Mountain View Voice June 5, 2015 by Mountain View Voice

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New NASA Ames director shoots for the stars PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, SPACE EXPLORATION ON THE AGENDA FOR EUGENE TU By Mark Noack

he year 1984 was a very different time at NASA. Space was emerging as a new battlefront in the Cold War. The United States was championing plans to launch anti-missile satellites into orbit. Meanwhile, President Ronald Reagan used his State of the Union address that year to highlight a vision to one day build an international space station.

It was the same year that Eugene Tu, a mechanical engineering sophomore from the University of California at Berkeley, started his first internship at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View. He was the new kid joining the computational fluid dynamics program, then a relatively new team tasked with simulating flight scenarios with computers. See NASA AMES, page 6

Civil rights group claims racial bias in MVLA high schools ADMINISTRATORS DENY CHARGE THAT MINORITY STUDENTS ARE PLACED IN LOWER-LEVEL MATH CLASSES By Kevin Forestieri

Bay Area civil rights advocacy group released a report late last month claiming the Mountain View-Los

Altos Union High School District is among several school districts in the area that disproportionately place minority students in lower-level math classes in ninth grade, leaving them behind their

MICHELLE LE

Eugene Tu, the new director of NASA Ames Research Center, chats with Associate Director Steven Zornetzer. On the wall behind him are portraits of past NASA Ames directors.

peers and reducing their chances of getting accepted into college. A 37-page report by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCR) found that Latino and African-American students are far more likely to get placed in algebra than their white and Asian peers, despite the fact that the students meet or exceed standards that would allow them to take geometry in their freshman year. The civil rights group spe-

Superintendent Barry Groves said the district doubled the number of Latino students taking the more rigorous math classes since it adopted an open access policy. cifically points to the Mountain View-Los Altos district, where the 24 percent of Latinos and the 2 percent of African-Americans who make up the student body

are “disproportionately” placed in algebra in their freshman year. The exact number of students See RACIAL BIAS, page 13

Bubble hasn’t burst for Google’s futuristic domes CITY-OWNED SITE COULD BE FIRST FOR AMBITIOUS DESIGN By Mark Noack

G COURTESY OF GOOGLE

INSIDE

oogle’s vision for a futuristic campus of bubble buildings hasn’t burst. The search-engine company last week unveiled plans to bring what could be the first of its sensational dome-shaped buildings

VIEWPOINT 19 | GOINGS ON 24 | MARKETPLACE 26 | REAL ESTATE 28

to a little-discussed property at Charleston East. The 18.6-acre site, located at the corner of Charleston Road and Shoreline Boulevard, has long been in Google’s sights for a future expansion. For years, the company has leased the property from the city of Moun-

tain View, with plans to someday build a 595,000-square-foot office building. “We always knew they had the entitlements to build there,” said Mayor John McAlister. “I guess they figured now was the time to See DOMES, page 9

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MOTORCYCLIST KILLED IN TRAFFIC COLLISION A motorcyclist was struck and killed in a traffic collision on Moffett Boulevard on May 28, according to Mountain View police. The motorcyclist was identified the next day by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office as 24-year-old Karl Holladay of Gilroy. Holladay was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died, police said. The accident occurred at about 11:30 a.m. on the southbound side of the road near the Highway 85 over-crossing. A vehicle was making a left turn onto Highway 85 from northbound Moffett Boulevard when it collided with the motorcycle, which was traveling in a southbound lane, according to Sgt. Saul Jaeger of the Mountain View Police Department. It is still too

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POLICE CONFRONTATION LEADS TO ARREST A Sunnyvale man was arrested last week after he allegedly confronted police and refused to cooperate during an unrelated traffic stop. Police stopped a car near the intersection of Highway 237 and El Camino Real on Friday, May 29, at 10:48 p.m. when 29-yearold Ricardo Estrada approached the officers, on foot, and became “aggressive” with the officers, according the Sgt. Saul Jaeger of the Mountain View Police Department. Estrada told officers that the vehicle they had stopped was his own, and when he was told the leave the area he refused. Estrada ignored commands by police

to remove his hands from his pockets, and was told he would be arrested if he continued not to comply with officers, Jaeger said. While Estrada was not related to the vehicle stop at all, Jaeger said, it turns out the vehicle did actually belong to him, and he was the passenger in another car that was following closely behind. Estrada was eventually arrested on charges of resisting or delaying a police officer and booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail.

BICYCLIST ARRESTED Police arrested a bicyclist with a warrant out for his arrest after he allegedly attempted to flee from officers in the early hours of the morning last week. The officer stopped the bicyclist, 25-year-old David Lundquist of San Jose, when they spotted him riding his bike in the darkness with no headlight at 3:40 a.m. on May 30 near Del Medio Avenue and Fayette Drive. Once stopped, Lundquist allegedly tried to escape the officer by riding away. He was quickly caught by the officer, who grabbed Lundquist and brought him to the ground, according to Sgt. Saul Jaeger of the Mountain View Police Department. Lundquist was arrested on charges of resisting or delaying a police officer, and was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail. It was later discovered that Lundquist had an outstanding, narcotics-related warrant for his arrest. —Kevin Forestieri

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early in the investigation to determine who was at fault, Jaeger said. “We are still investigating this and need to calculate speeds (and) distances to find out placement of each involved vehicle to make a determination,” Jaeger told the Voice via email. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, police said. Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be factors in the collision. Both southbound lanes on Moffett just south of Highway 85 were closed for several hours. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the collision or has any information about the incident to contact Lt. Mike Canfield at 650-903-6681 and refer to case number 15-2895.

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LocalNews MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE

Q CITY COUNCIL UPDATES Q COMMUNITY Q FEATURES

MV to study South Bay clean-energy alternative CITIES EYE COMMUNITY CHOICE PROGRAM TO LOWER COSTS, CARBON FOOTPRINT By Mark Noack

MICHELLE LE

A bicyclist leaves the Permanente Creek Trail where it now ends at Rock Street. Plans are afoot to link the trail through the Crittenden school campus, but it could be a tight squeeze.

Creek trail takes a middle school detour CITY PUTS $1 MILLION TOWARD LINKING BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATH THROUGH CRITTENDEN CAMPUS By Kevin Forestieri

t’s going to be a tight fit, but the Mountain View Whisman School District is finishing up designs this month to construct an extension of the Permanente Creek Trail through Crittenden Middle School, from Rock Street to Middlefield Road.

In partnership with the city of Mountain View, which will pick up the estimated $1 million bill for the project, the school district will design the trail to better match up with campus improvements currently underway using Measure G bond funds. Specific details of the project are not yet available, but the

plan is to extend the 1.2-mile trail past Rock Street through the campus, where it will veer slightly east to meet up with the intersection of Farley Street and Middlefield Road. “We are excited about being able to support bike commuters and create safer bike routes See CREEK TRAIL, page 8

Filling bellies during summer break FREE MEALS AVAILABLE TO KIDS AT CITY SUMMER CAMPS, CASTRO SCHOOL By Kevin Forestieri

housands of Mountain View kids who rely on free and reduced-price meals during the school year may have a little more to fear than summer brain-drain in the coming months. Losing two reliable daily meals when class lets out this week means many students face aren’t fighting boredom over the summer — they’re fighting hunger pains. But the city of Mountain View will be pitching in this year, delivering school-prepared meals

to summer camps all over town in an effort to reach as many needy children as possible. Right now, anyone under the age of 18 can pick up a meal at Castro Elementary for breakfast and lunch through the summer months as part of the “Seamless Summer” food program — provided they have a way to get to Castro. The problem ends up being access, and getting to the campus for meals can be a challenge. Citing budget constraints, in 2009 the Mountain View Whisman School District decided to

cut the number of summer meal school sites from two to just one. The number of meals served each day subsequently dropped from 600 to 400. But those numbers may finally be on the upswing. Mountain View’s Recreation Department plans to have someone go to the school each day, pick up hundreds of meals and drop them off at The View Teen Center as well many city-run summer camps including Club Rec Juniors, H20 Adventures, Rec’ing Crew and See SUMMER BREAK, page 8

n a bid to cut energy costs as well as greenhouse gases, Mountain View officials are powering forward with a small band of South Bay cities to create a new clean-energy portfolio tailored for local residents. Expected to be ready by late next year, the program called community-choice energy would pool local households together to buy power on the energy market, giving customers new leverage to promote renewable sources of energy. The system — still in its infancy — is being touted as an alternative to Pacific Gas and Electric company, circumventing the utility’s dominance as the sole energy provider for much of Northern California. “This is way for us to push the state and PG&E to require more greenhouse reduction by changing the portfolio for everyone,” said Councilwoman Pat Showalter. “If there were lots of these community-choice energy projects, it would force PG&E to offer similar portfolios.” As part of the proposal, Mountain View would partner with Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Santa Clara County to form a jointpowers authority that would control energy purchases. While electricity would no longer come from PG&E sources, the utility company would still handle distribution and maintenance along its huge power grid. If launched, the program would be among the first such community-choice energy projects in the state. The concept was authorized under state legislation back in 2002; however establishing a foothold in local communities took years, in part due to challenges from PG&E. Launching the state’s first community-choice program in Marin County was a true “David versus Goliath” battle, recalled Shawn Marshall, a consultant with Lean Energy U.S. and a past Mill Valley councilwoman. To oppose the effort, the utility spent $5 million on mailers and robo-calls, warning residents that communitychoice would spiral into higher

