Palo Alto Weekly October 16, 2015 by Palo Alto Weekly

Palo Alto

Vol. XXXVII, Number 2

October 16, 2015

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Fall Real Estate

w w w. P a l o A l t o O n l i n e.c o m

Embarking on the

new commute

Will new nonprofit change the way we get to work? Page 20 Pulse 17 Transitions 18 Eating Out 33 Shop Talk 34 Movies 35 Puzzles 55 Q Arts United Nations Association Film Festival returns to Palo Alto Page 27 Q Home Tree experts weigh in on watering, saving trees

Page 37

Q Sports Sacred Heart Prep football back on track after 1-2 start

Page 57

Stanford Cancer Center South Bay IN VITES YOU

Tour our new facility and join our breast cancer experts to learn about the latest screening, detection and treatments. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 • 9:30AM – 11:30AM Stanford Cancer Center South Bay 2589 Samaritan Drive • San Jose, CA 95124 Talks begin at 9:30AM. Tours until 11:30AM. Light breakfast provided. RSVP at: stanfordhealthcare.org/events or call 650.736.6555. This event is free and open to the public. Please register. Tours and seating are limited. Complimentary parking. Page 2 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Now is the Time to Sell Palo Alto is a community of 28,216 housing units per the 2010 US Census Bureau, which includes single family residences, townhomes, and condominiums. The following charts cover the past 12 months of housing sales activity for the City of Palo Alto. Month May 2014 Jun 2014 Jul 2014 Aug 2014 Sep 2014 Oct 2014 Nov 2014 Dec 2014 Jan 2015 Feb 2015 Mar 2015 Apr 2015

Month Apr 2014 May 2014 Jun 2014 Jul 2014 Aug 2014 Sep 2014 Oct 2014 Nov 2014 Dec 2014 Jan 2015 Feb 2015 Mar 2015

Average Days to Sell 13 15 12 16 21 22 23 16 39 31 14 14

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Months of Inventory

# Active # Sales 52 36 40 49 26 47 41 26 15 23 22 45

η ^ĂůĞƐ Ϭ Ϭ ϰ ϴ ϭϲ ϴ ϭϭ ϯϬ Ϯϰ ϯϰ ϯϰ ϭϴϳ ϳϳ Ϯϰ

57 53 49 44 37 39 56 31 25 12 19 42

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2012 2.2 1.7 1 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.1 2 1.4 0.9 0.5

2013 1.7 2.2 0.6 0.6 0.9 1.1 1 0.8 1.3 0.7 0.2 0.4

2014 1.4 1.2 1 0.9 0.7 0.8 1.1 0.7 1.2 0.7 0.8 0.6

2015 1.9 1.2 1.1

What does this Mean? It’s a Hot Seller’s Market There has been an average of 1 month of housing inventory on the market in Palo Alto for the past 3 years. Homes are currently selling in about 2 weeks, with the most active dollar sector between $ 2,000,000 and $ 3,000,000, with less than 1% of the housing inventory on the market at any one time.

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Upfront

Local news, information and analysis

Violent crime rate in East Palo Alto plunges City saw a large drop in aggravated assaults in 2014 by Sue Dremann

fter decades of notoriety, East Palo Alto’s violent crime rate has plunged by 64 percent in one year, according to a newly released Federal Bureau of Investigation report. The 2014 Crime in the United States report is based on information provided by local law en-

forcement agencies. The astonishing statistic covers a year when the city of roughly 29,400 residents had four interim police chiefs. New Police Chief Albert Pardini took the helm in November 2014, replacing Ronald Davis, who ran the department for eight years until November 2013.

East Palo Alto’s violent crimes declined from 347 incidents in 2013 to 124 in 2014, according to the report. The city had the greatest drop in aggravated assaults, which plunged from 248 to 56. The city had eight cases of murder or manslaughter in 2013 and five in 2014. The number of rapes dropped from 11 to eight and robberies from 80 to 55. Pardini said the crime reduction in 2014 largely took place before he became police chief, but he vowed

to keep addressing violent crime. He said the most significant change he has seen since November is the community’s involvement. “They are calling us early so we can get involved before things escalate. We’ve done a lot of intervention, and that has reduced the violent crime,” he told the Weekly. The department has had a 70 percent increase in tip-line activity since he took over, Pardini said. The police department also

runs domestic-violence awareness programs as well as provides education about gangs to families, so they will know if their children are starting to enter gang life. The department holds monthly precinct meetings, at which people can meet officers and discuss neighborhood problems with them. Officers also attend community meetings set up by residents to (continued on page 14)

EDUCATION

Stark differences in high school counseling services, again Superintendent to propose two new models for Gunn High School by Elena Kadvany

Veronica Weber

A coiled crown Ron McGee, aka “Python Ron,” places a ball python snake atop Tomasz Czajkowski’s head during his presentation of reptiles and snakes at the Palo Alto Children’s Library on Oct 7.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Cities and agencies roll out storm plans Efforts include clearing creek of debris and vegetation, new flood-warning website by Sue Dremann

arning that rainwater might not be contained if the predicted El Nino storms hit the Bay Area this winter, Palo Alto and other officials said they are doing everything possible to reduce hazards to homes and residents if the volatile San Franciscquito Creek surges out of its banks. Standing on a dike where the creek jumped its banks and flooded an East Palo Alto neighborhood in December 2012, city and county officials discussed their efforts to reduce the hazards during a joint press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Those efforts include clearing

the creek of debris and vegetation that impede water from flowing to the San Francisco Bay, a new website that will give residents in flood-prone areas a two-hour warning, adding berms and retaining walls in troublesome areas and coordinating disaster and emergency response. This winter’s rainfall could equal or exceed that of 1998, when 70 homes in East Palo Alto and Palo Alto flooded, Palo Alto Mayor Karen Holman said. About 200 people were evacuated, and 1,500 properties were affected. “While we can’t control how much rain falls, we are committed to proactively doing everything

possible to reduce the risks of flooding, supporting our communities and working with our neighborhoods to be prepared,” Holman said. “Our first priority remains the safety of our communities and the protection of homes.” The broad collaboration is thought to be the first of its kind for reducing flood risks, San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine said. “Hopefully, these efforts will make us all better off and protect our residents,” said East Palo Alto Mayor Lisa Gauthier, whose home is in the Gardens neighbor(continued on page 12)

yearslong discussion over the comparable quality of Gunn and Palo Alto high schools’ distinct counseling models returned to the school board Tuesday night, with survey results again showing a gap in satisfaction between students at the two schools. In the district’s 2015 Strategic Plan survey, Paly students reported significantly higher rates of satisfaction than Gunn in non-academic counseling and guidance, career counseling, their socialemotional experience during the last school year and school counselors during the last school year. Forty-five percent of Paly students feel positively (which encapsulates those who marked strongly agree and agree on the survey itself) about their non-academic counseling and guidance services, compared to 29 percent of Gunn students. And 24 percent of Gunn students indicated they feel negatively (those who marked strongly disagree and disagree) about these services. Just over half of Paly students felt positively about their socialemotional experience last year, compared to 39 percent of Gunn students. The highest rates of satisfaction for students from both schools was for their experience with school counselors last year: 60 percent of Paly students and 44 percent of Gunn students felt positively. Paly parents also felt more positive about the school’s counseling system (60 percent positive and only 8 percent negative) than

Gunn parents (46 percent positive and 18 percent negative). Though the latest Strategic Plan survey had significantly lower rates of student participation than previous years — only 715 students voluntarily took the survey — several school board members said Tuesday that the results are consistent with past surveys, and must be addressed this year. “This has been a conversation that has come up again and again and again, and each time the administrators have said, ‘OK, we want to try this or we want to try that’ ... It’s frustrating over time to just see the same data over and over again and not adopt a different model,” said board Vice President Heidi Emberling. “I’m hoping that ... looking at this data will prompt those conversations again and that we will see some new proposals on how to address them this year.” The district has for many years sought to do just that. The very first year the Strategic Plan survey was given, in 2008, students and parents at both schools reported low rates of satisfaction with guidance services, and the board adopted a strategic goal to improve that. During the 2011-12 school year, the district brought in an independent contractor to review the guidance programs at Gunn and Paly. In the fall of 2012, the district convened the Gunn Guidance Advisory Committee to evaluate (continued on page 16)

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 5

Upfront 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 326-8210

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What they are planning to do is a prescription for failure. Pat Burt, City Councilman, on the California HighSpeed Rail Authority’s launch of an environmental analysis for the Peninsula segment. See story on page 7.

Around Town

INTELLECTUAL LANDSCAPE ... The most popular major for female Stanford University students this year? Computer science. About 214 Cardinal women are currently majoring in computer science, based on preliminary declarations by upper-class students, according to Reuters. The previously No. 1 major for female students, human biology, slipped to No. 2 this year with 208 students declaring. Computer science is Stanford’s most popular major and has been for several years, a university spokesman told Reuters, representing about 20 percent of students with declared majors. ART OFFERINGS ... Some art is not meant to last; rather, it is meant to offer visual and participatory experiences. Palo Alto’s Public Art Program is kicking off a series of temporary public art installations at King Plaza, located in front of City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.), offering new exhibitions on a rotating basis. Selected artists will “activate King Plaza in new and exciting ways, offering visual, musical, and participatory experiences lasting from a few months up to one year in length,” according to a City of Palo Alto announcement. Oakland-based artist Bruce Beasley’s installation titled “Rondo I” was installed on Oct. 8 in a planter at King Plaza and will remain there until September 2016. The sculpture consists of interlocking circles that “seem weightless and ready to float or roll away at any moment,” according to the announcement. City staff launched an open call for proposals in the spring and proposed a schedule of diverse installations for King Plaza over the next two years. Upcoming installations include Dan Gottwald’s and Scott Watkins’ interactive wooden musical sculpture, “Chime,” which will be installed among the trees of King Plaza next summer; George Zisiadis’ colorful oversized “Ball Pit,” which will offer a fun and interactive experience to visitors; and Aaron Lee Benson’s wooden serpentine piece, which will aim to engage the community. Benson will donate the wood after the installation to Habitat for Humanity. CRIME SPREE ... Palo Alto has again become a hot spot for auto burglaries, with eight incidents reported on Tuesday, Oct. 13, alone. The burglaries took place between 8 and 10:30 p.m., according to the

Palo Alto Police Department. In all the cases, the car window was smashed to gain entry, police said. Most of the auto burglaries took place on Sherman Avenue, El Camino Real and Hamilton Avenue. One incident took place on the 300 block of Mayfield Lane and another on the 600 block of San Antonio Road. Last month, 18 auto burglaries were reported on Sept. 14 and 15. The thefts occurred all over the city, with thieves mainly targeting unlocked vehicles, police said. Residents and visitors are advised to lock their vehicles and close all windows, as well as take valuables with them or keep things out of sight.

COMMUNITY SERVICE ... The history of art is filled with brilliant recluses, from Vincent van Gogh to Bill Watterson. But for the 25 artists who fill the 23 studios at Cubberley Community Center, a retreat from public eye is simply not an option. As part of the city’s recent reboot of the Cubberley Artists Studio Program, which offers studio spaces at subsidized rates, each artist is required to perform community service to support the program’s vitality. According to a new report from the city’s Community Service Department, the purpose of the requirement is to “foster active engagement with the citizens of Palo Alto and surrounding communities, and create a dynamic and accessible cultural destination for the community.” Last year, one studio was reserved to function as a “community programming space,” where artists can offer public workshops, showcase their work and engage in other community activities. Since last December, the program has netted 16 cultural events, according to staff, including two TinkerLabs (dubbed in true Palo Alto fashion as a “maker-space for toddlers”), four sewing clinics and a Silicon Valley Open Studios event in May that featured 22 artists and attracted 700 attendees. More events and exhibitions are slated to roll out in the next few months, including a “Meet the Artists” event on Nov. 12, in which each Cubberley artist will offer a two-minute presentation about his or her work. Members of the public will then have a chance to meet the artists, a diverse group that includes painters, printmakers, a graphic novelist, photographers and a “maker” (defined as “a process-based artist and arts galvanizer”). Q

Upfront TRANSPORTATION

Palo Alto blasts high-speed rail project for moving too fast City Council urges more collaborative process for Peninsula segment of controversial rail line by Gennady Sheyner speed rail on the inside, running along a set of elevated tracks. Today, the design is a “blended” approach in which high-speed rail and Caltrain would share the same set of tracks. Tuesday’s conversation indicated that Palo Alto’s apprehensions about the $68-billion rail project remain entrenched. To address these concerns, the council voted 7-0, with Councilwoman Liz Kniss absent and Councilman Eric Filseth recusing himself, to reconstitute its defunct Rail Committee and to lobby the rail authority to commit to “context sensitive solutions” (CSS), a process that involves extensive collaboration with community leaders and other stakeholders. The council also agreed to pursue the same process in its own plans for the future of the Caltrain corridor. Elizabeth Alexis, co-founder of the local watchdog group Californians Advocating for Responsible Rail Design, urged the council in her public comments to pursue the CSS process, which is commonly used in highway construction and emphasizes continuing communication between stakeholders and a “shared vision.” “There’s always time to do CSS

if you want your project to get to the finish line, especially when you deal with a situation like we have here, where there’s a lot of complexity and where in order to make all the pieces fit together you may have to change the process,” Alexis said. The proposals to pursue contextsensitive solutions and to recreate the Rail Committee were made

Palo Alto to consider encouraging more granny units Small structures seen as partial solution for city’s gaping housing problem by Gennady Sheyner

soared to new heights and the prospect of building large-scale affordable-housing developments looks shaky at best. In November 2013, voters overturned a councilapproved housing development on Maybell Avenue that would have included 60 apartments for lowincome seniors. And a tool that many affordable-housing developers have relied on in the past — “planned community” zoning — has been suspended by the council. Earlier this month, the council heard testimony from nearly two dozen residents, most of whom lamented the sky-high cost of living in Palo Alto. The speakers included seniors, housing advocates, professionals and members of the millennial generation, many of whom grew up in Palo Alto and can no longer afford to live here despite college degrees and stable jobs. Former councilwoman Gail Price, who was one of the speak-

(continued on page 15)

This illustration from the California High-Speed Rail Authority depicts a high-speed train running in a trench underneath a roadway in Burbank, California. Palo Alto officials want the rail line to operate in a trench through at least part of the city, so traffic is not disrupted.

HOUSING

hey are small, relatively affordable and can be built without zone changes or public hearings. Now, Palo Alto officials are preparing to take a closer look at inlaw apartments — often known as “granny units,” “secondary units” or “accessory-dwelling units” — as a partial solution for the city’s colossal housing shortage. In a new memo, Vice Mayor Greg Schmid and City Councilmen Greg Scharff and Cory Wolbach are recommending that the city’s planning staff and Planning and Transportation Commission launch a revision of the city’s laws on granny units. The goal is to both encourage the addition of these units and ensure that these structures are sensitive to a neighborhood’s character. The idea of encouraging more granny units has become increasingly urgent as local rents have

see the rail project “back on the scene” on the Peninsula while the Central Valley segment remains far from completion. Councilman Marc Berman agreed, saying, “It’s baffling. It really does lead to a lot of distrust from our end, which was something that I thought they were trying to remedy.” The rail authority, which is charged with building the rail line, kicked off the environmentalanalysis process last month with a series of community meetings throughout the region, though none in the Midpeninsula area. In San Francisco last month, the rail authority’s Northern California Regional Director Ben Tripousis called the series of meetings the “beginning of the conversation” with the Peninsula

California High-Speed Rail Authority

ith plans for California’s high-speed rail system accelerating on the Peninsula, Palo Alto officials on Tuesday ramped up their opposition to a process that they argue is moving too fast and in the wrong direction. In a special meeting devoted exclusively to transportation, the City Council criticized the California High Speed Rail Authority’s recent decision to launch an environmental analysis for the Peninsula segment of the proposed rail line — a review that the state agency expects to conclude in 2017. This schedule, the council argued, would unnecessarily expedite the planning process for the hugely controversial line, precluding any real collaboration between the state agency and the communities on the northern portion of the San Francisco-to-Los Angeles line. For the council, the discussion was the first full hearing on a project that galvanized a torrent of opposition in 2009 and that culminated in the council adopting a position of “no confidence” in the project and calling for its termination in 2011. Back then, the proposed design for the rail system featured four tracks, with Caltrain operating on the two outside tracks and high-

by Councilman Pat Burt, a former committee member and one of the founding members of the nowdefunct Peninsula Cities Consortium, a coalition of elected officials from various Peninsula cities. Both groups were dissolved two years ago as the rail authority shifted its plans from the Peninsula to the Central Valley. “I think what they are planning to do is a prescription for failure,” Burt said of the rail authority. “It is the sort of process that resulted in the horrendous backlash on the Peninsula previously. “An 18-month cycle time for this complex of an EIR (Environmental Impact Report) is not realistic.” His colleagues agreed and said they were surprised by the shift in the rail authority’s plans. City Manager James Keene said he and city staff were shocked to

ers, said she was concerned that “construction costs and zoning constraints will continue to limit our ability to create more and greater housing options.” Jeralyn Moran, a Gunn High School graduate who left Palo Alto and recently returned to take care of her 90-year-old mother, said the city is facing a “housing crisis.” “My mom is not in a position to find housing that’s smaller from her original home here in Palo Alto,” Moran said. “My children are millennials and they can’t even consider living here now because of the expense.” In lieu of big affordable-housing projects, some residents urged the council to consider nimble, smaller-scale solutions like granny units. In the new memo, which the council is set to consider on Oct. 19, the three council members concur. “We have high demand for housing at a variety of income-

levels, with limited supply,” the memo states. Accessory-dwelling units, the council members argue, would provide homeowners with supplemental income while also offering Stanford University students or Palo Alto employees with a local place to live. The discussion about granny units comes exactly a decade after the city rejected a prior proposal to make these apartments easier to develop. In 2005, the council considered allowing single-family home owners with lots 7,000 square feet or larger to build 450-square-foot granny units on their properties, with a cap on 15 such units per year. That proposal fizzled on a 5-4 vote after council members bowed down to concerns from residents about the new units adding noise and traffic to their neighborhoods. Under existing zoning rules, a property in a standard R-1 zoning district (single-family homes) has to have an area of at least 8,100 square feet for a secondary unit to be permitted (it’s a 9,720 square feet requirement for properties that are flag lots). Local law also caps the floor area of a secondary unit at 450 feet, sets a 17-foot height limit for these structures and requires them to be “architecturally compatible with the main

residence, with respect to style, roof pitch, color and materials.” As part of the new look at granny units, city staff would be directed to evaluate existing granny units and consider ways to bring noncompliant ones into compliance. Staff and planning commissioners would also offer recommendations to limit “impacts on community character and design standards.” The request is consistent with the city’s recently adopted Housing Element, which plans out how the city can add housing between 2014 and 2023. The document states that the city approves an average of four such units per year. It therefore anticipates 32 such units to be created during the eight-year planning period. The document also includes as one of its programs a modification of the city’s standards for secondary units, with particular focus on encouraging production of second units for very low-, low- or moderateincome individuals. It commits the city to studying the issue within three years of the document’s November 2014 adoption to “assess the potential for additional secondary units with modifications to the development standards.” Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 7

Upfront SENIORS

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Palo Alto asked to contribute toward Avenidas expansion City Council to consider request for $5 million from senior-services nonprofit

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s Palo Alto’s senior population continues to expand, the downtown nonprofit that serves this growing population is trying to do the same. Avenidas, which has been providing classes, workshops, case management and other services to area seniors since 1977, is now preparing for a major addition to its 1927 Birge Clark-designed building at 450 Bryant St. On Oct. 19, its effort could get a major boost when the City Council considers contributing $5 million in public funds to the project. For Avenidas, the expansion aims to both meet the increased demand for its services and upgrade an aged structure that originally housed the city’s police and fire departments. The project would supplement the existing 16,000-square-foot building with an 11,000-square-foot wing, creating a new Wellness Center and an upgraded technology center that would connect seniors with researchers and entrepreneurs who create products for that population. But before construction can be-

gin, the organization has to raise $18 million to cover the costs. In April, it requested a $5 million contribution from the city, which owns the building and last year agreed to extend Avenidas’ lease by 50 years. Specifically, the organization is asking for about $3.3 million to fund seismic upgrades and the replacement of its mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. It is also requesting that the city waive the roughly $1.9 million that the nonprofit would normally be required to contribute in parking in-lieu fees because it is not adding parking to accommodate its expanded facilities. Avenidas CEO Amy Andonian, board of directors Chairman Bruce Heister and Capital Project Manager Lisa Hendrickson wrote in their April letter to the city that the expansion would “bring the building into the 21st century and assure its relevance for many years to come.” The city’s contribution would, in the near term, help Avenidas raise the rest of the needed funding, according to the letter.

(continued on page 9)

CityView

Public notice

Board of Directors’ Consideration of Directors’ Meeting Compensation Rate

A round-up

Topic:

Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors’ Consideration of Directors’ Meeting Compensation Amount for Calendar Year 2016

Who:

The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors

What: Public hearing for the Board of Directors to consider Directors’ meeting compensation amount for calendar year 2016 When: October 27, 2015, 6:00 p.m. Where: Santa Clara Valley Water District Board Chambers 5700 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118

of Palo Alto government action this week

City Council (Oct. 13)

Rail: The council directed staff to advocate for “context-sensitive solutions” as the process for designing the Peninsula segment of high-speed rail and to adopt this process as part of the city’s own circulation analysis near the rail corridor. Yes: Berman, Burt, DuBois, Holman, Scharff, Schmid, Wolbach Absent: Kniss Recused: Filseth Funding: The council directed staff to advocate for including in the proposed Santa Clara County transportation measure funding for grade separation on the rail corridor and that this funding comprise at least 15 percent of the bond measure proceeds. Yes: Berman, Burt, DuBois, Filseth, Holman, Scharff, Schmid, Wolbach Absent: Kniss

Board of Education (Oct. 13)

The Board of Directors of Santa Clara Valley Water District will hold a public hearing to consider the Directors’ meeting compensation amount for calendar year 2016, and for the adoption of an Ordinance providing for said meeting compensation amount. At the time and place fixed for the public hearing, the Board of Directors will receive comments relevant to the compensation of the Directors. After considering all information presented, the Board will consider one of the following options: 1. Keep the Directors’ compensation at the current amount of $260.03 per day, up to 10 days per month; 2. Reduce the Directors’ compensation to a specified amount below the current $260.03 rate per day, up to 10 days per month; 3. Approve an increase in Directors’ compensation in accordance with the California Water Code Sessions 20200-20207. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate persons with disabilities wishing to attend this public hearing. To request accommodations for disabilities, arrange for an interpreter, or obtain more information on attending this hearing, please contact the Office of the Clerk of the Board at (408) 630-2277, at least three days prior to the hearing. 10/2015_LG

Page 8 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

“We are learning that many of the prospective donors to this $12 million campaign expect that the city will make a meaningful investment in this project and its building,” the letter states. “We would be able to leverage the city’s commitment and accelerate our fundraising if the city makes a commitment soon.” Palo Alto has a long history of supporting Avenidas, which provides the types of senior services that other cities typically fund from their respective General Funds. The council in 1978 made a decision to transfer senior services to a nonprofit and provided initial funding for the center’s operation, a new report from the Community Services Department states. “Since that time, the city has provided significant funding to Avenidas for the provision of comprehensive services to older adults in Palo Alto,” the report notes. At one point, the report states, this support comprised 38 percent of the organization’s total operating budget. Today, it totals 10 percent. Meanwhile, one-third of Palo

Alto residents are now age 55 or older — a proportion that is expected to grow to 50 percent by 2030. The staff report notes that in Palo Alto and surrounding cities the senior population is set to double between 2000 and 2020. The report notes that last year Avenidas served more than 7,000 individuals and hosted 233 classes. While no one is questioning the need for more senior services, the modernist design of the proposed addition has already attracted some criticism. During a July hearing, members of the city’s Historic Resources Board struggled to reconcile the differences between the existing twostory Spanish Colonial building and the contemporary three-story addition. Beyond the stylistic disparity, the addition calls for the removal of the existing building’s historic eaves and roof sections — a sacrifice that board member David Bower said was unacceptable. Because the July meeting was a preliminary hearing, the board did not vote on the project, which is now undergoing revisions based on feedback from staff, the historic board and the Architectural Review Board. The council, for its part, will focus on the funding component. Though the expansion of Avenidas was not included in the council’s recently adopted infrastructure plan, staff from the Community Services Department is recommending that the city comply with

Textbooks: The board approved a resolution regarding availability of textbooks and other instructional materials. Yes: Unanimous

Planning and Transportation Commission (Oct. 14)

Greer Park North: The commission recommended approving a single-story overlay district in the Greer Park North neighborhood but opted to exclude from the district homes along Greer Road and Amarillo Avenue. Yes: Alcheck, Downing, Fine, Michael, Rosenblum, Tanaka Abstained: Gardias

Architectural Review Board (Oct. 15)

180 El Camino Real: The board approved a package of facade improvements proposed for Stanford Shopping Center and directed the applicant to provide to its subcomittee more details about its outdoor seating plan and an option for a different layout that improves traffic flow in the shopping center. Yes: Unanimous

Correction

The Oct. 9 article, “A question of boundaries,” incorrectly stated how former Palo Alto High School Principal Phil Winston left the district. He resigned. It also incorrectly stated that all school board members declined interview requests. Ken Dauber spoke to the Weekly, expressing his own viewpoints, not those of the board. The Weekly regrets the errors. To request a correction, contact Editor Jocelyn Dong at 650-2236514, jdong@paweekly.com or P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302.

Upfront PUBLIC SAFETY

Caltrain takes steps to prevent trains from hitting cars Efforts include public education, increased law-enforcement presence by My Nguyen

n response to recent incidents in which vehicles have been hit by commuter trains, Caltrain is working to â&#x20AC;&#x153;develop and promote new strategies for encouraging safe behaviorâ&#x20AC;? around its rail corridor, according to an Oct. 14 statement from the transportation agency. Caltrain has hit seven vehicles this year, according to the agency â&#x20AC;&#x201D; three times in Burlingame (twice at Broadway Avenue and once at Bayswater Avenue). A train struck an unoccupied vehicle at the East Meadow Drive crossing in Palo Alto on Sept. 13. According to Caltrain, the accident happened after the driver, following GPS instructions, turned onto the tracks instead of onto the upcoming street. The only vehicle strike to kill someone this year, according to Caltrain, happened on Feb. 23. A 30-year-old woman died on Ravenswood Avenue in Menlo Park when her car, stuck at the crossing, was struck by a train. While the nature of these incidents make them difficult to prevent, Caltrain officials stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear is that more can be done to warn drivers as they approach the tracks to take extra precautions.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are responding to recent events by increasing the visibility of our law-enforcement presence at key crossings along our corridor and redoubling our outreach and education efforts to make drivers more aware of the extra caution needed when driving near active railroad tracks,â&#x20AC;? Jim Hartnett, Caltrainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new executive director, stated in the press release. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the same time we are working with local cities to explore engineering and traffic-management solutions,â&#x20AC;? he said. Caltrain is working with the City of Burlingame to add pavement striping at the Broadway Avenue crossing to â&#x20AC;&#x153;make clear

to drivers the limits that should be observed on both sides of the tracks to avoid a collision with a train,â&#x20AC;? according to the statement. The agency is also working with Burlingame officials to explore improved signal timing for drivers waiting at the Rollins Road signal and improved pavement striping at the Bayswater Avenue crossing. In the meantime, Caltrain is planning to have law-enforcement officers warn drivers to stay off the tracks and issue citations to people who disobey the law during periods of heavy traffic congestion. Caltrain officials said they are aware of the impact these incidents have on rail passengers, who are either stuck on trains or at stations while the agency restores service. Caltrain is conducting a full review of the protocols it follows immediately after an incident to ensure riders receive timely and accurate information. Recommendations for a more streamlined process, including greater communication in the trains and on the station platforms, are expected to roll out in the coming months. On social media, Caltrain uses the #CaltrainSafe hashtag to offer tips on safe driving behaviors. Caltrain is also working to address another communitywide issue: deaths by suicide. According to the agency, there has been an increase in intentional fatalities on its tracks in 2015. In addition to working with mental health agencies to raise awareness and conduct prevention efforts, Caltrain removed vegetation in early September along the rail corridor in Palo Alto as part of a suicide-prevention program approved by the City Council in August. Caltrain will also install taller fencing in the city to limit access to the tracks. Q Digital Editor My Nguyen can be reached at mnguyen@ paweekly.com.

