Palo Alto Weekly September 25, 2020 by Palo Alto Weekly

Palo Alto

Vol. XLI, Number 51 Q September 25, 2020

Teachers push back on reopening plan Page 5

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

Read up-to-the-minute news on PaloAltoOnline.com Q Upfront City eyes new zoning to spur housing construction Page 5 Q Eating Out Malaysian restaurant caters to neighbors Page 26 Q Title Pages Book explores how brains adapt to crises Page 29

Designed to adapt. Ready for your emergency. We continue serving our community’s adults and children. As one of the most advanced trauma centers in the world, we are uniquely equipped to handle all cases at all times, even in unprecedented circumstances. No one anticipated COVID-19, but our systems have allowed us to adapt while maintaining the highest standards for safety. Our new infection control procedures include digital technology for triaging your condition, allowing for separate spaces for COVID-19 patients. Emergency teams use fresh personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as extra air filtering and cleaning methods to sterilize your exam room before and after your visit. We are ready for your emergency. stanfordhealthcare.org/emergencyready Marc and Laura Andreessen Emergency Department 1199 Welch Road • Stanford, CA 94304

Pediatric Emergency Department 900 Quarry Road Extension • Palo Alto, CA 94304

U.S. News & World Report recognizes Stanford Health Care among the top hospitals in the nation. Ranking based on quality and patient safety.

Page 2 • September 25, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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Upfront

Local news, information and analysis

Teachers: ‘We’re asking you to wait’ Reopening plan highlights breakdown of trust between teachers, district by Elena Kadvany

alo Alto Unified’s plan to reopen elementary schools in October has sparked intense anxiety among teachers and staff members who do not feel safe returning to work in person,

illustrating a deepening divide between them and school leaders who support safely resuming face-to-face instruction. More than 100 people spoke during the school board’s virtual

meeting on Tuesday night, the majority teachers and staff who urged the district not to reopen campuses in the coming weeks. Many said they felt the plan is rushed and does not include their input, fueling a sense of distrust and lack of confidence in the plan. A recent teachers union survey found that 82% of special education teachers and specialists and

83% of elementary teachers who responded do not feel comfortable going back to work in person. According to the union, 84% of elementary teachers and 82% of special education teachers responded to the survey. Loretta Beasley, a teacher at El Carmelo Elementary School, cited a recent New York Times article that linked one California

school district’s ability to successfully reopen — with the support of both staff and families — to mutual trust with the district. “That’s what we’re lacking here. The transparency of this plan is clearly flawed. The safety of this plan is haphazard at best,” Beasley said. “What I think is happening (continued on page 30)

ELECTION 2020

Foothill-De Anza candidates address fiscal, housing challenges Issues include shrinking enrollment, budget and education during pandemic by Sue Dremann

F Courtesy Brian Krippendorf

Full containment The CZU Lightning Complex fires that ignited on Aug. 16 and burned 86,509 acres in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties have been fully contained, Cal Fire announced on Sept. 22. The fire was the largest on record in San Mateo County, Cal Fire reported. This image shows an orange glow and smoke coming from the fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains as seen from the Palo Alto Baylands on Aug. 20.

HOUSING

City looks to loosen parking, retail rules to encourage affordable housing From parking tweaks to new ‘planned home’ zone, city looks to give builders more incentives to build below-market-rate units

hat would it take to get affordable housing built in Palo Alto? It’s a question that members of the City Council have been wrestling with for at least five years, as they repeatedly name housing a priority and then inevitably fail to meet their annual goals for new units. On Monday night, they finally began to get some answers.

by Gennady Sheyner A new report by the consulting firm Strategic Economics examined the city’s existing zoning regulations, evaluated the costs of construction, estimated the rate of return on new developments in various zones and concluded that a reasonable place to start is loosening the city’s parking rules and retail requirements. The city commissioned its

report as part of an effort to revise its “inclusionary housing” ordinance, which requires home builders to dedicate a percentage of their units to below-market-rate housing. Council members have suggested in the past that the city raise the requirement from 15% to 20%. They have also considered (continued on page 34)

our contenders who are vying for three seats on the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees will face the challenges of navigating the district through the pandemic, dwindling financial support, declining enrollment and a need for housing for teachers and students. Three of the candidates — Laura Casas, Peter Landsberger and Gilbert Wong — are incumbents; the fourth, Govind Tatachari, is seeking a seat on the five-member board for the first time. The candidates recently responded to a series of questions related to the district’s most pressing needs. Below are their answers. For more information about each candidate, see page 8. What is the greatest challenge facing the district over the next two years? Casas: The budget! Our institution depends on the State of California for funding. The State of California has not collected the normal amount of taxes due to the pandemic. Therefore, severe cuts await our institution the next year and the year after. Landsberger: The need to adjust to the changes required by the COVID pandemic and its inevitable fallout. Tatachari: Responding to the disruptions and new challenges from coronavirus pandemic: education delivery — build a remote tutoring network and enable greater interaction between students who can not attend classes

physically; challenges and opportunities to retrain those in our community who lost their jobs due to the structural changes in the economy; student services that address mental health issues and food insecurity and help them find employment opportunities once they finish our programs. Wong: Declining enrollment and the FHDA Community College District budget. Our revenue from Sacramento is determined on how many full-time enrolled students enrolled at De Anza College and Foothill College. What would be your highest priorities in allocating the $898 million in bond money (Prop G) approved by local voters in March? Casas: No money will go to administrative, faculty or other employee salaries. Priorities include: a 15-year refresh plan for computers, software and instructional equipment for career technical programs; districtwide energy efficient lighting; infrastructure repairs to parking lots and buildings; improving wireless access and replacing the structurally unsound and dilapidated Flint Center at De Anza College with a performing arts structure that better meets community and student needs. Public/private partnerships for employee and student housing. Landsberger: General upgrade and repair to existing facilities and equipment, especially the information technology infrastructure. (continued on page 8)

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • September 25, 2020 • Page 5

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

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Chief Visual Journalist Magali Gauthier (223-6530) Editorial Assistant/Intern Coordinator Lloyd Lee (223-6526) Contributors Chrissi Angeles, Mike Berry, Carol Blitzer, Peter Canavese, Edward Gerard Fike, Yoshi Kato, Chris Kenrick, Jack McKinnon, Sheryl Nonnenberg, John Orr, Monica Schreiber, Jay Thorwaldson ADVERTISING

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Around Town

Vice President Sales & Marketing Tom Zahiralis (223-6570)

D E L E O N R E A LT Y, I N C .

—Loretta Beasley, Palo Alto teacher, on the school district’s plan to reopen its campuses. See story on page 5.

Courtesy to Riya Suising

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Staff Writers Sue Dremann (223-6518), Elena Kadvany (223-6519), Gennady Sheyner (223-6513)

The safety of this plan is haphazard at best.

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RACE AGAINST TIME ... If you were at Pardee Park on Sept. 18 and thought you saw a Tyrannosaurus rex running loops all afternoon, it wasn’t a figment of your imagination. The person behind the inflatable costume was Riya Suising, a 53-yearold Palo Altan participating in the virtual Boston Marathon. This year marks Suising’s 10th straight time in the Boston Marathon. The nearly 18,000 participants were allowed to complete their run between Sept. 5-14, but race organizers extended the deadline on the west coast due to unhealthy air quality from recent wildfires. The dinosaur outfit Suising wore last week wasn’t the first time she’s competed in a costume. The avid runner also has dressed as other characters, including a bumblebee and a midnight fairy. “I’ve been running so many marathons and you always try to think of a way to make it more challenging for yourself or more interesting or more fun because the marathon is such a mental sport,” she said. Suising caught the running bug in 2008 after watching the Summer Olympics in Beijing. It started with San Jose’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon and extended to other events locally and around the world. She wanted to show her sons, who are now collegeaged, the value of training and achievement. On Sept. 18, Suising faced some difficulty due to her inflated costume, which tripled the air resistance while she ran. “I was just like one big balloon running around the lap,” she said. At one point, she held the fan that fell out of her costume in one hand and her phone in the other to keep track of her time and miles. Her run spanned five hours, 20 minutes and 50 seconds. She

signed up for the full marathon, which usually takes her about three hours and 40 minutes to complete, but a technical issue with the app showed an inaccurate mileage about halfway through. Despite the challenges, she had a fun time. “I made a lot of kids happy. They were cheering me or trying to chase me down or run with me.” REMEMBERING AN ICON ... The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at 87 on Sept. 18 has arguably caused ripple effects across the country and upcoming presidential election. In Palo Alto, community members commemorated her life at an evening vigil on Sept. 19 outside the courthouse on Grant Avenue. “I think she’s just made a really amazing impact on our world today, fighting for women’s rights especially,” Palo Alto High sophomore Katherine Stein told Paly student publication Verde Magazine. The city of Palo Alto also is honoring Ginsburg by flying flags at half-staff at City Hall and other city buildings through sunset on the date of her internment service.

GUIDING LIGHTS ... The Menlo Park and Palo Alto Relay for Life event that raises funds for the American Cancer Society will take place virtually this year. It was organized, in part, by a group of passionate high schoolers who each have family members that have been impacted by cancer. The teens created a video to raise donations for the organization through the sale of luminarias, or paper lanterns, that will be illuminated during a virtual ceremony remembering those who have died from cancer and honoring those who have survived it. “I relay for my grandma, who passed away from lung cancer. Also, my mom works in cancer research, and her lifesaving work has inspired me to do all that I can to help those affected by cancer in the community,” Palo Alto High School sophomore Caroline Zhang said. The luminarias cost $10 each; all proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. The virtual Relay for Life will be on Oct. 3 from 2-9 p.m. For more information, go to rb.gy/lykhnx. Q

Upfront TECHNOLOGY

Public Agenda

Local Chinese Americans react to U.S. threat to ban WeChat

A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week

From a community resource to a way of talking with overseas relatives, mobile app has become integral to locals’ lives by Lloyd Lee

he popular Chinese-owned mobile app WeChat, which has been the main communications lifeblood for local Mandarin-speaking Chinese Americans, could see a mass exodus of its users if a U.S. Department of Commerce ban of the app from U.S. mobile app stores proceeds. “I would say over 90% of communications for the Chineseimmigrant community is on WeChat,” said Debra Cen, 56, a Palo Alto resident who spearheaded many local Chinese American groups, aided by the app. “It’s the main communication tool.” At its core, WeChat is a messaging app. But since its release in 2011, it’s grown to become an all-in-one platform — similar to Facebook — where an estimated 1 billion global users, mostly Chinese, shop, share news, talk with overseas relatives and even send digital red envelopes filled with money. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Sept. 18 cited national security concerns in banning WeChat, along with TikTok, a popular short-form video platform, from U.S. mobile app stores, barring any new users from downloading the apps. Both apps are some of the largest Chinese-owned tech products, and both were accused of posing national security threats in Aug. 6 executive orders from President Donald Trump over their

allegedly nefarious data collection practices. “Today’s actions prove once again that President Trump will do everything in his power to guarantee our national security and protect Americans from the threats of the Chinese Communist Party,” Ross said in a statement released Sept. 18. But on Sept. 20, the day the WeChat ban was to go into effect, a preliminary injunction by the U.S. District Court of Northern California placed a temporary hold on the federal government’s plans in response to a lawsuit by WeChat users that claimed blocked access to the app would violate the First Amendment. The American Civil Liberties Union agreed with the plaintiffs. On Twitter it contended on Sept. 18 that the ban on WeChat not only violates the First Amendment but also reflects “Trump’s xenophobic and racist agenda.” For current WeChat users, the effects of the order were to be immediate. Users of the app would not be able to send any payments to, for example, family members or businesses. And without the ability to host WeChat on mobile app stores, the company won’t be able to roll out new updates or bug fixes for the app’s functionality. Eventually, this could render the app unusable. Though Cen doesn’t personally use it to communicate with many

relatives overseas, she became fond of the app as a critical tool Chinese immigrants often used to better navigate their way through new and unknown communities. “If someone’s looking for a dentist, they can find a recommendation on WeChat,” she said. “It’s like having a consultant, 24/7.” In Palo Alto, with hundreds of Chinese American residents already on the messaging app, WeChat was a free and easy way for Cen to stir more interest in a Chinese New Year Fair in 2016 or, when the COVID-19 pandemic initially created concerns of mask shortages, quickly mobilize an entire community to collect and donate 50,000 masks. But after hearing the Commerce Department announcement, Cen said she and the other 500 to 600 people she has on her contact list were planning a mass exodus from the popular mobile app. The ban “would change the dynamic of our groups,” Cen said. For Monica Yeung Arima, 63, a semi-retired real estate agent who was born in Hong Kong, WeChat has, in the past, not only been a useful messaging tool for some of her international volunteer work, but also, more recently, a critical source for accurate information during the pandemic.

