Palo Alto Weekly - 03.02.2012 - Section 1 by Palo Alto Weekly

Palo Alto

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Community 8

Title Pages 19

Spectrum 24

Eating Out 30

Movies 33

Home 53

Puzzles 69

N News Edgewood Plaza revamp plan moves ahead

Page 3

N Arts ‘Familiar Strangers’ debuts at Pear Theatre

Page 26

N Sports CCS basketball titles at stake

Page 35

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Community Health Education Programs

March

-OUNTAIN 6IEW s 0ALO !LTO

&OR A COMPLETE LIST OF CLASSES AND CLASS FEES LECTURES AND HEALTH EDUCATION RESOURCES VISIT pamf.org/healtheducation.

Lectures and Workshops

Cancer Care

Past, Present, and Forever: Making the Most of Your Aging Journey Senior Lecture Series

– Exercise for Energy – men and women’s group – Expressions – Healing Imagery – Healing Touch

Presented by Peter H. Cheng, M.D., PAMF Geriatric Medicine, and Kelly Reilly, R.N., MSN, CDE, PAMF Diabetes Education Monday, Mar. 12, 2:30 – 4 p.m. 795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, 650-853-4873 Join Dr. Cheng and Ms. Reilly on an action-packed excursion to learn how to best take charge of your health as you get older.

Sleep and Your Child Parent Workshop Lecture Series Presented by Elizabeth Copeland, M.D., PAMF Pediatrics Tuesday, Mar. 13, 7 – 8:30 p.m. 701 E. El Camino Real, Mountain View, 650-934-7373 Understand sleep safety basics, learn importance of and recommendations for hours of sleep and discuss sleep training methods.

Eat Your Way to True Happiness! For Your Health Community Lecture Series Presented by Darcie Ellyne, R.D., M.S., CDE, PAMF Nutrition Services Tuesday, Mar. 13, 7 – 8:30 p.m. 795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, 650-853-4873 This lecture will help you understand the impact of food on how you feel, think, act, and sleep. You will learn to develop eating strategies that will boost your mood, eliminate that gnawing, craving for junk food and help you slim down and feel great.

Don’t Turn Green, LIVE Green Library Lecture Series Presented by Barbara Erny, M.D. Wednesday, Mar. 14, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Sunnyvale Public Library 655 W. Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale, 650-934-7373 By the end of this introduction to living “green,” you’ll understand what chemicals are present in your everyday environment, know about the safest fruits and vegetables, how to reduce your chemical intake, and learn what you can do to reduce environmental chemical exposure for you and your family.

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– Healthy Eating After Cancer Treatment – Look Good, Feel Better – Qigong – When Eating is a Problem, During Cancer Treatment

Childbirth and Parent Education Classes – – – – – – – –

Baby Safety Basics Breastfeeding Childbirth Preparation Feeding Your Young Child Infant and Child CPR Infant Care Infant Emergencies and CPR Introduction to Solids

– Mother-Baby Circle – New Parent ABC’s – All About Baby Care – OB Orientation – Prenatal Yoga – Sibling Preparation – What to Expect with Your Newborn

Living Well Classes – Back School – Mind/Body Stress Management – Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Nutrition and Diabetes Classes Mountain View, 650-934-7177 s Palo Alto, 650-853-2961

– Diabetes Management – Healthy Eating with Type 2 Diabetes – Heart Smart (cholesterol management)

– Living Well with Prediabetes – Sweet Success Program (gestational diabetes)

Weight Management Programs – Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery Program – Healthy eating. Active lifestyles. (for parents of children ages 2-12)

s 1-888-398-5597

– HMR Weight Management Program – Lifesteps® (adult weight management) – New Weigh of Life (adult weight management)

Support Groups – – – – –

AWAKE Bariatric Surgery Breastfeeding Cancer CARE

– – – – –

Chronic Fatigue Diabetes Drug and Alcohol Kidney Multiple Sclerosis

Upfront

Local news, information and analysis

Plan to revitalize Edgewood Plaza moves ahead Palo Alto’s planning commission approves proposal to rehabilitate three stores, build 10 homes at Eichler shopping center by Gennady Sheyner

shopping plaza anchored by The Fresh Market grocery store and featuring a small park could soon take shape at Palo Alto’s Edgewood Plaza after the city’s planning commissioners agreed Wednesday night, Feb.

29, to approve a zone change that would enable the project. The proposal to redevelop Edgewood Plaza, the only local shopping plaza to be developed by iconic home-builder Joseph Eichler, has gone through several iterations throughout the years-long approval

process. Developer John Tze of Sand Hill Property Company had previously proposed building 24 homes on the plaza, a plan that was widely panned by residents in the adjacent neighborhoods. The new proposal, for which the Planning and Transportation Com-

mission approved a zone change by a 6-0 vote (Greg Tanaka was absent), includes 10 homes and renovations to the three original retail buildings on the plaza, which is bounded by Embarcadero Road, Channing Avenue and West Bayshore Road. The most critical component of

the new plaza will be a 20,000square-foot grocery store that would occupy the building once occupied by Albertsons (formerly Lucky Supermarket). Albertsons left Edgewood in 2006. (continued on page 12)

YOUTH

Surveys: Student emotional health improving Schools report on citywide initiatives to boost teen wellness after suicides

and captured images of crimes, which can most definitely be useful in some circumstances,” Watson said. Duveneck residents had also asked for the Public Works department to trim trees and improve lighting. Watson said the department is looking into those improvements. Joel Henner, a neighborhood leader who has worked on emergency preparation and reconstituting some form of neighborhood watch, said crews have been trimming the shrubs and trees this week, and it has made a difference. He has also noticed increased police patrols, he said.

by Chris Kenrick alo Alto students gained a bit of ground in their overall social-emotional well-being between 2007 and 2011, according to survey data presented Tuesday, Feb. 28, to the Board of Education. Results of the California Healthy Kids Survey as well as the Palo Alto Reality Check Survey showed improvement in areas of student “school connectedness” and relationships with adults. Tuesday’s presentation came in a school board review of initiatives to boost “student connectedness” — a much-discussed priority for schools following a devastating string of Palo Alto student suicides in 2009 and 2010. In response to the tragedies, the school district helped form a community-wide youth mental-health coalition, Project Safety Net, and hired a staff member to coordinate an array of efforts related to student social-emotional health. The schools, along with many community groups, also adopted a youth-wellness framework known as the Developmental Assets, a list of characteristics needed for healthy development that is now widely promoted across Palo Alto. Nearly three years after the first student died in what came to be labeled a “suicide cluster,” Tuesday’s progress report delivered by school Student Services Coordinator Amy Drolette was greeted with praise. “We asked you to stitch together this net at a time when people were raw — I think that’s the word,” Superintendent Kevin Skelly said of Project Safety Net. “It’s a sign of how this community is dedicated to kids, but we still have a lot of work to do.” The Healthy Kids survey, given in

(continued on page 13)

(continued on page 17)

Veronica Weber

Checking out the modern drive-in Sabastian and Samay Jauregur adjust the steering wheel on their “car,” made out of a cardboard box, during the Box Car Drive-In event hosted by the Palo Alto Children’s Library on Wednesday, Feb. 29. The library provided building materials, license plates and driver’s licenses, and children got to watch cartoons while sitting in their new automobiles.

CRIME

Duveneck residents call for surveillance cameras After spate of burglaries, neighborhood wants licenseplate readers to combat burglaries, street robberies by Sue Dremann

n armed street robbery on Feb. 15 and a rash of residential burglaries last week in Palo Alto has some residents calling for the city to install surveillance cameras and license-plate readers, and others ramping up efforts to com-

municate with their neighbors. Duveneck residents, who live near Embarcadero Road and U.S. Highway 101, asked Palo Alto police to consider adding cameras or plate readers at the neighborhood’s three access points after a man walking

his dog was held up at gunpoint. But Capt. Ron Watson told the residents in an email that he did not think it would be possible to blanket the area with cameras. “While I understand the concern for your neighborhood, it ... wouldn’t do anything if any future crime happened to occur in an area adjacent to your neighborhood,” he wrote. In addition, he said, the department proposed using grant money a few years ago to purchase a licenseplate reader to look for stolen vehicles and other criminal activity, but the City Council felt the idea leaned too far toward “Big Brother.” “Having said that, there are any number of citizens who have placed video cameras around their home

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Upfront

Palo Alto Historical Association presents a public program

Life in Black and White Presenters:

Henry and Rochelle Ford 4HE &ORDS IN THEIR SCULPTURE GARDEN

Sunday, March 4, 2012, 2:00 p.m. Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middleﬁeld Road, Palo Alto 2EFRESHMENTS s .O ADMISSION CHARGE

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 Eric Van Susteren, Editorial Assistant, Internship Coordinator Veronica Weber, Staff Photographer Kelsey Kienitz, Photo Intern Dale F. Bentson, Colin Becht, Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Chad Jones, Karla Kane, Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Jeanie K. Smith, Susan Tavernetti, Contributors Cristina Wong, Editorial Intern 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, Adam Carter, Janice Hoogner, Brent Triantos, 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

NELLY SACHS: Migration and Memory, Poetry and Context A special evening featuring a workshop, dramatic poetry reading and reception )5(( $1' 23(1 72 7+( 38%/,& 6($7,1* ,6 /,0,7('

RSVP required by Mar. 5 at http://europe.stanford.edu/events/registration/6883 For more info., please visit http://europe.stanford.edu

THURSDAY MAR. 8TH, 4:30-7:30pm

ALBERT M. BENDER ROOM at THE GREEN LIBRARY STANFORD UNIVERSITY Page 4ÊUÊ >ÀV ÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÓÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

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 ©2012 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

‘‘

450 CAMBRIDGE AVE, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 (650) 326-8210

This place should be inhospitable to crooks.

— Joel Henner, a Palo Alto neighborhood leader, on reconstituting a watch program in the Duveneck/ St. Francis neighborhood. See story on page 3.

Around Town TWEET TWEET ... Explaining Palo Alto’s budget problems or transportation projects in 140 characters or less is no easy feat, but that won’t stop Mayor Yiaway Yeh and City Manager James Keene from trying. On Monday, the two joined the city’s Chief Information Officer Jonathan Reichental in the city’s first-ever Twitter Q&A — a chance for residents to pose pressing questions and get brief answers about city government. The questions varied from big-picture inquiries (What are your goals for 2012?) to the specific (one questioner wanted the latest on the grant application for California Avenue streetscape improvements). The answers came in wonky bursts. When asked about goals, Yeh responded: “2012 = Year of Infrastructure & Renewal. Open Data-Hackathons! Youth Health and Well-Being. Balanced Budget. Mayor’s Challenge.” Why are the city’s revenues dropping? Keene responded: “Slow revenues = Prop 13 & sales tax dips as economy shifts to services.” In some cases, the answers weren’t as concise as they could’ve been. When asked whether he believes voters will approve a measure in November to legalize marijuana dispensaries, Yeh forewent a simple “No comment” or “Don’t know” in favor of, “Not in the business of predicting outcomes that are determined by the vote of the people.” At other times, officials were able to cram generous heaps of substance into their 140 characters. When asked about the California Avenue grant, Yeh responded: “The important project will be proceeding but grant funding at risk this year due to litigation. We remain committed.” Officials said after the event that they were pleased with their first foray into Twittersphere. “There were many lessons learned, in particular, realizing that 30 minutes is too short for a session,” they wrote at the end of the Q&A transcript. FANTASYLAND ... Before Mayor Yiaway Yeh took to the stage to deliver his State of the City address, Assemblyman Rich Gordon took the stage to introduce Yeh (the two had worked together when Gordon served on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors). Gordon praised Yeh’s intellect and noted the mayor’s penchant for asking questions. “What impressed me the most — and what probably drives most colleagues a little crazy — is that he is completely inquisitive,”

Gordon said. “He always wants to know how, why, when, where and what.” Gordon, meanwhile, received a much pithier introduction from Vice Mayor Greg Scharff, who noted that Gordon had once worked at Disneyland. That experience, Scharff said, prepared Gordon “for being an assemblyman because he worked in Fantasyland.” DOWNTOWN ... For the latest sign that the local economy is improving, look no further than downtown Palo Alto. The city’s “commercial downtown” zoning area has seen a marked drop in vacancy rate and an increase in retail rents, according to an annual survey of downtown that the city released this week. While the vacancy rate in this area was 6.39 percent in 2008-09, it has dropped to 2 percent in 2010-11, the report states. Rent, meanwhile, has gone up. For small office spaces on University Avenue, for example, rent ranged from $3.50 to $5.50 per square foot in last year’s monitoring report (not including insurance, janitorial services and taxes). This year, the range is between $4.50 and $7 per square foot, the report states. It’s conclusion? “Economic conditions in Palo Alto downtown area are improving gradually.” PRESIDENTIAL PROPS ... Linsanity has reached the White House. President Barack Obama talked about the Palo Alto High School graduate and current New York Knicks point guard during an interview Wednesday, Feb. 29, with ESPN’s Bill Simmons. “I’ve been on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon for a while,” Obama said. “He seems like a wonderful young man. And, look, it elevates this great sport all around the world.” TECHY TIDBITS ... Palo Alto city workers will soon be saying farewell to their desktop computers as part of the city’s effort to become more green, modern and flexible. An announcement from the IT Department this week notes that the city plans to replace most desktops with laptops. “These laptops will use up to 90 percent less power than desktops and will enable staff to access their applications and information without being tethered to a fixed location,” the announcement states. The city also plans to look into whether it makes sense for staff to have tablet computers. N

Upfront CITY HALL

Yeh lays out vision for Palo Alto’s ‘renewal’ Mayor’s ‘State of the City’ speech focuses on infrastructure upgrades, citizen engagement roclaiming 2012 the year of “renewal,” Mayor Yiaway Yeh used his “State of the City” address Monday, Feb. 27, to lay out a vision for sprucing up Palo Alto’s aged infrastructure and encouraging residents to become more engaged in city life. In a speech that lasted about 40 minutes and was delivered at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, Yeh briefly highlighted the City Council’s progress on its five annual priorities — finances, environmental sustainability, landuse and transportation, emergency preparedness and youth well-being. But most of his address focused on explaining the city’s drive to get its infrastructure in order and to inspire community engagement. The focus on infrastructure has been Yeh’s main theme since he took over as mayor last month. In his inauguration speech, Yeh declared 2012 as the “year of infrastructure renewal and investment.” On Monday, he recapped the recent work of the Infrastructure Blue Ribbon Committee, which surveyed the city’s infrastructure needs and considered ways to pay for them. “I’m eager to move forward with the infrastructure improvements that the community expects,” Yeh said. At times, the themes of infrastructure and engagement intertwined. Yeh described a recent “hackathon” at Stanford University during which the city made its data on street con-

ditions available to students, who over the next 24 hours developed a website that allows residents to learn about the state of the streets they live on. A subsequent version of this interface allows residents to upload photos of their streets, a function that city officials hope will engage them with Palo Alto’s drive to accelerate the street repairs this year. Yeh cited the hackathon as an example of the city’s willingness to solve problems in new ways. Yeh said people often don’t know what city officials mean when they talk about “infrastructure” — a broad word with many definitions. He catalogued the city’s many physical assets, including fire stations, bridges and municipal buildings that make up infrastructure. “Ultimately, our physical assets support our community. Yet they often go unnoticed until something goes wrong,” Yeh said. “A street with too many potholes and cracks, a sidewalk pushed up by tree roots, a community center’s classroom with a leaking roof, or offices for our police department that won’t withstand a significant disaster.” Yeh said he has directed staff to analyze the possibility of using the city’s gas-tax receipts as leverage to borrow $12 million to repair streets. The goal of this “enhanced funding program” is to make the repairs without relying on the city’s General Fund or additional taxpayer money, he said.

Gennady Sheyner

by Gennady Sheyner

Yiaway Yeh, mayor of Palo Alto, delivers his State of the City address Monday, Feb. 27, at the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center on Fabian Way as former and current City Council colleagues and other local representatives, seated onstage, listen. Yeh also said the city may ask voters for a bond measure for other infrastructure repairs, but only after it has considered every other option for paying for the needed improvements. Another major council priority in 2012 will be figuring out how to pay for much needed upgrades of the city’s worn down and seismically vulnerable police building and the fire stations near Rinconada and Mitchell Parks. He said the council would hold a special retreat later in the year (one of three that would focus on infrastructure) to consider its options. “As you know, our police build-

UTILITIES

Palo Alto looks to hike refuse rates Staff proposes 5 percent increase and new $2.09 fee this year; more dramatic changes ahead by Gennady Sheyner

alo Alto residents who try to limit their waste by switching to smaller trash cans could find their garbage rates spiking dramatically and possibly doubling over the next several years as part of the city’s effort to bring financial stability to its troubled refuse operation. The city has recently completed a “cost of service” study that proposes a radically different rate structure for residential customers. The goal is to stabilize the city’s Refuse Fund, which has been losing money in recent years, and to get away from the existing system under which commercial customers subsidize through their rates the cost of providing service to residents.

A new proposal from the Public Works Department calls for a 5.3 percent rate increase for all residential customers along with a $2.09 flat fee that would be tacked on to every residential bill to cover the cost of street sweeping. The increases could be phased in over several years but start in July. The study, which the city initiated in August 2010 and which the City Council’s Finance Committee is scheduled to discuss Tuesday night, March 6, offers a rate structure that would affect all residential customers but would have the most dramatic impact on those who conserve the most. Under this model, residents who use mini-cans (about

29 percent of all customers) would see their monthly refuse rates jump from $20.52 to $45.46, a 121 percent increase. The 55.7 percent of residential customers who use the standard 32-gallon cans would see their monthly rates go up from $37.58 to $50.48, a 37 percent increase. Meanwhile, those who use 64gallon cans would see their rates decline by 12 percent, from $72.46 to $63.86. Because of the severity of the spike for customers who use the two smallest containers, staff is recommending phasing the rate changes over two or three years, according to Brad Eggleston, the city’s solid waste manager. The

ing and fire stations currently suffer from decades-old wear and tear. They have doubtful functionality in the event of a major disaster in our community.” Yeh also ran through the city’s efforts to engage local youth, a council priority for the past two years. He mentioned the new Teen Center that will be built as part of the Mitchell Park Library and Community Center and the Teen Advisory Council that will work in the newly renovated Palo Alto Arts Center. He called on businesses to participate in the city’s effort to make teens feel welcome. “What can you as a business

Public Works Department proposes keeping “conservation pricing” in place to encourage smaller cans but to reduce the savings of conservation pricing by introducing a flat fee for all customers. The plummeting revenues in the Refuse Fund can, in many ways, be attributed to the city’s success in encouraging conservation through its Zero Waste program. By switching to smaller cans, residents bring down their trash bills and, in doing so, reduce the city’s revenues. In addition, more people recycle and compost — services for which the city has not been charging its residents. The council began dealing with this problem last year when it approved a flat rate hike of $4.62 percent for all customers, regardless of can size. The new rate structure, however, would bring much more significant changes. Under the cost-of-service model, the city would start charging all residential customers $7.66 for recycling, and $10.99 for picking up their yard trimmings and $6.71 for street sweeping.

READ MORE ONLINE

www.PaloAltoOnline.com The text of Mayor Yiaway Yeh’s State of the City speech has been posted on Palo Alto Online. To read it, search for “Yeh lays out vision.”

do?” Yeh asked. “One idea is to create deals-of-the day or week for our students. Another is to highlight how students can patronize your business. Think creatively how to incorporate high-schoolers with internships over the summer. Open up your business world to the curiosity and commitment of our (continued on page 12)

While the city is unlikely to introduce all these fees in the short term, the street-sweeping fee would kick in as early as July under the staff proposal. Because the council already added the $4.62 fee last year, it would need to tack on another $2.09 fee to achieve the $6.71 rate required to meet the cost of providing street-sweeping services. The model, in short, proposes a major shift from a system that provides pricing incentives for customers who switch to smaller cans to one in which rates reflect the actual cost of services. Under the model in the study, the difference between the rates for those who use mini-cans and those who use standard cans is only $5.02. Under the current structure, this difference is $16.96. On Tuesday, the Finance Committee is scheduled to review the staff recommendation and consider an array of other options, including some that extend the rate increases over a longer period of time and others that would eliminate conservation pricing. N

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Upfront CITY HALL

Salaries, benefits and number of Palo Alto city employees

Despite tax growth, Palo Alto braces for deficits

752

$100

704

Millions

Peninsula, due to increased business activity.” Sales tax, meanwhile, “has been on an upward trend with strong department store and electronicequipment sales.” But while revenues are projected to grow, they are not expected to keep pace with expenditures, particularly the sharply rising cost of employee health care and pension benefits. The forecast pegs the total cost of benefits in fiscal year 2012 at $36.8 million. By 2017, the number could gradually balloon to $51.2 million because of the two trends. The city’s health care expenditures, according to the forecast, have grown by 126 percent over the past decade, going from $6.6 million in 2002 to $14.9 million this year. The trend is expected to continue and to swallow up a greater chunk of the city’s General Fund. The pension costs are following a similar trend, having jumped from $15.6 million in 2005 to $23.9 million in 2012. The rising expenditures carry bleak implications for the city’s General Fund. While the forecast shows a balanced budget this year, it projects a $2.1 million deficit in 2013, a $3.7 million deficit in 2014 and a $4.1 million deficit in 2015. The forecast notes that while city revenues are improving, expense increases “continue to outpace the growth in revenue.”

