Serving up ribs from the corner of the car wash WEEKEND | 19 MAY 24, 2013 VOLUME 21, NO. 17
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Immigrant house may be placed in new city park CITY UNIONS OFFER FREE LABOR TO RESTORE TINY HISTORIC HOME By Daniel DeBolt
good project, but the thought of fter saving it from demo- the community coming together lition earlier this year, to work on this — it’s a celebraCity Council members tion, it’s wonderful,” said council voted Tuesday on a strategy for member Ronit Bryant. restoring and relocating the The city had estimated the cost tiny historic home known as the of restoring the home at $225,000, Immigrant House. but council members decided The council voted 6-1, with against the option of funding Mayor John Inks opposed, to half or all of the cost. Instead, place the home at 771 North the council’s 6-1 vote supported Rengstorff Ave., the lush 1.2- community fundraising and the acre lot which the council vot- use of volunteer labor to restore ed to buy earlier the home. Advothis month. The cates assured the property owner, council of their Frances Stieper, fundraising abil‘The thought expressed interities, with assisest in seeing her of the community tance from the home’s gardens Kiwanis coming together local and 125 trees Club. retained as part of “In the few to work on this — months a new city park. we’ve Mountain View it’s a celebration, been working firefighters and on this, so many the city’s SEIU people have come it’s wonderful union-representtogether,” said COUNCIL MEMBER ed employees said Diane Solomon, RONIT BRYANT Tuesday that they an advocate for were interested the Immigrant in donating time House. “A lot and talent towards of people don’t restoring the home. After sitting even celebrate their heritage, If at 166 Bryant St. since the 1880s, we have this, people would come the Immigrant House had to out and say, ‘We’re proud of who make way for an office develop- we are, grandma and grandpa ment earlier this year. came here and they lived this “There are a lot of talented way.’” workers in this city who are willAdvocates for saving the home, ing to work on this,” said retired lead by Marina Marinovich firefighter John Miguel, who was — whose Croatian immigrant joined by firefighter Greg Cooper grandparents and father once in offering to help restore the lived in the 400 square foot home home. “I’d encourage you to let — expressed interest in using them do it. It builds camarade- the Stieper property, or one of rie, it builds friendships. I don’t two city-owned lots on Shoreline think you can go wrong.” “I always thought this was a See IMMIGRANT HOUSE, page 13
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MICHELLE LE
A customer pushes her cart through Rose Market on May 21. New owners say that apartments planned for site won’t necessarily push out the grocery store.
Landowner wants Rose Market to stay REDEVELOPMENT PLAN MAKES FATE OF AFGHAN GROCERY STORE UNCLEAR By Daniel DeBolt
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fter a community backlash against plans for 200 apartments at the corner of Castro Street and El Camino Real, one of the property owners spoke Tuesday of an obligation to create a “very good” project that includes existing businesses such as the
Rose Market. The landowner, who wished not to be named, is one of several family members that now own roughly half the property proposed for redevelopment at the corner. The property, from 1032 to 1062 Castro Street, includes the buildings that house the Rose Market, Peets Coffee, Le’s Alterations, Sushi
Tei and Tanya’s Hair Design. Their father, longtime landlord John Nicholas, died in 2011. The landowner said it was important to the family to see the corner developed well as a “gateway” to downtown at one of the most important See ROSE MARKET, page 10
At-risk high school students making gains By Nick Veronin
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arlier this month, U.S. News and World Report published a story ranking both Mountain View and Los Altos high schools among the top 2 percent out of 21,000 schools from around the country. Earning a spot so high on the list is certainly a testament to many things, such as the quality
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of teachers, the strength of the community and the number of bright young men and women in local schools — the ones who earn the high scores on standardized tests, helping their schools climb in the rankings. However, the high marks aren’t solely the result of the highest achieving pupils at MVHS and LAHS, and it would be a mistake
to think so, district administrators said In fact, schools listed in the U.S. News story, and in a similar article which recently ran in Newsweek, were also ranked on how well they did in educating disadvantaged students — and that is something the local high See AT-RISK STUDENTS, page 8
VIEWPOINT 16 | GOINGS ON 24 | MARKETPLACE 26 | REAL ESTATE 28