CITY COUNCIL ... The council plans to meet in a closed session to discuss a lawsuit against the city pertaining to its policy of excluding nonresidents from Foothills Park unless accompanied by a resident. The council will then hear an update about the city’s work to promote racial justice and equity, consider withdrawing the city from its agreement with the San Mateo County Tourism Business Improvement District and approve a contract with the firm Baker Tilly to fulfill the function of the city auditor. The closed session meeting will begin at 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28. The rest of the virtual meeting will begin at 6 p.m. or as soon as possible after the closed session. Those wishing to participate by Zoom can do so by dialing 669-9006833 and using Meeting ID: 362 027 238. BOARD OF EDUCATION ... The school board will hold a special meeting to take action on the district’s reopening plan. The virtual meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The meeting will be broadcast on Cable TV Channel 28 and midpenmedia.org. Those wishing to participate by Zoom can do so by going to pausd.zoom. us/j/97888498129 or dialing 669-900-6833 and using Meeting ID: 949 9734 6242. PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ... The commission plans to hold study sessions to discuss best practices on tenant protections and review pending 2020 legislation pertaining to planning and housing. The virtual meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Those wishing to participate by Zoom can do so by going to pausd.zoom.us/j/97888498129 or dialing 669-9006833 and using Meeting ID: 957 7583 5836. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD ... The board plans to continue its public hearing on Castilleja School’s proposal to redevelop its campus at 1310 Bryant St. and to construct an underground garage. The virtual meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1. Those wishing to participate by Zoom can do so by dialing 669-900-6833 and using Meeting ID: 932 2779 7046. HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION ... The commission plans to consider approving a recommendation from the Palo Alto Mediation Program on appointments of mediators, consider ways to support “safe parking” programs, discuss the city’s Human Services Resource Allocation Program (HSRAP) and Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), and discuss next steps of providing a report on the history of Black and brown communities in Palo Alto. The virtual meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2. Those wishing to participate by Zoom can do so by dialing 669-900-6833 and using Meeting ID: 919 9454 8701.

(continued on page 31)

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • September 25, 2020 • Page 7

Upfront ELECTION 2020

Meet the four candidates Three incumbents, one challenger vie for seat on Foothill-De Anza Board by Sue Dremann balanced budget have been among her most rewarding accomplishA 15-year ments on the board. Also most member of the meaningful to her, she says: mainFoothill-De taining one of the highest transfer Anza Comrates from the district to four-year munity College colleges and fighting for fair comDistrict Board munity college funding at the state of Trustees, level as a representative to the Casas received California Community College a law degree Trustee Board. from Santa Clara Univer- Laura Casas sity School of Law and a bach- Peter Landsberger elor’s degree in political science Los Altos from California State University, resident Peter Northridge. Landsberger She chairs the district’s Audit was appointed and Finance Committee. She has Foothill-De Anserved as the board’s representa- za’s first general tive to the California Community counsel in 1978. College Trustee Board and as rep- In 1983, he was resentative to the Distance Educa- promoted to tion Technology and Educational vice chancelPeter Advisory Committee to the Cali- lor and served fornia State Chancellor’s office on as the chancel- Landsberger planning, vision and policy. lor’s chief deputy and executive She has overseen the transition in charge of all district office to online-only classes during the operations. COVID-19 pandemic and delivHe is currently vice president ered a balanced budget. of the Board of Trustees and is a Narrowing the achievement member of the board of directors gap, providing a low-cost qual- of the Foothill De Anza Founity education while maintaining a dation, the Community School

Laura Casas

of Music and Arts in Mountain View, and UNITE-LA, an education related nonprofit organization in Los Angeles. His education includes the Harvard Negotiation Project, Harvard Law School, Institute for Educational Management, Harvard Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley and Santa Monica College. Landsberger said co-chairing the Measure G and H campaigns and engaging the community to achieve clear majorities in support of both measures are among his highest achievements. He also provided leadership on the board when it needed to implement more than $17 million in budget reductions without seriously damaging high-quality instruction and student services, he said. “That was primarily accomplished through disciplined elimination of positions that became vacant through resignation or retirement. As a result, the pain and disruption of the adjustment was kept at moderate levels, and the focus of the reductions were, to the extent possible, kept away from the classroom,” he said.

Govind Tatachari Tatachari is the sole challenger seeking a board seat. A native of Jharia, Tatachari grew up in mining towns in eastern and central India. “Education turned out to be the key enabler for me,” he said. He

PALO ALTANS FOR SENSIBLE ZONING (PASZ) ENDORSES

LYDIA KOU, ED LAUING AND GREER STONE FOR PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL PASZ believes that we should have a City Council that puts residents first and works to solve problems that Palo Alto residents care about, such as: • Protecting our single family neighborhoods from high density development. • Maintaining existing below-market-rate housing and building additional units. • Minimizing overflow parking in neighborhoods, • Reducing traffic congestion, • Promoting City services for residents, and • Working collaboratively with residents and others to develop the best plans for the future of the Fry’s site and for railroad grade separations.

Lydia, Ed and Greer will do that. It’s time to take back our Council and elect representatives who put residents first.

VOTE FOR

LYDIA KOU, ED LAUING AND GREER STONE Paid political advertisement Paid for by Palo Altans for Sensible Zoning FPPC #1359196 | sensiblezoning.org

Page 8 • September 25, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

holds a master’s degree in computer science from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Tatachari arrived in Silicon Valley in 1986. Govind A U.S. naturalTatachari ized citizen, he is a Cupertino resident. As a technology professional with more than three decades of industry experience, Tatachari said he brings a deep understanding of what the industries of the 21st century need. “I will use that to make the programs we offer more relevant using greater industry partnerships in both traditional and newly emergent areas. I bring in a strong technical background that complements the existing board members whose experiences are different,” he said. He is also focused on improving board transparency. “Decisions wherein community surveys were undertaken need to be explained to the community via outreach within a timeframe. For example, the recent bond measure barely met the threshold to pass, which is surprising in our community which values education a lot,” he said. In the last few years, he has advocated for affordable housing solutions with an emphasis on homeless students at De Anza at the city level. In April 2019, he organized a forum on regional housing issues. Also, he said, “I did a comparative analysis of performing arts centers in the neighboring cities and provided inputs to community leaders involved in discussions about the future of the Flint Center.”

Gilbert Wong

Foothill

guide the board on how to spend Measure G funds wisely, including building upgrades, technology and computer program modernization for distance learning, developing and implementing an energy-management plan and student housing.

(continued from page 5)

Effective implementation of the district’s strategic plan for energy management and decarbonization. Limited new construction, such as the new De Anza Events Center, and housing for faculty, staff, students but only through partnerships with organizations that are equipped to develop and operate housing. Tatachari: Develop technical infrastructure for effective education delivery and remote collaboration. Fixes, upgrades and modernization of building and education-related infrastructure with sustainability and similar approaches. Improving existing facilities to enable industry-relevant programs (robotics, data-centers, high-tech health care, electric vehicles). Replacement for the performing arts center and other community-oriented services Wong: A new Multi-Purpose Event Center that will not only benefit De Anza College students but also will benefit the greater Cupertino community. Using the Facility Master Plan, which would

The son of immigrants from China and Hong Kong, Wong is a product of West Valley Community College, where he earned an associate of arts degree in busi- Gilbert Wong ness management. He graduated from San Jose State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and studied at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, earning a certificate of senior executives in state and local government. A business owner, he was a two-term Cupertino mayor and City Council member. A FoothillDe Anza trustee, he has served as a member of the De Anza Commission, a board director of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Foundation, a board director-at-large of the national Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and as president of the ACCT Asian Pacific Islander and Native American Trustee Association. During his board tenure, Wong passed four balanced budgets. Among his most gratifying achievements, he said, was attending the first dental hygiene bachelor of science graduation at Foothill College. “I was able to advocate to not end the DACA program and to try to get it into law. I have been advocating for more funding for Federal Pell Grants and to get a comprehensive reform of the Higher Education Act this year as ACCT lobbyist to the U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander and U.S. Senator Patty Murray in Washington, D.C.,” he said. Q

What are the top three ways the district could either cut expenses or gain more revenue, given the reality of a shrinking budget? Casas: Evaluate and limit programs not essential to certificate completion in workforce development or transfer to a four-year college. Non-essential personnel cuts are probable. The district will have to seek additional funding in government grants, foundation dollars and corporate partnerships. One example of a successful corporate partnership is the Gene Haas Foundation. They awarded a $1 million gift for our Design and Manufacturing Program to expand its labs. This program will train skilled programmers and operators for the manufacturing industry. (continued on page 10)

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Upfront

Judy Elizabeth Dong November 19, 1965 – September 6, 2020 Judy Elizabeth Dong, 54, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2020 at her home in Palo Alto, California. She was born at Kaiser Santa Clara November 19, 1965 just minutes before her twin sister Julie Ann. Judy held a masters degree in early childhood education from Notre Dame de Namur University. She taught preschool before dedicating 25 years of diligent service to the Palo Alto Libraries. A conscientious student, Judy carried that assiduity into her adulthood. An avid reader of classic literature and young-adult novels, Judy was a loving and thoughtful daughter to Dr and Mrs. Bock L Dong and sister to Kathy, Lawrence, Julie and her husband Brian Kondas. She was a loyal friend to Varsha Saxena and her college friend Christina. Judy wholeheartedly embraced the role of “Auntie Judy” to nephews Charlie, Christopher and Gregory, and nieces Lucia and Joëlle. An industrious crafter known for her handmade gifts of colourful bead art and animal-patterned rugs, Judy left behind a final gift of hand painted rocks labeled for Christmas Day 2020. Judy was a true survivor, having bravely fought breast cancer twice with grace and perseverance. She will be remembered for her tenacity, whimsy, and pluck. Services will be private due to Covid. Donations in her name can be made to Momentum on California Avenue, Palo Alto 94306. PAID

OBITUARY

OF PALO ALTO PRESENTS

Election Events for Nov. 3, 2020 General Election

Foothill (continued from page 8)