647

$80

by Gennady Sheyner fter a two-year slump, Palo Alto is finally seeing some sunny news on the revenue front, though officials predict that the rapidly rising cost of employee benefits will continue to saddle the city with years of budget deficits. The two trends — rising revenues and spiking expenditures — are both detailed in the new Long Range Financial Forecast, which the City Council Finance Committee reviewed Tuesday night. The document is not so much a prediction as a “snapshot” based on various current assumptions, city staff said, but it shows a picture of changing finances following the 2008 recession. Palo Alto sales-tax revenues for fiscal year 2012 (which ends on June 30) are estimated at $21.6 million, exceeding the city’s adopted budget by $1.4 million. Hotel taxes rebounded last year after two years of declines, increasing by 17.8 percent between 2010 and 2011. This year, the numbers are expected to be even stronger. Tax revenues in the first quarter of 2012 exceeded those in 2011 by a whopping 26.2 percent and for the year are expected to be 7.3 percent higher than last year. The forecast states that the transient occupancy and per diem rates in Palo Alto “have moved up appreciably as they have along the entire

676

City employees

City’s new Long Range Financial Forecast shows sales taxes rising, employee expenditures spiking

$60

653 623 $30.9

$13.5

$18.4

$27.3

$48.5

$58.9

$53.9

$55.6

$60.4

$58.4

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

$40

by Gennady Sheyner

ive months after the City of Palo Alto completed its long and bitter negotiations with the city’s firefighters union, officials and Palo Alto’s largest police union find themselves at odds. City officials declared an impasse in negotiations last Friday, Feb. 24, after six months of negotiations with the Palo Alto Police Officers Association. The decision sets the stage for a possible unilateral imposition of benefit reductions by the city on the union’s 82 members. The two sides began negotiations on July 27, 2011, and according to a letter from the city’s negotiator, Darrell Murray, have reached “deadlock” and remain far apart. The union’s previous contract had expired on June 30, 2011, but the terms of that agreement remain in place until a new contract is signed. The city’s struggle with the police union comes five months after

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$60.4

$20

Salaries

Benefits

2012

Full-time equivalent permanent employees (FTE) Source: City of Palo Alto

City of Palo Alto employee benefits have increased over the past dozen years as a percentage of compensation, in spite of the decreasing number of full-time employees. “The city-revenue projections are rosier than they have looked for a couple of years, but benefit costs continue their relentless upward climb — outpacing the rate of revenue growth,” the forecast states. The report also notes that a recent actuarial valuation of Palo Alto’s unfunded retiree medical liability indicated that the city needs to set aside an additional $2.7 million in 2012 and $3.5 million in 2013 to cover the backlog. “The city clearly still has its work cut out for it in addressing its structural deficit,” the forecast states. While the forecast is a forwardlooking, big-picture document, its implications are already being felt in the city’s negotiations with

its labor groups. For the past three years, the city has been aggressively pressuring labor groups to cover a greater share of employees’ health care and pension expenditures (both of which have been entirely paid by the city). Most labor groups have already agreed (or, in some cases, have been forced to accept) less generous benefits, including a new requirement for them to chip in for medical costs and a two-tiered pension system under which newly hired employees get fewer benefits. The sharp rise in health care and pension costs is also one of the prime justifications for the city’s decision to declare an impasse last week in its negotiations with the

Palo Alto, police union deadlocked over contract it reached an agreement with the Palo Alto Professional Firefighters Association after 18 months of tense talks. The police union, however, has less leverage than the firefighters did because of the voters’ decision in November to repeal the binding-arbitration provision in the City Charter. The provision had empowered a panel of arbitrators to settle labor disputes between the city and its public-sector unions, which unlike other labor groups are legally barred from striking. Without binding arbitration, the city can impose its conditions on the police union. The impasse comes at a time when the city is trying to cope with budget deficits by seeking benefit reductions from all of its labor groups — a process that gained momentum three years ago. The city’s largest labor union, the Service Employees International Union, Local 521, was forced to accept benefit reductions, including a second pension tier for newly hired workers and a requirement to pay a share of health care costs (the city had previously paid all medical costs). The firefighters union agreed to similar concessions in

580

$16.3

LABOR UNIONS

City declares impasse after six months of negotiations

$32.7

$36.8

September. Sgt. Wayne Benitez, president of the police union, told the Weekly that he was surprised by the city’s announcement of the impasse, an announcement that he said officials didn’t share with the union before publicizing it. Benitez said he doesn’t understand why “the police union, who has a proven track record of cooperating with the city, could not even get the same concessions as the fire department received.” “We offered considerable concessions to the City, but the City denied them,” Benitez said. The city’s current budget, which the council passed in June, assumed concessions by both major publicsafety unions. City Manager James Keene has stated on many occasions that every labor group would need to make sacrifices to help the city cope with consecutive years of budget deficits — gaps that are largely driven by increases in pension and health care costs. The city’s newly released longterm financial forecast projects a $2 million deficit in fiscal year 2013 followed by budget gaps of

$3.7 million and $4 million in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The impasse creates a major wrinkle in what has been a generally amicable relationship between the city and its police union. While the City Council has engaged in various highly publicized spats with the fire union, it has consistently lauded the police union’s willingness to work with the city. In 2009, the union had agreed to defer its negotiated 6 percent wage increases by a year, helping the city close the budget gap. Keene said in a statement that while the city “greatly appreciated” the union’s decision to defer its members’ raises for a year, it is now looking for “ongoing structural savings.” “The City has reached agreements that include employee pay and benefit concessions with all of our other labor groups,” Keene said. “We expect the POA to participate fully with our other employees in concessions to help ensure the City’s fiscal sustainability.” Murray noted in his declaration of impasse that public-safety expenditures have been gradually taking a bigger chunk of the city’s General

Palo Alto Police Officers Association after six months of meetings (see story below). The city’s negotiator, Darrell Murray, highlighted the two trends in his declaration of the impasse. The city’s medical insurance premium payments per employee have gone up by 21.1 percent since 2008, rising from $10,500 to $12,713. Furthermore, the city’s pension contribution for police employees was 23.6 percent of earnable compensation in 2008, a rate that has gone up to 30.1 percent. “Clearly, public agencies have reason for concern that pension costs will continue to consume increasing shares of their budgets,” Murray wrote. N Fund, which pays for basic city services (not including utilities). In fiscal year 2006, 25 percent of the General Fund was allocated to public safety. The number went up to 36 percent in fiscal year 2011. An average member of the police union gets a salary of $104,013. The average salary and benefits total about $185,616. “As the City has often stated, it believes that fairness dictates that all employees contribute in a manner that would involve a measure of real and immediate adverse impact — without a wage increase to absorb that impact,” Murray wrote. “The Police Officers’ Association stands alone in its continued unwillingness to meet this measure of shared sacrifice — sacrifice that the City’s lowest paid employees began to experience over two years ago.” Lalo Perez, the city’s chief financial officer, said in a statement that the city continues to expend “significant resources” to support fair bargaining with its unions but noted that labor groups sometimes find delay preferable to settlement “because the existing contract with its better compensation package stays in effect until a new agreement is reached. “It is not feasible or fair to our taxpayers for negotiations without real progress to be prolonged,” Perez said. N

Upfront COMMUNITY

Gunn sisters juggle academics with life at the VA On-site hospital residence for families enables them to stick with dad

hen Amber and Julie Jacobson tell classmates at Gunn High School they live down the street at the VA Hospital, they’re astounded that some say they’ve never heard of it. “They know nothing about it,” said Julie, a freshman, who recently tried to explain military life — and the concept of an Army PX store — to a friend who “just couldn’t wrap her head around it.” Since last August, the Jacobson sisters have been living with their mother, Amy Jacobson, in Fisher House, an onsite residence for families of patients at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Health Care System. Their dad, Sgt. Martin Jacobson, lives a stone’s throw away in the hospital’s Spinal Cord Injury Unit. A U.S. Army plumber, he was paralyzed from the shoulders down following a beach accident last July in Hawaii, just as he was preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. The disastrous consequences of a dive into a sandbar upended the lives of the Jacobsons, who had spent the last two years on Army assignment in Korea. They abruptly shifted gears, following Martin Jacobson from Hawaii — where they had planned to live while he was in Afghanistan — to the Palo Alto Spinal Cord Injury Unit. “My dad’s the same person he always was — he just can’t move now,” said Amber, 16, a sophomore at Gunn. She and her sister stop to see their father each morning on their way to

school. During the afternoons, they settle into his hospital room with their books and laptops, using the wide window ledge as a desk to do their homework. Their older brother, Brandon Jacobson, 21, serves with the Army at Fort Bragg, N.C. Amy Jacobson spends her days trying to support her husband, preparing some of his favorite foods — Filipino dishes, soup, roast beef sandwiches — in the spacious kitchen at Fisher House and carrying them across the street to handfeed him. Amber and Julie say their academic transition to Gunn has not been difficult. “My school in Korea was challenging, so it isn’t that different,” Amber said. Making friends was more of a challenge. “People here grew up together. They know each other, and they’re not used to moving around,” 14year-old Julie said. “They already have their own groups, and when you come in, you have to find your own friends.” She finally started feeling comfortable in November, when she got to know classmates better on field trips to Yosemite and Jasper Ridge. Having just come from Korea, “We connect with the Korean kids (at Gunn) very easily,” Amber said. “I tell them what school I went to, and they know it.” Amber was surprised, upon joining the Model UN Club at Gunn, to find students she had known in Korea in the same organization.

Kelsey Kienitz

by Chris Kenrick

From left, Amber and Julie Jacobson visit their father, Martin Jacobson, in his room at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Health Care System on Tuesday, Feb. 28. “They probably moved here the same time I did,” she said. Still, it’s tough to put down roots when they know their situation is temporary. “I keep trying to do sports, but it’s expensive, and I have to get signatures from my old school, and that’s hard because it’s in Korea,” Amber said. The family now anticipates a mid-March departure date for a new home at Travis Air Force Base, but little seems to be certain. Martin Jacobson’s room in the Spinal Cord Injury Unit is decorated with self-portraits by Julie, her drawing of Honolulu’s Diamond Head as seen from Jacobson’s room in the Intensive Care Unit of Tripler Army Medical Center, and other family memorabilia. Jacobson, 46, is up and about in his wheelchair, after having been bedridden for months and gradually

weaned from breathing assistance. He can make phone calls, switch TV channels, send email and surf the Web using voice-recognition technology, a small, circular “mouse” stuck in the middle of his forehead and other technology. “It’s definitely a new lifestyle for me,” Jacobson said. “I’ve learned some freedom, but it’s not a lot. After three months of lying in bed, I really started wondering what use I am, so that’s probably my biggest challenge — being of use again.” Of his family, he said, “They’ve been through a lot. “Amber does volunteer work here, and she’s interacted with soldiers with traumatic brain injuries and talked to me about how she can see the difference. “She seems to be thankful for what’s left of me.” Since its opening six years ago,

the 21 suites in Fisher House have provided temporary shelter to more than 3,000 families, according to Palo Alto VA spokeswoman Kerri Childress. Many families come through with young children, and about 20 have had kids old enough to attend local schools, a Fisher House staff member said. U.S. Secretary for Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki recently approved a second Fisher House for the Palo Alto VA campus, to be built through the fundraising efforts of the Fisher House Foundation and local volunteers. Major donors for the first Fisher House were Palo Alto businessman John Arrillaga, Cadence Design, Inc., and local Rotary Clubs, Childress said. N Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be emailed at ckenrick@paweekly. com.

EDUCATION

Board ponders Addison Elementary boundary change Minor shift is part of city-wide discussion of enrollment, facilities by Chris Kenrick chool officials are pondering changes to the attendance boundaries of the crowded Addison Elementary School as a temporary fix among longer-term, citywide challenges of matching new classroom buildings to where children live. The possible change would switch a portion of Professorville, as well as current Addison households south of Embarcadero Road, from Addison into the Walter Hays attendance area. Superintendent Kevin Skelly said he would return in April with specific recommendations on the boundary change for consideration by the Board of Education. In recent years, the boundaries have led to frequent “overflows” of Addison children into Walter Hays

and other schools, creating uncertainty for parents and home-buyers in the Addison neighborhood, Skelly said. A boundary change would offer more predictability for families, he said. The Addison proposal was a detail in a far larger discussion held in a Board of Education study session Tuesday, Feb. 28, to consider longterm enrollment projections and facilities planning. Though little consensus emerged on specifics, board members generally agreed there’s a need in the near future for a 13th elementary school and — perhaps more urgently — a fourth middle school in Palo Alto. They specifically mentioned two possible sites for expansion: the Garland campus at 870 N. California Ave. and the Greendell campus combined with the district’s new ac-

quisition of an adjacent parcel at 525 San Antonio Road. However, several members noted that many more desks soon will be needed on the west side of El Camino Real due to Stanford University’s plans to build faculty housing on El Camino between California Avenue and Page Mill Road, and on California Avenue south of Hanover Street. Board members did not specifically address a proposal by Skelly to postpone until at least 2019 any consideration of school facilities at Cubberley Community Center on Middlefield Road. With the school district’s longterm lease of Cubberley to the city coming up for renewal, Skelly said the district is “heavily dependent” on the $7 million a year in lease revenue, which represents 4 percent of

the schools’ operating budget. Skelly said the surprising bump in elementary enrollment of recent years will be dampened in the near future by the phase-in of a new state law mandating that children turn 5 by Sept. 1 of the year they start kindergarten, Skelly said. With funds from a 2008 facilities bond, the district has completed or is in the process of building up to 40 new elementary classrooms on existing campuses, including those of Ohlone, Fairmeadow and Duveneck elementary schools. Current middle school construction will provide district-wide capacity for 2,900 students. Conservative enrollment projections show this number will be reached in 2015, he said. Skelly urged the board to wait at least a year before firmly commit-

ting to entire new campuses, with hope that more data will offer guidance in light of currently iffy growth projections and financial resources. Board member Barb Mitchell argued the district should “move forward with scenarios for both a 13th elementary school and a fourth middle school” guided by aligning investments in new classrooms with the geographic “clusters” — north, south and west — in which enrollment growth is occurring. “North cluster” elementary schools are considered to be Addison, Duveneck and Walter Hays; “south cluster” schools are El Carmelo, Fairmeadow and Palo Verde; and “west cluster” schools are Barron Park, Juana Briones, Escondido and Lucille Nixon. Additionally, (continued on page 16)

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Upfront

Community A roundup of nonprofit news

NONPROFIT NOTEBOOK

PRESCRIPTION FOR SAVING ... A team of Stanford University students and graduates has created a system to recoup unused prescription drugs and redirect them to uninsured patients. The university-based nonprofit startup, SIRUM (Supporting Initiatives to Redistribute Unused Medications), has developed a Web-based system to aid medical workers charged with disposing of unused prescription products. The workers list the medications for a potential match with recipients in need. When a match is found, the system generates a Fedex label and packing slip, making it easy to document and donate. The system will start to make a dent in the billions of dollars in unused medicine that is wasted annually in the United States, according to State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. Simitian sponsored legislation to ease regulatory hurdles to the drug transfers after hearing about the medical waste problem in 2005 from a Stanford University medical student. Simitian said he introduced additional legislation last Friday, Feb. 24, to further facilitate SIRUM’s system by expanding the donor base and recipient pool and allowing pharmacy-to-pharmacy exchanges. FACING AIDS ... Gunn High School’s FACE AIDS chapter will be hosting a walkathon Saturday, March 31, to raise funds for the nonprofit organization, which provides health care and employment to patients with HIV and AIDS in Rwanda. The 12-mile walk at Palo Alto’s Foothills Park will start at noon at the Oak Grove Picnic Area, according to Rachael Acker, copresident of the school’s chapter. The length of the walk was chosen because patients in Nyamirama, which is near the capital of Rwanda, currently must walk 12 miles for treatment at the nearest health center. The funds will go to revitalizing the Nyamirama Health Center. More information is available by emailing gunn@faceaids.org. N

Veronica Weber

MAYOR’S CHALLENGE ... The Palo Alto Family Y has stepped forward to help organize Mayor Yiaway Yeh’s “Mayor’s Challenge” — a series of four sporting events sprinkled throughout the year and designed to bring the city’s neighborhoods together. The first event, a pingpong challenge, will be held Sunday, March 25, from 2 to 5 p.m. at various local gyms: the Y, Cubberley Community Center, Jordan Middle School, Terman Middle School and the Campus for Jewish Life. Cosponsors of the pingpong event are the Palo Alto Table Tennis Club, Joola (a table tennis company) and the Palo Alto Unified School District. Neighborhoods will earn points according to the number of residents who participate, according to Yeh.

Betty Schneider, a longtime regular diner at La Comida, laughs after receiving a gift of flowers during lunch on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

SENIORS

Forging friendships for 40 years La Comida lunch program provides seniors with more than a square meal by Jocelyn Dong

om Barry was holding court at the La Comida lunch program in Palo Alto Tuesday, 12 seniors joining him at the long folding table, all intent on his words. “Are we ready for trivia?” he asked, his voice reedy, like TV commentator Andy Rooney’s. Barry, a retired Palo Alto High School teacher, began quizzing his lunch mates on current events, starting with the Academy Awards. “What do they call the awards in France?” he asked, referring to that country’s equivalent of the Oscars. The seniors, all older than 60 and many retired professionals like himself, offered their guesses: “Cannes Film Festival?” “Spirit Awards?” “Palme d’Or?” Teasing them along, Barry disclosed that the answer was a fiveletter word starting with the letter, “C.” One woman asked for the second letter. Barry smiled. “You always want a hint, huh?” he joked. For people like those gathered at Barry’s trivia table, La Comida serves as a place both to dine and to

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mingle — and at a time of life when friends and intellectual stimulation can be harder to come by. The nonprofit organization provides about 31,000 lunches a year at Avenidas senior center on Bryant Street, serving close to 1,000 people, according to the organization. This week, the program marked its 40th anniversary. Started by the Rotary Club of Palo Alto in 1972, La Comida was the first “congregate” senior nutrition site in Santa Clara County. Now, there are 35 sites countywide. The county’s population of people older than 60 is expected to grow by another 50 percent by 2020, according to the Council on Aging, Silicon Valley. Supporters and participants say La Comida meets two critical needs of older adults: nutrition and friendship. “Some folks, this is their major meal of the day,” said Bill Blodgett, president of the La Comida board of directors. A third of the diners are low-income, and the $2.50 voluntary contribution per meal fits within their

budgets. Even for those not struggling financially, many simply don’t have the energy to shop for groceries and fix meals themselves or to go out to a restaurant, Blodgett said. Others — widowed and living by themselves — seek the companionship of people who share a similar stage of life and can relate to their experiences and interests, he added. “They are alone now. This provides a very important way for people to be engaged,” Blodgett said. Palo Alto resident Betty Schneider, 90, comes to La Comida five days a week. A world traveler with a lively mind, she and her late husband, Jack, lived for more than 15 years in South Africa. She is currently writing two books, one about apartheid as seen through the eyes of her black cleaning woman. Schneider’s fondness for meeting others was evident during a recent lunch. One man at her table, who had been fairly quiet, overheard her discussing Cambridge, Mass., and asked if she’d lived there. Schneider swiveled her head and set her blue eyes on him.

“Yes, I did,” she said, leaning in slightly and grinning, like she’d just disclosed a secret. “Did you?” Friendships extend beyond the lunch hour for some people. Schneider said she’s attended several theater productions with one man she met at La Comida, and she welcomed another to visit her home a few times. The trivia table is one of her favorite parts of lunch at La Comida, though. “We fight pretty hard to get in there,” she said of the table, noting that diners pull up chairs or stand at its edges. Ninety-three percent of seniors responding to a December 2010 La Comida survey said the lunch program helps them maintain their independence. A greater percentage reported feeling healthier and happier because of the socializing it affords them. Mary Ruth Batchelder, the program’s site manager for the past 10 years and one of its four staff members, said she’s seen people blossom (continued on page 10)

Upfront

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

RACE

Please be advised the Planning and Transportation Commission (P&TC) shall conduct a public meeting at 6:00 PM, Wednesday, March 14, 2012 in the Council Chambers, Ground Floor, Civic Center, Palo Alto, California. Any interested persons may appear and be heard on these items. Staff reports for agendized items are available via the City’s main website at www.cityofpaloalto.org. and also at the Planning Division Front Desk, 5th Floor, City Hall, after 2:00 PM on the Friday preceding the meeting date. Copies will be made available at the Development Center should City Hall be closed on the 9/80 Friday. UNFINISHED BUSINESS. Other Items: 1.

Consider revisions to Commission policies and procedures regarding private meetings and other forms of communications (“ex-parte” communications) between Commission and the public and project applicants on development projects.

NEW BUSINESS. Study Session: 2.

Study Session: Update on Rail Corridor Study and Draft Report.

Public Hearing: 3.

Veronica Weber

Rochelle and Henry Ford, who have endured a barrage of racial discrimination, recently celebrated their 52nd anniversary.

A romance in black and white Palo Alto couple to speak about their 52-year interracial marriage by Sue Dremann

ighty-year-old Henry Ford sat in the dining room of his Palo Alto home and recalled the day he met Rochelle, his wife of 52 years. He was on a bus traveling to a high school football camp for the first time, leaving his home on gritty Orbin Street in Pittsburgh, Penn., for the white enclave of Ligonier, 35 miles north. “I saw this cute colored girl, and I told the bus driver to stop,” he said. Ford, the team’s African-American co-captain, went to speak to the beautiful girl. “I said, ‘Oops, sorry,’” he recalled. “Sorry for what?” Rochelle responded. “I thought you were colored,” he said. On Sunday, March 4, at 2 p.m. the Fords will speak about their interracial marriage and their life. The talk will take place at Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, and is hosted by the Palo Alto Historical Association. Theirs is a story of triumph amid some of the most searing racism of the past half-century. In the first decade of their courtship, they kept their romance a secret. It was a time when black men could be lynched in some parts of the country for looking at a white girl, and white women could be ostracized for dating or marrying a black man. Throughout their marriage, they’ve experienced being fired from work, alienation and burning crosses as a result of their relationship. Even in Palo Alto, 34 years after they moved in, racism has intruded into their lives, they said. But there is a strong measure of

satisfaction in knowing they have thrived. The Fords became prosperous and successful business people; and they remain a close couple. They have learned to take the painful and thoughtless comments of others with measured humor. “At times we were so busy fighting the world we didn’t have time to fight each other,” Rochelle said at the couple’s festively decorated home Tuesday. The Fords’ romance started out tentatively. After that initial meeting, they saw each other when Henry came to town for other football camps or games. But it would be 4 1/2 years before they would date, Rochelle said. Their lives couldn’t have started out more differently. Henry grew up poor and abandoned by his father. He lived on a dirt road with his mother and three sisters, sharing a home with another family of 15. The house was rat-infested and had a dirt cellar. But Henry refused to allow circumstances to interfere with his selfesteem and his plans. “When I looked in the mirror when I was 19 years old, I told myself that I was going to be black the rest of my life and I was going to enjoy being me — and I do,” he said. Football became his ticket out of the ghetto, he said. At the University of Pittsburgh, “Model T,” as Henry was known, became the first black quarterback at a white university. He also became the first black male to enter the School of Business, he said. Rochelle grew up in a small, upper-middle-class white town. Li-

El Camino Park, between Sand Hill and Quarry Roads, Palo Alto and 10 acres near Searsville and Fremont Roads in the County of Santa Clara (Special Condition Area B)*: Request by Stanford University for Planning and Transportation Commission review of an amendment to the 1997 Sand Hill Road Development Agreement to extend the lease on the El Camino Park site for a period of nine years, from June 2033 to June 2042 and to remove approximately 10.25 acres of land from Special Condition Area B. The amendment to the Development Agreement would not change the environmental impacts analyzed in the General Use Permit EIR. No additional environmental review is required. * Quasi-Judicial Items subject to Council’s Disclosure Policy

Questions. For any questions regarding the above items, please contact the Planning Department at (650) 329-2441. The ﬁles relating to these items are available for inspection weekdays between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This public meeting is televised live on Government Access Channel 26. ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations to access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn more about the City’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), please contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at 650.329.2550 (voice) or by e-mailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org. *** Curtis Williams, Director of Planning and Community Environment

gonier had a pedigree dating to the 1760s. “I was Miss Everything you were supposed to be — May queen ... and head majorette — everything but myself,” she said. She eventually transferred from Allegheny College to the University of Pittsburgh. The couple began to see each other secretly in 1950. Henry had graduated by this time, but he could not find a job in business. He signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns and eventually went to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1956. But in 1958 Steeler officials ordered him to stop dating a white girl, he said. Henry said he had two lives: one professional and one personal, and the two were separate. The Steelers soon fired him. “I thought his world was coming to an end. No one called me,” he recalled. He moved to Arizona and played quarterback in a sandlot league with other ex-professional ball players. He stayed for two years, but Rochelle said, “If you don’t come home, I’ll marry someone else.” The Fords married in 1960, more than 10 years after they began dating. Interracial marriage wasn’t legal in many parts of the United States. The Supreme Court made it legal in 1967, Rochelle said. When they married, the white school principal where Rochelle worked as a teacher asked Rochelle’s mother: “How are you going to feel about having little black children?” she recalled. Henry got a job in business working for Acme Markets grocery chain.

