating a secret about his wife that surfaces early in the picture. Three guesses as to what that might be, but it provides the excuse for the Kings to island-hop and family-bond in search of closure about Mom. Rated PG for some mild rude humor. One hour, 38 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Nov. 25, 2011) Happy Feet Two --1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) Elijah Wood returns as the voice of Mumble, now a penguin dad fretting over the direction of his son Erik (Ava Acres). Erik fears he has two left not-so-happy feet, but he excitedly latches onto an impossible dream of flight. An airborne puffin named The Mighty Sven (Hank Azaria) passes as a penguin, causing the confusion, but more intimidating problems face “the Penguin Nation� in the form of a dangerously shifting landscape (due to climate change) and how best to get the attention of passing humans. Rated PG for some rude humor and mild peril. One hour, 40 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Nov. 18, 2011) Hugo ---1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) Director Martin Scorsese’s affection for all things cinema has never been more evident than in the enchanting and imaginative “Hugo.�Young Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) lives alone in the hollowed walls of a Paris train station, orphaned following the death of his father (Jude Law). Hugo is desperate to finish repairing the automaton — an old robotic figure — that he and his dad had been working on, occasionally forced to steal mechanical parts from a toy shop. The shop’s enigmatic owner (Ben Kingsley as Georges Melies) catches Hugo in the act and confiscates Hugo’s journal: a booklet with

his father’s sketches of the automaton’s inner workings. Georges’ goddaughter Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz) agrees to help Hugo get his journal back, setting off a series of mysterious events that click and whirl with the rhythm of a finely tuned clock. Rated PG for mild thematic material, some action/peril and smoking. Two hours, 6 minutes. — T.H. (Reviewed Nov. 25, 2011) J. Edgar -(Century 16) It seems like a winning formula: Unite an accomplished director (Clint Eastwood) with a gifted actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) to tell the story of a notable historical figure (J. Edgar Hoover). Sadly, Eastwood’s drab and awkward “J. Edgar� steers closer to the disappointments category. DiCaprio is slightly miscast as Hoover, the first and longest-tenured director of the FBI. Eastwood endeavors to cover a lot of territory in Hoover’s lengthy career, which spanned the better part of four decades. The film is interesting but not compelling, about a protagonist who is neither likable nor despicable. It’s a solid character study, but one better suited for the History Channel or an HBO special Rated R for brief strong language. Two hours, 17 minutes. — T.H. (Reviewed Nov. 11, 2011) The Muppets --1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) It’s “The Muppets� show, with very special guest star/ co-writer Jason Segel orchestrating a fun kiddie flick and a heart-tugging nostalgia exercise for Generation X. Fans may squirm at the emphasis put on the Muppets’ decline (in reality, the Muppets have been absent from the big screen since 1999’s “Muppets from Space� but have been kicking around in TV movies and in viral videos). In “The Muppets,� they’ve disbanded and the Muppet Theater has fallen into (comically) sad disrepair. The realization devastates Muppet super-fan Walter (a puppet performed by Peter Linz), who — with his brother Gary (Segel) — makes a pilgrimage to take the “Muppet Studio Tour.� When Walter overhears oil baron Tex Richman (Chris

CITY OF PALO ALTO NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TO DESTROY WEEDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on December 12, 2011, pursuant to the provisions of Section 8.08.020 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code, the City Council passed a resolution declaring that all weeds growing upon any private property or in any public street or alley, as deďŹ ned in Section 8.08.010 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code, constitute a public nuisance, which nuisance must be abated by the destruction or removal thereof. NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that property owners shall without delay remove all such weeds from their property, and the abutting half of the street in front and alleys, if any, behind such property, and between the lot lines thereof as extended, or such weeds will be destroyed or moved and such nuisance abated by the city authorities, in which case the cost of such destruction or removal will be assessed upon the lots and lands from which, or from the front or rear of which, such weeds shall have been destroyed or removed; and such cost will constitute a lien upon such lots or lands until paid, and will be collected upon the next tax roll upon which general municipal taxes are collected. All property owners having any objections to the proposed destruction or removal of such weeds are hereby notiďŹ ed to attend a meeting of the Council of said city, to be held in the Council Chamber of the City Hall in said city on January 9, 2012, at seven p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, when and where their objections will be heard and given due consideration. Dennis Burns Interim Fire Chief