Landsberger: Over the next several years, the only likely source of new revenue that is material will be through grants, contracts and philanthropy. The district’s best asset in that regard is the Foothill-De Anza Foundation, which has a strong board and capable leadership and staff. It is about to embark on a significant strategic planning effort guided by a Strategic Plan Committee of which I am a member. The expenditure budget of any teaching and learning organization consists largely of salary and benefits for faculty and staff. Foothill-De Anza will need to continue its disciplined and frugal approach to setting staffing levels and filling positions. Tatachari: Work on strategies to increase enrollment for educational, employment and personal learning goals for students of all ages. Build strong industrial/government partnerships and sponsorships (workforce training). Invest in leveraging facilities via partnerships and minimal facility upgrade to quickly onboard industry-relevant programs that help generate more revenue. Increase the value provided to the community and seek community support. Perform a comparative analysis of our cost structure with our peers in neighboring communities and (the) state to identify potential areas with scope for efficiencies. Wong: Everything should be on the table to be considered. We need to make sure we are open and transparent with the process if we need to cut expenses. Examine programs offered at both colleges and their popularity and costs. Examine overhead related to faculty, staff and administrators related to effectiveness in

programs, student’s success and equity. Assist part-time faculty needs. Increase enrollment. Advertise the College Promise Program, which provides free tuition to recent high school graduates and free or almost-free textbooks. “Once the pandemic is over, enhance ‘distance learning’ as another opportunity to enroll more students as it allows flexibility to study from home or work and would require us to have less of a physical footprint of buildings to maintain, which can be costly,” he wrote in the questionnaire. Do you support building housing for teachers on the Foothill and De Anza campuses? Casas: “No, not on campus. I do not think the faculty would support faculty housing on campus as well. I support public/private partnerships for employee and student housing,” she said in the questionnaire. Supports Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Joe Simitian’s Palo Alto project for employee housing in collaboration with Palo Alto Unified School District, other school districts and Foothill-De Anza. Landsberger: Supports the district’s participation in the countyled effort to build faculty housing near the Palo Alto courthouse. Another possible collaboration is a partnership with the San Jose Conservation Corps to expand its Youth Housing Promise program. Tatachari: Supports exploring options for teacher housing that are economically most feasible, viable and do not increase risks and managerial overhead for the district. The district should be cautious to take on the challenge to build and manage affordable housing solutions. Supports publicprivate partnerships with a core competency in affordable housing. An option for a public-private

CANDIDATE FORUMS CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 18 (ESHOO V. KUMAR) Saturday, September 26 — 4-5 pm

CA ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 24 (BERMAN V. OHTAKI) Tuesday, September 29 — 7:30-8:30 pm

PALO ALTO SCHOOL BOARD Thursday, October 8 — 6:30-8:30 pm (Co-sponsor: PTA Council)

PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL

Food reporting you won't ﬁnd anywhere else.

Saturday, October 10 — 4-6 pm

SCC BOARD OF EDUCATION AREA 1 Sunday, October 11, 4-5 pm

Register to attend any of the above forums, all on Zoom: LWVPaloAlto.org/candidate-forums.html After registering, you will be able to submit questions.

Pros and Cons Join a Zoom webinar presentation and discussion of the pros and cons of state and local measures appearing on the Palo Alto, November 3, 2020 ballot. • Wednesday, Oct. 7 — 7 p.m. • Sunday, Oct. 11 — 2 p.m.

• Wednesday, Oct. 14 — 11:30 a.m. • Saturday, Oct. 17 — 2 p.m.

QUESTIONS: lwvpaloalto.org, OZYSDRI¼FH#JPDLO FRP RU Page 10 • September 25, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

partnership could be to buy existing or newly built-up affordable housing properties. Wong: Yes, supports building housing for teachers and students on the Foothill and De Anza campuses. “It was our students on March 3, 2020, that helped get the $898 million bond measure passed with the expectation of housing being built for students and teachers,” he said in the questionnaire, He supports Simitian’s proposal to build teacher housing on county property in Palo Alto in partnership with Palo Alto Unified and FHDA. He would consider Foothill College’s Sunnyvale campus for on-site housing. Students are facing food insecurity, housing, and mental health challenges. What should be done to address them and what should the board do? Casas: Supports existing programs that offer groceries and the existing relationship with a church that provides safe parking for five days on an emergency basis. Measure G should assist students and employees with the housing crisis. Supported access to Wi-Fi and Chromebooks, which allows online student access to a mental health counselor. Landsberger: Supports existing resources such as counselors, advisers, and other support staff, learning communities, affinity groups and campus-advocacy groups; professional development to ensure that all faculty and staff know about available resources and how best to direct students to them. Partnership and collaboration with others to achieve collective impact on these problems is also essential. Existing partnerships with organizations like West Valley Community Services, Second Harvest Food Bank, Whole Foods, and others need to be maintained and expanded. Tatachari: FHDA student services must leverage community organizations that dedicatedly address food insecurity, housing and mental health challenges: West Valley Community Services and others for food insecurity; Santa Clara County health services and special organizations for mental health services including Community Health Awareness Council, Palo Alto Medical Foundation mental health services, El Camino Health’s newly opened Scrivner Center; and programs such as the Home Match program of Berkeley to provide housing solutions for students. Wong: Supports the existing food pantry. Student services and counselors have increased staffing as students have asked for assistance. The district is offering housing vouchers and also partnerships with other nonprofit organizations locally to assist in student needs. Q Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@ paweekly.com. There are more Upfront stories on page 30.

Pulse A weekly compendium of vital statistics

Palo Alto

Sept. 17-Sept. 22 Violence related California Avenue, 8/30, 4:39 p.m.; battery/simple. Shauna Lane, 9/15, 8 p.m.; battery/ sexual. El Camino Real, 9/17, 6:52 p.m.; strong arm robbery. 2280 El Camino Real, 9/20, 8:30 p.m.; battery/simple. High Street, 9/21, 5:56 a.m.; arson. Moreno Avenue, 9/21, 11:28 a.m.; dependant adult abuse/physical.

Theft related Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Shoplifting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Theft undefined Vehicle related Abandoned auto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Driving w/ suspended license. . . . . . . . 3 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Parking/driving violation . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Vehicle accident/major injury . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle accident/prop damage. . . . . . . 1 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Alcohol or drug related Drinking in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Driving under influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Possession of paraphernalia . . . . . . . . 3

Ruth Finstrom Hammett January 12, 1927 – September 18, 2020 Ruth Hammett was a loving and dedicated wife, mother, grandmother and member of her community. She was as loyal to her family as she was to the charities to which she devoted her time, making a difference in the lives of everyone who knew her. She passed away peacefully on Friday, September 18 in her Palo Alto home surrounded by family. She was 93 years old. Ruth was born in 1927 in Hinsdale, Illinois to John and Hilda Finstrom. As a young woman, Ruth worked as both an airplane spotter during World War II and as a candy striper in the hospital, wrapping bandages for sick and injured patients. A lifelong intellectual, known amongst her family and friends for her quick wit and curiosity, Ruth graduated with a Bachelor’s in Math from Beloit College, and later with a Master’s in biology from Stanford University. Ruth was also an avid traveler, and she met her husband, Ben, while on a seven-country tour. The pair met aboard the Queen Mary in 1954 and went on to marry in 1957 at the Stanford Memorial Church. During their lives together, Ruth and Ben were devoted parents, grandparents, and community members, tirelessly volunteering their time to a variety of charitable organizations. In 1968, when the Hammetts and their family lived in Virginia, Ruth successfully championed the local school board to establish an integrated school where children of all backgrounds could learn at their own pace. When the family relocated to Palo Alto, Ruth continued her charity work, serving on the board of Adolescent Counseling Services, which offered shelter and therapy to young women in need. She was also an active member of the League of Women Voters. In 2013, Ben and Ruth were given the lifetime achievement award by Palo Alto Avenidas for their ongoing contributions to their local community. For Ruth, any challenge was easily overcome with a bowl of chocolate ice cream and rainbow sherbet. She loved a good political conversation, wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, and was known amongst family for her impeccable sense of humor. She couldn’t refuse a good book, an afternoon shopping for purses, or a box of See’s Candies. She looked forward to visits from her grandchildren and lived by the creed: “Someday I’m going to get organized.” Ruth is survived by her husband, Ben, her four children, Susan Hood (Doug), Sarah Hammett, Carol Bress (Rob), and John Hammett (Dana Rysavy), her four grandchildren, Augie, Sophie, AJ, and Kiki, her best friend, Mary Grace Bertsch, and numerous nieces and nephews. Family-only services will be held on Thursday, September 24. To honor Ruth’s life, donations can be made to Adolescent Counseling Services at acs-teens.org. PAID

OBITUARY

Miscellaneous Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Misc. penal code violation . . . . . . . . . . 1 Psychiatric subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Menlo Park

Sept. 16-Sept. 22 Violence related. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 Theft related Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle related Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Driving w/ suspended license. . . . . . . . 1 Parking/driving violation . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle accident/no injury. . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Possession of paraphernalia . . . . . . . . 2 Miscellaneous Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Mental evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Misc. penal code violation . . . . . . . . . . 1 Outside assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Trespassing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Visit

Lasting Memories Go to: PaloAltoOnline.com/obituaries

OBITUARIES A list of local residents who died recently: Ruth Finstrom Hammett, 93, a longtime Palo Alto resident and recipient of the Avenidas Lifetimes of Achievement Award, died on Sept. 18. Patricia June Robinson, 88, a Palo Alto Unified School District teacher for 36 years, died on Sept. 18. To read full obituaries, leave remembrances and post photos, go to Lasting Memories at PaloAltoOnline.com/ obituaries. Q

Patricia June Lacey Robinson 1932 – 2020 Pat Robinson, 88, passed away peacefully on September 18, 2020 in her home in Palo Alto, CA after a brief bout with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving family and friends. A Tooele, Utah native and longtime Californian, Pat was born June 27, 1932 to Pete and Jenny Lacey. The youngest of four siblings, Pat came late to the Lacey Party. She graduated from Tooele High School, earned a Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Education at the Utah State University and became an early childhood educator. She also excelled in music as a pianist and singer. She was active in Student Government and president of her Kappa Delta Sorority. After a short stint teaching elementary school in Portland, Oregon, Pat moved to Palo Alto Uniﬁed School District where she taught hundreds of kindergarteners and ﬁrst graders during 36 years of service. She was a distinguished educator who helped enrich instruction of other teachers, and won several awards for teaching excellence. She was also the subject of a documentary on language development. In addition to her career as an early childhood educator, Pat worked in administrative positions for companies in San Francisco and Palo Alto including Rucker-Fuller Desk Company, Sullivan and Cromwell, and IBM, where she consulted on early computer reading education programs. She loved her lovely ladies luncheon group, her poetry group, the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, and good Jazz. After retirement, her “third act” was as a passionate volunteer with numerous organizations in the Palo Alto area including, Gamble Gardens, Avenidas Senior Center, Ronald McDonald House, and Stanford Children’s Hospital Auxiliary. Pat was an avid world traveler and lifelong learner. She generally said ‘Yes’ to fun. Her epic trips with friends are documented in shelves and shelves of photo albums and videos. Pat’s church community and her LDS faith allowed her to teach and share with curiosity and an open mind. These were her

foundational values. One day in the late 1950’s, Pats love of music found her in Charlies’ Record Store in Palo Alto. Charlie introduced her to Phil Robinson, who worked at the record store. They married and had two sons, Jeff and Scott, who were the joy of Pat’s life. Pat and her boys were locally renowned for their holiday tradition of making soup for the Palo Alto community. Pat is survived by her sons and their spouses: Jeff Robinson and Ellen A Lumpkin of Berkeley CA, and Scott and Liz Robinson of Mesa AZ; grandchildren and their spouses: Sarah Robinson, Anna and Hirotaka Inuzuka, John Robinson, Alexia Lumpkin, Corey and Adri Robinson, Katy Robinson, and Danny Robinson; greatgrandchildren: Henry, Beau and Janie Sue Robinson, Gunner and Zachary Robinson, and Juno and Wren Inuzuka; and numerous nieces and nephews and their families. She was preceded in death by parents Jenny and Pete Lacey, brothers Joe, George and Jack Lacey and former husband Phil Robinson. The family wishes to extend special gratitude to the Pale family, Virginia Van Kuran and family, and Vanessa Carlisle-Johnson, for their love and care in Pat’s last year. Pat was an active contributor to many charitable causes. The family asks that, in lieu of ﬂowers, contributions may be made to the Utah State University Music Department, the Patricia Robinson Fund for Music at Chautauqua Institution, or in support of other organizations she loved. A private graveside service will be held on Friday, September 25th. A celebration of Pat’s extraordinary life is planned, and will be announced when we can gather together after social distancing has ceased. Those who loved her are welcome to share their memories of Pat in a drive/walk-by tribute outside her home at 2389 Amherst St. Palo Alto, CA, on Friday Sept 25th, 3–5 PM. Masks and social distancing are required in compliance with Santa Clara County policy. Parking is limited; therefore, parking in the lot at the LDS Institute (865 Stanford Ave.) is encouraged. PAID