Avenidas

facilities,â&#x20AC;? the report states. More than half of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution could come from the sale of â&#x20AC;&#x153;transferable development rightsâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a mechanism that provides development bonuses to seismic or historical rehabilitation projects. These density bonuses can be used either on the projects undergoing renovation or to off-site projects. According to staff estimates, the sale of these rights could raise about $2.8 million. The remaining $2.2 million would come from the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community Center Development Impact Fee Fund. Q

(continued from page 8)

Avenidasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; request. The Community Services report notes that the organization â&#x20AC;&#x153;has covered the increasing cost of providing services to an ever-increasing number of Palo Alto older adults, with a budget that has grown less than three-fold during the same time.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;They believe that this request gives the city the opportunity to make an investment in the future of high quality senior services and

SECTION A1 - NOTICE REQUESTING BIDS EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT SEWER TRUNKLINE REHALIGNMENT PROJECT Sealed proposals for the 2015 Sewer Pipe Repair Project, East Palo Alto will be received at the East Palo Alto Sanitary District, 901 Weeks Street, East Palo Alto, California 94303 until 2:00 PM on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at which time they will be publicly opened and read. Bids shall be labeled â&#x20AC;&#x153;East Palo Alto Sanitary District, Proposal for â&#x20AC;&#x153;SEWER TRUNKLINE REALIGNMENT PROJECT, EAST PALO ALTO.â&#x20AC;? The Work will include the furnishing of all labor, materials and equipment, and other appurtenances for replacement of sanitary sewer mains and manholes by open trench method, as indicated on the project plans. ;OL JVU[YHJ[ KVJ\TLU[Z TH` IL PUZWLJ[LK H[ [OL VÉ&#x2030;JL VM [OL ,HZ[ 7HSV (S[V :HUP[HY` +PZtrict; San Francisco Builders Exchange, Attn: Deanna Johnson, 850 So. Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California 94110; Peninsula Builders Exchange, Attn: Andrea Nettles, 735 Industrial Road, Suite 100, San Carlos, California 94070; Santa Clara Builders Exchange, Attn: Kanani Fonseca, 400 Reed Street, Santa Clara, California 95050; Builders Exchange of Alameda, Attn: Richard Owen, 3055 Alvarado Street, San Leandro, California 94577; Construction Bidboard Incorporated, Attn: Plan Room, 11622 El Camino Real, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92130; and, Contra Costa Builders Exchange, Attn: April Hamilton, 2440 Stanwell Drive, Suite B, Concord, California 94520. *VWPLZ VM [OL *VU[YHJ[ +VJ\TLU[Z TH` IL VI[HPULK H[ [OL VÉ&#x2030;JL VM [OL ,HZ[ 7HSV (S[V :HUitary District upon payment of a check or money order in the amount of $50.00 for each set. The check or money order must be issued to the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. All payments are nonrefundable. The Sanitary District is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., however closed from Noon to 1:00 p.m. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, October 19, 2015 H[ [OL VÉ&#x2030;JL VM [OL ,HZ[ 7HSV (S[V :HUP[HY` +PZ[YPJ[ ,HJO IPK WYVWVZHS ZOHSS IL HJJVTWHUPLK I` H JLY[PĂ&#x201E;LK VY JHZOPLYÂťZ JOLJR VY H WYVWVZHS guaranty bond payable to the order of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the amount of the bid as a guaranty that the bidder will execute the contract if it be awarded to him in conformity with the proposal. The successful bidder will be required to furnish a performance bond in an amount not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price and a labor and material bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price. The District (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ownerâ&#x20AC;?) reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to determine which proposal is, in the judgment of the District, the lowest responsible bid of a responsible bidder or group of bidders and which proposal should be accepted in the best interest of the District. The District also reserves the right to waive any informalities in any proposal or bid. Bid proposals received after the time announced for the opening will not be considered. No bidder may withdraw his proposal after the time announced for the opening, or before award and execution of the contract, unless the award is delayed for a period exceeding MVY[` Ă&#x201E;]L KH`Z Pursuant to the provisions of Public Contract Code Section 22300, and upon the request and at the expense of the Contractor, securities equivalent to the amount withheld by the District to insure performance under the Contract may be deposited with the District, or with a state or federally chartered bank as escrow agent who shall deliver such securities to the Contractor upon satisfactory completion of the contract. Only those securities listed in Government Code Section 16430 or other securities approved by the District are eligible for deposit. The deposit of securities with an escrow agent or the District shall be made in the form and on such terms and conditions as the District may require to protect the PU[LYLZ[ VM [OL +PZ[YPJ[ PU [OL L]LU[ VM [OL *VU[YHJ[VYÂťZ KLMH\S[ ;OL *VU[YHJ[VY ZOHSS IL [OL ILULĂ&#x201E;JPHS V^ULY VM HU` ZLJ\YP[PLZ [OH[ HYL KLWVZP[LK HUK ZOHSS YLJLP]L HU` PU[LYLZ[ [OLYLVU Pertaining to Sections 1770, 1773, and 1773.1 of the California Labor Code the successful bidder shall pay not less than the prevailing rate of per diem wages as determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations. Copies of such prevailing YH[LZ HYL VU Ă&#x201E;SL H[ [OL +PZ[YPJ[ VÉ&#x2030;JL VM [OL ,HZ[ 7HSV (S[V :HUP[HY` +PZ[YPJ[ HUK ^OPJO JVWPLZ shall be made available to any interested party on request. The successful bidder shall post a copy of such determinations at each job site. In accordance with the provisions of California Public Contract Code Section 3300, the District has determined that the Contractor shall possess a valid Class A License or a combination of the Class C licenses indicated in Article B8.01-License Requirements, at the [PTL [OH[ [OL JVU[YHJ[ PZ H^HYKLK -HPS\YL [V WVZZLZZ [OL ZWLJPĂ&#x201E;LK SPJLUZL Z ZOHSS YLUKLY the bid as non-responsive and shall act as a bar to award of the contract to any bidder not possessing said license(s) at the time of award. *VU[YHJ[VYÂťZ H[[LU[PVU PZ KPYLJ[LK [V :LJ[PVU ) :THSS )\ZPULZZ HUK :\IJVU[YHJ[PUN Participation Goal, which grants the Contractor a credit for using a Small Business Con[YHJ[VY HZ KLĂ&#x201E;ULK PU [OL ZLJ[PVU East Palo Alto Sanitary District Board of Directors San Mateo County, California /s/ Kenneth C. Jones Dated: October 5, 2015 10/16, 10/23/15 CNS-2803687# PALO ALTO WEEKLY www.PaloAltoOnline.com â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 9

AGENDAâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;SPECIAL MEETINGâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;COUNCIL CHAMBERS OCTOBER 19, 2015 5:00 PM Closed Session 1. Labor- CONFERENCE WITH CITY LABOR NEGOTIATORS Special Orders Of The Day 9LJVNUP[PVU HUK (JRUV^SLKNLTLU[ VM 7HSV (S[V -PYLĂ&#x201E;NO[LYZ MVY ;OLPY 9LZWVUZL [V 5\TLYV\Z >PSKSHUK -PYLZ in California During the 2015 Fire Season Study Session 3. Study Session with Assemblyman Rich Gordon *V\UJPS <WKH[L VU :[HŃ&#x153; (J[PVUZ PU 7YLWHYH[PVU MVY >PU[LY :[VYT :LHZVU Approval of Minutes 4H` 4H` 4H` HUK 4H` Consent Calendar (WWYV]HS HUK (\[OVYPaH[PVU MVY [OL *P[` 4HUHNLY [V ,_LJ\[L HU ,SLJ[YPJ ,U[LYWYPZL -\UK *VUZ[Y\J[PVU *VU[YHJ[ ^P[O 7(9 ,SLJ[YPJHS *VU[YHJ[VYZ 0UJ MVY H ;V[HS 5V[ [V ,_JLLK (TV\U[ VM MVY [OL ,SLJ[YPJ 7VSL Replacement Project 3, Which Involves Construction Maintenance Work on the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Electric Distribution System Throughout the City ( WWYV]HS VM H *VU[YHJ[ >P[O 7PLYJL 4HU\MHJ[\YPUN 0UJ PU [OL (TV\U[ VM MVY [OL 7\YJOHZL VM H ;YPWSL Combination 1500 GPM Fire Pumper; and Adoption of a Budget Amendment Ordinance in the Amount of [V -\UK [OL 7\YJOHZL VM H -PYL 7\TWLY VŃ&#x153;ZL[ I` H [YHUZMLY MYVT [OL .LULYHS -\UK HUK *VYYLZWVUKPUN 9LK\J[PVU [V [OL )\KNL[ :[HIPSPaH[PVU 9LZLY]L :JOLK\SLK =LOPJSL HUK ,X\PWTLU[ 9LWSHJLTLU[ *HWP[HS 0TWYV]LTLU[ 7YVNYHT *07 =9 ( WWYV]HS VM H 7\YJOHZL 6YKLY >P[O 3LHKLY 0UK\Z[YPLZ PU HU (TV\U[ UV[ [V ,_JLLK MVY [OL 7\YJOHZL of two 2015 Chevrolet G4500 Type III Ambulances and Adoption of a Budget Amendment Ordinance for Fiscal @LHY PU [OL (TV\U[ VM PU [OL =LOPJSL 9LWSHJLTLU[ -\UK VŃ&#x153;ZL[ I` H [YHUZMLY MYVT [OL .LULYHS -\UK HUK *VYYLZWVUKPUN 9LK\J[PVU [V [OL )\KNL[ :[HIPSPaH[PVU 9LZLY]L :JOLK\SLK =LOPJSL HUK ,X\PWTLU[ 9LWSHJLTLU[ *HWP[HS 0TWYV]LTLU[ 7YVNYHT *07 =9 ( WWYV]HS VM H :P[L HUK +LZPNU (WWSPJH[PVU MVY 6UL 5L^ ZX\HYL MVV[ :PUNSL -HTPS` 9LZPKLUJL 0UJS\KPUN H 5L^ ZX\HYL MVV[ +LJR HUK ZX\HYL MVV[ .HYHNL SVJH[LK H[ :R`SPUL )S]K AVUL District: Open Space 10. Approval of the Purchase of Underground Cable From a Term Contract with The Okonite Company in the (TV\U[ VM WLY `LHY MVY H -P]L @LHYZ MVY H ;V[HS 5V[ [V ,_JLLK (TV\U[ VM 7LYPVK MVY [OL 7\YJOHZL VM 4LKP\T =VS[HNL <UKLYNYV\UK *HISL PU :\WWVY[ VM [OL <[PSP[` +LWHY[TLU[ ;OL =HS\L VM [OL *VU[YHJ[ MVY [OL -P]L @LHY ;LYT VM [OL (NYLLTLU[ ^V\SK IL ( WWYV]HS VM *OHUNL 6YKLY 5\TILY 6UL [V *VUZ[Y\J[PVU :LY]PJLZ *VU[YHJ[ 5\TILY * ^P[O 7HJOLJV 3PUL )\PSKLYZ 0UJ [V 0UJYLHZL 5V[ [V ,_JLLK (TV\U[ I` (UU\HSS` [V 7LY @LHY MVY H ;V[HS 5V[ [V ,_JLLK (TV\U[ VM MVY 0UJYLHZLK *VZ[Z (ZZVJPH[LK ^P[O 4HPU[LUHUJL HUK 9LWHPY >VYR MVY the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Electric Overhead Distribution System, and Adoption of a Related Budget Amendment Ordinance MVY -PZJHS @LHY (WWYVWYPH[PUN H [V[HS VM MYVT [OL ,SLJ[YPJ +PZ[YPI\[PVU -\UK 6WLYH[PVUZ 9LZLY]L 12. Approval of Amendment Number. Two to the Agreement Between the City of Palo Alto and the Purissima Hills Water District for a Limited Emergency Water Supply Intertie (WWYV]HS VM [OL -YPLUKZ VM [OL 1\UPVY 4\ZL\T AVVÂťZ 9LX\LZ[ [V +LSH` +PZJ\ZZPVU VM 6WLYH[PVU VM [OL 5L^ 1\UPVY 4\ZL\T AVV <U[PS H -\[\YL +H[L (M[LY [OL 5L^ )\PSKPUN 6WLUZ ( WWYV]HS VM H *VU[YHJ[ (TLUKTLU[ ^P[O ;YHUZ7HJ :`Z[LTZ 33* *VU[YHJ[ : PU [OL (TV\U[ VM MVY *VUZ\S[PUN HUK 0TWSLTLU[H[PVU :LY]PJLZ MVY [OL *P[`ÂťZ 7VSPJL +LWHY[TLU[ÂťZ 0UMVYTH[PVU Technology Systems 15. Approval of Renewal of Williamson Act Contracts ( KVW[PVU VM H 9LZVS\[PVU (TLUKPUN HUK 9LZ[H[PUN [OL (KTPUPZ[YH[P]L 7LUHS[` :JOLK\SL HUK *P]PS 7LUHS[` :JOLK\SLZ MVY *LY[HPU =PVSH[PVUZ VM [OL 7HSV (S[V 4\UPJPWHS *VKL HUK [OL *HSPMVYUPH =LOPJSL *VKL ,Z[HISPZOLK I` 9LZVS\[PVU 5VZ HUK : ,*65+ 9,(+05.! (KVW[PVU VM HU 6YKPUHUJL VM [OL *P[` *V\UJPS VM [OL *P[` VM 7HSV (S[V (KKPUN :LJ[PVU [V [OL 4\UPJPWHS *VKL 9LSH[PUN [V ,_WLKP[LK 7LYTP[[PUN 7YVJLK\YLZ MVY :THSS 9LZPKLU[PHS 9VVM[VW :VSHY :`Z[LTZ -09:; 9,(+05.! :LW[LTILY 7(::,+! : ,*65+ 9,(+05.! (KVW[PVU VM HU 6YKPUHUJL *OHUNPUN [OL ,UK VM ;LYT +H[L MVY *VTTPZZPVULYZ :LY]PUN on the Human Relations Commission, Library Advisory Commission, Public Art Commission and Utilities (K]PZVY` *VTTPZZPVU MYVT (WYPS [V 4H` VM =HYPV\Z @LHYZ HUK 4HRPUN 4PUVY 5VU Z\IZ[HU[P]L 3HUN\HNL *OHUNLZ -09:; 9,(+05.! (\N\Z[ 7(::,+! +\)VPZ UV : ,*65+ 9,(+05.! (KVW[PVU VM HU 6YKPUHUJL 0TWSLTLU[PUN H 3VJHS 4PUPT\T >HNL 9LX\PYLTLU[ VM I` 1HU\HY` HUK +PZJ\ZZPVU VM *VSSHIVYH[PUN >P[O 6[OLY *P[PLZ [V 0TWSLTLU[ H 9LNPVUHS 4PUPT\T >HNL VM 7LY /V\Y I` -09:; 9,(+05.! (\N\Z[ 7(::,+ Action Items 7<)30* /,(905.! (KVW[PVU VM H 9LZVS\[PVU *VUĂ&#x201E;YTPUN (KKP[PVUHS >LLK (IH[LTLU[ 9LWVY[ HUK 6YKLYPUN Cost of Abatement to be a Special Assessment on the Respective Properties Described Therein * VUZPKLYH[PVU VM -PUHUJPHS :\WWVY[ VM 4PSSPVU MVY [OL (]LUPKHZ *VUZ[Y\J[PVU 7YVQLJ[ ;OH[ ^PSS ,_WHUK [OL Capacity of Senior Programs and Services Provided by Avenidas at 450 Bryant Street 22. Approval of Council Direction on a Future Funding Strategy for the Storm Drainage Fund, Including Appointment VM H *P[PaLU (K]PZVY` *VTTP[[LL HUK H 7V[LU[PHS 7YVWLY[` 6^ULY )HSSV[ I` 4HPS 4LHZ\YL 7 <)30* /,(905.! (KVW[PVU VM HU 6YKPUHUJL [V (TLUK *OHW[LY VM [OL 7HSV (S[V 4\UPJPWHS *VKL 9LSH[LK to Development Project Preliminary Review Procedures. The Planning and Transportation Commission has 9L]PL^LK [OL 7YVWVZLK *OHUNLZ HUK 9LJVTTLUKZ (WWYV]HS ;OPZ 6YKPUHUJL PZ ,_LTW[ MYVT [OL *HSPMVYUPH ,U]PYVUTLU[HS 8\HSP[` (J[ *,8( 7\YZ\HU[ [V :LJ[PVU VM [OL *,8( .\PKLSPULZ * VSSLHN\LZ 4LTV -YVT *V\UJPS 4LTILYZ :JOHYŃ&#x153; HUK >VSIHJO 9LNHYKPUN (JJLZZVY` +^LSSPUN <UP[ Â¸(+<Âš Policy Update COUNCIL AND STANDING COMMITTEE ;OL :WLJPHS -PUHUJL *VTTP[[LL TLL[PUN ^PSS IL OLSK VU ;\LZKH` 6J[VILY H[ ! 74 [V KPZJ\ZZ! 1) New 7LUZPVU 9LWVY[PUN :[HUKHYKZ .V]LYUTLU[ (JJV\U[PUN :[HUKHYKZ )VHYK :[H[LTLU[ 5\TILY .(:) " HUK 2) 9LX\LZ[ MVY 7YVWVZHS MVY (X\H[PJZ [V L_WSVYL VW[PVUZ MVY PTWYV]PUN JHWHJP[` HUK ZLY]PJL KLSP]LY` [V [OL JVTT\UP[`

Page 10 â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ www.PaloAltoOnline.com

News Digest Man arrested on suspicion of lewd conduct An Oakland man who police said engaged in â&#x20AC;&#x153;lewd conductâ&#x20AC;? in a Palo Alto park was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 8, according to a police department press release. Police were dispatched to Peers Park, 899 Park Blvd., at about 2:15 p.m. following a report of a man, later identified as Joseph Nicholas Harrell, exposing himself to a woman walking in the area. The victim, a woman in her 30s, was walking through the park when Harrell, 30, called out to her, asking her to look his way, police said. When she looked over, Harrellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hand was in his pants and he was allegedly engaged in the lewd conduct, which he continued as the wom- Joseph Harrell an left the park to call police, the press release of Oakland states. Harrell was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor lewd and lascivious conduct, police said. There were no children present in the park at the time of the incident. Q â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Palo Alto Weekly staff

Courtesy Palo Alto Police Department

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/gov/agendas/default.asp

Upfront

Man booked for stabbing outside Happy Donuts Palo Alto police arrested a man who they believe stabbed another man in the back in an alleyway behind Happy Donuts last month. Palo Alto resident Daniel Vasquez, 23, was arrested Friday in connection with the stabbing, which occurred in the early evening on Sept. 22. Shortly after 7 p.m. that day, the police departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dispatch center received a call from someone who said that a man had been stabbed. Police officers and firefighters responded to the area outside Happy Donuts, at 3916 El Camino Real, and found the victim, a man in his 20s, with a single stab wound in his back. The victim told police that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see who stabbed him and had no idea why someone would attack him. The victim was taken to a local hospital and has Daniel Vasquez since been released. Police said he is expected to of Palo Alto make a full recovery. After the incident, detectives obtained information identifying Vasquez as the suspect. On Friday, they obtained an arrest warrant for Vazquez, charging him with one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon. Police said that at about 4 p.m. on Friday detectives located Vasquez at a residence on the 3900 block of El Camino, near Happy Donuts. Police told the Weekly the stabbing did not appear to be a random incident. Police said the victim and Vasquez knew each other. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the police departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984. Q â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Gennady Sheyner

Courtesy Palo Alto Police Department

PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL

Recording released in motorcycle fatality Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman has released an audio recording of the Menlo Park Fire Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response to a Tuesday, Sept. 22, collision on U.S. Highway 101 in East Palo Alto that left a motorcyclist dead. Schapelhouman said the incident was an example of how emergency crews are delayed by heavy traffic, particularly during commute hours. The crash was reported at 5:46 p.m. on southbound 101 just north of Embarcadero Road. The first firefighters arrived on scene at 5:56 p.m., Schapelhouman said. The California Highway Patrol said the motorcyclistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death was reported to dispatchers just before 6 p.m. The firefighters were unable to meet the fire districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standard of responding to such emergencies within seven minutes, Chief Schapelhouman said. While acknowledging that in this incident an earlier arrival might not have saved the motorcyclistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, Schapelhouman said it could make a difference in another incident. The San Mateo County coronerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office identified the motorcyclist as Ronald Barbaran Garcia, 27, of Union City. To listen to the recording, visit youtu.be/emGOH66SQec. Q â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Almanac staff LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DISCUSS: Read the latest local news headlines and talk about the issues at Town Square at PaloAltoOnline.com

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Creek (continued from page 5)

hood, which flooded in 2012. Although her home was not damaged, those of her neighbors two blocks away were, she said. Since then, a 1 1/2-foot-tall berm made of concrete and sandbags has been added along 400 feet of the creek bank at the spot of the 2012 overflow, and another 600 feet of berm closer to the bay will be completed by Nov. 1, East Palo Alto City Engineer Kamal Fallaha said. Another 2-foot-tall retaining wall will be constructed in the coming weeks along a section of creek on Woodland Avenue near University Avenue in East Palo Alto that will match the height of an existing wall on the Palo Alto side, Fallaha said. Palo Alto and Menlo Park officials have also shored up the area near the Pope-Chaucer Bridge with berms. The bridge is a bottleneck for debris, and plans are in the works to modify and widen it as part of a broader floodcontrol project through the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (JPA). Caltrans has been working this summer on a new, wider bridge over the creek that goes under U.S. Highway 101, which will improve creek flow. That work wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be completed by this winter, but a retaining wall that currently keeps

water from entering the work site will be removed this month so water can flow unimpeded during the rainy season, officials said. Joe Teresi, a Palo Alto senior engineer, said a pump station built in 2004 is in place to move water faster away from Palo Alto. But the pumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s action could result in water flowing more quickly toward East Palo Alto, so the pumps will be turned off when the water reaches a critical level, he said. Crews walked the creek in August to identify potential blockage areas and have taken out vegetation and debris. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our city crews removed 2,700 pounds of trash and 750 pound of recyclables from Menlo Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1.3 miles of creek,â&#x20AC;? Menlo Park City Manager Alex McIntyre said. Additional sandbag locations are also being set up, and Santa Clara Valley Water District officials are looking at funding crews to help seniors and other residents with filling and delivering sandbags to their homes, board Chairman Gary Kremen said. East Palo Alto will host a sandbag-filling event on Oct. 24 at the Tara Road municipal yard from 9 a.m. to noon. The city has 133 volunteer emergency workers at the ready and has conducted drills to aid residents should flooding occur and in the event of evacuations, Gauthier said. The JPA also debuted a new

Courtesy of San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority.

Upfront

Sandbag locations are being hosted by multiple cities to prepare for the 2015-16 winter storms. website at sfcjpa.org/floodwarning, which displays a color-coded map showing the likelihood of flooding at key points along the creek and in specific neighborhoods. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The site provides a two-hour warning where we can now an-

ticipate points where the creek levels will over-top. The site also makes rain and creek-flow data during major storms both useful and user friendly,â&#x20AC;? Len Materman, the creek authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive director, said.

Palo Alto will also provide storm updates at cityofpaloalto. org/storms and through the social networking site nextdoor.com. Q Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@ paweekly.com.

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Upfront

Online This Week

These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAlto Online.com/news.

Greer Park North pursues ban on two-story homes Just weeks after they endorsed a proposal to ban new two-story homes in the Los Arboles neighborhood, Palo Alto’s planning commissioners took a decidedly more skeptical stance toward a similar request from the residents of Greer Park North. (Posted Oct. 14, 10:09 p.m.)

Bay Area psychiatrist pens comprehensive guide on suicide risk A San Francisco psychiatrist and mental health consultant has written a comprehensive resource and educational guide on suicide risk, the concept for which was inspired in part by the youth suicide clusters in Palo Alto. (Posted Oct. 15, 7:57 a.m.)

Police: Woman robbed near downtown transit center Palo Alto police are seeking a man who allegedly robbed a woman of her purse near the University Avenue transit center shortly after she got off the bus early Wednesday morning. (Posted Oct. 14, 10:20 p.m.)

Firefighters put out small fire at Stanford Maples Pavilion Firefighters extinguished a small electrical fire at Stanford Maples Pavilion on Oct. 12, according to an emergency alert sent out to the Stanford University community. (Posted Oct. 12, 2:30 p.m.)

VIDEO: On last week’s Behind the Headlines On last week’s half-hour webcast, “Behind the Headlines,” Weekly Editor in Chief Jocelyn Dong, Publisher Bill Johnson and reporters Elena Kadvany and Gennady Sheyner discuss a threemonth investigation by the Weekly into how the Palo Alto school district responded to allegations that a Paly English teacher had an improper relationship with an 18-year-old former student. (Posted Oct. 9, 4:20 p.m.)

Vehicle strikes by trains up dramatically this year An increase in the number of vehicles hit by Caltrain commuter trains this year has transit police and at least one city police department working together to increase enforcement efforts, a Caltrain spokeswoman said on Oct. 8. (Posted Oct. 9, 8:16 a.m.)

