Comfort by the bowlful WEEKEND | P.14
MARCH 30, 2012 VOLUME 20, NO. 10
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INSIDE: MOVIES | PAGE 17
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No end to schools’ battle over space By Nick Veronin
and the Los Altos School District are no closer to reaching a facilities nother court ruling has sharing agreement, and that the two been handed down in the organizations hold divergent interyears-long battle over class- pretations of the term “contiguous” room space between Bullis Charter as it is defined by California law. School and the Los Altos School The school district continues to District. Yet, despite the latest propose space-sharing arrangejudicial order, and even with pro- ments with Bullis that would have fessional mediation between the the charter split between two two parties conLASD campuses, tinuing, neither the and officials from Judge’s ruling Bullis continue to charter school nor the school district those prosupports Bullis reject appear to be anyposals as illegal — where near a comnoting in the press promise. release, “According Superior Court Judge Patricia to Proposition 39 (California’s Lucas ruled in favor of Bullis on charter school law) facilities must March 23, issuing an order declar- be contiguous,” meaning that the ing that LASD “violated Proposition school must be located on one cam39 and its regulations...” by (among pus or an adjacent site. other things) housing Bullis stuIn the most recent facilities-shardents on a temporary campus with ing plan, passed unanimously by significantly less student space the LASD board on March 26, the than at comparison group schools, school district proposes splitting according to a press release put out the charter between Egan Junior by the charter school. High School and Blach IntermeIn other words, the judge found diate School. The district board that the district did not give Bullis voted 5-0 in favor of the plan, which adequate space, compared with proposes putting the charter’s kinother district schools of a similar dergarten through sixth-graders at size. Egan and the remaining seventhHowever, in the wake of the rulSee BULLIS, page 7 ing, it remains clear that the charter
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MICHELLE LE
Steve Nelson, standing outside the Mountain View Whisman district office, is asking the courts to step in on a dispute over school bond measure language.
District bond measure challenged By Nick Veronin
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politically active local man has gone to court to force the Mountain View Whisman School District to remove “misleading” language from literature in support of Measure G — a bond measure the district plans to place on the June 5 ballot. On March 19, Steven Nelson filed a petition with the civil division of the Superior Court aimed at forcing the elementary and middle school district
to change the wording, which was to appear in county-issued voter guides under the pro-Measure G argument. That bond measure — recently approved by the district’s board of trustees — will ask voters to pass a $198 million school bond to pay for various improvements to local educational facilities. The district-drafted argument in favor of Measure G, submitted to the county’s registrar of voters, states See NELSON, page 7
Cash mob pumps bucks into Ava’s market By Daniel DeBolt
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va’s Downtown Market and Deli saw a spike in business last weekend when it was visited by an organized “Cash Mob” which socialized and spent money in the store. Owners Ann and Juan Origel say they saw a 20 percent increase in business on Saturday during “International Cash Mob Day,” a variation on the flash mob phenomenon designed to bring attention and revenue to deserving mom-and-
INSIDE
pop businesses. The store’s gradual transformation from a mostly Asian market has been impinged by a lack of funds for many improvements, including a $300,000 refrigeration system and a deli-counter to bring in lunchtime traffic. While the event didn’t produce a tidal wave of money, Juan Origel said he hoped the support would help raise awareness about the store and its improvements. “What a phenomenal community,” he said after Saturday’s event.
“It motivates me to keep going, really.” The event was organized by resident Marn-Yee Lee who read about the grocery store in the Voice. Reflecting on the event, organizer Lee said, “I found meeting other members of the community while shopping there on Saturday was a reward in itself. It makes Mountain View feel more like home, like a small, tight-knit community, a less anonymous place.” See CASH MOB, page 6
GOINGS ON 19 | MARKETPLACE 30 | REAL ESTATE 32 | VIEWPOINT 12
DANIEL DEBOLT
Carter Coleman chats with Angela Gonzalez at the “cash mob” at Ava’s Downtown Market and Deli on Saturday.
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A Sunnyvale man was arrested and accused of breaking a bottle of tequila over another man’s head in a fight outside the Shop ‘n Save liquor store in Mountain View over the weekend, police said. According to Liz Wylie, public information officer for the Mountain View Police Department, the fight started shortly after 9:30 p.m. outside the Shop ‘n Save, located at 779 Evelyn Ave. When a 19-year-old Sunnyvale man and his friends left the store, group of five men standing outside started a fight with them, Wylie said. One began punching the 19-yearold, and the others jumped in. At some point, Wylie said, police believe Edwin Figueroa, 24, from Sunnyvale, hit the 19-year-old in the head with a tequila bottle, causing “a very large, deep laceration to his head.” The victim was dazed, but not knocked out, Wylie said. The group then allegedly stole the 19-year-old’s baseball hat and fled in a white Honda, Wylie said. A witness took down the Honda’s license plate number. Mountain View and Sunnyvale police tracked down Figeuroa and
another man they believe to be involved in the fight, locating them in the 100 block of Bernardo Avenue in Sunnyvale. The victim’s hat was recovered inside the Honda and Figeuroa and Gerson Landaverde, 26, of Mountain View, were both arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and robbery, Wylie said. The other men involved in the fight are still being sought by police.
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■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ MARCH 30, 2012
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The Mountain View Voice (USPS 2560) is published every Friday by Embarcadero Media, 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto CA 94306 (650) 964-6300. Periodicals Postage Paid at Palo Alto CA and additional mailing offices. The Mountain View Voice is mailed free upon request to homes and apartments in Mountain View. Subscription rate of $60 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mountain View Voice, 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306.
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■ CITY COUNCIL UPDATES ■ COMMUNITY ■ FEATURES
District studies the value of A’s and B’s
MV Woman wins top honor in athletic training By Nick Veronin
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Mountain View native is being honored for her significant contributions to her profession — football trainer. Sally Nogle, a Springer, Covington and Awalt alumna, and the first female athletic trainer for a Big Ten football team, will be Sally Nogle recognized this summer for excellence in her field when she is inducted into the mostly male National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. On June 19, at a ceremony in St. Louis, Nogle will become only the 12th woman admitted to the prestigious body. “I’m very honored,” Nogle said. “I’m humbled.” Nogle graduated from Awalt High School (now Mountain View High School) in 1975. Her father, Jackson Eaves, said that Nogle was always interested in sports as a youth. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Diego State University. When she began her college career she was interested in going into the medical field. There wasn’t an athletic training program back then, but she became interested in the specialty field and gained experience through internships with other women athletic trainers. Nogle moved to Michigan in 1983, finding work in the Michigan State athletics program — quickly gaining the trust of the school’s football coach, George Perles. Though Perles, who had come from the Pittsburgh Steelers professional football organization, was skeptical about the wisdom having a female athletic trainer on his staff, she said he quickly warmed to her. “He was resistant at first,” Nogle said. “But he saw my value once he got to know me a little bit.” Nogle hopes she can be an inspiration to other women in her field. She said that as she was coming up in her profession she was often told that she would be See NOGLE, page 9
HIGH SCHOOLS MAY CHANGE THE WAY TEACHERS GIVE GRADES By Nick Veronin
M
COURTESY MARTI WRIGHT
WHAT’S COOKING? The bakery is bustling at “Landelsburg,” the annual reenactment of Colonial Williamsburg put on by the fifth-grade class at Landels Elementary School last week. At the counter, from left, are students Silvia Cortez, Melissa Martinez, Ta’Shona Sapp, Baylie Bofenkamp and Maria Fernandez.
A civil discussion on immigration CROWD HEARS PROS, CONS OF CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC AT ROUNTABLE By Daniel DeBolt
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n event designed to add some civility back into the debate on illegal immigration did just that last week, bringing people with various points of view together in Mountain View for a discussion that was heated at times but ended with opponents shaking hands. Residents packed the Senior Center ballroom March 22 for a Civility Roundtable discussion even better attended than the first, with 120 people signing in, said Ken Rosenberg, who organized the event along with several other members of the city’s Human Relations Commission. Residents eventually broke out into groups to talk, but the event began with a 40-minute “active demonstration of civility” with five speakers, including Jose Antonio Vargas, the former Mountain View High School student and PulitzerPrize winner who revealed his story of being an undocumented immigrant in The New York Times magazine nine months ago. “This Vargas miscreant is a shining example of how vile, lawless and corrupt the Obama regime has become,” said Rosenberg, as
he read some quotes from the Voice online Town Square forum, where, like most newspaper websites, immigration is a hot topic. “This creep should have been on a plane headed for Manila the day he revealed his status.” The posts represented the low watermark in terms of language that organizers hoped to stay well above.
‘I believe there are legal laws and moral laws.’ MARIA MARROQUIN
Rosenberg read another post about the event: “What is there to discuss? Don’t we all know that violation of immigration laws is criminal and people who employ these illegal immigrants are criminals as well?” “What we are not discussing tonight is whether I am a good person or not,” said moderator Chris Block, CEO of American Leadership Forum, Silicon Valley.