power costs, she said. “The most basic reason they opposed us is they enjoy a monopoly on power generation and delivery,” she said. “They didn’t have any competition, and opening up the market just on supply side, that’d mean they’re losing customers.” To a degree, that campaign backfired for PG&E. Marin lawmakers pushed forward the program, and a backlash developed against the company’s efforts to undermine it. State lawmakers later prohibited PG&E from actively working to quash similar programs, labeling its behavior as “atrocious.” Asked for comment, PG&E officials touted the company’s power mix as among the cleanest in the nation with approximately 27 percent coming from renewable sources. The company is committed to raising that level to 33 percent by the end of the decade. “We respect the energy choices that are available to our customers, and will continue to cooperate with local governments as they consider pursuing and/ or developing a communitychoice aggregation program,” said PG&E spokeswoman Nicole Liebelt. The warnings over cost hikes turned out to be false alarms in Marin. In fact, once Marin officials launched their power alternative, named Marin Clean Energy, residents saw their rates take a dip. Today, the cheapest Marin energy plan, which guarantees half its power comes from renewable sources, remains about 18 percent cheaper than its closest PG&E counterpart. Marin Clean Energy also offers higher-cost plans that draw energy entirely from renewable and local sources. Similar costs savings could be realized for Mountain View and other South Bay cities, said Steve Attinger, the city’s environmental sustainability coordinator. Perhaps more alluring, he highlighted the local energy alternative as single best way to lower the city’s carbon footprint. See CLEAN ENERGY, page 7

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LocalNews NASA AMES

Continued from page 1

Call it an apt mindset for space research, but Tu has never really looked back since staking his career at NASA, and today he could be called its most prominent local figure. After a 30-year career with the space agency, Tu last month was picked to serve as the newest director of the Ames Research Center, giving him a chance to guide research and development for the center’s 1,200 employees and about as many contractors. Stepping into that role, Tu takes the helm of an agency that has dramatically changed from when he first joined. Today, NASA’s space shuttles — previously the agency’s centerpiece — have now all been retired, and many aspects of space transit are deferred to private entities. Meanwhile, the agency’s budget is leaner — today the U.S. spends about 40 percent less on NASA as a percentage of the total federal budget than it did 30 years ago. Nevertheless, Tu said that NASA and the Ames Research Center remain unparalleled

and enormously inf luential in drawing on a much larger network of private partners and contractors to guide the future of science. Sitting in the auditorium in Ames Building 201 on Monday, the 50-yearold Tu described his vision for how to lead the iconic research park into the future. “In the early ‘80s, it was all about the shuttle program,” he recalled. “Now our focus is how to go beyond that. How do we go beyond the lower Earth orbit for humans? How do we keep pushing the bounds of exploration on the robotic side?” He laid out three priorities for the future. At the top of the list is keeping Ames as a innovation hub within the agency. Second is keeping the dated infrastructure at the 76-yearold Ames campus functional, which is admittedly a tall order. The research park has key equipment including supercomputers, wind tunnels and simulators, some of which aren’t working quite as well as in years past. He told the Voice that his third priority is to foster more private-public partnerships, which

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have become increasingly integral to the agency. The NASA Research Park today hosts more than 70 companies, satellite universities and nonprofits that share a common goal with the space agency. A common situation these days is that NASA’s scope for lower-level research is limited because its resources are devoted to a narrower set of priorities. “What’s often happening in

NASA and Google, a major stakeholder at the research park. The search-engine company’s specialty — data mining — has been extremely useful for NASA to draw on when analyzing large sets of information. Another significant partnership between the two is developing autonomous vehicles. While this technology certainly has a future in the consumer market, it also

‘How do we go beyond the lower earth orbit for humans? How do we keep pushing the bounds of exploration on the robotic side?’ EUGENE TU

this scenario is you’re not able to fund the longer-term research as much as you could have back in the day,” Tu said. “But if you harness it correctly, there’s great out-of-the-box thinking (in the private sector). In some ways, the private sector can look at approaches that we don’t typically look at.” As an example, he pointed to the partnerships between

is valuable for future space exploration, he said. “There’s nothing that needs more autonomy than a rover on a planet 30 million miles away,” he said. Last year, as self-driving cars started being tested throughout the research park, some NASA employees raised concerns that their safety could be compromised in the process. Tu

emphasized that safety is the top priority in any experimentation. In response to the complaints, NASA assembled a committee to review the program and lay down rules for how the testing would go forward. In his new role, Tu said he brings a strong scientific background as well as the benefit of longstanding institutional knowledge. After being hired at NASA in the late ‘80s, Tu earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University. In his time at Ames, he’s led four research divisions, including the agency’s supercomputer and its arc jet-testing complex. Tu admitted he was still being briefed on all the other partnerships and initiatives NASA is involved in at the research park. Even though he has spent decades at Ames, there is still much he is learning about it every day, he said. “The breadth of this center is really incredible,” he said. “I’m still learning (about) part of this center that in 30 years I never knew about.” Email Mark Noack at mnoack@mv-voice.com V

LocalNews CLEAN ENERGY Continued from page 5

If Mountain View could mirror Marin’s figures, local greenhouse-gas emissions from electricity would drop 11.3 percent, he explained. If the city matched numbers from Sonoma’s local alternative — Sonoma Clean Energy — that would mean a 26.3 percent reduction, he said. “That’s a huge, huge piece, and there’s nothing else in our longterm plan that affects energy that comes anywhere near to the impact that community-choice energy would have,” he said. “It’s the silver bullet, the best arrow in our quiver.” Exactly where this power would come from for a South Bay energy collective is still up in the air. The city and its partners over the next few months will begin a $450,000 technical study to determine how to jump-start a local program, he said. Part of that step will be to map out power sources and how to meet local demand, Attinger said. As the program takes root, it would be possible for the new utility to invest in more local power generation. Sonoma’s program is only one year old, but it has already begun constructing local solar arrays, Attinger said.

Demand to join the program could rapidly grow in the South Bay. While only four agencies partnered to begin the technical study, eight other cities volunteered their data to possibly join the program at a future date. Similarly, the South Bay is just one area of California currently eyeing this concept. About 20 other counties and several cities are also investigating community-choice energy, leading to some trepidationt hat a spree of new buyers could trigger higher energy costs. Other risks are also inherent in the program, Attinger noted, pointing out that the California Public Utilities Commission or state lawmakers could impose new rules that would put community-choice programs at a disadvantage. Those risks led Councilman John Ink last week to cast the lone dissenting vote against moving ahead with the program. “There are significant risks in committing taxpayer dollars to a program like this,” he said. “The idea you can improve the environment with the program like this, it’s just not clear to me.” The council approved moving forward with the program in a 6-1 vote. Email Mark Noack at mnoack@mv-voice.com V

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LocalNews CREEK TRAIL

was built simply to convey water, Tippets said. It’s no surprise then that the trail design, which will be sent to the state architect for approval, is currently stalled on this narrow spot that requires 12 feet of easement from the water district, according to Terese McNamee, chief business officer for the school district.

