Palo Alto Weekly 11_13.2009 - Section 1 by Palo Alto Weekly

Palo Alto

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Rail authority hires PR big guns Page 3

w w w.PaloA ltoOnline.com

Palo Alto children by the thousands are learning Chinese dialect

Immersed in

2FSIFWNS page 19

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Spectrum 16

Movies 30

Eating Out 33

Crossword/Sudoku 56

N Arts Face to face with AIDS crisis in Africa

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N Sports Stanford football hopes for another upset Page 36 N Home House-ﬂipping: Not for the weak-willed

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Support our Kids with a gift to the Holiday Fund. Give to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund and your donation is doubled. You give to non-profit groups that work right here in our community. It’s a great way to ensure that your charitable donations are working at home.

( CLICK AND GIVE

Non-profit grant application and guidelines at www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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ach year the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund raises money to suppor t programs ser ving families and children in the Palo Alto area. Since the Weekly and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation cover all the administrative costs, ever y dollar raised goes directly to suppor t community programs through grants to non-profit organizations ranging from $1,000 to $25,000. And with the generous support of matching grants from local foundations, including the Packard and Hewlett foundations, your taxdeductible gift will be doubled in size. A donation of $100 turns into $200 with the foundation matching gifts. Whether as an individual, a business or in honor of someone else, help us beat last year's total of $260,000 by making a generous contribution to the Holiday Fund. With your generosity, we can give a major boost to the programs in our community helping kids and families.

Last Year’s Grant Recipients Adolescent Counseling Services .... $10,000 Art in Action .......................................... $5,000 Baby Basics of the Peninsula, Inc. ... $1,200 Bread of Life.......................................... $5,000 Breast Cancer Connections ............... $5,000 California Family Foundation .............. $2,500 Cleo Eulau Center................................. $5,000 Collective Roots.................................. $10,000 Community Legal Services in EPA .... $7,500 Community Working Group, Inc......... $7,500 Downtown Streets, Inc. .................... $10,000 East Palo Alto Children’s Day Committee ..................................... $5,000 East Palo Alto Kids Foundation ........ $10,000 East Palo Alto Youth Court .................. $7,500 Environmental Volunteers .................. $3,000 EPA.net................................................... $5,000 Foothill-De Anza Foundation .............. $7,500 Foundation for a College Education .. $5,000

Donate online at PaloAltoOnline.com Enclosed is a donation of $_______________

Make checks payable to

Name __________________________________________________

Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund and send to:

Business Name __________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________

PAW Holiday Fund 450 Cambridge Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94306

Hidden Villa ........................................... $5,000 InnVision .............................................. $10,000 Jordan Middle School PTA................. $5,000 Kara ...................................................... $10,000 Midpeninsula Community Media Center ........................................ $5,000 Music in the Schools Foundation ...... $5,000 New Creation Home Ministries ......... $7,500 Nuestra Casa ...................................... $10,000

City/State/Zip ___________________________________________

Opportunity Health Center ................ $10,000

E-Mail __________________________________________________ Phone ______________________

Palo Alto Art Center Foundation ........ $5,000

Q Credit Card (MC or VISA) _______________________________________ Expires ______________

Palo Alto Drug and Alcohol Community Collaborative (PADACC) .................... $10,000

Signature _______________________________________________________

Palo Alto YMCA .................................. $10,000

I wish to designate my contribution as follows: – OR –

Q In name of business above

Reading Partners ............................... $25,000

Q In my name as shown above

Q In honor of:

Q In memory of:

St. Elizabeth Seton School.................. $7,500

Q As a gift for:

_____________________________ (Name of person)

Q I wish to contribute anonymously.

Q Please withhold the amount of my contribution.

The Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund is a fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation. All donations will be acknowledged by mail and are tax deductible as permitted by law. All donors will be published in the Palo Alto Weekly unless the coupon is marked “Anonymous.” For information on making contributions of appreciated stock, contact Amy Renalds at (650) 326-8210.

St. Vincent de Paul Society ................ $6,000 TheatreWorks ....................................... $5,000 Youth Community Service ................... $7,500

CHILD CARE CAPITAL GRANTS Children’s Center .................................. $5,000 Family Service Agency........................ $5,000 The Children’s Pre-School Center ..... $5,000

Upfront

Local news, information and analysis

Rail authority, Peninsula in a PR tug-of-war Agency approves $9 million contract to combat Peninsula ‘misinformation,’ improve outreach by Gennady Sheyner eninsula residents concerned about California’s proposed high-speed rail line may soon notice some new faces addressing the crowds at public hearings on the controversial project.

