Almanac May 28, 2014 section1

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2014

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Vision for Nepal Menlo Park couple find ways to improve life in developing nations PAGE 16

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Photo by Michelle Tsui, Rotary Club of Menlo Park

Here are the winners of this year’s Rotary Scholarships, which were presented May 19 at Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center. First row, from left: Ayana Bohannon, Angelean Johnson, Louisa Aaron, Madeleine Rostami, Georgia Reid, Virginia Magana, Adriana Ortiz, Constance Carresco and Katy Leon; Second row, from left: Diana Marin-Melo, Dayana Sandoval, Kayte Toscano, Johanna Cortez, Talmai Abarca, Carolyne McBirney, Mayra Garcia, Robert DeGeus, Ernesto Carriel, and Randy Lopez. Third row, from left: Fabian Chavez, Ruth Gomez, Mouianga Fehoko, Susan Vunga, Jose Sanchez, Andre Gomez, Ryan Young, Juan Lopez Casildo and Gurjeet Chahal.

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wenty-seven graduating seniors from local high schools received scholarships at the 28th annual Rotary Club of Menlo Park scholastic awards ceremony May 19 at the Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center. In addition to the scholarships, just over 100 students received academic achievement awards that were selected and presented by the principals or headmasters of their school. Rotary Club president Glen Rojas welcomed about 300 parents and friends of the students after the Menlo-Atherton High School Jazz Band performed several numbers to the delight of the crowd. Former Rotary Club president Tim Leary introduced the featured speaker, Dr. Charles Prober, the senior associate dean for medical education and professor of pediatrics, microbiology and immunology at Stanford Medical School. In an uplifting speech, Dr. Prober exhorted the students to continue to strive for educational excellence and find and pursue their passions in life, and then turned the podium over to two residents from Stanford, who shared their life stories.

The need-based scholarships, totaling $128,000, were provided by the Rotary Club of Menlo Park Foundation for students attending four-year colleges and local community colleges. Members of the club’s scholarship awards committee interviewed the applicants and made the final decisions on the winners. Seventeen students who are attending four-year colleges and 10 who will attend community colleges received scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $12,000. Here are the recipients of this year’s Rotary Club of Menlo Park scholarship awards: ■ The Tsui-Tang Family Math and Science Scholarship went to Menlo-Atherton student Georgia Reid, who will attend Lewis and Clark College. ■ The John D. Russell Scholarship went to Menlo-Atherton student Madeleine Rostami, who will attend Northwestern University. ■ The Crittenden Family Scholarship went to home schooled student Carolyn McBirney, who will attend Cal Poly. ■ The Robert G. Paroli Scholarship went to Eastside College Preparatory student

Dayana Sandoval, who will attend UC Santa Cruz. ■ The Doris and Orm Rector Scholarship went to Sacred Heart Preparatory student Diana Marin-Melo, who will attend Georgetown. ■The Edward Mintz Scholarship went to Sacred Heart student Fabian Chavez, who will attend Santa Clara. ■ The Business and Professional Scholarship went to Sacred Heart student Ruth Gomez, who will attend Loyola Marymount. ■ A Menlo Park Rotary Foundation Scholarship went to Eastside College Preparatory student Ayana Bohannon, who will attend Emory. ■ A Menlo Park Rotary Foundation Scholarship went to East Palo Alto Academy student Gurjeet Chahal, who will attend UC San Diego. ■ A Menlo Park Rotary Foundation Scholarshp went to Eastside College Preparatory student Johanna Cortez, who will attend Connecticut. ■ A Menlo Park Rotary Foundation Scholarship went to Eastside College Preparatory student Jose Sanchez, who will attend Bates. See SCHOLARSHIPS, page 6

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS The Portola Valley Elementary School District will hold two separate public hearings on the proposed Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and the proposed budget for fiscal year 2014-15 on Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. at Corte Madera School, Room 102 located at 4575 Alpine Road, Portola Valley, California. A copy of the LCAP and the proposed budget will be available for public examination at the Portola Valley Elementary School District Office at 4575 Alpine Road, Portola Valley, California from June 6, 2014 through June 11, 2014 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Any stakeholder affected by the LCAP or the Portola Valley Elementary School District budget may appear before the Portola Valley Elementary School District Board of Trustees and speak to the LCAP or the proposed budget or any item therein. 5/28/14 CNS-2623365# THE ALMANAC

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Atherton cops to crash at Watkins House pad By Barbara Wood Special to the Almanac

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therton police officers who need to catch some shut-eye between 12-hour shifts will soon have a pretty nice place to do just that: Holbrook-Palmer Park’s Watkins House, empty since the city manager declined the traditional offer of free housing. Police Chief Ed Flint said at the May 21 Atherton City Council meeting that the arrangement offers numerous benefits for the town. “We have a problem with the officers’ not getting enough rest,” Chief Flint said, explaining that officers work 12-hour shifts three or four days a week, and some live hours away. When an emergency arises, if officers are in Atherton when off-duty, “they’re not an hour and a half away” if needed, he said. “It also gets them off the road.” Chief Flint said the availability of a local place for officers to stay would also be “a good recruiting measure.” In addition, officers would be requested to stroll the park when there, adding some security benefits, he said. All four council members supported the plan. Atherton is currently short one council member, due to Jim Dobbie’s resignation in March.

Officers who live out of town will have a place to sleep between shifts “I think the town needs to maintain the house in the park” as a housing option for future city managers, said Councilman Bill Widmer. “We may not be able to get who we want if we don’t have the option to house them.” Councilman Rick DeGolia said the plan could also help the town recruit new police officers. “We need to find tools and carrots that we can use,” he said. “This is going to help.” Chief Flint said the Atherton Police Officers Association would be responsible for File photo by Michelle Le housekeeping, while the town The Watkins House in Holbrook-Palmer in Atherton has long been the home of the city manager. would continue to take care of maintenance and repairs at the house. Furniture would be town to give him six months An opinion by City Attor- also keep an eye on the park donated if needed, and locks to move into the Watkins ney William Conners seemed and provide some security would be added to bedroom House, and also received a to preclude renting out the qualifies because it benefits doors. $2,500 monthly allowance to home to a private individual the park, he said. The agreement would also offset his housing and com- or for some use not related to A few public speakers be immediately revocable if mute costs. He later told the the park. When the land and opposed letting police crash at the town needed the house for town that he would not be able buildings were donated to the the house. “This is an asset of another reason, such as a new to move to Atherton and asked town, the park was to be used the town and we need to make city manager who wanted to for a $30,000 raise instead. only as “a first-class recre- some money from it,” said live there. He got the raise, but lost the ational facility,” he said. Hav- resident Walter Sleeth. “That’s When George Rodericks monthly allowance, and the ing someone, such as the city better than having this be some was hired as city manager in town began looking into alter- manager or police officers, sort of a playhouse for some of October 2012, he asked the native uses for the house. live in the home who could our town employees.” A

Residents want right to build larger homes By Dave Boyce Almanac Staff Writer

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oodside Heights, though within the borders of Woodside, is a community apart: It sits east of Interstate 280 and it is adjacent to West Atherton, where market values tend to be higher by comparison. The landscaping resembles that of West Atherton: The homes are somewhat hidden from the street by the trunks and foliage of large heritage trees. Unlike Atherton, the floor area of primary houses in Woodside Heights is limited to 4,000 square feet. And there’s the rub, as recently presented in a 14-page proposal to the Wood-

side Town Council. Residents of Woodside Heights, represented by Greg Smith of Eleanor Drive, asked the council on May 13 to amend the zoning of their properties. The proposal, “Woodside Heights: Rethinking Our Zoning,” asks the council and town government to change the municipal code by taking 1,500 of the 15,000 square feet of permitted floor area on a oneacre lot and reallocating it to primary houses. Such a change would allow a primary house a maximum of 5,500 square feet. The proposal requests that this be done in three months’ time. Council members were sym-

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pathetic to the residents’ request, but reluctant to move as quickly or as significantly as requested. The chief concerns: a 37 percent increase in house size, and the unintended consequences — including a domino effect — if such a change were done without sufficient analysis of the impact on other neighborhoods. Mr. Smith didn’t buy it. “The council should not stop our proposal to pursue a hypothetical question,” he said. Eleanor Drive resident Bill Perrine said that “literally everybody that I’ve talked to has basi-

cally been in favor of it. It isn’t that much of a change.” The residents’ proposal includes a survey showing 95 percent support within the homeowners association. “I just want something that fits in the neighborhood and fits my family,” said Elizabeth Bellock, also of Eleanor Drive; she added that the change might make the area more attractive to younger families. Councilwoman Ann Kasten, whose council district includes Woodside Heights, supported the proposal, in part because it might discourage clusters — primary houses and accessory structures. “To me, that’s not

rural. It’s low end,” she said. The town’s design-review process is “pretty good” at managing what houses look like, she said, but added: “I understand the argument that if you do this, you open the door.” Fifteen hundred square feet is too much, said Councilman Dave Tanner. But with more people working from home, “I understand the need for more square footage,” he added. “There’s a certain balance that we must have. ... I think it needs to be studied, and I’m willing to take the time out to do that.” Councilman Tom Shanahan said he was concerned that larger homes would attract larger families and wondered See LARGER HOMES, page 8