“The school district property doesn’t give us enough width,” said Lisa Au, civil engineer for the city. “We need more right of way from the water district.” A 2012 feasibility study by the city explored different ways the trail could weave its way along the next 900 feet through the campus, and at the time it had two opposing alternatives, one

favored by the school district and one favored by the bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee. The school district favored a path that would continue to stay aligned alongside the edge of the creek, which would cause “minimal impact” for the school’s parking lot, but would make it difficult for the water district to make improvements to the creek’s cement channel and would include the removal of 14 trees. The committee-favored alternative would have the creek trail diverge onto existing concrete paths through the parking lot, and would line up with the Farley Street crosswalk. City Council members agreed in May 2013 to support the divergent path, and the school district later followed suit when Measure G plans nixed the campus’ western parking lot that posed safety concerns for the children on campus. The City Council is scheduled to revisit the trail extension issue this fall for a formal agreement with the school district, which will include a final construction cost estimate. For now, the project is expected to be paid for with $500,000 from Shoreline Community funds and $500,000 from Park Land Dedication funds. Construction is expected to begin next summer. Email Kevin Forestieri at kforestieri@mv-voice.com

SUMMER BREAK

able to deliver thousands of meals to hundreds of hungry kids throughout the summer. Typically, the federally funded free and reduced-price meals prepared at a school have to be eaten there too, GrzanPieracci said, but she found out this year that the restriction doesn’t apply during the summer. “We didn’t realize that we could actually transport the food. Traditionally, food served at a school can’t leave the school,” she said. The district’s food services staff have welcomed the new food-delivering strategy with open arms. Sofia Zalot, food services supervisor for the district, said their goal has always been to feed as many kids as possible during the summer, including the dozens of “walkins,” each day — kids who aren’t participating in summer school and just want a meal. Zalot said it was Grzan-Pieracci that really pushed to expand the summer food program beyond the walls of Castro Elementary this year. “She said, ‘Hey, let’s try to feed them all this summer,’”

Zalot said. Juan Cordon, the district’s new food services director, said he’s been trying to increase the number of meals served, and that the district is ready to take on any uptick this summer. Federal reimbursements will be able to pick up the tab, Cordon said, and they’re hoping to serve as many as 300 more meals per day over last summer. The summer food program runs from June 15 through July 24. School starts up again Aug. 17. The school district’s food services department has spent the last year re-branding itself, changing up the menu and using higher-quality ingredients to try to attract more kids to the school lunch program, which had slumping sales and continues to operate over-budget. Cordon said the same can be said for summer. “We gotta get creative and get feedback,” Cordon said. “Hopefully we can make some interesting things. Even if it’s free, kids will walk away from it sometimes.” Email Kevin Forestieri at kforestieri@mv-voice.com

Continued from page 5

for our kids and others,” said Interim Superintendent Kevin Skelly. Though the district is the one drawing up designs for the path, it doesn’t have free rein over the project. The Mountain View City Council and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee both came out heavily in support of the Farley Street connection, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District has plenty of restrictions and requirements for future maintenance and flood-protection projects. There’s a particularly tight part of the extension that will squeeze the path between the edge of the creek and the school’s existing buildings and parking lots, which could encroach on the water district’s access for maintenance and could stymie its ability to replace the existing “slopesided” cement channel in the creek, according to Sue Tippets, community project manager for the district. “We need to keep room for everything there,” Tippets said. “We’re trying to get the trail in there without having our access needs compromised.” The environmental features of

MICHELLE LE

The entrance to the most recent extension to the Permanente Creek Trail, which goes from Rock Street to Old Middlefield Way.

the area are not ideal for maintaining the creek and providing a trail; the creek channel was built “many years ago” and no one had these multiple uses for the area in mind — the channel

Administrative Assistant Embarcadero Media, publisher of the Palo Alto Weekly, The Almanac, Mountain View Voice and community websites, is looking for a highly-organized, technologysavvy self starter to support our Palo Alto-based sales team. You’ll work with other sales assistants and our design department to ensure the smooth operation of the sales and ad production process. You’ll also research advertising prospects, assist in the preparation of sales presentations and prepare web statistics for online advertising campaigns. This full-time entry-level position requires a person who is detail-oriented, a good problem-solver, an excellent written and verbal communicator and happy in a fast-paced environment. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to Shannon Corey, Marketing Director, at scorey@paweekly.com.

4 5 0 C A M B R I D G E AV E N U E | PA L O A LT O

Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q June 5, 2015

Continued from page 5

the police department’s Dreams and Futures youth program, according to Maureen GrzanPieracci, recreation coordinator for the city. More than 1,500 students in the Mountain View Whisman School District who qualify for free and reduced lunch relied on meals served at school in the 2013-14 school year, and continuing to serve up that food through the city-sponsored summer programs may be an effective way to keep kids fed. Many of the camps have a a lot of low-income groups, Grzan-Pieracci said, and more than 90 percent of the students in the Rec’ing Crew camp qualify for free and reduced meals. “They had to bring their own meals, and to be honest, they weren’t the healthiest,” she said. Other camp attendees didn’t bring a lunch at all, she said, and the recreation department did its best to provide snacks to help out. Recreat ion Depa r t ment staffers estimate they will be

LocalNews DOMES

Continued from page 1

do it.” The Charleston East property wasn’t part of the discussion last May at a marathon City Council meeting at which Google and several other high-profile companies each made pitches for future office expansions. At the time, city leaders were deciding how to best divvy up 2.2 million square feet in bonus development rights in North Bayshore, where Google is headquartered. In anticipation of the decision, Google promoted its ambitious plans as a glimpse of the future: a glass-canopied office park with crane-like robots and changeable interiors. But the city awarded Google the rights to only one of its four proposed sites. Meanwhile, rival LinkedIn emerged with about two-thirds of the available space. The setback for Google left many wondering what the impact would be for the company’s ambitious campus plans and whether the bubble-dome idea was still alive. But city officials say the company already had clearance to develop Charleston East prior to the meeting. Over the last few weeks, Google representatives quietly began discussing options for the site with city planning officials. The company submitted its preliminary plans for Charleston East to the city on Friday, signaling the likelihood that it would develop the first of its domed building on that site. If approved, the domed building would be Google’s first major new construction project in Mountain View. So far, the company has primarily modified existing buildings or leased buildings from other firms, said Mountain View’s deputy development director, Terry Blount. “As you can imagine, the plans

are huge,” said Blount. “It would definitely be the first of the buildings they own of this style and type.” Google’s vision to build clusters of office buildings under a translucent tent generated worldwide attention, and the new plans submitted to the city last week shed more light on how this unconventional design would function. Architects Bjarke Ingels and Thomas Heatherwick describe the canopy as a glass “skin” held up by a cable-net structure and equipped with solar sensors that can strategically shade areas and harvest energy. Acting like a tent, the canopy would provide a controlled climate inside, giving architects freedom to open up walls, windows and roofing. Under the canopy, the builders envision three separate clusters of “light, tactile and flexible” structures that can be reconfigured based on the company’s whims. Those structures would rise as high as three stories, while underneath there would be two levels of underground parking. According to the architects’ plan, a public “green loop” pathway would cut through the tented space, allowing visitors to step inside. Some areas would apparently remain off-limits, and an overview layout shows five security checkpoints controlling access to sections within the dome. The characteristics of these plans are certain to be a major discussion topic in Mountain View in the coming months. For city staff, the design presents a particular challenge because it is so unique and unconventional, Blount said. He pointed out that the city this year hired two additional planners in anticipation of reviewing large-scale projects in North Bayshore. “There’s nothing really like

this anywhere,” he said. “We’ll certainly hear a lot more from the public and decision makers when this project goes to design review.” Google’s lease with the city for the Charleston East site originated in 2007. The deal that the city later hashed out gave Google control of the property through the year 2064. In exchange, the company prepaid $30 million to Mountain View. The lease also specified an “accelerated” timeline for how any proposed development at Charleston East would move through the planning-review process, Blount said. The plans remain at the very beginning of the review process, noted senior planner Stephanie Williams. After city staff gives informal feedback, Google will be asked to submit a formal application that would go through a design review process. No detailed timeline is available yet, she said.

Inspirations a guide to the spiritual community LOS ALTOS LUTHERAN Bringing God’s Love and Hope to All

Children’s Nursery 10:00 a.m. Worship 10:10 Sunday School 11:15 a.m. Fellowship Pastor David K. Bonde Outreach Pastor Gary Berkland 460 South El Monte (at Cuesta) 650-948-3012 www.losaltoslutheran.org

To include your Church in

Inspirations Please call Blanca Yoc at 650-223-6596 or email

byoc@paweekly.com

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

Ever Bitten Off More Than You Can Chew?

Q COMMUNITYBRIEFS

FREE CPR LESSON In honor of National CPR/AED Awareness Week, the Mountain View Fire Department, El Camino Hospital, El Camino YMCA and American Heart Association (AHA) will be hosting a free Sidewalk CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Training this Friday, June 5. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the sidewalk of the North Drive entrance to the El Camino YMCA, located at 2400 Grant Road, Mountain View. The training will be led by Mountain View firefighters, clinicians from El Camino Hospital and representatives from the AHA and American Stroke Association Silicon Valley. These trainers will use dolls to demonstrate hands-only CPR and how to use an AED. Participation in the event will not result in official CPR certification, but further information on how to get certified will be available. Participants will also receive handouts and information about the PulsePoint app, which identifies publicly accessible AEDs and helps alert CPR-trained bystanders to nearby emergencies. For more information, contact Jennifer Thrift at (650) 988-7435. — Shannon Chai