Politicians at fault? Dan Barich, former Congressional candidate and Tea Party member, was the most conservative at the roundtable. He said that it was not the undocumented immigrants who are at fault, but politicians who are unwilling to enforce immigration laws, “No offense to Jeff,” he added, referring to Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen, who also sat at the roundtable. Rosen said borders serve to keep a community’s culture intact, but had to be balanced with what he described as a religious idea, that everyone was “created in God’s image.” Rosen said his office did not regard illegal immigration as a criminal matter, unless someone who has been deported, especially a convict, returns illegally. “If you are in the country illegally and without documentation, from the perspective of the District Attorney’s office and the local police department, you are sort of off our radar screen.” Deporting people “is not what we’re interested in.” “If you are a tax-paying citizen, See ROUNDTABLE, page 9
ountain View and Los Altos high school students may soon see significant shifts in the way teachers assess and grade their academic performance. If the local high school district adopts the recommendations made by an officially sanctioned task force (composed of teachers, parents and students), instructors will soon be required to assess student understanding of academics separately from student behavior in class, attendance and work habits. Additionally, should the district adopt the proposed policy changes, greater pressure will be placed on individual departments to ensure that different teachers of the same course provide similar experiences to their students. The recommendations come from the Assessment Task Force — a group of 14 teachers, three parents and three students, who have been researching disparate grading practices by interviewing students, parents and other teachers, and discussing and debating potential changes to the district’s current student assessment policies. Brigitte Sarraf, associate superintendent of educational services for the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District, is very passionate about the project. She said that the goal of the task force is to improve the district’s grading policies, and, ultimately, help the students perform better. “We ought to be able to guarantee students that whatever grade they earn is based on a common set of principles or standards, and that the grade reflects the degree to which they have mastered that subject,” Sarraf said. Behavior counts Traditionally, teachers have often considered behavior, attendance and other non-academic factors See GRADES, page 9
MARCH 30, 2012 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■
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SUE LAWRENCE Sue Lawrence, who grew up in Mountain View, died in Sunnyvale on March 14. Born in San Francisco in 1953, she attended Huff Elementary School and graduated from Awalt High School in 1971. She received her bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University and was, for many years, an employee of Apple in Cupertino. She was third
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Since buying the store in October of 2011, the Origels have found allies among neighborhood residents who have wanted a “neighborhood serving” grocery store downtown for years and have seen several proposals to subsidize one with city funds fail. On Saturday many of them showed their support. “It’s super convenient and Juan is a really nice guy,” said downtown resident Jeff Segall. “I hope the city does what it can to encourage it.” “My husband and I really appreciate the convenience of the location,” said downtown resident Deb Henigson. “It’s within walking and biking distance for us. It’s a great
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generation Bay Area native. Due to her illness, her family members say they have missed her for a long time. She is survived by her two children, Hayden Kares of Danville, and Michael Kares of Martinez; her father, Robert S. Lawrence of Mountain View; and her sisters Ann Lawrence Buller and Heather Lawrence Perlitch. resource for the neighborhood.” Explaining why they supported the market, many pointed to the availability organic foods, including grass-fed beef, and locally produced foods, including Crunchfuls cereal and Whole Grain Connection pasta, made by Mountain View companies, and Acme Bread baked in Mountain View. Also, they have Marianne’s ice cream from Santa Cruz, Henigson added. Downtown resident Carter Coleman said he hoped that Ava’s could become like San Francisco’s popular Bi-Rite market, which calls itself “a neighborhood market feeding our community with love, passion and integrity.” “We’re just as cool as they are, right?” Coleman said of Bi-Rite’s customers.
■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ MARCH 30, 2012
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Palo Alto considers shutting down animal shelter By Gennady Sheyner
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alo Alto’s Animal Services Center, a fixture on East Bayshore Road for the past four decades, could be shut down or relocated to make way for an auto dealership under a new proposal that the city is exploring. The future of the animal shelter, which the Palo Alto City Council discussed Monday night, is in limbo because of a decision by Mountain View last November to discontinue use of the regional facility. The center is part of the larger Municipal Services Center and has been providing services to Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills since 1993, with each partner sharing in the facility’s costs. Last November, the Mountain View City Council voted to break off its 18-year relationship with Palo Alto Animal Services in favor of a cheaper contract with Santa Clara-based Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority. Mountain View’s departure will have profound implications for the busy facility and puts Palo Alto in a bind. Palo Alto stands to lose about $450,000 in annual contributions when Mountain View leaves this
November (as part of the agreement, partnering cities have to give a one-year notice before departing). If Palo Alto were to absorb this loss of revenue, it would have to make severe service cuts or find other funding sources. If it asks the other partner cities to cover Mountain View’s portion, it could prompt them to ditch the partnership as well. Palo Alto’s animal-services operation has an annual budget of $1.8 million. It brings in about $1.1 million in annual revenues. Mountain View’s departure will effectively raise Palo Alto’s share of the facility’s cost from $700,000 to about $1.1 million annually. With Palo Alto facing rising costs in employee pensions and health care, staff is recommending outsourcing animal services to another agency, Assistant City Manager Pam Antil told the council. The city is preparing to send out requests for proposals to other animal-service providers. Antil said called the staff recommendation a “difficult decision” but one that makes sense given the current financial climate. “It doesn’t mean that it’s not emotional or that we don’t care about the services,” Antil said. Outsourcing animal services
would bring down the Palo Alto’s net costs from $1.1 million to about $500,000 annually, according to staff estimates. The auto dealership proposal adds another layer of complexity. Local dealerships, most notably Anderson Honda, have expressed interest over the years in moving their operations to the freewayvisible site Deputy City Manager Steve Emslie said the animal-shelter land, located on the southern edge of the Municipal Services Center, offers the most promising option for accommodating an auto dealership. The bulk of the complex is dominated by Utilities and Public Works departments and by the city’s vehicle fleet, operations that share space and equipment. The animal shelter, by contrast, “can be severed without affecting any other use,” Emslie said. Palo Alto officials have long been pondering ways to make improvements to the Municipal Services Center, a critical hub of city services. The process has taken on fresh urgency because of a recent report from Infrastructure Blue Ribbon Commission. See ANIMAL SHELTER, page 9
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Lottery ticket dispute For the second time in three months, the same liquor store in Mountain View sold a lottery ticket worth more than a quarter million dollars. Although no one matched all six numbers in last Friday night’s MEGA Millions draw, one player who purchased a ticket at Liquor & Tobacco at 1040 N. Rengstorff Ave. won $259,269 by matching five numbers, according to state lottery officials. The winner may — or may not — be Mountain View resident Emily Leach. The ownership of the ticket is being disputed, with Leach claiming she accidentally handed the ticket to a man behind her in line at store when she gave him some money. On Jan. 6, Leach won $1 million in the state lottery after she purchased 40 tickets from Liquor & Tobacco, which is located in the same shopping center as Costco. Leach’s winning ticket was part of the $250 Million Cash Spectacular
NELSON
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that improvements are needed for various reasons, including to make schools “safe from asbestos, lead and other hazards.” Nelson’s petition alleges that the inclusion of those two words — “lead” and “asbestos” — were included in the argument to “purposefully mislead” the public. He claims that the school board has greatly exaggerated the risk posed by asbestos and lead paint in older school buildings as a scare tactic aimed at garnering voter support. Nelson acknowledges that traces of lead and asbestos may be found in district buildings. However, he said, none put children in immediate danger; any asbestos is not at risk of becoming airborne and all lead paint is buried under layers of lead-free paint. Craig Goldman, superintendent of the district, expressed vexation at the lawsuit — noting that it is just another ploy in a series of ploys to thwart the district’s plan to move forward with a bond measure that Nelson does not support. “Mr. Nelson has let us know that he’s willing to do anything to deny our students access to safe efficient and modern facilities,” Goldman said. “This latest action demonstrates his willingness to file a frivolous lawsuit in order to impede the district’s ability to renovate and upgrade student classrooms and facilities.” “We have provided Mr. Nelson with copies of inspection reports that reflect our recent work done on asbestos abatement,” as well as a recent report that reflects ongoing asbestos needs.
sweepstakes. As of Wednesday, whoever has the disputed winning ticket hadn’t come forward to claim the prize. The California Lottery Commission is conducting an investigation into the dispute, and is reviewing security footage from the store, said lottery spokesman Alex Traverso. “Ultimately, (investigators) will not be the ones who decide who ticket belongs to. It might be sorted out through a legal process,” Traverso said. If that’s the case, lottery officials will withhold the prize money until a court decides who owns the ticket, he said. Traverso said he can’t think of any other incidents similar to the remarkable circumstances in Mountain View. “You don’t really see someone who has that level of luck, someone who wins $1 million and then wins a quarter of a million dollars,” he said.
Run for Zimbabwe racers are encouraged by furry mascots of animals native to Africa.
Running for orphans
—Bay City News Service and Embarcadero Media staff
ANNUAL RACE AND FAIR AT ST. JOSEPH RAISES MONEY FOR ZIMBABWE’S POOR Those reports show that a number of schools, as well as the main administration office of the district, contain either asbestos or lead. Much of the asbestos was discovered in renovations done to tile and linoleum flooring, in ceiling tiles and in drywall. Traces of lead were found in window frames and gutter downspouts at Stevenson school. Nelson has been opposed to the bond measure from the outset. In an interview with the Voice he called the bond “a poor expenditure of public money.” Nelson said he is trying to throw a wrench in the spokes of the district’s pursuit of the bond measure because he feels not enough community input was sought in planning it. He maintains, however, that he is not against the school district getting more money. “It’s an OK bond. But we really need a great bond.” Nelson said he is concerned that the district will prioritize the construction of a new district office over remodeling facilities for students. “Just because the district office is part of the overall facilities improvement plan, doesn’t mean that we intend to use bond funds for that purpose,” Goldman said. “In light of the many projects that have been identified in the plan, such as safe, efficient and modern facilities for our students, we don’t expect to use bond funds for the district office.” “It is highly irresponsible for him to take this action against the district and unnecessarily cause expenditures for attorneys and additional staff time when there is no doubt that we need to continue to renovate our facilities and eliminate lead and asbestos,” Goldman said. V
By Nick Veronin
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his weekend, hundreds of people — from preschoolers to adults — will strap on their sneakers for The 13th Annual Run for Zimbabwe Orphans and Fair. The event, to be held at St. Joseph School in Mountain View on April 1, raises money for the Makumbi Children’s Home — an orphanage in the African country of Zimbabwe. Event organizer Ellen Clark said she expects about 400 to run in a number of races. There is a 220-yard race for preschoolers, a half-mile run for kindergartners and a number of mile-long races for first- through eighth-graders, high schoolers and adults. A former P.E. teacher at St. Joseph, Clark first became interested in Zimbabwe when her son, also a teacher, went on a trip to the country to volunteer and the family stopped by for a visit.
