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Hospital board imposes new contract on nurses SPLIT DECISION ENDING TALKS DRAWS THE IRE OF EL CAMINO HOSPITAL’S NURSES’ UNION By Nick Veronin
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Alex Cabrera, 11, right, sings with Jesus Magaña, 12, left, and Diana Bautista, 11, back, at Willow Oaks Elementary School in Menlo Park.
Elementary School Musical LOCAL TEEN HELPS WILLOW OAKS STUDENTS SING THEIR HEARTS OUT By Sandy Brundage Almanac Staff Writer
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ountain View High School senior Dani Grant set herself a tall challenge this summer: Take a group of fifth- through eighthgraders at Willow Oaks Elementary in Menlo Park who had
never performed in a musical, and turn their cacophony into melody — with no props, no sets, no costumes, and zero funding. “What It Means To Be A Friend” She started by choosing a story. “13 the Musical” follows “Evan,” a 12-year-old boy
forced to move to New York in the wake of his parents’ divorce. With an upcoming bar mitzvah, he decides the only way to throw a successful party in a town where no one knows his name is to convince the cool kids to come, even if that hurts the feelings of the See MUSICAL, page 12
and made incredulous expressions as hospital administrators explained why they felt the changes and cuts were needed.
l Camino Hospital nurses are unhappy with a new contract imposed by the board of directors. In a divided Fewer patients decision, the board unilaterKen Graham, CEO of El ally approved a new contract Camino, said that lower reimbetween the healthcare organi- bursement rates due to healthzation and its nurses union. care reform and falling patient The “last, best and final volumes due to the recession offer,” hospital officials said, forced the hospital to make the was a necessary money-saving cuts. He stood by his recommeasure in difficult times; it mendation that board approve was uniformly opposed by the the new contract. “We do not nurses union and called “unfair, believe this will be perceived as unnecessary” and disrespectful anything but responsible by the by a nurse who addressed the community,” board. Graham said. The motion Charto approve ‘None of us want to be lene Glinieki, the contract a registered carried with where we are today.’ nurse and a 3-2 vote. BOARD MEMBER DAVID REEDER chief people Board memofficer for the bers Patricia hospital, said A. Einarson she sympathizes with the views and Uwe R. Kladde opposed of the union, but agreed with the motion, while Wesley F. Graham. Alles, David Reeder and John L. “Obviously we would prefer Zoglin voted in favor. not to need to implement these Upon passage of the motion, changes,” Glinieki said. Howa murmur of discontent rippled ever, she added, in order to meet through the crowd of about the financial challenges the hos50 nurses who had gathered to pital is facing, “these changes demonstrate the union’s opposi- are necessary.” tion to the offer. Pat Briggs, president of the “It’s a joke,” one nurse said hospital’s nurses union, Profesto colleagues as she walked out sional Resource for Nurses, told of the meeting room. Nurses the board that she feels that a are unhappy with changes to better contract could be drafted, their benefits package and say if only the hospital would give that the compensation structure the nurses bargaining unit more outlined in the new contract is time. inadequate. “We want one more chance to During the meeting, many See NURSES, page 14 nurses whispered disapproval
Neighbors crank up the debate over McKelvey Park By Daniel DeBolt
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hat should be done with the city’s longest running youth baseball fields at McKelvey Park? That’s under scrutiny by a group of neighbors who want one or both baseball fields removed altogether in favor of a neighborhood-focused park. The Santa Clara Valley Water District’s latest design for McKelvey, which would be rebuilt as a 15-foot-deep flood basin, will be the topic of a meeting scheduled Thursday, Nov. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers. Some neighbors are loudly questioning the need for McKelvey’s two baseball fields, which have taken up the entire park for at least 50 years. A group of
neighbors are feeling snubbed by the city for not allowing the neighborhood to lead the redesign of McKelvey as other neighborhoods have been allowed for their neighborhood mini-parks. “That’s exactly why were presenting this concept to them Thursday,” said Public Works Director Mike Fuller of the latest design. “McKelvey is different than a traditional mini-park. A traditional mini park is not displacing other uses. That’s why McKelvey is a little more difficult.” The latest design includes a concession to neighbors, a .7-acre mini-park and playground area. It fits next to the two baseball fields — a concept the council supported in March. But Fuller said
One of two options for McKelvey Park proposed by the Water District includes a mini-park shown at the top left corner. COURTESY IMAGE
See MCKELVEY, page 10 NOVEMBER 19, 2010 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■
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