OBITUARY

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Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions

Guest Opinion

Housing over parking lots? Time to look into it by David Hirsch

alo Alto is in a financial crisis due to the loss of tax revenue resulting from the pandemic. And the hoped-for housing dream in the North Ventura area has devolved into what are leftover sites now that the Fry’s Electronics building on Portage Avenue, which takes up most of the area, will likely get a new commercial tenant (Target). These setbacks only reinforce the need to seriously consider the feasibility of using city-owned public facilities parcels — the parking lots surrounding California and University avenues — as sites to develop affordable housing. Senate Bill 35 — which states, “Each city then updates the Housing Element of its Comprehensive Plan to show sites where the new housing units can be built and the policies and strategies to meet the housing needs” — is a pressing state requirement, and if challenged or disregarded, may leave us on the wrong side of an obligation that many residents feel is our local responsibility. Here is a proposal that can lead to steady city income while addressing this compelling need for housing. The first and most important fact is the city’s ownership of the land. The most significant cost to a developer is the purchase of the land. If the city leases the land to the developer for a significant period, these

Letters Retail needs to be protected Editor, I’m seriously disturbed that the City Council is moving to repeal the ground floor retail protection ordinance. In the midst of a prolonged pandemic, when many businesses are struggling to survive, handing commercial landlords a convenient way to get rid of retail spaces and replace them with yet more offices is the height of absurdity, particularly when many offices are sitting empty. Such conversions do nothing to help our community and will simply exacerbate our already horrific jobs/housing imbalance. More flexibility on a case-bycase basis may make sense at some point in the future, but this is not the time. We cannot know what the future holds, but while the

savings could be leveraged to reduce a significant portion of the rental units to an affordable level to satisfy the state’s program. From the developer’s perspective, a mix of more luxurious units along with the affordable units adjacent to these vibrant commercial areas seems like an obvious attraction. A second benefit would be the retention of parking under this new housing. Senate Bill 50 proposed a significant reduction in local parking requirements for such transportation rich areas, so the parking can remain as a city-owned public amenity to reinforce the viability of the adjacent retail uses. The state has insisted on an abbreviated local review process, so a third benefit of city ownership is the opportunity to study the potential of these sites now by exploring various planning and architectural options, such as massing and density modeling, contextual issues, site development schemes (including how to incorporate the parking), whether to provide ground-floor retail space, how to improve the quality and minimize the negative impact of the service areas at the rear of the existing retail, and how to landscape the residual spaces either at the ground level or on decks or rooftops. While these would be early schematic exercises, they would establish a format for further development and prioritize the sites with the most potential. One obvious site would be the parking lot behind CVS on Hamilton Avenue downtown. Imagine two levels of parking on the first floor and, in the basement, retail on the Waverley Street corner, with three or four levels of housing above. The height would align with the AT&T building on Hamilton

economic crisis persists, we need to support our retail, not abandon it. I hope the council might be encouraged to reconsider this foolish move. Pria Graves Yale Street, Palo Alto

The Palo Alto process Editor, Accessory Dwelling Units are one way to increase the housing stock in Palo Alto while increasing homeowners’ flexibility to utilize their land and property. The “box in the back” has received the lion’s share of attention, but they are a particularly bad idea in areas like south Palo Alto where flood zones surround hundreds of glass-walled homes. Flood zones will only grow with global warming; this issue must be addressed. To build a detached ADU, residents would be required to raise it at least 4 feet above the height of existing houses. Even with “privacy” fences, most adults could see into five backyards,

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and ought to step down to respect the lower scale of Waverley. A fourth benefit would be that these sites would not displace any existing residential use. And a fifth benefit would be aesthetic. The least attractive areas around these two downtowns, especially at California Avenue, are these endless parking lots. This forward-thinking initiative would give Palo Alto a leg up on the state’s mandate and allow a reasonable timeframe for the necessary input of the City Council, city planning division, the review boards and the city’s technical agencies. The task of organizing this effort is quite significant: It really requires a leader, someone to establish the milestones and deliverables who can properly analyze economic feasibility, and someone who can determine if additional funding such as tax incentives or the use of the impact fees or other forms of subsidies are needed and who can present these findings along with physical models and realistic perspectives to the Palo Alto community. The task also would include negotiations with possible developers, preferably ones who recognize the need for mixed income housing. A not-for-profit development company might be preferable. The arrangement must be an open, publicly disclosed discussion among the city, its representative and the developer. The arrangement would be a long term marriage, so all contract conditions must be carefully considered. This decision will likely require significant public discussion, which means it will not be coordinated with the “objective

living rooms and master bedrooms from this height. The community, not an individual homeowner, must be consulted. An attached ADU, built largely within the original footprint of the original house, offers exciting possibilities. This could include a garage conversion or changing one or two bedrooms into a studio or one-bedroom apartment. Such conversions could be built with only a small decrease in setback requirements to allow construction of a kitchen and bath. Neighbors would be far less impacted by slightly smaller front yards than by new units towering over their backyards. The city could design prototypes and sell them at cost, along with fast-track approval to make it both cheaper and faster for additional units to become available. ADUs could be rented to lower-income workers, teachers and other service workers who live too far away to commute on a daily basis, or seniors who wish to downsize but remain in the area.

standards project,” the rewriting of a portion of the zoning scheduled by city planning to be completed this fall. As a denser form of development with less open space or yards, the format for revising the zoning will require a change from “public facility” zone to a service commercial (CS) zone or one of the residential multiple (RM) equivalent zones. Height limitations, especially the 50-foot maximum, will once again be explored. That normally raises many people to the level of “fear of urbanization.” It is important to note that these parking lots do not abut lowscaled residential neighborhoods. But it is also significant to use common sense reasoning to judge the real impact of this overly restrictive height limitation. Light and air are important, but there are reasonable formulas for determining when buildings begin to impose on our preferred spatial and privacy environment. Objective formulas with fixed parameters such as the “daylight plane” can be modeled to determine more exact conditions. Realistic perspective views and sight lines can illustrate different viewpoints so that height is determined based on facts, not feelings. Recognizing that the scale of Palo Alto is important does not trump the need to provide affordable housing. We won’t lose the quality of our environment if we create these mixedincome developments in these public facilities zones. But we will add to the success of the downtowns as well as improve the city’s economy for the foreseeable future. Q David Hirsch is a former New York City architect who recently moved to Palo Alto. He can be reached at davidlhirsch@ gmail.com.

Ideally, the city should convert its existing housing stock to include rental units, home offices or caregiver units to serve our residents over time. We don’t need a nanny state to control granny units. Diane Reklis Janice Way, Palo Alto

Volunteers make a difference Editor, I am writing to thank the Weekly for its recent coverage on the Summer Learning Buddies, a group of youth volunteers who have donated more than 1,000 hours to help educators and at-risk students in the community. My biggest thanks go to Gunn High School’s Liliana Gomez, Ahshima Saini and Stephanie Yang; Palo Alto High School’s Martin Stier and Kyoko Hiroshima; Walter Hays’ 5th-grader Elise Darling; 2020 Paly graduate Kailee Correll; Woodside Priory freshman Carter Baginskis; and Rob Schnide, currently a freshman at Manhattanville

College in New York. Throughout the summer on Zoom, the volunteers tutored younger at-risk readers while creating a robust library of PhonoGraphix distant learning lessons. In addition, with unending patience, kindness and humor, they taught me — and several other Palo Alto school district colleagues — how to navigate this sometimes challenging digital world. They also taught me that where we learn — in a classroom or on Zoom — is not the central issue. What matters most is genuine human connection, combined with effective, research-based teaching methods. Some of them I have never met in person, but they’re truly among the finest people I know, committed to keeping everyone learning and everyone safe. Thank you for teaching me that together, we can accomplish anything. Carrie Manley Marion Avenue, Palo Alto

Answers to this week’s puzzles, which can be found on page 35.

OUR

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • September 25, 2020 • Page 19

The Stanford alum behind Netflix documentary wants you to stop scrolling BY SARAH KLEARMAN

spreading through society like wildfire, with social media platforms contributing the fodder and fuel behind them. But Orlowski insists he’s no pessimist: In fact, he describes himself as a technological optimist. It’s still his opinion society could change technology and social media in order to use it humanely, or even for our collective betterment. We caught up with Orlowski to talk about how we proceed from here, whether Silicon Valley should be allowed to police itself — and about what the future of humane technology might really look like. You’re a Stanford alum — I’m seeing you were there from 2002--2007. Tell me about that time — did you engage at all with the 2000s iteration of Silicon Valley? What do you remember (or not remember) about it? I mean, I was going down the path of working in technology myself. A number of close friends (from Stanford) and I were building a web design company together. As we were graduating, my friends were building different app companies. My friend circle was very heavily involved in technology, which is why in 2017 when I started hearing from Tristan (Harris, a former Google executive) and others about this, those are the friends I went to immediately to ask what was going on. Ironically, the film only really exists because many of those people and I went to Stanford together. I had access to important people in the industry, and that was the only reason why I was able to pursue it like this. There are... I forget the actual count, but there are at least six people in the movie or involved in the movie that were Stanford alum, and probably more. But yeah, in many ways, this is tech that was born out of our school. It’s a very ironic full circle.

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Courtesy Jeff Orlowski.com

irector Jeff Orlowski (“Chasing Ice”; “Chasing Coral”) spent the better part of his early film career focused on the fossil fuel industry: amazed by the vast power its executives wielded, horrified by the consequences it was wreaking on the planet, stunned by how it had altered the course of human history. Then came a new fixation for Orlowski — an entity that was somehow more lucrative, just as powerful and every bit as woven into the fabric of modern day society: Silicon Valley. And so the tech industry came to be the focus of “The Social Dilemma,” Orlowski’s latest documentary, which aired on Netflix earlier this month. The film features key tech innovators, pioneering programmers and former executives from just about every one of Silicon Valley’s major players you could name: Facebook. Twitter. YouTube. Google. Instagram. Orlowski’s list of sources is long and impressive. So, too, is the testimony that they provide: “The Social Dilemma” showcases a wealth of insider insight into how these technologies were designed and calibrated to manipulate human psychology. Orlowski’s documentary leaves no stone unturned as it dives deep into tech’s ugly downside: social media addiction, the spread of misinformation, its negative impact on our mental health (and the mental health of our youth), as well as, according to Orlowski, its potential role in the downfall of democratic institutions. That’s no small thing to say, especially as a high stakes election looms large and a pandemic continues to ravage the globe. And yet social media platforms — even in this critical time — continue to grow, Frankenstein-like, into bad actors with key roles, Orlowski argues: Misinformation and conspiracy theories are

Above: Documentary filmmaker and Stanford University alum Jeff Orlowski takes a look at tech’s ugly downside in his new documentary “The Social Dilemma,” which aired on Netflix earlier this month. Top: Screenshot courtesy Netflix.