BULLIS
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and eighth-grade kids at Blach. The district would also give the charter more space at Egan (its current location) — to the tune of more acreage and two additional portable units. The two schools are about four miles apart. Ken More, chairman of the Bullis board of directors, said the proposal was simply “one more illegal facilities offer from LASD. We will respond accordingly.” “‘Contiguous’ is very clearly defined in Prop 39,” said Mark Goines, president of the LASD board of trustees — “and it doesn’t mean ‘one piece of property.’” According to the state’s education code, “facilities are ‘contigu-
The country is run by a despotic dictator, Robert Mugabe, and is suffering from a serious AIDS epidemic, Clark said. At last count there were more than 900,000 orphans in the country, according to a press release by Clark. The races, which award prizes to the top finishers, are accompanied by a fair, which features music, food, art and other items of cultural significance from Zimbabwe. Despite all the bad news coming from the country, Clark’s aim is to inspire young people and adults to see the beauty of Zimbabwe. Clark is interested in promoting what she calls “two-way philanthropy.” She hopes that while people are giving to Zimbabwe — a country in need — they are also taking as well, by enjoying the vibrant art and culture at the fair. “This event is about the joy of Africa,” Clark said. More information can be found at Clark’s website, www.zimbabweparaguay.org. V
ous’ if they are contained on the school site or immediately adjacent to the school site.” This first sentence under the definition of “contiguous” fits neatly within Bullis’ line of argument. However, the definition continues: “If the in-district average daily classroom attendance of the charter school cannot be accommodated on any single school district site, contiguous facilities also includes facilities located at more than one site, provided that the school district shall minimize the number of sites assigned and shall consider student safety.” “That’s the rule set we’re following,” Goines said. Moore said that his school’s forecasted in-district student body for the coming school does not justify a two-site solution. “Our forecast was 493 in-
district students,” he said. “Every site in the district can hold 600 plus. Some of them can hold way more. There is not a single site in the district that could not hold our forecasted enrollment for the upcoming year.” “We’re happy to accommodate their expansion,” Goines said, “but (this two-site solution is) the best way we think we can do it, without significantly compromising our high-performing schools and programs.” Goines bristled at the suggestion that the charter school would likely find this most recent offer unacceptable. “I’m not sure they’ve ever liked anything we’ve offered them,” he said. “We have nine school sites and 10 programs (in our district). People have to share. That’s just the way it is.” V
MARCH 30, 2012 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■
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â– MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE â– MARCH 30, 2012
-PDBM/FXT ROUNDTABLE
Continued from page 5
you go, gosh there’s all these people coming here, they are going on assisted housing and welfare, their kids are in the school,” Barich said. “There’s something wrong with our system.” “I believe there are legal laws and moral laws,” said Maria Marroquin, director of the Day Worker Center of Mountain View. The sentiment was later echoed by Vargas, who said he met a minister in Birmingham, Alabama who noted to Vargas, “You know how many laws I broke during the civil rights struggle?” “We want to be able to give back to the country that has provided for us,” Vargas said of himself and others who were brought to the country as children, but are not here legally. He called them the “Dream Act kids” — well-educated youths forced to work under-thetable jobs. Oscar Garcia, CEO and president of the Chamber of Commerce, said he was the son of an undocumented woman. He said that it didn’t make any sense that highly skilled young workers like Vargas are denied legal status when other immigrants can work in the U.S. with H1 visas. Barich said unemployed U.S. citizens should get first priority. “There are a lot of people looking for jobs,” he said. Vargas said he didn’t want to be “first in line.” He just wants to be able to get in line at some point.
NOGLE
Continued from page 5
unable to work the long hours required of athletic trainers and still maintain a personal life and
GRADES
Continued from page 5
when calculating a student’s grade, said Paige Price, an English teacher at Mountain View High School. Price, who led the task force at her school, said many of the grading policies in place today were created, in part, to help the military sort through recruits. If that were the sole purpose, things like work ethic, promptness, and the ability to follow direction would be very useful metrics. “They really don’t function now when you’re trying to give students feedback on what they’re doing well and what they need to improve in,” she said. Because students only get one grade per subject, considering all non-academic factors within that single grade results in a distorted assessment of a student’s comprehension of the academic material. Following directions, work ethic, promptness and ability to cooper-
“When Mitt Romney says in Cedar Rapids that people like me should get in the back of the line, I would love to know where that line is,” Vargas said.
do that? This is Silicon Valley. We should embrace other cultures. We should be open-minded.”
Crime and language At one point Barich made the claim that 30 percent of the country’s prisoners were not here legally. District Attorney Rosen later addressed the issue in his breakout group, where he said the undocumented make up 10 percent of the county’s jail and prison population while they make up the same proportion of the county’s general population. He added that most victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants are other undocumented immigrants. The assertion that undocumented immigrants don’t make up a disproportionate part of the local prison population was eye-opening to one older man in the group. “I think that’s a big deal,” he said. In other groups language barriers were a common topic. A group that surrounded Vargas compared their European parents and grandparents to today’s immigrants from Mexico and Asia. “My mother would say ‘I came here to be an American, not an Italian American,’” said one man who said he was a former police officer in San Francisco. “Why can’t you answer the question as to why these people don’t want to learn English?” said a middle-aged man to some younger Latina women, one of whom responded by saying, “Why should you have to
Keeping it civil Before he attended the event, resident Konrad Sosnow wrote on the Voice’s Town Square, “It makes me sick to see the way they (undocumented immigrants) thumb their noses at our laws. They think that they are better than U.S. citizens and don’t need to have drivers’ licenses, car insurance, or pay taxes.” Much energy was spent trying to convince people with such views that undocumented immigrants do want to do all the things lawabiding citizens do, but face many obstacles. At the end of the event, Sosnow shook Vargas’ hand, as did the former police officer who had hurled a litany of complaints toward Vargas. He wore a vest that said “America’s freedom” and “the right to bear arms.” Rosenberg said the city had found the cure to the lack of civility in the country’s political discussions: people talking to each other face to face. Rosenberg said when he walked out of the first event, on corporate responsibility, “I wasn’t sure we accomplished anything,” he told the crowd as the event ended. But when he saw people from different backgrounds talking to each other, “I was convinced immediately that we accomplished something tonight,” he said.
start a family. However, Nogle is married with two children now in their early 20s. While she acknowledges that being one of the first women to ascend to the level she has in her
profession is significant, Nogle doesn’t dwell on it. “I’m an athletic trainer, first and foremost,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what my gender is.”
ate with others are all important life skills, Price admits, and the task force is not suggesting that schools should stop pushing students to develop those skills. Rather, she said, “We are going to reshape the process of assessment.” The grading of a student’s understanding of the content should be separated from all other non-academic factors, Price said. “That is not to be conflated with the reporting of their academic progress.”
said. Over the course of interviewing students and parents, the task force discovered that each year, in the process of picking or being assigned classes, teens would evaluate teachers based upon how “easy” or “hard” they were. Parents were in on it, too — often pushing their kids to take the “harder” teacher, assuming that their children would get a better education. In other words, Price said, earning an A in a course taught by one teacher required less work than earning an A in the same course taught by a different teacher. The task force’s recommendations are aimed at putting a stop to that. The task force presented its recommendations to the MVLA district board of trustees at a meeting March 26. The board will vote to approve the new policies at a later date. The trustees seemed generally pleased with the thrust of the task force’s recommendations. However, trustee Joe Mitchner raised a question that led to several minutes
More than a grade On top of that, the task force is calling on teachers to go above and beyond giving students a simple letter grade. In the future, when Price gives a student a grade, she is going to provide meaningful feedback — explaining how she judged the quality of the student’s work as well as explaining where there is room for improvement. “One of our big issues was lack of alignment between courses,” Price
V
ANIMAL SHELTER Continued from page 9
The panel noted that the Municipal Services Center is seismically vulnerable. And because it’s on the east side of U.S. Highway 101, it is also isolated from much of Palo Alto. The panel recommended evaluating other options for the site, including a possible land swap with dealerships. Several members of the council asserted the importance of keeping auto dealerships in Palo Alto, calling them critical revenue sources. Not everyone, however, is keen on welcoming one or more dealerships to a site so close to the Baylands. Emily Renzel, a former Palo Alto City Council member and a devout conservationist, slammed the idea. “The reason they want the freeway frontage is for free advertising,” Renzel said, referring to the auto dealers. “We don’t have to use our public land to give free advertising.” The council also expressed mixed feelings about the prospect of shuttering the animal shelter. Members did not decide on the matter Monday night, other than voting unanimously to refer the question to its Policy and Services Committee. In addition to outsourcing services, the city is also weighing the options of relocating the facility to another site, most notably to city-owned land near the Los Altos Treatment Plant at the end of San Antonio Road. Mountain View decided to move to the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority largely out
VERONICA WEBER
A dog waits to be adopted at the Animal Services Center in Palo Alto.