That’s because the California High-Speed Rail Authority has just welcomed a new member to assist its admittedly flagging community-outreach effort — the global firm Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.

Ogilvy, which will be paid $9 million for its services, is expected to increase the frequency and effectiveness of the rail authority’s communications, correct any misinformation about the project and engage stakeholders along the rail corridor in the environmental-review and design processes. Perhaps more importantly, Ogilvy is charged

with bringing the state agency’s previously diffuse communications effort “under direct report to the rail authority,” according to a report by Jeff Barker, the authority’s deputy director. The authority’s Board of Directors agreed the new contract is urgently needed. The state agency has been battling a storm of criticism and a

high-profile lawsuit from Palo Alto and other cities where residents have been packing into public hearings to question and, occasionally, denounce the rail authority’s plans for the new system. The proposed rail line would stretch from San Francisco to Los (continued on page 9)

COMMUNITY

Weekly launches 16th Holiday Fund campaign Donors fund critical local services to families, children

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Shawn Fender

more than a year. The February raid was prompted by accusations from former line installer and repair worker Michael Estrada, who was fired in August 2008 after being convicted of driving under the influence. Estrada alleged that in 2006, he was asked by his former supervisor to fill out “operator qualification” test forms for about 60 employees. Estrada also claimed the direction to falsify the tests came from two managers, Javad Ghaffari, superintendent of the city’s WaterGas-Wastewater Division, and Paul Dornell, the division’s former direc-

he annual Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund campaign kicks off this week, with the aim of raising more than $260,000 for local, family-oriented nonprofit agencies. Last year, more than 465 people donated to the charitable campaign, which is now in its 16th year. Local foundations, including the Packard and Hewlett foundations, are providing matching funds as they have in previous years. The Weekly and Silicon Valley Foundation cover all administrative costs of the campaign. Adolescent Counseling Services of Palo Alto is one of 38 agencies supported by the fund this past year. It received $10,000 to provide counseling on local middle- and high-school campuses. The grant funded 100 hours of individual and family therapy and crisis intervention to Palo Alto students, as well as supporting two community-education presentations on the topics of depression and mental health awareness, according to Aarika Riddle, the agency’s development and marketing director. “The grant we received from the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund was especially helpful this year as we saw an increase in clients at our On-Campus Counseling Program and provided critical services in the

Digging in Students from Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School — from left, Megan Xu, Katie Russel, Maya Vishwanath, and mother-daughter team Huiyina Song and Lisa Wang — worked on the garden at Abilities United in Palo Alto, as a service project in honor of Veterans Day Wednesday.

UTILITIES

Facing fraud investigation, Palo Alto Utilities changes tests for gas workers City revises qualification tests, awaits results from federal probe by Gennady Sheyner

ogged by a federal investigation and accusations of fraud in its gas division, Palo Alto’s Utilities Department has quietly revised the testing procedures for its gas-line operators to make sure they are fully qualified for the work.

The department has been in the spotlight since Feb. 6, when a group of federal agents from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) made a surprise visit to the Municipal Service Center on East Bayshore Road and seized seven boxes

of operator-qualification tests. The City Council discussed the investigation in a closed session this week and City Attorney Gary Baum said Palo Alto could face a civil suit from the federal agency, which has been investigating fraud allegations for