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS Stories Matter: How is To Kill a Mockingbird Relevant Today? A Community Conversation with Margaret Stohl, Lalita Tademy, and Isabel Wilkerson Presented by Facing History and Ourselves and The Allstate Foundation

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 13

Upfront

Crime

East Palo Alto crime plunges 2013

(continued from page 5)

2014

250 200 150 100 50 0

Aggravated assault

Homicide

Rapes

Robberies

Graphic by Rosanna Leung

A new FBI report reveals there were substantially fewer violent crimes in East Palo Alto in 2014 than in 2013.

observe and discuss problems specific to a street or neighborhood. Rarely a week goes by when officers are not called to attend one of these meetings, Pardini said. The chief also holds quarterly town hall meetings, at which he makes presentations to the community. He often walks different neighborhoods with a commander to meet residents in their front yards and get to know them. And people have been forthcoming with information about crimes and community problems, he said. The department is also using its website to post weekly updates and information as well as to quell rumors. The combination of police presence in the community, familiarity with residents and transparency appears to be paying off. Summer months are usually when cities see higher homicide rates,

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Page 14 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

but this summer was the first in three years with two back-to-back months without a homicide in East Palo Alto, Pardini said. “In 2014, we had a homicide in July, August, September and October. This year we had none in August and September,” he said. Per capita in 2014, East Palo Alto had 53 percent less violent crime than San Francisco and roughly 25 percent more than San Jose, according to FBI numbers. Compared to surrounding cities, East Palo Alto had 4.79 times more violent crimes per capita than Palo Alto, 2.7 times more than Menlo Park and 2.1 times more than Mountain View. East Palo Alto residents who want to work with the police department to further reduce the crime rate and learn more about what is going on in the city can visit the East Palo Alto Police Department’s website at www. ci.east-palo-alto.ca.us/index. aspx?nid=558 and on Facebook at facebook.com/EastPaloAltoPD. Q

Upfront

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Rail

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015 Rinconada Library â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Embarcadero Room 1213 Newell Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303 5:30 PM TO 8:30 PM

(continued from page 7)

communities and stressed that the goal is to make high-speed rail an asset, â&#x20AC;&#x153;not an eyesore,â&#x20AC;? for the cities along the proposed line. He also told the audience that as a safety measure the rail authority plans to install quad gates at each grade crossing to limit auto access. Eventually, Tripousis said, the agency plans to consider separating the tracks from roadways, known as grade separation, and to work with each community individually to discuss this long-term change. In Palo Alto, grade separation is a priority whether or not the rail line actually gets built. With Caltrain now embarking on the longawaited electrification of the rail corridor, a project that will increase the number of trains, council members are advocating for a Caltrain trench and scouring for funding to make the project possible. On Tuesday night, they discussed several sources of funding, including the transportation-sales tax that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority plans to put on the November 2016 ballot and various state grant programs that could partially fund the project. Councilman Tom DuBois recommended talking to other cities, including Mountain View and Redwood City, about forming a joint effort to create a trench along the Caltrain corridor. He pointed to other examples in the state and across the country, including in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Reno, Nevada, where tunnels and trenches were successfully built. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d really like us to learn from examples of how other cities and areas pulled this thing off,â&#x20AC;? DuBois said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we really need to think big and consider all sources of funding (and) cobble everything together. Should we go for minor changes on Churchill? Sure. But Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see us think big and really think about a Midpeninsula trench that could really impact a lot of people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It should be supported by our businesses, by Stanford,â&#x20AC;? DuBois added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It would really contribute to the vitality of Silicon Valley, which is a big part of the GDP (gross domestic product) of California, which is a big part of the GDP of the country.â&#x20AC;? According to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preliminary estimates, a trench for the rail line through the southern half of the city alone would cost between $500 million and $1 billion. But given the rising demand for Caltrain and future rail improvements, the council agreed that grade separation should be pursued regardless of high-speed rail. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The challenges remain whether theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re coming or not,â&#x20AC;? Burt said, referring to high-speed rail. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It really behooves us to re-engage on this and to begin trying to take the bull by the horns ourselves so that we really are moving as much as possible away from a reactive mode.â&#x20AC;? Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 15

Upfront

Public Agenda

Counseling (continued from page 5)

A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week CITY COUNCIL ... The council will meet in a closed session to discuss the status of the city’s labor negotiations with its fire and police unions, the Service Employees International Union, Local 521, the Management, Professionals and Confidential Employees group, and the Utilities Management and Professional Association of Palo Alto. The council will then consider contributing $5 million toward the expansion of Avenidas; discuss a potential 2016 election to raise storm-drains fees; consider revising the zoning-code provision relating to preliminary review procedures for developments; and consider a colleagues memo about increasing accessory-dwelling units. The closed session will begin at 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19, at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. The rest of the meeting will follow in the Council Chambers. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE ... The committee plans to continue its discussion for the Transportation Element of the updated Comprehensive Plan. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the Rinconada Library, 1213 Newell Road. COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE ... The committee plans to discuss the new Government Accounting Standards Board pension reporting standards, known as GASB 68; and consider a staff recommendation to issue a request for proposal to explore options for delivery of aquatic programs and services for the city. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the Community Meeting Room at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. HISTORIC RESOURCES BAORD ... The board plans to meet at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION ... The commission plans to hear a report about recent instances of bed bugs in libraries; consider an outreach plan for commission meetings; and discuss the 2016 joint meeting between the commission and the council. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Midtown Room in the Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middlefield Road.

and recommend reforms for the school’s counseling system. Paly has long had in place a teacher-advisory model, which connects each student with one teacher-advisor (TA) for all four years. Students meet weekly with their TA around academic planning and anything else they might need support with. Guidance counselors work with TAs to identify students who might need extra academic or social-emotional support, and college and career counselors provide juniors and seniors with post-graduation guidance. Gunn, by contrast, has a traditional counseling model, with a group of staff members providing guidance counseling, college and career advice and social-emotional support. Members of the community — particularly the group We Can Do Better Palo Alto, which was co-founded by school board member Ken Dauber before he was elected — have advocated for Gunn to adopt the teacher-advisory model. Dauber noted Tuesday night that years of surveys — from the first Strategic Plan survey administered in 2008 to past Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation surveys and counseling-specific surveys — have yielded the same results. “We’ve been looking at these

gaps for many, many years,” Dauber said. “I think it’s time that we stop taking note of the gap and start figuring out how to actually address it in a serious way.” Dauber attributed higher satisfaction at Paly to the teacher-advisory model, which he said produces higher levels of connectedness, higher levels of service and puts multiple adults on campus in guidance roles with students. About half of all students reported in this year’s Strategic Plan survey that they feel connected and engaged in school. A higher percentage, 61 percent, said there is a caring adult at their school to whom they could go with a problem. However, board member Terry Godfrey pointed to students’ relatively low perceptions of their schools’ “culture of trust.” Only 36 percent of Paly students and 47 percent of Gunn students said they feel their school has a culture of trust. “That’s another one that I would love to get my arms around and fix because we can’t do our jobs if they don’t feel trust for the adults that are around them,” Godfrey said. The district plans to conduct focus groups with students to better understand the Strategic Plan survey results — such as what a student who doesn’t feel his or her school has a culture of trust means by that, or what his or her perception of a culture of trust is. During the last school year, the school district administered yet an-

other counseling survey to 2,400 high school students, director of Research and Assessment Chris Kolar said Tuesday. The results of this survey will be presented at the board’s next meeting on Oct. 27. At a budget study session on Nov. 3, Superintendent Max McGee said, he and staff will present proposals (and their costs) for two potential counseling models for Gunn — one like Paly’s teacheradvisory system and another “more robust” one in place at New Trier High School in Illinois. At New Trier, counselors work with sophomores, juniors and seniors in groups, while individualized post-secondary planning and guidance begin during the second semester of the junior year and continue through graduation, according to the school’s website. McGee also said that he hopes the district will address counseling satisfaction at not only Gunn but also Paly. “I don’t want perfect to be the enemy of the good, but that’s far from perfect,” he said regarding Paly students satisfaction levels. “I think we need to look at how to improve counseling at both places.” Board President Melissa Baten Caswell noted that any discussion about the high schools’ counseling services must include the students themselves. Q Staff Writer Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@ paweekly.com.

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watersavings.org Page 16 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Pulse A weekly compendium of vital statistics

POLICE CALLS Palo Alto Oct. 7-12

Violence related Assault with a deadly weapon . . . . . . . . . 1 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Theft related Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Counterfeiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Credit card fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Grand theft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Petty theft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle related Abandoned bicycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Auto burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Driving with suspended license . . . . . . . 10 Driving without license. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Theft from auto attempt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . . . 8 Vehicle accident/property damage . . . . . 4 Vehicle impound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vehicle stored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Alcohol or drug related Drinking in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Driving under influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Drunk in public. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Possession of alcohol by minor . . . . . . . . 1 Smoking in prohibited area . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Under influence of drugs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Miscellaneous Disobey court order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Indecent exposure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Outside investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Psychiatric subject. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Trespassing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Violence related Assault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft related Check fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Grand theft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Petty theft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle related Abandoned auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Driving with suspended license . . . . . . . . 4 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vehicle accident/injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vehicle accident/no injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle tow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Alcohol or drug related Driving under influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Possession of drugs for sale. . . . . . . . . . . 2 Possession of paraphernalia. . . . . . . . . . . 1 Under influence of drugs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Miscellaneous Battery investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Coroner case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Disturbing/annoying phone calls . . . . . . . 1 Found property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Info case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Juvenile problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Parole arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Psychiatric subject. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

VIOLENT CRIMES Palo Alto

El Carmelo Avenue and South Court, 10/7, 9:43 a.m.; assault with a deadly weapon. Embarcdero and Middlefield roads, 10/8, 7:30 p.m.; domestic violence/violation of court order. Portage Avenue, 10/10, 10:14 a.m.; domestic violence/battery.

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1200 block Willow Road, 10/10, 10:37 p.m.; battery. Location undisclosed, 10/12, 8:16 p.m.; assault.

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Dick Rosenbaum, former mayor, dies at 81

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Lois E. Wentworth

April 17, 1927 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 17, 2015 Lois E. (Thorsdahl) Wentworth, a giving and wonderful wife, and the coolest mother ever, died in her sleep, surrounded by her family, on August 17, 2015, in her Palo Alto home. She was 88. Her devoted husband George E. Wentworth passed away almost five years earlier on August 21, 2010. Lois and George were married for 59 years. All of us fortunate enough to know Lois and call her either Mom or Friend, are very lucky people indeed. She cared for her family, friends and neighbors, and was profoundly loved and respected by not only all of those whose lives she touched, but everyone who came into contact with her. The world is a better place because of Lois. She had a generous heart, clever wit and was fiercely loyal and protective of the people around her. She is and always will be missed, especially by her children. Lois was born in a large Victorian home in Minot, North Dakota, across the street from Minot State University. Her grandmother Gina Solberg, a midwife, delivered Lois at home on April 17, 1927. She lived in the same home with her parents John and Bertha Thorsdahl, and her sister, Ethel (Thorsdahl) Aamot, until they temporarily relocated to Renton, Washington. Lois graduated from Renton High School. Lois attended the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. She then moved to Santa Monica, CA, and lived on the beach with Ethel, and a small group of friends. Lois and her sister Ethel shared many colorful and memorable stories about living in Santa Monica in the late 1940s. Lois and Ethel were born ahead of their time. Lois returned to Minot, North Dakota, and worked at the VA Hospital where she met her future husband, George. They married in 1951, and soon relocated to San Francisco, CA. They happily told the story of living in their Potrero Hill apartment, complete with a Murphy bed. They moved to Palo Alto â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which Lois referred to as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fertile Flatsâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in 1954. Lois returned to school and a new career when her children were older. She became a medical transcriber at Stanford Hospital. From there, she took a position at Stanford University within Residential Education until her retirement in 1986. For many years Lois volunteered at the Sunnyview Retirement Community in Cupertino, CA, and was an active member of both Grace Lutheran Church and the Daughters of Norway in Palo Alto. Among her favorite things, Lois loved Paris, her Norwegian heritage and Midwest roots, dancing with her husband George, music, and being with her family. Lois is survived by: her son John Wentworth; daughters Linda Faris (Bob) and Carol Wentworth (Peter Burris); and grandchildren, David and Michael Faris, and Jackson and Skylar Burris, and many nieces and nephews. Her parents and sister preceded her in death. A memorial service honoring Lois will be held at Grace Lutheran Church on Saturday, October 24. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Grace Lutheran Church, 3149 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306. PAID

OBITUARY

Page 18 â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ www.PaloAltoOnline.com

ormer Palo Alto Mayor Dick Rosenbaum, a fiscal conservative and champion of residential quality of life, died on Oct. 11 at his home after a brief illness, his family said. He was 81. The Palo Alto Weekly once dubbed Rosenbaum a â&#x20AC;&#x153;fiscal bloodhoundâ&#x20AC;? because of his achievements in civic service, starting in the 1970s. Under his leadership, Palo Alto emerged from recurrent financial crises and developed a road map to energy independence. Rosenbaum served three terms on the City Council, from 1971 to 1975 and from 1991 to 1999, including one year as mayor in 1998. He was a strong representative of slow-growth, â&#x20AC;&#x153;residentialistâ&#x20AC;? values, his son, Dan Rosenbaum, said. Rosenbaum was raised by a

single mother in Queens, New York. A math, science and engineering prodigy, he went to Brooklyn Tech and attended Cornell University on a full scholarship. He received a Ph.D. in aeronautical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He met his wife, Ruth, at a mixer while she was an undergraduate at Simmons College in Boston. The couple moved to the Bay Area in 1961 when Rosenbaum took a job as a research scientist at Lockheed â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a job he held for 31 years. They moved to Palo Alto in 1963, his son said.

Allen R. Holubar

September 21, 1927 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; September 26, 2015 Al Holubar passed away at his home in Sarasota, FL, with his partner of 11 years, Pauline Thoms, at his side. Al had been suffering from Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease. A second-generation San Franciscan, Al attended Lowell High School in the city. The first of his family to attend college, he graduated from Stanford University in 1949 with a degree in civil engineering. Originally recruited for his basketball skills, he ran on the Stanford track team and became a record-setting half-miler. He continued to compete on the track after graduation, representing the San Francisco Olympic Club. He remained an ardent supporter of Stanford athletics for the rest of his life. He married fellow Stanford alum E. Bernice Hartley in 1951. After Army service in the Korean War, Al bought a vacant lot in Menlo Park, CA, built an Eichler-style home, raised a family, and began a career with San Mateo-based general contractor Arthur Bros that would last until his retirement in 1989. Al was an energetic family- and community-minded man: he helped coach Menlo Park Little League teams, participated in local Boy Scout Troop 109 overnights, and helped organize San Mateo Lions Club activities. In professional life, his career with Arthur Bros coincided with the booming growth of the Bay Area. He retired as General Manager having been instrumental in developing key relationships with Safeway stores, United Airlines, Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Many of the local stores and branch offices of these companies in the Bay Area were built by Arthur Bros under his management. Al loved Hawaii and relished swimming at the beaches of Honolulu. He built a cabin with his family in the Sierras at Tamarack, CA, near Bear Valley. It became his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite retreat. Besides following sports, Al enjoyed playing bridge, at which he achieved Life Master status, and reading spy thrillers. He is survived and mourned by his children and their families, Michael Holubar and Karen Inaba, Kent and Patty Holubar, Carey Holubar and Mark Dietz, and Jay Holubar and Brandy Falcon; and by his grandchildren, Hana Holubar, Taylor Holubar and Ed Berchick, Grayden Holubar, Andrew Dietz, Noah Dietz, and Shea Holubar. Memorial arrangements are pending. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Research: www.michaeljfox.org. PAID

OBITUARY

His opposition to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Superblockâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; two proposed 10-story buildings that would have taken up two downtown blocks â&#x20AC;&#x201D; swept him into office in 1971 with no prior political experience, his son noted. Rosenbaum took out a full-page newspaper ad to oppose the project and formed the Citizens Committee to Block the Superblock. During the 1970s, Rosenbaum oversaw a smoking ban in the council chambers of City Hall, pushed for reduced bus fares for seniors and wanted to add lowand moderate-income units to a proposed townhouse development on Arastradero Road. But he opposed another affordable housing project because it was too dense at 27 units per acre. Santa Clara County Supervisor and former City Council member Joe Simitian said he had â&#x20AC;&#x153;tremendous respect and affectionâ&#x20AC;? for Rosenbaum, with whom he served in the 1990s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was someone with a very sharp eye ... and had sharp questions to go with it,â&#x20AC;? Simitian said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was pretty clear ... that a quality of life is what makes Palo Alto what it is.â&#x20AC;? After his election in 1991 and reelection in 1995, he worked with Simitian and then-Councilman Joe Huber to cut overspending. As mayor, Rosenbaum oversaw the challenges of the 1998 winter floods and guided the city during energy deregulation to develop a utilities system that received power at a far lower rate than that of surrounding cities. Jean McCown, former mayor and councilwoman, also remembered Rosenbaum fondly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He always spoke thoughtfully and worked to achieve the best outcomes for the Palo Alto community. He also had a great sense of humor and a wonderful laugh,â&#x20AC;? she wrote in an email. Rosenbaum was also a firm believer in preserving Palo Altoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical buildings. After he left the council, he served as both president and treasurer of the Palo Alto Historical Association, his son said. But he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remain silent on city issues. He served on the Utilities Advisory Commission from 2000 to 2009. In 2012, he spoke out against a gargantuan downtown development proposed by John Arrillaga for 27 University Ave. And despite his recent illness, Rosenbaum joined other former mayors and council members in supporting the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to preserve the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park. Rosenbaum is survived by his wife of 57 years, Ruth; his son, Dan Rosenbaum; his daughter, Amy Rosenbaum; and three grandchildren. According to his wishes, no memorial service will be held. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Sue Dremann

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 19

Can budding nonprofit change the way people get to work?

n late August, Wendy Silvani met with a group of employees from The Epiphany, an eightstory hotel that in many ways epitomizes Palo Alto’s problematic prosperity. The chic, remodeled building on the downtown corner of Hamilton Avenue and Emerson Street — converted two years ago from a convalescent home — was among a recent wave of new hotels that have popped up in Palo Alto. The hotels have pumped tax revenues into the city’s General Fund, allowing Palo Alto to hire more librarians, pave more streets and

by Gennady Sheyner throw a design competition for a new bike bridge over U.S. Highway 101. But for residents in downtown neighborhoods, The Epiphany spelled trouble. Under Palo Alto’s zoning code, the hotel should have included 200 parking spots. Instead, it provided zero but contributed “in lieu” fees into a parking-assessment district fund, as local policies allow. In 2012, when hotel-management firm Joie de Vivre was going through the architectural review for the proposed renovation, Professorville neighborhood resident Ken Als-

man filed an appeal arguing that the city and the hotel should do more to “stem the onslaught” of cars that would start parking on neighborhood streets. “Neither the city nor the business community is doing anything effective to protect our neighborhoods or ... to provide the additional parking needed to support downtown uses, their clients and especially their employees,” Alsman wrote. Alsman conceded in his appeal that he was unlikely to prevail, given that the conversion was already in process. In that, he was

Veronica Weber

Top: Traffic moves slowly in both directions on U.S. Highway 101 during rush hour on Oct. 13. Above: Commuters prepare to board a southbound train at the downtown Palo Alto Caltrain station on Oct. 12. Page 20 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

right. In March 2014, The Epiphany and its restaurant, Lure+Till (“the go-to restaurant for the modern pioneer,” according to its website), opened their doors to the public. This year, Oracle’s thrill-chasing co-founder Larry Ellison bought the hotel, adding it to a portfolio that also includes a Hawaiian island and an unspecified number of yachts. Unlike the hotel’s new owner, The Epiphany’s roughly 100 employees aren’t yacht collectors. About 80 percent are low-income workers. Some live far from Palo Alto, work odd shifts, don’t speak English or all of the above. Silvani went to The Epiphany to talk to them about their commuting habits. As the city’s new Transportation Management Association (TMA) consultant, she is working with a group of downtown stakeholders to form a nonprofit organization whose goal is to steer people away from their cars and toward other modes of transportation. While Alsman’s appeal failed, the gist of his and other residents’ complaints about parking and traffic congestion has been heard by the City Council, loud and clear. More than half of The Epiphany workers showed up for one of the two sessions, which included a translator. About 20 workers signed up for the Caltrain Go Pass, which entitles them to unlimited rides on Caltrain and which can only be purchased by employers. An additional 17 workers received help planning a commute that didn’t involve them driving solo to work, according to the city’s notes from the meetings. Silvani said the meetings happened at the request of The Epiphany, which had recently invested

in Caltrain’s Go Pass program. Because the program requires companies to buy Caltrain passes for all eligible employees, participation becomes more cost-effective as more workers enroll. But for many employees, particularly in the hospitality industry, getting to the train can be a pain. Silicon Valley’s transit system is an uncoordinated patchwork of independent operators, making it hard for commuters who have always relied on their cars to imagine alternatives. “The truth is, figuring out your transportation options can be very confusing,” Silvani told the Weekly. A handful of the hotel workers said they lived near the Caltrain Tamien Station in San Jose and didn’t realize that they could drive there (which, she noted, would take them between six and eight minutes) and take the train to work. One employee who lives close to a Caltrain station said she prefers to drive because she has to drop off her daughter at daycare before work. At the meeting, Silvani and the woman determined that it would be more efficient for her to backtrack from the daycare back to the station (a four-minute walk) and then catch the “baby bullet” train to Palo Alto. The switch would save the woman between 15 and 20 minutes each way, Silvani said. Riding Caltrain also made more sense for a woman who had been relying on SamTrans, San Mateo County’s primary transit provider. A six- to eight-minute walk to a train station and a ride to downtown would get her to work faster than her normal 45-minute bus ride. Some people, Silvani said, “didn’t stop to think that they

Veronica Weber

In search of the new commute

Cover Story to blossom into a full-fledged traffic-fighting nonprofit, offering commuting services and incentives to area employers, who in turn fund its operations. (See sidebar.) Today, it is a group of passionate experts and stakeholders talking about pilot projects.

Traffic: How bad is it?

ouncil members and staff often discuss transportation in either hyperbolic or existential terms. In a recent interview, City Manager James Keene called transportation “the biggest and most intractable problem that we have in the city.” Councilman Pat Burt last month framed it as the one issue on which many other hinge. “So much about what we’ll do as a community going forward is dependent on whether we can solve transportation issues in our community in a way that enhances the quality of life,” Burt said. “Other decisions will be determined for us if we can’t solve the transportation issues.” So how bad is it and why is it so bad? The numbers tell the story. On a typical day, people who live in, work in or come to Palo Alto drive (or ride on buses) 8.2 million miles, according to the city’s Existing Conditions report. That’s an average of 53.3 vehicle miles per person. The per-capita vehicle miles for the Bay Area as a whole is about 20, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a regional planning group. About 6.6 million (or 80 percent) of the Palo Alto miles are for trips by people who live outside of Palo Alto and are coming to a destination — work or other — within the city. In other words, Palo Alto’s traffic problem is caused largely by those who live elsewhere. With the city in an economic upswing, just about every major commuter route is packed during the peak morning and evening

Veronica Weber

might be able to actually use that Go Pass.” Epiphany General Manager Lorenz Maurer, who himself takes Caltrain whenever he can, said the hotel has been actively seeking to help employees get to work. The mission became more urgent in September, when Palo Alto rolled out its downtown Residential Preferential Program, which set a two-hour limit on street parking for all cars without permits. The Epiphany responded by joining the Go Pass program, in which the passes are bought in bulk at a discount. As of this month, 30 percent of the hotel’s employees have signed up. Maurer is aiming for 50 percent, but he knows it’s a challenge. For most restaurant workers, he said, the last train on the schedule — which stops at Palo Alto around midnight — leaves too early. The scarcity of public transit at late hours is an additional hurdle. These factors in part explain why a recent survey commissioned by the TMA found that more than 70 percent of the downtown’s hospitality, retail and restaurant workers prefer to drive. “It’s a maze of transportation agencies and time tables, and it’s not always easy, especially if you’re not fluent in English,” Maurer said. Before joining Palo Alto as a consultant, Silvani helped set up a TMA in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood and headed the Emeryville TMA, which operated the city’s free “last mile” shuttle service, Emery Go-Round. Today, she is a central player in a Palo Alto organization that doesn’t really exist yet but that is expected to solve the city’s urgent and complex problem of too many cars. Since February, Silvani has been meeting monthly with a steering committee of downtown stakeholders and transportation experts to discuss ways to reduce the number of people driving to the city. Eventually, this small group is slated

Marguerite buses, operated by Stanford University, pick up and drop off passengers at the University Avenue Caltrain station in Palo Alto. rush hours. City data show that where El Camino Real intersects Embarcadero Road, Page Mill Road, Arastradero Road and San Antonio Road, traffic functions at Level of Service D on a scale of A-F, with F being the worst. In transportation jargon, D refers to “a less stable condition in which small increases in flow may cause substantial increases in delay and decreases in travel speed” — in other words, drivers are waiting 35.1 to 55 seconds at the intersection. University Avenue between El Camino and U.S. Highway 101, Page Mill Road between El Camino and Interstate 280, and San Antonio Road between El Camino and 101 all get an F grade (which by definition is “considered unacceptable to most drivers”). It’s not uncommon for a southbound 280 commuter who gets off at Page Mill who is heading to the

Veronica Weber

Lorenz Maurer, general manager of The Epiphany hotel, stands in the hotel’s lobby. Thirty percent of hotel employees, including Maurer, take Caltrain to work.

Stanford Research Park or Cali- by 40 percent or more through a fornia Avenue to spend more than comprehensive TDM program, 10 minutes just on the exit ramp, and with the right focus and attencrawling in a tedious procession tion Palo Alto could have similar that stretches all the way back to results,” the memo stated. Before penning the memo, the highway proper. The council is looking to the Kniss, Price and Shepherd visTMA to be a key change agent ited Contra Costa Transit Centre, which offers in all of this. In members a range August 2014, the of incentives for council unaninot driving alone, mously approved a including BART $499,880 contract fare subsidies, carfor a consulting pool services and a team that includes commuter voucher Silvani and the for a taxi service planning-consultthat could take ing firm MIG to workers on the help establish the new nonprofit, one – Wendy Silvani, final leg of their that according to a transportation consultant journeys. The programs are managed staff report would by a Transportation “help identify specific needs for various transit Management Agency, the memo programs, provide a centralized noted, and Palo Alto’s review of location for transportation infor- its own transportation-demandmation, identify and create fund- management options should ing mechanisms for various tran- “consider a TMA and explore sit programs, and advocate for use ways to capture funding and parof those programs.” The associa- ticipation.” Contra Costa’s TMA tion would also collect data and was initially funded by large busitrack programs’ effectiveness in nesses. Members join on a volunreducing the number of workers tary basis. No one expects a 30 percent redriving solo. The TMA idea sprouted out duction in solo drivers to be simof a 2013 memo from four coun- ple to achieve. Some people don’t cil members, which called for a believe it’s realistic. Unlike Standramatic reduction in single- ford, downtown Palo Alto does occupancy car trips within three not have a central authority but years. The council members, rather exists as a diverse patchthen-Mayor Greg Scharff, then- work of stakeholders, many of Vice Mayor Nancy Shepherd, whom have different and conflictformer Councilwoman Gail Price ing needs. To solve downtown’s and Councilwoman Liz Kniss, ar- parking and traffic problems, the gued that the city “needs a com- TMA has to target downtown’s prehensive TDM (Transportation largest and smallest employers. Demand Management) program And many of the area’s tech githat will reduce trips by at least ants, whom the TMA surveyed, 30 percent.” Such a program, ac- are already offering their workers cording to the council, could in- significant incentives to take alclude things like shuttle services, ternative commutes. Silvani outlined goals and an subsidized Caltrain passes and “shared-economy” solutions that approach for the TMA at the would make cars available to peo- stakeholder group’s January kickple on a short-term, on-demand off meeting: the effort needs to basis. “Stanford has reduced trips (continued on next page)

‘The truth is, figuring out your transportation options can be very confusing.’