of concern about the condition of the Palo Alto facility, said Sandra Stadtler, Palo Alto’s superintendent of animal services. Though the local shelter gets heavy usage, it is cramped and shows some signs of its age. The Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority facility in Sunnyvale was built in 2006 and offers modern amenities such as cage-free kennels. Stadtler said Mountain View had also asked Palo Alto to offer it services that currently are offered only to Palo Alto residents, including treatment for stray dogs and administrative hearings for dangerous animals. She described the Palo Alto shelter as a “destination spot” for people. “We’ve been able to enjoy having a shelter for so long that many of the people who are coming to the center with kids were brought there as kids,” Stadtler said. V
V
of open debate between Mitchner and board president Phil Faillace. Getting zero Mitchner suggested that the list of recommendations include a detailed explanation of the devastating mathematical impact of giving a student a zero. He explained how a student given a zero out of 100 on one exam would still have an F after scoring 100 points on a subsequent test of equal value — assuming the teacher takes the average of both tests, since many teachers give an F for anything between zero and 50 percent. Mitchner said it seems that the two grades should average out to a C. Faillace countered, noting that many teachers would not agree with his logic. Price said that including a provision aimed at directly dealing with the “double zero” phenomenon was opposed by many teachers, who felt that it would amount to giving students points for an
assignment they hadn’t completed — the most common reason for a zero is a student missing a test or assignment entirely. Striking a compromise, the task force has proposed making it so teachers must be more accommodating to students who miss tests or fail to turn in assignments. Students ought to be able to make up assignments they have missed, Price reasoned. Punishing them academically for missing an assignment they may very well understand is counter-productive. And if they don’t understand the assignment they neglected to do, teachers still need to make sure they learn it. All of the Assessment Task Force’s suggestions can be found on the district’s website, mvla.net, by following the links to the board of trustees’ meeting agendas, clicking on the March 26 meeting packet and scrolling down to the section covering “Grades/Evaluation of Student Achievement.” V
MARCH 30, 2012 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■
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2012 Realtors for Susan Sims Alain Pinel Realtors 650-209-1607 ssims@apr.com
Sheri Hughes Alain Pinel Realtors 650-209-1608 shughes@apr.com
Jerylann Mateo Alain Pinel Realtors 650-743-7895 jmateo@apr.com
Jeanne MacVicar Sereno Group Real Estate 650-947-2979 jeanne@serenogroup.com
Jean Newton Fraguglia Prochnow Realtors (650) 948-8910 x13 jean@prochnowrealtors.com
Susan Sweeley Alain Pinel Realtors 650-209-1586 ssweeley@apr.com
Margo Kelly Alain Pinel Realtors 650-224-4075 mkelly@apr.com
Diane Schmitz Sereno Group Real Estate 650-947-2955 dianeschmitz@serenogroup.com
Royce Cablayan Coldwell Banker 650 917-4339 rcablayan@cbnorcal.com
Ric Parker Coldwell Banker 650-917-4281 rparker@cbnorcal.com
Kevin Klemm Judy Bogard-Tanigami Jeff Gonzalez & Yvonne Heyl Coldwell Banker Alain Pinel Realtors Intero Real Estate 650-269-6964 650-209-1603 650-947-4698 Kevin.Klemm@cbnorcal.com judybogard@aol.com toyvonneandjeff@aol.com
Jackie Haugh Alain Pinel Realtors 650-941-1111 jhaugh@apr.com
Charlene and Vicki Geers Coldwell Banker 650 917-7990 cgeers@cbnorcal.com
www.mvef.org Eric Fischer-Colbrie Intero Real Estate 650-533-7511 efc@interorealestate.com
â– MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE â– MARCH 30, 2012
MVEF is a volunteersuch as art, music, h for the students of t For more information
We thank these realtors for their support! Pleas
Special Thanks to Our Realtor Advisory Board: Sheri Hugh
Bill Lewis 650-941-1111 blewis@apr.com
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Julian Keller Willi 650-454 juliana.j.lee@
Stephanie Channing 650-917-6688, x222 schanning@divcap.net
Chris Trapani, CEO/L 650-947chris@serenog
r the World Ahead! Carol Sangster Alain Pinel Realtors 650-224-5295 csangster@apr.com
Howard Bloom Intero Real Estate 650-947-4780 HBloom@InteroRealEstate.com
Lynn North Alain Pinel Realtors 650 209-1562 lnorth@apr.com
Barbara Williams Alain Pinel Realtors 877-274-9790 homes@barbssite.com
David Troyer Intero Real Estate 650-722-0012 david@troyer.com
Alicia Nuzzo Sereno Group Real Estate 650-947-2902 alicia@serenogroup.com
Alice Nuzzo Sereno Group Real Estate 650-947-2908 alice@serenogroup.com
Nancy Adele Stuhr Coldwell Banker 650 917-4361 nstuhr@cbnorcal.com
Connie Miller Alain Pinel Realtors 650-279-7074 cmiller@apr.com
Tom Martin Campi Properties 650-917-2427 tmartin@campi.com
a Lee iams Realty 4-8539 @gmail.com
Kathy Bridgman Alain Pinel Realtors 650 209-1589 kbridgma@apr.com
Pam Blackman Intero Real Estate 650-947-4798 Pam@PamBlackman.com
Alan Huwe Coldwell Banker 650-917-4392 alan.huwe@cbnorcal.com
Valerie Smith Alain Pinel Realtors 650-941-1111 vsmith@apr.com
Betsy Dwyer Alain Pinel Realtors 650-543-1056 bdwyer@apr.com
-driven, non-profit organization that raises money for essential programs hands-on science, after school sports and art and technology electives the Mountain View Whisman School District. n about MVEF and links to our realtor partners go to www.mvef.org
se call on them when you have real estate needs!
hes, Kevin Klemm, Nancy Adele Stuhr and Susan Sweeley
Los Altos Manager -2901 group.com
Gary Campi, Broker 650-941-4300 gary@campi.com
Jeff Stricker & Steve TenBroeck Alain Pinel Realtors 650-823-8057 jstricker@apr.com
Fred Hibbert, Managing Broker 650 948-0456 fhibbert@cbnorcal.com Layout by John Watson Design
johnbrianwatson@gmail.com
MARCH 30, 2012 â– MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE â–
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7JFXQPJOU Founding Editor, Kate Wakerly
N S TA F F Editor & Publisher Tom Gibboney
Editorial Managing Editor Andrea Gemmet Staff Writers Daniel DeBolt, Nick Veronin Photographer Michelle Le Contributors Dale Bentson, Angela Hey, Sheila Himmel, Jennifer Pence, Ruth Schecter, Alissa Stallings
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Advertising Vice President Sales and Marketing Tom Zahiralis Advertising Representatives Judie Block, Brent Triantos Real Estate Account Executive Rosemary Lewkowitz Real Estate Advertising Coordinator Samantha Mejia Published every Friday at 450 Cambridge Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 964-6300 fax (650) 964-0294 Email news and photos to: editor@MV-Voice.com Email letters to: letters@MV-Voice.com News/Editorial Department (650) 964-6300 fax (650) 964-0294 Display Advertising Sales (650) 964-6300 Classified Advertising Sales s fax (650) 326-0155 Email Classified ads@MV-Voice.com Email Circulation circulation@MV-Voice.com The Voice is published weekly by Embarcadero Media Co. and distributed free to residences and businesses in Mountain View. If you are not currently receiving the paper, you may request free delivery by calling 964-6300. Subscriptions for $60 per year, $100 per 2 years are welcome. Copyright ©2012 by Embarcadero Media Company. All rights reserved. Member, Mountain View Chamber of Commerce
N 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.MountainViewOnline.com, and occasionally on the Town Square forum.
TOWN SQUARE FORUM Post your views on the Town Square forum at www.MountainViewOnline.com EMAIL your views to letters@MV-Voice.com. Indicate if it is a letter to be published. MAIL to: Editor Mountain View Voice, P.O. Box 405 Mountain View, CA 94042-0405 CALL the Viewpoint desk at 223-6507
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I
Food trucks need some rules
n the last decade or two, Castro Street has developed into a must-visit destination for Bay Area restaurant-goers who want to sample a wide variety of ethnic cuisines. This incredibly successful transition from what once was a moribund downtown into a vibrant restaurant row jammed with hungry patrons and outdoor seating has put Mountain View on the map as a place to enjoy and explore the world’s most popular cuisines. So it is not surprising that restaurant owners — who have made major investments in their properties — are concerned about the potential pressure from food truck operators who want to elbow their way into this lucrative marketplace. These mobile operations offer fast service and fill take-out orders from customers who might otherwise book a table at a restaurant. With owner-operators behind the wheel and behind the serving counter, the trucks escape a wide range of the overhead costs that a typical restaurant must pay every day, including payroll, rent, employee insurance and a host of others. Food trucks can start their business with a much smaller investment than their brickand-mortar counterparts, and can park anywhere there is space unless a city ordinance forbids it. And unlike the “roach coaches” of days gone by, these modern food trucks often serve artisan food and market themselves on sites like Twitter and Facebook to let their customers know where they will set up shop on any given day. It is a sophisticated sales effort that costs little but is highly effective among the city’s tech-savvy crowd. After hearing from the city’s code enforcement officer about the questions raised by this new (for Mountain View) business model, last week the City Council decided it will begin work on updating the 56-year-old food truck ordinance, which only sets rules about trucks visiting job sites. We expect there will be a spirited discussion about where the trucks will be allowed to park, and how long they will be able to stay. The officer, Chris Costanzo, explained that he has been fielding a “...significant increase in complaints, questions and concerns from residents, neighboring businesses, business associations and food truck operators themselves,” about how the trucks will be governed in the city. “They (the food truck operators) have questions, as to how, when and where they can operate in Mountain View,” he said. City Attorney Jannie Quinn, who will have her hands full in drafting a new ordinance, said that the trucks had to get a temporary permit to park near the Thursday Night Live events downtown last year. Developing a permanent plan will be much more difficult. Other cities, including San Francisco, have struggled to balance the needs of food trucks and restaurant owners, who ultimately compete for the same customers. With thousands of fans here, the council will have to accommodate the trucks, hopefully without hurting the restaurant owners who have built the bustling restaurant row on Castro Street from the ground up. Possible regulations that have been used in other cities include requiring food trucks to stay 1,000 feet or more from middle or high schools when school is in session; set a limit on the number of sites allocated to each applicant; obey all parking regulations and alert restaurants or other businesses within several hundred feet of a proposed food truck location. As the new regulations move through the City Council process, we expect there will be disagreements among the various interest groups, but given the volatility of this issue, the council is wise to tackle it now.
■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ MARCH 30, 2012
■ YOUR LETTERS ■ GUEST OPINIONS
N GUEST OPINION
N EDITORIAL
THE OPINION OF THE VOICE
■ EDITORIAL
How to create a high-tech design in North Bayshore By Bruce Liedstrand
T
he key to creating a successful new high-tech downtown in North Bayshore is getting people out of their cars so the area doesn’t strangle on traffic. How can we do that? ■ Make it really walkable. Model the new high-tech downtown in North Bayshore after Castro Street, not El Camino Real. The streets and sidewalks need to be comfortable places to stroll and have lunch or dinner without being overwhelmed by cars. ■ To make the streets pedestrian-friendly, buildings should be right at the sidewalk like on Castro Street so people can window shop as they walk along. Parking lots between the pedestrian and
the building like on El Camino Real will destroy walkability. ■ Make it a real mixed-use, self-sufficient downtown where people can live, work and have fun in their own neighborhood without needing a car. With enough people living and working there to support local shops and services, there can be effective transit. We don’t want or need high-rises, but we need well-designed, mid-rise development like Park Place on Castro Street near the Civic Center. ■ With all the high tech companies in the area, this new downtown should be designed to attract young people, so they don’t have to commute to SiliSee GUEST OPINION, page 13
N LETTERS
VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY
THANK YOU TO A KIND STRANGER Last week I stuffed a letter containing a credit card bill payment (with check) into my pocket as I was getting on my bicycle to head to work. Somewhere on that journey it escaped unnoticed onto a wet street. I didn’t realize it until later that night, and then frantically, and to no avail, searched my tracks. After talking with a kind bank representative the next day, and realizing that I could end up liable
if someone should use the information on the check to obtain money from my account, I took a chance that some good Samaritan would find it and return it, destroy it, or put it in a mailbox. After an anxious week of monitoring my account, something did show up. The check had been cashed by my credit card company. So I wanted to send out a a big thank you to the person who saw it, stooped over to pick it up off the wet pavement, dry it off, and made Continued on next page
7JFXQPJOU GUEST OPINION Continued from page 12
con Valley from San Francisco. Let’s take the time to talk with the younger high-tech generation to see what they want before we develop this plan. ■ The blocks need to be small, again like downtown, so it is easy to walk from one building to another. The present out-of-date business park Continued from previous page
sure that it ended up in a mailbox. It is heartening to know that such wonderful ethics still grace our streets. J. Hogan Miramonte Avenue
RAIL PROPONENTS WAITING FOR MONEY FROM HEAVEN It was clear at the March 13 meeting chaired by state Sen. Joe Simitian that there is insufficient money and no “plan” to get money for high-speed rail between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Proponents evidently want to spend the $13.5 billion available from the 2008 state bond measure ($10 billion) and from the federal government ($3.5 billion) and then hope that the balance of at least another $85 billion will someday
design makes it almost impossible to walk between buildings comfortably. The new North Bayshore Precise Plan needs to coordinate the transition from the old auto-dependent business park to a walkable, mixed-use downtown. ■ Create really good transit within the new downtown and a People Mover to connect to Caltrain on Castro Street and from there to San Francisco Airport.