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2137 Wellesley Street, Palo Alto Offered at $1,788,000 Cutting-Edge Home With Fine Amenities A highly modernized design blends with chic amenities in this extensively renovated 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home of 1,399 sq. ft. (per plans) that occupies a lot of 3,127 sq. ft. (per plans). Fine features include central cooling, Andersen dual-pane windows, VELUX skylights, and built-in speakers. Offering soaring ceilings and clerestory windows, the living and dining room ensemble flows seamlessly into the ultra-modern kitchen, which enjoys designer cabinetry, Caesarstone countertops, and highend appliances. One of the bedrooms features a stunning bathroom with a laundry room, while the master suite provides a walk-in closet and dual vanities. The home includes two private lawns, including a lengthy backyard, and the carport offers a Tesla charging station. Just steps from Cameron Park, the home is also near Stanford University and California Avenue. Escondido Elementary (API 927) is within walking distance and Jordan Middle (API 934) and Palo Alto High (API 905) are also close by (buyer to verify eligibility). For video tour & more photos, please visit:

w w w . 2 1 3 7 We lle sle y.c o m

OPEN HOUSE

速

Ken D K DeLeon L CalBRE #01342140

Michael Repka M h lR k CalBRE #01854880

Saturday & Sunday, 1-5 pm Complimentary Lunch & Lattes

6 5 0 . 4 8 8 . 7 3 2 5 | i n f o @ d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | w w w. d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | C a l B R E # 0 1 9 0 3 2 2 4

Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q June 5, 2015

800 East Charleston Road, Unit 14, Palo Alto Offered at $1,288,000 Bright, Updated Condo Enjoys Central Location Centrally located within a quiet, private complex, this updated 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home provides 1,850 sq. ft. (per county). Spacious rooms offer soaring ceilings, dual-pane windows, and central air conditioning, while a broad, private rear patio is perfect for outdoor entertaining. Sharing a fireplace and outdoor access, the combined living and dining areas link to a comfortable kitchen with natural hardwood floors, bar seating, and stainless-steel appliances. All bathrooms have been updated, and both upstairs bathrooms feature quartz vanities. The bedrooms feature high ceilings and extensive closet storage, while the expansive master suite also includes a walk-in closet, dual vanities, and a private balcony. Additional features include an attached two-car garage and an upstairs laundry closet. Moments from Mitchell Park and Highway 101, this home is within steps of Charleston Shopping Center. Top schools nearby include Fairmeadow Elementary (API 953), JLS Middle (API 943), and Gunn High (API 917) (buyer to verify eligibility). For video tour & more photos, please visit:

w w w . 8 0 0 E ast Ch arle st o n .c o m

OPEN HOUSE

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Saturday & Sunday, 1-5 pm K D Ken DeLeon L CalBRE #01342140

Michael Repka M h lR k CalBRE #01854880

Complimentary Lunch

6 5 0 . 4 8 8 . 7 3 2 5 | i n f o @ d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | w w w. d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | C a l B R E # 0 1 9 0 3 2 2 4

June 5, 2015 Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q

LocalNews

CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW

No child left offline

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY COUNCIL MEETING

GOOGLE GRANT GIVES LOW-INCOME LOCAL KIDS CHROMEBOOKS AND HOME INTERNET SERVICE

DRAFT BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE The Mountain View City Council will review and provide input regarding the Draft Bicycle Transportation Plan (Plan) Update on:

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;6:30 P.M* COUNCIL CHAMBERS SECOND FLOOR, MOUNTAIN VIEW CITY HALL 500 CASTRO STREET, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA Members of the public will have an opportunity to address the Council regarding the Draft Plan. The Council report will be available on the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website www.mountainview.gov the evening of Thursday, July 3, 2015. *This is the scheduled meeting start time. Contact the City Clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 6É&#x2030;JL H[ [V JVUĂ&#x201E;YT Z[HY[ [PTL HUK [PTPUN MVY [OPZ item. For further information, contact the Public Works Department at (650) 903-6311 or public.works@mountainview.gov. 7HYH TmZ PUMVYTHJP}U WVY MH]VY W}UNHZL LU JVU[HJ[V JVU SH 6Ă&#x201E;JPUH del Departamento de Obras PĂşblicas public.works@mountainview. gov o llamando al (650) 903-6311. Äľ Ĺ&#x2020;Ĺ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x201C;Ĺ&#x201D;Ĺ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x2022;Ĺ&#x201E;Ĺ?Ĺ&#x152; Ĺ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x2026;Ĺ&#x201D;Ĺ&#x201E;Ĺ?Ĺ&#x201E;Ĺ?Ĺ&#x2013;Ĺ&#x2030;Ĺ&#x2022;Ĺ Ĺ&#x2020; Ĺ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x2013;Ĺ&#x2C6;Ĺ&#x2030;Ĺ? Ĺ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x2026;Ĺ?Ĺ&#x2030;Ĺ&#x2022;Ĺ&#x2013;Ĺ&#x2020;Ĺ&#x2030;Ĺ&#x2018;Ĺ&#x2018;Ĺ&#x;Ĺ&#x2122; Ĺ&#x201D;Ĺ&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x2013; 7\ISPJ >VYRZ +LWHY[TLU[ Ĺ&#x201C;Ĺ&#x2019; Ĺ&#x2013;Ĺ&#x2030;Ĺ?Ĺ&#x2030;Ĺ&#x2DC;Ĺ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x2018;Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x152;Ĺ?Ĺ&#x152; Ĺ&#x201C;Ĺ&#x2019; Ĺ&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2C6;Ĺ&#x201D;Ĺ&#x2030;Ĺ&#x2022;Ĺ&#x2014; ĹĄĹ?Ĺ&#x2030;Ĺ&#x17D;Ĺ&#x2013;Ĺ&#x201D;Ĺ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x2018;Ĺ&#x2018;Ĺ&#x2019;Ĺ? Ĺ&#x201C;Ĺ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x203A;Ĺ&#x2013;Ĺ&#x; W\ISPJ ^VYRZ'TV\U[HPU]PL^ NV] ĺŚ&#x201A;ćŹ˛č&#x17D;ˇĺ?&#x2013;ć&#x203A;´ĺ¤&#x161;čľ&#x201E;čŽŻďź&#x152;čŻˇč &#x201D;çť&#x153;ĺ&#x2026;Źĺ&#x2026;ąĺťşčŽžäş&#x2039;ä¸&#x161;é&#x192;¨ďź&#x2C6;Public Works Departmentďź&#x2030;ďź&#x161; ç&#x201D;ľčŻ? (650) 903-6311ďź&#x203A;ç&#x201D;ľĺ?é&#x201A;Žäťś public.works@mountainview.gov.

CITY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW

Mountain View City Council Meeting Notice 5 9LUNZ[VYÉ&#x2C6; (]LU\L 7HYR +LZPNU +H[L! Tuesday, June 9, 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:30 p.m. 3VJH[PVU! Council Chambers, 2nd Floor City Hall, 500 Castro Street

( UL^ WHYR PZ JVTPUN [V `V\Y ULPNOIVYOVVK The Mountain View City Council will consider the Parks and Recreation Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendation to approve the conceptual plan for the new park design.

For more information, contact Rey Rodriguez, Senior Project Manager at (650) 903-6311 or email rey.rodriguez@mountainview.gov

Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q June 5, 2015

By Kevin Forestieri

echnology is playing a greater role in education, as schools in Mountain View bring more tablets, laptops, computers and other devices into the classroom. But back at home, hundreds of students remain without Internet access in the city, causing a digital divide that could be putting students in low-income families at a disadvantage. And while families can qualify for cheap Internet access if their kids qualify for free and reduced lunches at school, the Mountain View Whisman School District has taken up the torch in making sure no child is left off line. The district sought $75,000 in grant money to go towards buying hundreds of Chromebooks and three months of Internet service for students without access to high speed Internet at home. A recent survey tied to open enrollment found that about 600 students fall under this category, according to Jon Aker, director of technology for the district. A lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share of the grant money went towards purchasing 300 Chromebooks, to be handed out for free at designated events for lower-income families who have been contacted directly by district staff. The rest of the grant went toward what are essentially gift cards for three months of free Internet service through Comcastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Internet Essentials program. The program provides relatively high-speed Internet for $10 a month specifically for families who qualify for free and reduced lunch. Last week the district held its first event at Theuerkauf Elementary, where 24 families signed up and picked up Chromebooks. The grant money, which came from Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public affairs team, aims to make devices for young children in Mountain View more available for kids, both at school and at home,

according to a statement by Davis White, Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public policy and government relations manager. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With this donation, we hope to give students in our city a new way to bridge the tech divide,â&#x20AC;? White said. Aker, along with Interim Superintendent Kevin Skelly, sought out both the grant from Google as well as the Comcast service. Lennies Gutierrez, government affairs director for Comcast, said it really falls