Cover Story business model, let’s do things with society’s interest at heart. That’s where my hope exists, but really in many ways I hope the film is a rallying cry for the industry to have this wake up moment. That we could see leadership within the companies, start seeing changes from within, or we see a lot of pressure that prompts change — whether public or political pressure. That’s where my curiosity lies: How can we change to these systems to work in society’s interest?

had to say — that was the way to underTell me about finding the folks you stand what their business model was and chose to interview. High caliber execu- what these companies are actually selling. tives willing to speak on the culture The experience really, really transformed seems exceptional to me, because we my perspective on technology. often deal with this insider culture Can you speak on the idea of implearound the tech bubble. Was it the Stanmenting positive change to social meford connection that opened the door? Yeah, it was. Tristan I knew from Stan- dia? Does Silicon Valley have a role in ford, and Jeff Seibert, too. He and I were making those changes? Yeah. Let me kick off that answer with close friends (while at Stanford), and he’s the Twitter executive who ran product at an analogy, because I’ve been thinking Twitter. He’s the one that when I started through the fossil fuel industry for quite learning about all of this from Tristan, I a while, and my background is in climate went to Jeff, and I said what do you think? change films. When you look at fossil fuel, Give me a fact check on him. Is there le- we discovered oil and suddenly had amazgitimacy here? Is this accurate? I remember ing access to this incredible resource that Jeff’s response — he was skeptical at first, allowed us to travel farther and fly, and only years later did we recbut the more he thought ognize that there were conabout it, the more he realized he agreed with Tristan’s ‘Everything we do sequences. The fossil fuel industry is faced with an perspective, and then he revealed more and more. That is being collected opportunity to change itself to become an energy induswas just a really interesting try that’s more sustainable process for me, and then it and codified, or digging their heels in to was through them that we and we’re being maintain their current busikept asking — who else do you know? Who will extracted for this ness model. That’s the exact story speak on the record? We did multi-hundredI see with technology. It anonymous interviews and started so innocently. Twitbackground interviews that billion dollar ter started off as an art projwe weren’t able to use but ect, fueled by the desire to helped inform our think- industry.’ —Director Jeff Orlowski connect people and share ing and opened the door for their stories. We now see more access to different executives and insiders. Some were really dif- the business model that got entrenched ficult to get. Some were difficult to sched- in these platforms has become so powerule. Every person that we interviewed, we ful — it’s worth more than the fossil fuel could then say — we’ve spoken to all these industry, it’s the richest industry in the history of money. It’s so incredibly powerful people, would you consider it? Bailey Richardson (an early employee that it’s really, really difficult to change. at Instagram) was featured in a piece ... Despite good intentions from the people I forget which publication, but an article inside these companies, the changes I see came out about her deleting Instagram, so happening are Band-Aid solutions. They’re we hunted her down. It was looking for not addressing the fundamental problem. I see the business model as the probany possible lead we could find. lem. The business model is misaligned Tell me about your own perception with society, just like burning fossil fuels of social media as you were making is misaligned with society. I am hopeful the documentary. Did it change? Were we do make the changes, but I’m skeptical there surprising themes or revelations that it’s going to happen from within the companies because it requires the same, that surfaced? Oh, man. I was a huge social media ad- ground-up rewrite that’s needed in the dict. I loved Facebook. I used it all the time. energy industry. My hope is that there are enough employees who say no, I don’t want It was the making of the film m to be a part of this, I don’t want to be a part that made me look at it in a of the breakdown of democracy, a part of different way. It completely increasing harm around mental health. transformed my relationship There needs to be enough engineers that with social media. It was understanding what the experts were saying, say, this is code, we can reprogram it. Let’s the engineers were saying, what the critics do things differently, let’s use a different

The film touches upon this — but can you speak at all to why this is particularly important in this moment, where we’re facing not only an election but continuing to deal with the pandemic? We wanted it to be a conversation for the public. Particularly before the election. One of our subjects, Tristan, says that he hopes the film can be a shared truth about the breakdown of shared truth. I’ve been

Anything else that comes to mind about the film or about technology itself? I would add that I am very much a technology optimist. I believe in the power of technology. There’s a line that got shortened in the film — it’s from Jaron Lanier — but he basically says that people would ask him, why are you a pessimist? And he would say — I’m not, I’m an optimist. I believe it can be better. It’s those who are complacent, those comfortable with the status quo, who are the pessimists. That resonated with me, because I believe in the power of tech to serve humanity. I believe it can be a bicycle for the mind, that it can increase our capacity, skills and scale. And I think we entered this generation where the technology is designed for someone else — it’s designed for another master. And we are now the unfortunate victims of this platform. I was going to talk about surveillance capitalism, the idea that if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product. We are the raw resource that feeds the machine, our life experiences ... everything we do is being collected and codified, and we’re being extracted for this multi-hundred-billion dollar industry. And so I’m hoping the film can help be a wake-up call, and help us realign technology to serve humanity. Q Go to TheSocialDilemma.com for resources on the topic of tech as well as ways to participate in efforts towards humane technology. Sarah Klearman writes for The Six Fifty, the Weekly’s sister website that covers the best of what to eat, see and do in Silicon Valley. Find more of her work at thesixfifty. com/@sarah.klearman.

Screenshot courtesy Netflix

Former Google executive Tristan Harris shares his insight about Silicon Valley’s tech culture in “The Social Dilemma,” which recently aired on Netflix.

Right. There’s that interesting moment in the film where we see (Mark) Zuckerberg testifying that he believes the solution to combating spread of misinformation is more AI — but then your film makes the point that AI can’t know what truth is, it just knows how to generate more clicks. There is a saying — a problem won’t be solved by the same thinking that created it. And I do believe this is where greater diversity of perspective, greater diversity of awareness of how society functions and how humanity functions would inform better technology. This conversation around humane technology, and if you’re going to design to be humane — it has to be around human needs and vulnerability. Like the film says, they weren’t designed around child psychology or around what improves the emotional growth of my child. That’s what we’re really just seeing, that these companies have grown so much bigger than I think they were prepared for, and they have such influence over society that I don’t think they were prepared for. We need them to grow really fast. It’s no excuse to say, we’re in our teen years. We have to work faster. This has become our public square with no regulatory involvement around the public square. No regulation around what it should look like. Private corporations now control life experience, information and news for 3 billion people.

referencing this other line from Roger McNamee, and I’m paraphrasing, but he basically says — Russia didn’t hack Facebook. They just used it. And that’s what we’re seeing now, literally Russia and other foreign actors just using it. You don’t need ads; the organic content is more effective. Political ads don’t matter in the scheme of things, because it’s the platform itself that creates these inherent problems. There’s another analogy I’ve been drawing upon lately: American companies have made a weapon of mass destruction on American soil, deployed on American soil to be used by foreign actors for practically no money. From a security perspective, that’s frightening.

Former Twitter employee, Jeff Seibert, shown in a screenshot from “The Social Dilemma,” is among the long list of tech innovators featured in Orlowski’s documentary. www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • September 25, 2020 • Page 21

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

by Johanna Hickle

Magali Gauthier

here’s an art to executing public art well. “(It’s) who we are as a community and what we aspire to be,” according to Elise DeMarzo, current public art program director for the city of Palo Alto. If public art is an orchestra, DeMarzo is the conductor. Thanks in part to her spirited efforts in recent years, new sculptures and murals have sprouted up all over Palo Alto. Her influence shines brightest with a rotating series of temporary installations at City Hall’s King Plaza. You might recall the brilliant blue magnolia trees in 2018 or the more recent trianglepaneled pavilion. Its latest display presents the Bucolic Labyrinth, a winding design of artificial grass by Paz de la Calzada. Implementing public art well, especially within the political context of the plaza, takes far more consideration than most of us could ever dream. To ensure respect from the community it serves, each piece in the series relies not only on the artist’s touch, but also on more than a few insider’s insights by DeMarzo. DeMarzo has been activating public spaces through art since an internship with Arts for Transit back in the ‘90s. Working with New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority to bring color to dim, gritty subways, she fell in love with the mission behind the work. One pillar of public art she’s learned over the years?

Palo Alto Public Art Program Director Elise DeMarzo walks the Bucolic Labyrinth in King Plaza at Palo Alto City Hall on Aug. 26. “I think the most important thing when you’re planning public art is that it’s not stock art,” DeMarzo said. “You’re not choosing a sculpture to place in a space — because frequently that ends in controversy.” To this end, she seeks a deeper understanding of an area’s nuances before searching out the creative mind who will mesh with the vision. “You have to understand who is using this space,” DeMarzo explained. “If you’re working at a park, is there a 5 a.m. Tai chi group who is here every morning? Is there peewee soccer? Are there bad behaviors taking place that maybe public art might be able to help alleviate?” What happens when officials don’t pay attention to human needs? Look no further than the fiasco of “Tilted Arc,” a 120-foot long, 12-foot high slanted wall of rusted steel. The artist intentionally dropped this installation in the middle of a plaza in Manhattan, cutting off commuters from their scenic morning shortcut. Despite his intention to make the viewer “aware of himself and of his movement through the plaza,” over a thousand irate local workers petitioned for its

removal — the city relented. So when it came to King Plaza and its prime location outside of Palo Alto’s City Hall, DeMarzo had to ask herself, “Who are the users? Who is working at that facility and what kind of things are important to them? What kind of mental state are people in as they enter that facility? What are they seeking? What are they looking for?” Through public meetings and focus groups, DeMarzo takes into consideration the diverse perspectives of community members, artists, stakeholders, and architects. “Those conversations tend to be really robust when you’re looking for the right [artist] for the job,” she said. Additional care must be taken for a place as politically charged as City Hall. “That’s going to be a pretty weighty process to try and select one sculpture or mosaic visual that’s going to represent your city. That’s really challenging!” she said. That’s one good reason to opt for temporary installations instead. Rotating artists collectively offers different insights, perspectives, and styles — all while addressing current issues. “The beauty of temporary public art is

that you can take more chances. ... It stimulates an ongoing public conversation!” All planning and theorizing aside, what’s that strategy look like in action? The Dr. Seuss-like trees with their (environmentally safe) blue paint highlighted Palo Alto’s identity as a tree-loving community and brought awareness to deforestation. The Cache Me if You Can pavilion, with its triangle panels and images with different narratives of the site, celebrated a day in the life of the plaza and the diversity of its visitors. But let’s focus on its most recent addition — the Bucolic Labyrinth — brought to life by

de la Calzada. Crafted from repurposed astroturf from the local soccer field at Cubberley Community Center, it exhibits the beauty of transformation and new life. Labyrinths have long been considered a metaphor for life’s journey and the process of metamorphosis, and de la Calzada hopes to give visitors an urban meditation environment for selfreflection during the stressful times of the pandemic. (She’s even recorded an accompanying meditation guide to listen to while walking it). Though inspired by the ancient Cretan labyrinth, its design also takes into account the patterned ground of the plaza. “I see my work more as a collaboration with this space or the stories that it carries,” de la Calzada explained. “I try to transform the relationship we have with the urban landscape.” De la Calzada’s overall creative approach is also well-suited to public art. She described it as a desire to explore “how art can help heal relationships that are imbalanced, not only between people but between ourselves and the public space.” So the next time you’re downtown, dare to see King Plaza’s widespread space through DeMarzo’s eyes — as one giant stage just waiting to be performed upon. “Public art is a really powerful thing that can stimulate conversation in a way that artwork in a gallery doesn’t,” she said. So walk the labyrinth before it departs in November, then prepare for the next “act.” Q This story was originally published at thesixfifty.com. Johanna Hickle is a contributing writer for The Six Fifty. She can be reached at johanna.hickle@sbcglobal.net