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Election day is June 3 Major ballot measures and candidate races will be decided on Election Day, Tuesday, June 3, when the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Go to smartvoter.org or check your voter information pamphlet for the location of your voting place. Among the ballot measures are a $13.5 million bond measure for the Woodside Elementary School District:

New program director for special-needs kids Minoo Shah, who oversees the Special Education Department of the San Francisco Unified School District, will take over programs for students with special needs in the Portola Valley School District, according to Lisa Gonzales, superintendent of the Portola Valley district. Ms. Shah will replace Julie Flynn as direcMinoo Shah tor of student services on July 1, the superintendent said in her May 19 announcement. Ms. Flynn is leaving the district to become a school psychologist, Ms. Gonzales said. Ms. Shah, who holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Arizona, began her career in 1986 as a school psychologist at the Learners Academy School in Mumbai, India. In 1998, she became a school psychologist in the San Francisco district, and subsequently has worked in that district in a number of positions, including supervisor of special education and most recently as director of special education services. In the Portola Valley district, in addition to being responsible for programs for speSCHOLARSHIPS continued from page 3

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a $265 million bond measure for the Sequoia Union High School District, which includes Woodside and Menlo-Atherton high schools; and a $300 million bond measure for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Shapethefuture.org is the official website of the San Mateo County elections office. Check AlmanacNews.com for news and elections results.

■ A Menlo Park Rotary Founda-

tion Scholarship went to Eastside College Preparatory student Kayte Toscano, who will attend U.C. Davis. In addition the following students received Peninsula College Fund/Rotary Club of Menlo Park scholarships: Andres Gomes, Mayra Garcia and Talmai Soto Abarca. The Drue Kataoka Arts Scholarships went to Emily Sykes and Lucy Aaron. The Rotary Youth Leadership

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cial-needs students, she will work in the areas of “Positive Behavior Intervention & Systems, Response to Intervention, social-emotional learning, and differentiation,” Ms. Gonzales said in her announcement. Besides her doctorate, Ms. Shah received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in applied counseling/psychology from the University of Bombay, India; and a master’s in educational psychology from the University of Southern Illinois, Carbondale. In her announcement, Ms. Gonzales said Ms. Shah was “enthusiastically supported” by interview panels made up of teachers, staff, parents and administrators. “Seldom do we see such a great match of skill and expressed desires of the parent community and staff,” Ms. Gonzales said. Ms. Shah’s base salary will be $138,525, Ms. Gonzales said. Asked about the move from a very large to a very small district, Ms. Gonzales said: “Minoo’s true passion is working to support students and staff. In a smaller district, she can interact with them daily and implement support services that don’t currently exist here in PVSD.” Awards went to Darian Andrade of Eastside College Preparatory, Angelean Johnson of Eastside College Preparatory, and Kimberly Tsiang of Sacred Heart Preparatory. Tom Borden grants for community college scholarships went to Katy Bailon Leon, Juan Lopez Casildo, Randy Lopez, Virginia Magana and Adriana Ortiz. Rotary Club of Menlo Park Foundation Awards for community college scholarships went to Constance Carrasco, Ernesto Carriel, Robert DeGeus, Mouianga Fehoko and Susan Vunga.

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Image courtesy of Greenheart Land Company

A rendering depicts the style of Greenheart’s planned 195-unit apartment complex at 777 Hamilton Ave., about three blocks from Willow Road in Menlo Park.

Housing complex previewed By Sandy Brundage Almanac Staff Writer

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he Belle Haven neighborhood is seeing an influx of proposed housing complexes, and with a cyber cafe, dog wash and play areas, and “a rather large spa,� Greenheart’s planned development on Hamilton Avenue looks like it will keep up with the neighbors in terms of creature comforts. Located near Facebook’s upcoming west campus, Greenheart’s project will place 195 apartments on 6.5 acres, with an address of 777 Hamilton Ave., about three blocks from Willow Road. The developer bought 21 parcels from numerous property owners, including the city of Menlo Park, during the past two years to create the site. “We believe this development is a good one for the city as well as the community,� Greenheart principal Bob Burke told the Planning Commission during a study session on May 19. He said that given that the complex’s tenants are projected to be working within walking distance, Greenheart expects the location to help minimize traffic impacts by reducing the number of people commuting to work at places such as Facebook. Zip cars, bike sharing and Facebook’s shuttle program are expected to help. Jeff Adams, speaking on behalf of Facebook, concurred during public comment. “It’s important to us that everyone have the

opportunity to connect to their community in a meaningful way,� he said, and that’s easier when home is right across the street from work. The developer plans to build 117 one-bedroom units, 52 twobedroom units, and 26 threebedroom units, divided into three-story stucco buildings. All of the apartments will be rented at market rate, according to the staff report. The main entrance to the complex would be off Hamilton Avenue, according to the site plan, with 335 parking spaces provided. Electric cars will have 10 charging stations, with another 50 pre-wired for charging if additional stations are needed in the future, Mr. Burke said. Trees, always a consideration in Menlo Park, will be well represented, based on the staff report, with 200 new trees slated for planting, including California fan palms. Six heritage trees are marked for removal. Not everyone is thrilled with the site plan. Belle Haven resident Matt Henry commented during the study session that Facebook is spending millions of dollars to construct its worldclass, “work of art� west campus designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. “And what does Greenheart do? They throw up a wall four blocks long of three-story apartments that is going to totally block Belle Haven’s view (of the Gehry building),� Mr. Henry

said. He suggested placing single-story buildings in front, while limiting higher buildings to the rear of the Hamilton Avenue site. Later, Greenheart principal Steve Pierce told the commission that the rooftop forest of the Gehry building will be visible from much of Belle Haven, given that it will be 72 feet off the ground, while the Hamilton Avenue apartment buildings will be about 34 feet in height. One-story buildings were not viable given the amount of parking required for the site as well as the 30 units per acre required by zoning law. “It’s all compromises,� Mr. Pierce said. Farther down the road on Haven Avenue, Facebook in partnership with St. Anton is building a 394-unit complex complete with a doggie daycare, pub and bike repair shop. Next door, Greystar LLC has proposed building 146 apartments. Coupled with Greenheart’s proposal, the projects will shift the character of Menlo Park’s M-2 district away from an outdated industrial flavor, according to Chamber of Commerce CEO Fran Dehn. Greenheart said construction is expected to take 18 months. Since the project requires no discretionary approvals, the final determination of whether the site complies with the city’s regulations will be made by the community development director rather than the Planning Commission. A

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May 28, 2014 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 7

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Path along Woodside Road in line for an upgrade By Dave Boyce Almanac Staff Writer

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lans are afoot to improve the pedestrian and equestrian path along the south side of Woodside Road between Roberts Market and the elementary school. A roadside improvement project, for now just a concept, would put a horse-compatible surface on the path, separate it more distinctly and regularly from traffic, and connect it to other walking routes to school. The Town Council on May 13 authorized the staff to submit a grant application to the California Department of Transportation. In a 6-1 vote, the council also agreed to write a “strong” letter of “wholehearted” support for the project. Existing crosswalks at the school are already being upgraded with new paint and flashing lights in time for the start of school in August. The state grant would pay for four new crosswalks — three across school driveways and one across Woodside Road in the vicinity of Woody, the wooden fish sculpture next to Dry Creek. That crosswalk would also have flashing lights. To pay for it all, the town is seeking $855,000 in Caltrans funds. A breakdown: $110,000 for project design, environmental issues and permits; $645,000

for construction; and $100,000 for construction management and testing services, according to a staff report. Councilman Tom Shanahan cast the dissenting vote on the letter of support, having expressed his well-known aversion to the idea of public projects paid for with funds not originating in the pockets of Woodside residents. His preference is to break out the shovels and get to work. “I suspect it’d be a lot quicker,” he said. “We’d get 60 percent to 70 percent of what we want.” That approach would not be productive, his colleagues said. For one thing, the work has be done with enough expertise to last 50 years, said Mayor Dave Burow. Councilman Ron Romines noted that the road belongs to the state. Modifications to state highways must have Caltrans approval, which in this case will be needed to provide room for the path improvements by narrowing each traffic lane to 11 feet from the current 12 feet. Getting the money

Agencies from all over the state are competing for $129 million in grant money from the Caltrans Active Transportation Program. Among the program’s goals: encourage biking and walking, reduce greenhouse