Cooper) describe his evil plan to foreclose on the Muppet Theater, demolish it and drill for crude, Walter, Gary and Gary’s girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), set out to reunite the Muppets and save the theater by putting on a telethon. Rated PG for some mild rude humor. One hour, 38 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Nov. 25, 2011) My Week with Marilyn -(Guild, Century 20) I’ll confess up front that “My Week with Marilyn� — derived from Colin Clark’s diaries of sharing time with Marilyn Monroe — inhabits guiltypleasure territory for lovers of Old Hollywood. Amid the film’s showmanship, though, director Simon Curtis proves capable of some subtle points. Plus, he has four aces in the hole: Michelle Williams as Marilyn, Kenneth Branagh as Sir Laurence Olivier, Tony Award winner Eddie Redmayne as Clark, and Dame Judi Dench as Dame Sybil Thorndike. In 1956, Clark actually spent a summer in Marilyn’s orbit, in his capacity as third assistant director on the 1957 comedic film “The Prince and the Showgirl,� directed by Olivier. But the week in question refers to Clark’s brief, rather chaste fling with Monroe, which the screen Clark describes, in words lifted from his kissand-tell memoir, as “a few days in my life when a dream came true and my only talent was not to close my eyes.� Curtis’ film lovingly dramatizes those golden moments, but also serves as a backstage farce about Olivier’s war with his leading lady. Rated R for some language. One hour, 39 minutes. — P.C. (Nov. 25, 2011) New Year’s Eve -1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) In the 1970s, Irwin Allen produced disaster movies packed with random stars. Although “New Year’s Eve� is a romantic comedy, the word “disaster� still comes to mind. Is it me or is Hollywood making movies on dares now? How else to explain all-star weirdness like this film’s nutty, chaste anti-romance between a shuckin’ and jivin’ Zac Efron and dowdy cougar Michelle Pfeiffer? Has the world gone crazy? Perhaps director Garry Marshall is crazy like a fox. On the evidence of the recent “Valentine’s Day,� “New Year’s Eve� is likely to pack ‘em in. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see Ashton Kutcher and Lea Michele (“Glee�) stuck in an elevator, “SNL�’s Seth Meyers tangle with German superstar Til Schweiger, and the apocalyptic signifier of a movie whose mix-n-match cast includes Robert De Niro, Hilary Swank, Sarah Jessica Parker and at least one New Kid on the Block? In terms of sophistication, it’s the movie equivalent of eight romance novels. Rated PG-13 for language including some sexual references. One hour, 58 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Dec. 9, 2011) Tower Heist -(Century 16) Ben Stiller plays Josh Kovacs, the building manager of a deluxe apartment in the sky, called simply “The Tower.� Josh’s tight ship hits an iceberg when he learns that penthouse tenant Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) — who agreed to invest the pensions of the building’s staff — has committed securities fraud “of epic proportions,� losing the pensions in the process. When he becomes convinced that Shaw has $20 million in cash hidden in the apartment, Josh hatches a scheme to break in, steal the money and play Robin Hood to his devastated co-workers (fun fact: Stiller’s salary for the picture was $15 million). Rated PG13 for language and sexual content. One hour, 45 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Nov. 4, 2011)

Fri 12/16-12/17

The Artist -1:30, 2:45, 4:00, 5:15, 6:30, 7:45, 9:00, 10:10

Sun - Tues 12/18-12/20

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Weds & Thurs 12/21-12/22

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he holidays between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day are treasured times for gift-giving, but the increased waste may put a damper on celebrations. Choosing eco-friendly gifts and wrapping papers can put a smile on recipients’ faces while mitigating this season’s environmental impact. Household waste increases by 25 percent over the holidays and amounts to five million extra tons in America’s landfills, according to San Mateo County’s RecycleWorks program. Recycled or repurposed gift-giving not only cuts down on that waste but may present a more exciting option for gift recipients, according to David Greene, owner and operator of Palo Alto eco-gift shop LiveGreene. “Everyone loves to give a gift that has a story. And every eco-gift tells a story of what it was and how it changed,” Greene said. Four million tons of trash annually comes from giftwrap and shopping bags, according to RecycleWorks. ReGlassware is made of cycled or reusable recycled bottles. wrappings can be a first step towards “greening up” your holiday season even if your friends and family have their eyes set on gadgets or conventional gifts. Holiday-themed bags made from recycled materials give a festive yet eco-friendly note to the giftgiving season and can be easily reused by your gift recipient. A range of recycled-materials gift bags