Palo Alto needs local artists The city of Palo Alto Public Art Program is currently seeking Bay Area artists (artists from East Palo Alto and Palo Alto are particularly encouraged) to apply to design temporary artworks for the University Avenue and California Avenue districts. “This public art opportunity is a pilot project that invites artists to create works of art exploring themes of resiliency, empathy, healing, cultural diversity and vibrancy,” according to the city’s website. Eight selected artists or artists teams will be awarded $2,500 for their designs. Interested artists have until Oct. 9 to apply. More information is available at cityofpaloalto.org.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • September 25, 2020 • Page 23

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COMMUNITY

- +'"Z How one Malaysian restaurant is delivering food to Peninsula neighborhoods by Elena Kadvany

efore the coronavirus, Azalina Eusope’s “bread and butter” was catering gigs. The owner of the eponymous Azalina’s in San Francisco brought her Malaysian food to companies and at events throughout the Bay Area. While that business has dried up during the pandemic, it’s thanks to one of those clients that she’s stumbled onto a new, community-driven business model: delivering food to neighbors who band together to place a large group order. “It’s almost like catering but to a small community,” Eusope said. “It’s been so nice knowing that a community, even though you live 45 minutes to an hour away, still wants to help because they had a couple experiences eating your food and it had that much of an impact.” It started in June, when Eusope finally caved to a persistent former catering customer who wanted to organize a delivery in her neighborhood in Palo Alto. She told her neighbors and friends, who came to her house on a designated day and time to pick up their takeout orders. Now, Eusope’s employees bring hand-pulled turmeric noodles, roast duck over coconut rice and other Malaysian fare once a week to a different Bay Area neighborhood, including Mountain View, Redwood City and Sunnyvale. Other restaurants adopted a similar model during the shutdown, such as San Francisco’s Wayfare Tavern, whose delivery van now brings fried chicken to

neighborhoods throughout the Bay Area. Most of the people hosting the Azalina’s pickups are customers or friends. Eusope doesn’t charge a delivery fee, but there have to be at least eight orders to make it worth it financially, she said. Sales at her San Francisco restaurant, Mahila, are still down, and she’s had to cut her staff by half. “It’s a good business model, but it’s not saving the business,” she said. “It’s a good way to keep everybody busy and employed and doing something rather than just throwing (in) the towel. We’re trying anything and everything right now.” Eusope grew up in Penang, an island off the western coast of Malaysia, and comes from a family of street vendors. She makes mamak food, named for the outdoor food stalls seen throughout Malaysia. Food and spices in particular are essential to mamak culture, Eusope said. She still has photos of a necklace made of spices wrapped in leaves that she wore until she hit puberty, at which point it’s believed that the spices have integrated with the person, becoming his or her “soul spice.” The Azalina’s logo is an image of star anise, which she said symbolizes perseverance in mamak culture. Eusope described mamak cuisine as a “melting pot” of Thai, Indian and Chinese flavors. “I always tell everyone, ‘We successfully stole everyone else’s cuisines and made it our own,’” she said.

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She said she puts her own spin on Malaysian dishes, inspired by the food her grandmother cooked for her and her seven siblings growing up. Her grandmother was also a street vendor, selling coconut rice out of a basket she carried from village to village. The Azalina’s menu includes roti murtabak (crispy flat bread stuffed with lamb and dates), hokkien mee (wok-charred shrimp over turmeric noodles) and fried chicken served with a chili-cilantrococonut sauce and fermented pineapple-tea vinaigrette dressing. She grows hard-to-find vegetables and herbs using hydroponics at her commissary kitchen in San Francisco. “I’m not doing anything original. It’s more about sharing the story and using what’s accessible here,” she said. Eusope also sells pantry items such as hand-pulled turmeric noodles, jarred sauces and pandan kaya jam. Azalina’s next Peninsula pickup is this Saturday, Sept. 26, in Mountain View, from 5-6 p.m. Orders must be placed by Friday, Sept. 25, at 5 p.m. For more information, go to her Facebook page, Mahila’s Curbside Delivery in Mountain View. People who are interested in hosting an Azalina’s delivery in their neighborhood can also email Eusope at azalina@ azalinas.com. Q Staff Writer Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@ paweekly.com. Check out her Peninsula Foodist blog at PaloAltoOnline.com/blogs.

Top: Azalina Eusope started delivering her Malaysian fare to neighborhoods throughout the Bay Area during the pandemic. Above: Eusope’s serves mamak food, named for the outdoor food stalls in Malaysia. Photo courtesy Azalina Eusope’s Facebook page.

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Find it with Sereno Group. WWW.SERENOGROUP.COM | PALO ALTO // LOS ALTOS // LOS GATOS // WILLOW GLEN // SANTA CRUZ // APTOS Page 28 • September 25, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Book Talk

VOTING RIGHTS ... Voting experts Gilda Daniels and Myrna Pérez will delve into how the right to vote has come under attack on multiple fronts: Post office systems are being disabled, polling places have been reduced in number, and broad disinformation campaigns are underway. They also will look at gerrymandering, voting rights for formerly incarcerated citizens and voter ID legislation during Kepler’s “This is Now” virtual series on Thursday, Oct. 1, from 6-7 p.m. Daniels is a voting rights expert and former deputy chief in the U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division, Voting Section. She served in both the Clinton and Bush administrations. She is also the author of “Uncounted: Voter Suppression in the United States.” Pérez is director of the Brennan Center’s Voting Rights and Elections Program. For more information, go to keplers.org. Q

A monthly section on local books and authors

Menlo Park neuroscientist explores the brain’s resiliency in new book by Michael Berry Menlo Park neuroscientist David Eagleman explores how the brain alters itself in reaction to the outside world in his new book “Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain.”

ife in lockdown at home 24/7 during the pandemic may have made it more difficult for most people to think long term or keep track of time, but this challenging new reality actually can be good for one’s brain, according to brain expert David Eagleman who teaches at Stanford University. “Our brains typically make a model of the world so they can operate efficiently in it,” Eagleman said. “The Covid pandemic has knocked us all off our paths of least resistance, such that our brains are forced to rethink everything. ... But the tiny silver lining is that getting knocked off your path of least resistance is the best thing that can happen to the brain in terms of plasticity.” In his recently released book, “Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain,” the Menlo Park author and neuroscientist explores the myriad ways in which the 3-pound organ inside our skulls alters itself in reaction to the outside world. He asks tough questions — “Why is the world’s best archer armless?” “How can a blind person learn to see with her tongue or a deaf person learn to hear with his skin?” “Why do we dream each night, and what does that have to do with the rotation of the planet?” — and provides provocative answers through anecdotes and cogent explanations of biological processes. Among

many other wonders, the book features a boy with half a brain, a dog that has learned to walk on two legs and a girl raised with virtually no sensory stimulation. During a telephone interview, Eagleman talked about the brain’s ability to respond to external events, incessantly reconfiguring its circuitry as needed. “Memory, in a sense, is the prototypical example of brain plasticity,” Eagleman said. “When you learn a new fact, there’s a physical change in the structure of your brain.” Babies, for example, arrive in the world knowing automatically how to do some things, but they quickly start sucking up as much information as they can — exploring their bodies, reacting to sounds, making noises, he explained. “Our machinery isn’t fully preprogrammed but instead shapes itself by interacting with the world,” Eagleman said. “As we grow, we constantly rewrite our brain’s circuitry to best tackle challenges, leverage opportunities and understand the social structures around us.” Even when the brain is injured, its resilience is phenomenal. Eagleman opens “Livewired” with the case of Matthew Simpson, who had half his brain removed as a treatment for epilepsy. Thanks to plasticity, Matthew’s brain was able to rewire itself, leaving him with only a minor limp and some difficulty moving his right arm. Eagleman was raised in New Mexico and went on to college at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Courtesy David Eagleman

‘UNAPOLOGETICALLY AMBITIOUS’ CEO ... Serial entreprenuer Donna Dubinsky will interview Silicon Valley CEO Shellye Archambeau about her new memoir, “Unapologetically Ambitious,” during a virtual event sponsored by Kepler’s Literary Foundation on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 6-7 p.m. In the book, Archambeau recounts the challenges she faced as a young black woman, wife and mother, managing her personal and professional responsibilities while climbing the ranks at IBM and subsequently in her roles as President and CEO. Archambeau shares not only her story, but also the practical strategies, tools and approaches that readers can use as they strive to reach their own goals. For more information, go to keplers.org.

Title Pages Courtesy Mark Clark

ABCs OF CORONANVIRUS ... After several of their older relatives in India died from coronavirus, Atherton siblings Sophia and Sean Nesamoney published a book to help children understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 29-page “ABCs of Coronavirus” explains the pandemic to young kids, taking a tour through the alphabet and brightly colored cartoons. “A is for ‘arm,’” the book’s opening page reads. “In order to keep you and your friends safe, make sure to stay two arm’s lengths or six feet apart.” Sophia, who is studying biology and creative writing at Stanford University, wrote the text, and Sean, a sophomore at Menlo School and digital artist, illustrated it. The book has been translated into several languages and distributed around the globe. “There’s a lot of news that people our age can understand and read, but for young children there’s not a lot of information that’s accessible,” Sophia said. For more information about the book, go to howtocoronavirus.co.

A literature major who became interested in neuroscience thanks to a class in his final semester, he earned a doctorate in neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine, pursued a post-doctorate degree at the Salk Institute and later returned as a faculty member at Baylor, where he directed a neuroscience research lab. He wrote and hosted the 2015 PBS television series “The Brain” and is the author of eight books, including the best-selling “Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain” and “Sum,” a collection of fiction about God and the afterlife. “About 10 years ago, I began to seriously research sensory substitution, which is the issue of ‘Can you get information to the brain via an unusual channel (such as the skin) and can the brain just figure that data out?’” Eagleman said. With sensory substitution, one sense is traded for another, so that people with hearing loss can “hear” through their tongue or “feel” through their ears, he explained. After Eagleman gave a TED Talk about the research being done in his Baylor lab five years ago, he attracted the attention of venture capitalists interested in helping him bring his work to the public. He moved to Menlo Park, took a teaching position at Stanford and co-founded Neosensory, a company that pioneered a wristband that sends vibrations to the skin that can be processed as sound by the brain. “It was a sharp turn for me as an academic to think about going into business,” Eagleman said. “I realized it offered a real opportunity to touch the lives of millions

of people instead of writing more academic papers about it.” Eagleman has written for HBO’s science-fiction series “Westworld,” and his book offers glimpses of a strange new future that may be only decades away. Asked why communicating with general readers is important, Eagleman replied, “Obviously, I’ve devoted my life to science, but I think it’s the most interesting thing to talk about. Not only that but science is what drives our world. It’s important to get the facts right so that, as a community, we can make our plans for the next era of legislation predicated on the best information we have. “That’s really the goal of ‘Livewired,’” Eagleman said. “To take tens of thousands of scattered papers in the literature and build a framework about how I believe this all fits together. My hope is I’ve done my job right, and this book will be a landmark in this very young science of the brain.” Q Contributing writer Michael Berry can be emailed at mikeberry@mindspring.com.