Series Sponsor: Jean Lane, in memory of Bill Lane Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts 500 Castro Street, Mountain View

Joel Salatin Monday, March 5, at 8 p.m.

Local Food to the Rescue Sponsored by Sand Hill Global Advisors

Media Sponsor: Embarcadero Media

Order tickets by phone: (650) 903-6000 www.openspacetrust.org/lectures

Peninsula Open Space Trust 222 High Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 (650) 854-7696 www.openspacetrust.org

(continued on next page)

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Upfront

La Comida

(continued from page 8)

HELP YOUTH THRIVE PALO ALTO FAMILY YMCA

Asset of the Month: Creative Activities Youth involved in creative activities have higher grades, are more socially competent and likely to volunteer, and are less apt to experience depression. +HOS \RXWK ¾QG WKHLU FUHDWLYH VSDUN ([SRVH FKLOGUHQ WR FUHDWLYH DFWLYLWLHV $GYRFDWH WKDW VFKRROV SURYLGH DUWV SURJUDPV ([SODLQ ZK\ \RX HQMR\ \RXU DFWLYLW\ /HDUQ PRUH SURMHFWFRUQHUVWRQH RUJ

DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS are the positive relationships, opportunities, values and skills that young people need to grow and thrive.

COMMUNITY TALK: COLON CANCER Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S., and can be one of the most serious. But advances in the prevention, detection and treatment of colon cancer are helping to make this disease rarer and less dangerous. The Stanford Cancer Center invites you to learn about some of these recent successes and hear a vision of future care based on current research. This event is free and open to the public. SATURDAY, MARCH 3 t 9:30AM – 11:00AM Sheraton Palo Alto (Justine Room) 625 El Camino Real t Palo Alto, CA To RSVP, email: events@stanfordmed.org Please register, seating is limited.

George Fisher, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Medical Oncology

Uri Ladabaum, MD Associate Professor of Medicine Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

For more information: www.stanfordhospital.org/colonhealth

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Mark Welton, MD, MHCM Professor and Chief, Colon and Rectal Surgery

through La Comida. “We get a lot of people who come after they’ve a lost a spouse. ... I’ve seen new people come to volunteer and to dine that, you know, are a little bit down in the mouth, and they become part of a community,” she said. “That’s why the program was originally designed. The ‘congregate’ dining is good for their mental health and just as important as the meals,” she said. The program offers lunches every weekday, cooked in the kitchen onsite. Each meal includes a salad, entrée, dessert and drink and is prepared by a staff of three. Volunteer musicians provide entertainment most days of the week, playing the grand piano tucked into one corner of the brightly lit room or bringing their own instruments. If conversation is food for the mind, then music, apparently, is food for the spirit. “Some people love to sing” with the musicians, said Blodgett, who volunteers along with his wife. “Some people, whenever they get half a chance, they dance.”

(continued from previous page)

“I was the Jackie Robinson of the grocery business,” he said, referring to baseball’s first black Major League player. Rochelle was teaching in schools in Pittsburgh ghettos. The district wanted her to teach wealthy white kids, she said. “But I wanted to teach where I could make a difference,” she said. Housing issues dogged the couple in the decades that followed. The Fords were shown and in some cases unknowingly purchased “black homes,” which were designated by Realtors. In Levittown, Penn., where they purchased a home, there were riots and burning crosses in front yards and bloodshed when black families moved in, Henry said. The Fords came to Palo Alto in 1977, eventually buying Coca Cola’s vending operations from Sonoma to Santa Cruz. More business purchases and sales were to follow. By this time they were financially comfortable and could afford a better home. Rochelle had seen the Professorville house in real estate listings, but a Realtor took the couple to East Palo Alto and other cities, where once again they were shown “black houses,” she said. When they purchased the Professorville home with the aid of another agent, two big vans brought their furnishings. A neighbor was soon designated to investigate the couple, knocking on their door. “How many people are going to live here?” she asked, according to Rochelle. Henry, who was tired and a little exasperated, said there would be 11. “I knew it!” the woman said. The Fords’ two sons entered Palo

The program operates on a budget of more than $235,000, funded in large part by the County of Santa Clara through its Senior Nutrition Program, Batchelder said. The City of Palo Alto contributes about 10 percent of the budget. Private donations help with expenses including personnel and a free shuttle that picks up frail or disabled diners from their homes. Back at the trivia table, Barry once again turned his attention to France, inquiring about a word that the country’s prime minister recently banned from official documents. It was a word popular in World War I, Barry hinted. “It came from a song a soldier sang in WWI,” Barry said. Immediately, a slight man with closely cropped white hair began to croon the long-forgotten tune. Recognition spread across the faces around the table. “Oh, Mademoiselle from Armentières, parlez-vous?” he sang, as others smiled. “Hinky-dinky, parlez-vous?” N Editor’s note: The French equivalent of the Oscar is the “César” award. And the banned word in France is “mademoiselle.” Editor Jocelyn Dong can be emailed at jdong@paweekly.com.

Alto schools when integration with East Palo Alto had just begun. The boys were immediately placed in the lowest reading group along with other black children, Rochelle said. Her sons had to find the appropriate moment to show their teachers they could really read, she said. But the Fords are not bitter. In their 34 years in Palo Alto, they have had many wonderful experiences, they said. Since the couple married, American acceptance of interracial marriage has improved. According to a Feb. 16 study by the Pew Research Center, 8.4 percent of all marriages in 2010 are interracial, up from 3.2 percent in 1980. And 15 percent of all marriages that took place in 2010 were interracial. In recent years Rochelle has turned to metal sculpting, fulfilling a longtime dream to be an artist. The Fords’ home is filled with her whimsical sculptures — Rochelle has made about 2,000 from found objects and sheet metal. A majestic oak canopies their front yard amid the sculptures and immaculately manicured plantings. Henry does the yard work. But even in their front yard, the old stereotypes still seep in. Assuming he is the family’s hired gardener, a woman asked Henry how much he charges for his work. “I don’t charge anything. I just sleep with the lady of the house,” he said. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.

WATCH THE VIDEO

www.PaloAltoOnline.com A video excerpt from Sue Dremann’s interview with Henry and Rochelle Ford is posted on Palo Alto Online.

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Upfront

Edgewood Plaza “This is a neighborhood center anchored by a grocery store, and it’s intended to be that way going forward,” Tze told the commission Wednesday. As the Weekly first reported earlier this month, the grocery store The Fresh Market has agreed to move into the plaza and bring to Palo Alto its first store west of the Mississippi. Tze said Wednesday that The Fresh Market’s move into Edgewood is part of a broader plan to build six stores in California. Executives from The Fresh Market visited the plaza last year during “Edgewood Eats,” a resident-organized mobilefood event, he said. Tze said the chain’s decision to build other stores in California convinced him that The Fresh Market would operate in the plaza for a long time. “We don’t want the risk of someone just opening and three years later saying they can’t do it, shutting down and moving back east of the Mississippi,” Tze said. The project would also include a small park with benches and trees — a place intended to encourage community gatherings, he said. The Eichler buildings would be preserved and rehabilitated, and the plaza would include a display honoring the developer, whose distinctive style emphasizes open space, glass doors and post-and-beam construction. In addition to rezoning the site for a “planned community,” the commission voted to approve the environmental analysis for Edgewood Plaza by a 4-2 vote, with Vice Chair Susan Fineberg and Commissioner Arthur Keller dissenting. Commissioners said they were concerned about the recent changes in the final Environmental Impact Report,

Courtesy of Kenneth Rodrigues & Partners, Inc.

(continued from page 3)

Palo Alto’s planning commission approved a zone change that would enable the rehabilitation of Edgewood Plaza shopping center. The plans, which need City Council approval, call for renovations to three retail buildings originally developed by Joseph Eichler and the construction of 10 homes. which had initially stated that the project would have a significant impact but was later revised to say the impact would be minimal. The city’s two historical consultants disagreed on the issue. In approving the project, commissioners praised Tze’s patience and willingness to work with residents on refining the plans. Commissioner Samir Tuma thanked Tze and the project’s critics for making the revisions necessary to make the revitalization of Edgewood Plaza possible. “I know there are a lot of people, particularly in that immediate surrounding community, who are looking forward to having an operating shopping center — one with a grocery store and other amenities that go with it,” Tuma said. Commissioner Mark Michael said

the redeveloped plaza would be a “significant enhancement” to the community. Commissioner Arthur Keller agreed.

‘We don’t want the risk of someone just opening and three years later saying they can’t do it.’ —John Tze, Sand Hill Property Co. developer “In this particular case we’re getting a real shopping center,” Keller said. “We’re getting a reasonable size grocery store — 20,000 square feet — and we’re getting two other shopping-center buildings, which will

LAND USE

Homebuilder signs deal for Alma Plaza D.R. Horton agrees to build first 19 homes in south Palo Alto plaza by Gennady Sheyner

n ambitious plan to redevelop Alma Plaza in south Palo Alto took another leap forward Tuesday, Feb. 28, when builder D.R. Horton signed an agreement with the plaza’s developer to construct the first 19 houses at the plaza. John McNellis, the developer behind the project, told the Weekly that D.R. Horton had agreed to build the first phase of homes on the 4.2-acre plaza, which is located in the 3400 block of Alma Street. The company had also built the houses at Arbor Real, the residential complex at the site of the former Rickey’s Hyatt. McNellis’ agreement with the builder is the latest milestone for a high-profile project that was the subject of 15 public hearings spanning two years. The City Council approved the zone change to en-

able the plaza’s redevelopment in January 2009. While the anchor of the new plaza will be a grocery store, the project also includes 37 homes, 15 below-market-rate apartments, a small park and a community room. The city’s approval allows the construction of half of the homes once the lease with the supermarket is signed. The other half can be constructed once the store is occupied. The Tuesday agreement pertains exclusively to 19 homes, but the same builder could return later in the process to build the remainder of the homes, McNellis said. “We both anticipate and hope that it will be D.R. Horton building the second half,” he said. McNellis said he expects construction of the homes to begin March 5 and to be completed in

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August. Meanwhile, construction is in progress on the retail portion of the plaza, which includes the grocery store and the public park. The plan is to finish construction on the retail and the homes at about the same time, McNellis said. The new grocery store will be occupied by Miki’s Farm Fresh Market and would be modeled after the popular Berkeley Bowl supermarket. Michael “Miki” Werness, who worked as manager of Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market (both in Berkeley), announced in July his plan to open the store at Alma Plaza. Miki’s Farm Fresh Market is scheduled to open this summer. N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

basically create a full complement of stores that it will be reasonable to consider a neighborhood center.” Residents who spoke at the Wednesday hearing also gave the project high marks, though some said they were worried about its traffic impacts and the dangerous road conditions on West Bayshore Road. Brenda Erwin, who lives nearby, said she has seen many pedestrians and bicyclists barely avoid getting hit by cars at West Bayshore, a busy road that runs adjacent to U.S. Highway 101. Planning Director Curtis Williams said the city will consider means beyond this project to address the traffic problems. “West Bayshore has been there and has been a fast roadway when this was a shopping center, and we’re going to try to work to cre-

ate better access there, but it’s not this project’s impact that’s causing that,” Williams said. “Within the bounds of this project, we should do what we can do to provide a safe environment, but we cannot try to address West Bayshore’s problems just through this project.” Martin Yonke, who lives near the plaza and whose group challenged the developer’s earlier plan, was one of several speakers to praise the project at Wednesday’s hearing. “We look forward to having a revitalized shopping center that can once again be an asset to Palo Alto,” Yonke said. The City Council is scheduled to review Edgewood Plaza plans on March 19. N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

State of the City

pus for Jewish Life. Three other challenges will follow later in the year and will pit neighborhoods against neighborhoods, Yeh said. The winning neighborhood will be the one with the most residents participating, he said. “The goal of the Mayor’s Challenge is that by the end of the year, many of you will feel the foundation for the tradition of neighborhood identity and activism has been strengthened,” Yeh said. Yeh also briefly summarized the city’s recent accomplishments, particularly in the field of environmental sustainability. This year, he said, the council is spearheading two initiatives intended to keep Palo Alto in the forefront of green innovation. One, called Palo Alto CLEAN, encourages businesses to install solar panels and sell power to the city. The other is creating a carbon-neutral policy for the city’s electric portfolio. “These initiatives will help transform the physical energy infrastructure of our community,” Yeh said. N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

(continued from page 5)

youth in Palo Alto.” A major part of Yeh’s address focused on what he called the city’s “human assets.” He noted that about 30 percent of the city now identifies as Asian or AsianAmerican. Yeh, who is the city’s first Chinese-American mayor, said that while some cross-cultural interaction inevitably occurs in local schools, the city also has a proactive role to play in bringing the community together and “knitting a strong social fabric.” To that end, Yeh plans to hold a series of “Mayor’s Challenge” events — athletic competitions designed to bring neighbors together. Yeh introduced this idea during his inauguration speech last month. On Monday, he provided some details. The first event, Yeh said, will be a community-wide pingpong tournament that would take place on Sunday, March 25, from 2 to 5 p.m. at five locations: the Palo Alto Family Y, Cubberley Community Center, Jordan Middle School, Terman Middle School and the Cam-

Upfront Recent residential burglaries in Palo Alto Un ive rsi ty

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Tips for preventing a burglary or robbery The Palo Alto Police Department has the following recommendations to help prevent burglaries and robberies:

1100 block Middlefield Road, 2/24, 10:56 a.m.; residential burglary. 1600 block Portola Avenue, 2/24, 12:16 p.m.; residential burglary.

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400 block Grant Avenue, 2/24, 4:16 p.m.; residential burglary.

300 block Sheridan Avenue, 2/24, 6:56 a.m.; residential burglary. 400 block Grant Avenue, 2/24, 9:05 p.m.; residential burglary.

300 block Sheridan Avenue, 2/24, 6:56 p.m.; residential burglary. 800 block Altaire Walk, 2/25, 11:04 a.m.; residential burglary. do

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A spate of residential burglaries have occurred in Palo Alto in the past week. changed to better quality dead bolts, put alarm signs in their yards, and put 3M coating on some windows, which â&#x20AC;&#x153;makes it virtually impossible to break through.â&#x20AC;? Police spokesman Lt. Zach Perron said residents should not hesitate to call 911 when they see a suspicious person or suspicious circumstance. Residents who feel uncomfortable calling 911 for a non-emergency can program their phones and speed dial with the non-emergency dispatch-center number, 650-3292413, he said. Residents must realize they play a critical role in catching the bad guys, since a handful of officers must patrol 26 square miles and the reality is they will rarely catch burglars red-handed while patrolling, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been here for 14 years, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to be here for 30 years, and I will probably never witness a burglar breaking in,â&#x20AC;? he said. He noted that neighborhood awareness is highly effective. Palo Alto police arrested three people Monday, Feb. 27, after a resident reported suspicious behavior on Waverley Street near Oregon Expressway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a perfect example of how thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supposed to work,â&#x20AC;? he said. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.

TALK ABOUT IT

www.PaloAltoOnline.com Have you changed your behavior or home as a result of the recent burglaries? Talk about the topic on Town Square, the online discussion forum, on Palo Alto Online.

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But he was skeptical that a citysponsored camera-surveillance setup would become a reality. Neighbors are divided on that concept, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think on the face of it, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good idea. I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind seeing it. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s costly. And for everyone who thinks itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good idea, there is someone who is opposed to it,â&#x20AC;? he said. Karen White, Duveneck/St. Francis Neighborhood Association president, said she thinks the cameras could be used on a temporary basis. Other Palo Alto residents have added security alarms and cameras to their homes. Alan Yu installed an alarm system after his Oregon Avenue residence was burglarized four or five years ago. A few days after the breakin, perpetrators returned and tried to kick in a door, breaking a glass window. Since installing the alarms and posting a sign outside, he has not had further trouble, he said. But he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disapprove of adding street-surveillance equipment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There has to be some sacrifice of the convenience/privacy issues over having more safety,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I never used to fear for my safety until I saw that robbery report. My house is a block away from 101. I feel very open and exposed. I have rarely ever seen Oregon Avenue patrolled, but I realize thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very expensive proposition. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why cameras and license-plate readers are a good option. If something does happen, then you have a record,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a one-point presence with an officer. With cameras and readers, there are multiple points.â&#x20AC;?

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Burglaries

Henner said two bicycles were stolen from his back yard last year. He carries a light and rape alarm when he walks his dog at night. But communication is the key to making the neighborhood inhospitable to thieves, he said. To that end, he has reached out to the Duveneck/ St. Francis neighborhood through email to form watch groups. At first he hesitated, he said, fearing his neighbors might think him crazy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know me,â&#x20AC;? he said. But he heard back from many people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No one has come back and said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mind your own business,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? he said. Henner said protection is about â&#x20AC;&#x153;creating a place where everyone knows each otherâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and not for the short term. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to take responsibility to keep this place safe. This place should be inhospitable to crooks. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really important is what we are doing six months from now and two years from now,â&#x20AC;? he said. Crescent Park resident Amy Wardwell Kacher said residents are using email to increase neighborhood awareness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our neighborhood Yahoo group goes crazy tracking the door-to-door salespeople: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Girl in her 20s wearing a hoodie and carrying a clipboard just came to my door, had no permitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201D; this type of thing. On the Yahoo group, people are discussing possible cameras and installing motion-sensor flood lights,â&#x20AC;? she said. Parents at schools are discussing the issue when they pick up their children and are talking about how they now lock their back and side doors when they are home, she said. Kacher said a few people have

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300 block Sheridan Avenue, 2/24, 3:11 p.m.; residential burglary.

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A woman walks underneath the Caltrain tracks at California Avenue in Palo Alto Thursday by way of the pedestrian/bike tunnel.

Group calls for more rail crossings, parks around Caltrain tracks Task force report proposes new ‘vision’ for Caltrain Corridor in Palo Alto by Gennady Sheyner

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or Palo Alto residents who live near the Caltrain corridor, the tracks are both a blessing and a curse — a way to get around the Peninsula without cars and a barrier that restricts their ability to travel east and west. This dichotomy, and the opportunities and challenges it presents, is at the center of a new report from a specially appointed City Council Rail Task Force, a 17-member group that has been meeting for more than a year with the goal of adopting an official community “vision” for the corridor. Members included Sierra Club representatives Tom Jordan and Irvin Dawid, Board of Education member Barb Mitchell, architect Tony Carrasco, Jim Rebosio from the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, residents from various neighborhoods along the tracks and Charles Carter, Stanford University’s director of land use and environmental planning. The project was prompted by California’s voter-approved high-speed rail system, which under the current state proposal is slated to run along the corridor. The community’s concerns about the $98 billion project ultimately led the city to take a fresh look at the corridor and figure out ways to improve it. In July 2010, the City Council appointed the task force to “generate a community vision for land use transportation and urban design opportunities” along the corridor. In addition to the Caltrain tracks, the report examines El

Camino Real and Alma Street, two busy north-south arteries that run parallel to the tracks throughout the length of Palo Alto.

‘The Caltrain corridor represents the most significant barrier to east-west connectivity in central Palo Alto. ... It is a difficult barrier that divides the city in half.’ —City Council Rail Task Force The new report, which the council’s Rail Committee began discussing Thursday morning, March 1, highlights the variety of circulation and urban-design issues along the corridor and offers, as the community vision, “to create a vibrant, transit-rich Corridor with city and neighborhood centers that provide walkable, pedestrian and bicyclefriendly places that serve the community and beyond; and to connect the east and west portions of the city through an improved circulation network that binds the city together in all directions.” Barbara Maloney, whose firm BMS Design Group served as the consultant for the task force, told the Rail Committee that the vision the task force settled on “really capital-

izes on the unique and special character of the area” and on the “unique mix of uses and diversity of uses that are in this corridor.” To capture this diversity of uses, the task force had split the corridor into six distinct “subareas,” each with a unique character and challenges. These include three residential subareas — SouthgateEvergreen Park area, Ventura and the Charleston Meadows-Monroe Park area — along with downtown, the California Avenue area and the “neighborhood center” around El Camino Way in south Palo Alto. Among the city’s highest priorities, the report states, should be improving east-west connectivity throughout the city and particularly in south Palo Alto. “The Caltrain corridor represents the most significant barrier to eastwest connectivity in central Palo Alto. ... It is a difficult barrier that divides the city in half,” the report states. One of the task force’s boldest recommendations is increasing the number of rail crossings throughout the corridor, whether as an underpass, overpass or at-grade. The task force brainstormed possible options and came up with a list of 15 potential new crossings that could be added to the 11 already in existence. It narrowed down its list to 15 “priority crossings,” which would include four new ones — at Everett, Kellogg and Seale avenues and at Matadero Creek. These locations were located

Upfront largely to provide residents with safer access to schools and neighborhood services areas and to â&#x20AC;&#x153;ensure safe linkages at all existing grade crossings.â&#x20AC;? The task forceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report also urges the city to bring more schools and neighborhood services to areas around the corridor, as well as parks and recreational amenities. The study area, the report notes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;is generally underserved by park and recreation facilities,â&#x20AC;? though the report also acknowledges that creating â&#x20AC;&#x153;major parks and open spaces will be challengingâ&#x20AC;? given that Palo Alto is a built-out city. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In most areas, the goods and services offered in the area tend to be more regional or citywide in their orientation rather than serving the day-to-day needs of residents in a convenient manner that does not require dependence on the automobile,â&#x20AC;? the report states. The report states that the task forceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision for the mixed-use centers is to enhance their â&#x20AC;&#x153;variety of services, housing and employment, and create unique centers for neighborhood.â&#x20AC;? Its vision for the residential subareas is to â&#x20AC;&#x153;protect areas from noise, vibration and other impacts associated with Caltrain and future HighSpeed Train,â&#x20AC;? improve linkages to services and enhance the bicycle and pedestrian linkages. Though the scope of the study extends far beyond high-speed rail, the report acknowledges that the rail project would have a significant impact on its study area. It includes an analysis of possible rail crossings under a â&#x20AC;&#x153;blendedâ&#x20AC;? design in which high-speed rail and Caltrain use the same tracks on the Peninsula and under an alternative in which high-speed rail uses a below-ground â&#x20AC;&#x153;trenchâ&#x20AC;? design. It also highlights a variety of state and county transportation initiatives that could further impact Caltrain corridor, Alma Street and El Camino Real. These include the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grand Boulevard Initiative,â&#x20AC;? a collaboration by various Peninsula agencies to improve safety and aesthetics on El Camino, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sustainable Community Strategy,â&#x20AC;? a regional effort to encourage development near transit. The committee on Thursday took its first look at the report, which is still in draft form and subject to major revisions. During the brief discussion, Councilman Pat Burt urged consultants to limit their discussion of state initiatives for Caltrain and high-speed rail given that these plans are â&#x20AC;&#x153;highly fluid.â&#x20AC;? The rail committee will continue its discussion on March 15 and other local commissions are also scheduled to provide input in the coming months before the council adopts the document. N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s news, sports & hot picks