Residents seek right to build larger homes continued from page 5

about the effect, not over five years but over 50 years. “Any property that increases population density is not going to get my support,” he said. Councilman Ron Romines called the proposal “well-considered,” but said that he was not persuaded. The change has majority support among residents there, the area is geographically isolated from much of Woodside, and it shares a border with Atherton, but “I don’t find that terribly persuasive,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we adopt the standards of the other town. ... We have much different standards than Atherton.” Atherton as yardstick

Atherton is kind of a standard in Woodside (and Portola Valley) in that when it is mentioned in public, it is usually to point out something undesired, such as solid perimeter walls, imperiallooking gates and other visible

indicators of great wealth. But in the Woodside Heights proposal, in a list of unattributed complaints under the title “Our Frustration,” that view is not found: “We sold our house there and moved to Atherton where they don’t have that ‘crazy zoning.’” “Why are they building so many beautiful homes in Atherton and not here? Rural doesn’t mean run down.” “The town is too difficult to deal with. Why don’t we annex our neighborhood to Atherton? We have more in common with them.” Marilyn Voelke, chair of Woodside’s Planning Commission, described the Atherton comparisons as “alarming” during the public comment period. The domino effect from this proposal would create an “Atherton” effect as it moved through town, she said. Resident Tom Broderick said he agreed. “It’s a very thin line between what we have today and big boxy houses.” Atherton would allow a 20,000-square-

8 N The Almanac N TheAlmanacOnline.com N May 28, 2014

Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac

Bucolic it may be, but safety is a high priority for this path along the south side of Woodside Road between Roberts Market and the elementary school. The town has applied for state grant money to do an extensive upgrade, including crosswalks and a resurfaced path that kids and horses will enjoy.

gases, enhance public health and put disadvantaged communities on an equal footing for the money. Woodside is hardly a disadvantaged community, but it does have an edge of sorts, said Andrew Lee of Parisi Transportation Consulting in Sausalito. The application is “very competitive” in that the current path exposes high numbers of pedestrians to conditions that

are less than safe, and that the proposed fixes would effectively reduce the danger, Mr. Lee told the council. “It’s very challenging out there,” Town Engineer Paul Nagengast told the Almanac. The proposed project is intended to provide a safe and accessible route for all users of the path along the south side of the road, he added. The project will need letters of

support from affected agencies. Town staff are anticipating them from Caltrans as well as the town’s Circulation Committee, the Woodside Elementary School, the Woodside Fire Protection District, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and the county library Joint Powers Authority. The City/County Association of Governments has already approved a resolution in support, Mr. Nagengast said.

foot monolith that three people would live in, “like an (Egyptian) pyramid,” he said. “It seems to me that (Atherton) has absolutely no code whatsoever.” “We need to be prudent,” said Councilman Peter Mason, “and we need to look at all the unin-

state, all factors that are better addressed in one structure than a cluster. The current proposal, while in need of tweaking, “seems very logical to me,” he said. “It’s very safe to say we’ll get through this item no later than the next fiscal year. It could be sooner than that.” “I just want to make sure I understand,” Mr. Smith said at one point. “You guys have deepsixed this, and if we go ahead and file an application (with the Planning Commission) as we’re entitled to, you will not approve that until you have finished your other survey work.” “We’re not deep-sixing it,” said Mr. Tanner. “We’re putting it on a work plan. We have a lot of work to do. It’s not going to be deep-sixed. It’s going to be looked at and studied. It’s not deep-sixed, it’s not shelved, it’s not thrown away. It’s being acted upon. That’s what we did just now. But we can’t tell you we’re going to do it in two weeks, we can’t tell you we’re going to do it in two months. We have to study it and find out.” Mr. Smith replied: “I think you’ve managed to translate ... a relatively simple change into

a quagmire of endless debate. ... You have, actually, no time frame or a deliverable, nor have you articulated any specific standards by which you are being held to respond to our very specific request.” “In its present form,” Mr. Burow said, “if it was put before the council tonight, it would not pass.” Mr. Shanahan weighed in. “I’m not very excited about being interrogated about my time frame. I’ll tell you what. There are a lot of priorities in this town and I think you’ve heard me be very clear: I don’t rate yours very highly at all.” “Got it,” Mr. Smith replied. “We’re doing the best that we can,” Mr. Shanahan said. “Right now, you just don’t have the votes on this council to do what you want to do.” “There you have it,” Mr. Smith replied. “And I don’t think that your priorities are particularly high,” Mr. Shanahan added. “Now obviously, Anne Kasten disagrees, but you see, you’ve got some disagreement here. This is not going to happen fast because there is opposition.”

Chief concerns: a 37 percent increase in house size and unintended consequences for other neighborhoods. tended consequences. The last thing I think we want is miniAthertons.” Deep-sixed?

With a recognition of the urgency felt by Woodside Heights residents, the council added the issue to Town Hall’s work plan — a list of priorities that is reviewed periodically. Residential development priorities, noted Mayor Dave Burow, include resource conservation, energy efficiency and the primacy of the land’s natural

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N E W S

Expanding outdoor dining downtown

Ride kicks off workshop project

By Sandy Brundage

By Sandy Brundage

Almanac Staff Writer

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ot everything to do with Menlo Park’s downtown/El Camino Real specific plan leads to months of debate, vitriol and battles at the ballot box: Take outdoor dining, for example. An enthusiastic City Council on May 13 unanimously approved dedicating $30,000 to test an expanded outdoor dining program downtown. Temporary planters will be erected to create a barrier around the parking area in front of Left Bank Brasserie at 635 Santa Cruz Ave. The approximately 56-feet-by-15-feet space will leave room for chairs and tables, while temporarily eliminating a 15-minute, a one-hour, and a motorcycle parking space, according to the staff report. Economic Development Man-

ager Jim Cogan said the effect will be similar to that seen along Castro Street in Mountain View. Left Bank was selected because the restaurant already has an outdoor seating permit as well as a great track record for compliance, he said. The city will provide planters, soil and some trees; the restaurant will contribute additional landscaping, tables and chairs. At the end of the program, the planters and landscaping will pass into the city’s custody for use elsewhere. “It’s great to see some things from the specific plan finally coming to fruition,� Councilwoman Kirsten Keith said, echoing comments by other council members. She thanked Left Bank and LB Steak for complying with the permits. Ms. Keith described watching a blind woman attempt to get around a downtown res-

taurant that did not have a permit, yet had outdoor seating. Mayor Mueller said the city staff worked hard to launch the trial this year, noting that while the specific plan allows the city to try new concepts, it takes staff to implement the ideas. An advocate for installing a carousel downtown, he suggested testing out temporary pocket parks next. “I can’t wait for that to happen because I want to have my carousel in a pocket park,� he said, laughing. Mr. Cogan estimated that the pilot program could launch in July, with some coordination with the Chamber of Commerce to avoid interfering with planned downtown events. Councilman Peter Ohtaki asked for an assessment of the trial at year’s end, which he said would make it feasible to expand the pilot to a second location in early 2015. A

Almanac Staff Writer

M

enlo Park explored building community through bicycling during the holiday weekend, with a 7.3-mile “unity ride� led by teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula on Saturday, May 24. The event provided a chance to introduce group rides to the Belle Haven community and engage Menlo Park residents on both sides of U.S. 101, according to Bicycle Commissioner Cindy Welton, who helped organize it. Facebook contributed 50 bikes to the event for those without their own, while city officials and police were on hand to teach kids how to ride and to ensure a safe trip. The event also sparked interest in a project to convert shipping containers into a bike workshop on the grounds of the Menlo Park clubhouse, located

at 401 Pierce Road. Jeff Feinman, vice president of clubhouses and high school programs for BGCP, said the workshop will serve three core purposes: â– Act as a space for youth to learn about mechanics and repair techniques that could lead to paid work and provide service to other residents. â– Serve as a gathering spot, complete with smoothies and music. â– Promote an active lifestyle, with teens training younger kids to ride bikes and organizing monthly outings. Triton donated the shipping containers, and Studio 5K created architectural sketches of the workshop, which is expected to launch this fall. Mr. Feinman estimated that the club needs to raise $50,000 to complete the workshop. A