If you’re interested Neuroscientist David Eagleman, author of the newly released book “Livewired: The Inside Story of the EverChanging Brain,” will talk about the brain’s ability to constantly adapt to change and how it absorbs new experiences during a virtual event hosted by Kepler’s Literary Foundation on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6-7 p.m. For more information, go to keplers.org.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • September 25, 2020 • Page 29

Upfront

Reopening (continued from page 5)

then is the teachers are seen as the bad guys. I can tell you I am working harder than I have ever worked before. I am not part of the 83%, but I am terrified.â&#x20AC;? The districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reopening plan, which is subject to a board vote next week but almost is certain to be approved, proposes a staggered return to school with hybrid models that mix in-person and online learning. Transitional kindergarteners and first-graders would go back to school on Oct. 12, second- and third-graders on

Oct. 26, fourth- and fifth-graders on Nov. 9 and middle and high school students on Jan. 7. Students of all ages, now including kindergarten, first- and second-graders, will be required to wear masks at all times. The district also plans to bring more special education students back to school for daily, in-person instruction starting Monday, Sept. 28, which some special education teachers said they learned about Tuesday night. Superintendent Don Austin, who said he believes students â&#x20AC;&#x153;belong in schools,â&#x20AC;? acknowledged that there is no reopening plan that will satisfy everyone.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Part of our problem right now is weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re chasing something with no finish line for some people,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I understand that. A personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fear or anxiety is real. There is a point, however, where we have exhausted our steps that we can put in place trying to make people feel better about returning.â&#x20AC;? He pointed to a disconnect between how educators and parents in the district feel about reopening. Of about 2,600 elementary school parents who responded to a district survey last week, 62% want their children to go back to school in person. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to work through that,â&#x20AC;? Austin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to remember

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who we serve first. School systems are designed and created to serve students.â&#x20AC;? Teachers said they worry about safety for themselves, their students and families. Several specialists, such as music teachers and reading specialists who work with multiple classrooms, asked for more detailed information about day-to-day logistics, safety measures and testing. (The district is looking into providing testing on campuses at no cost to students and staff, including possibly through Stanford Health Care.) â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have not been part of the plan,â&#x20AC;? said Lisa Jauregui, a middle school teacher in the Futures program for students with moderate to severe disabilities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are the ones on the front lines.â&#x20AC;? Tuesday marked two weeks since Santa Clara County moved into the less restrictive â&#x20AC;&#x153;redâ&#x20AC;? tier under Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s color-coded reopening framework, meaning all schools are now allowed to fully reopen for in-person instruction. Some teachers pointed to local school districts that are not planning to open in person this semester, such as San Jose Unified. Other neighboring districts, however, including the Los Altos School District, are planning to resume in-person instruction in a staggered, hybrid model starting in October. Several teachers and parents also said that distance learning has vastly improved since the spring. They worried that reopening will disrupt the progress thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been made in providing daily, quality online instruction. Several board members explicitly said they support the reopening plan as proposed. Jennifer DiBrienza said sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not sure why thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a disconnect between the work the administration has done to put together a plan and the teachers who are expected to implement it. She noted that some of the questions and issues raised are answered in the 52-page plan.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do think that our staff has made an effort to create a clear safety plan and ... for whatever reason, there are many teachers who feel like they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what it is. Teachers are thinking that there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an adequate, safe plan in place when we think we have published an adequate safety plan,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure what the missing step is there, but clearly we have to keep working at it.â&#x20AC;? Board member Ken Dauber made a failed motion to waive the boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two-meeting rule and vote on the reopening plan on Tuesday night. With the targeted first day of school less than three weeks away, he said it would give families and staff more certainty and time to prepare. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to adopt this plan,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no benefit to waiting to do that except to continue to create I think a real cost, which is prolonging the uncertainty.â&#x20AC;? Vice President Shouank Dharap, board member Melissa Baten Caswell and DiBrienza voted against Dauberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motion while President Todd Collins abstained. In the coming weeks, the district will be asking elementary school families to choose which model they want for their children for the rest of the year: either the in-person hybrid option or full distance learning. Senior administrators shared how the campuses have been prepared for a safe reopening, from replacing HVAC filters, installing Plexiglas dividers and designating entry and exit points to purchasing personal protective equipment for teachers and staff. Board members also asked about options for livestreaming classes and for outdoor instruction, which Austin said are subject to negotiations with the teachers union. The school board will vote on the reopening plan at a special meeting on Sept. 29, at 5:30 p.m. Staff Writer Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@ paweekly.com.

CityView A round-up

of Palo Alto government action this week

City Council (Sept. 21)

Housing: The council recommended maintaining the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inclusionary housing requirement at 15% and pursuing changes to parking and retail-protection requirements that would make it more economically feasible to raise it to 20%. Yes: Cormack, DuBois, Filseth, Fine, Kniss, Tanaka No: Kou Planned home: The council approved the use of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;planned homeâ&#x20AC;? zone for residential projects where at least 20% of units are designated as affordable housing. Yes: Cormack, Fine, Kniss, Tanaka No: DuBois, Filseth, Kou

Board of Education (Sept. 22)

Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan: The board approved the districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan. Yes: Unanimous

City Council (Sept. 23)

Evaluations: The council continued its evaluation of the city manager, the city attorney and the city clerk. Action: None

Historical Review Board (Sept. 24)

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Castilleja School: The board reviewed Castilleja Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposal to rebuild its campus at 1310 Bryant St. and voted to create a subcommittee to evaluate the design of the exterior staircase at the Gunn Administration Building. Yes: Unanimous

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

Page 30 â&#x20AC;˘ September 25, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Upfront

WeChat (continued from page 7)

“I pretty much open it everyday,” Yeung Arima said. “It’s sort of like a mini-Facebook.” But the app and its Chineseownership are not without criticism even from its own past and current users. For the exact opposite reason Yeung Arima might turn to the platform for up-to-date facts, Randolph Tsien, 53, who was born in Taiwan and now lives in Palo Alto, said he gradually phased out of using the app for, at one point, “hours” each day after he saw it become a toxic environment of misinformation. “When you read too much of that, your head kind of bloats and you get a headache,” Tsien said. The app also has been known to be a major vehicle for Chinese state propaganda. For most older Chinese immigrants who came to the U.S., that could mean the difference between viewing the ban

on the app as a significant loss or just one minor inconvenience traded to clamp down on proChinese Communist Party views. “To some families, losing WeChat could be devastating,” Cen said. One of Cen’s colleagues, who asked not to be named in this story, said he regularly spoke to his 80-year-old parents during the weekends using WeChat. But he also thinks the U.S. ban might open up more social media platforms between Chinese Americans and, particularly, mainland Chinese users. Cen, who noted that she’s a naturalized citizen and upholds democratic values of free speech, said she supports any move that could push the Chinese government to be “more open” and further facilitate an environment of free speech in China. The alternatives for U.S. citizens who want to communicate with people in China are limited, aside from QQ, another instant messaging app owned by the same tech giant behind WeChat, TenCent

Holdings. (TenCent’s U.S. headquarters are located in Palo Alto.) For Tsien and Cen, the immediate impacts of the ban, at most, would pose minor inconveniences. Cen said she and her multiple groups of 500 people — the capacity limit the app places on group chats — would probably migrate to Telegram, which has been reported to be a useful “refuge” for WeChat users. (The app is currently banned in China, but some users have found ways to jump the government’s internet firewalls to spread accurate information about COVID-19, according to the South China Morning Post.) “Since people are already so

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Upfront 995 Fictitious Name Statement BRUNER’S CHEESECAKE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN667847 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Bruner’s Cheesecake, located at 1249 W Washington Ave. #1, Sunnyvale, CA 94086, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Individual. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): CHRISTOPHER J. BRUNER 1249 W Washington Ave. #1 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on August 31, 2020. (PAW Sep. 18, 25; Oct. 2, 9, 2020) APTLY FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN668296 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Aptly, located at 1931 Old Middlefield Way, Suite K, Mountain View, CA 94043, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A Limited Liability Company. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): SOPHOS PRODUCTIONS LLC 1931 Old Middlefield Way, Suite K Mountain View, CA 94043 Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on September 11, 2020. (PAW Sep. 25; Oct. 2, 9, 16, 2020)

997 All Other Legals NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF BULK SALE (UCC Sec. 6105 and SEC 24073 ET SEQ B&P, C.) Escrow No. 2015172DMB NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a bulk sale is about to be made. The name(s), business address(es) of the Seller(s) is/are: VINO LOCALE INC., 431 KIPLING STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94301 Doing Business as: VINO LOCALE All other business name(s) and address(es) used by the Seller(s) within three years, as stated by the Seller(s), is/are: The name(s) and address of the Buyer(s) is/ are: VINO-BY-THE-SEA CORPORATION, 701 PINE CREST DRIVE, BOULDER CREEK, CA 95006 The assets being sold are generally described as: FIXTURES, EQUIPMENT, INVENTORY AND ALL BUSINESS ASSETS and are located at: 55 MUNICIPAL WHARF, SUITE B, SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060 The bulk sale is intended to be consummated at the office of: BAY AREA ESCROW SERVICES and the anticipated sale date is OCTOBER 13, 2020 The bulk sale IS subject to California Uniform Commercial and Professions Code(s) sections set forth above. The name and address of the person with whom claims may be filed is: BAY AREA ESCROW SERVICES, 2817 CROW CANYON RD, STE 102, SAN RAMON, CA 94583 and the last date for filing claims by any creditor shall be date on which the notice of the liquor license is received by the Escrow Agent from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Buyer(s): VINO-BY-THE-SEA CORPORATION 53083 PALO ALTO WEEKLY 9/25/2020 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: LUCILLE CHAN SEARLE Case No.: 20PR188469 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of LUCILLE CHAN SEARLE. A Petition for Probate has been filed by: KATHRYN CHAN in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA CLARA. The Petition for Probate requests that: KATHRYN CHAN 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 October 28, 2020 at 9:01 a.m. in Dept.: 13 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: Bruce A. McDermott Ogden Murphy Wallace, 901 5th Avenue, Ste. 3500 Seattle, WA 98164 (206) 447-7000 (PAW Sep. 25; Oct. 2, 9, 2020) AMENDED NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: JOHN CHRISTOPHER PURVIS Case No.: 20PR188129 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of JOHN CHRISTOPHER PURVIS. A Petition for Probate has been filed by: LAUREN J. PURVIS in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA CLARA. The Petition for Probate requests that: LAUREN J. PURVIS 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 2, 2020 at 9:01 a.m. in Dept.: 13 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: Adam W. Ferguson 1886 The Alameda San Jose, CA 95126 (408) 296-3700 (PAW Sep. 25; Oct. 2, 9, 2020) NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: CONSUELO GOINGS Case No.: 20PR188652 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of CONSUELO GOINGS. A Petition for Probate has been filed by: MARY ANN WARREN, Public Administrator of the County of Santa Clara in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA CLARA. The Petition for Probate requests that: MARY ANN WARREN, Public Administrator of the County of Santa Clara 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 October 28, 2020 at 9:01 a.m. in Dept.: 13 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: Mark A. Gonzalez, Lead Deputy County Counsel 373 West Julian Street, Suite 300 San Jose, CA 95110 (408) 758-4200 (PAW Sep. 25; Oct. 2, 9, 2020

Call Alicia Santillan at 650-223-6578 or email asantillan@paweekly.com for legal advertising. Page 32 • September 25, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

News Digest Alleged killer hospitalized before trial A man charged with murdering two young women on Stanford University property in the 1970s has been hospitalized right before his trial is set to begin in San Mateo County. John Arthur Getreu, 76, of Hayward, is accused of killing Leslie Marie Perlov and Janet Ann Taylor, both 21, in 1973 and 1974, respectively. He was identified as the alleged killer through modern DNA techniques after eluding arrest for decades. Getreu’s case is scheduled to start on Monday, Sept. 28, with jury selection in his trial in San Mateo County for Taylor’s death, but little is known about his condition, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. Prosecutors and defense attorneys have been informed that he does not have COVID-19, he said. Getreu was arrested by Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputies in November 2018 for the Feb. 16, 1973, strangulation murder of Perlov, who was found in the foothills under an oak tree near the present-day Stanford Dish. That case is being tried in Santa Clara County where he is charged with first-degree murder with an allegation of attempted rape. San Mateo County prosecutors charged him with Taylor’s murder in May 2019. Taylor was found strangled on March 25, 1974, off the side of the road at Sand Hill Road and Manzanita Way. Getreu has pleaded not guilty in the Perlov and Taylor cases. He is scheduled for a trial setting hearing on Wednesday afternoon in Santa Clara County on the Perlov case. Q — Sue Dremann