News Digest Palo Alto police arrest three after tip Palo Alto police arrested three people Monday, Feb. 27, after a resident reported suspicious behavior on Waverley Street near Oregon Expressway. The resident noticed a vehicle occupied by two women and a man driving slowly through his neighborhood. He followed from a distance and saw the man get out, knock on a door, wait for a few seconds and then return to the car. After seeing this at least three times, the resident returned to his house and called 911, citing recent media reports advising people to report suspicious behavior. Officers located and stopped the vehicle in the 2600 block of Middlefield Road, finding the two women in the car. They later found the man, who was on foot and â&#x20AC;&#x153;under the influence of a controlled substance,â&#x20AC;? at Oregon Expressway and West Bayshore Road. In a search of the vehicle police said they found â&#x20AC;&#x153;burglary toolsâ&#x20AC;? (including pry tools and screwdrivers), as well as personal identifying information belonging to someone else. They also found an unopened UPS package with the shipping label ripped off, making them unable to determine origin or destination. The three people were taken into custody and transported to Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose. They are Becky Davis, 39, Richard Sgambati, 33, and Rochelle Vasquez, 36, all of San Jose. Davis and Vasquez were booked for possession of burglary tools and possession of identifying information belonging to another. Sgambati was booked for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Sgambati also had been arrested in Palo Alto Dec. 11, 2011, for possession of burglary tools and stolen property after he was found with copper piping stolen from a business on East Meadow Circle. Police said they are investigating possible links with recent burglaries. Those with information about this case are asked to contact 650-3292413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent by text or voicemail to 650-383-8984. Any resident who expected a UPS delivery Feb. 27 that was not received is asked to call 650-329-2413. N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Chris Kenrick

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Palo Alto apartments, homes hit in eight burglaries Palo Alto police are investigating eight residential burglaries and one attempted residential burglary â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all reported during the day on Friday, Feb. 24. Three of the burglaries occurred on the same floor of an apartment complex in the 300 block of Sheridan Avenue between 7:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., the police department stated in a press release. Another three took place on the same floor of an apartment complex in the 400 block of Grant Avenue between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Another burglary occurred in the 1600 block of Portola Avenue and another in the 1100 block of Middlefield Road, both between 8:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. The attempted burglary occurred in the 1100 block of Hamilton Avenue, where a resident reported that someone had unsuccessfully attempted entry through a pet door between Feb. 22 and Feb. 24. In the six apartment cases â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all of which are in secured complexes that have locked interior hallways requiring a key for entry â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the intruder or intruders pried open front doors and stole electronics and jewelry. Electronics and jewelry also were taken in the Middlefield and Portola burglaries, in which entry was gained through rear doors. In one case, the door was unlocked, and in the other case entry was forced, police said. Police said they have no suspects and are investigating the crimes and possible links to other burglaries reported in recent weeks. Investigating officers have noticed trends in recent burglaries that may also have occurred in some of Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cases. The burglars often will ring doorbells to see if anyone is home. If they learn that someone is home, they will move on to another residence. If they do not receive an answer at the door, they often will access a rear yard via an unlocked side gate. This gives them private access to rear yards, where they often will pry or force open doors or windows to gain entry to the homes, police said. N â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Chris Kenrick

Driver smashes through school wall at Addison A young driver did several thousand dollars in damage to a building at Addison Elementary School on Saturday evening, Feb. 25, after she â&#x20AC;&#x153;panickedâ&#x20AC;? and hit the gas pedal after backing into a tree, police said. The 17-year-old female driver was backing out of a parking space at 650 Addison Ave. at about 9:08 p.m. when her SUV struck a tree, Palo Alto police Sgt. Rich Bullerjahn said. She shifted the car into drive and panicked, putting the gas pedal to the floor, he said. The vehicle crashed into the building, leaving an SUV-sized hole. The building sustained substantial damage. A structural engineer would need to assess the damage, Bullerjahn said. No one was injured and the SUV sustained moderate damage. Bullerjahn said because no alcohol or drugs were involved and the driver was inexperienced and had panicked, she was not cited. N â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Sue Dremann

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Upfront CITY OF PALO ALTO NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Palo Alto City Council will hold a public hearing at the regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, March 19, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. or as near thereafter as possible, in the Council Chambers, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, to consider the Edgewood Plaza Shopping Center - Approval of a Resolution Certifying a Final Environmental Impact Report, and Adoption of An Ordinance (1) Amending Section 18.08.040 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code (The Zoning Map) to Approve a Planned Community Zone District Allowing Renovation of Three Retail Structures, Relocation of One Retail Structure (Eliminating a Parking Lot and Expanding the Main Parking Lot), Construction of Ten Single Family Homes and Creation of a 0.2 Acre Park (Replacing a Second Parking Lot) and Associated Site Improvements, and (2) Approving a Tentative Map to Merge Three Parcels into One Parcel for Resubdivision into Eleven Parcels (One Commercial Parcel and Ten Residential Parcels) and OffSite Improvements, for a 3.58 Acre Site Located at 2080 Channing Avenue. * Quasi-Judicial DONNA J. GRIDER, MMC

City Clerk

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.

Mountain View police ID man who died in crash Family and friends of Brian Drocco say that the Mountain View resident is the man who died in a fiery car crash in the early hours of Friday, Feb. 24. (Posted March 1 at 8:14 a.m.)

Man killed on train tracks Feb. 23 is identified A man who was fatally struck by a train in Palo Alto on Feb. 23 has been identified as Wentao He, 23, of Mountain View, the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office confirmed Tuesday, Feb. 28. (Posted Feb. 28 at 11:34 a.m.)

Woman hit by car on Stanford campus Monday A car struck a 19-year-old woman as she was jaywalking on Campus Drive near the Mayfield Avenue intersection Monday night, Feb. 27, a CHP spokesman said. (Posted Feb. 28 at 11:03 a.m.)

School officials: ‘No need for Cubberley until 2019’ Breaking a long silence on their plans for Cubberley Community Center, Palo Alto school officials have recommended postponing consideration of school facilities on the property until 2019. (Posted Feb. 28 at 9:05 a.m.)

Man assaults hotel employee in Menlo Park NOTICE OF PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD AND PUBLIC HEARINGS ON PALO ALTO’S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM This is to notify the general public and other interested parties that a 30-day public review period of the Draft Annual Action Plan for the allocation of Fiscal Year 2013 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, will begin on March 23, 2012 and end on April 21, 2012. The Draft Annual Action Plan describes the activities the City may fund under the 2012/13 CDBG Program. Collectively these activities are intended to meet Palo Alto’s affordable housing and community development objectives described in the 2010-2015 Consolidated Plan. Copies of the Draft Annual Action Plan will be available on March 23, 2012 at the Department of Planning and Community Environment, 250 Hamilton Avenue, 5th Floor, Palo Alto, CA 94301, on the City’s website http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/pln/advance_planning/ cdbg.asp or by calling Consuelo Hernandez, Planner – CDBG, at (650) 329-2428. Interested parties are encouraged to submit written comments on the proposed Draft Annual Action Plan during the public review period, or to comment at the public hearings and meetings described below. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MEETINGS The City of Palo Alto Human Relations Commission will hold a Public Hearing on March 8, 2012 to review the Fiscal Year 2013 CDBG funding allocations recommended by the CDBG advisory committee. The Public Hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m., or as soon as possible thereafter, in City Hall Council Conference Room, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto. The City of Palo Alto Finance Committee will hold a Public Hearing on April 3, 2012 to review the proposed Fiscal Year 2013 CDBG funding allocations identiﬁed in the Draft Annual Action Plan. The Public Hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m., or as soon as possible thereafter, in City Hall Council Chambers, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto. The Palo Alto City Council will hold a Public Hearing on May 7, 2012 to adopt the Annual Action Plan and the associated Fiscal Year 2013 CDBG allocations. The Public Hearing will be held at 7:00p.m., or as soon as possible thereafter, in City Hall Council Chambers, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto.

Police are looking for a man in connection with an assault on a hotel employee as she was checking rooms at the Best Western Hotel in Menlo Park Saturday, Feb. 25. (Posted Feb. 28 at 8:47 a.m.)

Four-alarm fire guts apartment complex Firefighters were mopping up after battling a four-alarm structure fire in Mountain View, which began around 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, and displaced a number of people, according to the Mountain View Fire Department. (Posted Feb. 28 at 8:26 a.m.)

Motorcycle collides head-on with Lexus A head-on collision Saturday, Feb. 25, involving a motorcycle and a car near Skylonda resulted in severe but non-life threatening injuries to the 20-year-old motorcyclist, the California Highway Patrol reported. (Posted Feb. 27 at 8:52 a.m.)

Man shot in driveway in East Palo Alto An East Palo Alto man was shot Saturday evening, Feb. 25, in the driveway of a home on Azalia Drive, according to police. (Posted Feb. 27 at 8:35 a.m.)

NFL’s Troy Polamalu teams up with LYFE Kitchen As a boy growing up poor in Southern California, NFL safety Troy Polamalu said he probably didn’t have a single home-cooked meal. “Then I went to live with my aunt and uncle in Oregon and I had corn on the cob — I’ll never forget it,” the Pittsburgh Steelers player said Friday, Feb. 24, during an appearance at LYFE Kitchen in downtown Palo Alto. (Posted Feb. 26 at 12:23 p.m.)

VIDEO: A conversation with Mary Lynn Fitton Mary Lynn Fitton, Palo Alto resident and founder of The Art of Yoga Project, talks about helping teen girls in the criminal justice system develop self-control and self-esteem through yoga in this exclusive “First Person” interview with Lisa Van Dusen. (Posted Feb. 26 at 10:49 a.m.)

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(continued from page 7)

district-wide “choice programs” are currently located in the south cluster at Hoover and Ohlone and in the west cluster at Escondido. The south cluster currently has the biggest gap between supply and demand for school classroom space. But Skelly assured board members that delaying hard decisions for a year would still afford lead time sufficient to prepare new facilities ahead of any student influx. “We do see lack of clarity around what’s going to happen with elementary enrollment, both by cluster and whether it’s going to grow at all in the next four years,” he said. “These are large capital outlays and they all have their downsides. “We live in a community that’s action-oriented and wants to make decisions, be decisive and courageous but, frankly, I think the prudent step is to wait.” Board members appeared to reject Skelly’s suggestion of accommodating middle-school enrollment growth by moving some sixth-grade programs to elementary campuses. Another possibility, he said, could be adding classrooms at Terman Middle School, which currently has capacity for only 700 students — 400 less than the capacities at Jordan and JLS. Board members did agree to Skelly’s recommendation to change high school boundaries so that students living in the housing development at Stanford West, along Sand Hill Road, will be assigned to Gunn High School instead of Palo Alto High School in the future. Stanford West students attend Nixon and Terman but were assigned to the Paly attendance area due to over-enrollment at Gunn at the time the housing complex was constructed several years ago. Now that Gunn has fewer students than Paly, Stanford West students should automatically be assigned to Gunn along with their classmates from Terman, Skelly said. The superintendent said he will schedule another board study session in April to continue the discussion on enrollment projections and facilities. N Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be emailed at ckenrick@paweekly. com.

Man dies on Caltrain tracks in Palo Alto A man was fatally struck by a train in Palo Alto Thursday night, Feb. 23, a Caltrain spokeswoman said. (Posted Feb. 24 at 7:24 a.m.

Want to get news briefs emailed to you every weekday? Sign up for Express, our new daily e-edition. Go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com to sign up.

Persons with disabilities who require auxiliary aids or services in using City facilities, services or programs, or who would like information on the City’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact: ADA Coordinator, City of Palo Alto, 650-329-2550 (Voice) ada@cityofpaloalto.org

Addison boundary

Good for Business. Good for You. Good for the Community.

Corrections In the Weekly’s Feb. 10 News Digest, it was erroneously stated that planned changes to California Avenue in Palo Alto would be “funded by a $1.2 million California Massage Therapy Council grant.” Rather, it would be funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The Weekly regrets the error. To request a correction, contact Editor Jocelyn Dong at 650-2236514, jdong@paweekly.com or P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302.

Upfront

Emotional health (continued from page 3)

schools statewide, assesses students’ “resiliency, protective factors and risk behavior.” From 2007 to 2009, Palo Alto students scoring “high” on the “school connectedness scale” went from 66 percent to 67 percent among seventh graders, from 58 percent to 62 percent among ninth graders and from 56 percent to 62 percent among 11th graders. Those numbers were far above statewide averages. The Palo Alto Reality Check Survey assesses middle and high school students in areas including bullying, risk behaviors and substance use. From 2009 to 2011, the percentage of students reporting they “have a good number of adults” they can talk to about problems went from 69 percent to 73 percent. Students reporting that adults “listen to what I have to say” went from 59 percent to 66 percent. Kids reporting that “youth are included in the important decisions” made in schools and community went from 56 percent to 59 percent. More than 4,000 Palo Alto students took a “baseline Developmental Assets Survey” in October 2010, and that survey will be repeated in 2015. The schools have set a goal to boost by five points the percentages of students who report having the “assets” of a “caring school climate, other adult relationships and bonding to school.” They also set goals for improvement on the California Healthy Kids and Palo Alto Reality Check surveys. Accompanying Drolette in Tuesday’s presentation was Jordan Middle School seventh-grader Marion Sellier, who described a Jordan program called “Open Session.” During weekly advisory periods, students are invited — anonymously or not — to write on white cards about challenges they’re dealing with. The issues range from “being too tired after soccer for homework” to problems at home. The cards are passed in, shuffled by the teacher and read aloud (unless a student writes that he or she does not want the card to be read). Classmates then make suggestions, in writing or orally, on what to do, often saying they have the same problem. “It helps you see you’re not the only one with problems — that your peers are human,” Marion said. Though some kids were initially skeptical, “at one point or another they become in favor of the session. After class they might even come up and say, ‘Thank you. That really helped me,’” she said. N Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be emailed at ckenrick@paweekly. com.

CityView A round-up of

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

Palo Alto government action this week

City Council (Feb. 27)

State of the City: Mayor Yiaway Yeh gave the State of the City address, highlighting the council’s goals and accomplishments. Action: None

Council Finance Committee (Feb. 28)

Retirees: The committee discussed the retiree medical actuarial report and recommended changes to the amortization method used in the new study. Yes: Unanimous Finances: The committee recommended adjustments to the fiscal year 2012 budget and changes to four position titles. Yes: Unanimous

Board of Education (Feb. 28)

New classes: The board approved three new courses to be offered this fall at Palo Alto High School: Conceptual Physics, Introduction to the Automobile and Sports Nutrition Yes: Unanimous Budget: The board heard an update on the school district’s current budget, and budget outlook for future years. Action: None Social-emotional health: The board heard an update on district initiatives to improve the social-emotional health of students. Action: None

Parks and Recreation Commission (Feb. 28)

Cogswell Plaza: The commission approved a staff proposal to make various landscaping changes to Cogswell Plaza, including new trees and removal of turf. Yes: Unanimous Bicycle plan: The commission recommended that the council approve the revised Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. Yes: Ashlund, Crommie, Hetterly, Lauing, Losch, Walsh No: Markevitch

Planning and Transportation Commission (Feb. 29)

Edgewood Plaza: The commission approved a “planned community” zone for Edgewood Plaza, a proposal to renovate three retail buildings and build 10 homes at 2080 Channing Ave. Yes: Fineberg, Garber, Keller, Martinez, Michael, Tuma Absent: Tanaka Edgewood Plaza: The commission also approved an environmental impact report for the proposed renovations to Edgewood Plaza. Yes: Garber, Martinez, Michael, Tuma No: Fineberg, Keller Absent: Tanaka

Council Rail Committee (March 1)

Caltrain: The committee heard a presentation from Caltrain about its effort to electrify its train system and to consider other projects that could be funded as part of the high-speed rail project. Action: None Rail Corridor Task Force: The committee heard a presentation from the Rail Corridor Task Force about the community’s vision for the Caltrain corridor in Palo Alto. Action: None

Architectural Review Board (March 1)

Stanford Shopping Center: The board held a preliminary review on 180 El Camino Real, a proposal by Simon Property Group for a phased construction of five retail buildings, including two multi-story structures and three one-story structures. Action: None

Public Agenda A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week CITY COUNCIL ... The council plans to meet in closed session to discuss potential litigation involving Communications and Power Industries and labor negotiations with police and fire unions. The council also plans to discuss an organizational assessment of the Utilities Department, consider amendments to the city’s contract with the Palo Alto Fire Chief’s Association and adopt resolutions pertaining to the city’s new feed-in-tariff program, Palo Alto CLEAN. The closed session will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 5. Regular meeting will follow in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE ... The committee is scheduled to discuss reconfiguration of the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, water and wastewater fund projections and results of the “cost of service” study for the Refuse Fund. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). UTILITIES ADVISORY COMMISSION ... The commission plans to consider amendments to the city’s fiber-optic rate schedule and discuss projections for the city’s gas and electric funds. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION ... The commission plans to discuss the 2013 Community Development Block Grant funding allocations and the 2013 Human Services Resource Allocation Process funding allocations. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

(TENTATIVE) AGENDA–SPECIAL MEETING-COUNCIL CHAMBERS MARCH 5, 2012 - 5:30 PM CLOSED SESSION 1. CPI 1a. Labor 1b. Labor SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY 2. Adoption of a Resolution Expressing Appreciation to Kenneth M. Denson Upon His Retirement 3. Adopt a Village and Free the Children Community Project- Jordan Middle School STUDY SESSION 4. Presentation of Organizational Assessment of Utilities Department CONSENT CALENDAR 5. Adoption of a Resolution approving the City of Palo Alto Annex to the Santa Clara County, CA Annex to the 2010 Association of Bay Area Governments Local Hazard Mitigation Plan “Taming Natural Disasters 6. Approval of Permanent Retention of North California Avenue Safe Routes to School/Traffic Calming Project 7. Elimination and Defunding of Capital Improvement Program Project PF12005 (Council Conference Room Renovation); Approval of Capital Improvement Program Project PE-12017 (City Hall First Floor Renovation); Adoption of a Budget Amendment Ordinance in the Amount of $189,000; and Approval of a Contract with WMB Architects, Inc. in the Amount of $178,717 for Design of the City Hall First Floor Renovation Project 8. Approval of Agreement with County of Santa Clara to provide Point of Dispensing equipment to the City of Palo Alto to assist the City’s capacity to deliver medicines and medical supplies during large scale public health emergencies 9. Adoption of a Budget Amendment Ordinance in the Amount of $276,083 to Fund the Purchase of a Street Sweeper; and Approval of a Purchase Order with Owen Equipment Sales in an Amount Not to Exceed $262,936 for the Purchase of a Street Sweeper (Scheduled Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Capital Improvement Program Project VR-11000) 10. Approval of a Contract with SCS Field Services in a Not to Exceed Amount of $158,394 for the First Year to Provide Landfill Gas and Leachate Control Systems Maintenance, Monitoring and Reporting Services and to Exercise the Option of a Second and Third Year of the Contract 11. Adoption of a Budget Amendment Ordinance in the Amount of $100,000 to Fund the Purchase of Automotive Fuel; and Approval of Change Order No. 1 to Purchase Order #4511000918 with Western States Oil for $100,000 Each Year for an Amount Not to Exceed $2,976,675 Over the Three-Year Term for the Provision of Automotive Fuel 12. Approval of a Five Year Contract With ABM Janitorial Services in a Total Not to Exceed Amount of $3,447,346 to Provide Custodial Services at City Facilities and Approval of Amendment No. Four to Contract C07116703 with C-Way Custodian Services in the Amount of $135,000 (Current Contractor) to Extend Their Contract by 2.5 Months to Allow the New Contractor Time to Transition Their New Services Into Place 13. City of Palo Alto Response Letter to Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Regarding One Bay Area Alternative Land Use Scenarios 14. Approval of a Wastewater Treatment Enterprise Fund Contract with Southwest Construction & Property Management in the Total Amount of $740,968 for the Facility Repair & Retrofit Project No. 2 at the Regional Water Quality Control Plant – Capital Improvement Program Project WQ04011 15. Adoption of (1) Resolution of Intent and (2) Ordinance to Amend the Contract Between the Board of Administration of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the City of Palo Alto to Implement California Government Code Section 20475: Different level of benefits provided for new employees, Section 21363.1: 3.0% @ 55 Full Formula, Section 20037: Three Year Final Compensation, and without Section 20692: Employer Paid Member Contributions for Safety Fire Employees ACTION ITEMS 16. Approval of Fire Chiefs Association Contract 17. Finance Committee Recommendation to Adopt Two Resolutions Pertaining to the Proposed Palo Alto Clean Local Energy Accessible Now Program, Including the Purchase Prices and Agreements, and to Adopt an Ordinance Amending Two Sections of Chapter 2.30 of the Municipal Code Relating Facilitation of the Clean Local Energy Accessible Now Program 18. Public Hearing: To Consider An Appeal Of An Architectural Review Approval And A Record Of Land Use Action (1) Approving A Mitigated Negative Declaration, And (2) Upholding The Director’s Architectural Review Approval Of A Three Story Development Consisting Of 84 Rental Residential Units In 104,971 Square Feet Within The Upper Floors, 50,467 S.F. Ground Floor Research And Development Area, Subterranean And Surface Parking Facilities, And Offsite Improvements, With Two Concessions Under State Housing Density Bonus Law (SB1818) On A 2.5 Acre Parcel At 195 Page Mill Road And 2865 Park Boulevard. * Quasi Judicial. Applicant requests this item be continued. 19. Request Authorization to Fund Preliminary Design Review and Environmental Studies for 27 University Avenue STANDING COMMITTEE MEETINGS The Finance Committee meeting will be held on March 6, 2012 at 7:00 PM. regarding; 1) Golf course Impacts from San Francisquito Creek JPA Work, 2) Water Fund Financial Projections (FY 2013-FY 2017), 3) Wastewater Collection Fund Financial Projections (FY 2013-FY 2017), and 4) Refuse Fund Cost of Services Study.