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The faces and enthusiasm of the kids receiving the Chromebooks were priceless.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT KEVIN SKELLY

on individual school districts to push for parents to apply for Internet Essentials, and both Aker and Skelly made a concerted effort to get families signed up. The upcoming events will include employees from Comcast, including Spanish-speakers, who volunteer as â&#x20AC;&#x153;ambassadors.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some areas and some school districts are more active than others, and the Mountain View Whisman School District has been very proactive,â&#x20AC;? Gutierrez said. The superintendents from the Mountain View Whisman School District and the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District both told the Voice last year that they support the Comcast program and encourage families to sign up. Aker said the high school district eventually opted out of applying for a grant with Google this year, showing interest in waiting until next year. He said it was important to get the program rolling prior to the

end of the school year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to get access to families over the summer,â&#x20AC;? Aker said. Skelly said he was able to drop by the event at Theuerkauf last week, and said the kids looked â&#x20AC;&#x153;so happyâ&#x20AC;? to be able to hook up their devices and try out some of the online tools they never had a chance to use at home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The faces and enthusiasm of the kids receiving the Chromebooks were priceless,â&#x20AC;? Skelly said. Scott Adams, also a government affairs director for Comcast, said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been on board with the company since they rolled out Internet Essentials four years ago. He said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a two-pronged approach to get families to adopt new technology and learn to use it. In some households the Internet is still considered a luxury, Adams said, and the benefits arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t particularly clear. While school districts are the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best partner in expanding the program, they use local Rotary Clubs, foundations, nonprofits, housing authorities, health clinics and just about any â&#x20AC;&#x153;trusted partnerâ&#x20AC;? they can to get to spread the word. In some ways it ends up being a sales job, getting families motivated to go online where they can track student progress, allow kids to do homework online, get access to government websites, online banking and connecting to relatives via Skype, Adams said. So far the program has enrolled more than 46,000 families in California alone, and Gutierrez said the outreach in Mountain View is a perfect example of how to start a â&#x20AC;&#x153;snowballâ&#x20AC;? effect. She said following the meeting at Theuerkauf, Mountain Viewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s city managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office reached out to her asking about more brochures and handouts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The snowball effect is real,â&#x20AC;? Gutierrez said. Email Kevin Forestieri at kforestieri@mv-voice.com V

LocalNews RACIAL BIAS

Continued from page 1

affected was not provided in the report. “The high numbers of minority students misplaced in algebra in ninth grade raises concerns of racial bias and discrimination in the placement process,” the report states. Superintendent Barry Groves said the district “vigorously denies” that it holds minority students back in ninth-grade math classes, and said he was perplexed that the LCCR didn’t contact district. He said the group based its analysis on public records requests but did not release the more districtspecific data it used to come to its conclusion. “I am very incensed that they would publish this without ever talking with us, without ever asking if this makes sense. Nobody has ever contacted us at all,” Groves said. According to the report, the most common misplacement of African-American and Hispanic students in a math class happens when a student finishes algebra in middle school but is forced to repeat the course again in the first year of high school. The report says that the middle school grades and test scores of a number of these students are on par with their peers of other ethnic backgrounds. Of the students surveyed in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, 51 percent of Latino students and 53 percent of African- Americans took algebra in eighth grade, but only 16.5 percent of Latinos and 17.8 percent of African-Americans go on to take geometry in ninth grade — substantially lower than their Asian and white peers. Starting out behind means these students are not likely to reach higher-level math classes like calculus by their senior year, which can decrease their chances of getting accepted into a college or university after graduation, the report says. By missing out on higherlevel math, students are also frozen out of highly valued jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the report says. LCCR member Dana Isaac said the advocacy group does a lot of work in the field of education, and was hearing stories from people who said they had been put in the wrong math class by their school district, oftentimes taking the exact same class in ninth grade that they had taken the year before. Whenever the issue is brought up at community forums, she

‘Our hope is always to be able to work this out with the district and, essentially, the end goal is to make sure kids end up in the correct math classes.’ DANA ISAAC OF LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

said, someone in the audience “without fail” will always say he or she got stuck in the wrong class. The issue is two-fold when minority students are held back, she said. They have to compete with a disadvantage when applying for highly competitive University of California schools, but it also has a psychological effect as well. “On a personal, mental level, being held back is being told ‘you are not good at math’ and ‘opportunities in math are not your strong suit,” Isaac said. While the problem is regional, Isaac said, it’s important to focus on Mountain ViewLos Altos because it’s in the center of the tech industry — right next door to Google — which similarly lacks a strong minority presence. The nearby schools, she said, may be a contributing factor. She said the district also has no written math placement policy, which means nothing ensures that students who pass algebra in middle school are headed for geometry in their freshman year. In response to Groves’ charge that the LCCR didn’t contact the district before releasing its report, Isaac said the district was contacted in the sense that the LCCR was requesting the public records indicating how many students are being placed in what classes in their freshman year, and that the district was well aware the group was looking into the issue. Associate Superintendent Brigitte Sarraf, who said she was “appalled” by the claims in the report, has been reviewing transcripts this week of individual students going back four years to see if the problem really exists and if minority students are, in fact, being misplaced in math classes. She said of the roughly 1,000 Latino and African-American students she has looked at so far, she could find only 27 students whose placement in algebra was questionable and probably could have been reviewed. Sarraf said it would have been good for the group to come to the district and consult staff on the data it requested, which

she said can be seriously misleading. Four years of big changes in the public school system can make it hard to tell what class students should be placed in the following year, she said. She speaks by phone with Mountain View Whisman School District’s director of curriculum, Cathy Baur, every year trying to figure out the content of classes like “prealgebra support,” and whether they are a direct lead-in to geometry, she said. How ‘open’ is open access? Unlike some school districts, the Mountain View-Los Altos district has an “open access” policy for math class enrollment. Under the policy, students do not need to rely on past courses taken, test scores or grades to get into classes like geometry. That policy may suggest that traditional barriers to enrollment in these classes are removed, and that it would be easier for disadvantaged students to dive into tougher classes, but Isaac believes such a policy can be deceptively unfair. By suspending any requirements, she said, the district puts the burden of knowing what classes to sign up for on the parents and students themselves, rather than the school district, which means the burden is shifted onto the families to advocate for their kids and get them into the right classes. Parents whose first language is not English may not have a clear sense of what classes their kids need to sign up for, she said. “It takes a certain institutional awareness to navigate the education realm,” Isaac said. Senate Resolution 60, adopted by the state Senate last year, encourages local school boards to develop a “transparent” mathematics placement policy that should take into account placement tests, statewide assessments, grades and coursework. Among other things, the resolution points to students’ being misplaced in math courses as a serious concern, with the “most egregious” cases happening

among the disproportionately misplaced minority students. Sarraf called the idea expressed by Isaac that the open access policy bars minority students “infuriating.” Working with the district for 45 years, she said, she’s been through many iterations of math-placement policies, and the ones with well-defined requirements have been far more restrictive and keep students out of classes for things like low performance on a single test. “These are all well-intended strategies, but the end results really didn’t favor students in the past,” Sarraf said. With open access, she said, the difference is like night and day. “I cannot tell you how many students came in with tears that they didn’t make it into a class with the black-and-white system,” she said. Groves said the district doubled the number of Latino students taking the more rigorous math classes since it adopted open access. He said families do not have to go it alone advocating for themselves, and that there are plenty of counseling staff in the schools to help guide both parents and students to sign up for the right classes. “We don’t blindly let students make their decision without knowing how they’re doing. We give them recommendations, but it’s up to them to make the decision,” Groves said. No interest in a lawsuit Despite the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights report’s

detail on grounds for a lawsuit against school districts that allegedly have racially biased math placement policies, Isaac said the LCCR’s intent is not to sue individual school districts. The group has successfully litigated in the past, she said, but the real goal is to overcome what appears to be a systemic problem in the way minority students are placed in classes. “Our hope is always to be able to work this out with the district and, essentially, the end goal is to make sure kids end up in the correct math classes,” she said. Isaac said the plan is to meet with residents and community groups in Mountain View in the next week or so to go over the data and better assess the problem. Meanwhile, Sarraf said she will continue to dig through the transcripts of thousands of high school students, including white and Asian students, to see if there exists any kind of discrepancy in math placement. She said that the report’s findings regarding the MVLA district are likely incorrect, and the number of misplaced students is probably small, but she will still consult with the principals and see what they think as well. It’s always possible, she said, that there is some deep-seated issue in student placement into math classes. “I’m pretty sure that is not the conclusion I’m going to find,” she said. Email Kevin Forestieri at kforestieri@mv-voice.com V