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 21

Cover Story

Group crafts a roadmap for new anti-traffic nonprofit Consultants and downtown employers consider funding, branding for Palo Alto’s new Transportation Management Association by Gennady Sheyner

ight now, they are a group of downtown stakeholders and transportation experts debating pilot programs and funding structures. Sometime next year, the group is slated to become a full-fledged nonprofit dedicated to tackling the city’s biggest problem: traffic. But what’s the best route between the origin and the destination? That’s the question for the steering committee of the budding Transportation Management Association (TMA), a group of downtown Palo Alto stakeholders whose goal is to steer people away from their cars and toward other modes of transportation. So far, the group’s activities have been underwritten by the city, with the City Council approving $500,000 last year for a consulting contract to get the organization going. Given the high priority that the city has given to traffic and parking, public funds will surely play a role in future programs, including an expanded city shuttle system and new garages. Just last month, the council’s Finance Committee agreed to earmark a special $500,000 contingency fund in next year’s budget specifically for transportation improvements. Yet the council and city staff also expect the organization to eventually become an independent, self-sustaining entity, paid for by the employers who benefit from its services. The need for the group to become an actual nonprofit is important, City Manager James Keene told the Weekly last week, so that the group has structure. “Now, we have a lot of wellintentioned people meeting and talking about possibilities, but how to leverage them and scale them up — that is still the core challenge,” Keene said. “I really feel that over the next six to eight months, we’ve got to make some decisions within the TMA and get some things going.” Wendy Silvani, the consultant hired to help launch the TMA, made a similar point at the steering committee’s Oct. 8 meeting, where the group was discussing its transition into a nonprofit. “We’re now in never-never land,” Silvani said. “We’re not an organization yet and we don’t exist. But we’d like to start doing things and making recommendations and going to the council and collecting money.” Applying for nonprofit sta-

tus with the Internal Revenue Service is expected to extend through next year. In the meantime, the group has to plan for its long-term sustenance. Everyone knows that buy-in from the city won’t be enough to guarantee success. Support from downtown businesses will also prove crucial for the TMA. So far, area employers have been enthusiastic about engaging in discussions about solving downtown’s parking problems, Silvani told the Weekly. But which businesses should pay, and how much? And to what extent should the group rely on public funds, either from the City Council or from other governmental agencies? These questions were at the center of the Oct. 8 discussion. Silvani warmed up the crowd with math, calculating how much the group could raise if all the large downtown companies were asked to pay one fee (a theoretical $500) and smaller companies would be charged a correspondingly smaller fee (going on a scale down to $50). Based on the roughly 800 businesses, this formula would raise about $60,000 annually, enough for a part-time TMA manager, Silvani said. A different scheme, which charges offices more and retail less along a similar sliding scale, could bring in between $80,000 and $114,000 under the preliminary breakdown. The steering committee had plenty of concerns with these numbers. Bob McGrew, of Palantir, suggested that the TMA focus mainly on large employers and noted that it would be too difficult and expensive to collect $50 fees from downtown’s nearly 700 small businesses. Brian Shaw, of Stanford University, said he believed the numbers are conservative and argued that the mission of the TMA is so important to local employees that they would be willing to contribute greater sums. Russ Cohen, executive director of the Palo Alto Downtown Business and Professional Association, took the opposite view. Another fee for businesses is problematic, he said, no matter how great the benefits are purported to be. Barbara Gross, representing the Garden Court Hotel, agreed. “I think the idea of a membership is a non-starter,” Gross said. “I think it will cause a negative reaction. I feel like the TMA would be far more successful if we were to say: The

Page 22 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

city is funding this, the large businesses are funding this. ... It’s up to the TMA to grow this (program) and once you see the benefit, you can join or pay for the services we’re offering.” Gross favored ongoing investment from the city. “There needs to be a publicprivate partnership because this is becoming a policy issue to help downtown survive its success,” Gross said. “I think that’s what the businesses need to see: that the burden isn’t only on the businesses because the benefit is to the city as well.” In the end, the group directed Silvani to explore interim steps that the group can take before it becomes a standalone nonprofit. These included looking into fiscal sponsorships (an arrangement in which a different foundation or nonprofit manages the TMA’s accounting) or a partnership with the Downtown Business and Professional Association. While becoming a viable nonprofit is one challenge for the group, gaining visibility is another. For that, the new organization may lean on a service that has long been underused in Palo Alto: the city-funded shuttle program. The quaint shuttles, adorned with faces of City of Palo Alto employees, currently run on three routes: the Crosstown, the Embarcadero and the East Palo Alto (which is subsidized in large part by East Palo Alto). Despite worsening traffic congestion, shuttle ridership has been rather moribund. Between 2012 and 2013, ridership actually declined on both the Crosstown and Embarcadero shuttles — by 0.2 and 13.6 percent, respectively. The East Palo Alto shuttle, which made its debut in July 2014, also remains underused, Silvani noted. Over the past year, the council has been looking for ways to expand the program and briefly considered launching a new West Shuttle route between south Palo Alto and north Palo Alto destinations such as University Avenue and Stanford Shopping Center. Initially, the city was hoping to add a Mountain View connection and enlist some employers in that city to help fund the project. When the companies declined to participate, the city scrapped the new route and chose instead to pursue a five-year plan for the shuttle network. In August, City Transportation Planning Manager Jessica Sullivan told the council that the new study

would “give us a comprehensive strategy in designing the shuttle, rather than bringing forward a piecemeal route.” “Our goal is to make the shuttle a really important part of the mobile services here in Palo Alto,” Sullivan said. Under the council’s vision, the city would invest in the initial rollout of the new and expanded shuttle system. Ultimately, however, it would be the TMA that will market and manage the service. During the Oct. 8 meeting, the steering committee debated expanding the shuttle service and the TMA’s ultimate role in the system. Shaw, who established numerous TMA programs in Atlanta before joining Stanford, questioned whether city shuttles will truly be useful for a downtown that is already positioned next to the Caltrain station. He noted that in Georgia the train was three miles from the employment district and shuttles made sense. “You already have a train in your backyard,” Shaw said. “So that’s the question: What will the shuttle actually do that you need it to do today?” But others argued that an enhanced shuttle system would give the TMA something tangible — a signature project that will demonstrate the TMA’s value to the community. Rob George, general manager of Philz Coffee, suggested a plan in which employees who live on the east side of U.S. Highway 101 could park in one of the sprawling parking lots around IKEA in East Palo Alto and then get shuttled to downtown Palo Alto. Brandon Harrington, who heads Google’s transportationmanagement program, acknowledged that an expanded shuttle program would be a “heavy lift” for the nascent organization but also called it “the best opportunity for the TMA” to show its value to the businesses. Mountain View’s TMA, he said, set up its shuttle program fairly quickly. Sullivan noted that the Palo Alto is already exploring ways to improve the shuttle system. Enhancing the service, rebranding it and — once it’s successful — tying it to the TMA could allow the new group to point to a visible achievement. “I’m looking at it as a branding mechanism as much as anything else,” Sullivan said. Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@paweekly.com.

Commute (continued from previous page)

be data driven; it needs to make “all modes of travel easier”; and it should address the entire route from home to work, including what’s known as the first and last mile. “There are very few trips that are door-to-door other than driving your car,” Silvani said. “We have to consider the whole journey.” In the months since, the group has attacked its assignment with gusto. A steering committee composed mostly of business owners and managers has met nearly every month to adopt the organization’s vision, share the latest data and consider pilot programs. A March survey of businesses was its first significant achievement. Performed by the surveying firm EMC Research and verified by a supplemental phone poll and through data from the businesses themselves, the survey showed that solo drivers tend to work for small companies; they are most likely to be from the retail, restaurant and hospitality industries; they tend to be older; and they are much more likely to commute from south of Palo Alto than north. South Bay residents make up 33 percent of the commuters; Palo Alto residents 22 percent; Peninsula residents 20 percent; San Francisco denizens 10 percent; and East Bay dwellers 7 percent. The remaining 8 percent come from elsewhere. Nearly two-thirds of commuters from the South Bay and the Peninsula drive alone, while another 20 percent and 16 percent, respectively, take Caltrain. By contrast, only 18 percent of commuters from San Francisco drive alone, while 70 percent take Caltrain. Older commuters are also more likely to drive alone than younger ones: Among those aged 50 and older, 70 percent drive solo, while among commuters ages 18 to 49, the solo-driving rate is 51 percent. When asked about switching to public transit, nearly half of the solo drivers said they would make the switch if the service were “faster or more frequent” (26 percent “strongly agreed” and 21 percent “somewhat agreed” with this sentiment). Similar proportions said they would take transit if it were easier for them get to a transit stop and if the schedules were better. These results are already shifting the conversation about Palo Alto’s new traffic programs. As Transportation Planning Manager Jessica Sullivan explained to the City Council in August: “The commute survey data tells us that potentially first-mile solutions are going to be more effective for us in Palo Alto than last-mile. In other words, if we get people to Caltrain (from home), that may be a more effective use of our time and energy.”

Cover Story

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Consultant Wendy Silvani leads a meeting of the steering committee of Palo Alto’s budding Transportation Management Association in early October.

Setting the bar

he EMC survey offered plenty of hopeful signs for the city. It indicated, for instance, that downtown Palo Alto already has a reasonably low drive-alone rate: 55 percent. During a March discussion of the survey results, Tom Patras of EMC noted that cities nationwide often make goals of 60 to 70 percent. Silvani said drive-alone rates of 50 percent are considered “very good,” according to meeting minutes. Stanford has a rate of 48 percent, among the lowest. LinkedIn and Google are around 55 percent. By contrast, Santa Clara County has a rate between 70 and 80 percent, according to Adina Levin, a steering committee member who is active with the group Friends of Caltrain. Fifty percent of the surveyed solo drivers agreed with the statement, “I would rather not drive to work, but I have no other good options” (27 percent “strongly

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floor,” rather than the end. Russ Cohen, president of the Downtown Palo Alto Business Improvement District, told the Weekly that the TMA steering committee has wrestled with whether the number is “reasonable or arbitrary.” Cohen said he doesn’t believe that the association’s success should necessarily hinge on whether it can meet that target. “If we move the needle at all, it’s a success,” Cohen said. “I think a lot of work is getting done and getting done fairly quickly and efficiently.” Silvani, for her part, is undaunted by the council’s 30 percent challenge. Reducing downtown

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The top reason why people drive to work instead of taking mass transit is that they need a car for errands and meetings, according to a March survey of downtown Palo Alto employees.

Courtesy City of Palo Alto and EMC Research

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A survey of downtown Palo Alto employees in March revealed that most commuters who live 10 to 50 miles from work drive alone to Palo Alto, while people who live 50 miles or more away take Caltrain in slightly larger numbers than those who drive to work.

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agreed”; and 23 percent “somewhat agreed”). And 60 percent said they “need to drive because I make other stops, such as for school, kids, or other errands, before or after work.” Given these obstacles, the TMA group has been struggling with the council’s 30 percent goal. At its September meeting, the steering committee debated this figure and reached no resolution. Brian Shaw, a steering committee member who heads Stanford’s hugely successful TDM program, said he’s “had a problem with the 30 percent reduction goal since day one,” according to meeting minutes. Rather than a single number, the goal should be “the desired end result of your activities and resource spending,” he explained. At Stanford, this effectively means little-to-no traffic and employees who don’t feel forced to drive to work every day. Gil Friend, the city’s chief sustainability officer, argued that the 30 percent goal should seen as “a

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Courtesy City of Palo Alto and EMC Research

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Palo Alto’s drive-alone rate — from 55 percent — by 30 percent would bring it to 38 percent. This, she noted in September, translates to changing the behaviors of 1,650 downtown workers. Over a fouryear period, that’s about 400 employees per year: difficult, but in her view, very doable. “When we look at things like the Caltrain Go Pass program, if we can make that attractive to another 100 to 200 people by selling it to employers who qualify, whose employees live along the Caltrain corridor and for whom it’s a really good deal ... we’re halfway there already against a measuring stick,” Silvani said. In establishing the Palo Alto TMA, Silvani finds herself in a slightly different predicament than in her prior efforts because she is effectively dealing with a clean slate. One of the things that makes the Palo Alto’s project different from those in Mission Bay and Emeryville is that in both of those cases, membership in the group was mandatory for largeproperty owners in the designated area. In Palo Alto, the organization doesn’t fully exist yet and participation from Palantir, Philz Coffee, Watercourse Way and other stakeholders is completely voluntary. There is no captive audience. Yet the Palo Alto experiment also has its own advantages. It benefits from what Silvani described as a “highly motivated community” and a corporate culture that is already getting away from cars. People here have a “high degree of interest” in shuttles and other types of services, she said. “Transportation is changing the way that businesses operate,” Silvani told the Weekly. “If you talk to the business people, they have flexible time when they didn’t

use to. They have to have policies where if Caltrain is late, employees can turn around and work from home. Transportation has started to drive corporate policy.” This is particularly true in the downtown tech community. The list of 26 companies that now participate in the Go Pass program includes A9, Clipboard, Groupon, IDEO, RelateIQ and SurveyMonkey. In March, when the City Council was considering an annual cap on new downtown development, several high-tech executives made a case to the City Council that — contrary to popular belief — their companies are not responsible for downtown’s festering parking and traffic problems. Steve Ehikian of the software company RelateIQ said that about 60 percent of the company’s workers live within two miles of the office and generally walk and bike to the office. For the remaining 40 percent, the company offers subsidies so employees can take Lyft and Uber to Caltrain. It also pays their Caltrain fare. “My takeaway, just looking at RelateIQ, is that if you can focus office development near arterial transit hubs like Caltrain, we owners can figure out great ways of actually minimizing and reducing congestion,” Ehikian told the council during a March hearing. Robert McGrew, a Palantir employee who now serves on the new TMA steering committee, made a similar point and noted employee surveys that his company jointly performed with RelateIQ and SurveyMonkey. The survey of more than 1,000 employees showed a 38 percent drive-alone rate. A separate survey by the company A9 found a 40 percent drive-alone rate. It’s not just the big companies that are seeing this trend, he noted. (continued on next page)

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 23

Cover Story

Lyft off

Commute (continued from previous page)

One small company, Bonafide, had a 12.5 percent drive-alone rate, with just one of its eight employees driving to the office. “It’s premature to say the office workers are the cause of this (parking and traffic) problem,” McGrew said at the March meeting. Though some residents were skeptical about these self-reported numbers, the TMA’s survey fully backed up McGrew’s position. It showed that downtown’s tech workers actually have a drivealone rate of 33 percent — better than Stanford students or commuters to the Google campus in Mountain View. Cohen, of the downtown business association, credited the survey for shattering long-held misperceptions. “The big myth was that the tech community is fraught with single-vehicle occupants, and that’s certainly not the case,” Cohen said.

very downtown employee already works within walking distance of the University Avenue Caltrain station. Many, however, don’t live near the tracks. Hence, what traffic planners call a “first mile” problem. To solve this problem, the steering committee spent its summer debating possible “first mile” solutions. On July 29, the group interviewed service providers that might help with the effort: MuV, Scoop, Carma and Lyft, the San Francisco-based commuter service best known for cars with pink mustaches. According to the meeting’s minutes, Curtis Rogers of Lyft described the different first- and last-mile services his company already offers. A pilot project in July 2014 with RelateIQ, now known as SalesforceIQ, gave RelateIQ employees who live in San Francisco credits so that they can get Lyft rides to Caltrain. Initially, 14 people signed up, according to

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Ethics in Society | Dept of Economics ethicsinsociety.stanford.edu Page 24 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Rogers’ presentation. That number has gone up to 35 people — the equivalent of an entire parking lot, he said. Rogers in July pitched two different products to the committee. One, Lyft Line to Palo Alto, would serve workers who live within a specified radius (typically 5 to 7 miles) of downtown and bring them to and from their workplaces. The other, Lyft Line to Caltrain, would allow workers who live within a specified distance from a Caltrain station to share rides to the station. The average cost for each service would range from $5 to $15 per ride, according to the meeting minutes. Employers would offer their workers coupons for Lyft rides and, if the firms choose, condition these on workers giving up their parking passes. These coupons could be customized according to time of day, so that rides during the critical commuting hours would be cheaper, as an extra incentive. Rogers said Lyft would aim to register 275 participants in Lyft Line to Palo Alto and that it would take charge of marketing the programs to all downtown employers, according to the minutes. The company also hopes 75 additional people would enroll in Lyft Line to Caltrain, with the marketing efforts aimed at the 26 employers that currently participate in the Go Pass program. Ultimately, the committee agreed to explore working with Lyft, citing its track record and experience in other cities, though one member urged a more competitive approach in which the city would give each potential vendor a route and sees which does the best job. Members asked Silvani to gather more information about Lyft’s willingness to launching Lyft Line to Caltrain. When asked why Lyft was chosen over other providers, Sullivan said that Lyft is the “furthest along in terms of being able to provide what we are looking for, which included the analytics on the back end to provide us with information about the rides, and the ability to deploy something at the scale we needed.” No formal agreement has been reached between the company and the city, but Lyft has been

to serve as a sort of a point in the spear here and effectively pilot some alternatives to be able to get some momentum,” Keene said. He acknowledged that this will probably require some seed fundor Palo Alto, the birth of ing from the city beyond the halfthe TMA and the fresh data million dollars it already invested about commuting patterns in the group’s formation and the come at a particularly op- ongoing shuttle expansion. In some ways, Palo Alto is the portune time. Not only is the council updating the city’s Com- ideal location for experiments in prehensive Plan — the foundation transit coordination. Its downfor all major policy decisions, town Transit Center services Calincluding those involving trans- train, VTA, SamTrans, the AC portation — but broader shifts Transit, Stanford’s Marguerite are also happening in the field of program and the city’s own tiny shuttle fleet. Each marches to the transportation and in the region. This idea of replacing your car tune of its own drummer. When key with a bundle of on-demand the council discussed last month transportation services is an in- new goals for the Transportation creasingly popular vision known Element, members agreed to add as “Mobility as a Service,” or a goal stating Palo Alto “recogMaaS. The concept was born in nizes the regional nature of our Helsinki, Finland, and recently transportation system and will be caught the attention of Joint Ven- a leader in seeking regional transportation solutions ture Silicon Valley, through long-term a regional policy planning.” group. Becoming that Ea rlier this leader could be a year, Joint Venchallenge. Like ture launched an many other large effort to promote downtown employMaaS as a trafficers, the City of Palo reducing strategy. Alto recently beThe effort is began to participate ing undertaken by in the Go Pass prothe group’s Cligram, launching a mate Prosperity nine-month trial Program, which is in February 2014. chaired by Palo — Russ Cohen, president, downtown Last November, Alto City Manager James Keene. Acbusiness association the council agreed to budget $80,280 cording to its webfor the Go Pass site, the group has already held 55 meetings with program for its 446 eligible city “ecosystem stakeholders,” in- workers downtown. In the pilot cluding large employers, mobility- phase, employees were asked to service providers and government give up their parking permits in entities, including U.S. Transpor- exchange for a Go Pass, and about tation Secretary Anthony Fox. It 50 agreed to do so, according to has sought to develop an app to a November staff report. That resupport MaaS and, in the coming quirement was scrapped from the months, the Joint Venture group current phase, with the intent of plans to test pilot projects, per- getting more people to switch to suade employers to conduct fea- Caltrain. Now, Keene said, the sibility analyses for MaaS pilots, city has a little over 100 people identify commute barriers, and using Go Passes. The big quesauthor a white paper with findings tion, he said, is: How do we dramatically ramp that up? and recommendations. “It’s critical now,” Keene told But for the program to truly succeed, someone has to step up the Weekly. “We have difficulty with real projects and show that recruiting people now who five MaaS can work. Keene wants years ago we could’ve closed the deal with. But they live in BerkePalo Alto to be that someone. “I do think we are going to have ley and the drive is difficult.” reaching out to employers to discuss both services, Sullivan said.

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Cover Story

Veronica Weber

A young man takes his bicycle on Caltrain on Oct. 12. Commuters use their bicycles to get to and from train stations, solving a problem that discourages others from taking Caltrain. People’s commute habits might already be changing due to factors outside of the city’s control. During a citizen committee’s discussion of the Comprehensive Plan in September, Friend gave a presentation suggesting that recent trends are calling for a more fundamental rethink of local transportation policies. He noted that car purchasing for people between 18 and 30 years old peaked in the 1980s and has been coming down in recent years. “Millennials are not buying cars. Many aren’t even getting driver’s licenses,” Friend said. “Some people seem to have figured out that having the secondlargest investment in your life sitting idle 95 percent of the time

may not be a good use of capital.” At the same time, technological changes are rapidly and radically transforming the industry. Friend noted that the cost of battery storage and electric vehicles has been dropping, even as self-driving cars are preparing to enter the field and both state and local governments are adopting ambitious greenhouse-gas-reduction targets. “The convergence of these trends will likely drive a sea change in transportation in the next 10 to 20 years,” Friend said. “One of the big challenges this committee has is that we basically plan based on the past. We extrapolate on patterns. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance in this case. We

need to figure out how to plan for the future that is extremely different than the past we’re used to.” Friend argued that to solve the problems the city should pursue two strategies: The first is no longer incentivizing what the city doesn’t want (namely, free parking throughout downtown’s commercial core). The second is making convenient the types of services that the city wants to encourage. It’s not enough just to raise costs, Friend said. It’s equally important to make it easier for people to access the services they need. Friend is now in the midst of putting together the city’s first Sustainability/Climate Action Plan, a document that the council is set to review and ultimately adopt next year. “The driving design question as we see it as: How can we make more convenient for anyone, anywhere at any time to not drive alone? Or not drive at all,” Friend told the committee. “For us, that becomes the test question for all the strategies we’re looking at.” Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com. About the cover: Commuters wait to board a northbound train at the downtown Palo Alto station on Oct. 12. Photo by Veronica Weber.

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 25

Did you know there’s a free shuttle service in Palo Alto? Help improve the free community shuttle service! tĞ ŶĞĞĚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚǇ ŝŶƉƵƚ ƚŽ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ƚŚĞ ŝƚǇ͛Ɛ ĨƌĞĞ ƐŚƵƩůĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ ŝƚ ĞĂƐŝĞƌ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƌĞ ĐŽŶǀĞŶŝĞŶƚ ĨŽƌ ǇŽƵ ƚŽ ŐĞƚ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ͕ ŚŽŵĞ͕ ƐĐŚŽŽů Žƌ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĚĞƐƟŶĂƟŽŶƐ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚǇ͘ tĞ͛ůů ƵƐĞ ǇŽƵƌ ŝŶƉƵƚ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞŵĞŶƚƐ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐŝŶŐ ƉŝĐŬƵƉ ĨƌĞƋƵĞŶĐǇ ĂŶĚ ƌŽƵƚĞ ĐŚĂŶŐĞƐ͘ sŝƐŝƚ ǁǁǁ͘ĐŝƚǇŽĨƉĂůŽĂůƚŽ͘ŽƌŐͬƐŚƵƩůĞ ƚŽ ƚĂŬĞ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƌǀĞǇ͘

dŽ ĮŶĚ ŽƵƚ ŵŽƌĞ Žƌ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶƉƵƚ͕ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ ƚŚĞ ŝƚǇ ŽĨ WĂůŽ ůƚŽ͛Ɛ dƌĂŶƐƉŽƌƚĂƟŽŶ ĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚ Ăƚ ƐŚƵƩůĞΛ ŝƚǇŽĨWĂůŽ ůƚŽ͘ŽƌŐ Žƌ ĐĂůů ϲϱϬͲϯϮϵͲϮϰϰϮ͘

Page 26 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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Arts & Entertainment A weekly guide to music, theater, art, culture, books and more, edited by Elizabeth Schwyzer

ime flies

United Nations Association Film Festival returns to Palo Alto by Karla Kane

Waubansee Productions

istoric preservation in France, marine stewardship in Australia, racial tensions in Philadelphia and feminism in Iraq: These stories and many more come to Palo Alto this week as part of the 18th annual United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF). The festival will be held from Oct. 15-25 in Palo Alto, Stanford, East Palo Alto and San Francisco. This year’s somewhat ominous-sounding theme is “Running Out of Time,” a reference to the eight human-rights, environmental and health goals set by the United Nations in 2000 to be met by 2015. Despite the title’s heavy overtones, this year’s selection includes everything from a comical seven-minute short about climate change starring a Palo Alto elementary student (“Worse Than Poop!”) to reflections on the power of the arts to heal lives. All told, there are more than of 60 films from around the world, both somber and uplifting. “From Billions to None: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction” is the story of what was once the most populous species of bird in North America, a species that was wiped out with astounding speed thanks to human predation and interference. “The passenger pigeon was probably the most abundant bird in the world, with a population in the billions, as late as 1860,” explained film producer Joel Greenberg. “The last wild bird was shot in 1902, and the last of the species died in the Cincinnati Zoo on Sept. 1, 1914. For that much abundance to be literally obliterated in four decades is unprecedented.” Greenberg wrote a book on the passenger pigeon’s plight, “A Feathered River Across the Sky,” which was published by Bloomsbury in 2014, just in time to mark the centenary of the bird’s extinction. His work led to the collaborative formation of “Project Passenger Pigeon,” an organization whose mission is “to tell the story about the bird and underline the messages that are still valid,” he said. “Clearly, one way to reach lots of people was a movie.” He teamed up with filmmaker David Mrazek, and the documentary was hatched. The film uses CGI animation to recreate the former flocks in their glory days as well as their human-led demise. The hope is that viewers can learn from the mistakes of the past to create a more sustainable future, Greenberg said. “No matter how abundant something is — it could be water, it could be oil, could be something alive — if we are not good stewards we could lose it,” he said.

Joel Greenberg’s film, “From Billions to None: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction,” tells the story of what was once the most populous species of bird in North America.

The Calhoun School

“We think differently now than we did back in the 19th century, when people were just killing things because they assumed (they were) limitless. Some things are under regulation, but there are other kinds of challenges — pollution, introduced species, habitat loss.” The festival’s theme clearly resonates with Greenberg and his topic. Time ran out quickly for the passenger pigeon, and today there are many other species whose days may be numbered, he said. “There are now 7 billion people in the world, and we consume a lot as a species,” he said. “If people care, there’s a lot they can do as individuals to try and make things better. We want to let them know that it is important to be involved and they can make a difference.” Other films come at the theme of limited time from very different angles. Catherine Wigginton Greene’s “I’m not Racist ... am I?” follows a group of New York City teenagers from diverse ethnic, cultural and financial backgrounds who agree to spend a year having facilitated conversations about racism. “It’s thinking about racism on the systemic, institutional level, not just hearts and minds and feelings but practices and historical context,” Wigginton Greene said. While most of the teens first considered racism in terms of the kind of explicit bigotry of Jim Crow laws and segregation, they came to realize that it’s more pervasive — and subtle — than that. In addition to filming the teens’ discussions with one another, the filmmaker also captured them conversing with their families at home, adding an inter-generational perspective. One white participant from a liberal family, for example, started the project with a belief that in modern-day America, everyone starts from a level playing field with the same opportunities. A conversation with his mother caught on film shows her reminding him that his privileged background afforded him tutors and other advantages. “She was surprised that he didn’t get that he didn’t start at the same place,” Wigginton Greene said. “By the end of the film, everything had changed for him. He was realizing how messed up things really are.” An African-American student, on the other hand, realized he’d been unknowingly dealing with racism on a regular basis and came away feeling strengthened by his new understanding. “It’s empowering for students to un“I’m not Racist ... am I?” follows a group of New York City teenagers derstand that the system is bigger than from diverse backgrounds who agree to spend a year having facilitated them and they’re still operating in the conversations about racism.

system,” she said, adding that the film “doesn’t give solutions to ending racism. It’s trying to make sense of it all.” Speaking to the festival’s theme, she said, “People are dying, literally, from this. Racism is pervasive in every part of society. If we ever want to live up to the ideals we’re supposed to, we are running out of time if we don’t address this soon.” If Wigginton Greene’s reasons for making the film were altruistic, Bay Area journalist Maggie Beidelman’s “The Trouble with Bread” had admittedly selfish beginnings. “I had trouble digesting wheat, but I tested negative for celiac disease,” she explained. “And then the whole ‘glutenfree’ food fad blew up, lumping me in with hypochondriac food-allergy fanatics. So I wanted to find out if non-celiac gluten intolerance was real, and if it really is increasing, what the heck happened?” Her film goes from farm to mill to table, revealing some surprising discoveries about the way modern wheat is processed and why it’s creating problems for consumers. The time has come for people to take a closer look at their diets and the business of food, Beidelman suggested. “Our food system is all about efficiency and profit — fast food, cheap materials and instant gratification,” she said, adding that people are paying the price through poor health and increasing instances of disease. “If this isn’t reason enough to change our food system, and change it now, I don’t know what is.” According to UNAFF’s executive director Jasmina Bojic, Palo Alto mayor Karen Holman will open the festival. Bojic is especially proud that the event, which includes free public panel discussions, links the communities of Stanford, Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. “It’s a rare opportunity to get together and talk about the issues that are really important to all of us,” she said. Q Freelance writer Karla Kane can be emailed at karlajkane@gmail.com. What: The 18th annual United Nations Association Film Festival Where: Various locations in Palo Alto, Stanford, East Palo Alto and San Francisco. When: Thursday, Oct. 15 through Saturday, Oct. 25 Cost: $10 per film session, $180 for a full festival pass Info: Go to unaff.org or email info@unaff.org.