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Upfront TECHNOLOGY

New Facebook applications to spearhead emergency support Applications could help residents connect with friends and family in disasters by Sue Dremann hree Facebook applications designed to help people get support from their friends and family in an emergency are winners of a Facebook application challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The $16,000 challenge, which funded Facebook applications that people could use during personal medical emergencies, car accidents and natural or man-made disasters, was announced Aug. 24, 2011, during an interview Menlo Park-based Facebook hosted in Washington, D.C., on Facebook Live. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness funded the challenge. “In the aftermath of the earthquakes in Haiti and Japan, a tremendous number of people used

Facebook to post and share information about those potentially affected by the disasters. We want to create an app that will refine and better support this phenomenon as it can provide a venue for emotional support to a victim’s network and help to decompress traditional channels of communication, which are frequently overwhelmed during emergencies,” Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness officials said. American Red Cross and National Weather Service officials during the August interview stressed the importance of social media in disaster preparedness and communication during disasters. A 2011 Red Cross report found that the Internet was the third-mostimportant tool people used behind

radio and television to learn about emergencies in a crisis. Twenty percent of the public is using Facebook as a trusted source for emergency information, and the public is using social media during events such as earthquakes and accidents to tell people they are OK, said Trevor Riggen, American Red Cross senior director of disaster services in Washington. A full 80 percent of the public also expects disaster organizations to monitor social media and to be ready to respond to posted calls for assistance. One third expected help to arrive within one hour of the posting. Laura K. Furgione, National Weather Service deputy director, also said the agency uses social media to send out messages to the public when there are potentially

disastrous weather events, such as hurricanes and tornadoes. All 122 forecast offices have Facebook pages, as does the weather service, she said. The challenge awarded $10,000 to two recent Brown University graduates, Evan Donahue and Erik Stayton, for their first-place application named Lifeline. The second-place, $5,000 award went to David Vinson, Erick Rodriguez, Gregg Orr and Garth Winckler of Las Vegas for their application named JAMAJIC 360. The third-place, $1,000 prize was awarded to AreYouOK? developed by TrueTeamEffort, 11 University of Illinois students led by Alex Kirlik. Although the three products differ in how users interface with the application, all allow users to

Introducing Your Style, Your

NEIGHBORHOOD Our Apartment Homes.

Welcome to Webster house, Palo Alto’s most gracious senior living community, now a member of the not-for-profit organization that owns and operates Canterbury Woods, Los Gatos Meadows, Lytton Gardens, San Francisco Towers, Spring Lake Village, and St. Paul’s Towers. Here, you’ll enjoy the rare combination of ideal location, dedicated staff, amenities, and services, all within walking distance of downtown Palo Alto, where you’ll find a mix of shops, restaurants, and art galleries. You’ll also find peace of mind and a welcoming community offering the advantages of continuing care. To learn more, or for your personal visit, please call 650.327.4333.

401 Webster Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 A non-denominational, not-for-proﬁt community. License No. 435294364 COA #246

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designate three lifelines. Lifelines are Facebook friends the person can count on and who agree to check on the person in an emergency, supply him or her with shelter, food and other necessities, and provide the person’s social network with an update about the person’s well-being. Facebook users could harness the applications to create disaster-readiness plans, share the plans with their emergency contacts and provide friends and family with news. The first-place application also allows Facebook friends to collaborate, tracking the user’s status in a disaster-affected area. The friends can easily find the user’s designated lifeline friends and contact each other to report that the user is safe or if the user appears to be missing. This networked approach increases the efficiency of finding missing users, spokesperson Elleen Kane of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness said. The application allows users to print cards with a snapshot of their preparedness plan to carry in their wallets. The first-place application also features a news feed and links to credible information sources, which make it useful for large-scale disasters and individual emergencies, such as car accidents and personal medical emergencies. The team is continuing to refine the application and in coming months might include GIS locating or tagging, she said. The Lifeline application is expected to be launched in the coming months, prior to the start of hurricane season. “We’re really excited about the potential of the lifeline app to help people not only to reach out to friends and family for the kinds of assistance they may need in an emergency, but also to help improve their personal health and preparedness,” said Dr. Nicole Lurie, Health and Human Services assistant secretary for preparedness and response and a rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service. “Having people you can depend on for help is especially important during a disaster, so we want to encourage everyone to identify those people in advance. Since so many people use Facebook to connect with one another, it seemed like a natural way to help people to identify their lifelines.” Facebook spokesman Tucker Bounds said the social-networking company is pleased to be part of the disaster-response initiative. “It’s an impressive initiative, and administration officials deserve credit for being forward-looking. Leveraging the power of the social web to create more effective disaster preparedness and response is an excellent example of using technology to find new solutions,” he said. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.

Book Talk

MEET THE AUTHORS ... Upcoming authors at Books Inc. at Town & Country Village in Palo Alto include “Real Parents, Real Kids, Real Talk” (March 10, 1 p.m.); Joan Lester, “Black, White, Other: In Search of Nina Armstrong” (March 14, 7 p.m.); and Claire Bidwell Smith, “The Rules of Inheritance: A Memoir” (March 20, 7 p.m.). Info: booksinc.net. STANFORD SPEAKERS ... Authors scheduled to give free talks this month at Stanford University include: Geoff Dyer, “Zona” (March 13, 5:30 p.m. with a panel discussion, Humanities Center, Levinthal Hall); and Eric Schlosser, “Fast Food Nation” (March 14, 5:30 p.m., CEMEX Auditorium, Knight Management Center, Stanford Graduate School of Business). Info: events.stanford.edu. KEYNOTE SPEAKER ... Abraham Verghese, author of “Cutting for Stone,” “My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story” and “The Tennis Partner,” is the featured speaker at Breast Cancer Connections’ fourth Spring Benefit on March 13 from 8 to 10 a.m. Tickets to the event, which is at the Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club Ballroom, 2900 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, are $100. Info: bcconnections.org/events/fundraisers/ or keplers.com. N

Items for Book Talk may be sent to Associate Editor Carol Blitzer, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 93202 or emailed to cblitzer@paweekly.com by the last Friday of the month.

Title Pages A monthly section on local books and authors

BIOGRAPHY PAINTS A VIVID PORTRAIT OF THE MAN WHOSE LEGACY STILL HAUNTS IRAN

Linda A. Cicero/Stanford News Service

AUTHOR, AUTHOR ... Upcoming book readings at Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, include: Irvin D. Yalom, “The Spinoza Problem: A Novel” (March 6, 7 p.m.); Jack Kornfield, “Bringing Home the Dharma: Awakening Right Where You Are” (March 7, 7 p.m.); Spencer West, “Standing Tall: My Journey” (March 9, 7 p.m.); Alexander Gordon Smith, “Fugitives: Escape from Furnace 4” (March 12, 7 p.m.); Dr. Eric Topol, “The Creative Destruction of Medicine” (March 13, 7 p.m.); Cara Black, “Murder at the Lanterne Rouge” (March 14, 7 p.m.); Elaine Pagels, “Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation” (March 17, 7 p.m.); J.D. Rothman, “The Neurotic Parent’s Guide to College Admissions: Strategies for Helicoptering, Hot-housing & Micromanaging” (March 20, 7 p.m.); Jason Benlevi, “Too Much Magic: Pulling the Plug on the Cult of Tech” (March 22, 7 p.m.); Harlan Coben, “Stay Close: (March 25, 2 p.m.); Akash Kapur, “India Becoming: A Portrait of Life in Modern India” (March 26, 7 p.m.); and Nura Maznavi and Ayesha Mattu, “Love InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women” (March 27, 7 p.m.). General admission requires purchase of event book or a $10 gift card; Kepler’s members get in free. Info: keplers. com.

Author Abbas Milani, the director of Iranian studies at Stanford University.

“The Shah” by Abbas Milani; Palgrave Macmillan, New York; 488 pp.; $30 he last shah of Iran was a man full of flaws and contradictions. Constantly embattled, proud and paranoid, he defied the great Western powers by pursuing a nuclear program and flirting with the Soviet Union while maintaining a deeply crippling image of a puppet pulled by British and American strings. All these qualities are brought to life in “The Shah,” a sweeping and timely biography by Stanford University scholar Abbas Milani. In his highly readable account, Milani traces the shah’s rise to the throne, his efforts to modernize Iran, his battles against nationalists and mullahs and his downfall in 1979 in the midst of what Milani calls “the perfect storm.” Through a combination of interviews and analysis of previously classified documents, Milani paints a vivid picture of the man whose outsized legacy continues to haunt Iranian life and shape American foreign policy. “The Shah” is loaded with allusions to Shakespeare. Milani begins every chapter with a quote, mostly from “Richard II,” and in the book’s conclusion calls the shah “a tragic figure” in the classical sense. The shah, in his account, is “a hare pretending to roar like a lion.” He is like Othello, Milani writes, in that he had loved his nation “not wisely but too well.” The analogy is a bit of a stretch.

THE TRAGEDY OF THE

SHAH by Gennady Sheyner

Shakespeare’s tragic heroes are typically noble characters marred by a fatal flaw — Hamlet’s hesitation, Macbeth’s ambition, Othello’s jealousy. The shah in Milani’s majestic portrayal seems to encapsulate all these flaws and then some. As the forces gather against him in the late 1970s, the shah comes off as proud, stubborn, paranoid, politically tone deaf and, above all, indecisive. In his final years, he is a fugitive without a

country, like Lear, a “poor old man, as full of grief as age, wretched in both.” But throughout his turbulent 37-year reign, the shah is far too human to be a tragic hero. The reign looked doomed from the start. He was born Mohammad Reza, the son of soldier Reza Khan, in 1919, a period during which Iran was dominated by warlords and competing designs from foreign powers. Britain controlled the political establishment; communism was on the rise; and British, Russian and German troops occupied parts of the nation. In February 1921, Khan and an Anglophile journalist, Sayyed Zia, led a coup against the weak and corrupt Qajar royal family. Before long, Khan turned against Zia, sent him into exile, ascended to the prime minister’s post and adopted the name “Pahlavi,” which refers to a pre-Islamic language. Four years later, he prodded Iran’s parliament to officially abolish the recently deposed dynasty and name him the new king, giving him control of the army. His son Mohammad was named crown prince at the ripe age of 6. Even in childhood, the future shah exhibited the flaws that would later undermine him, including a flashy temper. Sent to Switzerland for his education, the Crown Prince was reportedly expelled from the first school he attended after giving himself “airs such as his schoolmates could not endure,” according to a report from the British Consulate. He went on to study at Le Rosey, a school dominated by sons of politicians and businessmen. It was there that he would meet Ernest Perron, an eccentric Catholic who would later play the role of Falstaff to the shah’s Prince Hal. During his two decades in power, Reza Khan feuded with the clerics and pursued an aggressive modernization campaign, transforming

Tehran from a sprawling village surrounded by a moat to a city of tree-lined boulevards and streets arranged in a “linear, rational grid.” He stripped away the clergy’s control of the judiciary and education systems, and banned a traditional form of Shiite Islam mourning. But it was ultimately foreign powers rather than the mullahs’ ire that prompted his ouster. His attempt to stay out of World War II floundered as Germany, the Soviet Union and Britain all lobbied for his support. The Soviet Union and Britain also had their eyes on Iran’s oil reserves — a resource that fueled both Iran’s economic expansion and foreign meddling in its affairs. Reza Khan’s reign began to implode in August 1941 when British and Soviet forces, concerned about the Nazi threat in Iran, invaded the nation. In weeks, the power structure evaporated and Iran’s “muchvaunted, much-feared Iranian military collapsed in panic around the country,” Milani writes. Reza Shah abdicated his throne and his recently married son, viewed by the foreign powers as the least bad option for succession, became the shah. Reza Khan died in exile in South Africa. Those who saw him, Milani writes, “describe a broken man, bereft of any desire to live.” In turn, the conditions of his son’s rise to power shaped his reign. The shah, Milani writes, seemed to have “internalized the idea that big powers, particularly Britain, Russia and America, could do anything in Iran, and that in fact nothing would happen in the country without their overt approval or their covert intrigue.” Milani adds, “His own thirtyseven-year reign was haunted, even deformed, by this conviction.” Much like his father, the shah would spend much of his reign (continued on next page)

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Title Pages

‘The Shah’

(continued from previous page)

battling nationalist, Islamist and Communist opposition at home and resisting the pervasive influence of foreign powers. Though he shared his father’s appetite for modernization and desire for industrial might, he eschewed his father’s opposition to religion and portrayed himself as a pious Muslim. Milani writes that his book “fills a gaping hole in understanding and demonstrates that character is destiny, not just for the Shah, but for determining the fate of every policy, both American and Iranian.” The first part of this claim is certainly true. His detailed account of the CIA’s involvement in deposing the shah’s political rival, Mohammad Mossadeq, and his invaluable insights into Iran’s nuclear ambitions go a long way toward helping us understand today’s Iran. But it’s far less clear whether it was the shah’s character or the precarious context of 20th-century Iran that determined his fall. The shah’s paranoia was often justified. He survived several assassination attempts (including one in which a bullet entered his cheek, took out his front teeth and exited from his upper lip) and political coups. He had to constantly balance British ambitions for Iranian oil and the effort by Mossadeq, a skilled parliamentarian, to nationalize the oil industry. He was challenged by the communist Tudeh Party from one side and by mullahs from the other. He was warding off KGB spies and holding clandestine meetings with CIA operatives who thought they knew what was best for Iran. And while he spent much of his reign playing political WhacA-Mole with a long succession of prime ministers, his political rivals were often corrupt or ambitious enough to warrant his wrath. It was his fierce power struggle

with his prime minister, Mossadeq, that caused the most damage to the shah’s reputation. The beleaguered shah was in Baghdad on Aug. 19, 1953, when crowds of pro-shah protesters gathered around Tehran’s ministries and the national radio began to air royalist speeches. Mossadeq tried to disperse the crowd, but was told that soldiers were no longer obeying orders to oppose demonstrators. Mossadeq was politically doomed. He went into exile. The shah’s victory proved to be a Pyrrhic one. As Milani illustrates, the United States and Britain both took part in the effort to overthrow Mossadeq. The CIA was determined to depose Mossadeq and apparently provided material support for the operation. Though the extent of this involvement remains a fuzzy subject, it was substantial enough for U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to issue an apology in 2000 and acknowledge that the United States “played a significant role in orchestrating the overthrow of Iran’s popular Prime Minister.” Milani writes that in retrospect, there “seems little doubt that while the Shah won the battle on August 19, he might well have lost the war. “Much anecdotal evidence indicates that, in the collective memory of the nation, after that August the Shah never shook off the tainted reputation of being a puppet — a ruler forcefully restored to the throne by foreign powers.” His personal conduct further eroded his image. He remarried several times, amassed a personal fortune, oversaw the rise of Iran’s feared spy agency and, in 1971, staged an overthe-top celebration of 2,500 years of monarchy in Iran. The event took place in a tent city and included a six-course dinner flown in from Paris. His extravagance did little to assuage the anger of the nation’s increasingly vociferous mullahs and its newly minted middle class. Even the shah’s success in ex-

panding Iran’s economy came with unintended and devastating consequences. Paul Begala’s famous bumper-sticker dictum “It’s the economy, stupid” might work in United States, but things were far more complex in 1970s Tehran, where the bazaars were teeming with Ayatollah’s men. Milani cites Qassem Lajevardi, a senator and industry titan, who described on the Senate floor the contradiction inherent in the shah’s authoritarian drive toward modernization. Lejavardi observed that “the more (the shah) won his battles with oil companies and increased Iran’s revenue, the more these petrodollars helped create and train a larger and larger technocratic middle class, the more he promised the people standards of living higher than those of Japan or Germany, the more these impressive accomplishments convinced him of his global importance — the more he inadvertently prepared the conditions of his own downfall.” “The middle classes he helped create wanted democracy, and the hubris of his increasing authoritarianism made them increasingly uneasy,” Milani writes. This passage is one of many in the book that seem eerily relevant today, as one Middle Eastern regime is besieged by democratic movements and as Israel debates whether to attack Iran to delay its nuclear ambitions. These ambitions, Milani shows, are far from new. In 1974, the shah told the French newspaper Le Monde that one day, “sooner than is believed,” the nation would be “in possession of a nuclear bomb.” The shah comes off in Milani’s account as a man who is always struggling, and usually failing, to meet the world’s lofty expectations. As protests mounted and foreign powers began to doubt the shah, he became more authoritarian but less decisive. He flirted with the idea of creating a legitimate opposi-

tion party, then changed his mind, disbanded all parties and created a one-party system based around the new Resurgence Party. By this point, he was too proud to relinquish his power but too weak to command the increasingly educated and middle-class nation. Even his followers mocked the new party. In 1978, the shah decided to install a military government but then undermined this effort by appointing timid jurists to the military cabinet. He famously insisted that his rule should not be criticized but then told the opposition in one of his final speeches that he had “heard the voice of your revolution” before acknowledging his mistakes and pledging to rule according to the constitution. As Iran’s mullahs, nationalists and bourgeois leaders rose against him, the shah seemed unable to decide whether to crush or appease the opposition. Ayatollah Khomeini, who had been issuing virulent proclamations against the shah throughout the 1960s and the 1970s, stepped into the void and became the “de facto leader of the amorphous democratic movement.” Masses demonstrated against the shah and, with Western support flagging, the suddenly weak leader was forced to flee Iran. In January 1979, he was a lonely chessboard king, jumping from square to square — New York, Mexico, Panama, Egypt — and getting checked at every turn. Like father, like son. “The Shah” is both an eye-opening look at a fascinating historical figure and a cautionary tale for American policymakers. In his epilogue, Milani cites the book’s four “critical lessons” for the United States. America could have done a better job studying the shah’s intense negotiations with the West over Iran’s nuclear program, he writes, and it could have used these negotiations to knock down allegations from Iran’s clerics that the United

States and the shah were completely in alignment. The book also intends to show the nature of the coalition that ultimately succeeded in deposing the shah and to show that “the interests of the of the United States and Iran are both better served when the United States supports the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people.” The story of the shah, however, illustrates that the fourth lesson can be a double-edged sword. Democracy, while easy to support in theory, can become a Pandora’s box when the nature of future leaders is so murky. So it was in 1978 and 1979, when leaders in America and elsewhere deluded themselves into seeing Khomeini as a potential liberal and tacitly approved his rise to power. The book also shows how easily history can repeat itself. In October 1979, as the shah was getting treated for cancer in New York Hospital, a group of Islamist students representing all major universities in Tehran gathered in a small house to plot a takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Among those at the first meeting, Milani notes, is a “young man from a third-tier technical university called Elm-o Sanat (Science and Technology).” His name was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and these days, he is as keen on obtaining a nuclear weapon and suppressing dissidents as the shah he so despised. The connection isn’t lost on Milani. “Events since Iran’s June 2009 contested election have shown that the same coalition (that deposed the shah) is the backbone of the movement now challenging clerical despotism in Iran,” he writes. “Future American policy must take into consideration the continued power and relevance of this democratic coalition in determining Iran’s future.” N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

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Pulse

A weekly compendium of vital statistics

POLICE CALLS Palo Alto Feb. 23-29 Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Theft related Attempted burglary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Commercial burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Vehicle related Abandoned auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Abandoned bicycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Driving w/suspended license . . . . . . . . .5 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . 10 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Miscellaneous Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Outside assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Report of gunshots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .4 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Menlo Park Feb. 23-29 Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Robbery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft related Attempted burglary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Vehicle related Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Driving w/suspended license . . . . . . . . .7 Driving without a license . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .5 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Miscellaneous Animal bite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Coroner case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Felon in possession of a firearm . . . . . . .1 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Information case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Juvenile problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Resisting arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Threat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Trespassing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

p.m.; battery. 700 block Colorado Avenue, 2/27, 8 a.m.; robbery/simple.

Menlo Park 1200 block Hollyburne Avenue, 2/24, 11:54 a.m.; battery. 10 block El Camino Real, 2/25, 2:34 p.m.; battery. 700 block Willow Road, 2/26, 12:04 p.m.; robbery.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES Palo Alto 1000 block Middlefield Road, 2/24, 10:56 a.m.; residential burglary.

1600 block Portola Avenue, 2/24, 12:16 p.m.; residential burglary. 300 block Sheridan Avenue, 2/24, 3:11 p.m.; residential burglary. 400 block Grant Avenue, 2/24, 4:16 p.m.; residential burglary. 300 block Sheridan Avenue, 2/24, 6:56 a.m.; residential burglary. 400 block Grant Avenue, 2/24, 9:05 p.m.; residential burglary. 300 block Sheridan Avenue, 2/24, 6:56 p.m.; residential burglary. 800 block Altaire Walk, 2/25, 11:04 a.m.; residential burglary. 800 block Altaire Walk, 2/27, 11:59 a.m.; residential burglary. 900 block Embarcadero Road, 2/27, 3:37 p.m.; residential burglary.

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Menlo Park 1000 block Tehama Avenue, 2/24, 5:05 p.m.; residential burglary. 700 block Santa Cruz Avenue, 2/26, 11:37 a.m.; residential burglary. 200 block El Camino Real, 2/28, 10:56 a.m.; residential burglary. 300 block Oak Court, 2/28, 5:24 p.m.; residential burglary.

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Atherton Feb. 23-29 Theft related Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle related Parking violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Suspicious vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .3 Vehicle code violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Miscellaneous Animal call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Citizen assist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Hazard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Juvenile problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Medical aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Outside assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Town ordinance violation . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Welfare check break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

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VIOLENT CRIMES Palo Alto Unlisted block Ramona Street , 2/23, 10:50 p.m.; domestic violence/battery. 500 block College Avenue, 2/24, 17:02

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ussella â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rustyâ&#x20AC;? van Bronkhorst, 79, a life-long resident of Palo Alto, Portola Valley and Menlo Park, died Feb. 20 at Stanford Hospital surrounded by her family. Born in Palo Alto in 1932, van Bronkhorst graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1950. She went to work at Hewlett Packard, serving in the secretarial pool when there were fewer than 100 employees at the company. It was there that she met her future husband, Ed van Bronkhorst. They were married in 1957 and shared a love and friendship that spanned almost 50 years. Ed passed away in March of 2006, after which Rusty moved to the Vi in Palo Alto. While raising her three sons she also worked as campaign manager for U.S. Representative Pete McCloskeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successful Congressional campaigns. She was a founding investor of the Palo Alto Weeklyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parent company, Embarcadero Media, and served on the board of directors for 22 years. Upon her retirement from the board in 2002, the paper established an award in her honor, given annually to an employee who exemplifies her belief in hard work, integrity and dedication to serving the community through fair and accurate reporting and ethical business practices. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rusty was the first person I turned to for support when starting the Weekly because I knew she shared

John William Harrison John William Harrison, born in 1915 in Mansfield, Ohio, where he lived most of his life, died Feb. 18 at Stanford Hospital. In 1984 he and his wife, Ruth, who died in 1992, moved to Palo Alto to live with their daughter, Judith Steiner and son-in-law Hans Steiner, and their three children, Remy and

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my belief in the importance of quality local journalism,â&#x20AC;? said Bill Johnson, publisher and founder of the Weekly and president of Embarcadero Media and a friend from when both worked for McCloskey in the 1970s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She provided much wisdom and support to me and our young staff as we established the paper and tried to figure out how to run a successful business while also serving the community with good journalism,â&#x20AC;? Johnson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She had very high expectations of us, but they were never unrealistic and she always acknowledged the challenges and successes.â&#x20AC;? Van Bronkhorst was an accomplished golfer and enjoyed playing bridge and dominoes. She was also an accomplished chef, often hosting elaborate dinner parties at her home in Portola Valley. Rusty and Ed also loved to travel together, and in later years they saw most of the world while on cruise ships, often sailing for months at a time. After Edâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passing, Rusty continued to cruise with the many wonderful friends they made from all over the world. Rusty is survived by her three sons and daughtersin-law: Kort and Laurie van Bronkhorst of Napa, Jon and Wendy van Bronkhorst of Redwood City and Derek and Suzy van Bronkhorst of Campbell; and six grandchildren: Kate, Michael, Jacque and Julia van Bronkhorst and Joe and Sam Callahan. Her extended family included her long-time helpers and care-givers, Lola Panisi and Leslie Tokahata who helped take such wonderful care of her for many years. A private family service has been held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Lucile Salter Packard Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital.