June 5, 2015 Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q

LocalNews

Auto burglar arrested after ramming detectives

PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED BUDGET ON JUNE 16, 2015 City of Mountain View Notice of joint public hearing of the following governmental agencies to review the Fiscal Year 2015-16 Proposed Annual Budgets, Proposed Water, Wastewater and Solid Waste Trash and Recycling rates and various City fees: â&#x20AC;˘ City Council of the City of Mountain View â&#x20AC;˘ Board of Directors of the Mountain View Shoreline Regional Park Community â&#x20AC;˘ Board of Directors of the City of Mountain View Capital Improvements Financing Authority Notice is hereby given that Tuesday, June 16, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard in the Council Chamber, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View, has been set as the time and place for a public hearing to receive citizen input and written protests from owners or tenants of property located within the City regarding the proposed increases to water, wastewater and solid waste trash and recycling rates. Utility customers objecting to the proposed utility rates may Ă&#x20AC;OH D ZULWWHQ SURWHVW ZLWK WKH &LW\ &OHUN WR EH UHFHLYHG on or before the close of the public hearing on June 16, 2015, which will be tabulated at the public hearing. No utility rate protests submitted by e-mail will be accepted. Notice of this public hearing was previously provided in accordance with Article XIII(D) Section 6 of the California State Constitution. The notice of public hearing and proposed utility rates can be found at: http://www.mountainview.gov/depts/fasd/revenue/ utilities/default.asp Notice is also given that Tuesday, June 16, 2015 at the hour of 6:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard in the Council Chamber, has been set as the time and place for a public hearing to receive citizen input on the use of funds for the Fiscal Year 2015-16 Proposed Budget; on the use of funds for the Fiscal Year 2015-16 Capital Improvement Program; and on various proposed City fees. Council will take action to adopt the above after the public hearing. If you are unable to attend the budget public hearing but would like the City Council, Boards and staff to know your views, please send a letter to the City Council, P.O. Box 7540, Mountain View, California 94039, or an e-mail to city. clerk@mountainview.gov on or before Friday, June 12, 2015. Copies of the Fiscal Year 2015-16 Proposed Budget, supporting documentation for proposed water, wastewater and solid waste trash and recycling rates and various City fees will be available for review by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12, 2015 at City Hall in the City &OHUNÂˇV 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH &DVWUR 6WUHHW UG )ORRU 0RXQWDLQ View during normal business hours and during public hours at the Mountain View Public Library, 585 Franklin Street, Mountain View. The budget document will be available on Friday, June 12th, 2015 on the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at: http://www.mountainview.gov/depts/fasd/budget/current.asp

Dated this 13th day of May, 2015 Patty J. Kong Finance and Administrative Services Director 14

Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q June 5, 2015

By Sue Dremann

serial auto burglary suspect who rammed a police car during a pursuit was arrested through a team effort by Los Altos, Mountain View and Palo Alto police on Monday. Andrew Peacock, 27, of Oakland, a wanted felon, allegedly struck the occupied detective car during an arrest attempt and proceeded to lead police on a vehicle pursuit. No one was injured, Palo Alto police said. Palo Alto dispatchers received four separate calls of auto burglaries that had just occurred between 11:07 a.m. and 11:26 a.m. on June 1. The first occurred in the Town & Country Village shopping center parking lot at 855 El Camino Real; the second occurred at the Starbucks parking lot at 2000 El Camino Real; the third occurred at the Corner Bakery Cafe parking lot at 3375 El Camino Real and the fourth occurred at the Hobeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant parking lot at 4224 El Camino Real. In each case, unoccupied vehicles with personal electronic items (laptops, iPads) left in plain view had their windows smashed and the property stolen, police said. A witness to the burglary at the Corner Bakery Cafe promptly called police and provided a description and license plate of the suspect vehicle, a burgundy 2006 Mercedes CLS-500 fourdoor sedan, and a description of the suspect. Officers immediately recognized the vehicle and the suspect description as belonging to a suspect they had identified from a string of three auto burglaries that had occurred on Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at the Edgewood Shopping Center at 2050 Channing Ave. Detec-

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tives and patrol officers spread out to cover other commonly victimized areas, and dispatchers notified surrounding jurisdictions about the vehicle and what had occurred. At about 11:32 a.m., an officer from the Mountain View Police Department observed Peacockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vehicle in the In-N-Out Burger parking lot at 1159 N. Rengstorff Ave. in Mountain View. Detectives from the Palo Alto Police Department were already in that area looking for him. The detectives attempted to apprehend Peacock, but he drove off through the parking lot, intentionally ramming an unmarked Palo Alto Police Department detective car that had been blocking the exit. There were two detectives inside that car at the time it was struck, but neither detective was injured. The vehicle sustained moderate damage. After ramming the unmarked car, Peacock drove onto southbound U.S. Highway 101. Two officers from the Mountain View Police Department attempted to stop him at 11:34 a.m., but he refused to yield. The officers initiated a vehicle pursuit. Peacock made a high-speed lane change across three traffic lanes to exit at Mathilda Avenue in Sunnyvale and got away. The officers last saw him exiting onto Mathilda Avenue. At about 11:47 a.m., an officer from the Los Altos Police Department saw Peacockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mercedes driving in the area of Grant Road and Fremont Avenue. As soon as Peacock saw the officer, he allegedly drove off at a high rate of speed and disappeared. Other Los Altos Police Department personnel moved into the area to help in the search. A short time later, a Los Altos Police Department detective in an unmarked car observed Peacock walking in the 700 block of Berry Avenue. The suspect walked into the Los Altos Bakery inside the Rancho Shopping Center at 600 Fremont Ave. Officers from the Los Altos Police Department went into the bakery and found him hiding inside the restroom. They detained him without incident. Detectives from the Los Altos Police Department found Peacockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s damaged vehicle parked in the 700 block of Alvina Court, immediately around the corner from where they had first seen him walking. Detectives from the Palo Alto Police Department towed the suspectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vehicle for

investigation and are currently processing it, as well as items inside of it, for evidence. Detectives recovered all of the property stolen from the four Palo Alto auto burglaries, and they also located checkbooks and a cell phone they believe to have been stolen in other auto burglaries from other jurisdictions. Detectives are working to identify the owner of those items, police said. Palo Alto Police Department officers booked Peacock into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for assault with a deadly weapon and seven counts of auto burglary â&#x20AC;&#x201D; four from June 1 and three from May 27. They also booked him for the misdemeanor charges of possession of stolen property, resisting/delaying an officer and driving on a suspended license. Peacock was also booked for three outstanding felony warrants (burglary from the Menlo Park Police Department, burglary from the San Mateo County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office, and false impersonation, evading, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license from the Richmond Police Department). He is on active probation in Alameda County for a prior conviction of burglary. Additional charges against Peacock may be forthcoming from the Mountain View Police Department and the Los Altos Police Department as a result of his actions on June 1, police said. Investigators from all three agencies will be working with their counterparts from throughout the Peninsula and mining through past cases to ascertain if Peacock may be connected to any other auto burglaries or other crimes, police said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a great example of inter-agency cooperation, with three departments working together to locate and arrest a prolific burglar,â&#x20AC;? said Lieutenant Zach Perron of the Palo Alto Police Department. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We very much appreciate the help from the Los Altos Police Department and the Mountain View Police Department, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pleased that this incident ended without anyone being injured.â&#x20AC;? Anyone with information about this incident or Peacock is asked to call the Palo Alto police 24-hour dispatch center at 650329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow. org or sent by text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984. Email Sue Dremann at sdremann@paweekly.com V

LocalNews

Fired policeman files suit against city

New to the areadance? or new to

ALLEGES POLICE BRASS OPERATED ILLEGAL QUOTA SYSTEM FOR TICKETS By Mark Noack

former Mountain View policeman last week filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging that his supervisors illegally fired him in 2014 due to his status as a veteran and because he failed to follow an illicit ticket quota system operating out of the department. The plaintiff in the suit, 34-year-old Nicholas Emmerling, first joined the city police force in 2008 as a reserve officer. In late 2012, he was hired as a full-time officer for the Mountain View police although the new job came with an 18-month probationary period. During this time, Emmerling â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a former Marine who served two tours in Iraq â&#x20AC;&#x201D; enlisted in the Army National Guard and he balanced military service while working as a policeman. When his probationary period ended, the city took the irregular action to extend it about one more month, according to the suit. He began asking city officials about his probationary extension, and in late May he was told he was being terminated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He had stellar performance up to this time,â&#x20AC;? said Kevin Clune, Emmerlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorney. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a complete surprise that he was being terminated Ă&#x2013; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no indication it had anything to do with his performance.â&#x20AC;? Mountain View city officials declined to respond to the specifics in the case. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are confident in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position and will vigorously defend this lawsuit,â&#x20AC;? City Attorney Jannie Quinn told the Voice via email. Police officials reportedly

declined to give any formal cause for why he was losing his job, but Emmerling came to suspect his supervisors didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t approve of his military service. His lawsuit alleges another officer in the department had warned him previously to downplay his military background because department officials typically passed over veterans for promotions. During his time on the police force, Emmerling alleges his supervisors intentionally scheduled him to work on weekends to make it difficult for him to fulfill his National Guard duties. In his civil complaint, Clune alleges the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history of hirings and promotions shows other police officers were penalized for moonlighting in the military reserves. Another officer in the department hinted to Emmerling that his statistics were part of the reason he was fired, according to the suit. Based on this and other undisclosed information, Clune alleges Mountain View police officials were essentially running a quota system, evaluating officers based on how many arrests or citations they make. Emmerlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suit notes that he received his only sub-par performance evaluation after he criticized his supervisorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; emphasis on tracking statistical data. If such a quota system was operating in the department, that would be illegal under California law, Clune said. He plans to request city documents to shed light on it, he said. No specific dollar amount is specified in the lawsuit. A primary goal for his client is to be reinstated into his old position, Clune said.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Officer Emmerlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal is to protect his own rights, and to have a culture change at Mountain View Police Department,â&#x20AC;? Clune said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only reason he was ever given for why he was terminated was that his stats werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t up on certain things.â&#x20AC;? Email Mark Noack at mnoack@mv-voice.com

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12:30 PM AMY GOLDSBURY, MSW, ASW Amy Goldsbury is a cancer survivor and social worker at Cancer CAREpoint. She will share her keen insight into how to cope with emotional and physical changes after cancer treatment ends. 1:30 PM JOYCE HANNA, MA, MS Joyce Hanna is Founder and Director of the Living Strong, Living Well Exercise Program. She will discuss the impact of exercise on cancer survivors in all aspects of their lives.