Lytton Gardens COVID case linked to caregiver Lytton Gardens Assisted Living in Palo Alto has reported at least two cases of COVID-19 among its patients this month, parent company Covia Communities has confirmed. One case involves a patient who was visiting family members at an outside apartment on Sept. 6 and tested positive four days later. That person remains quarantined in the family’s apartment, according to a Sept. 15 letter to residents and families from Lytton Gardens, which was obtained by this news organization. The other case was linked to an outside caregiver who came to the downtown facility to attend to a patient, Covia spokeswoman Laura Darling said. A third resident also has tested positive recently, but no details about the origin of that case are available, a spokesperson from the county’s Emergency Operations Center told this news organization. This second case brought to light a possible gap in testing involving external or contracted caregivers who come face to face with high-risk elderly patients when they are not in skilled nursing or nursing home settings, Darling said during a phone interview this week. As a result, Covia’s administrators met on Sept. 21 to discuss a new monthly COVID-19 testing protocol for outside caregivers, which will begin on Oct. 1. On Tuesday, an Emergency Operations Center spokesman said the county Public Health Department has tested Lytton staff and residents in response to the current cases and will continue to test them weekly until there is a two-week time period with no positive tests. He didn’t say if testing for contracted workers is included. Q —Sue Dremann

City moves ahead with rail redesign As Palo Alto approaches a critical juncture in its multiyear journey to redesign its rail crossings, city leaders are confronting the uncomfortable possibility that their complex and expensive effort could be upended by shifting plans involving Caltrain and the state’s high-speed rail project. That’s the reality that the City Council wrestled with on Monday night, as it considered the city’s progress on its plan for grade separation — the redesign of the corridor so that tracks don’t intersect with local streets at crossings. Several council members indicated that given the uncertainty over Caltrain’s future, as well as its own upcoming study on grade separation, the city may need to halt its effort. In addition, staff is still monitoring the slow and uncertain progress of the planned high-speed rail system, which may include a four-track section that would conflict with some of the alternatives that the city is contemplating. These questions are becoming more critical for the city as it approaches its latest deadline for choosing grade-separation alternatives. The decision, which the council had initially planned to make by the end of 2018, has faced numerous delays — most recently because of the pandemic. Under the city’s current timeline, the council is set to rule on proposed alternatives for the Churchill Avenue, East Meadow Drive and Charleston Road crossings by the end of this year. Q —Gennady Sheyner LET’S DISCUSS: Read the latest local news headlines and talk about the issues at Town Square at PaloAltoOnline.com/square

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Compass is the brand name used for services provided by one or more of the Compass group of subsidiary companies. Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Numbers 01079009 and 01272467. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not JOOb yOoW OMà VBbUOp Wb loWKOÛ KdbMWsWdbÛ pB_O do zWsVMoBzB_ aB| JO aBMO zWsVdts bdsWKOà !d psBsOaObs Wp aBMO Bp sd BKKtoBK| dT Bb| MOpKoWlsWdbà __ aOBptoOaObsp BbM pntBoO TddsBUO BoO Bllod{WaBsOà

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • September 25, 2020 • Page 33

Upfront

Housing (continued from page 5)

Experience. Integrity. Knowledge. Home has never been more important. Helping buyers and sellers navigate their real estate needs during these challenging times.

Veronica Weber

extending the requirement to new rental housing (today, it only applies to ownership units). The new report urges caution on both fronts. It indicates that while the city could see some housing production in the downtown area, particularly for ownership units like townhouses and condominiums, it would likely have to make numerous zoning revisions to make below-marketrate housing projects pencil out. The prospects are even less promising for rental units, which are unlikely to achieve a high enough rate of return for developers to justify construction under the current regulations, the report suggests. The analysis also states that what works in the downtown core may not work in other commercial areas, such as the “service commercial” zoned sites along El Camino Real. Even with no inclusionary housing, rental developments in these low-density zones would generate an estimated rate of return of about 4.38%, according to the analysis, below the 4.75% benchmark for feasibility. For Palo Alto, the new report’s findings come at a time when the city is bracing for aggressive new regional housing mandates and coming off a yearslong drought in housing construction. The city is about 1,000 housing units short of where it should be if it were on pace to meet its Comprehensive Plan goal, according to Planning Director Jonathan Lait. Since 2015, Palo Alto has granted permits for 572 units — about one-third of the 1,593 units it should have generated by this

time, Lait told the council. Armed with the new analysis, the council voted not to increase the inclusionary housing requirement for ownership units at this time but to consider adjustments to parking and retail standards that would make future construction of housing viable. The council also directed staff to consider other zoning amendments — including changes to density limits — that could support a future inclusionary requirement of 20%. The council voted 6-1, with Councilwoman Lydia Kou dissenting, to pursue the various zone changes. In doing so, council members acknowledged that they are unlikely to see new housing without making compromises on development standards. “Something has to give,” Councilwoman Liz Kniss said. “Maybe your height gives, maybe your parking gives. Something has got to give if you really believe that you want more housing and that you want inclusionary housing.” Currently, an applicant looking to redevelop a building with a retail component is required to replace all of the retail square footage. The proposed change would require the developer to only provide 1,500 square feet of retail. Parking standards, which currently vary by zone, would be reduced to one space per unit. The three members on the council’s slower-growth wing were more reluctant to move ahead with zone changes. Councilman Eric Filseth suggested a more holistic approach that considers a wider range of factors that the city can adjust to make the economics work, including density regulations. Filseth said he’d like to consider other factors besides economics — most notably,

The 50-unit complex at 801 Alma St. is one of only a handful of afforable-housing projects that Palo Alto has approved over the last decade. parking demand — when revising the downtown’s parking standards. “I think we ought to be looking at demand as opposed to how we can improve development economics,” Filseth said. “We can improve developer economics by not requiring plumbing and electricity too.” Vice Mayor Tom DuBois suggested that to create new affordable units, the city should require builders of rental properties to construct inclusionary units, rather than buy their way out through in-lieu fees. “We need to get away from in-lieu fees, impact fees,” DuBois said. “We’re seeing mostly rental projects for affordable housing. If we have no inclusionary requirements, I don’t think we’ll get inclusionary units in those rentals.” His proposal to develop an inclusionaryhousing requirement for rental housing — what’s known as the “Palmer fix” — fell by a 3-4 vote, with only Kou and Filseth joining him. Mayor Adrian Fine, who made the motion to move ahead with the loosening of zoning regulations, pointed to the study as evidence that the type of reform DuBois is recommending simply would not pan out economically. “It’s unfortunate, I regret that, I do not like that. But requiring 15% of units and making them economically infeasible means we’ll get 15% of zero,” Fine said. In addition to directing staff to tweak the zoning regulations, the council also authorized the use of a blunter and less predictable tool: the newly created “planned home” zone. Modeled after the discarded “planned community” zone, the new designation allows developers to directly negotiate with the city over the zoning concessions they’d like to receive in exchange for public benefits. Unlike with the plannedcommunity zone, which the city suspended in late 2013 and which often involved amenities such as grocery stores, fountains and public art as benefits, the planned-home

zone would specify that the chief benefit is housing. By a 4-3 vote, with DuBois, Filseth and Kou dissenting, the council supported an approach in which applicants using the “planned home” zone are required to provide the equivalent 20% of the units at below market rate. The exact number of units would depend on the affordability level so that a developer who opts to build for those in the “moderate” income would have to supply more such units than one building in the “low” or “very-low” income categories. Fine called the new tool the city’s “challenge zoning,” with developers invited to come forward with their own proposals for zoning concessions. Kniss, who strongly supported the new zoning tool, cited the city’s recent failure to generate housing as a reason to explore new approaches. “We have selected housing as an absolute top priority as a council and it doesn’t happen, year after year,” Kniss said. “That is the definition of insanity — you keep doing it over and over again. And we keep doing it.” But while she, Fine and council members Alison Cormack and Greg Tanaka all supported this approach, the three dissenting council members suggested that the new zone is too open-ended and, as such, likely to engender the same type of distrust that doomed the planned-community zone. Kou suggested that if the city uses this zone and designates housing as a “public benefit,” the projects should be 100% affordable, rather than the 20% favored by the council majority. Filseth pointed to prior criticism from residents that when it comes to planned-community developments, the city is routinely out-negotiated by applicants. “We’re going to end up inherently dipping a toe into those waters again,” Filseth said. Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@paweekly.com.

OUR TEAM IS IN MOTION FOR YOU

Carolyn Aarts Keddington Realtor® 650.946.8122 carolyn.keddington@compass.com DRE 01490400 Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable Jts VBp bds JOOb yOoW OMà VBbUOp Wb loWKOÛ KdbMWsWdbÛ pB_O do zWsVMoBzB_ aB| JO aBMO zWsVdts bdsWKOà !d psBsOaObs Wp aBMO Bp sd accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate.

Page 34 • September 25, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Across 1 What your answers must be written in to understand the theme 5 Hiking path 10 “Which came first?” choice 13 Clapton or Cartman 14 Candy branded as “The Freshmaker” 16 Stuff to fix a squeaky hinge 17 Aligned correctly 19 Pompous attribute 20 Stun gun relative 21 Jewel 22 Amy Winehouse hit song 24 Complainer’s sounds 26 1980s hairstyle that may have involved a kit 27 Donut shop quantities 30 Cop show with the line “Just the facts, ma’am” 33 Cupid’s Greek counterpart 34 Wire-___ (like some terriers’ coats) 37 Rowboat propeller 38 Transmit electronically, in a way 39 Devices that, when turned, adjust themselves (just like the theme answers) 40 Greek vowel 41 Suffix form for twenty and thirty, but not ten 42 Audrey Tautou’s quirky title role of 2001 43 Stay away from 44 Moved the borders to create a new area, perhaps 46 They’re collected in passports 48 Coffee dispensers 49 Cartoonist Guisewite, or her comic strip 51 Faith whose name comes from the Arabic for “glory” 53 Rapper ___ Def 54 Walkway on an airline flight 58 Bullfighting cheer 59 What Neil Armstrong partook in, e.g. 62 Homer’s outburst

“Adjusted to Fit Your Screen” — what the flip is going on? [#590, Sept. 2012]. by Matt Jones

Answers on page 17.

63 It may be tossed after a wedding 64 Charity benefit, maybe 65 Take notice 66 Some religious observances 67 Stretch across Down 1 Like some checks: Abbr. 2 Operatic solo 3 Sty dwellers 4 Crafty plans 5 Symbols after brand names 6 Rule over a kingdom 7 Chilean mountain range 8 Checklist component 9 Rawls of R&B

10 “Land sakes alive that’s awesome!” 11 Prefix for byte meaning “billion” 12 Amorphous clump 15 Jam, margarine, or cream cheese, e.g. 18 Sci-fi film set inside a computer 23 Exercise machine unit 25 Makes embarrassed 26 Class warmup before a big exam 27 Postpone 28 Make big speeches 29 Do the “I am not a crook” thing with the V-signs, for example? 30 Three, in Germany 31 Completely devour 32 ___ fatty acids 35 Troy’s friend on “Community”

This week’s SUDOKU

www.sudoku.name

36 Under the weather 39 Activity done in heated beds 43 Well-known quotations, often 45 “Are you a man ___ mouse?” 47 Warm up after being in the freezer 49 Amounts on a bill 50 Liability counterpart 51 Physiques, in entertainment tabloids 52 Lotion ingredient 53 Actress Sorvino 55 Shower gel, essentially 56 Hit for The Kinks 57 Actor McGregor 60 Clumsy sort 61 Org. that provides W-2 forms © 2012, 2020 Matt Jones

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brianchancellor.com | 1432WebsterStreet.com brianc@serenogroup.com | DRE# 01174998 Page 36 • September 25, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com