Hans-Christoph, of New York City and Joshua, of Oakland, all of whom survive him. He is also survived by his son John W. Harrison, Jr. of Georgia and Susan Harrison of Florida and by grandchildren, Jenni and Kiri Brotsch, two daughters-in-law, Patina Mendez and Rivka Karasik, and four great grandchildren. He was an electrical engineer and had a long career at Westinghouse and the Bureau of Standards and held many patents. He loved travel, opera, and his lifelong hobby of building fine furniture. He was a staunch Republican who loved the government and believed in paying taxes. Contributions may be made in his memory to Lytton Gardens, 649 University Ave., Palo Alto, 94301 or 1st Methodist Church, 625 Hamilton St., Palo Alto, 94301.

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Donald C. Loughry, a longtime member of the Palo Alto community, died Feb. 22 surrounded by his family. He was born in Flushing, N.Y., on Jan. 12, 1931, the older of two sons of James Kenneth and Anita Loughry. He grew up in Ridgewood, N.J., and attended Ridgewood High School. He graduated in 1952 from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., with a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in electrical engineering. After college he worked two years at the Naval Ordinance Lab in Maryland and then two years in the Army Signal Corp. His major accomplishment in his 42 years working at Hewlett Packard (1956 to 1998) was his leader-

ship in the development of technical and Internet standards. He led work in the 1970s on the IEEE 488 bus that made it easier for machines to interface with each other. He was the key initiator of the IEEEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 802 family of standards during the 1980s and 1990s. The 802.3 Ethernet standard is now used in more than 300 million computers and the 802.11 wireless standard is ubiquitous in mobile devices. These international standards enable for easy global communications. For his standards efforts, he earned many awards, including the 2003 IEEE Proteus Steinmetz Award and the 2011 IEEE Richard M. Emberson Award. Staying abreast and educated on current events around the world â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and sharing that knowledge â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was always a goal of his. He led â&#x20AC;&#x153;Great Decisions,â&#x20AC;? an annual eight-week course by the Foreign Policy Association, at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto for more than 25 years. He loved all varieties of science but especially enjoyed astronomy and would stay up all night watching and photographing an eclipse or a meteor shower. His other passion was bonsai; he found creating beauty in the form of miniature trees to be spiritual and relaxing. After retirement, he combined his love of science and teaching by spending several days each week preparing and testing science experiments with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;wow factorâ&#x20AC;? to excite his 6th-grade students at Crittenden school in Mountain View, where he (continued on next page)

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Mitchell Dean Confer

(continued from previous page)

volunteered for six years. He was a loving husband and best friend of Alice, his wife of 55 years. He distinguished himself through his loyalty to family, friends, church, volunteer organizations and neighbors. He is survived by his wife, Alice; son, Alex; daughter, Lynn Bergquist (Rick); grandchildren, Kristina and Eric Bergquist; brother, Richard (Janet), of Denver, Colo.; and brotherin-law, David Phillips (Ruth) of Maryland. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, March 24, at 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto, 625 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto. A reception at Fellowship Hall will follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, 400 Hamilton Ave., Suite 340, Palo Alto, CA 94301; First United Methodist Church, 625 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301; or KQED, 2601 Mariposa St., San Francisco, CA 94110.

Births

Lingbing Zhang and Geng Liu of Palo Alto, a daughter, Feb. 10. Isaac and Kathleen Fehrenbach of Menlo Park, a daughter, Feb. 17. Geffrey and Lyndean Gilligan of Mountain View, a son, Feb. 18. Robert Nicholson and Heather Wright of Menlo Park, a daughter, Feb. 20. Michael Goedde and Alexa Leon-Prado of Menlo Park, a son, Feb. 21.

Give blood for life! bloodcenter.stanford.edu

Robert Joseph Purcell

July 1, 1959-February 20, 2012

Mitchell Confer – our wonderful friend, father, brother, uncle, neighbor and mentor -passed away peacefully at home on Monday, February 20. His sisters Sally Confer and Nancy Cassillias, and his son Jackson, survive him. Mitchell had bravely battled melanoma cancer. Mitchell lived his life to the fullest. He was a great source of laughter, and his sense of humor brought light and fun to all. He always had an optimistic point of view. He was easy to know and love. Mitchell was kind, generous and supportive. A Menlo Park resident, Mitchell was an acclaimed artist, with a studio in San Francisco’s Hunters Point Shipyard. His work was diverse, with more than 30 years of painting, print making, photography, digital art and illustration. Mitchell’s work celebrated color, light and textures, with subjects as diverse as cityscapes, freeways, landscapes and patterns from nature. Many private

collectors, as well as companies and hotels, have commissioned his paintings. His illustrations and photography appeared in many publications such as TIME Magazine, The New York Times and Business Week. In addition to creating beautiful art, Mitchell love to share his passion for art through teaching people of all ages. He was also an enthusiastic golfer, ﬂy ﬁsherman, and greatly enjoyed the outdoors. Mitchell grew up in Fullerton, California, the son of Stan and Earlene Confer. He attended Troy High School and Fullerton College and then the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, earning his BA in Illustration. He lived in New York City, Palo Alto and Hong Kong, and became a Menlo Park resident in 1999. PA I D

James M. Stephenson

Feb. 9, 1915-Feb. 23, 2012

November 17, 1931-February 19, 2012

Bob passed way peacefully at home in Palo Alto on Thursday, February 23, 2012. Born in New York City, he attended Brooklyn Prep and graduated from Fordham University in 1935 and then started his career in commercial real estate. While working as a civilian at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH, he met co-worker Marguerite Fuetsch, the love of his life, in 1942. They were married upon his return from naval service in the Pacific in 1946. He was a devoted husband for 65 years and a loving father of seven children and grandfather of 17. Bob and Marguerite started married life in San Francisco and moved to their residence in Palo Alto in 1951. Bob had a long and well-respected career in San Francisco in commercial real estate, serving in 1959 as President of the Building Owners and Managers Association. In 1965 he was recruited by Hare, Brewer and Kelley, to develop and manage the Palo Alto Office Center, at the time the largest structure in Palo Alto. He finished his distinguished career in San Jose. Following his retirement, he volunteered with the Food Closet in Palo Alto, worked with adults at Project Read, and traveled extensively with Marguerite. Bob and Marguerite welcomed into their home people from around the world international students from Stanford, refugees, and travelers in need of a “home away from home”. In addition to Marguerite, Bob is survived by daughters Reggie Winner, Ronnie Hee (Pat), Terry Surguine (Greg), Mary Seabury (John) and Greta Purcell (Mike Jawetz), as well as sons Kevin Purcell (Susan) and Carl Purcell (Sarah), and grandchildren Rob (Lindsay), Andy and Marty Winner, Brendan, Charlie (Jana), Mike and Alaina Hee, Monica and Allison Surguine, Amanda and Christopher Purcell, Lauren and Ian Seabury, Laura and Michael Purcell and Sean and Chris Jawetz. Bob was proud of his classical Jesuit education. He often challenged friends and family to find a word that he could not both spell and define. No one ever did! His warm, generous spirit and strong commitment to his family, faith, and friends will be fondly remembered. Memorial donations may be made to Father John Donald, S.J., in Honduras, c/o Jesuits of the California Province, P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA 95031-9900 or to the American Red Cross.

Jim “Stevie” Stephenson, age 80, passed away Sunday, February 19, 2012, surrounded by his family, at his home in Carmel, after a courageous and optimistic struggle with cancer. Jim was born in 1931 in Los Angeles, the youngest child of Elizabeth and Robert Stephenson. His life long passion for sports was fostered at Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, where he was a three-sport athlete. Following high school, he attended Stanford University. While at Stanford, he participated in baseball and golf and was a proud member and President of Zeta Psi Fraternity. Jim obtained both his B.A. and M.B.A. at Stanford, but most importantly, it was there he met his true love, Margaret (“Margi”) Avery. The couple married on December 19, 1955, and recently celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary. Jim and Margi settled in Palo Alto where their four children were born. In 1958, Jim started his 32-year career in finance at Irving Lundborg in Palo Alto, a position he held until 1970 when that firm merged with Clark Dodge. In 1972, the family moved to Carmel when Jim became the manager of the Carmel office of Clark Dodge (Kidder Peabody) where he remained until his retirement in 1990. Jim was an avid golfer and enthusiastic member of the Monterey Peninsula Country Club, including serving on the MPCC Board. He was actively involved in the formation of the Hospice Golf Scramble, an annual fundraising tournament benefiting Hospice of the Central Coast. Jim was also a passionate supporter of Stanford sports. As season ticket holders for more than five decades, Jim and Margi attended nearly every home and away football game during that span. Jim also loved traveling with his wife, especially cruises abroad. Jim’s commitment to his career, volunteer, and leisure activities pales in comparison to his devotion to his family. He treasured

his time with his wife, children, g ra ndchi ld ren, and his life long friends. The memories of summers at Lake Almanor and attending hundreds of Stanford sporting events are abundant and precious to his loved ones. His huge heart and ebullient personality will be fondly remembered by all who knew him as a loving husband, a devoted father and grandfather, and a genuine friend who had a way of making everyone who knew him feel special. Jim is survived by his loving wife, Margi; his children: daughters, Marian Quade (Dave) of Waunakee, WI; Gail McFall (Jim) of Palo Alto; Lynne Meiers (Brian) of Meadow Vista; and son, Jim (Loretta) of Burlingame; ten grandchildren: Chris, Erin, Christina, Caitlin, Matt, Tessa, Kassi, Jimmy, Charlie, and Cal; stepsister Marion Mack and stepbrother Don Macfarland; and step grandchildren Mitch, Shelley, Brent, Lyndsey, and Greg. Brothers William and Robert, and stepsister, Anne, preceded Jim in death. The family is especially grateful to Dr. John Hausdorff, the nursing staff at Monterey Bay Oncology, and the supportive nurses of Hospice of the Central Coast. A Memorial Tailgate Celebration (casual attire) will be held Saturday, March 17, 2012, from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Quail Lodge Golf Club, 8000 Valley Greens Dr., Carmel. In lieu of ﬂowers, memorial contributions may be made in his memory to: The James M. Stephenson Athletic Scholarship Fund, c/o Development, Department of Athletics, Arrillaga Family Sports Center, 641 East Campus Dr., Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-6150 or to the Hospice of the Central Coast, 2 Upper Ragsdale Dr., Ste. D210, Monterey, CA 93940. PA I D

PA I D

OBITUARY

O B I T UA RY

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Editorial

More pressure on city wages, benefits Police union final hurdle in city’s quest to close budget gap

fter years of paying higher and higher costs for salary and pension benefits to its public-safety employees, Palo Alto finally gained some leverage when voters approved repeal of binding arbitration last November. But now, with moderately increasing revenues wiped out by higher pension commitments and other obligations, the city is facing a projected $2 million shortfall in fiscal year 2013 and deficits of $3.7 million and $4 million in the following two years. Back in 2006, the cost of public safety, made up almost entirely of personnel costs, was 25 percent of the city’s General Fund. By fiscal year 2011 the cost had increased to 36 percent of the General Fund, a trend that cannot continue. The challenge for city labor negotiators is convincing all unions to roll back wages and begin to pay for more of the cost of health and pension benefits now so this structural budget deficit can be brought under control. City Manager Jim Keene has already achieved that goal with firefighters and the Service Employees International, the city’s largest union. But talks that started six months ago with the Palo Alto Police Officers Association have stalled. As a result, last week the city’s chief negotiator, Darrell Murray, declared an impasse. This means the union, which by law cannot strike, may have to accept the city’s final terms, although several steps remain, including a request to seek fact-finding or even the courts. Nevertheless, without binding arbitration, the police and firefighters’ unions will find it more difficult to continue pushing their wages and pensions upward. Under the current contract, the city says the average police union member receives an annual salary of $104,013, but when benefits are added, the total jumps to $185,616 a year. And even after retirement at age 50, officers can receive 90 percent of their highest pay for life and receive a full compliment of health care and other benefits. Municipal governments all over the state are beginning to come to grips with this huge, often unfunded, liability. But if Palo Alto and other small cities are to recover, the growth in these extraordinary wages and pensions must be brought under control, and if possible rolled back. Rising salary and pension expenses are expected to continue to grow at an alarming pace. For example, in a new long-range financial forecast released this week, the city projects the cost of all employee health care and pension benefits to grow from $36.8 million this year to $51.2 million in 2017. This is driven by health care spending, up 126 percent in the last 10 years, from $6.6 million in 2002 to $14.9 million this year. Pension costs are following a similar trend, from $15.6 million in 2005 to $23.9 million this year. In addition, a recent actuarial valuation found that the city needs to set aside an additional $2.7 million this year and another $3.5 million next year just to cover this growing backlog of the city’s unfunded medical liability. City Manager Keene is correct when he asks every labor group to take on more of their members’ health care and pension costs, which in prior years have been entirely covered by the city. Most groups have agreed to or have been forced to shoulder some of the load. The Service Employees International, Local 521, the city’s largest union, already has agreed to, among other things, establish a second tier of pension benefits for new workers and require current members to pay a portion of their health care costs. Firefighters agreed to similar rollbacks last fall. But the city may have a fight on its hands with the police union, which claims it is being asked to give back more that the firefighters, a move negotiator Peter Hoffman says could amount to a loss of $20,000 or more for each rank-and-file police officer. Hoffman says the police union simply wants to match the rollbacks given up by the firefighters. It is not clear what the union’s next step will be but Hoffman did not rule out attacking the city’s bargaining tactics in court. Now, as the city manager seeks to settle contracts with all the city’s unions, there is increasing pressure for the police officers association to accept reduced pay and benefits. In his explanation of why the city declared an impasse, negotiator Murray said: “Even the Firefighters Association eventually accepted a package that took their 2009 wage increases into account, effectively rolling back the 2009 increase and assuming an additional total compensation reduction of nearly 4 percent.” The police association simply wants a similar deal, Hoffman said, who added that the request fell on deaf ears during negotiations. At this point, it does not appear that the police will be willing to give up more than the firefighters to help the city balance this year’s budget. The union says members are willing to accept lower wages and pay a share of their health insurance costs, but believe they should only pay a fair share. Now the question is whether the ultimate outcome will produce enough savings for the city to reach its goal of delivering more sustainable budgets in the years ahead. Page 24ÊUÊ >ÀV ÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÓÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions

This week on Town Square Town Square is an online discussion forum at www.PaloAltoOnline.com Posted Feb. 28 at 10:37 a.m. by David Pepperdine, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood: The current system of defined benefits is unsustainable (re: “Despite tax growth, Palo Alto braces for deficits”). We need to move from a system of defined future benefits (at unknown future cost) to one of defined contribution (where we set aside a known sum of money now for whatever benefit it provides in the future). Rather than pay pensions for an unknown number of years, for people who can retire too early, it would be far better to make 401K-style contributions for health care and retirement. Very few residents in this town, most of who work in the private sector, have retirement benefits approaching what city employees have. We demand parity. The City Council better move quickly on this before we follow in the footsteps of Vallejo and declare bankruptcy. Posted Feb. 29 at 11 a.m. by AA, a member of the Palo Verde School community: I simply don’t understand Superintendent Skelly’s reasoning (re: “Board ponders Addison School boundary change”). Yes, there may be some slight changes for the first year or so of the new K-eligible dates, but the numbers of kids overall in the district won’t change. Let’s try and get a handle on things now, not in three or four years when it will be another game of catch up. The board voted against reopening Garland a few years back only to reverse itself. Let’s talk about middle and high school options now. We all know where enrolment is headed, so for once can we please try and get ahead of the curve? Palo Alto really needs to get out of the business of choice schools. People want neighborhood schools, scores are so close these days — is there really an advantage to having increased traffic a round Hoover and Ohlone? Make them charter and lose funding or have all schools cater to their neighborhoods. Honestly, Palo Alto is already exclusive enough. If you want specific things from an elementary school you should be welcome to pay for them, our tax dollars shouldn’t.

Posted Feb. 29 at 12:17 p.m. by Elizabeth, a resident of Stanford: I own a house on Stanford campus — Stanford should be made to contribute more to PAUSD. They love to recruit people on the merits of the public schools, but then they hide in the corner and expect everyone else to pay. Stanford constantly approves visiting scholars form other countries who pile their kids into the public schools for a year or two and never give a cent to PiE or PTA. It’s wonderful to have foreign visitors — but Stanford ought to take responsibility for the cost of these scholars’ children and the massive drain it puts on the schools, particularly Nixon. There is a reason Nixon suffers with PTA donations — the school has a huge number of visiting scholar kids who are lovely, wonderful, amazing families,

but who never give one penny to anything. Many of them are extremely wealthy. And it’s not one or two families — the revolving door often makes up close to a third of the school, and at the kinder/first grade it’s more like half. Also, Stanford should not be allowed to build even one more tiny condo until they begin to actually enforce the leases in the community. There are people with zero affiliation to Stanford living for years on campus to use the schools, and the university is too lazy to bother to get those people out. My next-door neighbor has zero affiliation with Stanford, has kids in PAUSD and rents from a professor who moved away years ago — everyone knows — and the university does nothing. There are at least two other families like this within two blocks of my house.

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

What do you think? What do you think of the City’s plan to raise refuse rates? 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! Posted Feb. 29 at 6:23 p.m. by Allen Edwards, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood: If the neighbors had not complained years ago, we might have a nice expanded market there right now (re: “Home builder signs deal for Alma Plaza”). Instead we have to drive to Menlo Park or Mountain View to get to a standard market. Well, at least we have Trader Joe’s, but you just can’t do all your shopping there. I used to live next to the Lucky

there and it was very nice to walk to the market. Now it is in the car and a long drive. Congestion, pollution, etc. People in this city just complain too much, then they complain when the long-delayed project is approved, then they complain when everything is too expensive. What do you think 12 years of delays (two years is just the latest phase of delays) cost the developer? This city is way too expensive to do business in.

Letters Mayor Yeh’s promises Editor, Let’s give Mayor Yiaway Yeh a chance to deliver on the promises delivered in his state of the city address. However, we need to watch the following closely: 1. How much of the budget is dedicated to building future reserves? 2. Are city services listed out in simple language and then prioritized? 3. Are meaningful reductions made to the size of our city government to make room for the “catch up” of infrastructure and the “reserve” for future needs? Without meaningful progress on both counts, the words offered will go down in history as insincere political rhetoric. 4. The labor union has spent a lot of money getting Yeh to his current spot. Beware of any indication of quid pro quo. There are many labor initiatives that are masked as

“fairness to the workers,” however in practice they are about escalating municipal costs and preserving privilege for the few. 5. Watch out for mega projects that sneak in under the planned community zoning and violate density restrictions guised as environmentally friendly density near transit hubs. Know that sheep in wolf’s clothing. Density not only impacts the quality of life in our neighborhoods, but gives away school access without compensation to the schools. In short, we can support Mr. Yeh and wish him the best, but keep these potential conflicts of interest on your radar, and if you observe any of these things happening, speak up and unveil the truth. More simply stated: “Mr. Yeh, don’t go there.” Timothy Gray Park Boulevard Palo Alto

Guest Opinion

A moment of inspired parenting Editor’s note: The following is a response to a Yahoo article about a boy who wrote an encouraging letter to Kyle Williams of the 49ers after their loss to the New York Giants. by Samantha S. Woo hope I will be part of a ripple effect of better parenting. I say this in faith, as I am assuming others were as inspired as I was by the article about the 7-year-old boy who wrote an encouraging letter to Kyle Williams of the 49ers (I sent the story to everyone I know). Then came the next question for me personally: How could I, as a parent, be more like that father? Surviving as a “Palo Alto mom” sometimes means there is an inner tiger that lurks in the fear of failure of all kinds, ready to roar and pounce at anything to ensure success in her children. Being human, and used to the chaos of a family of five, I had somewhat given up the hope of positive parenting in a practical sense ... that is until I was once again inspired by another human, another parent. I thank the father of the 7-year-old boy who through a single question (“If you feel this way, how sad do

you think Kyle Williams is?”) was able to elicit human compassion and perspective in his 7-year-old that resulted in the letter. It gave me hope in parenting again, and in little moments of perspective, hope and change in people. And for a moment, just a moment, it helped turn my own parenting around. This weekend after the 49ers lost, my 9-year-old son had a basketball game. As a kid of small stature, he was more at home in soccer, his main sport, and was pretty shy with his basketball teammates and coach. However, this game was a close one, an exciting one, and my son, along with the team, fought hard. In the end, they lost by a few points. The kids were disappointed, and we parents awkwardly gave the usual, “good game, great try” phrases, and many explanations floated around about the officiating, and so on. We got in the car and I could see my son was more upset than usual. I assumed I knew why, and started my usual “good game” talk ... but he got more upset. When I dug deeper, he became teary eyed, and said he was upset because he wanted to play the last quarter, but the coach told him that he couldn’t. My boy took this to mean he wasn’t good enough. I was at a loss for words. I mumbled something about equal playing time, and grasped and tried to pull every parenting inspiration I could muster. Then it came: He needed comfort and compassion, and maybe

validation. But how do you validate a kid in such disappointment? That’s when I remembered what the father did in the Kyle Williams story. He turned it around; gave perspective. I took a brighter tone, “So you asked the coach if you could be in the last quarter?” “Yes.” “You mean you went up to the coach first?” “Yes.” “Wow, that took a lot of courage to let him know what you wanted and how you felt!” I could see my son’s head tilt a little, and felt encouraged to add, “That took the life skill of initiative that will take you far, farther in life than one basketball game at your age can ever take you.” Then I heard him chuckle, “Yeah.” I took his hand and told him how proud I was of him for coming out of his shell, and how proud he should be of himself. I know this was only a moment in time, because as a human, I revert to my human ways way too often. But this moment was worth a thousand others, and I have inspiration to thank — inspiration from the 7-yearold’s father and from other parents who through their everyday choices inspire all of us to have hope in our efforts as parents. N Samantha S. Woo lives in Palo Alto with her husband and three children and is a licensed patent agent.

Streetwise

Should the city require massage practitioners to be certified in order to practice massage in Palo Alto? Asked on Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Interviews and photographs by Cristina Wong.

Elizabeth Lee

MTF author and mom Chaucer Street “On the one hand, massage therapists need a certification test to gain credibility, but credible practitioners shouldn’t have to undergo extra scrutiny.”

Sean Syman

Real estate Middlefield Road “I think they should be certified in this town, I don’t know about other towns.”

Tom Ames

Student Byron Street “I’d rather have them go through the process of being trained ... just because they’re touching your body, but I don’t have a lot of info on the matter.”

James Hereford

Medical health care Embarcadero Road “It would be ideal if they could have some clinical preparation.”