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Watch videos of “From Billions to None,” “I’m not Racist ... am I?” and more in the online version of this story at PaloAltoOnline.com.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 27

Arts & Entertainment

An elegant ‘Proof’ TheatreWorks stages outstanding production of David Auburn play REVIEW THEATER

avid Auburn’s “Proof,” winner of a Tony, a Pulitzer Prize and a fistful of other awards for the best Broadway play of 2001, is a slim, sneaky wonder of theatrical storytelling. Short on poetry, short on portent, even relatively short on plot, it would be easy to underestimate the dramatic potential in Auburn’s plainspoken script. When the play is brought to life by a quartet of sensitive, insightful actors, though, as it is in TheatreWorks’ current production, the power of “Proof” is undeniable. Perhaps the most striking of Auburn’s accomplishments is that he makes us care deeply about the career struggles of people immersed in the rarefied world of abstract mathematics. The key, of course, is Auburn’s focus: the story lies in the people, in the universal trials and truths of their lives and relationships. Thirty years ago, Robert was a mathematical wunderkind, upending several branches of the discipline before the age of 25 and landing a professorship at the University of Chicago. A few years later, the onset of mental illness cut short his career. (Though a diagnosis is never specified, schizophrenia seems likely; Robert speaks of decoding messages from aliens in the Dewey decimal numbers on library books.) When his wife died and his elder daughter moved away, his younger daughter Catherine dropped out of college to become his full-time caretaker. Raised on proofs and prime numbers, Catherine has clearly inherited much of her father’s genius. But as her own 25th birthday approaches, she worries that she may have inherited his madness as well. Infusing Catherine with palpable intelligence and vulnerability, actress Michelle Beck pulls off the show’s most crucial feat:

creating a central character with whom the audience can empathize, despite her depression and often scathing sarcasm. L. Peter Callender plays Robert, bringing a fine vocal and emotional range to the character. While he teeters on a tightrope between delusion and lucidity, his love for his gifted daughter is a bright, unwavering tether. Into this turmoil come the play’s two remaining characters. The first is Hal (Lance Gardner), one of Robert’s former students and a potential romantic interest for Catherine. Hal is intent on combing Robert’s papers for any unpublished discoveries, despite Catherine’s insistence that her father was incapable of productive work during his long illness. When Hal finds a notebook containing a complex proof that could settle a centuries-old conjecture regarding prime numbers, he believes his search is vindicated, but the authorship of the revolutionary proof is less than clear. The second arrival is Catherine’s older sister, Claire (Ashley Bryant), who has returned to Chicago to put things in order: the house, the funeral, and, first and foremost, Catherine. Claire could easily be the bad guy in this tale, but Bryant and director Leslie Martinson wisely steer clear of that interpretation. Bryant and Beck keep the sibling squabbles on a low simmer in their early scenes. Hints of resentment bubble up occasionally, in deliciously believable ways, as when Claire tries to force her favorite conditioner on her sister. (“Hair is dead,” Catherine retorts. “You can’t make it healthy.”) With the conflict downplayed, it’s clear that Claire’s overbearing manner stems from genuine concern for her sister, and the audience is forced to grapple with her assertion that putting their father in a psychiatric care facility might have been the best thing for both Robert and Catherine. All of Auburn’s characters are multifaceted individuals, and his script works hard

Kevin Berne

by Kevin Kirby

Catherine (Michelle Beck) gets advice from her father, Robert (L. Peter Callender), in TheatreWorks’ production of David Auburn’s “Proof.” to challenge common stereotypes. While Hal is in some ways a typical geek — socially awkward and physically stiff — he is also part of a group of mathematicians who party hard, play in a rock band and “get laid surprisingly often.” Similarly, Catherine’s struggle to be taken seriously as a mathematician in her own right forces the audience to confront the stereotype of math as an exclusively male endeavor. This makes “Proof” a particularly apt piece for Silicon Valley, where the paucity of women in STEM careers is a perennial topic of conversation and concern. Finally, Martinson’s decision to stage Auburn’s piece with an African-American cast challenges another stereotype: the assumption that all mathematicians are not just men, but white men. The production is technically impressive. Steven B. Mannshardt’s lights and Gregory Robinson’s sound design support the story without being intrusive. Annie Smart’s scenic design is both gorgeous and eminently fitting. The back porch of Robert’s suburban home is strewn with fallen leaves and withered plants in pots. The paint is peeling, and decades

of backyard detritus have accumulated in every corner. Through the double sliding doors, a bright interior reveals an expansive shelving unit packed with books. The whole suggests a vibrant life of the mind falling into disarray and decrepitude. Even by TheatreWorks’ usual high standards, this is an outstanding production, one in which Auburn’s themes — mortality, inspiration, love and irreducible uncertainty — are captured perfectly ... in a world where proof is elusive. Q Freelance writer Kevin Kirby can be emailed at penlyon@peak.org. What: “Proof,” presented by TheatreWorks Where: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View When: Through Nov. 1. Tuesday-Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday-Friday, 8 p.m., Saturday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Matinee on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2 p.m. Cost: $19-$74. Info: Go to theatreworks.org or call 650463-1960.

The Girls’ Middle School 3400 West Bayshore Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 650.968.8338 x133 www.girlsms.org admissions@girlsms.org

OPEN HOUSES Saturday, Oct. 17, 1–4 pm Sunday, Dec. 6, 1–4 pm

Page 28 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Arts & Entertainment

WorthaLook

Books ‘A Month in the Country’ Its founder Tobias Wolff may have retired, but Another Look Book Club lives on at Stanford University. This Monday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m., the club will meet at the Bechtel Conference Center, Encina Hall, 616 Serra St. to discuss British novelist J.L. Carr’s “A Month in the Country.” The discussion is free to the public. Go to goo.gl/nRyJRC.

Film African Film Festival

Kathryn Dunlevie

Art

Mountain View’s Community School of Music and Arts, 230 San Antonio Circle, hosts the sixth annual Silicon Valley African Film Festival Oct. 16-18. Between Friday night’s opening ceremonies and Sunday evening’s awards, there’s a chance to catch the African marketplace, discussion forums, live performances and more than 25 film screenings. An all-access pass is $50; single day tickets are $20-$30. Go to svaff. org or call 415-774-6787.

Music

‘Women of Mystery’ Original photographs meet, mix and mingle with historical and contemporary images in the work of Palo Alto artist Kathryn Dunlevie. This Saturday, Oct. 17, 5-8 p.m., the artist will hold a reception for her new show, “Women of Mystery.” In these whimsical and sometimes haunting mashups, stylish women appear in a variety of settings — traipsing through giant banana fronds, lounging in chic boudoirs or floating high above distant cities. In almost every case, their faces are obscured, replaced by various objects: an orchid, a gyroscope, a tangle of ropes. Dunlevie’s studio is located at 1303 Waverley St., Palo Alto, though the entrance is on Melville Avenue. The reception is free to the public. For more about the artist, go to kathryndunlevie.com.

Piedmont Melody Makers

Alice Gerrard comes to Mountain View this Saturday, Oct. 17, with her Piedmont Melody Makers. The Masonic Lodge at 890 Church St. opens at 5 p.m. for a bluegrass jam; the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50-$25. Go to rba.org.

Festival LAST Festival Life, Art, Science and Technology: those are the themes of the interdisciplinary LAST Festival, held at Stanford Oct. 16-18. The festival features multimedia art installations, talks from leaders in science and technology, live performances and more. Admission is free. Go to lastfestival.org.

Talk Then Comes Marriage Someone had to take down the Defense of Marriage Act. That someone was attorney Roberta Kaplan. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Kaplan will appear at Palo Alto’s Oshman JCC to discuss her book, “Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of Doma.” Tickets are $10-$35. Go to goo.gl/9kF7Dy or call 650223-8649. Q

— Elizabeth Schwyzer

A legend in the bluegrass world,

Above: Palo Alto artist Kathryn Dunlevie will hold a reception for her new show, “Women of Mystery,” this Saturday, Oct. 17.

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Watch videos of the Silicon Valley African Film Festival and more in the online version of this story at PaloAltoOnline.com.

Taste the Good Life.

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Page 30 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Learn about Stanford Health Care Advantage (HMO) at one of our informational seminars in your area Stanford Primary Care, Hoover Pavilion 211 Quarry Rd Palo Alto, CA 94304 Mondays: 2pm–4pm* Wednesdays: 2pm–4pm* Fridays: 10am–12pm* Stanford Health Library at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center 3921 Fabian Way Palo Alto, CA 94303 Tuesdays: 10am–12pm* Tuesdays: 1pm–3pm* Thursdays: 10am–12pm* Stanford Primary Care, Los Altos 960 N. San Antonio Rd, Ste 101 Los Altos, CA 94022

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 31

WorthaLook

Your weekly

BVS TW`ab abS^ W\ ^ZO\\W\U g]c` eSSYS\R abO`ba VS`S

email with tips and insights about hot events and cool activities

EAT

SEE

PLAY

PaloAltoOnline.com/express/weekend Presented by Page 32 â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ www.PaloAltoOnline.com

â&#x20AC;˘ Music â&#x20AC;˘ Eating out â&#x20AC;˘ Movies â&#x20AC;˘ Fun and free â&#x20AC;˘ Art exhibits â&#x20AC;˘ Theater â&#x20AC;˘ Lectures and learning

Eating Out

Clockwise from left: At The Village Pub in Woodside, Chef Orlando Pagan prepares pressed duck confit with grilled bok choy in a duck consommé. The banoffee cake is served with a walnut-toffee crumble and butterscotch ice cream. Delicata squash salad comes with candied pecans and brown butter crumble.

SIMPLICITY IS SOPHISTICATION AT THE VILLAGE PUB IN WOODSIDE

TARS S IN ALIGNMENT by Dale F. Bentson

photos by Veronica Weber

hat do Nietzsche, Kant, Spinoza and Michelinstar restaurants have in common? Mark Sullivan. After completing a degree in philosophy, Sullivan embraced cooking and learned through experience. Now, he is the executive chef of and partner in Bacchus Management Group, which operates The Village Pub in Woodside, Spruce in San Francisco, Mayfield Bakery & Cafe in Palo Alto and four Pizza Antica restaurants scattered around the Bay. The Village Pub has received one Michelin star every year since 2009. Among Sullivan’s accomplishments: In February, he cooked for President Barack Obama at Spruce — undoubtedly a cerebral as well as a technical challenge. What does one expect from a Michelin-star restaurant? High quality ingredients, for starters. Bacchus Group has an exclusive partnership with SMIP Ranch, a 5-acre organic farm located in the hills above Woodside. Approximately 80 percent of The Village Pub’s produce comes from the farm. Masterly technique in the kitchen and consistency of dining experience are among the Michelin criteria. Sullivan was raised in a foodattentive family and cooked in San Francisco, then across southern France and northern Spain, before returning to the Bay Area. Along the way, he mastered method and system. At The Village Pub, under Sullivan’s guidance, chef de cuisine Orlando Pagan and his brigade turn out perfect plate after perfect plate. To earn a Michelin star, there is more, of course — subtle things, attention to detail. One evening, after the table next to us vacated, not only did busboys quickly clear, but they also produced a small steam iron and smoothed the linen before the table was reset. Additional factors include a wellstocked wine cellar. Bacchus Management Wine & Spirits Director Andrew Green has assembled a world-class wine cellar with more than 2,500 selections. In 2013, The Village Pub earned Wine Spectator magazine’s highest honor, one of only 81 restaurants in the world to receive a Grand Award. I gasped when examining the inventory, one of the finest wine lists I’d ever seen. The 10-plus

pages hold in-depth offerings of the greatest wines of Europe and the West Coast, and particularly a who’s who of Bordeaux, Burgundy and California reds. I gasped again at the prices. The markups are quite significant, though there are affordable wines for those not wielding platinum cards. Don’t be shy about asking the sommelier for guidance and give parameters about how much you want to spend. There is large selection of spirits as well. Fear not and drink well. And expect exceptional service. The Village Pub servers kept close eyes on their tables without being intrusive. During my visits, pacing from the kitchen was perfect: no rushed courses and not too much time in between, either. Water and wine glasses were refilled when levels reached the halfway point. The servers were knowledgeable about ingredients and preparation. Utensils were changed after every course. Napkins were discretely refolded if a diner needed to leave the table. The bread basket was never empty. The Parker House rolls were made in-house; the custom-baked breads came from Mayfield Bakery. There are also decor and ambiance considerations. The Village Pub was quiet enough for conversation, even when the dining room was filled. Tables are dressed with crisscross double linens to hide table legs and paired with plush red upholstered chairs with matching banquette to divide the bar area from the dining room. An exterior wall with paned windows allows in just enough light during daylight hours. Montara photographer Robert Buelteman’s black-andwhite images enhance the walls. (continued on page 34)

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 33

Eating Out The Village Pub, 2967 Woodside Road, Woodside; 650851-9888; thevillagepub.net

Reservations

Lot Parking

Credit cards

Full bar

Takeout

Private parties

Happy hour

Corkage: $35 Children

Outdoor dining: porch

Noise level: Moderate Bathroom: Excellent

Village Pub (continued from page 33)

Finally, there is attitude and anticipation. Walking across the parking lot toward the door, I just sensed something special. Inside, reception was immediate and warm. Yes, we did eat. Two gougères, or cheese puffs, were brought while we scanned the menu. Our server, soon followed by the sommelier, was helpful. Bread arrived; water goblets filled. At dinner, the sautéed sweetbreads ($22) were fork-tender and served with corn, onions and crisp bacon. The aromatic brown sauce was flavorful yet delicate enough to showcase the sweetbreads.

ShopTalk

Beyt by 2b design

Hours: Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner: daily, 5-10 p.m.; Brunch: Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pub menu: MondayFriday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

by Daryl Savage

ART FROM RUBBLE ... It may sound unlikely, but salvage recovered from the aftermath of civil war in Lebanon is being transformed into home decor. “Every single piece we get from Lebanon, we cherish it and we turn it into beauty,” said Raja Moubarak, who opened a small shop last month in Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village. “It’s all a part of history.” His 800-square-foot space has an eclectic variety of lamps, jewelry, tables, mirrors and pillows. Moubarak, who is half Lebanese and half French, grew up in Beirut. He and his wife, Benedicte de Blavous Moubarak, co-founded the store, Beyt, which sells the one-of-a-kind

The agnolotti ($19) were sweet and creamy. Agnolotti is a specialty of the Piedmont region of Italy: flattened dough folded over meat or vegetables, in this case, corn. Roasted duck breast ($28), pink and savory, was accompanied by tiny carrots and gnocchi. Simple, clean, delicious. The pork chop ($39) was so tender, a knife wasn’t necessary. A tempura zucchini blossom and tiny

items — all of which were originally conflict-zone salvage. Each item comes with its own unique history. Pointing to the ornate wrought-iron base of a lamp, Moubarak said, “That came from an 18th-century balcony railing. We’re preserving architectural history.” But Beyt is much more than just a retail store, said Moubarak. It’s also a social enterprise. “We’re hoping to build bridges, not walls, and to promote understanding at a grass root level between Middle Easterners and Americans,” he said. Even the name of the store, “Beyt,” means “home” in both Hebrew and Arabic. The Palo Alto shop is the couple’s second

onions shared the plate. At lunch, the Lyonnaise salad ($14) was mouthwatering. The lardons — delicate strips of bacon — were thick and crisp, and the poached egg so perfect it was a work of art. The succulent pork schnitzel ($24) was pounded-thin pork loin, breaded, sautéed golden, and served with snippets of greens, minced vegetables and

Benedicte de Blavous Moubarak designed this side table, which is made out of a 1920s art-deco gate salvaged in Beirut, Lebanon. location. The first is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “I’m going back and forth all the time,” Moubarak said. “We have a workshop there where the rescued salvage is turned into works of art.” In addition to transforming salvaged materials, he said, Beyt aims to transform lives. “All our workers are disabled and we train them,” he explained. “We provide

tiny cherry tomatoes. Desserts were all pleasure, including the hazelnut chocolate millefeuille ($12), a layered chocolate cake ice cream sandwich; a chocolate souffle ($15) that was feather-light but held the Earl Grey crème anglaise that was poured into the cavity; and a “banoffee cake” ($12) with walnut-toffee crumble, butterscotch ice cream and chocolate pastry cream. Leonardo da Vinci is said to have

dignified employment to people who have no access to the job market.” Moubarak spoke of a woman he employs who makes lampshades. “She used to be homeless and a drug addict. She didn’t even know how to use a ruler. But we trained her for two years in the art of lampshade making.” If Beyt catches on in Palo Alto, Moubarak plans to open another workshop on the Peninsula. He recognizes that Beyt occupies a niche market. “We’re competing with big box retailers who buy their things from China,” he said. “We understand we appeal to a small group of customers. The way we compete is that we have a strong emotional attachment to everything we sell. Our mission is to restore the unseen beauty of the broken.”

Got leads on interesting and news-worthy retail developments? Daryl Savage will check them out. Email shoptalk@ paweekly.com. remarked, “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” At The Village Pub, the food is simple and straightforward, and the ingredients speak for themselves. For Sullivan, utilizing the local abundance doesn’t require exhaustive deductive reasoning. Maybe that’s why it works so well. Q Freelance writer Dale Bentson can be emailed at dfbentson@ gmail.com.

DINNER BY THE MOVIES AT SHORELINE’S

Live Music in Mountain View at Cucina Venti! Award Winning Guitarist Kenya Baker will perform this Thursday from 5:30-8:30pm

Breakfast is served!

Great Music, Great Food, Great Times!

At our sister restaurant, the Voya. Tuesday through Sunday.

Cucina Venti 1390 Pear Ave., Mountain View (650) 254-1120 www.CucinaVenti.com Page 34 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Make your reservation on For information on future events, follow us on

The Voya Restaurant 1390 Pear Ave., Mountain View (650) 386-6471 www.TheVoyaRestaurant.com

Divorce: Clear & Concrete Ways to Navigate the Process A FORUM FOR ALL WOMEN

Saturday, November 7, 2015 10:00 am to 3:30 pm 555 Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto

OPENINGS If you are considering divorce, have recently gone through a divorce, or are still aching from the effects of a divorce, join us for an informative & supportive seminar as we consider WKH OHJDO Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO and emotional landscape of divorce.

Freedom isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Freeheldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED â&#x20AC;&#x201D; SPACE IS LIMITED Double Feature Films

Julianne Moore, Ellen Page want equality 00 (Palo Alto Square) Let us first dispense with that awkward title: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Freeheld.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hardly a marketing bonus to the new Julianne Moore drama, though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspired by an Oscarwinning documentary short film of the same name. The title refers to the Ocean County Board of Freeholders in New Jersey, circa 2005, freeholders being local landowners who, in this case, serve as county government officials. And now you know. English majors will gravitate to the titleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pun-ny raison dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ĂŞtre: since the Ocean County Board of Freeholders denies pension benefits to a legal domestic partner, a struggle ensues, leaving a lesbian couple living in the tension between being bound and yearning for freedom. And the situation is even worse, because one of the partners is dying of cancer, putting the other in jeopardy of losing the home they made together. This is the true story of Laurel Hester (Moore), 23 years a cop in the Ocean County P.D. before cancer sidelines her and the freeholders kick her while sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s down. The filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most convincing passages concern the fearfully closeted Laurelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awkward-sweet mutual courtship, over volleyball and dancing, with young mechanic

Julianne Moore, left, and Ellen Page play lesbian partners fighting for their rights and their dignity in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Freeheld.â&#x20AC;? Stacie Andree (Ellen Page). Their initial romance proves more touching than any of the hanky-wringing, if timely, Lifetime-movie theatrics to follow. After the bureaucratic version of a wedding (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happy domestic partnership day,â&#x20AC;? Stacie cracks), the couple settles into a house and begins home improvements, mostly at the hands of Stacie. But when the cancer diagnosis arrives and Laurel petitions, the freeholders exercise their then-legal right to choose to deny benefits to domestic partners. Once Laurelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s verystraight partner Dane (Michael Shannon) gets wind that Laurel is gay and a victim of discrimination, he becomes a stalwart ally, but their brethren (including another closeted gay cop) will take a lot more convincing to get sociopolitical or, for that matter, personal with a lesbian. Enter Steven Goldstein of Garden State Equality, a selfdescribed â&#x20AC;&#x153;big, loud gay Jewâ&#x20AC;? eager to seize on the case as an object example in the fight for gay marriage. As flamboyantly played by Steve Carell in fullcomic mode, Goldstein drives

the movie straight (or gay) off a cliff. The real fella may have called every straight man he met â&#x20AC;&#x153;sweetieâ&#x20AC;? and bellowed lines like â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need more Entenmannâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s!â&#x20AC;?, but he comes off here as a caricature who wildly throws off the tone of an otherwise quiet drama. No movie can fully suppress the talents of Moore, Page, and Shannon, but in Ron Nyswanerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s script, every theme gets put in a characterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mouth, and every plot point gets telegraphed, mailed, emailed and texted ahead of its arrival. Nyswaner also wrote the controversially tiptoeing gay-themed Oscar bait â&#x20AC;&#x153;Philadelphiaâ&#x20AC;? back in 1993, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Freeheldâ&#x20AC;? shares that filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crowd-pleasing nuance deficit. As directed by Peter Sollett (whose â&#x20AC;&#x153;Raising Victor Vargasâ&#x20AC;? had no such problem), â&#x20AC;&#x153;Freeheldâ&#x20AC;? doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t operate on the rhythms of reality but rather on those of morally reassuring light melodrama. Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements, language and sexuality. One hour, 43 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Peter Canavese

To sell the truth

TO PURCHASE TICKETS go to deborahspalm.org and click on the EVENTBRITE link. For more information, visit deborahspalm.org or call: 650/473-0664

2015-2016 CONCERT SEASON Season subscription 4 concerts - $88 Save 17% off at the door prices

Home, Harvest and Heartland Friday, October 23 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; First Congregational Church of Palo Alto Sunday, October 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Los Altos United Methodist Church Schola Cantorum kicks off its 52nd season with a program of works that celebrate humble values of our land and people.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Sunday, December 6 Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts Schola Cantorumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual family concert features familiar holiday favorites, a commission of carol arrangements by Nile Norton, singer Kalil Wilson and concertmaster of the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Robin Sharp.

Teacher & Student Haydn Lord Nelson Mass and Beethoven Mass in C Major Francois Duhamel/Universal Pictures

Will the real â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Steve Jobsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; please stand up? 00 (Century 16) Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an idea: How about a movie about Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs? I kid, of course. Since Jobsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; death four years ago, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already had a traditional biopic (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jobs,â&#x20AC;? starring Ashton Kutcher) and an Alex Gibney documentary focused on bad behavior (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machineâ&#x20AC;?). What, then, is a studio out to create another Steve Jobs movie â&#x20AC;&#x201D; creatively

Cost: Early Bird: $95 (before 10/23); Regular: $125 (10/24 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11/6); INCLUDES LUNCH & BEVERAGES

In â&#x20AC;&#x153;Steve Jobs,â&#x20AC;? Michael Fassbender, left, plays the titular genius; Seth Rogen plays Apple engineer Steve Wozniak. titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Steve Jobsâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to do? The answer: Start with Walter Isaacsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s authorized bio, hire a screenwriter who won an Oscar for portraying a tech giantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rise (Aaron Sorkin of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Social

Networkâ&#x20AC;?) and snag an Oscarwinning director (Danny Boyle of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Slumdog Millionaireâ&#x20AC;?). Oh, and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget the top-shelf (continued on next page)

Sunday, March 20 Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts Experience two choral master pieces â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Haydnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lord Nelson Mass and Beethovenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mass in C Major with orchestra and vocal soloists.

Randall Thompson Retrospective Saturday, May 14 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; First Congregational Church of Palo Alto Sunday, May 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Los Altos United Methodist Church Delight in the highly expressive music of Randall Thompson who composed music for the people of his time including Song of Democracy and Testament of Freedom. Note: Sunday concerts begin at 3:00pm. Friday and Saturday concerts begin at 7:30pm.