An overseas visitor ought to be able to arrive at SFO, take Caltrain to Castro Street, and connect to the People Mover to Google and other high-tech companies without renting a car. (A People Mover to downtown would be expensive, but funds from the Shoreline Regional Park Community and from new development can help pay for it.) ■ Design the area to be the best high-tech downtown in Silicon
roll off a printing press or fall from heaven. At the meeting, I added a point not found in many stories about high-speed rail: the federal government has hired a million persons to provide homeland security since 9-11-2001 and claims that plans were found in Bin Laden’s compound to attack trains in America. If there are terrorists in 10 or 20 years when high-speed rail could start rolling, the track will become a primary target and no one will take the train. Gary Wesley Continental Circle
in Mountain View, and discussing some possible ways of getting it. In relation to the rental housing impact fee that the City Council is considering as one option, the requirement of our local BMR ordinance before it was sidelined by the Palmer decision was that 10 percent of new rental units should be affordable by entry-level employees in many sectors, including retail workers, and other residents who are critical to a thriving local economy but whose household income is inadequate to handle current market rates. That “10 percent of units” requirement, which it still would be ideal to have, is equivalent to a fee of about 4.8 percent on new rental development, not 10 percent, nor 3 percent. Julie Lovins California Street
CITY STILL NEEDS HOUSING FOR WORKERS Thank you for your editorial March 16 regarding the need for additional affordable rental housing
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TO FIN E DI NI NG FR O M CA SU AL PE NI NS UL A ID M E TH N O
Valley, even better than downtown San Jose. Mountain View is the “can do” city of the Peninsula and, working together, we can make our new high-tech downtown the best in the world.
Let’s do it. Bruce Liedstrand is a former city manager of Mountain View and now works for Common Sense Community Design at 112 Bentley Square.
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MARCH 30, 2012 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■
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8FFLFOE MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE
â– RESTAURANT REVIEW â– MOVIE TIMES â– BEST BETS FOR ENTERTAINMENT
N R E S TA U R A N T R E V I E W
Comfort by the bowlful STICK TO PHO VI HOA’S SIGNATURE DISH FOR A SAVORY AND SATISFYING MEAL By Ruth Schechter
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MICHELLE LE
Pho tai at Pho Vi Hoa in Los Altos comes with rice noodles, eye round steak and green onions, accompanied by bean sprouts, Thai basil, serrano peppers and lime.
hen it comes to comfort food, you can keep your chicken pot pie and macaroni and cheese. Give me pho, and lots of it. Pho — which rhymes with duh, not woe — is the national dish of Vietnam, the Asian version of grandma’s noodle soup (although substitute chicken with beef in most cases). A steaming bowl of rice noodles swimming in delicious beef broth and topped with various cuts of meat, it’s the ultimate comfort food — filling, warming, salty and savory, and satisfying on multiple levels. At Pho Vi Hoa in Los Altos,
pho is the main attraction. The 9-year-old, family-run restaurant features more than 15 variations of the traditional soup, made with flank steak, brisket, meatballs, tripe, eye round or tendon. Standard accompaniments include sliced serrano peppers, bean sprouts, Thai basil and lemon wedges, and you customize your dish with whatever condiment catches your fancy: soy sauce, hoisin, chili paste or sriracha (the Thai hot sauce with a rooster on the label). True to its name, the restaurant dedicates a full third of its menu to pho, divided into lean, regular and meat combinations. You can also create your own
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Wholesale Herbs, Spices, Teas, Tinctures, Oils and Extracts since 1969 If you would like to be listed in DINING ON THE TOWN please call Brent at the Voice at 964-6300.
14
â– MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE â– MARCH 30, 2012
SAN FRANCISCO HERB & NATURAL FOOD CO. 47444 Kato Road, Fremont 4OLL s 0HONE s &AX www.herbspicetea.com
8FFLFOE
MICHELLE LE
The com tom thit nuong is marinated shrimp and pork served with rice, with lime sauce and broth on the side.
MICHELLE LE
Javier Mendez brings pho to longtime customers Mike and Shannon.
mix. The pho comes in two sizes: large and small, although the “small” would easily placate all but the most demanding appetites. A small bowl of steaming pho noodles and meat is $6.85; add $1 for the large version. Though my companions and I ordered several different variations, there is little discernible
difference in the overall flavor, whether you order P-4 (brisket), P-7 (eye round and flank steak) or P-14 (flank, brisket, tendon, tripe, and meatballs). All are tasty, with a rich beefy aroma and amber-colored broth loaded with thick noodles. The bottom line is, the fattier the cut of meat, the more tasty the
soup. Pho Vi Hoa offers some variations on the theme, with seafood noodle soups and vegetarian versions. It also has large selection of grilled meat, chicken, shrimp or beef mixed with vegetables and served over steamed rice. Larger versions are offered at dinner, though rice must be
ordered separately. The menu also features chow mein, fried rice and rice noodle bowls — thick noodles topped with shrimp, pork, chicken or beef atop a layer of diced cucumbers, sprouts and lettuce. The grilled pork and shrimp version included two medium shrimp and several thin-cut slices of dry meat. This is where all those condiments came in handy, since this meal would have been flavorless without some creative additions. An appetizer of fried egg rolls ($3.95 for two) was light and tasty, although the spring rolls
($4.15 for two) were dry and accompanied by a thick sauce that tasted like mildly diluted peanut butter, with no nuance of any other flavors. The restaurant offers a small selection of beer and wine, along with some more unusual beverages like plum soda, fresh coconut milk and soybean drink. The taro with pearl ($3.50) was undrinkable — sickly sweet, chalky and a frightening shade of lavender. Thai iced tea ($3), served with no ice, also tasted chalky and unpleasant. The restaurant is spacious, Continued on next page
MARCH 30, 2012 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■
15
8FFLFOE www.demartiniorchard.com 66 N. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos Open Daily 8am-7pm Prices Effectivme 3/27 thru 4/3
650-948-0881
Farm Fresh and Always the Best
AVOCADOS ARTICHOKES $ 00 69¢EA.
CALIF. GROWN JUMBO 36 SIZE HASS
2 3
COAST GROWN VERY TENDER AND MEATY ORGANIC LOCAL
F O R
STRAWBERRIES SWISS CHARD ASPARAGUS
$199 2 6 MANGOES C COMICE PEARS $169 $149 99¢ C B PORK TENDERLOINS $499 $399 CALIF. GROWN SWEET
$ 00 GRR
1# PKG FOR
REEN ED OR AINBOW
99¢
ORGANIC LOCAL
CALIF GROWN BUN. LARGE
LB.
ELERY
ATUFLO LARGE SIZE CREAMY
LARGE 24 SIZE EA. CRISP
PETALUMA POULTRY
HICKENS
SWEET AND BUN. JUICY
ORGANIC CALIF
LUEBERRIES
BONELESS AND SKINLESS VERY BREASTS ORGANIC WHOLE SWEET $499 LB. $699 LB. $169 LB. CRISP
SEABOARD FARMS
ALL NATURAL TWIN PACK PKG. REG $499 LB.
LB.
LB.
Your Everyday Farmers Market
Online at www.DeMartiniOrchard.com
MICHELLE LE
Bun tom thit nuong cha gio includes marinated shrimp and pork with an egg roll, served over rice noodles with lime sauce on the side. Continued from previous page
with booths lining the walls and long tables that can be shared during the lunch rush. Service tends to be prompt but perfunctory. The servers happily took our orders and food arrived quickly, but no one returned to
fill our water glasses or explain that we needed to pay at the cash register. The bottom line? Focus on what Pho Vi Hoa does best: The restaurant shines when it comes to pho. The soups are savory and satisfying, and deliver a filling meal loaded with flavor. V
N DININGNOTES
2012/2013
Groundwater Production and Surface Water Charges NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: That on the 24th of February 2012, a report of the SANTA CLARA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT’S activities in the protection and augmentation of the water supplies of the District will be delivered to the undersigned in writing, including: a financial analysis of the District’s water utility system; information as to the present and future water requirements of the District; the water supply available to the District, and future capital improvement and maintenance and operating requirements; a method of financing; a recommendation as to whether or not a groundwater charge should be levied in any zone or zones of the District and, if any groundwater charge is recommended, a proposal of a rate per acre-foot for agricultural water and a rate per acre-foot for all water other than agricultural water for such zone or zones;
Reservations
Pho Vi Hoa 4546 El Camino Real, Suite A12 Los Altos 650-947-1290 www.phovihoa.com
Credit Cards Alcohol Takeout Highchairs
Hours: Daily 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Wheelchair Access Banquet Catering Outdoor Seating Noise Level Average Bathroom Cleanliness Excellent
That on the 10th day of April 2012, at 9:00 a.m., in the chambers of the Board of Directors of Santa Clara Valley Water District at 5700 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, California, a public hearing regarding said report will be held; that all operators of water producing facilities within the District and any persons interested in the District’s activities in the protection and augmentation of the water supplies of the District are invited to call at the offices of the District at 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, California, to examine said report; That at the time and place above stated any operator of a water producing facility within the District, or any person interested in the District’s activities in the protection and augmentation of the water supplies of the District, may, in person or by representative, appear and submit evidence concerning the subject of said written report; and That based upon findings and determinations from said hearing, including the results of any protest procedure, the Board of Directors of the District will determine whether or not a groundwater production charge and surface water charge should be levied in any zone or zones; and that, if the Board of Directors determines that a groundwater production charge and surface water charge should be levied, the same shall be levied, subject and pursuant to applicable law, against all persons operating groundwater facilities and diverting District surface water within such zone or zones beginning July 1, 2012.