Dean Allen Watkins Watkins, Dean Allen, B.S., M.S., PhD, passed away on Saturday, May 17, 2014 at his home in Woodside, CA. He is survived by three sons: Clark Lynn and his wife Charlotte, Alan Scott and his wife Jane, and Eric Ross: by grandchildren Megann Noyes-Watkins, Brian Noyes-Watkins, and Erin Watkins, and by step-grandson Brad Wieners. Born in Omaha NE on October 23, 1922, Dr. Watkins was the son of Ernest E. and Pauline Simpson Watkins. After receiving his B.S. from Iowa State University, he married his college sweetheart, Bessie Ena Hansen on June 28, 1944. They were married for 62 years at the time of her death in September 2012. Dr. and Mrs. Watkins lived in California for 64 years, the last 42 in Woodside, CA. He did graduate study at California Institute of Technology (M.S. 1947) and Stanford University (Ph.D, 1951). Over the course of his 52 year career in electrical engineering, he was an engineer at Collins Radio Co., (194748), staff at Los Alamos Laboratory (1948-1949), technical staff member at Hughes Research Laboratories (1951-53), Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University (1953-1956), Director Electron Devices Laboratory (195664), Lecturer, Electrical Engineering (1964-70); Co-founder, President, Chief Executive OfďŹ cer, Director Watkins Johnson Co., Palo Alto California, a pioneer in microelectronics, (19571967); Chairman, Chief Executive OfďŹ cer, Director (1967-80), Chairman, Director (1980-2000). Dr. Watkins was a Consultant to the Defense Department (1956-66) and a member of the White House Science Council (1988-1989). His civic participation included serving as a Trustee at Stanford University (1966-1969) and as a member and chairman of the Board of Regents, University of California (1969-1996). He also served on several local school boards, the San Francisco Bay Area Council, San Mateo County Finance Committee and was a member, Board of Overseers, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, Stanford, 1969-2000. He served as private to 1st lieutenant, Corps of Engineers, O.R.C. Army of the United States, 1943-46. His memberships included Fellow IEEE, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Physical Society, American Management Association, and Delta Upsilon. In 1957 he received the 7th Region Achievement Award, and in 1981, the Frederik Philips Award (IEEE). Services are private. The family requests that donations to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palo Alto, CA be made in lieu of owers. PA I D

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May 28, 2014 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 9

N E W S

Atherton urges Surf Air to fly at higher altitudes By Barbara Wood Special to the Almanac

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aking a new approach in efforts to reduce airplane noise over Atherton, the town is sending a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration urging that planes fly at a higher altitude until closer to the San Carlos Airport. Noisy planes became an issue soon after a new small airline, Surf Air, began flying passengers into the San Carlos Airport in June 2013. Surf Air, whose customers pay one monthly price for unlimited flights on small passenger planes, recently added flights to and from the Truckee airport to their weekend flight schedule. At their May 21 meeting, City

Council members agreed to have a letter signed by Mayor Cary Wiest sent to the FAA, urging the change in the GPS flight path that aircraft are asked to observe. “Adding a higher GPS approach would result in aircraft flying 25% higher over homes in the Atherton, North Fair Oaks and Menlo Park neighborhoods,� the letter to the FAA says. “We believe that this increase in altitude would greatly reduce the noise impacts.� Councilman Rick DeGolia, who serves on the San Carlos Airport Noise Working Group along with Councilwoman Elizabeth Lewis, said the airline has promised to make another change to lessen noise.

Pilots for the airline have been dropping their landing gear and powering up 6 miles from the airport, he said, while other pilots do that only 3 miles away. Surf Air officials have promised to start dropping the landing gear closer to the airport, he said. “That will be the most material change,� Mr. DeGolia said. In December 2013, approximately 75 people attended a community meeting in Atherton to air their concerns about increased flight noise. Since then the working group has met several times to attempt to find a solution to the problem that would not move aircraft over other residential neighborhoods. A

Town seeks residents’ views on Parker Avenue right-of-way issue By Barbara Wood Special to the Almanac

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therton’s Parker Avenue has some of the smallest lots in the town, most less than 8,000 square feet, and one of the widest streets, with the official town right-of-way extending 50 feet beyond the 20-foot paved roadway. For years, residents of Parker have used much of that rightof-way as if it were part of their property, and now, after complaints from some Parker Avenue neighbors, the town is trying to do something about it. Residents can’t agree about what they want done, however. The town has offered three options: to abandon 30 feet of its 70-foot right-of-way, which would increase each lot by 900 square feet; to develop an encroachment permit process to

TOWN OF WOODSIDE 2955 WOODSIDE ROAD WOODSIDE, CA 94062 PLANNING COMMISSION June 4, 2014 7:30 PM PUBLIC HEARING 1. AT&T 5055 Farm Hill Boulevard

allow some of the homeowners’ improvements to remain where they are; or to make all homeowners remove any improvements they’ve made that aren’t on their own property. At their May 21 meeting, Atherton City Council members heard from many of the Parker Avenue residents, most of whom did not want the additional property taxes that would come with the town’s gift of 900 square feet of property. Because of the disagreement, council members asked City Manager George Rodericks to send registered letters to the owners of each house on the street asking what their preferred solution is. Town Attorney William Conners said the town cannot abandon the right-of-way in a piecemeal fashion; but it could possibly be done for sections of the street. Further complicating the matter is the fact that the county tax assessor’s office says it cannot legally say how much any additional property taxes would be.

Carriage house

In other business, the council declined for a second time to endorse the Atherton Dames’ project to renovate the historic carriage house in HolbrookPalmer Park. At an April 16 meeting, the council asked the Dames and their architect, Adolph Rosecrans of Woodside, to answer more questions about the plans and about the current state of the building. With those questions answered, the council asked at the May 21 meeting for the Dames to attempt to find out what the public wants for the building. Some council members also expressed interest in waiting for completion of the park master plan before deciding what to do with the carriage house. Video recording

The council agreed to purchase an automated video camera system to record council and other public meetings, replacing the videographer who now records each council meeting. The new equipment will cost slightly more than the $25,200 now spent on hiring the videographer for a year. A

CUSE2013-0008 Planner: Sean Mullin, Assistant Planner

Review for approval, conditional approval, or denial of a Conditional Use Permit Amendment to CUSE2009-0002 to modify the ground-mounted equipment, remove the existing 12-foot pole and install a new 20-foot pole and new pole-mounted equipment at an existing wireless facility on property owned by Caltrans. Ground-mounted equipment would be installed within the conďŹ nes of the existing utility pad. All application materials are available for public review at the Woodside Planning and Building Counter, Woodside Town Hall, weekdays from 8:00 – 10:00 AM and 1:00 – 3:00 PM, or by appointment. For more information, contact the Woodside Planning and Building Department at (650) 851-6790.

10 N The Almanac N TheAlmanacOnline.com N May 28, 2014

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Mass for Emil Vincent Real A memorial Mass for Emil Vincent Real, a resident of Menlo Park for nearly 60 years, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 31, at St. Denis Catholic Church,

2250 Avy Ave. in Menlo Park. A reception will follow in the church social hall. Mr. Real died April 20 at the age of 90.

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Fifth-grader makes giant horse for school parade By Snowy Sabel, age 11

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made a giant Morgan horse for my fifth-grade state float project at Corte Madera School in Portola Valley. Each year, as part of the study of U.S. history, fifth-graders at Corde Madera participate in a float-making project and a parade, held in the school’s parking lot. Each fifth-grader is assigned a state and asked to make a float for it. My state was Vermont. Since I like animals, I decided that I wanted my float to be an animal. Making giant things is always more fun, so I decided to build a giant horse, a Morgan horse, which is Vermont’s state animal. My float was 14 feet high and 18 feet long! I designed and scaled a drawing of the horse, so that I would know how long to make the wooden pieces in the frame of the horse. I built two separate frame halves and attached them together to make a whole frame. The next step was the chicken wire, so that it would take the shape of a real horse. This took me more time than mak-

ing the frame, but in the end it looked great. I tried to paper-mache the horse, but the horse was too big, and the paper became too heavy and fell off. After some family brainstorming, we came up with the idea of wrapping the entire horse in masking tape. This worked, but took a long time. Next came the spray paint, and a mane and tail made from strips of brown painter’s paper. The horse was done, but the job was not. I still needed to move the horse to school. Adding a frame and wheels helped, but I still had to transport it five miles to school, down a long winding hill. This presented a whole new challenge. There were approximately 80 floats in the parade, held on May 16. Most of the floats were pulled on red wagons or tricycles. Next year, the school plans to reinforce new scale parameters, as the organizers were not expecting the size of my horse. Editor’s note: Snowy’s mom Jane Leibowitz says: “Snowy completely conceived, designed

Snowy Sabel, 11, and her giant Morgan horse float.

and drove this project. She worked on every part of the process. She did get help from her dad, Joeseph Sabel, with

some hard-to-reach things and when using the table saw, and as an extra pair of hands for holding things up. Both of her par-

ents and a friendly neighbor helped to ‘drive’ the horse down the hill between two cars down the hill to school.” A

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HomeCareAssistance.com 148 Hawthorne Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 May 28, 2014 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 11