Bracelets, belts and coin purses are made of recycled bicycle tires. can be purchased from LiveGreene. Affordable wrapping paper is also available from Whole Foods Los Altos, which stocks brands such as Waste Not Paper ($5). “Most of the wrapping paper that we sell year-round is made from recycled materials, and they’re really cute designs, too,” buyer Nadia Zep said. “We also have fun cards which have seeds in them, so when someone is done with their card, they can plant it.” (continued on next page)

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H A P P Y H O L I D AY S

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Eco-friendly wrapping paper and a reusable canvas gift bag at LiveGreene. (continued from previous page)

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These cards are made from 100 percent recycled paper and come embedded with wildflower seeds. After the card is read, it can be planted and watered, letting your message live on in the form of flowers while reducing the number of cards clogging landfills or memento boxes. Seed-embedded wrapping papers and cards are available on Colorado seed-paper company Bloomin’s website, www.bloomin.com. But it isn’t just wrapping paper and cards that can add an eco-friendly flair to your holidays. A wide variety of creative gifts made of recycled, repurposed and sustainably produced materials are available at local businesses. But question the stereotypes about such gifts; they don’t need to be “crunchy� or sacrifice on style. Bracelets and belts made of repurposed rubber tires would be a playful choice for a fashion-forward friend, Greene said. Made in Santa Cruz with an industrial sewing machine, they look much like a traditional braided belt but have an edgier, industrial appeal. An added benefit, the belts are easy on the

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wallet at $30. Eco-friendly gifts can be utilitarian as well as playful, Greene said. Stylish bags and wallets made from recycled bike tubes are durable and might brighten up an avid bicyclist’s commute. Or, consider glassware made from recycled glass for a favorite barware enthusiast. Boston Warehouse’s line of cheeky cooking and cleaning utensils may be a good choice for a friend or culinary-inclined family member. The quirky line of potato mashers, bottle openers, graters, pizza cutters and other tools destined for the kitchen-utensil drawer ($10 each) are playfully designed with faces and

made of recycled plastic. “They’re a good seller for Secret Santas,� Greene said. “They’re whimsical and tell a story, but they’re practical as well.� As for the children on your holiday shopping list, consider a Green Start puzzle set, $10-$15, made from 98 percent post-recycled materials and soy-based inks. Oversized recycled cardboard castles, complete with non-toxic crayons, indulge kids’ imaginative sides and are affordable at $18. Young children seem ever-fond of plastic toys each winter season, but it’s possible to follow their holiday wish lists with environmentally-friendly plastic options, local retailers said. Green Toys, a collection of classic

toys, are made of 100 percent highdensity polyurethane sourced from recycled milk jugs. “Kids put everything in their mouths, so these are very clean toys,� Greene said. The Green Toys are also available at Whole Foods Los Altos and Menlo Park toy store Cheeky Monkey, where assistant manager Kimberly Vasquez said that they are popular purchases by parents and gift-givers. Buying toys made in California has the added benefit of reducing the carbon blueprint of your gifts. “They buy these because they are made locally out of recycled plastic,� she said of the California-based company’s offerings. They include toys for a variety of ages; stacking

cups and building blocks, racecars, dump trucks, school buses, recycling trucks, and even jump ropes made from what might otherwise be destined for landfill. Whether you give family and friends eco-friendly gifts, gift wrap or cards, you’re choosing “gifts that

are sure to make the giver and receiver feel good this holiday season,â€? said Jennifer Marples, Whole Foods spokesperson. And the reduced environmental impact of recycling and repurposing during the holidays won’t feel bad, either. â–