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INV ITED

CANCER SURVIVORSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DAY: WISDOM TO LIVE BY A Fun Day of Celebration for the Entire Family! Saturday, June 13, 2015 | 12 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 p.m. Surviving cancer is a remarkable achievement that deserves to be celebrated. Even if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been touched by cancer personally, someone you know probably has. Join us to celebrate cancer survivors and caregivers, connect with others, and learn ways to improve your health. ACTIVITIES: â&#x20AC;˘ Health screenings and education â&#x20AC;˘ Artwork by cancer survivors and caregivers â&#x20AC;˘ Laughter Yoga demonstration â&#x20AC;˘ Community resources tables

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â&#x20AC;˘ Art therapy and beading projects â&#x20AC;˘ Games and activities for all ages â&#x20AC;˘ Ice Cream Social - served by Cancer Center Team

Event Location: El Camino Hospital - 2500 Grant Road, Mountain View Ground Floor, Conference Center

LocalNews

Khan Academy to offer free, online SAT prep By Elena Kadvany

ountain View-based online education company Khan Academy is hoping to disrupt yet another traditional educational platform by offering free, personalized SAT prep online. Through a new partnership with the creator of the SAT, the College Board, any high school student is now able to access four official-length practice tests, short diagnostic quizzes, test-taking tips, video lessons and interactive feedback at khanacademy.com. The two education companies are hoping that free preparation for a test that’s so linked to a student’s resources and future will help level the playing field for

college admissions. Prices for some one-on-one SAT tutoring options in the Palo Alto area include $130 per hour, $250 for two hours and $990 for 18 hours of class time. The Princeton Review offers SAT prep packages that start at $499 and go up to $1,599. “Our goal is nothing short of leveling the playing field, and we intend, with the deep expertise of the College Board behind us, to make the very best preparation for the SAT,” Khan Academy stated in a press release. “This will be far more than just videos; it will be sophisticated, interactive software to give students deep practice and diagnose their gaps.” Khan Academy, which is

known for its mission to provide a “free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere” through vast offerings of videos on everything from computer programming to art history, created an SAT “personalization platform” that will adapt to the user while he or she is taking practice tests, founder Sal Khan explained in a video announcing the partnership. This will help students pinpoint their areas of weakness so “they can advance in the best possible way,” he said. “This means that for the first time ever, all students who want to go to college can prepare for the SAT at their own pace, at absolutely no cost,” the company’s press release reads. “Unlike other test prep, the

VOICE FILE PHOTO

This week, Salman Khan’s Mountain View-based Khan Academy announced its test preparation program to boost SAT performance.

resources on Khan Academy will be developed through a close collaboration with the authors of the SAT themselves. With this partnership, our goal is to ensure that students have a deep grasp of underlying fundamentals so they can succeed on the SAT, in college, and beyond.” The new partnership with Khan Academy runs parallel to the College Board’s redesign of the SAT to make the test more geared toward true college readiness, rather than rote memorization and those with the resources to pay for expensive outside test help. Students will no longer be penalized for

wrong answers, vocabulary will be less obscure, questions will be more “grounded in the real world and directly related to the work performed in college and career” and math will be more about critical thinking and problem solving, according to the College Board. In the essay portion, which is now optional, students will be asked to read a passage and explain how the author builds an argument to persuade an audience, a task that “more closely mirrors college writing assignments,” the company’s website reads. Email Elena Kadvany at ekadvany@paweekly.com V

We’re Hiring Full-Time News Reporter The Almanac, an award-winning community newspaper and online news source that covers the towns of Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside, is looking for an enterprising full-time news reporter with a passion for local journalism. The ideal candidate will have experience covering local government and community news and the skills to dig up and write engaging news and feature stories for print and online. Our reporters produce monthly cover stories. We’re seeking someone who is motivated, eager to learn, able to quickly turn out finished copy, and who lives in or near the Almanac coverage area. Social media skills are a plus. This is a fully benefited position with paid vacations, health and dental benefits, profit sharing and a 401(k) plan. To apply, send a cover letter, resume, and three samples of your journalism work to Editor Richard Hine at editor@ AlmanacNews.com.

Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q June 5, 2015

A+ E

More than a college show ‘ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES’ GETS STYLISH STAGING By Jeanie K. Smith

‘A

ngels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,” the award-winning pair of plays that put American playwright Tony Kushner on the map in 1993, is often heralded as one of the most important literary works of the late 20th century — epic in scope, capturing a moment in history when our country was poised on the brink of cultural change that is still rippling through. The first play of the series, “Millennium Approaches,” is staged more frequently than the second, because it stands alone better, but both are devilishly difficult to produce, placing daunting demands on actors and companies. Foothill’s production tackles the show with gusto and style, wrestling it into an engaging, albeit long, evening’s entertainment. (A note to Kushner fans: Foothill is also doing a reading of Part Two of the duet, “Perestroika.” See schedule below.) The panoply of characters includes Roy Cohn (Alex Perez), based on the real-life Cohn, closeted conservative McCarthyist lawyer, here an emblem for government corruption and the country’s collective denial of the growing AIDS epidemic of the mid-1980s. Cohn himself contracted AIDS but refused to acknowledge it, instead calling

it liver cancer; he was also not above bending the law to his own ends. His protégé, Joe Pitt (Dan Martin), also closeted but by religion rather than politics, struggles with sexuality and ethics, as well as his Valiumaddicted wife, Harper (Sophia Naylor). The naive Pitts, isolated and lost in urban Manhattan, know their marriage is a sham but cling to each other in desperation. Harper sees assassins and environmental catastrophe everywhere; impending doom immobilizes her, sending her ever deeper into Valium-induced delusions. In counterpoint, we meet Prior Walter (Tim Garcia) and his boyfriend Louis Ironson (Clinton Williams), who are going through their own identity crises: Prior’s AIDS is progressing, and Louis can’t deal with it. Their worldly-wise drag-queen friend Belize (Davied Morales) tries to help them navigate the disease and the relationship, especially as Prior begins to hear a singular Voice from the ether, calling him to an as-yet unnamed mission. Help also arrives in the form of Joe’s mother, Hannah (Carla Befera in this cast, Marley Westley in others), and in a sage Nurse (Layla Salazar). As complications mount and diseases progress, the Voice continues to impose on Prior, proclaiming momentous events to come. Scenes begin to

COURTESY DAVID ALLEN

Louis (Clinton Williams) struggles with his partner’s illness in Foothill College’s production of “Angels in America.”

tumble on top of one another, overlapping and mingling not in linear fashion but like narrative Jenga blocks. Kushner leaves nothing sacred, nothing unexamined by his scorching gaze, flinging us into a time of upheaval and portent. The ending is only the beginning, and the audience is mesmerized by the play’s final pronouncement. More than two decades after its debut, “Angels in America” now feels even more prescient, allowing audiences to see just how many of Kushner’s themes have unfolded or are continuing to develop. We are invited once again to mull over Louis’ statement, “There are no angels in America.” Indeed, who are the Angels of our time? Foothill’s production stretches over three hours including two

intermissions, but finds compelling moments and engaging scenes in all three acts, keeping the intrigue and interest in spite of some lulls in the action. Director Bruce McLeod has done a fine job of clever staging, keeping the action moving and fluid on an open stage, making good use of the abstract urban scenic design by Yusuke Soi. Perez is terrific as Cohn: Oily and affable and dangerous, he breathes this larger-than-life character with a vengeance. Martin is terribly buttoneddown as Joe, which as it turns out is appropriate; he gets to open up emotionally later in the play, and we see his vulnerability. Befera is delightful as numerous characters — see if you can recognize her in all the parts she plays — but excellent as Hannah,

the bewildered mother. Williams, Garcia and Morales all fit their parts well, but it’s often difficult to hear them. Naylor gets deranged Harper right, but it’s hard to see any believable connection with Joe, and vocals can get shrill. However, her scenes with Mr. Lies (also Morales) play nicely with great fun. Salazar commendably plays several characters, including the Nurse, although her Hebrew needs more volume. Sound design by Ryan McLeod and lighting by Dan Wadleigh also make effective contributions to the overall staging, with an impressive ending. Don’t let the length of the performance deter you — it’s a worthy effort, with some excellent portrayals and an effective spectacle. V

Q I N F O R M AT I O N

WHAT: “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches,” by Tony Kushner, presented by Foothill College Theatre WHERE: Lohman Theatre, Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Rd., Los Altos Hills WHEN: Through June 14, with shows Thursday 7:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. and Wednesday 2 p.m. “Part Two” readings June 7, 10 and 14 at 7:30 p.m.