N E W S

Buckheit lawsuit saga appears to be over By Renee Batti Almanac News Editor

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May 20 federal appeals court decision is likely to close the door on the four-and-a-half-year fight involving an Atherton resident’s lawsuit against the town of Atherton, three of its officers, and the county over the resident’s 2008 arrest. The ruling overturns a 2013 federal court decision that Jon Buckheit must pay San Mateo County $145,434 in attorney fees because his claims against the county in his 2009 lawsuit were frivolous. A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Count of Appeals found otherwise: “We conclude that the connection between Buckheit’s claims and the County is ‘tenuous, but not frivolous’,� the judges wrote. Mr. Buckheit’s lawsuit stemmed from his October 2008 arrest after he called Atherton police out to his home, reporting that he had been the victim of domestic violence by his then-girlfriend. Although he was taken into custody and prohibited from returning to his home for several days, he

was never charged, and later was granted a declaration of factual innocence in San Mateo County Superior Court. In including the county in his lawsuit, Mr. Buckheit alleged that the town and county had entered into an agreement in which the county would create what he believed to be a discriminatory policy on dealing with domestic violence accusations. He also alleged that the county conspired with the town to retaliate against him after he petitioned the court for a determination of factual innocence. The retaliation involved refusing to provide a copy of the police report on the incident, he said. The lawsuit was dismissed by Federal Court Judge Joseph Spero in April 2012, and the judge granted the county’s petition for attorney fees. Mr. Buckheit filed an appeal challenging the fee ruling as well as Judge Spero’s rejection of his claim that the county violated his First Amendment rights by withholding a copy of the police report. The appeals court judges wrote that they could see “no evidence that the County’s district attorney had a copy of the

police report when Buckheit requested it from him. Nor is there evidence that the County’s actions were motivated by retaliatory intent. Indeed, there is evidence to the contrary — that the County tried to help Buckheit get a copy of his police report but could not persuade the Town of Atherton to produce it.� But the judges sided with Mr. Buckheit on the fee issue, noting that at issue was a civil rights claim, and that a civil rights defendant (in this case, the county) may be granted attorney fees “only where the action brought is found to be unreasonable, frivolous, meritless or vexatious.� Although N BR IEFS

Summer reading From June 9 to Aug. 9, Menlo Park will run a summer reading program for the “over 18� set. Go to menlopark.org/543/ Adults to sign up online or drop by the library at 800 Alma St. Once registered, participants get bingo cards with squares listing activities such as “turn in three book reviews� and “down-

they agreed with the county that Mr. Buckheit’s claims were “extremely weak,� they disagreed that there was “no legal or factual basis� for them, they wrote. “The County acknowledged at oral argument that it had a role in the formation of the domestic violence policy followed by the officers who arrested Buckheit,� the ruling said. “A challenge to that policy’s provisions, as interpreted by the arresting officers, impelled Buckheit’s suit.� The judges also noted that awarding fees to defendants who prevail in a civil rights lawsuit could discourage people from filing such lawsuits, which could undercut “the efforts of Conload and read an e-book� to complete. A finished card may be exchanged for a free book, a beverage at Cafe Zoe and a raffle ticket for other prizes.

Pride celebration San Mateo County will host its second annual Pride Celebration on June 14. The free event will feature music, entertainment and informational presentations on youth advocacy in

gress to promote the vigorous enforcement of the civil rights laws,� they wrote. Brian Wong, deputy county counsel, said county officials had sought attorney fees because “we take the taxpayers’ resources seriously,� but the county “is unlikely to appeal the decision.� While pleased with the judges’ ruling on fees, Mr. Buckheit said he continues to believe the county retaliated against him in not producing the police report. County officials “wanted to punish someone who challenged the system ... and they wanted to discourage anyone else from doing it,� he said. Unless the county appeals the decision, he said, the years-long saga is over. “Not in my memory, but legally speaking.� A

schools, coming out, spirituality and support groups for those of diverse sexualities. “It’s important for the community to know that we are here for everyone� and that a wide range of county services are available, said Susan Takalo, Pride Initiative co-chair. Held at San Mateo Central Park, located at 50 East 5th Ave. in San Mateo, the event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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C O V E R

S T O R Y

There’s a better way Photo by Michelle Le

Menlo Park couple find ways to improve life in Nepal

By Barbara Wood

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Photo by David Sowerwine

16 N The Almanac N TheAlmanacOnline.com N May 28, 2014

Top: VillageTech Solutions founders Haydi and David Sowerwine work in their Menlo Park garage on the Looma project, designed to bring computer technology to classrooms that may lack a reliable source of electricity, much less an Internet connection. Above and left: VillageTech Solutions has provided wire bridges to span rivers in Nepal, and make it far easier for villagers to get to work and school.

Photo by David Sowerwine

avid and Haydi Sowerwine returned to Menlo Park from 14 years in Nepal nearly a decade ago, but working to make better living conditions for residents of Nepal and other developing nations is still central to their lives. The Sowerwines are the founders of a nonprofit called VillageTech Solutions that has provided riverspanning wire bridges and worked out a way to bring lighting to rural Nepal and Myanmar. VillageTech currently has two new projects. One will provide many of the educational resources of the Internet to village schools at low cost, even if they lack Internet access. The second will remove from well water most of the arsenic that is slowly poisoning many villagers. The nonprofit, in the tradition of many Silicon Valley start-ups, is run out of the Sowerwines’ garage. This summer that garage will be crowded, as VillageTech hosts its third annual summer camp with as many as 15 high school and college volunteers from all over the country who will work on the two current projects. By the end of the summer, the Sowerwines hope to be far enough along to look for manufacturers. VillageTech is run almost completely by volunteers, led by the Sowerwines and two more unpaid staff members: board chair Skip Stritter, who is also from Menlo Park, and Maria Calica, who is working for them in Nepal. Students, most from engineering schools around the country, but

On the cover: David and Haydi Sowerwine and their VillageTech Solutions nonprofit have provided riverspanning wire bridges, such as this one over the Trishuli River in Nepal.

C O V E R

Photo by Michelle Le

also local high school students, help with the engineering work. Mr. Sowerwine has been interested in international development since his days as a Stanford undergraduate in chemical engineering. That education “qualified me to get the best job in the world,” he says. He worked for Esso (now Exxon) in Southeast Asia and traveled the world, including to India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines. When he later attended the Stanford Business School, he says, “I think I had more international experience than the professors.” After receiving his MBA in 1972, he went to work for Dole Food Company in Central and South America, and eventually ended up in Nepal working to help the country start new agribusinesses. He and Haydi, an early employee of the product-design firm IDEO, married, the second time for each of them, in 1979 and raised their blended family of five children in Menlo Park. Haydi left IDEO when she went to Nepal with her husband in 1991. When the original assignment in Nepal ended, David and Haydi, who by then had no children living at home, decided to stay “to try to see what we could do that was useful,” Mr. Sowerwine says. “The house was empty and we were adventuresome.” They looked at Thailand, Cambodia and

VillageTech Solutions founder David Sowerwine gives Stanford interns a tour of his home, where they work on projects to bring technology to remote villages, such as wire bridges (below right) in Nepal.

Photo by David Sowerwine

Laos as well as Nepal. “Laos at that time was very interesting,” Mr. Sowerwine says, but it was as much as 30 degrees hotter than Kathmandu, so they stayed in Nepal, from 1991 to 2005. “You couldn’t walk 100 feet down the street without seeing something and saying, I wonder if there’s a better solution,” he says. After a few false starts they found one of those better solutions — how to cross bridgeless rivers that at times left villages completely isolated, unable to get to school or work without walking for hours or even days, during monsoon season. The Sowerwines started a company called EcoSystems Nepal in 1996, and helped villagers build a Continued on next page

Photo by Michelle Le

Above: The inside of the Looma, a device that brings computer technology to remote villages. Right: VillageTech Solutions co-founder David Sowerwine, right, and technical director Skip Stritter work on the Looma project.

S T O R Y

May 28, 2014 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 17

C O V E R

Continued from previous page

total of 38 wire bridges using a human-powered carriage system on wire cables. One of their bridges spans 419 feet and saves villagers a two-day walk. They hope to replicate that success with their two current projects.

Education

when rivers became too polluted to provide drinking water and villages began relying on wells and groundwater, which is often contaminated with invisible and odor-free dissolved arsenic. SafaPani, which means “clean water” in Nepali, is designed to cut arsenic levels, which are often as high as 200 ppb (parts per billion), to below the World Health Organization’s suggested limit of 10 ppb. The simple system uses three buckets and electrolysis. In the first bucket, an electric current runs though water between two iron electrodes, leaving iron ions in the water that attract the arsenic and cause it to return to solid form. The water is then released to a second bucket and filtered through clean sand, leaving the arsenic behind. Clean drinking water then runs into the third bucket.

Photo by David Sowerwine

The education project is called Looma and is designed to bring the benefits of modern-day computer technology to classrooms that may lack even a reliable source of electricity, much less an Internet connection. “That’s what Looma is all about,” says Skip Stritter. “It’s one box, it’s a projector, it’s a computer, and an audio system, and will connect to the Internet if there is an Internet.” The Looma can run off a motorcycle battery, so works even where there is no power system. The Looma has a 32-gigabyte flash memory card, the same as those used in cameras and phones, preloaded with books, games, videos, workbooks and other media content found on the Internet. It projects an image onto a wall, and is designed to be easy to figure out even for computer novices. It is directed using a remote control made by modifying Wii game system wands, and has a simple Web browser for schools with Internet access.