Tasseaw M. Woldeyohannes

Social worker Terman Drive “In practice, someone has to be specialized. One has to go through the necessary disciplines. ... In general, I believe in this kind of certification and training.”

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

story by RENEE BATTI // photos by MICHELLE LE

Playwright’s Menlo Park writer Margy Kahn hopes to further understanding of Iranian culture with new work opening this week

PREMIERE M

argy Kahn has been enthralled by language for almost as long as she can remember. From writing parodies and plays in elementary school, to choosing linguistics as her field of study in college, she has kept an alert ear open to the nuances of how people express themselves as they interact with each other and the world. So it comes as no surprise that, even as she has pursued a range of careers outside the field of writing — from software development decades ago to teaching and music performance in the present — Kahn, a longtime Menlo Park resident, has continued writing as an avocation. Local playgoers will have a chance to experience Kahn’s latest project when the Pear Avenue Theatre in Mountain View premieres “Familiar Strangers,” which will be performed from March 2 through 18. “Familiar Strangers” is Kahn’s first full-length play, but she is not a stranger to Pear audiences. The theater has staged five of her one-act plays

over the years through its Pear Slices festivals. The new play reflects Kahn’s deep appreciation of Persian culture as it explores relationships among Iranian immigrants living in Los Angeles in 1991. It is set during the Iranian festival of “No Rooz” — New Day — which is the first day of spring and also the Persian new year. As happens with many immigrant families, there are cultural conflicts between generations, represented by Massoumeh, who arrived in L.A. with husband and daughter before the 1979 revolution in Iran, and Donya, now a teenager shaped by an American childhood. The family had been split 12 years earlier when Massoumeh’s husband, Ali, returned to Iran to help in the revolution to depose the shah. But the tension between mother and daughter over cultural issues is intensified by the unexpected return of Ali, who introduces still more “sturm und drang” into the equation. The drama of “Familiar Strangers” is tempered by Ms. Kahn’s trademark humorous touch. “All

Menlo Park playwright Margy Kahn on stage at the Pear Avenue Theatre. Page 26ÊUÊ >ÀV ÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÓÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

Arts & Entertainment--

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Wrapped in a hand-dyed silk scarf from Iran, playwright Margy Kahn sits in the audience at the Pear Avenue Theatre. my plays have humor — they have to,” she said in a recent interview. “I could never write a Bergman film.” The play is being co-directed by Jeanie K. Smith (a Weekly theater critic) and the Pear’s artistic director, Diane Tasca of Palo Alto. Although she has long been interested in playwriting and the theater, Kahn got a powerful dose of big-time stagecraft as a high school student when she volunteered for the Centerstage theater in Baltimore, which “introduced me to Beckett, Genet, Albee,” and other greats, she says. “It was a revelation for me.” Kahn’s plays are character-driven, she says. Although she admires the work of many of the theater world’s Olympians, such as Tennessee Williams and Edward Albee, “I don’t write like that,” she says. “I don’t write poetically; I write in the vernacular.” That preference may have something to do with her work as a linguist, which was also instrumental to her exposure to the Persian culture she takes so much pleasure from. Pursuing linguistics — a broad field — while in college, she ultimately narrowed her focus to the study of the Kurdish language. That led her to a one-year stay in northwestern Iran in 1974-75. When she returned for a summer in 1978, revolutionary flames were being fanned by opponents of the shah, and anti-American sentiment was high because of the years of meddling by the United States government in Iranian affairs. But she continued to meet and form bonds with the people, and developed a deep understanding of the anger many felt toward the U.S. “Most Americans knew nothing about (the shah’s) history of repression and torture, or how he came to power in 1953 with the help of the CIA,” she says. As the American hostage crisis of 1979 unfolded, she was deeply troubled by that lack of understanding, evident in both the media and Americans in general, which helped lead to the demonization of Iranians overseas and in the U.S. immigrant community. Decades later, in writing “Familiar Strangers,” Kahn says she was hoping “to serve as a bridge for Americans to Iranian culture.” That culture, she notes, is not well known by her fellow countrymen: “Many Americans equate Arab and Persian cultures, while those two cultures couldn’t be more different.

“While we have no trouble differentiating the cultures of Christian Europe, we tend to lump the cultures of vast areas of the Middle East together. For our shared future on this planet, I think it is critical we understand some of the differences.” Kahn adds that, given the richness of Persian culture — including its music and cuisine — “there is great enjoyment to be had from this process.” In addition to her work as a playwright, Kahn wrote a memoir in 1980 about her year of working with the Kurds in Iran, and she continues to write short stories and other fiction. When she moved to California in 1979, she went to work for HewlettPackard Corp., applying her expertise in linguistics in speech recognition and synthesis work. She found some satisfaction in the work, “but it wasn’t enough for me,” she says. “It wasn’t feeding this (artistic) side of me.” So she left that job. Long interested in music, she took up the harp — not a predictable choice for someone in her 30s. But within four years, she was performing with the Redwood Symphony, a volunteer orchestra based on the Peninsula. She now teaches the harp and performs as a freelancer. She also teaches English as a Second Language, a project she’s been devoted to for years. “All my life I have been fascinated by the people who choose or who are forced to choose to cross cultural boundaries,” she says. “My linguistic research on Kurdish was about loan words and linguistic borrowing. My fiction has also focused on this.” Her current projects involve writing a young-adult novel, and expanding “The Packrat Gene,” a oneact staged by the Pear. Kahn says the work is about a woman trying to move her aging, packrat mother into assisted living, while her daughter, a budding packrat herself, fights her mother’s efforts. The middle-generation character is the “anti-packrat,” her creator says. N Renee Batti writes for the Almanac, one of the Weekly’s sister papers. Info: “Familiar Strangers” runs March 2 through 18 at the Pear Avenue Theatre, 1220 Pear Ave., Unit K, Mountain View. Tickets: $15-$30. Go to thepear. org or call 254-1148 for tickets.

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Arts & Entertainment

!"# $ "#

David Allen

Tony DiCorti rocks the jailhouse as the rebel Chad in Foothill Music Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Shook Up.â&#x20AC;?

A little less plot, a little more harmless fun â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;All Shook Upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a colorful, cheeky take on Elvis classics by Karla Kane

Baby Boomers: Seeking Community? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re building a new â&#x20AC;&#x153;old fashionedâ&#x20AC;? neighborhood of upscale, energy-efficient condos just blocks from downtown MV. Own a private home but also share common facilities such as a crafts room, media room, workshop, roof deck and gardens. Plenty of fellowship and activities with your neighbors, but also private spaces for your own pursuits. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re 14 households strong and are looking for 5 more to join us. Construction starts this spring, with occupancy by late 2013. Endorsed by the Greenbelt Alliance. To find out more or to make reservations for our next social on March 18th:

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;m always skeptical of so-called â&#x20AC;&#x153;jukeboxâ&#x20AC;? theater: productions such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mamma Mia!â&#x20AC;? that are based on a selection of pop songs from the past, with plots shoehorned in between musical numbers. Sure, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always fun to hear classic songs performed in a new context, but give me original content any day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Shook Up,â&#x20AC;? the latest production by Foothill Music Theatre, takes its music from the catalog of the King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley, with some gender-bending elements inspired by the King of English Literature, William Shakespeare. What the show lacks in originality it makes up for â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to some extent â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in good-natured spirit. The flimsy plot (book by Joe DiPietro) takes its cues from common depictions of America in the 1950s. As was apparently always the case, a small conservative town is full of repressed sexuality and a bad case of the blahs. The square inhabitants are clearly in need of a leather-clad rebel to teach them about rock and roll, following their dreams, letting loose, etc. In â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Shook Up,â&#x20AC;? said rebel is Chad (Tony DiCorti), a suave â&#x20AC;&#x153;guitar-playing roustabout,â&#x20AC;? as he is frequently referred to by the tongue-incheek script. When Chad rolls into town on his badass motorcycle and fixes the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busted jukebox, the ladies swoon (fainting, Ă la â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bye Bye Birdie) for his hip-swiveling moves.

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Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s news, sports & hot picks Page 28Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; >Ă&#x20AC;VÂ&#x2026;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Ă¤ÂŁĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;*>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;7iiÂ&#x17D;Â?Ă&#x17E;

THEATER REVIEW Especially entranced is Natalie (Katherine Goldman), the tomboyish town mechanic. But Chad has eyes only for the sophisticated Miss Sandra (Amanda Andrews), who runs the local art museum. Meanwhile, nerdy Dennis (Anthony Chan) pines for Natalie, while sassy, wisecracking Sylvia (Juanita Harris) nurses a crush on Natalieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s widowed dad (Todd Wright), who also has a thing for Miss Sandra. And donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget Sylviaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter Lorraine (the vivacious Leslie Ivy), who conducts a sweet, forbidden, interracial affair with Dean (Warren Wernick), the shy son of the uptight, autocratic mayor (Molly Thornton). With a storyline (very) loosely inspired by The Bardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Twelfth Night,â&#x20AC;? Natalie disguises herself as a male â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with the addition of a cap and jacket she magically becomes unrecognizable â&#x20AC;&#x201D; called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ed.â&#x20AC;? Her implausible idea is that if Ed can become best buddies with Chad, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll somehow realize she/he is the guy/ girl of his dreams. Chad and Ed do indeed hit it off but, complicating things further, Miss Sandra too develops feelings for Natalie-in-Ed-drag. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll refrain from being a spoiler so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to guess for yourselves if and how the romantic entanglements work themselves out in the end. Act I of â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Shook Upâ&#x20AC;? is fairly ho-hum stuff, with Elvis songs awkwardly wedged in all over the place, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll admit that in the second act, as the Shakespearian/screwball silliness and interesting homoerotic twists ramp up, the show drew me in further with its slight, goofy charms. And though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s clichĂŠs, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also full of cheeky self-awareness, playing off its more predictable ele-

ments to work in some surprises (such as who ultimately gets shook up and who turns out to do the shaking). DiCorti makes for an affable Elvis-esque lothario, although the older folks â&#x20AC;&#x201D; gorgeous-voiced Harris and the ever-loveable Wright â&#x20AC;&#x201D; gained the most hoots and hollers (and rightfully so). The five-piece band (hidden off to the side in Foothillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lohman Theatre) does a good job with the Presley material, though the choreography is a bit too corny even by this showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standards. The set is amateurish but cute, with some technical difficulties the night I attended the show, and the costumes are pleasingly colorful. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Shook Upâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s target demographic has been much better served by other shows â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grease,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bye Bye Birdie,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hairspray!â&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Back to the Futureâ&#x20AC;? or heck, an actual Elvis movie, for that matter â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to name but a few. But for those who crave live, local entertainment, the production delivers a dose of harmless fun and toe-tapping mid-century nostalgia. N What: â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Shook Up,â&#x20AC;? an Elvis musical presented by Foothill Music Theatre Where: Lohman Theatre, Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills When: Through March 11, with shows Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Cost: Tickets are $20-$28. Info: Go to foothillmusicals.com or call 650-949-7360.

Arts & Entertainment

NOTICE OF SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING of the City of Palo Alto Historic Resources Board [HRB]

Opening lineup Los Lobos, San Francisco Symphony will play at new Stanford concert hall by Rebecca Wallace

hen Stanford University’s new concert hall officially opens its doors in January 2013, the San Francisco Symphony and Los Lobos will be among the first acts to play the Bing. The Bing Concert Hall is still under construction at the east end of Museum Way and set to be finished in the summer. Grand-opening events will start Jan. 11 under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, Stanford officials said this week. Along with Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, opening night will also feature: a choral dedication with singers from the Stanford Chamber Chorale and Stanford Philharmonia; a Japanese-drumming processional by Stanford Taiko; and fanfares by high-tech composers from the university’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. The St. Lawrence String Quartet will also perform. For attendees who don’t score one of the Bing hall’s 844 seats, the Jan. 11 event will also be simulcast to other campus venues. The following day, Stanford officials will offer free performances by Stanford artists throughout Jan. 12. That night, Los Lobos will give two ticketed hour-long shows at the Bing. Scheduled for Jan. 13 is an afternoon concert by the St. Lawrence String Quartet, with an evening performance by various groups and soloists of the university’s music department. On Jan. 16, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra brings its period instruments from the baroque and classical eras for a concert. The events will be overseen by Wiley Hausam, the new managing director of the Bing Concert Hall, who took the reins last month. He comes from Purchase College in New York, where he was executive director of the Performing Arts Center. Hausam has also served as executive director of the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at New York University, and as associate producer of four Broadway shows. Visitors to the Bing Concert Hall will pass through a glass-enclosed foyer that will include space for talks and educational programs. Inside, they’ll see an elliptical space with a “vineyard-style configuration”: Terraced sections of seats will surround the stage. The hall will also include rehearsal and recording studios, along with a performers’ lounge and garden. Ennead Architects of New York City designed the $112 million venue, with acoustic design by the acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota of Nagata Acoustics in Tokyo, and theatrical design by Fisher Dachs Associates of New York, Seattle and the United Kingdom. Stanford officials plan to have a variety of artists use the concert hall, including student groups, the Department of Music and visiting artists presented by Stanford Lively

8:00 A.M., Wednesday, March 14, 2012 Palo Alto Council Chambers, 1st Floor, Civic Center, 250 Hamilton Avenue. Go to the Development Center at 285 Hamilton Avenue to review ﬁled documents; contact Diana Tamale for information regarding business hours at 650.329.2144. 1091 Emerson Street/225 Lincoln Avenue [12PLN00039] Request by Peter Baltay on behalf of 1091 Emerson Street Partners, LLC for historic review for demolition of a Category 3 building on the Historic Inventory and historic review of a replacement single-story, single family residence. Zone District: R-1 (Single Family Residential). 423 University [11PLN-00423] Request by Mark Bucciarelli on behalf of John Felt for historic review of façade changes to the existing building containing an eating and drinking establishment, a Category 3 building on the Historic Inventory. Zone District: CD-C(GF)(P) (Community Downtown Commercial). The regular HRB meeting scheduled on March 7, 2012 is cancelled. Steven Turner, Advance Planning Manager

This design rendering by Ennead Architects of New York City shows the planned interior of the Bing Concert Hall, which is named after Stanford alumni Helen and Peter Bing. Arts. Season subscriptions for the hall will go on sale this spring. At this point, Lively Arts concerts scheduled to take place in the new venue after the grand opening include performances by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the pianists Emanuel Ax and Jon Nakamatsu, and the percussionist Glenn Kotche. The Bing hall, which will face the Cantor Arts Center across

Palm Drive, is part of the Stanford Arts Initiative and one of a trio of new buildings planned. The new structure for visual art from the Anderson Collection is set to open in 2014, with the new McMurtry Building opening the following year to house Stanford’s department of art and art history. More information is at binghall. stanford.edu. N

A&E DIGEST A TRIBUTE TO PEGGY FORD ... Clowns, acrobats, actors and other artists are planning a March 13 benefit in tribute to Peggy Ford, a Palo Alto native and popular circus performer who died in January after a long illness. Ford, a graduate of Gunn High School, went on to be one of the first female clowns to graduate from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, in 1974, local publicist Carla Befera said. After touring with Ringling Bros., Ford helped found and run the Clown Conservatory in San

Francisco. The March 13 event, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Z Space at 450 Florida St. in San Francisco, will both help with the medical expenses from Ford’s illness and start the Peggy Ford Award to assist young women who aspire to become professional clowns. Scheduled performers include Jeff Raz of Cirque du Soleil and the Pickle Family Circus, juggler Sara Felder, the acrobatic East West Duo, and a gathering of young women clowns. Tickets are $20-$100. Go to zspace. org or call 415-626-0453.

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Palo Alto Uniﬁed School District 525 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA The Palo Alto Unified School District will be accepting bids for the lease of the Surplus Property, pursuant to Mandatory Bid Instructions. The initial period of the lease cannot extend past June 30, 2014. All bids must be accompanied by a deposit of $20,000.00 in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check, or money order. Upon selection by the District, the accepted bidder(s) shall execute a mutually satisfactory lease agreement. Deposits of rejected bids shall be refunded as soon as reasonably possible after rejection. Bids in the above-described form may be submitted on or before 2:00 p.m. on March 6, 2012. These bids will be presented to the Board by staff at the meeting of the Board on March 13, 2012. Alternatively, bidders may present bids at the time of the bid opening at the District Board of Education meeting, starting at 6:30PM on March 13, 2012 when the item is called for review by the Board. The Board is expected to (but is not obligated to) make an award no later than March 23, 2012. The leasing price for any bidder shall be a minimum of fair market value based on existing market conditions for the Property. The Board reserves the right to reject any and all bids. If no bids are accepted, the District will advertise further for bids. All requests for bid documents should be directed to Robert F. Golton, 25 Churchill Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306, rgolton@pausd. org, 650-329-3801, who is hereby authorized and directed to provide a copy of said documents to any party who so requests.

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Eating Out Michelle Le

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Lamb souvlaki is topped with oregano and lemon juice, served atop fries.

Greek-American comfort food Dishes at Opa! are only vaguely Mediterranean, but very satisfying by Dale F. Bentson

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pa! is a Greek-themed restaurant. Actually, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vaguely Greek, more American in calorie count, the jumbo-portioned dishes affordably priced. There are Greek names to the dishes and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Visions of Greeceâ&#x20AC;? looping on dining-room flat screens, but the rest, my friends, is all-American comfort food. Opening in May 2011, Opa! replaced the Moroccan-inspired Zitune. Some decor modifications were made, but not many. The space is grotto-like with darkstained wood floors, tables and chairs; and faux stones lining the walls and abutting the ceiling. A bar occupies one-fourth of the main dining room. Lighting is recessed. Happily, there is no echo. The restaurant is popular. I visited at both lunch and dinner times and the place was ever-busy, with loads of families in early evenings. The menu is lengthy, a somethingfor-everyone approach, from chic sliders to loukoumades (Greek doughnuts). Opa! is a recent restaurant entry, starting up in 2008, that now has three locations including Los Gatos and Willow Glen. The company is primed for expansion, coming soon to Walnut Creek. The menu was inspired by family recipes from one

of the original partners, George Tsaboukos, a chef who has since passed away. While there is no executive chef, the line cooks are well trained. The regular menu lists nearly 70 items plus specials, desserts and beverages. It takes a while to ferret through so many offerings. Yet despite the busy restaurant, I was never hurried, never had a sense of being rushed. The waitstaff was attentive. While the menu lists numerous mezes/starters, there are many other offerings that would make worthwhile starters. The pita pizzas, as well as the various dips and spreads, could easily be shared appetizers. Portions are very large. Melitzanosalata ($6.99) was two mounds of roasted eggplant with spices, olive oil and garlic â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a little too heavy on the garlic. The accompanying pita bread was thick, warm and delicious. Zucchini drops ($9.99) were four big balls of shredded zucchini mixed with feta cheese and served on top of a Greek yogurt sauce. Large portion, appetizing and filling. The restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baby back ribs ($10.99) were fork-tender and fell off the bone. The pork was topped

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING of the City of Palo Alto Architectural Review Board (ARB) 8:30 A.M., Thursday, March 15, 2012 Palo Alto Council Chambers, 1st Floor, Civic Center, 250 Hamilton Avenue. Go to the Development Center at 285 Hamilton Avenue to review ﬁled documents; contact Diana Tamale for information regarding business hours at 650.329.2144. 1901 Embarcadero Road [11PLN-00254]: Request by AT&T, on behalf of the City of Palo Alto, for Site and Design Review / Architectural Review, and Conditional Use Permit for the installation of nine panel antennas on a new replacement lattice tower (to replace the existing Palo Alto Airport beacon tower) and associated equipment and ground based enclosure for a new wireless communication facility. Zone: PF(D).

Michelle Le

Customers Kenji Ohkawa and Kristina Corral try the saganaki (flaming-cheese) appetizer.

Reservations Credit cards

Banquet

Lot Parking Full Bar

Outdoor seating

Takeout Highchairs Wheelchair access

Catering

Noise level: Moderate Bathroom Cleanliness: Good

Amy French Manager of Current Planning

Loukoumades, or Greek doughnuts, are served with vanilla ice cream, walnut crumbles and fruit.

Michelle Le

Opa! 325 Main St., Los Altos 650-209-5340 opaauthenticgreek.com Hours: Mon.-Wed. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Thurs.-Fri. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

413 Forest Avenue [12PLN-00030]: Request by Hayes Group, on behalf of South PA Homes LLC, for Preliminary Architectural Review of a new three unit attached residential condominium project (6,484 sf). Zone: RM-40.

Michelle Le

with a sweet honey glaze and served with onion rings and a green salad. It’s a meal in itself, listed as a “starter.” Another listing in the starter category: the Opa! sliders ($9.99). Three mid-sized burgers were each topped with a different Greek-inspired sauce: spicy feta, horiatiki (Greek salad) and tzatziki (yogurt, cucumbers, olive oil). Good-tasting but bigger than sliders usually are, so be careful how much food you order. One of the signature dishes was pasticio ($14.99). I didn’t care much for it. It was a heavy cheeseand pasta-laden casserole with not much evidence of the ground sirloin nor the seasoned cloves and nutmeg it was supposed to have. The bechamel sauce added another zillion unnecessary calories to a very bland dish. The psari psito sti skhara ($22.99), on the other hand, was delicious. The boned, fleshy, Mediterranean branzino had been seasoned with an olive-oil vinaigrette and was served with braised greens (horta) and oven-roasted potatoes. Pork souvlaki ($14.99) were two skewers of tender marinated pork seasoned with fresh oregano and fresh lemon juice. For my choice of potato, I chose the Opa! fries, thickcut and covered with both creamy and crumbly feta. While a side of mustardy Opa! sauce accompanied, I loved just squeezing more lemon

3431 Hillview [11PLN-00458]: Request by VM Ware on behalf of Leland Stanford Jr. University for Architectural Review of the demolition of 255,000 square feet of commercial floor area and construction of four two-story Research and Development office buildings, a one-story cafeteria building and three parking structures for a total floor area of 345,270 square feet (the parking structures and cafeteria building are considered amenity space and are exempt from the total floor area). A Design Enhancement Exception has been requested to exceed the 35 feet height limit by 5 feet in order to provide a clerestory element for each of the new two-story office buildings. Environmental Assessment: An Addendum to the City of Palo Alto/Stanford Development Agreement and Lease Project EIR has been prepared. Zone District: RP-5 (Research Park).