Purchase now: online at ScholaCantorum.org, or by phone at 650-254-1700 www.PaloAltoOnline.com â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 35

Movies

‘Steve Jobs’ (continued from previous page)

cast, including Michael Fassbender as the titular selfish, insecure sales genius, Kate Winslet as his confidant Joanna Hoffman, Jeff Daniels as Apple’s CEO-for-a-decade John Sculley and Seth Rogen as inventive electronics engineer Steve “Woz” Wozniak. The result is a film with audiovisual punch, a snazzy structure and dynamic delivery of Sorkin’s patented rat-a-tat-tat dialogue. It’s also a film that, in attempting to “pull back the curtain” on a man, reveals behind its own theatrical curtain nothing much worth paying attention to. Sorkin adopts a much-ballyhooed three-act structure to reveal Jobs’ character through his discussions preceding three key product launches: the 1984 Macintosh unveiling at Cupertino’s Flint Center,

Century Theatres at Palo Alto Square Friday 10/16 Freeheld – 1:45, 4:20, 7:00, 9:30 He Named Me Malala – 1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00 Saturday 10/17 Freeheld – 1:45, 4:20, 7:00, 9:30 He Named Me Malala – 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00 Sun, Mon, and Thursday 10/18 – 10/19, 10/22 Freeheld – 1:45, 4:20, 7:00 He Named Me Malala – 1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45 Tuesday, Wednesday 10/20 – 10/21 Freeheld – 1:45, 4:20, 7:00 He Named Me Malala – 1:00, 3:15

Tickets and Showtimes available at cinemark.com

the 1988 NeXT Computer launch and the 1998 iMac launch. Inexplicably, Sorkin squanders this promising approach not by laying in motifs so much as repeating himself, with each section forcing confrontations with the same key influences: Sculley (who, in fact, Jobs never spoke to after 1985), Woz, Hoffman and, most of all, Jobs’ daughter, Lisa Brennan (played by three actresses). As such, “Steve Jobs” has more cheap psychology than it knows what to do with. The role of surrogate father is played by Sculley, while the role of conscience, aka Jiminy Cricket, is shared by Hoffmann (“What you make isn’t supposed to be the best part of you”) and Woz (“How come I read ten times a day, ‘Steve Jobs is a genius?’”). Lisa, of course, is the daughter Jobs denied, largely failed, but ultimately took great pride in. The actors are all fine, although Fassbender crucially fails to capture Jobs’ essence, and he’s not helped by the artifice overload Sorkin and Boyle orchestrate. In one of the most “script-y” lines in a film full of them, devicelauncher Jobs laments, “I’m poorly made.” That’s not exactly true of “Steve Jobs,” but this cinematic 3.0 remains buggy, a product that fails to help audiences understand what made Jobs tick — and what made his products so alluring. Rated R for language. Two hours, 2 minutes. — Peter Canavese

The following is a sampling of movies recently reviewed in the Weekly: He Named Me Malala 001/2 The youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala Yousafzai found her voice as a teenager. Targeted and shot in the head in 2012 for speaking out against the Taliban and advocating for education for all women, the Pakistani heroine survived and continues her rousing activism. If only documentarian Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) had found an equally eloquent approach in “He Named Me Malala.” Crisp news footage contrasts with over-exposed reenactments and impressionistic animation. Interviews offer a more objective perspective than the voice-over narration provided by Malala and her father, Ziauddin. Still, a portrait emerges of an ordinary girl doing the extraordinary, whether recovering from her injuries, inspiring Kenyan school girls or addressing the United Nations. Rated PG-13 for thematic elements involving disturbing images and threats. One hour, 27 minutes. — S.T. (Reviewed Oct. 9, 2015) Meet the Patels 000 Single and pushing 30, actor Ravi Patel is feeling the heat to give an arranged marriage a try. When he shows signs of weakness to the idea, his parents, Vasant and Champa, pounce — beginning an often hilarious journey through the world of Indian and Indian-American matchmaking. Doing what any loving sibling would, Ravi’s sister Geeta grabs the nearest camera and ultimately creates the personable, heartfelt documentary, “Meet the Patels.” Like a thoroughbred being put through his paces, Ravi gets entered into date after date, some more promising than others. The film doesn’t shy away from Ravi’s feelings on racial and cultural identity: variations on self-nurturing pride and squirmy embarrassment. Rated PG for thematic elements, brief suggestive images and incidental smoking. One hour, 28 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Oct. 9, 2015)

The Martian 000 Based on a novel by Mountain View resident Andy Weir, “The Martian” is perhaps the purest ode to science mainstream cinema has ever produced. During a manned NASA mission to Mars, the crew of Ares 3 narrowly escapes a dust storm, leaving behind presumeddead astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon). Watney wakes to discover himself alone on the red planet. His subsequent efforts to feed himself, prolong battery life and contact home amount to a refreshing tribute to scientific ingenuity. Although it features a top-notch cast, the film’s real stars are Damon, in a performance that leans on his real-life charm, and director Ridley Scott, who tamed a logistically complex production. Rated PG-13 for some strong language, injury images and brief nudity. Two hours, 21 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Oct. 2, 2015) Sleeping with Other People 00 1/2 In writer-director Leslye Headland’s “Sleeping with Other People,” Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis play Lainey and Jake, commitment-phobic Manhat-

tanites who, once upon a time, lost their virginity to each other. Upon a chance reunion at a sex-addiction support group a decade later, the two strike up a friendship based on their understanding of each other’s major relationship malfunctions. Providing the best of the sideline commentary are Jake’s friends: the 12-years-married Xander and Naomi (the on-fire Jason Mantzoukas and Andrea Savage). The strong cast also includes “other people” Adam Scott (as Lainey’s realistically creepy OB-GYN ex) and Amanda Peet (as a completepackage professional woman who turns Jake’s eye). The film effectively has it both ways, with its dark neuroses and naughty humor giving way to a sweet consideration of the rarity of unconditional love. Rated R for strong sexual content, language including sexual references, and some drug use. One hour, 41 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Oct. 2, 2015)

MOVIE REVIEWERS P.C. – Peter Canavese, T.H. – Tyler Hanley, S.T. – Susan Tavernetti

MOVIE TIMES All showtimes are for Friday to Sunday only unless otherwise noted. For other times, reviews and trailers, go to PaloAltoOnline.com/movies. Movie times are subject to change. Call theaters for the latest. Century 20: 10:50 a.m., 4:40 & 10:25 p.m.

99 Homes (R)

Beasts of No Nation (Not Rated) Black Mass (R) ++1/2

Guild Theatre: 1, 4, 7:05 & 10 p.m.

Century 20: 7:50 & 10:40 p.m.

Bridge of Spies (PG-13) Century 16: 9:20 a.m., 12:40, 4, 7:20 & 10:40 p.m. Century 20: 10:45 a.m., 12:40, 2, 3:55, 5:15, 7:10, 8:30 & 10:25 p.m. Bruce Lee: The Fighter (Not Rated) Century 16: 11:15 a.m., 3:15, 6:45 & 10:30 p.m., Fri & Sat 11:15 p.m. Carousel (1956) (Not Rated)

Stanford Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Sun 3 p.m.

Crimson Peak (R) Century 16: 10 a.m., 1, 4:10, 7:10 & 10:20 p.m., Fri & Sat 12:01 a.m. Century 20: 11:20 a.m., 12:50, 2:10, 3:40, 5, 6:30, 7:50, 9:25 & 10:45 p.m. Everest (PG-13)

Century 20: 1:50 & 7:25 p.m.

Freeheld (PG-13) ++

Palo Alto Square: 1:45, 4:20 & 7 p.m., Fri & Sat 9:30 p.m.

Goosebumps (PG) Century 16: 9 & 11:45 a.m., 2:30, 5:15, 8:10 & 10:45 p.m. In 3-D at 10:25 a.m., 1:05, 3:50, 7 & 9:35 p.m., Fri & Sat 12:10 a.m. Century 20: 10:30 a.m., 12:05, 2:50, 3:40, 5:25, 8 & 10:40 p.m. In 3-D at 11:10 a.m., 1:05, 1:55, 4:30, 7:05 & 9:40 p.m. In 3-D D-BOX at 11:10 a.m., 1:55, 4:30, 7:05 & 9:40 p.m. He Named Me Malala (PG-13) ++1/2 Century 20: 3:40, 6, 8:20 & 10:40 p.m., Fri & Sun 11 a.m. & 1:20 p.m. Palo Alto Square: 3:15, 5:30 & 7:45 p.m., Fri & Sun 1 p.m., Fri & Sat 10 p.m. Hotel Transylvania 2 (PG) Century 16: 9:15 & 11:35 a.m., 2, 4:20, 7:05 & 9:35 p.m. Century 20: 10:30 & 11:30 a.m., 12:50, 1:55, 3:10, 4:15, 5:30, 6:50 & 9:10 p.m. The Intern (PG-13) ++ Century 16: 4:20 p.m., Fri & Sun 10:05 a.m. & 1:20 p.m. Century 20: 10:40 a.m., 1:30, 4:20, 7:15 & 10:10 p.m. Ladrones (PG-13) Century 16: 7:20 & 10 p.m.

Century 20: Noon, 2:35, 5:10, 7:45 & 10:15 p.m.

The Martian (PG-13) +++ Century 16: 9:05 a.m., 12:20, 3:40, 7:05 & 10:30 p.m. In 3-D at 10:10 & 11:20 a.m., 1:30, 2:40, 4:45, 5:55, 8:05 & 9:15 p.m., Fri & Sat 11:20 p.m. Century 20: 10:35 a.m., 1:45, 4:55 & 8:10 p.m. In 3-D at 11:40 a.m., 2:45, 6 & 9:15 p.m. In X-D at 12:45, 3:55, 7:10 & 10:20 p.m. In 3-D D-BOX at 11:40 a.m., 2:45, 6 & 9:15 p.m. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (PG-13) Meet the Patels (PG) +++

Century 20: 6:15 & 9:20 p.m.

Aquarius Theatre: 2:30, 5, 7:30 & 9:55 p.m.

Met Opera: Otello (Not Rated) Century 16: Sat 9:55 a.m. Century 20: Sat 9:55 a.m. Pan (PG) Century 16: 10:15 a.m., 4:30 & 7:25 p.m. In 3-D at 1:20 & 10:35 p.m. Century 20: 10:55 a.m., 4:25 & 7:05 p.m. In 3-D at 1:40 & 9:55 p.m. Sicario (R) Century 16: 10:20 a.m., 1:15, 4:15, 7:15 & 10:10 p.m. Century 20: 11:15 a.m., 2:10, 5:05, 7:55 & 10:45 p.m. Steve Jobs (R) ++ Century 16: 9, 9:45 & 10:55 a.m., 12:05, 12:55, 2:05, 3:05, 4:05, 5:15, 6:15, 7:15, 8:15, 9:15 & 10:25 p.m., Fri & Sat 12:10 a.m. The Walk (PG) Century 16: 1:20 & 10:25 p.m. In 3-D at 10:15 a.m., 4:25 & 7:25 p.m. Century 20: 10:45 a.m., 4:35 & 10:30 p.m. In 3-D at 1:35 & 7:30 p.m. Woodlawn (PG)

Century 20: 10:35 a.m., 1:30, 4:25, 7:20 & 10:20 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) CinéArts at Palo Alto Square: 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (493-0128) Guild: 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (266-9260) Stanford: 221 University Ave., Palo Alto (324-3700) ON THE WEB: Additional movie reviews and trailers at PaloAltoOnline.com/movies

Page 36 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Home&Real Estate

OPEN HOME GUIDE 46 Also online at PaloAltoOnline.com

Home Front PLANT SALE ... Buy native plants at the Santa Clara Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society’s sale on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Hidden Villa, 26870 Moody Road, Los Altos Hills. Cash, check and credit card will be accepted, and parking is free. Buyers should bring a box to carry plant purchases. Info: cnps-scv.org RHODODENDRONS ... Learn how to grow the best rhododendrons with the help of the De Anza Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. in Room 12 of the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos. The event is free and refreshments will be served. Info: deanza-ars.com BATH (AND KITCHEN) TIME ... Learn about bathroom and kitchen remodels on Saturday, Oct. 24, 9:30-11:30 a.m., at 1954 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View. As part of a Harrell Remodeling workshop series, participants will learn from industry experts and receive the tools they need to successfully start their next remodeling project. Info: harrellremodeling.com/homeownereducation/workshops COMPOST BASICS ... Compost at home after learning the basics on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to noon, in Room H-1 at the Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. During this free course, participants will learn about how compost helps a garden. Info: cityofpaloalto.org/workshops HEALTHY FRUIT TREES ... Learn to prune fruit trees — from apple to plum — on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2-4 p.m., at Common Ground Garden, 687 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto. In this class, Tom Cronin will demonstrate how to prune a tree, show which tools are best and teach basic pruning techniques. The $40 workshop includes hands-on learning. Info: commongroundgarden.org CALL FOR GARDENS ... Submit your garden by Saturday, Oct. 31, for inclusion in the Going Native Garden Tour 2016. To qualify, you must live in San Mateo or Santa Clara counties and have a garden that is comprised of 50 percent or more of California native plants. If selected, your garden will be included in the tour which will take place on April 9 and 10, 2016. Info: bit.ly/SubmitGarden

Send notices of news and events related to real estate, interior design, home improvement and gardening to Home Front, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302, or email bmalmberg@paweekly.com. Deadline is one week before publication.

Thirsty times

t its inception, Palo Alto was named after a 110-foot tall, over 1,000-years-old coast redwood tree called “El Palo Alto,” which loosely translates to “tall tree.” Today, in the midst of California’s drought, city staff and tree experts are encouraging residents to go back to their roots and care for these trees from which the city gets its name. More than two-thirds of the city’s urban forest is situated on private property, according to Michael Hawkins, a certified arborist and program director of environmental nonprofit Canopy. “(This) is why we encourage people to plant (and care for) new trees, which would replenish the trees we would lose from the drought,” he said. Two of the main mistakes residents are making with their trees are overwatering or simply not watering at all, he said. Mature trees only need to be watered once a month or every month, according to Hawkins. Younger trees require watering weekly or biweekly, for at least the first three to five years. After which, they can be placed on a monthly watering cycle. The worst tree-watering method, Hawkins said, is sprinklers because the water will likely evaporate before the tree has a chance to absorb it, especially during warmer temperatures. He recommends running drip emitters for more mature trees, specifically the Netafim brand, for about 90 minutes. They should be placed around the ring of the tree at the drip line where most roots are located. If residents don’t want to spend money on drip emitters, Hawkins recommends soaker hoses. For younger trees, Hawkins said to water the tree by holding a large water bucket with holes drilled in the bottom over it. The holes help

Tree experts weigh in on saving trees while remaining water-conscious during drought

story and photos by Muna Sadek

regulate flow and prevent water running into the streets. As a last resort, if sprinklers must be used, they should run in early mornings or evenings and should be set to run only 30 minutes at a time, he said. Depending on the density of the soil, trees can be watered up to once a week according to Ruben Green, president and consulting arborist at Evergreen Arborist Consultants. “Water goes right to the root system for sandy soil. Heavy soil or expansive soil will go straight to the street,” he said. He recommends taking a sample and crushing it in between fingers. The heavier soil is very similar to clay and can likely form a solid shape. Sandier or loamy soil, Green said, tends to fall apart and requires more frequent watering because the water passes through the soil much quicker than dense soil. If there is any silver lining to the drought, Green believes residents are not overwatering their trees, which reduces the decay and diseases among them. Green recommends not watering plants or

The City of Palo Alto thanks its residents for their water conservation efforts, which allow water to be used on trees in parks such as Bowden Park. bushes and reducing the amount of annual flowers. “If it dies, it will be easy to replace,” he said. “The trees take decades and decades to replace.” Trees are not one size fits all, Green adds. Residents who are looking to plant trees should consider how the tree will evolve during the next few decades. “It has to be the right tree for the right place,” he said. Green and Hawkins recommend planting trees such as the Chinese elm, silver linden and coast live oaks, and avoiding magnolia trees and Monterey pine. Coincidentally, the southern magnolia is the most common tree along Palo Alto’s streets. The next most common tree is the liquidambar. According to Susan Rosenberg, a Canopy founder, every summer, Canopy staff and volunteers visit trees that have been planted by the city during the past five years and leave fliers for homeowners about tree care. She encourages residents who have questions about caring for these trees and their own to submit questions to the Tree Hotline on the Canopy website. Despite the drought, trees are worth the water investment, Hawkins said. “Everyone has been really focused on preserving water and a lot of trees have been suffering as a result,” he said. “It’s important that we don’t lose them as assets.” Q Editorial Intern Muna Sadek can be emailed at msadek@paweekly.com.

READ MORE ONLINE

PaloAltoOnline.com

For more Home and Real Estate news, visit PaloAltoOnline.com/real_estate.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 37

14303 Saddle Mountain Drive, Los Altos Hills Offered at $4,498,000 Handsome Home with Breathtaking Views Delivering breathtaking bay views, this 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom home of 4,895 sq. ft. (per county) sits on a hilltop lot of 1.14 acres (per county) and offers an elegant interior featuring crown molding, recessed lighting, and spacious living areas. Fronted by a private courtyard, the main gallery opens to a sunken living room, a formal dining room with a butler’s pantry, and a family room that adjoins an island kitchen with a large breakfast area. Upstairs, one bedroom may easily convert to an office, while the immense master suite connects to a large patio overlooking the gorgeous grounds, which include a heated pool and spa, a stone terrace, and an outdoor barbecue. Additional features include two staircases, three fireplaces, an attached three-car garage, and an extensive paver driveway. Within moments of Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club, this home is also near Stanford University and Ladera Shopping Center. Excellent nearby schools include Nixon Elementary (API 955), Terman Middle (API 968), JLS Middle (API 943), and Gunn High (API 917) (buyer to verify eligibility). For video tour & more photos, please visit:

www.14303SaddleMountain.com

OPEN HOUSE

Ken DeLeon CalBRE #01342140

Michael Repka CalBRE #01854880

Sunday 1:30 - 4:30 pm

6 5 0 . 4 8 8 . 7 3 2 5 | i n f o @ d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | w w w. d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | C a l B R E # 0 1 9 0 3 2 2 4

Page 38 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Home & Real Estate Impact on local real estate

Real Estate Matters Chinese stock market woes, the RMB devaluation’s impact on Silicon Valley real estate by Michael Repka and Kim Heng

he recent turmoil in the Asian stock markets, most notably in China, and the devaluation of the Chinese currency have evoked many questions about the likelihood of continued investment in Bay Area real estate by Chinese buyers. Coincidentally, we were attending meetings with some high-level government officials in Beijing during the height of the Asian stock market free fall in July. Upon our return, we started to receive a string of inquiries from the press and clients alike. Those same questions persist three months later.

The source of the concern The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index was at 2,083 on Jan. 3, 2014, and it soared to 5,166 by June 12, 2015. However, since that date, it retreated back to 3,155 by October 2015. This was still a net increase of over 50 percent in less than two years, but it was certainly a huge drop from its heights. In addition to the stock market turmoil, there has been a good bit of currency instability in China. In October 2005, one U.S. dollar could be exchanged for 8.1 Chinese yuan renminbi (RMB). By July of 2008, that ratio was reduced to one U.S. dollar equaling 6.8 RMB, which — much to the chagrin of trading partners, including the United States — remained pretty consistent until June 2010. From June

Michael Repka

2010 until December 2013, the rate fell to one U.S. dollar equaling 6.06 RMB, which gave Chinese buyers a lot of power to purchase U.S. real estate. However, on Aug. 11, 2015, China’s central bank announced that they would devalue their currency and, by Aug. 26, the rate had changed to one U.S. dollar equaling 6.42 RMB. While the reduced buying power could discourage some Chinese buyers from purchasing property in the United States, fears that the devaluation trends could continue or accelerate may actually encourage some buyers to act more expeditiously. That brings us to today. We have a Chinese stock market that is down significantly and a weakening Chinese currency, leaving the open question of whether Chinese buyers will continue to buy Silicon Valley real estate as aggressively as they have during the past three years. Although it may be unwise to look to a local real estate agent for prognostication of global economic trends, our extensive outreach to the Chinese community and our strong network, both here and in China, give us a significant amount of real-time data on what is actually happening in the marketplace. What we are seeing is a stratified market that is responding very differently.

SALES AT A GLANCE Atherton

Palo Alto

Total sales reported: 1 Lowest sales price: $3,200,000 Highest sales price: $3,200,000

Total sales reported: 1 Lowest sales price: $3,300,000 Highest sales price: $3,300,000

East Palo Alto

Portola Valley

Total sales reported: 5 Lowest sales price: $450,000 Highest sales price: $670,000

Total sales reported: 1 Lowest sales price: $5,700,000 Highest sales price: $5,700,000

Los Altos

Woodside

Total sales reported: 1 Lowest sales price: $1,788,000 Highest sales price: $1,788,000

Total sales reported: 1 Lowest sales price: $2,390,000 Highest sales price: $2,390,000 Source: California REsource

Menlo Park Total sales reported: 7 Lowest sales price: $1,101,000 Highest sales price: $5,398,000

HOME SALES

Home sales are provided by California REsource, a real estate information company that obtains the information from the county recorder’s offices. Information is recorded from deeds after the close of escrow and published within four to eight weeks.

Atherton

46 Fair Oaks Lane A. & S. Kercso to J. Menzel for $3,200,000 on 09/15/15; previous sale 07/02/1996, $705,000

East Palo Alto

2215 Addison Ave. O. Loskutova to H. & H. Latu for $450,000 on 09/11/15; previous sale 10/31/2014, $364,500 1343 Camellia Drive J. Azar to J. Kelley for $670,000 on 09/10/15; previous sale 04/13/2012, $242,000 2127 Lincoln St. A. & M. Ibarra to S. Abu-El-Haija for $569,000 on 09/15/15; previous sale 11/27/1991, $150,000 119 Verbena Drive P. Schmitt to R. & M. Durst for $630,000 on 09/14/15; previous sale , $45,000 1982 W. Bayshore Road, #214 J. Chen to M. & N. Ranjan for

$531,000 on 09/11/15; previous sale 12/28/2006, $439,000

Los Altos

139 Cuesta Drive Medina Trust to K. Forsman for $1,788,000 on 09/16/15; previous sale 10/14/2011, $1,149,000

Menlo Park

337 Central Ave. Ott Trust to R H Trust for $1,750,000 on 09/14/15 1355 Hillview Drive Hillview Limited to S. & W. Ackerman for $5,398,000 on 09/10/15; previous sale 05/21/2014, $2,400,000 419 O’Keefe St. Sickinger Trust to A. & S. Balan for $1,950,000 on 09/15/15; previous sale 04/30/1980, $120,500 675 Sharon Park Drive, #248 J. & R. Valentino to A. Wang for $1,101,000 on 09/15/15; previous sale 07/11/2013, $720,000 929 Siskiyou Drive M. Amidi to P. Wang for $2,400,000 on 09/10/15; previous sale 11/20/2006, $1,660,000 301 Stanford Ave. Aayan Capital Group to S. Mukerjee for $3,547,000 on 09/10/15; previous sale 08/01/2000, $1,208,000 361 Vine St. Utzinger Trust to

Kim Heng

Cerros Partners for $2,950,000 on 09/10/15

Palo Alto

2170 Emerson St. Dodge Trust to Lynn Trust for $3,300,000 on 09/16/15; previous sale 07/30/1976, $74,200

Portola Valley

5922 Alpine Road Lefteroff Trust to A. Zilka for $5,700,000 on 09/15/15; previous sale 01/16/1998, $500,000

Woodside

701 W. California Way Rosene Trust to X. Qin for $2,390,000 on 09/14/15

BUILDING PERMITS Palo Alto

555 University Ave. tenant improvement and use and occupancy for new tenant Criteo, includes demolition of existing non-load bearing walls and roof opening for skylights, new nonload bearing, full-height partitions, glazing partition and new floor finishes, $700,000 2701 El Camino Real window replacement on north and east

side of building for residential units, $429,990 100 Ferne Ave. re-roof, $24,000 862 Rorke Way re-roof, $5,800 443 Fulton St. residential furnace and duct replacement in basement and new AC unit in side yard, $n/a 2090 Williams St. 1400002908: install new tankless water heater, $n/a 20 Kirby Place pool demolition, $n/a 925 Page Mill Road install three fixed tables in hallway for existing tenant, $1,000 4135 Park Blvd. service upgrade, $n/a 143 Seale Ave. furnace replacement in the basement, $n/a 329 Ramona St. remove/replace water heater, $n/a 403 University Ave. Yayoi: tenant improvement and use and occupancy for new restaurant tenant, $220,000 3958 Nelson Court pool demolition, $n/a 156 University Ave. tenant improvement for existing tenant Palantir on third floor, includes new partitions for offices, conference rooms, shower and toilet rooms, $450,000 1222 Fulton St. re-roof, $19,980 837 Ilima Court new arbor and deck in rear yard, $14,712 2209 El Camino Real new threestory mixed-use building to include a ground floor financial service, second-floor office space and third-floor residential single unit; shell and core with Mep, landscaping and site improvements, single-story restaurant demolition, $2,500,000 590 Ashton Ave. kitchen remodel, includes replacing all appliances, adding lighting, replacing hood, $17,100 1635 Bryant St. re-roof, $8,500 1200 Emerson St. re-roof, $5,000 4166 Willmar Drive master bath remodel, $7,300 930 Bautista Court re-roof, $15,192 2470 Ross Road residential roofmounted PV system, $n/a 103 El Camino Real 14-2467: scoreboard structure, $n/a

We have seen a moderate decrease in interest from Chinese buyers of lower-priced properties, which, in Silicon Valley’s rarefied air, includes properties valued at under $2 million. Some Chinese buyers have indicated a desire to wait until their stock holdings rebound before moving money to the United States. However, we have also seen an increased demand from the extremely wealthy portion of Chinese buyers. By way of example, we recently sold one of our listings for approximately $7 million to a Chinese billionaire who wanted to diversify his portfolio in light of the economic turmoil in Asia. Similarly, we have experienced an uptick in interest from affluent Chinese buyers on several of our listings in Atherton, and another Chinese billionaire has expressed an interest in a very aggressive buying campaign. The fundamental factors that have attracted international buyers to Silicon Valley have not changed. We still enjoy a remarkably strong business environment and an educated workforce that is unrivaled. Additionally, the stability of the United States and its legal system, which includes very predictable property rights, attracts many people from around the world. While it is too soon to conclude whether the interest from Chinese buyers will continue at the same pace as we have seen in recent years, we expect to continue to see a “flight to safety” mentality for at least 18 more months. Q Michael Repka, CEO and general counsel for DeLeon Realty, Palo Alto, formerly practiced real estate and tax law in Palo Alto. He formerly served on the Board of Directors of the California Association of Realtors. He can be reached at MichaelR@DeLeonRealty.com. Kim Heng is director of International Operations for the DeLeon team. She is based in Palo Alto and makes frequent trips the the DeLeon Team’s Beijing office. She holds and MBA from the University of Texas.

As heard on:

6ග඗඘ ඔඍගගඑඖඏ ඐඝඏඍ ගඉචඍඛ ඌඑඔඝගඍ ඡ඗ඝක කඍගඑකඍඕඍඖග 6ඍඔඔ 7$; )5(( &ඉඔඔ 1඗ඟ Dr. Chuck Fuery, Broker Toll Free: 1-888-NO-TAXES “Using his strategy, I saved over $800,000 in taxes” - Bob B., Palo Alto Retired Professor &Wealth Advisor

Stanford Property & Finance is a local real estate company serving clients for over 25 years and is not affiliated with Stanford University.

EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE OUTSTANDING RESULTS

JENNY TENG

650.245.4490 jteng@apr.com

jennytenghomes.com

Ph.D.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 39

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 1:30–4:30PM

PORTOLA VALLEY 183 Vista Verde Way, Portola Valley | 183vistaverde.com

LOS ALTOS HILLS RETREAT 14700 Manuella Road, Los Altos Hills | 14700manuella.com

$3,995,000 | Beds 4 | Baths 3.5 | Home ±4,680 sf | Lot ±40,616 sf 'S PMWXIH [MXL 4IXIV +MSZERRSXXS ` ` TIXIVK$HVI]JYWWMV GSQ

Offered at $4,495,000 | Beds 3 | Baths 2.5 Home ±3,285 sf | Lot ± 22,880 sf

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 1:30–4:30PM

PROFESSORVILLE 1116 Ramona Street, Palo Alto | 1116ramona.com

CRESCENT PARK 1465 Edgewood Drive, Palo Alto | 1465edgewood.com

Offered at $4,500,000 | Beds 4 | Baths 4 Home ±2,789 sf | Lot ±5,600 sf

Offered at $7,995,000 | Beds 5 | Baths 4 Home ±4,400 sf | Lot ±18,051 sf

WEST OF THE ALAMEDA 75 Reservoir Road, Atherton | 75reservoir.com

SALE PENDING - LINDENWOOD 91 James Avenue, Atherton | 91james.com

Offered at $11,800,000 | Beds 4 | Baths 3 Home ±2,740 sf | Lot ±3.2 acres

Offered at $6,498,000 | Beds 4 | Baths 4 Home ±4,276 sf | Lot ±40,775 sf

Michael Dreyfus, Broker 650.485.3476 michael.dreyfus@dreyfussir.com License No. 01121795

Noelle Queen, Sales Associate 650.427.9211 noelle.queen@dreyfussir.com License No. 01917593 Downtown Palo Alto 728 Emerson St, Palo Alto 650.644.3474

Page 40 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Downtown Menlo Park 640 Oak Grove Ave, Menlo Park 650.847.1141

Ashley Banks, Sales Associate 650.544.8968 ashley.banks@dreyfussir.com License No. 01913361 dreyfussir.com )EGL 3J½GI MW -RHITIRHIRXP] 3[RIH ERH 3TIVEXIH

14545 Deer Park Court, Los Gatos Offered at $3,988,000 Private Estate with Panoramic Views Astonishing views can be glimpsed throughout this sprawling 5 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom estate home of 6,172 sq. ft. (per county), which occupies an immense hilltop lot of 3.72 acres (per county). Faced by a brick motor court, this highly customized residence offers soaring ceilings, cherry hardwood floors, multi-zone heating and cooling, and crystal-studded chandeliers. Airy living areas include a sunken great room, a formal dining room, and a lavishly remodeled kitchen opening to a family room. The immense master suite provides an opulent bathroom, while a well-appointed in-law apartment is upstairs. Entertain on the extensive rear terrace, which overlooks the infinity pool and spa. Other terrific features include an off-grid solar energy system, five fireplaces, and a four-car garage. This home’s stunning location is near trails leading into Heintz Open Space, and you will also have easy access to parks like Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve. Top schools nearby include Blossom Hill Elementary (API 951), Fisher Middle (API 932), and Los Gatos High (buyer to verify eligibility). For video tour & more photos, please visit:

www.14545DeerPark.com

OPEN HOUSE

Ken DeLeon CalBRE #01342140

Michael Repka CalBRE #01854880

Saturday & Sunday, 1-5 pm Complimentary Lunch & Lattes

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 41

OPEN HOUSE 10/17 & 10/18, 1:30–4:30pm *SV QSVI MRJS ZMWMX PVFOREVERHOME.COM

STUNNING CRAFTSMAN STYLE FOREVER HOME IN PORTOLA VALLEY RANCH 5 Sunhill Street, Portola Valley Offered at $3,998,000 | Beds 5 | Baths 3 | Home ±4,500 sf | Lot ±20,473 sf Exquisite five bedroom, three bath, builder’s own “forever home” remodeled to perfection by the Founder of Harrell Remodeling in 2008. This spectacular home offers understated luxury, quality, and comfort, fully embracing the principles of universal design and sustainability. Open space surroundings offer retreat-like living with gorgeous hillside and valley views yet the location is still close to town.

Dawn Thomas 650.701.7822 team@SiliconValleyandBeyond.com SiliconValleyandBeyond.com License No. 01460529

Colleen Foraker 650.380.0085 colleen@colleenforaker.com colleenforaker.com License No. 01349099

Downtown Palo Alto

Downtown Menlo Park

728 Emerson Street, Palo Alto 650.644.3474

640 Oak Grove Avenue, Menlo Park 650.847.1141 )EGL 3J½GI -W -RHITIRHIRXP] 3[RIH %RH 3TIVEXIH (6)=*977-6 '31

Page 42 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

1633 Edgewood Road, Redwood City Offered at $2,198,000 Picturesque Equestrian Property Dotted with mature oak trees, this gated equestrian property provides a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home of 2,890 sq. ft. (per county) and offers a total of approx. 0.71 acres (per county). Built in 1914, the home has been thoughtfully updated yet retains authentic charms, including red oak hardwood floors and original lighting fixtures. Fine spaces include sunlit living and dining areas, a remodeled kitchen, and a master suite with vaulted ceilings. The walk-out lower level provides a family room, several flexible spaces, and a private bedroom ideal for au pair quarters. Other highlights include two fireplaces, a cellar, and abundant storage spaces. Boasting several outdoor living areas, this park-like property also presents a converted garage with a studio, a barn with fenced yards, a large shed, and a staggering variety of flowers and fruit trees. Just moments from parks and local shopping and dining, this home is also steps away from bus service. Clifford Elementary is within walking distance, and Woodside High is easily accessible (buyer to verify eligibility). For video tour & more photos, please visit:

www.1633Edgewood.com

OPEN HOUSE Ken DeLeon CalBRE #01342140

Michael Repka CalBRE #01854880

Saturday & Sunday, 1-5 pm Complimentary Lunch & Lattes

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 43

2015 Bear Gulch Road, San Gregorio HOME, BARNS AND BUILDINGS

626 Lombardy Wy, Emerald Hills SOLD

127 rolling acres plus buildings. Offered at $4,800,000 Explore www.2015beargulchroad.com for more images.

Tom Stafford BRE#00385653

650-747-0371

Christina Stafford 17125 Skyline Blvd, Woodside SOLD

BRE#01843009

650-275-2286

STAFFORD REALTY Experience Excellence Opportunity

STAFFORD REALTY

Page 44 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

2995 Woodside Road, Suite 400 Woodside

330 Jane Drive, Woodside Offered at $4,488,000 Luxury Estate in Exclusive Setting Nestled within the gated community of Meadow Vista, this extensively remodeled home offers 7,930 sq. ft. (per county), 6 bedrooms, 6 full and 2 half baths, luxurious amenities, and a leafy lot of just over 3 acres (per county). You will have countless entertaining options thanks to the home’s well-appointed design and flexible spaces, like a loft with a kitchenette, a suite with a wet bar, and a wine room suited for over 1,500 bottles. Spacious rooms include a home office, a dining room with a butler’s pantry, an open, gourmet kitchen, and a two-story great room, and all bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, including the two opulent master suites. The rear courtyard provides a lawn and views of the mountains, while the attached four-car garage offers a rear ATV exit. In spite of this home’s exclusive woodland setting, you actually will be just minutes from Roberts Market, popular dining venues, and Menlo Country Club. Excellent nearby schools include Woodside Elementary (API 965) and Woodside High (buyer to verify eligibility). For video tour & more photos, please visit:

www.330Jane.com

OPEN HOUSE Ken DeLeon CalBRE #01342140

Michael Repka CalBRE #01854880

Saturday & Sunday, 1-5 pm Complimentary Lunch & Lattes

6 5 0 . 4 8 8 . 7 3 2 5 | i n f o @ d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | w w w. d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | C a l B R E # 0 1 9 0 3 2 2 4

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 45

PALO ALTO WEEKLY OPEN HOMES EXPLORE OUR MAPS, HOMES FOR SALE, OPEN HOMES, VIRTUAL TOURS, PHOTOS, PRIOR SALE INFO, NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDES ON www.PaloAltoOnline.com/real_estate UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL TIMES ARE 1:30-4:30 PM 25731 Deerfield Dr Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

ATHERTON 4 Bedrooms 59 Leon Way $4,795,000 Sun Pacific Union International 314-7200

EAST PALO ALTO

$3,200,000 462-1111

7 Bedrooms

2214 Oakwood Dr Sun 1-4 Sereno Group

$527,000 323-1900

HILLSBOROUGH

14123 Tracy Ct Sun 2-4 Coldwell Banker

$9,888,000 324-4456

901 Baileyana Rd Sat Coldwell Banker

$4,588,000 324-4456

LOS ALTOS 2 Bedrooms 548 Gabilan St Sat/Sun Sereno Group

$1,458,000 947-2900

4 Bedrooms 5887 Arboretum Dr Sun Deleon Realty

$4,488,000 543-8500

901 Loyola Dr Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

$2,995,000 323-1111

2014 Churton Ave Sat/Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

$2,800,000 941-1111

5 Bedrooms 134 Jardin Dr. Sat/Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

$2,598,000 323-1111

LOS ALTOS HILLS 2 Bedrooms 25520 Deerfield Dr Sat/Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

$2,950,000 323-1111

4 Bedrooms

5 Bedrooms

60 Politzer Dr Sun Coldwell Banker

$3,895,000 324-4456

REDWOOD CITY

5 Bedrooms 14545 Deer Park Ct Sat/Sun 1-5 Deleon Realty

$3,988,000 543-8500

415 Olive St $2,495,000 Sun Pacific Union International 314-7200

MOUNTAIN VIEW 2 Bedrooms - Condominium

2 Bedrooms - Condominium 1056 Pine St 1056 Sun Coldwell Banker

$1,295,000 851-2666

1056 Pine St 1054 Sun Coldwell Banker

$1,295,000 851-2666

905 W Middlefield Rd 908 Sat/Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

$729,000 323-1111

Sereno Group

$1,025,000 323-1900

3 Bedrooms - Condominium

2 Bedrooms - Townhouse 2140 Santa Cruz Ave C203 Sat/Sun Coldwell Banker

$798,000 324-4456

1335 Trinity Dr $1,975,000 Sat/Sun Pacific Union International 314-7200

3 Bedrooms 1975 Avy $2,350,000 Sun 2-4 Dreyfus Sotheby’s Realty 847-1141 2142 Gordon Ave $1,849,000 Sat/Sun Pacific Union International 314-7200 204 Ravenswood Ave Sun 2:30-4:30 Coldwell Banker

$1,650,000 324-4456

4 Bedrooms 253 Princeton Rd Sat 2-4 Alain Pinel Realtors

$3,998,000 462-1111

1203 N Lemon Ave Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

$3,688,000 462-1111

1909 Aberdeen Ln. Sat/Sun 1-5 Deleon Realty

$998,000 543-8500

4 Bedrooms 2363 Lida Dr $2,498,000 Sat/Sun 1-5 Dreyfus Sotheby’s Realty 644-3474

5 Bedrooms 1114 Blue Lake Sq Sat/Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

$1,898,000 323-1111

1531 Tyler Park Wy Sun Deleon Realty

$1,988,000 543-8500

1 Bedroom 829 La Para Ave Sat/Sun Sereno Group

$1,998,000 323-1900

3 Bedrooms - Condominium 101 Alma St 1103 $2,100,000 Sat/Sun Pacific Union International 314-7200

4 Bedrooms

$3,988,000 543-8500

235 Gloria Cir Sun Coldwell Banker

14303 Saddle Mountain Dr Sun Deleon Realty

$4,498,000 543-8500

2007 Sharon Rd $2,795,000 Sun 1-4 Pacific Union International 314-7200

12911 Atherton Ct Sun Coldwell Banker

$3,950,000 324-4456

20 Oak Hollow Way Sun Deleon Realty

$3,495,000 324-4456

$3,488,000 543-8500

2088 Channing Ave $2,995,000 Sun Pacific Union International 314-7200 2340 Carmel Dr $3,298,000 Sat/Sun Keller Williams Palo Alto 454-8500

5 Bedrooms 811 Hamilton Ave Sun 2-4 Alain Pinel Realtors

MBA: The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

$9,672,000 462-1111

6 Bedrooms 405 Marlowe St Sat/Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

BA: Waseda University, Japan Speaks Japanese & Chinese Fluently

$895,000 462-1111

3 Bedrooms 1633 Edgewood Rd Sat/Sun 1-5 Deleon Realty

$2,198,000 543-8500

849 Mohican Way Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

$1,950,000 529-1111

$9,495,000 462-1111

Xin Jiang

PORTOLA VALLEY

650.283.8379 xjiang@apr.com

3 Bedrooms - Townhouse 191 Meadowood Dr $3,595,000 Sun 1-4 Pacific Union International 314-7200

XinPaloAltoProperty.com

3 Bedrooms 177 Favonio Rd Sat/Sun Coldwell Banker

$3,250,000 851-1961

4 Bedrooms 45 Joaquin Rd Sun Coldwell Banker

607 Lakemead Way Sat/Sun 1-4 Intero Real Estate

$2,198,000 206-6200

318 W. Oakwood Blvd Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker

$2,498,000 851-2666

1675 Alameda De Las Pulgas $1,649,000 Sat/Sun Dreyfus Sotheby’s Realty 847-1141

5 Bedrooms 542 Live Oak Ln Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

$2,695,000 462-1111

245 Upland Rd Sun Alain Pinel Realty

$2,450,000 462-1111

SAN CARLOS 3 Bedrooms - Townhouse 1001 Laurel St 223 Sat/Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker

PALO ALTO

1990 Valparaiso Ave $2,825,000 Sun Intero Real Estate Services 543-7740

12101 Oak Park Ct Sun Deleon Realty

50 Horgan Ave 12 Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

4 Bedrooms

3 Bedrooms 166 Holly Ct Sat

5 Sunhill St $3,998,000 Sat/Sun Dreyfus Sotheby’s Realty 644-3474

3 Bedrooms - Townhouse

7 Bedrooms

MENLO PARK

4 Bedrooms

$3,275,000 323-7751

6 Bedrooms

LOS GATOS

2 Bedrooms

865 Middle Ave Sat/Sun Coldwell Banker

$1,050,000 324-4456

WOODSIDE 2 Bedrooms 349 Manuella Ave $9,980,000 Sat/Sun 12-4 Intero Real Estate- 206-6200

3 Bedrooms 381 Family Farm Rd Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker

$6,495,000 851-2666

316 Blakewood Wy Sat/Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker

$1,450,000 851-2666

125 Sheridan Way Sun Coldwell Banker

$3,495,000 851-2666

4 Bedrooms 280 Family Farm Rd Sun Coldwell Banker

$9,695,000 851-2666

418 Albion Ave Sun 1-4 Alain Pinel Realtors

$7,236,000 462-1111

555 Manzanita Way Sun Alain Pinel Realtors

$8,480,000 462-1111

785 W California Way Sun Coldwell Banker

$3,495,000 851-2666

6 Bedrooms 245 Lindenbrook Rd Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker

$6,950,000 851-2666

330 Jane Dr Sat/Sun 1-5

$4,488,000 543-8500

Deleon Realty

7 Bedrooms $2,195,000 851-1961

389 Moore Rd Sun Coldwell Banker

$5,950,000 851-2666

We cover Midpeninsula real estate like nobody else. :H RσHU WKH RQH RQOLQH GHVWLQDWLRQ WKDW OHWV \RX IXOO\ H[SORUH

The DeLeon Difference

650.543.8500 www.deleonrealty.com 650.543.8500 | www.deleonrealty.com | DeLeon Realty CalBRE #01903224

Page 46 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

÷ ,QWHUDFWLYH PDSV ÷ +RPHV IRU VDOH ÷ 2SHQ KRXVH GDWHV DQG WLPHV ÷ 9LUWXDO WRXUV DQG SKRWRV ÷ 3ULRU VDOHV LQIR ÷ 1HLJKERUKRRG JXLGHV ÷ $UHD UHDO HVWDWH OLQNV ÷ DQG VR PXFK PRUH Explore area real estate through your favorite local website: TheAlmanacOnline.com MountainViewOnline.com PaloAltoOnline.com And click on “real estate” in the navigation bar.

PaloAltoOnline.com

TheAlmanacOnline.com

MountainViewOnline.com

$EHUGHHQ /DQH 0RXQWDLQ 9LHZ 2IIHUHG DW 3ULVWLQH &RQGR ZLWK 7HUULĂ&#x20AC; F /RFDWLRQ Easy access to conveniences is one of the many excellent features of this 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath condominium of over 1600 sq. ft. (per county). Offering high ceilings and dimmable lighting, the home has three levels with one bedroom on the lower level, open common areas on the main level, and two suites on the upper level. The island kitchen opens to the combined living and dining area and displays recessed lighting, granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, and bar seating. Both of the upper-level suites provide walk-in closets and one includes dual vanities. The lower-level bedroom sports a private half bath, and a space beneath the stairs is perfect for wine storage. Other features include a two-car garage and a laundry closet. Steps from Sierra Vista Park, the home is within one mile of U.S. 101 and the Google campus, and is a short drive from both Monta Loma Plaza and Shoreline. Nearby schools include Monta Loma Elementary, Crittenden Middle, and Los Altos High (buyer to verify eligibility). For video tour & more photos, please visit:

www.1909Aberdeen.com

OPEN HOUSE

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Ken DeLeon CalBRE #01342140

Michael Repka CalBRE #01854880

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 47

Coldwell Banker

#1 IN CALIFORNIA

Los Altos Hills Sun 2 - 4 $9,888,000 14123 Tracy Ct. State of the art contemporary home on 1.3 ac, top custom details, pool. 14123TracyCt.com 7 BR/6 BA Elaine White CalBRE #01182467 650.566.5323

Portola Valley $5,500,000 Large 3 bed, 3.5 bath home on a cul-de-sac with western mountains and Windy Hill views. Ginny Kavanaugh CalBRE #00884747 650.851.1961

Hillsborough Pending $4,588,000 901 Baileyana Rd. English Tudor Masterpiece. Lovingly remodeled blending modern luxury and old-world charm. 4 BR/4.5 BA Charlotte Van Orden 650.324.4456 CalBRE #00525483

Woodside $4,549,000 Estate home on 5 acres w/ gorgeous ocean views.Chef ’s kitchen, spacious decks & tennis ct! 4 BR/3 full BA + 2 half Valerie Trenter CalBRE #01367578 650.323.7751

Menlo Park Sun 1:30 - 4:30 $3,895,000 60 Politzer Dr. Beautifully landscaped w/ brick walkways & patios, sunny seating areas and places to play. 6 BR/5 BA Pat McDonnell/Sophie Kirk 650.324.4456 CalBRE #01926896/01926401

Palo Alto $3,895,000 Newer home on lg lot. Upgraded gourmet kit, hardwood flrs & convenient upstairs laundry 5 BR/4.5 BA Gil Oraha CalBRE #01355157 650.325.6161

Woodside Sun 1:30 - 4:30 $3,495,000 125 Sheridan Way Spanish influenced single level ranch style home with captivating vws! Private cul-de-sac. 3 BR/3.5 BA Steven Gray/Erika Demma 650.851.2666 CalBRE #1498634/01230766

Menlo Park Sun 1:30 - 4:30 $3,495,000 235 Gloria Circ. Kitchen/great rm opens to backyard | 1 bed down + 3 up | Pool/spa | MP schools. 4 BR/3.5 BA Billy McNair CalBRE #01343603 650.324.4456

Menlo Park Sat/Sun 1:30 - 4:30 $3,275,000 865 Middle Ave Beautifully built, this sun drenched home features quality craftsmanship inside and out. 4 BR/4.5 BA Hossein Jalali CalBRE #01215831 650.323.7751

Portola Valley $3,250,000 The 2.5+ acres offers a wonderful opportunity to remodel or build new. 177Favonio.com 3 BR/2 BA Ginny Kavanaugh CalBRE #00884747 650.851.1961

Palo Alto Sat/Sun 1 - 4 $2,800,000 Great opportunity to remodel/develop. Cul-de-sac. One of the most desirable neighborhoods. 3 BR/2 BA Lea Nilsson CalBRE #00699379 650.325.6161

Palo Alto $2,250,000 3527 Arbutus Avenue Eichler home. Natural wood walls, open beam ceiling, oak floors, fireplace, 2-car garage. 4 BR/2 BA Nancy Goldcamp CalBRE #00787851 650.325.6161

Menlo Park Sun 1 - 5 $1,698,000 2131 Avy Ave Elegantly remodeled Prime Menlo Park Townhouse. 3 BR/2.5 BA www.2131Avy.com Jan Strohecker CalBRE #00620365 650.325.6161

Santa Clara $998,000 Desirable newer home set in a quiet cul-de-sac. Convenient to shopping, Hwy 101 & 880. 4 BR/2.5 BA Gil Oraha CalBRE #01355157 650.325.6161

Redwood City $788,000 Well located commercial/residential zoned. Many permitted uses for this property. 2 BD/1 BA Paul Skrabo CalBRE# 00665727 650.323.7751

©2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Office is Owned by a Subsidiary of NRT LLC. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage or NRT LLC. CalBRE License #01908304.

Page 48 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

1 Homs Court, Hillsborough Incredible Old-World Charm with Modern-Day Luxury You and your guests will be enchanted by the old-world charm of this sprawling mansion in one of the most desirable pockets of 588?.;>;A34 &45? 1?@-@1 21-@A>1? -89;?@ ] YTT ?=A->1 211@ ;2 8ADA>E 85B5:3 ;: 9-:5/A>10 3>;A:0? ;2 ;B1> U X Ō -@ -/>1? )4581 E;A will enjoy the convenience of downtown San Mateo and Burlingame, you will feel a world away thanks to this gated Hillsborough 1?@-@1p? ?1@@5:3 ;: - =A51@ /A8 01 ?-/ &45? 1813-:@ 4;91 21-@A>1? [ .10>;;9? [ 2A88 .-@4? U 4-82 .-@4 [ ŋ >1<8-/1? - @1::5? /;A>@ solar pool, leaded-glass windows, expansive lawn areas and every conceivable luxury feature and amenity. This combination location, schools, elegance and style can’t be beat. For video tour & more photos, please visit:

www.1Homs.com Offered at $9,888,000 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Alto 6 5 0 . 4 8 8 . 7 3 2 5 | m i c h a e l r @ d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | w w w. d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | C• Palo alB R Weekly E # 0• 1October 9 0 3 216, 2 42015 • Page 49

G N I D EN P LE SA

660 COVINGTON RD, LOS ALTOS

One of a Kind

magine the possibilities of owning .935 acre sanctuary in desirable Los Altos, where lush land, pastoral views, Creekside setting and majestic trees offer a taste of country life in Silicon Valley. Looks like Carmel, feels like Napa, in Los Altos. Step inside the gated entrance and stroll this more haven, set back from the busy world is lost among heritage oaks and tranquil gardens. Once in a lifetime opportunity. Come see for yourself! This special home is steeped in local history. Doors from nearly every room open to the grounds, where the patios, tennis court, and large yards beckon the good life. Let your imagination guide you as you design your entertainer’s dream backyard for friends and family to gather and relax in the beautiful Bay Area climate. Enjoy all this home has to offer now, while envisioning all that it could be. Of course top Los Altos schools are close by, and for the professional, the worldclass companies of the area are within easy reach. • Three bedrooms, 2 baths • Private driveway, tennis court & level park like gounds • Living room with random plank wood ¾SSVW E WMKREXYVI ½VITPEGI ERH PEVKI windows & doors to back yard • Family room with new carpeting, ½VITPEGI ERH HSSV XS XLI FEGO]EVH

• Dining area • Kitchen with spacious seating area • Vibrant land featuring patios and all the space you want • Approximately 40722 sq ft lot • Covington Elementary, Blach Jr High, and Los Altos High School (buyer to verify eligibility)

Offered at $2,900,000

Shelly Potvin 650.303.7501 Direct ShellyPotvin.com Spotvin@cbnorcal.com Facebook.com/ShellyPotvinRealtor Calbre 01236885 Page 50 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Top 1% Coldwell Banker 650-917-5811 Direct terricouture.com terri.couture@cbnorcal.com CalBRE #01090940

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Square footage information contained herein has been received from seller, existing reports, public records and/or other sources deemed reliable. However, neither seller nor listing agent has verified this information. If this information is important buyer should conduct buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own investigation. Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ October 16, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 51

25731 DEERFIELD DRIVE, LOS ALTOS HILLS

SHOWN BY APPOINTMENT

$3,200,000

ocated within walking distance to the Village of Los Altos, this charming four bedroom, three bathroom home is set on a mostly flat one-half acre, well-landscaped lot that provides inviting areas for entertaining and private places for quiet contemplation. Flooded with natural light, this home features a formal living room with fireplace, a large family room with French doors to both the front and back patios, and a well-appointed kitchen with soaring ceilings, skylights, a large island, walk-in pantry and French doors to the patio for al fresco dining. A charming breakfast nook allows for cozy dining while enjoying garden views and a refreshing waterfall.

www.25731Deerfield.com

12775 VISCAINO ROAD, LOS ALTOS HILLS

SHOWN BY APPOINTMENT

$12,500,000

nique blend of old and new. This rebuilt home has been restored and modernized to meet the needs and tastes of today’s buyer. Built as a summer home for a wealthy San Franciscan, this magnificent property is located on 2.7+/- acres with views out to the Bay and hills. The property includes a six bedroom/6.5 bath main house, pool house, pool and spa, tennis court, guest house and 4-car garage. The gorgeous home, sumptuous grounds, and stunning pool and terrace, are a short distance from downtown Los Altos shops and restaurants. Palo Alto Schools.

www.12775Viscaino.com ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||

Monica Corman, Broker

Mandy Montoya

License #01111473

License #01911643

mcorman@apr.com www.MonicaCorman.com 650.543.1164

mmontoya@apr.com 650.823.8212 www.MandyMontoya.com

Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Sq. ft. and/or acreage information contained herein has been received from seller, existing reports, appraisals, public records and/or other sources deemed reliable. Neither seller nor listing agent has verified this information. If this information is important to buyer in determining whether to buy or the purchase price, buyer should conduct buyer’s own investigation. Page 52 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

A Special Invitation Join us to see a masterfully crafted and newly completed 12,000 sqft estate in West Atherton. Sold prior to completion, this is your chance to witness the latest in luxury living with an incomparable design by renowned builder Owen Signature Homes.

Saturday, October 17th 1:00pm – 5:00pm 3OHDVH FDOO 0LOHV WR FRQ¿UP \RXU UHVHUYDWLRQ

Miles McCormick 650-400-1001

H o m e s O f At h e r to n . co m BRE 01184883

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 53

Marketplace PLACE AN AD ONLINE fogster.com

E-MAIL

Long Look Research Secular research needs support, online donation available with 100% of funds going to the organization, www.dwolla.com/hub/LongLook for contributions.

Bulletin Board 115 Announcements

P HONE

Pregnant? Thinking of adoption? Talk with caring agency specializing in matching Birthmothers with Families Nationwide. LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Call 24/7 Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions. 866-413-6293. Void in Illinois/New Mexico/Indiana (AAN CAN)

Now you can log on to fogster.com, day or night and get your ad started immediately online. Most listings are free and include a one-line free print ad in our Peninsula newspapers with the option of photos and additional lines. Exempt are employment ads, which include a web listing charge. Home Services and Mind & Body Services require contact with a Customer Sales Representative. So, the next time you have an item to sell, barter, give away or buy, get the perfect combination: print ads in your local newspapers, reaching more than 150,000 readers, and unlimited free web postings reaching hundreds of thousands additional people!!

INDEX Q BULLETIN

BOARD

100-155 Q FOR SALE 200-270 Q KIDS STUFF 330-390 Q MIND & BODY 400-499 Q J OBS 500-560 Q B USINESS SERVICES 600-699 Q H OME SERVICES 700-799 Q FOR RENT/ FOR SALE REAL ESTATE 801-899 Q P UBLIC/LEGAL NOTICES 995-997 The publisher waives any and all claims or consequential damages due to errors Embarcadero Media. cannot assume responsibility for the claims or performance of its advertisers. Embarcadero Media right to refuse, edit or reclassify any ad solely at its discretion without prior notice.

THE PENINSULA’S FREE CLASSIFIEDS WEB SITE Combining the reach of the Web with print ads reaching over 150,000 readers!

fogster.com is a unique web site offering FREE postings from communities throughout the Bay Area and an opportunity for your ad to appear in the Palo Alto Weekly, The Almanac and the Mountain View Voice.

ads@fogster.com 650.326.8216

fogster.com

Pregnant? Considering adoption? Call us first. Living expenses, housing, medical, and continued support afterwards. Choose adoptive family of your choice. Call 24/7. 1-877-879-4709 (CalSCAN)

Long Look Research Institute is a secular non-profit based directed impact on the future team with dynamic answers to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges to humanity. Examples: bit.ly/ApolloDividend as well as the ‘Quantum Life Experiment’ and for seafood safety a way of containment for Fukashima Daiichi with currently available technologies for donation to the nation of Japan as a gift. WISH LIST FRIENDS OF PA LIBRARY

150 Volunteers Does dementia stress your family Fosterers Needed for Cats

15th Annual Race Against PH

Friends of the Mtn View Library

ASST SECTION MGRS FOR FOPAL

FRIENDS OF THE PALO ALTO LIBRARY

Author Mark Coggins

JOIN OUR ONLINE STOREFRONT TEAM

Clouded Title: 216 Daphne 94303

152 Research Study Volunteers

Dance Expressions - Fall 2016 Divorce: Clear & Concrete Ways.. Does dementia stress your family HUGE USED BOOK SALE/FREE BOOKS Museum Flashlight Tours Science Spooktacular!