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Upfront

PUBLISHER William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor Carol Blitzer, Associate Editor Keith Peters, Sports Editor Tyler Hanley, Express™ and Online Editor Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Chris Kenrick, Gennady Sheyner, Staff Writers Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant Veronica Weber, Staff Photographer Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, Colin Becht, Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Renata Polt, Jeanie Forte Smith, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Contributors Royston Sim, John Squire, Editorial Interns Be’eri Moalem, Arts & Entertainment Intern DESIGN Shannon Corey, Design Director Raul Perez, Assistant Design Director Linda Atilano, Diane Haas, Scott Peterson, Paul Llewellyn, Senior Designers Laura Don, Gary Vennarucci, Designers PRODUCTION Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager Dorothy Hassett, Blanca Yoc, Sales & Production Coordinators ADVERTISING Walter Kupiec, Advertising Director Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst. Judie Block, Janice Hoogner, Gary Whitman, Display Advertising Sales Kathryn Brottem, Real Estate Advertising Sales Joan Merritt, Real Estate Advertising Asst. David Cirner, Irene Schwartz, Inside Advertising Sales Alicia Santillan, Classified Administrative Asst. EXPRESS, ONLINE AND VIDEO SERVICES Rachel Palmer, Online Operations Coordinator Molly Stenhouse, Online Sales Consultant BUSINESS Mona Salas, Manager of Payroll & Benefits Elena Dineva, Mary McDonald, Sana Sarfaraz, Cathy Stringari, Doris Taylor, Business Associates ADMINISTRATION Amy Renalds, Assistant to the Publisher & Promotions Director Janice Covolo, Receptionist; Ruben Espinoza, Jorge Vera, Couriers EMBARCADERO PUBLISHING CO. William S. Johnson, President Michael I. Naar, Vice President & CFO Walter Kupiec, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Frank A. Bravo, Director, Information Technology & Webmaster Connie Jo Cotton, Major Accounts Sales Manager Bob Lampkin, Director, Circulation & Mailing Services Alicia Santillan, Susie Ochoa, Circulation Assistants Chris Planessi, Chip Poedjosoedarmo, Computer System Associates Lisa Trigueiro, Assistant to the Webmaster The Palo Alto Weekly (ISSN 0199-1159) is published every Friday by Embarcadero Publishing Co., 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306, (650) 326-8210. Periodicals postage paid at Palo Alto, CA and additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for Santa Clara County. The Palo Alto Weekly is delivered free to homes in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, East Palo Alto, to faculty and staff households on the Stanford campus and to portions of Los Altos Hills. If you are not currently receiving the paper, you may request free delivery by calling 326-8210. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302. Copyright ©2009 by Embarcadero Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Printed by SFOP, Redwood City. The Palo Alto Weekly is available on the Internet via Palo Alto Online at: www.PaloAltoOnline.com Our e-mail addresses are: editor@paweekly.com, letters@paweekly.com, ads@paweekly.com. Missed delivery or start/stop your paper? Call 650 326-8210, or e-mail circulation@paweekly. com. You may also subscribe online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Subscriptions are $60/yr.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

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450 CAMBRIDGE AVE, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 (650) 326-8210

No one wins in a neighborhood dispute. —John Tze, asset manager for Sand Hill Property, on revised plans for Edgewood Plaza. See story on page 6.

Around Town POOCH PLANS ... It’s not easy being a dog in Palo Alto. The city’s stringent leash laws, paltry dog runs and protected habitats have given dogs and their owners few opportunities for fun and games. But this Tuesday, the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a public hearing to get some thoughts from the public on the state of canine affairs. Commissioner Paul Losch, who owns a beagle named Bijou, said many of the dog owners he has spoken to about the subject exhibited confusion and frustration. Some are baffled by the leash law, which continues to get violated every day. Others don’t understand why they’re allowed to bring their dogs to Foothills Park on the weekdays but not on the weekends (when they actually have time for recreation). Losch, who along with Commissioner (and dog owner) Daria Walsh spearheaded the commission’s re-examination of the issue, spoke in less-than-glowing terms about the city’s dog facilities, which include dog runs at Mitchell Park and Hoover Park. “Our dog runs are terrible,” Losch said. “They’re inadequate. When you compare them to dog facilities in other cities it’s clear that they’re too small, too narrow and that there’s not enough of them.” The community meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at Jordan Middle School, 750 N. California Ave. Cat people are also welcome. DON’T GO AWAY MAD ... What’s the best way for a local commissioner to get some respect in Palo Alto? Resigning in frustration is a good start. Susie Thom, who chaired the city’s Library Advisory Commission before stepping down in mid-September, earned kudos Monday for her service from the same City Council whose actions prompted her to resign. Thom, a member of the library commission since 2007, stepped down after the council sided with a group of critics and directed the commission to revise its plans for the Downtown Library, which is one of three libraries scheduled for renovation under a