Saganaki is served on a flaming iron skillet, topped with lemon juice and served with warm pita bread. over the entire dish. This was my favorite entree. I also liked the Greek pita pizza ($9.99) with tomato sauce, feta, mozzarella, olives, artichokes and Greek sausage. Opa! has two types of pita baked specially. One is the typical flat pocket bread for sandwiches. The other is thinker and spongier, perfect for the biggerthan-I-had-imagined pizza. For dessert, the bougatsa ($7.99) consisted of phyllo dough enveloping a mixture of sauteed green apples, whipped ricotta and cream cheese, cinnamon and sugar, all drizzled with raspberry and caramel sauces. Gooey, caloric and not noteworthy enough to inspire. Loukoumades ($7.99) was the

Opa! version of Greek-style fried doughnuts — and who wouldn’t like that? Eight crisp donut nuggets, tossed in cinnamon and sugar, were drizzled with Greek honey then sprinkled with walnut crumbles. To add to the sinfulness was a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. This will definitely conclude your eating for a while. Opa! has a full bar and cocktail menu. The wine list is diminutive but prices are reasonable and pair well with menu items. It also offers a weekend brunch. Opa! might not quite be an authentic Greek dining experience but it’s affordable and a good place for families — and you will never go away hungry. N *> Ê Ì Ê7ii ÞÊUÊ >ÀV ÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÓÊU Page 31

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Green Elephant Gourmet 494-7391

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POLYNESIAN Trader Vicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 849-9800

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4269 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Dinner Mon-Thurs 5-10pm;

3950 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto

Darbar Indian Cuisine

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321-6688

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CHINESE

Janta Indian Restaurant

Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-6 pm (650) 462-5903 Fax (650) 462-1433 369 Lytton Ave., Downtown Palo Alto

1067 N. San Antonio Road

Lunch Buffet M-F;

Cookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Seafood 325-0604

on the corner of El Camino, Los Altos

www.jantaindianrestaurant.com

751 El Camino Real, Menlo Park Seafood Dinners from

2010 Best Chinese

Jing Jing 328-6885 443 Emerson St., Palo Alto Authentic Szechwan, Hunan Food To Go, Delivery

ITALIAN

$6.95 to $10.95

La Cucina di Pizzeria Venti

STEAKHOUSE

254-1120 1390 Pear Ave, Mountain View

Sundance the Steakhouse

www.pizzeriaventi.com

321-6798

Fresh, Chef Inspired Italian Food

1921 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

www.jingjinggourmet.com

Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2:00pm Spalti Ristorante 327-9390

Dinner: Mon-Thu 5:00-10:00pm

Mingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 856-7700

417 California Ave, Palo Alto

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

1700 Embarcadero East, Palo Alto

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Sun 5:00-9:00pm

www.mings.com

www.spalti.com

www.sundancethesteakhouse.com

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

Movies

NOTICE OF FINAL DRAFT REPORT OF BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN

OPENINGS

Ezra Miller in “We Need to Talk About Kevin.”

We Need to Talk About Kevin --

(Century 16) You’ve heard the old chestnut about using one’s powers for good and not for evil. It’s a line that comes to mind about the return of director Lynne Ramsay, who has largely wasted her creative energy on “bad seed” cliches in “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” “Evil” may be the natural state of the film’s titular character, the child of Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) and her cluelessly upbeat husband, Franklin (John C. Reilly). Played at three ages by Rock Duer, Jasper Newell and rising star Ezra Miller, Kevin is crafty beyond his years as he makes his mother’s life miserable and manipulates Dad into thinking Mom is the problem. Kevin throws tantrums, spits bile and generally acts out in escalating aggression, all of it seem-

ingly intended to break his mother’s spirit. It’s possible to interpret Eva’s bad handling of one situation as the tragic error that takes the mother-son relationship beyond a point of no return, but the story — adapted by Ramsay and Rory Kinnear from Lionel Shriver’s novel — more clearly resembles Coleridge’s famous appraisal of “Othello”’s Iago as a villain with “motiveless malignity.” The hapless Eva’s efforts eventually recede into self-defensive management rather than active parenting. “Kevin” rides the edge of drama so extreme as to be comic, which Ramsay happily allows. From the first shot to the last, the film subjects Eva to near-unrelenting emotional punishment, broken only by glimmers of hope that lead to even more painful smackdowns of despair. As a drama, “Kevin” is thematically anemic: Kevin is a force to

be dealt with, and the parents don’t have the tools to do so. Their ultimate failure is not to utter the film’s title and insist upon clinical help, but padding that simple message out to a 112-minute PSA winds up making Ramsay seem more sadistic than empathetic. As an evil-kid horror movie, which the film consciously resembles in plot and lacerating tone, “Kevin” is been there, done that, filmschool style. The director of art-house classics “Morvern Callar” and “Ratcatcher” remains potent, to be sure, and as fearlessly off-putting as she wants to be. Her style has come to look a bit like shtick, but there’s a dark beauty to the way she extreme-zooms the mundane to become sinister (evoking the color and texture of blood in paint or tomatoes or other suburban residue). And the actors are faultless in doing Ramsay’s bidding. Miller perfects his dead-eyed stare as a Columbine killer in the making, and an even more riveting Swinton proves clear and resonant in her confusion, fear, anger and guilt. Still, put all this together in one package, and you get a mess of a film, an annoying provocation with too little to say, a serious credibility deficit, a whiff of misandry, and a miscalculated, unseemly gusto for abusing its hero. Instead of having catharsis, the audience just gets had. Rated R for disturbing violence and behavior, some sexuality and language. One hour, 52 minutes. — Peter Canavese

NOW PLAYING The Secret World of Arrietty ---1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) Great things come in small packages. That’s one of the lessons of “The Secret World of Arrietty,” the charming animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s kid-lit classic “The Borrowers.” This is a tale of tiny people living underfoot of human “beans,” and “borrowing” what they need to survive. But it’s also a reminder that the seemingly small package of a hand-drawn animated film remains a warmly welcome alternative to computergenerated imagery. Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi takes the story at a leisurely pace, which allows it to breathe. Along with the gorgeously detailed art, lush color and swoony music, the film is all but guaranteed to entrance children. The animation style, emphasizing meticulous design, perfectly lends itself to the source material. Everything about “Arrietty” is as vivid as it is (deceptively) simple, which places it in the top ranks of animated movies. With tenderness, the story brushes against big fears — Shawn grapples with mortality, Arrietty with losing her home — while retaining the view that friendship can mean mutually solving, or at least alleviating, problems. Rated G. One hour, 34 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Feb. 17, 2012) The Vow --1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) If the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore chuckler “50 First Dates” had been recast as a romantic drama and produced by the Oprah Winfrey

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Final Draft Report for the 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan has been prepared by the Palo Alto Department of Planning and Community Environment, Transportation Division. This document is available for review and comment during the period beginning March 2, 2012 through April 2, 2012, and is available online at www.cityofpaloalto.org/bike. Comments may be submitted via email to transportation@ cityofpaloalto.org or to Department of Planning and Community Environment, Transportation Division, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California, 94301. Printed copies of the Final Draft Report are available for review during the hours of 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M., at City Hall, 5th Floor, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Additional copies are available for review at all City of Palo Alto libraries. This Report will be considered at a public hearing by the City Council shortly after the public comment period closes. Curtis Williams, Director of Planning and Community Environment

Palo Alto Unified School District Notice is hereby Given that proposals will be received by the Palo Alto Unified School District for bid package: Palo Alto High School Stadium Kitchen Equipment TI (Snack Bar) Contract No. PASK-12 DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK: The work includes, but is not limited to: Supply and install kitchen stainless sheet metal counters, sinks, tables and appliances as shown and described in the project documents. Work to be coordinated and scheduled to ensure a complete functional installation. Final installation subject to approval by Santa Clara County’s Department of Health,. Bidding documents contain the full description of the work. There will be a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit at 10 a.m. on March 15th, 2012 at the District Facilities Office at 25 Churchill Ave., Building D, Palo Alto, California 94306. Bid Submission: Proposals must be received at the District Facilities Office, 25 Churchill Ave., Building D, by 10:00 a.m. on March 20th 2012. PREVAILING WAGE LAWS: The successful Bidder must comply with all prevailing wage laws applicable to the Project, and related requirements contained in the Contract Documents. Palo Alto Unified School District will maintain a Labor Compliance Program (LCP) for the duration of this project. In bidding this project, the contractor warrants he/she is aware and will follow the Public Works Chapter of the California Labor Code comprised of Labor Code Sections 1720 – 1861. A copy of the District’s LCP is available for review at 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D, Palo Alto, CA 94306.

Leila Hatami and Peyman Moadi in “A Separation.” Network, “The Vow” might have been the result. Fortunately, leads Rachel McAdams (“Midnight in Paris”) and Channing Tatum (“Haywire”) serve up solid performances and help keep the film somewhat grounded. The fledgling marriage between sweethearts Leo (Tatum) and Paige (McAdams) crashes to a halt when a truck slams into their car, sending Paige into a coma. When she awakes, she has no memory of Leo, who endures one awkward situation after another to win Paige back. Tatum and McAdams have a comfortable chemistry and their relationship is mostly believable. The

romantic scenarios that abound range from endearing to saccharine. The characters in Paige’s life are moderately fleshed out, including her parents and sister (Jessica McNamee), but those in Leo’s life are numbingly one-note. While most films nowadays include 3D glasses, “The Vow” comes with the rose-colored variety. Rated PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity, language and an accident scene. One hour, 44 minutes. — T.H. (Reviewed Feb. 10, 2012)

(continued on next page)

1. A pre-construction conference shall be conducted with the contractor or subcontractors to discuss federal and state labor law requirements applicable to the contract. 2. Project contractors and subcontracts shall maintain and furnish to the District, at a designated time, a certified copy of each payroll with a statement of compliance signed under penalty of perjury. 3. The District shall review and, if appropriate, audit payroll records to verify compliance with the Public Works Chapter of the Labor Code. 4. The District shall withhold contract payments if payroll records are delinquent or inadequate. 5. The District shall withhold contract payments as described in the LCP, including applicable penalties when the District and Labor Commissioner establish that underpayment of other violations has occurred. Bidders may examine Bidding Documents at the District Facilities Office, 25 Churchill Ave, Building D, Palo Alto. Bidders may purchase copies of Plans and Specifications at American Reprographics Company (ARC), 1100 Industrial Road Suite 13, San Carlos, California 94070 Phone: (650) 631-2310 Address all questions to: Palo Alto Unified School District 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D, Palo Alto, CA 94306-1099 Attn: Tim McBrian Phone: (650) 833-4211 Fax: (650) 327-3588 tmcbrian@pausd.org

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Movies (continued from previous page) The Artist --(Palo Alto Square, Century 20) Any filmgoer undaunted by something different will walk out of this new silent film with a grin. Michel Hazanaviciusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feature has an emotional generosity that speaks louder than words. Opening in 1927, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Artistâ&#x20AC;? begins with a premiere of a silent film starring George Valentin (Jean Dujardin). When Valentin stumbles into a photo op with Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), the ground for a relationship is paved. Peppy sees her star begins to rise with Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fall, precipitated by the arrival of talkies and the crash of 1929. Writer-director Hazanavicius mostly steers clear of comparisons to the eraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s epics and screen comics, instead inhabiting 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. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; P.C. (Reviewed Dec. 2, 2011) The Descendants --1/2 (Aquarius, Century 20) George Clooney plays Matt King, a lawyer and father troubleshooting domestic and business concerns in a Hawaii that is not paradise. Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s petulance derives mostly from his wife being in a coma due to a boating accident. As a father, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clumsy at best; by pampering 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller), Matt hopes to distract her from her motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decline. No such trickery works on delinquent 17-year-old Alexandra (Shailene Woodley). Mattâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business issue involves his role as trustee of his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ancestral land: 25,000 acres in Kauai that

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

ÂŠ A.M.P.A.S.ÂŽ

ÂŽ

WINNER GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD ÂŽ

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR!â&#x20AC;? Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES â&#x20AC;˘ Joe Morgenstern, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

WINNER BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

WINNER BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM NEW YORK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW CRITICSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE AWARD SOUTHEASTERN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION CHICAGO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

ÂŠHFPA

FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD

NEW YORK â&#x20AC;˘ TELLURIDE â&#x20AC;˘ TORONTO FILM FESTIVALS

BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS NOMINEE

A SEPARATION

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

A FILM BY ASGHAR FARHADI DreamLab WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ASGHAR FARHADI

WWW.SONYCLASSICS.COM

NOW PLAYING VIEW THE TRAILER AT WWW.ASEPARATION.COM

Inspirations

will bring the Kings a pretty penny if they can agree on a buyer. As this subplot lingers, Matt becomes obsessed with investigating a secret about his wife. It provides the excuse for the Kings to island-hop and family-bond in search of closure. Rated PG for mild rude humor. One hour, 38 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; P.C. (Reviewed Nov. 25, 2011) A Separation ---1/2 (Guild) Even as she defends her divorce filing, an Iranian woman says of her spouse, â&#x20AC;&#x153;He is a good, decent person.â&#x20AC;? But â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Separationâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a film from Iran that just won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film â&#x20AC;&#x201D; tests its every proposition, from the wisdom of the coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s separation to the ethical rectitude of the spurned husband. The opening scene of writer-director Asghar Farhadiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drama lets wife Simin (Leila Hatami) and husband Nader (Peyman Moadi) vent their sides of the dispute that threatens to end their marriage. The two separate, forcing 11-year-old Termeh (Sarina Farhadi) to play one parent against the other in the hope theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see the errors of their ways. The climate of cultural repression in Iran has only made its cinema more vital. The filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s separations can be familial, but also those of class and culture and between citizen and state; above all, Farhadiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parable teaches that a rush to judgment inevitably turns back on the judge. Rated PG-13 for thematic material. Two hours, three minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; P.C. (Reviewed Feb. 3, 2012) The Woman in Black --1/2 (Century 20) This chilling adaptation of Susan Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1983 novel offers actor Daniel Radcliffe a chance to shed his â&#x20AC;&#x153;Harry Potterâ&#x20AC;? persona. Radcliffe plays it somber and stoic in â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Woman in Black,â&#x20AC;? his understated performance complementing the spooky atmosphere. But the paranormal period piece relies so heavily on frightening imagery that backstory and character development get buried. Widowed lawyer Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) is dispatched to a quiet village to sift through paperwork at an unkempt estate. He spots a woman in black, and unearths a mystery that involves the mansionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former mainstays and the villageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rash of child deaths. Director James Watkins sets the mood well; the scenes of Arthur alone in the dark mansion at times literally made this reviewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spine tingle. Ultimately the film canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t distinguish itself from other ghosts-gone-wild tales like â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Ringâ&#x20AC;? (2002).Rated PG-13 for violence/ disturbing images. One hour, 35 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; T.H. (Reviewed Feb. 3, 2012)

a guide to the spiritual community

10:00 a.m. This Sunday: A Downer of a Pep Talk Rev. David Howell preaching Come experience our new 5:00 p.m. service! Vibrant, Engaging and Arts-Based

2 For 1 - My Week with Marilyn/The Iron Lady (R) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: Noon, 2:10, 4:20, 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. A Separation (PG-13) (((1/2 Century 20: 11:10 a.m.; 2, 4:50, 7:40 & 10:30 p.m. Guild Theatre: 2:30, 5:30 & 8:30 p.m. Act of Valor (R) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 11 a.m.; 1:35, 4:30, 7:40 & 10:20 p.m. Century 20: 11:30 a.m.; 12:45, 2:10, 3:25, 4:50, 6:30, 7:35, 9:10 & 10:20 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. also at 10:20 a.m. The Artist (PG-13) (((1/2 Century 20: 11:40 a.m.; 2:10, 4:40, 7:10 & 9:40 p.m. Palo Alto Square: 2, 4:20 & 7:25 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. also at 9:45 p.m. Chronicle (PG-13) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 1, 3:40 & 6:40 p.m. Century 20: 12:35 & 2:50 p.m.; Fri.-Mon., Wed. & Thu. also at 5:10 & 7:30 p.m. The Descendants (R) ((1/2 Aquarius Theatre: 3:15, 6 & 8:45 p.m. Century 20: Fri.-Tue. at 11:10 a.m.; 1:50, 4:30, 7:15 & 10 p.m. Dr. Seussâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The Lorax (PG) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 11:40 a.m. & 5:10 p.m.; In 3D at 11 a.m.; 1:50, 2:30, 4:20, 7, 7:50 & 9:30 p.m.; In 3D Fri.-Wed. also at 10:20 p.m.; In 3D Thu. also at 10 p.m. Century 20: 11:10 a.m. & 3:50 p.m.; In 3D at 12:25, 1:30, 2:45, 5, 6:10, 7:20, 8:30 & 9:40 p.m.; In 3D Fri.-Wed. also at 10:45 p.m.; In 3D Sat. & Sun. also at 10:20 a.m. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (PG-13) (Not Reviewed) Century 20: 12:35 & 5:25 p.m.; In 3D at 3, 7:50 & 10:25 p.m. Gone (PG-13) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 11:25 a.m.; 1:55, 4:25, 7:05 & 9:40 p.m. Century 20: 12:05, 2:40, 5:05, 7:45 & 10:10 p.m. Hamlet (1948) Stanford Theatre: Tue.-Thu. at 7:30 p.m. John Carter (PG-13) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: Thu. at 12:01 a.m.; In 3D Thu. also at 12:01 a.m. Century 20: Thu. at 12:02 a.m.; In 3D Thu. at 12:01 a.m. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (PG) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 11 a.m. & 9 p.m.; In 3D at 1:25, 3:50 & 6:30 p.m. Century 20: 11:10 a.m. & 4:20 p.m.; In 3D at 1:40, 6:55 & 9:30 p.m.; In 3D Sat. & Sun. also at 10:25 a.m. The Marriage Circle (1924) Stanford Theatre: Fri. at 7:30 p.m. One Hour with You (1932) Stanford Theatre: Sat.-Mon. at 7:30 p.m.; Sun. also at 4:25 p.m. Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts (Not Rated) (Not Reviewed) Aquarius Theatre: 2:45 p.m.; Fri.-Wed. also at 7:15 p.m. Oscar-Nominated Live-Action Shorts (Not Rated) (Not Reviewed) Aquarius Theatre: 4:45 p.m.; Fri.-Wed. also at 9:15 p.m. Pina 3D (PG) (Not Reviewed) Palo Alto Square: 1:50, 4:30 & 7:15 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. also at 9:50 p.m. Project X (R) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 11 a.m.; noon, 1:30, 2:30, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9:50 & 10:30 p.m. Century 20: 11:30 a.m.; 12:45, 1:45, 3, 4, 5:25, 6:15, 7:50, 8:30, 10:10 & 10:45 p.m. Rampart (R) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 9:20 p.m. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (R) (Not Reviewed) Guild Theatre: Sat. at midnight. Safe House (R) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 11:10 a.m.; 1:50, 4:30, 7:30 & 10:15 p.m. Century 20: 11:15 a.m.; 2, 4:35, 7:20 & 10:10 p.m. The Secret World of Arrietty (G) (((1/2 Century 16: 11 a.m.; 1:20, 3:50, 6:20 & 8:50 p.m. Century 20: 11:45 a.m.; 2:15, 4:35, 7 & 9:25 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. also at 10:15 a.m.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC

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MOVIE TIMES

Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace 3D (PG) p.m. (standard 2D); In 3D at 4:05, 7:10 & 10:15 p.m.

Fri-Sat 3/2-3/3 Pina in 3-D (Three Dimensional)-1:50, 4:30, 7:15, 9:50 The Artist - 2:00, 4:20, 7:25, 9:45 Sun-Thurs 3/4-3/8 Pina in 3-D (Three Dimensional)-1:50, 4:30, 7:15 The Artist - 2:00, 4:20, 7:25

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Century 20: 1

This Means War (PG-13) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 12:50, 3:40, 7 & 9:45 p.m. Century 20: 11:50 a.m.; 2:20, 4:45, 7:15 & 9:40 p.m. Trouble in Paradise (1932) Stanford Theatre: Sat.-Mon. at 5:55 & 9 p.m. Tyler Perryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Good Deeds (PG-13) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 12:30, 3:35, 7:10 & 10 p.m. Century 20: 11:25 a.m.; 2, 4:40, 7:25 & 10:05 p.m. The Vow (PG-13) ((1/2 Century 16: 12:40, 3:30, 7:15 & 9:55 p.m. Century 20: 11:35 a.m.; 2:15, 4:45, 7:20 & 9:55 p.m. Wanderlust (R) (Not Reviewed) Century 16: 11:15 a.m.; 1:45, 4:25, 7:25 & 10:10 p.m. Century 20: 12:30, 3, 5:30, 8:05 & 10:35 p.m. We Need to Talk About Kevin (R) (( Century 16: 11:20 a.m.; 2, 4:40, 7:35 & 10:30 p.m.

Support Palo Alto Weeklyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coverage of our community. Inspirations is a resource for ongoing religious services and special events. To inquire about or to reserve space in Inspirations, please contact Blanca Yoc at 223-6596 or email byoc@paweekly.com

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The Woman in Black (PG-13) ((1/2 Century 20: Fri.-Mon., Wed. & Thu. at 9:50 p.m.; Tue. at 10:30 p.m.

( Skip it (( Some redeeming qualities ((( A good bet (((( Outstanding Aquarius: 430 Emerson St., Palo Alto (266-9260) Century Cinema 16: 1500 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View (800-326-3264) Century 20 Downtown: 825 Middlefield Road, Redwood City (800-326-3264) CinĂŠArts at Palo Alto Square: 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (493-3456) Guild: 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (266-9260) Stanford: 221 University Ave., Palo Alto (324-3700) Internet address: For show times, plot synopses, trailers and more information about films playing, go to PaloAltoOnline.com/movies

Sports Shorts

CCS BASKETBALL

Titles to defend and win

OF LOCAL NOTE . . .Over the past three weeks, five different Brandeis University fencers have been selected as University Athletic Association (UAA) Fencers of the Week, including freshman Noah Berman of Palo Alto, who has been honored twice. Berman, a 2011 graduate of Palo Alto High, was named Athlete of the Week for the weeks of January 30 and February 13. At the second Northeast Conference Meet of the season, the rookie foil fencer went 9-3 in his first collegiate competition as the Judges went 3-2 overall at the meet. At the 2012 Duke Invitational, he had an 11-4 record while helping the team to a 2-3 performance. He was undefeated (3-0) against host Duke and Johns Hopkins, 2-1 against Air Force and North Carolina, and 1-2 against topranked Penn State while earning his squad’s only victory in that matchup. On the year, Berman is 35-14 with seven undefeated foil performances despite only joining the team in January . . . Palo Alto High senior Tory Prati was one of 24 Bay Area high school players honored with a $1,000 scholarship by the Northern California chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame at a dinner last week in Burlingame.

by Keith Peters

he goals are pretty straightforward for a quartet of four local basketball teams this weekend — defend their Central Coast Section championships.

Keith Peters

Eastside Prep junior Hashima Carothers (44) had the ball knocked away on this play, but she came up with 24 points and 24 rebounds to lead the Panthers to a 68-54 semifinal win and into the CCS Division V finals.

ON THE AIR Friday College baseball: Stanford at Fresno St., 6 p.m.; KZSU (90.1 FM)

Saturday College baseball: Stanford at Fresno St., 6 p.m.; KZSU (90.1 FM)

Sunday College baseball: Stanford at Fresno St., 1 p.m.; KZSU (90.1 FM) Men’s basketball: California at Stanford, 2:30 p.m.; Fox Sports Net; KNBR (1050 AM); KZSU (90.1 FM) Women’s basketball: Stanford at California, 6 p.m.; Comcast Sports Net Bay Area; KZSU (90.1 FM)