4/2012_GS
Parking lot
Inspirations a guide to the spiritual community
MOUNTAIN VIEW CENTRAL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH Sabbath School: 9:30 a.m. Saturday Services: Worship 10:45 a.m. Wednesday Study Groups: 10-11 a.m. Pastor Kenny Fraser, B.A.M. DIV 1425 Springer Rd., Mtn. View Office Hrs. M-F 9am-1pm www.mtviewda.adventistfaith.org Phone: 650-967-2189
To include your Church in
Inspirations Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/mvvoice 16
■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ MARCH 30, 2012
Please call Blanca Yoc at 650-223-6596 or e-mail byoc@paweekly.com
8FFLFOE N MOVIETIMES N MOVIEREVIEWS
THE HUNGER GAMES- --
(Century 16, Century 20) Even those totally unfamiliar with Suzanne Collins’ book may find Gary Ross’ film, “The Hunger Games,� somewhat less than suspenseful. But if “The Hunger Games� on screen doesn’t exactly catch fire, its savvy pop culture mash-up and the charge of teens in life-and-death peril remain intact. In a retro-futuristic dystopia, the 1-percenters long ago crushed the revolt of the 99-percenters. The rule of fear hinges largely on “the Hunger Games,� an annual compulsory lottery that demands 12- to 18-yearold “tributes� to submit to a televised death match. Two weeks, 24 contestants, and only one victor allowed to walk away alive. Oddly, the early scenes laying this groundwork tend to be considerably more lively than the 74th Annual Games themselves, a sign of Ross’ lack of experience as an action director and the film’s squeamishness when it comes to depicting the story’s gruesomely violent side. Straight-arrow-shooting Katniss makes a compelling feminist hero, and Jennifer Lawrence’s resonant performance delivers. The striking production design goes a long way, and the story could be a conversation-starter for families about the voyeurism and willing manipulation of the American viewing public. Rated PG-13 for intense violent thematic material and disturbing images, all involving teens. One hour, 23 minutes. — P.C.
FOOTNOTE---
(Aquarius) “Nothing is nice,� says the old man at the center of the Israeli comedy-drama “Footnote.� It’s a statement that could summarize the troubles of a father and son dealing with the tensions of expectations in family and career. Writer-director Joseph Cedar introduces us to Talmudic scholars Eliezer Shkolnik and his son Uriel, two men in implicit competition. In his declining years and his own sense of superiority, the sour Eliezer resents the success of his son the pop academician, who has effectively supplanted the father. Eliezer has long coveted the Israel Prize in recognition of his unjustly ignored lifelong labor. In a miraculous turn of events, Eliezer finally gets the call: He has won the Israel Prize. Shortly thereafter, a baffled Uriel gets his own call, explaining that the win was a clerical error. The Prize was meant for Uriel. “Footnote� ends not with a bang but with a whimper, a brave if dissatisfying choice that’s no doubt truer to life than the emotional or farcical crescendo audiences will be craving. On the way there, there’s enough whimsy and wit to earn comic credentials, and brilliant character work from Aba and Ashkenazi that’s alone worth the price of admission. Rated PG for thematic elements, brief nudity, language and smoking. One hour, 43 minutes. — P.C.
N MOVIECRITICS S.T.- Susan Tavernetti, P.C. Peter Canavese, T.H.-Tyler Hanley
Showtimes for the Century 16 and Century 20 theaters are for Friday through Tuesday only unless otherwise noted. 21 Jump Street (R) Century 16: 11 & 11:50 a.m.; 1:40, 2:40, 4:30, 7:40 & 8:40 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. also at 10:30 p.m.; Mon. & Tue. also at 10:15 p.m. Century 20: 1:15, 2:15, 3:55, 5, 6:35, 7:55, 9:35 & 10:40 p.m. A Separation (PG-13) (((1/2 Aquarius Theatre: 5:30 & 8:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. also at 2:30 p.m. A Thousand Words (PG-13) Century 20: 11:10 a.m.; 4:35 & 9:55 p.m. The Artist (PG-13) (((1/2 Palo Alto Square: 2 & 4:20 p.m.; Fri.Wed. also at 7:25 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. also at 9:45 p.m. Beau Geste (1926)
Stanford Theatre: Fri. at 7:30 p.m.
Beau Geste (1939) also at 3:20 p.m.
Stanford Theatre: Sat.-Mon. at 7:30 p.m.; Sun.
Casa de Mi Padre (R) Century 20: 11:20 a.m.; 1:30, 3:40, 5:50, 8 & 10:10 p.m. The Deep Blue Sea (R) Guild Theatre: 4:15, 7 & 9:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. also at 1:45 p.m. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (PG) Century 16: 1:10, 3:50 & 6:40 p.m.; Fri.Sun. (standard 2D) also at 10:50 a.m.; Mon. & Tue. (standard 2D) also at 11 a.m.; In 3D at 11:40 a.m.; 2:10, 4:50 & 9:50 p.m.; In 3D Fri.-Sun. also at 7:30 p.m.; In 3D Mon. & Tue. also at 7:20 p.m. Century 20: 11:05 a.m.; 1:20, 3:45, 6:10, 8:30 & 10:45 p.m.; In 3D at 12:25, 2:40, 5:05, 7:20 & 9:40 p.m.
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Footnote (PG) ((( Aquarius Theatre: 4:15, 7 & 9:30 p.m.; Fri.Sun. also at 1:30 p.m. Four Daughters (1938) p.m.
Stanford Theatre: Tue.-Thu. at 5:50 & 9:25
Friends with Kids (R) Century 20: 1:55 & 7:15 p.m. The Hunger Games (PG-13) ((( Century 16: Noon, 12:40, 1:20, 2, 2:40, 3:20, 4, 4:40, 5:30, 6:20, 7, 7:50 & 8:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. also at 10, 10:40 & 11:20 a.m.; 9:10, 9:55 & 10:35 p.m.; Mon. & Tue. also at 11 & 11:30 a.m.; 9, 9:40 & 10:20 p.m. Century 20: 10:50, 11:25 & 11:55 a.m.; 12:30, 1:05, 1:35, 2:10, 2:45, 3:20, 3:50, 4:25, 4:55, 5:30, 6, 7:10, 7:45, 8:15, 8:50, 9:20 & 10:30 p.m.; Fri.-Mon. also at 6:40 & 10 p.m. John Carter (PG-13) ((( Century 16: 5 p.m.; In 3D Fri.-Sun. at 9:20 p.m.; In 3D Mon. & Tue. at 9 p.m. Century 20: 4 & 10:15 p.m.; In 3D at 1 & 7:05 p.m. The Kid with a Bike (PG-13) Century 16: 5:30 p.m. Mirror Mirror (PG) Century 16: 11 a.m.; 12:10, 1:40, 2:50, 4:20, 5:40, 7:30 & 8:50 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. also at 10:30 p.m.; Mon. & Tue. also at 10:05 p.m. Century 20: 10:45 & 11:40 a.m.; 12:35, 1:25, 2:20, 3:15, 4:05, 5, 5:55, 6:45, 7:35, 8:35, 9:25 & 10:20 p.m. The Raid: Redemption (R) Century 16: 11:10 a.m.; 1:50, 4:40 & 7:40 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. also at 10:30 p.m.; Mon. & Tue. also at 10:10 p.m. Rascal Flatts: Changed (PG) Century 16: Thu. at 8 p.m. Century 20: Thu. at 8 p.m. Palo Alto Square: Thu. at 8 p.m. The Roaring Twenties (1939) p.m.
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Stanford Theatre: Tue.-Thu. at 7:30
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (PG-13) Century 20: 11:15 a.m.; 2, 4:40, 7:25 & 10:05 p.m. Palo Alto Square: 1:50, 4:30 & 7:15 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. also at 9:50 p.m. The Secret World of Arrietty (G) (((1/2 Century 16: 11:30 a.m. & 2:20 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. also at 8:30 p.m.; Mon. & Tue. also at 8:10 p.m. Century 20: 11:45 a.m. Titanic 3D (PG-13) Century 16: Tue. at 12:01 a.m.; Wed. & Thu. at 11 a.m.; 3:10 & 7:30 p.m. Century 20: Tue. at 6:30 p.m.; Wed. & Thu. at noon, 4:05 & 8:10 p.m. Under Two Flags (1936) 9:35 p.m.
Stanford Theatre: Sat.-Mon. at 5:25 &
Wrath of the Titans (PG-13) Century 16: Noon, 2:30, 5 & 8 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. (standard 2D) also at 10:45 p.m.; Mon. & Tue. (standard 2D) also at 10:30 p.m.; In 3D at 11 a.m.; 12:30, 1:30, 3:10, 4:10, 6:10, 7:10, 9:10 & 10 p.m.; In 3D Fri.-Sun. also at 10 a.m. Century 20: Noon, 2:30, 5:10, 7:55 & 10:25 p.m.; In 3D at 11:10 a.m.; 12:50, 1:40, 3:25, 4:15, 6, 6:50, 8:40 & 9:30 p.m.
- Skip it -- Some redeeming qualities --- A good bet ---- Outstanding
For show times, plot synopses, trailers and more movie info, visit www.mv-voice.com and click on movies.