S T O R Y

A

Above: A teacher in Nepal tries out the Looma device, projecting an image on the wall. Left: David Sowerwine and Skip Stritter work on the Looma project at the Sowerwine home in Menlo Park. Below: David Sowerwine, right, and Stanford interns listen to Melisa Tokmak’s ideas on electrical supply options for the Looma project.

N L EA RN MO RE Visit VillageTechSolutions.org for more information about this enterprise and its programs.

Clean water

Photo by Michelle Le

“Particularly a big problem in the plains below the Himalayas is arsenic in the water supply,” says Mr. Stritter. “It’s poisoning tens of millions of people.” The problem grew, he says,

Photo by Michelle Le

18 N The Almanac N TheAlmanacOnline.com N May 28, 2014

■ Volunteer: VillageTech needs volunteers, from high school age and up, with interest in the following areas: electrical engineering (printed circuit board design), manufacturing (electronics and plastics, especially in Asia), software (JavaScript and Linux drivers), curriculum development (to help determine the content for the Looma), grant-writing and fundraising (for adopt-a-school and adopt-a-bridge programs) and video production (for videos to post on the Looma). Volunteers who can make at least a three-month commitment can represent the organization in Nepal. Volunteers are also needed to serve as host families for summer camp students, starting in early June. ■ Donate: In addition to seeking major “angel” investors who might help fund the completion of VillageTech’s current projects, the nonprofit seeks donations to meet expenses for summer camp, to provide airfare and support for overseas volunteers, and to buy materials and supplies. Contributions may be made to: VillageTech Solutions/ISI, 999 Olive St., Menlo Park, CA 94025; or online at villagetechsolutions.org.

N E W S

Judge tosses Woodell suit over evidence destruction

7

By Sandy Brundage

related expenses, only a small Almanac Staff Writer portion of which would be recoverable without filing a ohn Woodell’s defamation lawsuit against Mr. Woodell for lawsuit against two Menlo malicious prosecution. Park fire board directors has “At a time when the courts been dismissed on grounds that are filled with people struggling he deliberately deleted cellphone to survive and seeking justice data. in serious cases, Mr. Woodell The lawsuit, filed nearly two wasted a tremendous amount years ago, related to an uprooted of court and litigant time after Virginia Chang Kiraly campaign painting himself as the victim sign during the 2011 Menlo Park in this imaginary dispute. The Fire Protection District board real victims here are Ms. Kiraly, election. Chuck Bernstein said whose sign was tampered with, he’d found the sign in his yard Mr. Bernstein, whose property lying next to a cellphone that was trespassed upon, and the turned out to belong to Mr. taxpayers, whose resources were Woodell. usurped by a baseless lawsuit,� Mr. Woodell, who is married Ms. Dhillon said, adding that to Menlo Park Councilwoman she hopes the suit doesn’t disKirsten Keith, alleged that the courage people from exercising defendants spread rumors that free speech and participating he’d vandalized that sign and fully in elections. others, and denied that he was Mr. Bernstein, who repreresponsible. sented himself through most of Given that the cellphone is a the proceedings, said the ruling key piece of evidence in the case, to dismiss the lawsuit was very Ms. Kiraly filed a motion in good news, but that there was April asking the court to dismiss nothing to celebrate. the lawsuit on grounds that Mr. “No one ‘won’ anything, but Woodell destroyed evidence by all of us — including uninvolved deleting the contents of his cell- taxpayers — lost something. phone before Though the they were able case resulted in to thoroughly grief and injuCourt: Wiping examine it. ry to me, I still cellphone data was San Mateo feel badly for County Superi‘patently unjust.’ my neighbor, or Court Judge John Woodell Lisa Novak and, indirectly, issued her final ruling on the his family. I sincerely hope he matter on Thursday after hear- will continue to contribute his ing arguments earlier in the time and skills to our commuweek as to why the case should nity.� not be thrown out. Mr. Bernstein said that he “Forcing the Defendants to had told the truth about every continue to defend an action aspect of the case and thought for which they have been denied the judge’s ruling strongly suppotentially exculpatory evidence ported the defendants’ position. by the willful destruction by “Nevertheless, I was surprised the Plaintiff is patently unjust,� before, when the case was filed, Judge Novak wrote. so I don’t want to assume that “The Court cannot ignore the there will not be an appeal.� destruction of evidence, includMr. Woodell’s counsel, Seth ing in anticipation of litigation, Rosenberg, had argued in court particularly when the probative that the phone was wiped in value of that evidence is so heav- accordance with Google’s ily connected to the ultimate employee exit policy and also ability of the Defense to seek and because it was malfunctioning. receive a fair trial.� He told the Almanac that all Far from being the “unso- options will be considered in phisticated phone user� as his light of the dismissal. “We do attorney claimed, the judge said not believe that Mr. Woodell a review of the evidence proved ever attempted to do anything that Mr. Woodell was anything improper and, at most, lesser but, given his former position at sanctions should have been Google. In addition, the plaintiff granted.� had given different explanations A few issues remain to be as to why the phone had been decided by the court, including wiped under penalty of perjury. a settlement agreement between Both parties have paid a heavy Mr. Woodell and Ms. Kiraly price in both public opinion in the defamation countersuit and legal costs. According to she filed against him, and his Harmeet Dhillon, who repre- request to file certain docusents Ms. Kiraly, her client has spent more than $230,000 on See WOODELL, page 20

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May 28, 2014 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 19

N E W S

Council: No interest in outsourcing cops

N PO LI C E C A L L S This information is from the Menlo Park Police Department. Under the law, people charged with offenses are considered innocent unless convicted. Police received the reports on the dates shown. MENLO PARK Commercial burglary report: A Menlo Park man was arrested on suspicion of burglary of Draeger’s Supermarket. The

man allegedly picked out two bottles of tequila, left the store without paying for them, and fled on a bike after contact with someone from store security. Police found the man, recovered the tequila, and booked the suspect into San Mateo County jail. May 21. Theft report: Someone stole a bicycle that had been locked to a bike rack in the garage area at a Sharon Park Drive apartment complex. May 20.

PV considers plans for Redberry Ridge Further thawing may be ahead for development of 18 Redberry Ridge in Portola Valley when the Town Council meets Wednesday, May 28. In recognition of progress by property owner David Douglass toward landscape remediation following the un-permitted felling of 18 large trees in the winter of 2013, the council will consider authorizing building permits. Deliberations will include approvals already issued by the Architectural and Site Control Commission and the Planning Commission. The council meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the

Historic Schoolhouse. In resolving the clear-cutting incident, an April 2013 agreement with Mr. Douglass included a $75,000 fine and another $150,345 to cover costs of replanting and maintenance over the following five years, officials said at the time. Remediation was unsuccessful with three madrones, perhaps due to the drought, but 13 native oak trees were reported to be growing vigorously in January 2014, when the council voted unanimously to allow Mr. Douglass to submit plans to the ASCC.

By Barbara Wood Special to the Almanac

A

therton City Council members began their review of the town’s 201415 budget at their May 21 meeting by making it clear there is one project in the budget report they have absolutely no interest in — a study of outsourcing the town’s police services. While the council didn’t vote on a study of outsourcing, they did discuss it as part of preliminary budget considerations. In his budget report, City Manager George Rodericks wrote that while there seems to be strong support of the town’s current independent police department, “if the Council were interested in evaluating the possibility of a turn-key alternative service delivery model,� such as hiring the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office to do Atherton’s policing, the town WOODELL continued from page 19

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ments under seal. At least one person who was subpoenaed to testify at trial

might hire “an independent 3rd party consultant to evaluate the pros and cons of such a model.� No thanks, council members said. “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the residents in this town will not support an outsourcing option,� said Councilman Rick DeGolia. With the town in good financial shape, “I see absolutely no reason to waste our economic and time resources� on researching outsourcing, he said. The three other council members agreed. For the second consecutive year, Atherton has a positive financial outlook, with a small budget surplus. The surplus exists even though City Manager Rodericks has pulled two sources of revenue out of the general fund and wants them available only for capital improvements or paying down long-term liabilities. One of those resources is the

town’s parcel tax, which produces $1.8 million a year. In the past, 60 percent of that money has gone into the general fund to support police services; but this year Mr. Rodericks is suggesting that only 20 percent, $350,000, go specifically to pay for police services, to hire two additional officers. The other pulled resource is state funding from the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF), which Mr. Rodericks says could be reduced or eliminated at any time by state lawmakers. Last year Atherton received nearly $1 million from this fund, and this year has budgeted $700,000. The budget discussions will continue at a study session on Wednesday, June 4, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the Council Chambers at94 Ashfield Road, in the Town Center. Go to tinyurl.com/Ath-21 to see the budget report.