voter-approved bond. In her resignation letter, she wrote that the council’s entry into “the world of architecture design, space planning, furniture and fixture placement ... and library management, at the behest of a small but vocal group of people, is incomprehensible.” On Monday, the council unanimously passed a resolution honoring Thom and thanking her for her service on the commission. Councilman Larry Klein praised both her years of service and her decision to resign. “It doesn’t often happen that people resign as a matter of conscience,” Klein said. “I think our society would be better off if people did it more often.” Vice Mayor Jack Morton, who read the resolution honoring Thom, also commended Thom and said he was sorry to see her go. “I’m sorry you ended up in this position and I’m really sorry I have to read the resolution, but I’m not going to vote ‘No’ just because of how sorry I am,” Morton said. JIMMY’S WORLD ... Fresh from a trip to the Middle East, the world’s most famous Nobel Peace Prize-winning peanut farmer made a visit to the Peninsula last week to raise money for his latest human-rights venture. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter received a warm reception on Nov. 5 from a group of venture capitalists and prospective donors at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Menlo Park, where he solicited money for health and human rights activities of the Atlanta-based Carter Center. Carter described the center’s efforts to eradicate diseases such as trachoma and guinea worm in African villages. He also talked about some of his travels and conversations in search of Arab-Israeli peace — always done, he said, with at least the tacit approval of the White House. The energetic ex-president also indicated he isn’t planning to slow down any time soon. He and his wife, Rosalyn, soon head off to Thailand and Vietnam, this time to work on projects with Habitat for Humanity for the 30th year in a row. N

Upfront CRIME

Police: Schipsi was strangled before fire Arson, homicide suspect Bulos Zumot set to enter plea on Nov. 24 by Gennady Sheyner Courtesy of Rob Wellington Quigley

The proposed Eden Housing affordable-housing complex at 801 Alma St. would include a four-story building with 50 units, as well as a large garden, lightwells, a bench-lined sidewalk, a courtyard and a community room.

Affordable housing project approved by Palo Alto council Eden Housing’s downtown development would feature 50 units for low-income families on Alma Street by Gennady Sheyner

seven-year-long quest to build a dense, affordable-housing complex near Palo Alto’s downtown transit hub finally met with City Council approval Monday night despite heavy opposition. The council voted 7-2 to approve a four-story development at 801 Alma St. that features 50 units for very-low-income families. In doing so, the council rejected a flurry of criticism about the proposed project from residents of 800 High St., an adjacent condominium complex that survived its own publicity firestorm and public referendum before earning the city’s approval. The new complex, a collaboration by the city and nonprofit groups Eden Housing and the Community Housing Alliance, would be located on the former sites of Ole’s auto-repair shop and a city electrical substation, at 801 and 849 Alma. Councilmen Larry Klein and Pat Burt were the only council members who dissented, but on a technical point. They argued that the project should be reviewed by the Planning and Transportation Commission before coming back to the council for final approval. The commission had commented on a preliminary environmental study of the project in April but had not weighed in on the project after the development size was reduced over the summer. But the majority of the council sided with more than a dozen housing advocates who argued the project has already had enough scrutiny during its crawl through the cityapproval process. “It’s a fabulous architectural piece,” said Councilman John Barton, an architect, who proposed approving the project. “It’s exactly the kind of project we need.”

But residents of 800 High argued the project’s density is too high for the downtown area and that its parking is insufficient. The project’s opponents, who formed a group called Neighbors for a Livable SOFA (South of Forest Avenue) 2, have made similar arguments at previous public hearings on the project. Their criticism prompted the applicants to scale back the project, which originally featured 96 units of seniorand low-income-family housing, commercial space and a rebuilt Palo Alto Hardware store. Joop Verbaken, an 800 High resident who co-chairs the group, was one of many condominium owners demanding further revisions. Verbaken said the condominium owners would like to welcome the affordable-housing project into the neighborhood but not in its present form. He called for better traffic mitigation and a lower density. “When the process is cut short, projects go wrong,” Verbaken said, pointing to the much maligned Arbor Real development that replaced Rickey’s Hyatt Hotel in south Palo Alto and the removal of trees on California Avenue as examples. Klein and Burt both argued that steering the project through another review would only strengthen it. But Don Barr, president of the Community Housing Alliance, told the council that delays could undermine the project’s financial viability. The two nonprofits are eligible for a $1 million state grant provided the project is completed by October 2011. A three- or four-month delay could jeopardize that grant and potentially sink the project, Barr said. “Without that $1 million, the viability becomes much more questionable,” Barr said. Supporters of the project, including former Mayor Dena Mossar,