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Mathnasium of Mountain View - Los Altos 7 %L #AMINO 2EAL 3TE s -OUNTAIN 6IEW #! -!4( mountainviewlosaltos@mathnasium.com www.mathnasium.com/mountainviewlosaltos + TH '2!$%3 s (/-%7/2+ (%,0 s 35--%2 02/'2!-3 MARCH 30, 2012 â&#x2013; MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE â&#x2013;
17
P eninsula Easter Services ST. MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH PALO ALTO Maundy Thursday— April 5 V 6:15pm
Monastic Supper & Liturgy of the Word followed by Holy Eucharist & Stripping of the Altar
Good Friday — April 6 V Noon to 2:00pm Stations of the Cross with Reflections V 2:00 to 3:00pm
Labyrinth Stations: A Walking Meditation
V 7:30 to 8:30pm
Tenebrae: The Office of Shadows
V 5:30am
Easter Vigil, Eucharist & Baptism
V 8:00 to 9:30am
Festive Breakfast & Family Easter Activities
V 10:00am
Festive Holy Eucharist
Easter — April 8
600 Colorado Ave, P.A. (650) 326-3800 www.saint-marks.com
Los Altos Lutheran Church Holy Week: The Journey into Freedom Palm Sunday: April 1st, 9:00 AM Celebration with palms & the passion story Maundy Thursday: April 5th, 7:00 PM Jesus washed their feet & said love one another Good Friday: April 6th, 2:00 PM Meditating on the mystery of the cross: a service of prayer Good Friday: April 6th, 7:00 PM Tenebrae, The Service of shadows: watching & waiting in the night The Easter Vigil: Saturday, April 7th, 6:30 PM Walking into light and life: The first Easter service. Easter Sunday: April 8th, 10:00 AM Easter breakfast at 9:00 am Children’s egg hunt at 11:15 am 460 South El Monte at Cuesta 650-948-3012 – www.losaltoslutheran.org
A resource for special events and ongoing religious services. For more information please email Blanca Yoc at byoc@paweekly.com or call 223-6596.
First Presbyterian Church Mountain View
(Corner of Cuesta and Miramonte) www.fpcmv.org 650-968-4473
Maundy Thursday Service Thursday, April 5, 7:00 pm
Good Friday Service Friday, April 6, 7:00 pm
EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 8
Easter Sunrise Service 6:30 am Easter Celebration Worship Service 10:30 am 18
■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ MARCH 30, 2012
(PJOHT0O M O U N TA I N V I E W V O I C E
ART GALLERIES
‘Introduction to the Cantor Arts Center’ This introductory tour features objects from a variety of cultures and historic periods. Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. Meets in the main lobby. Free. Cantor Arts Center, Lomita Drive at Museum Way, Stanford. museum.stanford.edu/visit/public_tours. html ‘Marsh’ Photography by Aki Mori Gallery 9 presents digital color photography by Bay Area artist Aki Mori. Mori seeks to capture the cycle of life through her photos. The reception is Thursday, March 8, 6-8 p.m. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m-5 p.m.; Sunday 12-4 p.m. Gallery 9, 143 Main St., Los Altos. www.gallery9losaltos.com ‘Tote-ally-Art’ Mixed-media artist Jane Ferguson is exhibiting new wall artwork and tote bags that feature figures from her favorite paintings. The gallery is open Mon.-Sat. from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays until 3. Through March 31. Free. Viewpoints Gallery, 315 State St., Los Altos. www. viewpointsgallery.com Breakfast is on the Universe Stanford University’s Department of Art & Art History presents a design exhibition where nine artists from the Joint Program in Design feature their new works, ranging from large-scale sculpture to interactive installations that challenge notions of usefulness and uselessness as a state of being. April 3-15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thomas Welton Stanford Art Gallery, 419 Lasuen Mall, Stanford. Call 650-723-3404. www.art.stanford.edu Hanna House Tour The Hanna-Honeycomb House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s for Jean and Paul Hanna. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and exemplifies Wright’s contribution to American culture. Tours are open to the public four times per month with three tours per day. $10. HannaHoneycomb House, Stanford. hannahousetours. stanford.edu/ Tony Grant Exhibition featuring 25 of Tony Grant’s documentary photographic images printed on metallic paper. Through April 1, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 to 3. Free. Community School of Music and Arts, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View. Call 650-9176800, ext. 306. www.arts4all.org
BENEFITS Canary Challenge Bike Ride 2012 Registration is now open for the Canary Challenge 2012 Fundraising bike ride. 100 percent of funds raised go to Stanford Cancer Institute. 6 a.m.-6 p.m. $100 registration and $400 min fundraising per participant. VMWare parking lot, 3401 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304. Call 650-646-3200. canarychallenge.com
CLASSES/WORKSHOPS ‘Double Digging and Bed Preparation’ Double digging is the first step in a Grow Biointensive garden. Students will learn what makes soil healthy and how to create it. March 31, 2-4 p.m. $31. Common Ground Garden Supply and Education Center, 559 College Ave., Palo Alto. Call 650-493-6072. doublediggingandbedprep. eventbrite.com/ ‘Growing Cymbidium Orchids’ Weegie Caughlan will tell attendees about growing orchids: temperature, sunlight, growing medium, watering, nutrition and pest control. March 31, 9:30-11:30 a.m. $30 members, $40 nonmembers. Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. Call 650-329-1356 ext 201. www. gamblegarden.org AARP Mature Driver Safety To register for this class, come in or mail a check, payable to AARP, dated the first day of class. Send the checks to the Mountain View Senior Center, P.O. Box 7540, Mountain View, CA 94039. Cash cannot be accepted. April 3, 4:30-9 p.m. $12.00-$14.00. 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View. Call 650-903-6330. Brian Gang Attendees can join this workshop to learn more about the connection between their mental sharpness and their emotional well-being. Matt Burke, Social Service Director at Villa Sienna, will introduce attendees to his class, “Brain Gang.”
Learn about this participant-driven class that combines laughter with learning. April 5, 1 p.m. Brain Gang, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View. Call 650-903-6330. Imaginative Painting Class New painting class encourages expanding visual library and developing a personal creative imagery in paint. Open to all skill levels in traditional paint media (oil, acrylic, pastel) or electronic tablet/laptop (supply your own equipment and software). April 3, 4:30-6 p.m. $135 for 10 ea 1.5 hr sessions. Pacific Art League, 668 Ramona St., Palo Alto. Call 650321-3891. www.pacificartleague.org Summer Music Workshops Workshops are open to musicians ages 6 to 14 of all instruments. Directed by ECYS associate conductor Michail Gelfandbein, the workshops will feature orchestra, small-ensemble and music-theory instruction. Brochure and registration form available online. Registration due June 1. $450. Palo Alto. www. ecys.org/summer_workshops.html URASTAR - TV Studio Production Workshop Attendees learn all the crew positions to produce their own half-hour studio show with other students in their class. March 29, 6-10 p.m. $145. Midpeninsula Community Media Center, 900 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto. Call 650-4948686 ext. 18. midpenmedia.org
American Christian Writers Association The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the American Christian Writer’s Association meets bimonthly. Workshops presented on writing craft, professional development and industry expertise. Guests welcome. Saturdays, March 17-May 19, 10 a.m.-noon. $10 guest/$5 members. Palo Alto Church of Christ, 3373 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. acfw.com Toastmasters International Training and practice for public speaking and leadership. First and third Thursdays of the month, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mountain View Community Center, 201 South Rengstorff Ave., Mountain View. Call 408-6233543. orbiters.freetoasthost.us/
able setting. Wednesdays through June 26, 7-8 p.m. $60 per month. For the Love of Dance, 2483 Old Middlefield Way, Suite B, Mountain View. Call 650-861-0650. fortheloveofdancemv.com Hip-Hop Class For the Love of Dance Studio is offering hip-hop class for teens and adults. Mondays through June 24, 8-9 p.m. $60 per month. For the Love of Dance, 2483 Old Middlefield Way, Suite B, Mountain View. Call 650-861-0650. fortheloveofdancemv.com Hip-Hop Class For the Love of Dance offers a hip-hop dance class on Mondays, 5-6 p.m. $60 per month. For the Love of Dance, 2483 Old Middlefield Way, Suite B, Mountain View. Call 650861-0650. fortheloveofdancemv.com Jazz-Dance Class For the Love of Dance Studio is offering jazz-dance classes for teens and adults. Mondays through June 24, 7-8 p.m. $60 per month. For the Love of Dance, 2483 Old Middlefield Way, Suite B, Mountain View. Call 650-8610650. fortheloveofdancemv.com Social Ballroom Dancing Friday Night Dance at the Cubberley Community Center Pavilion. Lessons at 8 p.m. are Rumba for beginning and intermediate levels, followed by general dancing from 9 p.m. to midnight. No experience or partner necessary; dressy casual attire is preferred. March 30, 8 p.m.-12 a.m. $9 includes refreshments. Cubberley Community Center Pavilion, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Call 650-395-8847. readybyte. com/fridaynightdance Tap Dance The studio For the Love of Dance offers a tap class for teens and adults. Students will learn routines to upbeat music. Fridays, Jan. 6-June 22, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $60 per month. For the Love of Dance, 2483 Old Middlefield Way, Suite B, Mountain View. Call 650-961-6715. fortheloveofdancemv.com Twirlybirds Square Dance Class A adult beginners’ modern square-dancing class (no experience necessary) will be taught by John Caywood with Linda Caywood. Sundays from Jan. 8 through Aug. 26, 7-9 p.m. $4 per class. Recreation Hall, 425 Lotus Lane, Mountain View. Call 408-274-3833.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
EXHIBITS
‘Hoppin’ Hounds’ The ninth annual Doggie Easter Biscuit Hunt in Los Altos Hills. People and dogs hunt through Byrne Preserve in search of “dog-healthy Easter Biscuits.” The on-leash event benefits the Palo Alto Animal Services shelter. April 7, 9 a.m. Free. Westwind Community Barn, 27210 Altamont Road, Los Altos Hills. Call 650-947-2518. www.losaltoshills.ca.gov/