shared the defendants’ relief that the ordeal may be over. Brielle Johnck, who endorsed Ms. Kiraly during the fire board election, said she hoped Mr. Woodell and his wife now

find closure. “Menlo Park residents deserve a rest from this embarrassing episode that started with a lawn sign and ended with a grave dismissal with prejudice.�

A

A

PLEASE JOIN US Vote Yes on A A to Preserve Our Area’s Unique Natural Beauty for Future Generations to Enjoy

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May 28, 2014 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 21

C O M M U N I T Y

Three soar to Eagle Scout rank in Portola Valley Submitted by Elianne Frenkel-Popell. Portola Valley Troop 64 held a Court of Honor recently to recognize three new Eagle Scouts: Theodore “Teshie” Bronk, Lucas Harris and Wesley Holthous. One of the final requirements to becoming an Eagle Scout is to lead other scouts in a service project. In total, the three Eagle projects required more than 460 hours of volunteer time. Here is information about the new Eagle Scouts: ■ Teshie Bronk, a freshman at Menlo School, led a dozen scouts in rebuilding a garden shed at Ronald McDonald House. They repaired the flooring, built shelves, sanded and painted walls, and finished it off by building a new planter box. ■ Lucas Harris, an eighthgrader at Woodside Priory School, focused on helping children at Haven House Family Shelter. He involved

27 other volunteers in his multi-stage project. After assembling and distributing 30 new bikes, he organized a bicycle safety evening. Then, he designed and created a half court basketball court, and followed that up with a sports equipment collection drive and an evening when the children could learn basketball skills. ■ Wesley Holthous , a ninth-grader at Menlo-Atherton High School, discovered that Restore (Habitat for Humanity’s nonprofit home improvement store in San Carlos) had a problem trying to properly display cook tops. After designing a solution, he recruited over a dozen others to help him build special display shelves for the store. At the end of the ceremony, when the scouts have an opportunity to recognize someone who helped mentor them, all three chose to honor their scoutmaster, Kirt Williams.

Troop 64’s newest Eagle Scouts, from left, Lucas Harris, Theodore “Teshie” Bronk and Wesley Holthous.

Photo by Dr. Phil Lee, Troop 109 scoutmaster

New Eagle Scouts are, from left, Shaan Chilukuri, Alex Pinto, Alexander Hudson and Kendall Lee.

Four reach Eagle Scout status Submitted by Cecilia Pinto, parent of a scout. Four scouts with Menlo Park Boy Scouts of America Troop 109 recently achieved Eagle Scout ranks. The scouts, who each earned at least 21 merit badges, acquired leadership and outdoor skills, and completed independent service projects, are: ■ Shaan Chilukuri, 17, a junior at Menlo-Atherton High School, started scouting in eighth grade but caught up to his peers, earning 25 merit badges and holding five consecutive troop leadership positions. While volunteering at Abilities United, he recognized that the center needed a place to store outdoor materials and decided to raise money for and build a tool shed as his Eagle Project. Abilities United is a recreational and educational center for mentally and physically challenged people. Shaan plays clarinet in the M-A Advanced Concert Band and is on the school’s tennis team. He takes part in the nonprofit organization Amigos de las Americas, which sends Spanish-speaking high school students to Latin America over the summer to work with local

rural communities on service projects. ■ Alexander Hudson, 17, a junior at Everest Public High School in Redwood City, has been active in scouting since the second grade. He is currently junior assistant scoutmaster in Troop 109. Alexander’s Eagle Project is entitled “A Platform Stage and Podium for Everest Public High School.” His school did not have a stage for assemblies. Alexander assessed the need for speakers to be more visible and have their voices project to the back of the audience. He designed a raised speaker platform and podium, got much of the wood donated, raised money for other materials, and organized volunteers to build them for his school. He will be applying to college in the fall to study environmental science, a passion nurtured during his scouting experiences. ■ Kendall Lee, 17, is a junior at Menlo-Atherton High School and has been active in scouting since the second grade. Kendall realized there were no readily available resources for kids to learn about being in the hospital, so for his Eagle Project, he organized a group of scouts, patients, doctors, and friends to develop a program

called “Kids Embracing Life,” an informational resource for teens with the goal of helping them feel more comfortable about their hospital experience (www.kidsembracinglife.org). Kendall is currently junior assistant scoutmaster in Troop 109. He plays tenor saxophone in the M-A Advanced Jazz Band and pit orchestra, works as a lighting designer at both the M-A Performing Arts Center and the student-run Grab Bag Theater, and runs a small web-design business. ■ Alex Pinto, 16, a sophomore at Menlo-Atherton High School, has been active in scouting since the fifth grade and has earned 29 merit badges. His Eagle Project, “Squirrel Boxes”, involved raising money for materials and leading scouts in constructing 30 nest boxes for the SPCA in Burlingame. The boxes either housed injured or abandoned squirrels at the Burlingame facility, or were used to transport and reintroduce the squirrels back into the wild. Alex is interested in math and science. Troop 109 meets in the Hillview Middle School Library in Menlo Park. Go to mptroop109.com for more information.

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May 28, 2014 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 23

C O M M U N I T Y

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Record-setting athletes and their coach, from left, Jim Turner, coach Dan Smith, and MaryAnn Levenson. YOUR 24/7 HOME CARE SPECIALIST

Menlo Park residents set national cycling records By Jim Turner Two Menlo Park residents, masters athletes MaryAnn Levenson and Jim Turner, recently set three national cycling records at the Hellyer velodrome in San Jose. National and world cycling records for masters athletes are maintained in 5-year age groups. Levenson set a national record in the women’s 55-59 age group for the “hour� competition (how far you can ride a track bike in one hour in a velodrome). Turner set national records in the men’s 75-79 age group for the 2-kilometer individual pursuit and for the “hour.� Levenson rode 38,122 meters in an hour and Turner rode 35,062 meters.

The 2-kilometer pursuit is a timed event to see how quickly one can ride two kilometers (six laps at the Hellyer velodrome). Turner finished in 2:58.275. Track bikes are single-speed, fixed-gear bikes with no brakes. The velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Both Levenson and Turner are coached by Menlo Park resident Dan Smith, owner of SportVelo coaching. Both athletes are planning attempts at the World Hour record for their age group. The Hellyer velodrome offers classes on Saturday mornings to beginners. Rental bikes cost $5, a training session costs $5, and Hellyer Park parking is $6. After attending three Saturday morning sessions, riders are qualified to compete at the track. A

Bianchini’s partners with Instacart delivery service By Elena Kadvany Special to the Almanac

F

ans of Portola Valley’s Bianchini’s Market will now be able to get those famous stuffed-to-the-gills sandwiches (with an Andes mint on the side, of course) and all groceries delivered to their homes — within one hour. Family-owned Bianchini’s, which also operates an outpost in San Carlos, has partnered with San Francisco-based sameday-delivery service Instacart to deliver throughout the Peninsula. Kevin Bianchini, owner of Bianchini’s, said the company considered building its own

24 N The Almanac N TheAlmanacOnline.com N May 28, 2014

N BU S I NES S

delivery service at customers’ requests, but decided to partner with Instacart instead. “Building our own in-house service was certainly possible, but not easy, and might have been a distraction from our core competency, which is providing our customers with best selection of natural and organic foods,� Bianchini said in a press release. Instacart delivers for chains like Whole Foods and Safeway as well as smaller grocery stores in San Francisco, Boston, ChicaContinued on next page

C O M M U N I T Y

California Crush players and coaches.

Girls basketball team wins district title

Players and coach with the Paye’s Place 2017 girls basketball team.

Submitted by Christopher Ball, parent of a player. The California Crush, a thirdgrade girls basketball team made up of players from Menlo Park and Atherton, recently won the Pacific AAU girls basketball district championship in Reno, Nevada. The team will now represent the Northern California/ Northern Nevada District at the 2014 AAU girls basketball national tournament at the ESPN Worldwide Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, from July 2 to 5.

Led by head coach Josh Brumm, the team is an elite AAU (Amateur Athletic Union of the U.S.) basketball team. In the photo, the players and coaches are: Top Row, from left, Ava Martin, Erica Fenyo, Ava Merlino, Jayci Brumm, Delaney Ball, Natalie Westermann, Jamie Adams and Sydney Burnett; bottom row, from left, Coach Josh Brumm, Ellie Hardegree, Grace, Hoang, Annie Hopkins and Coach Adam Hopkins. Not pictured: Riley Jensen, Helena Warner and Kaia CoronaGelormini.

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Paye’s Place wins AAU district championship Submitted by Terry Erisman, parent of a player. The Paye’s Place 2017 girls basketball team won the AAU Pacific District Championship in Reno over the May 3-4 weekend. By winning, the girls qualified for the Division I AAU National Championship this summer.