IT CAN TAKE TO STOP A TRAIN.

COST: $15-$20. INFO: Go to foothill.edu/ theatre or call 650-9497360. ®

caltrain.com/safety

#CaltrainSafe

June 5, 2015 Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q

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By Oren Sellstrom and Dana Isaac

math classes in ninth grade — even when their grades and test scores are on par with those ilicon Valley tech companies have come of white students. Other districts that we are under fire in recent months for the looking at show similar discrepancies. Why is this? Why would districts stop sucdearth of minority employees in their workforce. There are many reasons for this cessful minority students from advancing? under-representation, but a key one is sitting A major source of the problem is that many Silicon Valley school districts right in the companies’ own backyards: school districts Guest Opinion — at least one-third by our count — have no set proin the Silicon Valley that are holding back successful minority students cess for determining appropriate math class placement. Rather, districts use a mish-mash from higher-level mathematics classes. This critical “leak” in the Science Technol- of criteria — maybe considering grades for ogy Engineering & Math (STEM) pipeline has some students, test scores for others, relying been well-documented. A 2010 study of nine on students opting-in to a class, or just letting school districts in the San Francisco Bay Area teachers or counselors make the call. It’s like found that hundreds of ninth-grade students playing a game where no one knows the rules. were forced to repeat math coursework from And it is precisely this type of loose process the eighth grade despite the fact that more that tends most to disadvantage minority than half of these students scored either “pro- students. Because when districts stray from ficient” or “advanced” on standardized tests. reliance on objective criteria, that is when bias The impact of this action is long-lasting, as it and unconscious discrimination can come derails students from a college track by making into play. Ironically, of the school districts that our it exceedingly difficult to complete in four years the courses required to apply to California state research shows engage in these haphazard colleges and universities. Most problematically, and unfair placement practices, many are in the study found that African-American, Latino the heart of Silicon Valley, a place that prides and Filipino students are the ones who are itself on being a supposed bastion of meritocracy: Los Gatos Saratoga Joint Union, Fremont disproportionately being held back. Using documents recently secured through Union High, Gilroy Unified, Milpitas Unified, the California Public Records Act, the Morgan Hill Unified, and Santa Clara Unified. Fortunately, there are simple solutions to Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area is now replicating this problem — for districts that are willing to these findings for individual school districts. implement them. Just coming up with a writMountain View-Los Altos High School ten placement policy is a good start. Shouldn’t District, for example, is just down the road everyone — parents, students, and teachers — from Google’s headquarters. The district’s know that if a student gets a certain grade or Hispanic and African-American students scores at a particular level on a standardized account for approximately 24 percent and 2 test, she should be allowed to advance? Tightly controlling for subjective factors, percent respectively of the student body. Yet our analysis shows that the district dispropor- such as teacher recommendations, is also tionately enrolls these students in lower-level critical. Some districts that have looked at

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IN PRAISE OF A COMPASSIONATE JUDGE Santa Clara County has a real treasure in the manifestation of Honorable Superior Court Judge Stephen V. Manley. Judge Manley operates the Veterans Court on behalf of Santa Clara County and the Veterans Administration. I sat in his courtroom just off Julien Street in downtown San Jose in support of my young son, who is a disabled Iraq War combat veteran. My son came home from Iraq thoroughly messed up and has been unable to get his life on track, which is why he’s presently incarcerated. I watched and heard Judge Manley speak to all the defendants in his courtroom with

Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q June 5, 2015

amazing compassion and respect for their troubled lives, and he kept telling each person who came before him that he was pulling for them to succeed in life. In one instance Judge Manley came down off the bench to give an old veteran a hug as expression of the judge’s enthusiasm for the veteran trying so hard to get his life together. I teared up to witness such compassion. Imagine if every judge in our country was of the caliber of Judge Manley, what a better judicial system we’d have! Jeffrey Van Middlebrook Easy Street

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this issue most closely have come up with an ingenious way to maintain teacher input, but in a positive way: They allow teacher input to advance students beyond what objective factors might indicate, but not to hold them back. Silicon Valley Community Foundation has made it even easier on districts, producing a ready-made school board policy that can be adopted by any district that wants to ensure fairness and equity for all of its students. And if school districts can’t take these simple steps on their own, the California Legislature is poised to act. Already, the state Senate has passed a resolution (SR 60), calling upon all districts in the state to “develop, adopt, and monitor a fair, objective, and transparent mathematics placement policy.” And Sen. Holly Mitchell has now introduced legislation (SB 359) to mandate this change. Intel’s recent announcement of a $300 million investment in training and recruiting of under-represented groups for STEM jobs is a positive sign that tech companies are finally waking up to the need to ensure more diversity in their workforces. We applaud this move, and suggest that a true solution will require fixing all of the “leaks” in the STEM pipeline. Tech companies’ hiring and retention practices are undoubtedly key areas for reform. But we also need to look at the message some Silicon Valley public schools are communicating to our most successful minority students: “Math is not for you.” We need to demand that this message be changed, and that all school districts implement math placement policies that give every child an equal opportunity to succeed and advance. Oren Sellstrom is the legal director and Dana Isaac is the Thurgood Marshall Fellow at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCR).

Viewpoint Continued from previous page

INCREASE BIKE CAPACITY ON CALTRAIN As Caltrain plans for the future by improving infrastructure and technology, I want to remind them that an essential piece of the puzzle that we are all solving for is long-term sustainability for our cities. Caltrain plays a key role, and cyclists are an important supporting factor. Bicycle commuters (like myself) are a growing segment of the population, and will only increase if supported by appropriate infrastructure. Right now, when I take my bike to the Caltrain station in the morning, I run the risk of missing an important meeting or having to wait if bumped. Bike bumps increased by more than three times between 2014 and 2015. I even run the risk of unpleasant and aggressive behavior by poorly informed conductors. This is such a tragedy — people increasingly want to do the right thing for the environment, for our roads and cities, for their health, and for all of our pocketbooks, but it seems that Caltrain is looking the other way. There is an important opportunity now to increase bike capacity and I strongly urge that it be considered. Please increase bike capacity on electrified trains to 20 percent. Polina Feldman Sun Mor Avenue

TRACKING DOWN BOOST IN LOCAL AIR TRAFFIC Over the past couple of months, I’ve noticed a lot more commercial aircraft flying over my neighborhood, which is between downtown Mountain View and San Antonio Road. I did some research and spent several days checking the flight paths of aircraft with an online tool (I used flightradar.com but there are similar tools that provide tracking and identification data). Here’s what I found: Last March, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rolled out a program called Nextgen in our area that compressed

the flight paths and altered the descent behavior of planes arriving at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Prior to Nextgen, SFO arrivals from the north, south, and west were dispersed over the Peninsula, mostly to the north of Mountain View. Now these flights converge into a “corridor” that typically place them over Los Altos, Palo Alto and northwest Mountain View, and then over East Palo Alto. A local group, Sky Posse Palo Alto, whose website has documented Nextgen locally and some of its impacts on our area, estimates that this corridor gets roughly 200 commercial SFO arrivals each day. That number is anticipated to increase over time as Nextgen evolves and activity increases at SFO. People in some cities like Palo Alto are trying to mitigate the SFO situation with, apparently, uncertain success. A startup airline, Surfair, is using nine-passenger Pilatus turboprop aircraft that generally fly between smaller airports in major metro areas. The airline has a significant presence at the San Carlos Airport. Numerous southern flights to and from that airport bisect Mountain View at relatively low altitudes (about 3,000 feet). There aren’t that many flights now, but Surfair is expanding rapidly, reportedly adding 15 new planes to its current fleet of nine planes, with options for 50 more. The Atherton City Council and Menlo Park residents are trying to influence Surfair to make changes that will reduce the adverse impact of its operations on those communities. In April, though, the airline announced that it planned to add 31 weekly flights to its operations in San Carlos. These are somewhat new events, and I suggest using online tools to see for yourself what is happening in the sky above us. It seems to me that the SFO situation, in particular, affects several local communities, including Mountain View, and it would be better to assess and address the situation with the FAA and SFO collectively rather than individually. Michael Hulfactor Hollingsworth Drive

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Q Mountain View Voice Q MountainViewOnline.com Q June 5, 2015