‘Shaped by Water: Past, Present & Future’ This family-friendly exhibit focuses on the history and future of water in the Santa Clara Valley. Topics include the indigenous tribal people; the Spanish, Mexican, and Gold Rush immigrants; and the present-day population, as well as the uncertain future of local water resources. Through April 22, Thurs.-Sun., Noon-4 p.m. Free. Los Altos History Museum, 51 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos. losaltoshistory.org Opening Reception: 40 Watts: Illuminating Herstory April 6, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. is the reception for the exhibition that investigates the diverse voices of women artists and their works of art that represent myriad formations of feminist thought & aesthetics. April 6, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Norton Gallery, Pacific Art League, 668 Ramona St., Palo Alto. Call 650-591-2801. www. ncwca.org/ Walker Evans American photographer Walker Evans (1903-1975), with his direct and unsentimental images of life on small-town streets, in New York subways, and on sharecroppers’ porches, helped shape contemporary art. This exhibition features photos from his 50-year career. Through April 8, Wed.-Sun. from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thurs. until 8. Free. Cantor Arts Center, 328 Lomita Drive, Stanford. museum.stanford.edu
CLUBS/MEETINGS
CONCERTS ‘Carnival of the Animals’ Students at the Community School of Music and Arts perform this classic by Camille Saint Saens, under the direction of CSMA instructors Carrie Campbell (conductor) and Alla Dobrish (coach). April 3, 7-8 p.m. Free. Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA), 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View. www.arts4all. org/attend/mohrgallery.htm Bach’s ‘St. John Passion’ The Congregational Oratorio Society and Orchestra, conducted by Gregory Wait, with Joe Guthrie on the organ, performs the “St. John Passion (Johannes-Passion)” by J. S. Bach. The ensemble features chorus, soloists, chamber orchestra and organ. April 1, 2-5 p.m. $15 general/$10 student and senior. First Congregational Church of Palo Alto, 1985 Louis Road, Palo Alto. Call 650-856-6662 . www.fccpa. org/FCCPA_Site/Concerts.html Flute Music of the Bach Family Robert Stallman and Isabelle Chapuis, both Flute Virtuosos will give a performance at the French Film Club of Palo Alto on the occasion of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Birthday Month. March 30, 7-10 p.m. Advance: Adults $25 Seniors $20 Students$15. All Saints Church Sanctuary, 555 Waverley St., Palo Alto. Call 650-380-6932. www.frenchfilmclubofpaloalto.org
DANCE Ballet Class For the Love of Dance studio is offering ballet class for teens and adults. Students will stretch and learn ballet technique in a comfort-
FAMILY AND KIDS 13th Annual Run for Zimbabwe Orphans Participants can enjoy the music, art, food and culture of Zimbabwe and run to the music of Sadza and Chinyakare Ensemble. There are 11 cross-country races 220 yards to 1 mile for all age groups. April 1. 12-4 p.m. The fair is free. $5 for the run. St. Joseph School, 1120 Miramonte Ave., Mountain View. Call 650-941-9206. www.ZimbabweParaguay.org Doctor Noize Family Concert High-energy interactive concert introducing ‘The Return of Phineas Mcboof’ CD and book. Kids are invited
N HIGHLIGHT ‘OF MICE AND MEN’ TheatreWorks presents ‘Of Mice and Men.’ Adapted for the stage by Steinbeck, this is a portrait of the strength of friendship and the depth of the American dream. April 4-29. $19- $69. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. www.theatreworks.org
to dance and help create songs on the spot while Doctor Noize plays multiple instruments. See his new ‘Grammaropolis’ CD/video with songs reciting the use of parts of speech. April 1, 3:30-4:30 p.m. $10. Cubberley Theatre, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Call 650-463-4970.
HEALTH ‘Rest, Replenish, Renew’ This weekly group teaches students to express themselves through movement, drawing, creative writing and mindfulness activities designed to help tap into innate creativity. Wednesdays from Jan. 18 on, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Cancer Support Community, 455 Whisman Road, Suite 300, Mountain View. Call 650968-5000. www.cancersupportcommunity.net John’s Zumba Class Zumba classes every Thursday night, 8-9 p.m. $10. John’s Zumba Class, 2584 Leghorn St., Mountain View. Call 415-9909965. www.thatzumbaguy.com
LIVE MUSIC Belly Dancing with Katia Moroccos Restaurant will feature music from the Arab world an a belly dancing performance from Katia at 7 p.m. Wednesdays, April 4-25, 5-9:30 p.m. Free Morocco’s Restaurant, 873 Castro St., Mountain View. Call 650-968-1502. www.moroccosrestaurant.com CD Release Concert with Noel Catura and Joanne LeBlanc CD Release Celebration for two musicians local to the South San Francisco Bay: award-winning saxophonist, Noel Catura and blues vocalist, Joanne LeBlanc. Joanne’s band will play music from her debut blues CD “Found & Lost””. Noel’s band will play music from his debut CD “Soulful Situation.” April 1, 2-5 p.m. Donation of $5.00 at the door. Community School of Music , 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View. Call 408234-2608 . jleblancmusic.com Live Acoustic Guitar Music with Jack Sutter Performance starts at 7 p.m. Jack plays primarily solo acoustic guitar compositions. Influences come from Folk, Rock, Country Blues, Classical and other bits and pieces that have stuck over the years. April 5, 5-9:30 p.m. Morocco’s Restaurant, 873 Castro St., Mountain View. Call 650-968-1502. www.moroccosrestaurant.com Live Jazz Music with Johnny Williams Johnny Williams will be around for a night of lively Jazz and Blues. Johnny and his music for all ages will add to your experience in the magical Morocco’s Restaurant. All songs performed are original work. Performances are Tuesdays, April 3-24, 7 p.m. 5-9:30 p.m. Free Morocco’s Restaurant, 873 Castro St., Mountain View. Call 650-968-1502. www.moroccosrestaurant.com Moroccan Music Night Moroccan Music from the four corners of Morocco’s, from tribal to contemporary, while visiting the classics. Mondays, April 2-30 at 5-9:30 p.m. Free Morocco’s Restaurant, 873 Castro St., Mountain View. Call 650-9681502. www.moroccosrestaurant.com World Music Night Moroccos Restaurant features a collection of world beats to transport patrons to a different place to enjoy the company of their guests for an exotic culinary experience guided by the cuisine of Chef Jay. Sundays, April 1-29, at 5-9:30 p.m. Morocco’s Restaurant, 873 Castro St., Mountain View. Call 650-968-1502. www.moroccosrestaurant.com
ON STAGE ‘Now Circa Then’ Carly Mensch, the story editor of the television series “Weeds,” wrote this offbeat comedy play about two historical re-enactors, and the results when their modern romance collides with their 19th-century counterparts. March 7-April 1. $19-$69. Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. www. theatreworks.org
RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY Bob Dylan Sabbath Service When there are five Fridays in a month, Etz Chayim does something different with services. He turns the prayerbook upside down and pours out most of the traditional prayers. Then he refills the service with songs on
the same themes as the prayers backed by our band. March 30, 7:30-9 p.m. Etz Chayim, 4161 Alma St., Palo Alto. Call 650-813-9094. etzchayim. org First Night Passover Seder Attendees can celebrate Passover at Etz Chayim with one of three concurrent seders: Glee seder with Rabbi Cartun, On One Foot Seder with Ilana Goldhaber-Gordon, and Musical Tot Seder with Rabbi Rachel Solomin. All seders include catered kosher-for-Passover dinner and wine/juice. Everyone welcome. April 6, 5-9 p.m. $10-$60. Etz Chayim, 4161 Alma St., Palo Alto. Call 650-813-9094. www.etzchayim.org Insight Meditation South Bay Shaila Catherine and guest teachers lead a weekly Insight Meditation sitting followed by a talk on Buddhist teachings. 7:30-9 p.m. donations accepted. St. Timothy’s/Edwards Hall, 2094 Grant Road, Mountain View. Call 650-857-0904. imsb.org
SPECIAL EVENTS Happiness And Balance in Life Learn about happiness and balance in your student’s life. What is the relationship between happiness, success and stress? Why is happiness important to success in college? Attendees learn how to create a healthy perspective in high school and beyond. April 5, 7-8:45 p.m. Los Altos High School Eagle Theater, 201 Almond Ave. , Los Altos. Call 650-960-8816.
SPORTS Group runs The running store On Your Mark has organized four weekly running groups, with runners of all ages and skill levels welcome. No registration necessary. All runs are three to five miles with the start and finish behind the store. Mondays at 6 a.m., Wednesdays at 6:30 a.m., Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Free. On Your Mark, 378 Main St., Los Altos. Call 650-209-5526. www. onyourmarkperformance.com
SUPPORT GROUPS ‘Teens Who Stutter’ The new TWST (Teens Who Stutter) group is for teens ages 14 to 19 to hang out; play foosball, ping pong and other games; snack and talk. Part of the National Stutterers Association. For fun, not therapy. Teen-run, adult-supervised. Meeting every fourth Tuesday starting Feb. 28, 6-8 p.m. Free. Palo Alto Elks Lodge, 4249 El Camino Real , Palo Alto. Call 650938-6356. Tourette Syndrome This support group for adults with Tourette Syndrome meets the fourth Sunday of the month in Palo Alto. Members will network, swap stories and share strategies for coping with tics and other symptoms. Reservations required (details will be given upon RSVP). 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Palo Alto. Call 650-843-0413.
TALKS/AUTHORS Diane Ackerman Poet, essayist and naturalist Diane Ackerman talks about her latest memoir, ‘One Hundred Names for Love,’ a dramatic love story that combines science, inspiration, wisdom and heart. April 2, 7-9 p.m. $10-$18. Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. Call 650223-8664. www.paloaltojcc.org/arts Jonah Lehrer: ‘Imagine: How Creativity Works’ Science writer Jonah Lehrer delves into the human mind to decipher the anatomy of imagination and explore the new science of creativity. Lehrer introduces us to musicians, artists and engineers to demonstrate our most important mental talent: the ability to imagine what has never existed. April 5, $12 Members; $20 Members; $7 Students. Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. Call 408-280-5530. www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2012-04-05/jonah-lehrerhow-creativity-works
VOLUNTEERS Tutor with JustREAD JustREAD is a nonprofit, literacy program dedicated to improving the reading/writing skills of students. Volunteers are trained by JustREAD and work one-on-one with students. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. JustREAD Tutorial Center, 1299 Bryant St., Mountain View. Call 650-691-0416. justREADcenters.org
MARCH 30, 2012 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■
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â&#x2013; MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE â&#x2013; MARCH 30, 2012