N SPORTS

The team went 5-0 during the event, with a number of close games against a team from Utah and California teams from Palo Alto, Redding and Modesto. Paye’s Place has players from Menlo School, Menlo-Atherton

High School, Mercy Burlingame High School, and San Mateo High School. In the photo are players, seated, from left, De’Jeane Stine, Sam Erisman, Ilana Baer and Mimi Shen. Standing, from left, are Megan Sparrow, Ofa Sili, Sala Langi, Ani Uikilifi, and coach John Paye.

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News of college graduates The following local students recently graduated from Gonzaga University, a private Roman Catholic university in Spokane, Washington: ■ Amanda Arrington of Menlo Park, bachelor of science in nursing. ■ Erin Eichler of Redwood City, cum laude, bachelor of srts in history. ■ Paul Hardy of Portola

Valley, bachelor of science in biology. ■ Madeline Morey of Menlo Park, bachelor of arts in sociology. ■ Gregory Oremland of Portola Valley, bachelor of arts in psychology. ■ Jackson Schoebel of Woodside, bachelor of business ddministration in Business Administration.

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Serving Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, and Woodside for 47 years. EDITOR & PUBLISHER Tom Gibboney (223-6507) NEWSROOM Managing Editor Richard Hine (223-6525) News Editor Renee Batti (223-6582) Lifestyles Editor Jane Knoerle (223-6531) Staff Writers Dave Boyce (223-6527), Sandy Brundage (223-6529) Contributors Marjorie Mader, Barbara Wood, Kate Daly Special Sections Editor Carol Blitzer Photographer Michelle Le (223-6530) DESIGN & PRODUCTION Design Director Shannon Corey (223-6560) Assistant Design Director Lili Cao Designers Linda Atilano, Rosanna Leung, Paul Llewellyn, Kameron Sawyer ADVERTISING Vice President Sales and Marketing Tom Zahiralis (223-6570) Display Advertising Sales Wendy Suzuki (223-6569) Real Estate Manager Neal Fine (223-6583) Real Estate & Advertising Coordinator Diane Martin (223-6584) Legal Advertising Alicia Santillan (223-6578)

Published every Wednesday at 3525 Alameda De Las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025 Newsroom: (650) 223-6525 Newsroom Fax: (650) 223-7525 Advertising: (650) 854-2626 Advertising Fax: (650) 223-7570 Email news and photos with captions to: Editor@AlmanacNews.com Email letters to: letters@AlmanacNews.com The Almanac, established in October 1965, is delivered each week to residents of Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside and adjacent unincorporated areas of southern San Mateo County. The Almanac is qualified by decree of the Superior Court of San Mateo County to publish public notices of a governmental and legal nature, as stated in Decree No. 147530, issued December 21, 1969. ©2014 by Embarcadero Media Company. All rights reserved. Subscriptions are $60 for one year and $100 for two years.

■ WHAT’S YOUR VIEW? All views must include a home address and contact phone number. Published letters will also appear on the web site, www.TheAlmanacOnline.com, and occasionally on the Town Square forum.

Town Square forum Post your views on the Town Square forum at www.TheAlmanacOnline. com Email your views to: letters@almanacnews.com and note this it is a letter to the editor in the subject line. Mail

or deliver to: Editor at the Almanac, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

Call

the Viewpoint desk at 223-6507.

Viewpoint IDEAS, THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS

ABOUT LOCAL ISSUES FROM PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. EDITED BY TOM GIBBONEY

Council takes right step to protect privacy

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merica’s distaste for government snooping into private On the national scene, in a rare exhibition of bipartisanship just matters popped up in Menlo Park last week when the City a few days ago, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 303-121 Council voted 3-2 in favor of an ordinance governing how to restrict the National Security Agency’s widespread collection data that police collect from license plate readers and surveillance of telephone records, according to a New York Times report. cameras can be used, and how long it may be kept. Although the bill was watered down somewhat, it still sends a The Menlo Park ordinance mandates that message that wholesale eavesdropping by govlicense plate data, which will be stored in a ernment agencies no longer gets a free pass. EDI TORI AL third-party regional intelligence database, be We believe the Menlo Park ordinance sets up The opinion of The Almanac destroyed after six months unless it pertains to realistic controls that will guarantee the security an active criminal investigation or a court orders of public surveillance data collected by the police. that it be kept. Other jurisdictions typically retain the data for a We understand Chief Jonsen’s concerns that the ordinance, which year or more. The council also decided that images collected by he said no other California city has, signals a lack of trust in the surveillance cameras must be deleted after 90 days. police department. He said the Menlo Park police department “... The ordinance also draws a firm line on the data’s use by other has never given this community any reason to feel it would use the law enforcement agencies, which must agree to abide by Menlo information inappropriately.” The restrictions may also discourage Park’s regulations before being allowed access to the information. other law enforcement agencies from requesting Menlo Park’s data, They must also accept that the penalties for unauthorized use may he said, which would potentially inhibit their investigations. include criminal prosecution by the district attorney, and civil But the three council members voting in favor of the tough ordiliability. Menlo Park Police Chief Robert Jonsen opposed putting nance — Ray Mueller, Rich Cline and Kirsten Keith — said trust the stipulations in an ordinance, urging the council to instead wasn’t the problem. The real issue is creating a system of checks adopt a resolution, which functions more as a policy statement and balances that helps maintain local control of information instead of a law. He told the council that strict state and federal gathered about local residents. laws already safeguard the city’s information. Ms. Keith said the penal code has penalties for all types of crimes, Nevertheless, we believe that by taking this stand, the council is but that doesn’t mean that the council thinks everyone is going to sending a strong message that it will retain oversight of how law commit a crime. The creation of an ordinance doesn’t imply that the enforcement uses the ever-growing number of surveillance tools council expects the police officers to break the law, she explained. that some residents believe are slowly eroding personal privacy Fortunately, Menlo Park is not overrun with criminal activity. rights. Residents in nearby Portola Valley recently found out that Car theft, one of the crimes that license plate readers will combat, a license plate reader mounted on a speed sign on Alpine Road had is not an epidemic. These tools will augment the efficiency of the been in operation for nearly a week before even the Town Council police department, but that benefit must be weighed against the found out. It was installed by the sheriff’s department, which is loss of privacy that inevitably comes with it. The new ordinance under contract to provide police services to the community. strikes the right balance. A

L ET TERS Our readers write

Support AA for open space Editor: After walking through several wonderful patches of wildflowers last week in Montebello Preserve, I was struck by the notion that we are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful and surprising regions of the world. I frequently hear comments from friends who visit from out of state about what a special treasure we have. It’s easy for those of us who live here or grew up here to sometimes forget that. We’re lucky that so much of the land is open, preserved and accessible, and that the community has stepped up to do what it can to preserve the spots that deserve to be preserved. That’s why I’m supporting Measure AA. We need to act now. Once these lands are gone, they’re gone for good. Bob Dodge Linaria Way, Portola Valley

26 N The Almanac N TheAlmanacOnline.com N May 28, 2014

Portola Valley Archives

Our Regional Heritage For much of the 20th century, the Webb Ranch, the old Dennis Martin place, was adjacent to to the Burke Ranch and Ladera. Here, in this May 1921 photograph, Dan O’Leary, on the dark horse, has plenty of help restraining a calf on the ranch.

Stephanie Garratt is right choice for bench Editor: I am honored that I was able to serve my community as a judge for over 24 years, first in Municipal Court and for the past 18 years as a Superior Court judge.

As I look forward to my retirement, I am confident that Commissioner Stephanie Garratt will continue the legacy of my department. With nine years of experience on the bench as a Superior Court commissioner, she has already proven herself to be a fair, hardworking and

intelligent judicial officer, who will be a tremendous asset as a Superior Court judge. A dedicated public servant, Stephanie Garratt has earned your vote. Judge Craig L. Parsons San Mateo County Superior Court

The Woodside School Foundation thanks our generous

for supporting public education in the Woodside K-8 district.

Magnussen’s Lexus QWCooper Sequoia Benefits Susie Fox Jewelry

ABD Insurance & Financial Services Ace Relocation Systems, Inc. Arcanum Architecture, Inc. Emily Joubert Freestyle Investors Lisa Rissetto, G. Hensler & Co. NanoDimension ProInsurance Roberts Market

Angela Cardinal Education Fiat of Burlingame Kelly-Moore Paint Company Legacy Silicon Valley Mary & Brent Gullixson, Alain Pinel Realtors Putnam Subaru Scott Kaloust, DDS, MS Village Square Veterinary Hospital W. L. Butler Construction

Mary Lynn Moran, M.D.

Please join us in supporting these fine businesses.

May 28, 2014 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 27

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#1 Agent, Woodside/Portola Valley Offices, 2013 #3 Agent, Internationally, 2012 Ranked #35 Nationally by The Wall Street Journal, 2013

28 N The Almanac N TheAlmanacOnline.com N May 28, 2014

Scott Dancer 650.888.8199 scott@scottdancer.com CalBRE# 00868362 2969 Woodside Road Woodside, CA 94062

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