120 Auctions Airline Careers begin here - Get started by training as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 800-725-1563 (AAN CAN)

Anxiety Treatment for Adults 60+ This project uses a DVD-based psychological treatment to help people learn to manage anxiety and stress. The study is 8 weeks long, with 2 testing sessions (each pays $30) at the Palo Alto VA. You may be eligible to participate if you are 60 and older, have anxiety or worries, and have not been diagnosed with dementia. For more information call (650) 490-5000, press 1, 1, and dial extn.68899.

130 Classes & Instruction H.S. Math Turor

For Sale

133 Music Lessons Christina Conti Private Piano Instruction Lessons in your home. Bachelor of Music. 650/493-6950

201 Autos/Trucks/ Parts

Hope Street Music Studios Now on Old Middefield Way, MV. Most instruments, voice. All ages and levels 650-961-2192 www.HopeStreetMusicStudios.com

Subaru 2010 Forester - $4000

202 Vehicles Wanted Cash for Cars Any Car/Truck. Running or Not! Top Dollar Paid. We Come To You! Call For Instant Offer: 1-888-420-3808 www.cash4car.com (AAN CAN) Donate Your Car, Truck, Boat to Heritage for the Blind. FREE 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care of. Call 800-731-5042 (Cal-SCAN)

Piano Lessons Quality Piano Lessons in Menlo Park. Call (650)838-9772 Alita Lake

135 Group Activities Kirtan evening-soul music

I buy old Porsches 911, 356. 1948-1973 only. Any condition. Top $$ paid. Finders Fee. Call 707-965-9546 or email porscheclassics@yahoo.com (Cal-SCAN) Older Car, Boat, RV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society. Call 1-800-743-1482 (Cal-SCAN)

145 Non-Profits Needs

210 Garage/Estate Sales

Did You Know 7 IN 10 Americans or 158 million U.S. Adults read content from newspaper media each week? Discover the Power of Newspaper Advertising. For a free brochure call 916-288-6019 or email elizabeth@cnpa.com (Cal-SCAN) DONATE BOOKS TO SUPPORT LIBRARY

No phone number in the ad?

GO TO

fogster.com for contact information

Emerald Hills, 643 Vista Drive, Oct 17, 10-4 Super Garage Sale! Furniture -bookcases, filing cabinets, tables, chairs. Kitchen appliances, baking stuff, office supplies, printers, DVD player, books (especially cook books), CDs, DVDs, digital cameras, decorative pots, housewares and lots more! LA: 655 Magdalena Ave. 10/16, 10-5; 10/17, 9-3 United Methodist Church Harvest Crafts Faire. 55 artisans plus garden and gourmet shops, coffee, snacks and lunch. @ Foothill Exp.

RWC: 1228 Douglas Ave. Fri. 10/16, 11am-2pm; Sat. 10/17, 9am-1pm HUGE RUMMAGE SALE benefits Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford. (Just south of Woodside Rd., bet. Broadway and Bayshore Fwy.) CASH ONLY. 650/497-8332 or during sale 650/587-8078

215 Collectibles & Antiques

Safe Step Walk-in Tub Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch StepIn. Wide Door. Anti-Slip Floors. American Made. Installation Included. Call 800-799-4811 for $750 Off. (Cal-SCAN) Struggling with Drugs? Or ALCOHOL? Addicted to PILLS? Talk to someone who cares. Call The Addiction Hope and Help Line for a free assessment. 800-978-6674

Victorian Love Seat - $125.00

245 Miscellaneous DirecTV Starting at $19.99/mo. FREE Installation. FREE 3 months of HBO SHOWTIME CINEMAX, STARZ. FREE HD/DVR Upgrade! 2015 NFL Sunday Ticket Included (Select Packages) New Customers Only. CALL 1-800-385-9017 (CalSCAN) Dish Network Get MORE for LESS! Starting $19.99/ month (for 12 months.) PLUS Bundle and SAVE (Fast Internet for $15 more/month.) CALL Now 1-800-357-0810 (Cal-SCAN)

Jobs 500 Help Wanted ADMIN ASSISTANT ADMIN ASSISTANT-For appointment coordination, event/meeting planning, make travel arrangements, banking. Send resume to: crisher471@gmail.com and text 323-412-5444 for follow-up live in sitter

Dish TV Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) SAVE! Regular Price $34.99 Ask About FREE SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 888-992-1957 (AAN CAN)

Restaurant Staff Now hiring, cooks, cashiers, banquet servers, bartender, full and part time. Michaels at Shoreline, 2960 N Shoreline Blvd. Mtn View

KILL BED BUGS! Buy Harris Bed Bug Killers/ KIT. Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot. (AAN CAN)

Shuttle Van Driver

270 Tickets Did You Know 144 million U.S. Adults read a Newspaper print copy each week? Discover the Power of Newspaper Advertising. For a free brochure call 916-288-6019 or email elizabeth@cnpa.com (Cal-SCAN)

Kid’s Stuff

Technology Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company is accepting resumes for the position of Software Designer in Palo Alto, CA (Ref. #HPECPALTUMS1). Design, develop, maintain, test, and perform quality and performance assurance of system software products. Mail resume to Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, 5400 Legacy Drive, MS H1-2F-25, Plano, TX 75024. Resume must include Ref. #, full name, email address and mailing address. No phone calls. Must be legally authorized to work in U.S. without sponsorship. EOE.

525 Adult Care Wanted

330 Child Care Offered Chandra’s Daycare Lic. daycare in home. Family environment. Newborn to age 5. 40 years exp. Refs. Near Google, Microsoft. Convenient to 101. 650/969-6651. Lic. 430752295 Part Time or Full Time Nanny.

345 Tutoring/ Lessons

550 Business Opportunities

355 Items for Sale 6-12 Months cooler weather outfi Baseball/SoftballLeatherGlove$8 Leather Pilot TopGun Jacket 4 YR Snow bibb size 7 Black $14 Sweet Lion Costume12-24month$20

Mind & Body 425 Health Services Got Knee Pain? Back Pain? Shoulder Pain? Get a pain-relieving brace -little or NO cost to you. Medicare Patients Call Health Hotline Now! 1-800-796-5091 (Cal-SCAN)

624 Financial Big Trouble with the IRS? Are you in BIG trouble with the IRS? Stop wage and bank levies, liens and audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, and resolve tax debt FAST. Call 844-753-1317 (AAN CAN) Social Security Disability benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1-800-966-1904 to start your application today! (Cal-SCAN) Structured Settlement? Sell your structured settlement or annuity payments for CASH NOW. You don’t have to wait for your future payments any longer! Call 1-800-673-5926 (Cal-SCAN)

636 Insurance Lowest Prices on Health & Dental Insurance. We have the best rates from top companies! Call Now! 888-989-4807. (CalSCAN)

640 Legal Services Did You Know Information is power and content is King? Do you need timely access to public notices and remain relevant in today’s hostile business climate? Gain the edge with California Newspaper Publishers Association new innovative website capublicnotice.com and check out the FREE One-Month Trial Smart Search Feature. For more information call Elizabeth @ (916) 288-6019 or www.capublicnotice.com (Cal-SCAN)

650 Pet Care/ Grooming/Training Mary’s Dog Walking I’ll walk your dog, maximum 30 lbs., well behaved. Serving MP to S’vale. 650/630-9348

Home Services

Cook Housekeeper Elderly man in Palo Alto needs a creative cook / light housekeeping mornings Monday -Friday live in or out 650-862-0753 Live in Caregiver Needed for 97 y/o woman. Some cooking and cleaning, companionship, driving. 408/398-7828

Math Tutoring One to One

Business Services

Every Business Has a Story to tell! Get your message out with California’s PRMedia Release - the only Press Release Service operated by the press to get press! For more info contact Elizabeth @ 916-288-6019 or http://prmediarelease.com/california (Cal-SCAN)

560 Employment Information Drivers: $2K Sign-On Bonus! Recent Pay Increase! We Put Drivers First. Family Company w/401k. Beautiful Trucks. CDL-A Req. (877) 258-8782. www.drive4melton.com (Cal-SCAN) Make $1000 Weekly!! PAID IN ADVANCE! Mailing Brochures From Home! No Experience Required. Helping home workers since 2001! Genuine Opportunity. Start Immediately! www.MailingHelp.com (AAN CAN)

Classified Deadlines:

NOON, WEDNESDAY

715 Cleaning Services

Attic Clean-Up & Rodent Removal Are there rodents living in your attic. Call today to learn more about our $89 Attic Cleanup Special Call Us Today (866) 391-3308 (paste into your browser) AtticStar.com Beltran and Mary Housecleaning 7 days/week. 10+ years exp. Good refs. Palo Alto. 650/630-9348 Cleaning by Maria Specializing in homes. 20 years exp., excel. refs. 650/207-4609 Eco1 Dry Cleaners 4546 El Camino Real (Los Altos) www.eco1drycleaners.com Orkopina Housecleaning Celebrating 30 years cleaning homes in your area. 650/962-1536

748 Gardening/ Landscaping J. Garcia Garden Maintenance Service Free est. 21 years exp. 650/366-4301 or 650/346-6781

go to fogster.com to respond to ads without phone numbers Page 54 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Palo Alto Weekly MARKETPLACE the printed version of

“Order in the Food Court!”– all rise, then be seated at a table. Matt Jones

fogster.com

LANDA’S GARDENING & LANDSCAPING *Yard Maint. *New Lawns. *Rototil *Clean Ups *Tree Trim *Power Wash *Irrigation timer programming. 19 yrs exp. Ramon, 650/576-6242 landaramon@yahoo.com R.G. Landscape Drought tolerant native landscapes and succulent gardens. Demos, installations, maint. Free est. 650/468-8859

751 General Contracting

Answers on page 52

Across 1 Get a move on? 5 Baseball Hall of Famer Ty 9 Episode 1 title, frequently 14 Actor Sharif or Epps 15 Et ___ (and others, in Latin) 16 Entertainment venue 17 Act like a nomad 18 Pound cake ingredients 19 Hardiness 20 Stealing cheese from the taqueria? 23 “Twister” star Hunt 24 Belonging to you and me 25 Hewlett-Packard CEO Whitman 28 Compelled 31 Handle hardship 32 The main character of “Blindspot,” at first 35 Courtroom mallet 36 With 37-Across, additional order in the court? 37 See 36-Across 39 On the subject of 40 Cal Ripken’s team 41 Detained 42 Club attendee, maybe 44 NYC winter hrs. 45 Judy Garland’s eldest daughter 46 Musical endings 51 Why this writer’s silent on forgetting malt vinegar? 55 Self-serve dessert, slangily 57 Long ride around town? 58 Greek salad ingredient 59 In a weak way 60 “___, meeny, miney, moe ...” 61 Got better, maybe 62 Measured by the teaspoonful 63 Lead-in to “boy!” or “girl!” 64 Old stories

Down 1 Covered area leading to a doorway 2 Love, to Dean Martin 3 Complain pettily 4 Latter half of a donut chain 5 Columnist Herb who coined the word “beatnik” 6 Gymnast Korbut 7 HBO drama set in Utah 8 Shellfish soup 9 Covers a lot of ground? 10 Colored eye area 11 With “The,” film with Will Arnett as Batman 12 “Be My Yoko ___” (Barenaked Ladies single) 13 Coal or pine product 21 Behind on bills 22 Big container of coffee 26 Duel blades 27 Hair holders 29 Nutritionist’s stat 30 Ending for super or inter 31 “Carmina Burana” composer Orff 32 Agrees (with) 33 Humane Society transactions 34 Neither masc. nor fem. 35 Acceleration measure 36 “For heaven’s ___!” 37 “Lord of the Rings” beast 38 “A pox on you!” 40 Reducing 42 Fizzle out 43 Iggy of pop charts 45 Christopher of “Back to the Future” 47 Organ meats 48 San ___ 49 Garden store buy 50 Elms provide it 52 TV marine Gomer 53 Group led by Master Splinter, initially 54 Georgetown athlete 55 DVD remote button 56 “The Serpent and the Rope” novelist Raja

This week’s SUDOKU

A NOTICE TO READERS: It is illegal for an unlicensed person to perform contracting work on any project valued at $500.00 or more in labor and materials. State law also requires that contractors include their license numbers on all advertising. Check your contractor’s status at www.cslb.ca.gov or 800-321-CSLB (2752). Unlicensed persons taking jobs that total less than $500.00 must state in their advertisements that they are not licensed by the Contractors State License Board.

DeLeon Platinum FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 609061 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: DeLeon Platinum, located at 2600 El Camino Real Suite 110, Palo Alto, CA 94306, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A Corporation. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): DeLeon Realty, Inc. 2600 El Camino Real, Suite 110 Palo Alto, CA 94306 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 8/7/2015. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on September 10, 2015. (PAW Sept. 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 2015) MARTINEZ HOUSE CLEANING FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 609252 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Martinez House Cleaning, located at 1531 Piedmont Rd., San Jose, CA 95132, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Individual. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): MARIA MARTINEZ MELCHOR 1531 Piedmont Rd. San Jose, CA 95132 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 9-16-15. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on September 16, 2015. (PAW Sept. 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 2015) MANILA VALLEY FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 608959 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Manila Valley, located at 780 Maplewood Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94303, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Individual. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): CHRISTOPHER PERALTA 780 Maplewood Av. Palo Alto, CA 94303 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 9/8/15. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on September 8, 2015. (PAW Sept. 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 2015)

Answers on page 52

www.sudoku.name

757 Handyman/ Repairs

Roe General Engineering Asphalt, concrete, pavers, tiles, sealing, artificial turf. 36 yrs exp. No job too small. Lic #663703. 650/814-5572

Handyman Services Lic. 249558. Plumb, elect., masonry, carpentry, landscape. 40+ years exp. Pete Rumore, 650/823-0736; 650/851-3078

779 Organizing Services

759 Hauling

End the Clutter & Get Organized Residential Organizing by Debra Robinson (650)390-0125

J & G HAULING SERVICE Misc. junk, office, gar., furn., mattresses, green waste, more. Lic./ins. Free est. 650/743-8852 (see my Yelp reviews)

771 Painting/ Wallpaper

BRANNIGAN MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 609277 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Brannigan Management Consulting, located at 6744 Leyland Park Drive, San

Real Estate

Glen Hodges Painting Call me first! Senior discount. 45 yrs. #351738. 650/322-8325

805 Homes for Rent

STYLE PAINTING Full service painting. Insured. Lic. 903303. 650/388-8577

Redwood City (emerald Hills) - $5800

Menlo Park, Allied Arts, 2 BR/1 BA $5400/mo

809 Shared Housing/ Rooms

775 Asphalt/ Concrete Mtn. View Asphalt Sealing Driveway, parking lot seal coating. Asphalt repair, striping, 30+ years. Family owned. Free est. Lic. 507814. 650/967-1129

Public Notices 995 Fictitious Name Statement

THE PENINSULA’S FREE CLASSIFIEDS WEBSITE TO RESPOND TO ADS WITHOUT PHONE NUMBERS GO TO WWW.FOGSTER.COM

Jose, CA 95120, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Individual. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): MARGARET (aka PEGGY) BRANNIGAN 6744 Leyland Park Drive San Jose, CA 95120 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on Sept. 1, 2015. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on September 17, 2015. (PAW Sept. 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 2015) IDA GAMBAN PHOTOGRAPHY LUMINOUS GALLERIES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 609417 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: 1.) Ida Gamban Photography, 2.) Luminous Galleries, located at 681 Folsom Circle, Milpitas, CA 95035, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: Married Couple. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): IDA GAMBAN DORR 681 Folsom Circle Milpitas, CA 95035 ROBERT JOHN DORR 681 Folsom Circle Milpitas, CA 95035 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on August 15, 2015. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on September 23, 2015. (PAW Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 2015) PABT 100TH ANNIVERSARY FUND BUDDHIST EDUCATION COMMITTEE BEC BUDDHIST WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION BWA BAZAAR FUND CAMPAIGN BCA DANA FUND DHARMA SCHOOL EITAIKYO ENDOWMENT FUND FUJINKAI GOLF CLUB HALL FUND HELPING HANDS JUNIOR YOUNG BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION JR. YBA TOMONIKAI YOUNG BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION YBA YUWAKAI FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 609371 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: 1.) PABT, 2.) 100th Anniversary Fund, 3.) Buddhist Education Committee, 4.) BEC, 5.) Buddhist Women’s Association, 6.) BWA, 7.) Bazaar Fund, 8.) Campaign BCA, 9.) Dana Fund, 10.) Dharma School, 11.) Eitaikyo, 12.) Endowment Fund, 13.) Fujinkai, 14.) Golf Club, 15.) Hall Fund, 16.) Helping Hands, 17.) Junior Young Buddhist Association, 18.) Jr. YBA, 19.) Tomonikai, 20.) Young Buddhist

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Association, 21.) YBA, 22.) Yuwakai, located at 2751 Louis Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A Corporation. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): PALO ALTO BUDDHIST TEMPLE 2751 Louis Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94303 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on N/A. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on September 21, 2015. (PAW Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 2015) NIRVANA CATERING TROPICAL DELIGHT FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 608899 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: 1.) Nirvana Catering, 2.) Tropical Delight, located at 19399 Calle de Barcelona, Cupertino, CA 95014, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A Limited Liability Company. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): BOHO LLC 19399 Calle de Barcelona Cupertino, CA 95014 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on N/A. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on September 3, 2015. (PAW Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 2015) BLANK SPACE CONSULTING FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 609280 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Blank Space Consulting, located at 2198 Weston Place, Santa Clara, CA 95054, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A General Partnership. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): QUYEN HUYNH 2198 Weston Place Santa Clara, CA 95054 TUAN HUYNH 2198 Weston Place Santa Clara, CA 95054 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 1/28/15. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on September 17, 2015. (PAW Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30, 2015) ZHUANGZI LI AND ASSOCIATES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 609876 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Zhuangzi Li and Associates, located at 4023 Villa Vista, Palo Alto, CA 94306, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A General Partnership. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): ZHUANGZI LI 14110 Negundo Ave., 1st. Fl. Flushing, NY 11355 FRANKLIN MARK SCHELLENBERG 4023 Villa Vista Palo Alto, CA 94306

820 Home Exchanges ARCHITECT

825 Homes/Condos for Sale Redwood City, 3 BR/2.5 BA - $1,749,950

840 Vacation Rentals/Time Shares ARCHITECT

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Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on Oct. 6, 2015. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on October 6, 2015. (PAW Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30, 2015) DIVA DOGS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 609877 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Diva Dogs, located at 125 Connemara Way #16, Sunnyvale, CA 94087, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: Married Couple. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): CYNTHIA LONNSTROM 125 Connemara Way #16 Sunnyvale, CA 94087 JEREL LONNSTROM 125 Connemara Way #16 Sunnyvale, CA 94087 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 10/1/2015. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on October 6, 2015. (PAW Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30, 2015) PLACES OF LIGHT FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 609885 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Places of Light, located at 590 Military Way, Palo Alto, CA 94306, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Individual. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): ELLEN McDONOUGH 590 Military Way Palo Alto, CA 94306 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on N/A. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on October 6, 2015. (PAW Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30, 2015) TOUCHPOINT RESTAURANT INNOVATIONS INC. TOUCHPOINT PLUS TOUCHPOINT FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: 609988 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: 1.) TouchPoint Restaurant Innovations Inc., 2.) Touchpoint Plus, 3.) Touchpoint, located at 200 Sheridan Ave., #207, Palo Alto, CA 94306, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A Corporation. The name and residence address of the owner(s)/registrant(s) is(are): TOUCHPOINT RESTAURANT INNOVATIONS INC. 200 Sheridan Ave., #207 Palo Alto, CA 94306 Registrant/Owner began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 9/15/2015. This statement was filed with the County ClerkRecorder of Santa Clara County on October 8, 2015. (PAW Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 2015)

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • October 16, 2015 • Page 55

Palo Alto Weekly MARKETPLACE the printed version of THE PENINSULA’S FREE CLASSIFIEDS WEBSITE

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997 All Other Legals NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE TS No. CA-15-668547-HL Order No.: 7301502294-70 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 3/8/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 to the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state, will be held by duly appointed trustee. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale. BENEFICIARY MAY ELECT TO BID LESS THAN THE TOTAL AMOUNT DUE. Trustor(s): Harry Wong and Maryanne A Wong, husband and wife Recorded: 3/30/2006 as Instrument No. 18867478 of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of SANTA CLARA County, California; Date of Sale: 11/6/2015 at 10:00 AM Place of Sale: At the North Market Street entrance to the Superior Courthouse located at 190 N. Market Street San Jose, California 95113 Amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $1,691,093.17 The purported property address is: 1421 DANA AVE, PALO ALTO CA, PALO ALTO, CA 94301 Assessor’s Parcel No.: 003-23-043 NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you

should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call 888988-6736 for information regarding the trustee’s sale or visit this Internet Web site http://www.qualityloan.com , using the file number assigned to this foreclosure by the Trustee: CA-15-668547HL. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the property address or other common designation, if any, shown herein. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, or the Mortgagee’s Attorney. If you have previously been discharged through bankruptcy, you may have been released of personal liability for this loan in which case this letter is intended to exercise the note holders right’s against the real property only. As required by law, you are hereby notified that a negative credit report reflecting on your credit record may be submitted to a credit report agency if you fail to fulfill the terms of your credit obligations. QUALITY MAY BE CONSIDERED A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Date: Quality Loan Service Corporation 411 Ivy Street San Diego, CA 92101 619-645-7711 For NON SALE information only Sale Line: 888-9886736 Or Login to: http://www.qualityloan.com Reinstatement Line: (866) 645-7711 Ext 5318 Quality Loan Service Corp. TS No.: CA-15-668547-HL IDSPub #0092814 10/16/2015 10/23/2015 10/30/2015 ALM

AMENDED NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF WILLIAM DEAN COLDIRON CASE NO. 115PR177100 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: WILLIAM DEAN COLDIRON also known as WILLIAM D. COLDIRON A Petition for Probate has been filed by WILLIAM D. COLDIRON, JR. in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara. The Petition for Probate requests that WILLIAM D. COLDIRON, JR. be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The Petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The Petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court on November 9, 2015 at 9:00 AM in Dept. 10 located at 191 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

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Attorney for Petitioner: James M. Allen, 199 Fremont Street, 21st Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-6640, Telephone: (415) 957-1800. 10/9, 10/16, 10/23/15 CNS-2803326# PALO ALTO WEEKLY NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: JOSEPH ROBERT KEATING, aka JOSEPH ROBERT KEATING, JR. Case No.: 1-15-PR-177484 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of JOSEPH ROBERT KEATING, aka JOSEPH ROBERT KEATING, JR. A Petition for Probate has been filed by: JAMES J. RAMONI, Public Administrator of Santa Clara County in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA CLARA. The Petition for Probate requests that: JAMES J. RAMONI, Public Administrator of Santa Clara County be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A HEARING on the petition will be held on November 6, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. in Dept.: 10 of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, located at 191 N. First St., San Jose, CA, 95113. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any peti-

tion or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner: Mark A. Gonzalez Lead Deputy County Counsel 373 West Julian Street, Suite 300 San Jose, CA 95110 (408)758-4200 (PAW Oct. 16, 23, 30, 2015) NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: GREGORY L. CHESSON Case No.: 1-15-PR-177329 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of GREGORY CHESSON. A Petition for Probate has been filed by: SUZANNE FERRY (aka SUZANNE CHESSON) in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA CLARA. The Petition for Probate requests that: SUZANNE FERRY (aka SUZANNE CHESSON) be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition

and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A HEARING on the petition will be held on November 16, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. in Dept.: 10 of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, located at 191 N. First St., San Jose, CA, 95113. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner: Kristin R. Wu, Esq. 550 Hamilton Avenue, Ste. 100 Palo Alto, CA 94301 (650)321-5005 (PAW Oct. 16, 23, 30, 2015)

Answers to this week’s puzzles, which can be found on page 51.

Did you know? The Palo Alto Weekly publishes every Friday.

Deadline: Noon Tuesday Call Alicia Santillan

(650) 223-6578

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E-mail asantillan@paweekly.com Page 56 • October 16, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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Sports Shorts

PREP FOOTBALL

SHP is back on track

BEST OF CENTURY . . . Stanford and USA national team standout Tony Azevedo (2001-04) has been named the Pac-12 Men’s Water Polo Player of the Century. Azevedo is one of four former Stanford players recognized on the Pac-12’s 16-man all-century squad, comprised of seven driver/attackers, seven field/ utility/2M and two goalkeepers. The Cardinal’s all-time leading scorer is joined by Wolf Wigo (1991-94), Jody Campbell (1978-81) and James Bergeson (1979-82). Azevedo is the current captain of the U.S. National Men’s Water Polo Team. While at Stanford, he guided the Cardinal to a pair of NCAA Championships (2001 and 2002). He won the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award as the most outstanding male player of the year all four years. Azevedo is Stanford’s all-time scoring leader with 332 career goals.

ON THE AIR Friday Women’s soccer: Colorado at Stanford, 5 p.m.; Pac-12 Networks Women’s volleyball: Stanford at Utah, 7 p.m.; Pac-12 Bay Area

Saturday Men’s water polo: UCLA at Stanford, 10:30 a.m.; Pac-12 Networks

Sunday Women’s volleyball: Stanford at Colorado, 1 p.m.; Pac-12 Networks

www.PASportsOnline.com For expanded daily coverage of college and prep sports, visit www.PASportsOnline.com

Brendan Semien (54) and Justin Harmon (66) joined in a sack party of Terra Nova last week as Sacred Heart Prep proved dominate on both sides of the ball in a 47-13 win to open the PAL Bay Division season.

(continued on page 59)

PREP ROUNDUP

Castilleja golfers must wait, but Gunn earns a co-title by Keith Peters

wo golf showdowns took place on a warm Wednesday afternoon to all but decide two league races involving four of the top girls teams in the Central Coast Section. Castilleja had a shot and missed while Gunn, perhaps appropriately, was on target. While Menlo School’s upending of Castilleja in the West Bay Athletic League delayed a celebration, Gunn’s toppling of Palo Alto in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League earned the Titans no worse than a co-title. In the WBAL, Castilleja saw its perfect season come to an end in a 200-207 dual-match lost to Menlo. The Gators (7-1), thanks to Sacred Heart Prep’s upset of second-place Harker on Tuesday, could have wrapped up a second straight league crown by beating the Knights at the hilly Palo Alto

Hills Golf & Country Club. Any celebration, however, now has to wait until next week when Castilleja hosts Harker (5-3) on Wednesday and Sacred Heart Prep (5-3) on Thursday. The Gators need to win either match to claim the WBAL title. Menlo (5-3) threw a monkey wrench into Castilleja’s plans as sophomore Sophie Siminoff set the tone for the Knights by recording birdies on the first three holes. She faltered on the seventh hole with a double-bogey to finish with a 1-over 37. Siminoff shared medalist honors with Castilleja freshman Niav Layton, who also posted a 37. Menlo senior Lauren Yang chipped in on the third hole for a birdie while posting a 39 and teammate Claire Wilson was steady as ever while also posting (continued on next page)

Keith Peters