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An extraordinary story of survival, resilience, and hope On a crisp blue early January morning, Sheri G. sat on the railing just outside her boyfriend’s ďŹ fth-story apartment, her feet dangling over the street beneath her. Alienated, angry, and depressed, she’d done drugs most of the night, and a day after escaping yet another recovery program. She pleaded to no one around, “Why can’t I stop doing this?â€? Whether a cry for help or an act of spite, she scooted forward ... just inches ... out into the cool mid-morning air. And 50 feet down. Few people survive a three-story fall, let alone a ďŹ ve-story plunge. Sheri shattered her ankle, fractured her back, ruptured her spleen, and lacerated her liver. Miraculously, she lived. Even more miraculous is what she’s done since, overcoming her addiction and the mental illness that fed it. Sheri suffered what was diagnosed as bipolar affective disorder. Sheri’s father was a truck driver, her mother a homemaker. Her older brother excelled at sports. Her elder sister wore a homecoming queen’s crown. But at the young age of 11, Sheri started cutting herself, using self-torture to sedate her already emerging inner demons. At 14, her parents divorced. Not long after, her grandfather died. Her father became despondent. Sheri “self destructed.â€? In junior high, she started drinking. In high school, she began using hard drugs. She dropped out, seeking drugs even at the cost of selling herself. For a time, she lived in her Ford

the 49-year-old owns a hopeful future instead of a troubled past. In 2005, she attended Caminar’s Transition to College program. There, she met Jobs Plus program director Michael Schocket, who saw in Sheri someone who was eager, intelligent and, most of all, who had lived the experiences of so many Caminar clients. Sheri is now an employee of Caminar’s Jobs Plus employment program, helping individuals get established in new jobs even though, once upon time, she couldn’t keep one of her own. She meets with each of her clients at least four hours a week, to make sure they understand their duties, their schedules, and the life skills it takes to make it in the workplace. One client with a severe stutter and learning disabilities had trouble looking people in the eye. Sheri spent time coaching her how to make personal contact. Today the 21-year-old is a courtesy clerk training to become a cashier. Despite her desperate leap into oblivion, Sheri has become a testament to the human capacity to overcome adversity. She’s enormously grateful to all those who helped her along —like Caminar — and she’s focused her energies on helping others turn the corner as she did. You, too, can contribute to rebuilding lives, by giving generously to support Caminar. People like Sheri will be forever thankful. Approximately 90¢ of every dollar donated goes directly to support our program services. {By Patrick Houston} Please send your gift to: Caminar, 3 Waters Park Drive, Suite 200, San Mateo, CA 94403 or go to www.caminar.org.

LTD. At one point, she weighed only 98 pounds. She eventually landed in prison for two years. Despite her seemingly bleak situation, Sheri earned her GED while in prison. She won a “Spark Plug Awardâ€? from her fellow inmates for being optimistic and the one among them who always seemed so willing to help. She emerged from prison with hopes of turning her life around in the outside world. But those hopes dimmed, and quickly. She worked, but had trouble keeping a job. With her mental state on a perpetual roller coaster, she ďŹ led 10 W-2s with the IRS in one year alone. Over time, she was in and out of 22 different recovery programs. She was, as she described herself, “a time-bomb ticking.â€? Finally, during one holiday season, her employer sent her to a 30-day inpatient recovery program. In early January, she wound up in mental lockdown. She escaped, relapsed into drugs within hours, and sought refuge with her boyfriend. While he was in the shower, she went to -- and then over -- the railing. She woke up in intensive care to discover her father crying at her bedside, a faint awareness she was loved, and a feeling that things were going to be ďŹ ne. Her survival may have been astounding, but her recovery wasn’t. She spent a month in intensive care and the next six on her back. She underwent four surgeries. She managed a series of part-time jobs but chronic pain kept her from working much. Now, years later, thanks in part to Caminar,

Caminar is a 501(c)(3) non-proďŹ t corporation. Our federal tax ID number is 94-1639389. Your contribution is tax-deductible as allowed by law.

thanks its supporters:

Visit www. caminar.org or call (650) 372-4080 *>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?ÞÊUĂŠ iVi“LiĂ€ĂŠÂŁĂˆ]ĂŠĂ“䣣ĂŠU Page 31

The professionalism, kindness, concern and caring I received at Stanford are unmatched in my experience. While the Stanford facility is excellent, the way patients are treated is what really counts the most. —Teresa G., Stanford patient

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450 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA 94063 Page 32ÊUÊ iVi LiÀÊ£È]ÊÓ䣣ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

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