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Services set for Howard Boone A memorial is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, at the Mounted Patrol of San Mateo County at 521 Kings Mountain Road in Wo o d s i d e to remember Howard Davis Boone, an enduring presence in and benefactor to the Howard Boone Wo o d s i d e equestrian community and a town resident since 1960. Mr. Boone, 93, died peacefully at home on Jan. 14. Mr. Boone, a native of Iowa, got an early start with horses, having had a pony to share with his brother in their daily commute to and from a one-
room schoolhouse, according to accounts in an Almanac story from 2005 and from his family. In 1940, after graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in agricultural economics, he took a job with Cargill, the Minneapolis agribusiness giant. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Boone joined the Naval Air Corps. Mr. Boone married Nancy Goulet in 1946 and returned to Cargill, where he rose to the position of vice president of the oil seed processing business for the Pacific Rim. He traveled frequently with his wife to the Southwest Pacific, stopping frequently at Maui, one of their favorite places. During more than 52 years in Woodside, Mr. Boone volun-
teered as board member of the Woodside Trail Club, as chair of the Woodside’s Trails Committee, and as president of the Woodside Community Foundation. He was a longtime member of the Mounted Patrol, which has its facilities in Woodside. The Mounted Patrol elected him a captain in 1974 and named him Outstanding HorsemanCitizen of the Year in 1994. In 2005, the town named a riding trail after Mr. Boone. Mr. Boone is survived by daughters Kathy Boone, Betsy Harms and Bonnie Boone-Altshuld and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to: The “Howard D. Boone Memorial,” MPSMC Foundation, 521 Kings Mountain Road, Woodside, CA 94062.
N PORTOLA VAL L EY
The other topic concerns affordable housing, and the next steps for the community. The council is set to consider a charter for a new committee, an ad hoc group of community members to discuss how to address the town’s obligations to provide homes that people of moderate incomes can afford. In a related agenda item, the council will also consider a resolution affirming Portola Valley’s participation in
by Samia Cullen
Title Insurance Why Is It Important? A title insurance policy is a contract issued by a title insurance company, insuring or indemnifying owners, holders of liens or encumbrances, or others with a title interest in real property, against loss or damage to the property title. In a typical residential real estate transaction, a title policy is issued to the buyer at the close of escrow, insuring the buyer against loss or damage suffered because of defects in title to the property itself. In addition, if the buyer obtains a loan to acquire the property, a title policy is issued to the lender to provide assurances that the lender’s insured lien has priority over other liens and encumbrances on the property. Customarily in San Mateo County, the buyer is responsible for the cost of both policies. In Santa Clara County, it is customary for the seller pay to pay for the buyer’s title policy, with the lender’s policy paid for by the buyer. Title policies are not required to be
identical. The cost, extent of coverage and terms can be as unique as each parcel of real property, since no two parcels are exactly alike. Generally, a title insurance policy insures the buyer against loss or damage arising out of: a) title to the property being vested in someone other than the insured, b) any defect in or recorded lien or encumbrance on the title, c) un-marketability of title, or d) lack of right of access to and from the property. Each of the covered items listed above typically is limited by specific or generic exceptions, exclusions or other conditions specified within the title policy. Title insurance policies are complex legal documents, and readers who require specific advice should consult an attorney.
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Bag ban, affordable housing on agenda Two issues return to the Portola Valley Town Council at its first meeting of the new year, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, in the Historic Schoolhouse. The council will consider action on an ordinance that echoes a county law banning plastic bags from checkout counters, effective April 22 (Earth Day). The impact in Portola Valley may be slight, with retailers such as Roberts Market already having ceased the use of the bags, according to town staff. Restaurants would be exempt from the law.
REAL ESTATE TRENDS
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the county’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), according to a staff report. One apparent option for participating communities is the possible offloading of part of an affordable housing obligation. “There has been discussion of whether the town could successfully reduce its RHNA obligations through a cooperative agreement with another jurisdiction,” the staff report says. “At the town council’s request, staff could contact other jurisdictions in our subregion to investigate this possibility.” A
Woodside council revisits plastic bag ban The Woodside Town Council will consider signing on to San Mateo County’s ordinance that prohibits retail outlets from dispensing the flimsy “single use” plastic bags at checkout counters. The council meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, at Independence Hall near the corner of Woodside and Whiskey Hill roads. If the council acts on its previous vote of support for the concept, it could introduce an ordinance on Tuesday and adopt it at a subsequent meeting. The law would take effect on the same day as the county’s ordinance:
Earth Day, April 22, 2013. In February 2012, the council voted 5-2, with councilmen Dave Burow and Tom Shanahan dissenting, to support the county’s plans that, in addition to banning the bags, would require merchants to charge customers a small fee for a durable reusable paper bag, if needed. Councilman Burow told the Almanac that he dislikes using public money on this, preferring incentives to discourage use of the bags. The restrictions would not apply to restaurants or nonprofits. The California Grocers
Association has endorsed the concept, and Woodside merchants have been expecting the law, Town Manager Kevin Bryant told the council. The bags are a hazard because they are lightweight and easily escape into the environment, where they can be blown about. They’re found in great numbers in the ocean, including in huge gyres of trash in the northern Pacific, where they eventually break down into tiny pieces and are ingested by unsuspecting creatures, thus contaminating the food chain with hydrocarbons. A
Plastic bags, streets policy before Menlo Park council The Facebook development agreement is one item among many for the Menlo Park City Council to consider on Tuesday, Jan. 22. The single-use plastic bag ban returns to the agenda, giving the council one last opportunity to customize the countywide ordinance before voting on whether to approve it.
The council will also vote on whether to approve a new “complete streets” policy for Menlo Park. The policy is a requirement for obtaining funding from the One Bay Area grant program; the city has spent several months revising the policy to give Menlo Park local control over its implementation.
But all of that discussion comes after a 5:30 p.m. study session on understanding the financial impact of pensions. Go to tinyurl.com/bcnneww to review the agenda and associated staff reports. The Jan. 22 meeting will be held in the council chambers at the Civic Center at 701 Laurel St. A
January 23, 2013 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 7