argued Monday that 800 High’s opposition is ironic if not hypocritical given its history. City officials approved it with the understanding the condominium complex would be sharing its underground parking garage with a future affordablehousing development — although only the city’s electrical substation was envisioned for such a project at the time. Sally Probst, a housing advocate who supported 800 High St. during the referendum, denounced the condominium residents’ opposition to the new complex. “It seems ironic that the people who benefited from our work to get 800 High approved in the face of extensive community opposition are now opposing affordable housing in their neighborhood,” Probst told the council. “It’s a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) manner that makes me very unhappy.” In September, the city’s Architectural Review Board unanimously approved the project, which features a design that includes a large garden, lightwells, a bench-lined sidewalk, a courtyard and a community room. On Monday night, board Vice Chair Alexander Lew and his two board colleagues, Judith Wasserman and former member David Solnick, all spoke in glowing terms about the project’s design. Vice Mayor Jack Morton agreed and said he wished the project’s architect, Robert Quigley, had designed the 800 High St. project. “These people are getting something pleasant, attractive and green to look at,” Morton said. “They’re getting something with lightwells. They’re getting a project that’s just amazing.” N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

ennifer Schipsi, the 29-year old Palo Alto Courthouse. Meanwhile, Palo Alto woman whose re- more than 30 people turned out to mains were found in a burned back Schipsi’s family, many of house on Addison Avenue on Oct. them wearing purple ribbons sig15, was strangled to death before nifying their support for victims of the cottage she was sharing with domestic violence. her boyfriend was intentionally set Schipsi’s mother, Jamie Schipsi, on fire, a newly unsealed attended the hearing and arrest affidavit alleges. took exception to what Santa Clara Superior she perceived to be silent Court Judge Douglas K. communication between Southard agreed to make Zumot and a woman in the affidavit public upon the audience. She asked request from the attora court bailiff to escort ney representing Bulos the woman out of the “Paul” Zumot, Schipsi’s courtroom just before the boyfriend and suspect in hearing began. her death. The woman was Zumot was scheduled warned not to communito enter a plea last Fri- Jennifer Schipsi cate with the suspect. day afternoon, but the Zumot’s attor ney, plea was deferred until Cameron Bowman, said Nov. 24 to give his attorthe defense has hired its ney and an independent own investigator to look investigator a chance to into the events of Oct. review the police files. 15. Bowman argued in Police arrested Zumot court Friday that the on Oct. 19 on charges of judge’s previous order to arson and homicide. Ackeep the probable-cause cording to the police reaffidavit sealed makes port, fire responders who it impossible for the dearrived at the Addison fense to complete its own Avenue fire Oct. 15 be- Bulos ‘Paul’ Zumot investigation and advise came concerned the fire Zumot. appeared to be intentionally set. Deputy District Attorney Chuck The next day, an accelerant- Gillingham said the prosecution sniffing dog found evidence of an has no objection to the probableaccelerant in three locations within cause documents being made pubthe house and on the victim, who lic. was later confirmed to be Schipsi. “We’re at a point where we think The dog later smelled each item this information can be unsealed,” of clothing that Zumot was wear- Gillingham said. ing on Oct. 15, according to the afSouthard agreed and ordered his fidavit signed by Palo Alto Police previous order rescinded. Southard Detective Aaron Sunseri. The dog also supported Bowman’s request “alerted” on both of Zumot’s shoes, to allow the private investigator to both of his socks, his pants and his visit Zumot in jail without an atsweatshirt but did not alert on Zu- torney present. mot’s undershirt and underwear. According to court documents, The Santa Clara County medi- Schipsi and Zumot had been datcal examiner, meanwhile, deter- ing since October 2007. Schipsi, mined that Schipsi’s hyoid bone a real estate agent at Alain Pinel was crushed, suggesting that she Realtors in Palo Alto, applied for was strangled to death. a restraining order against Zumot The evidence prompted the po- in February 2008, citing signs of lice to arrest Zumot, who accord- “extreme anger and controlling ing to the affidavit was the last characteristics” in Zumot. person to see Schipsi alive. Zumot Schipsi and Zumot broke up last told police that he last saw Schipsi year, after which time he alleglying in bed during the afternoon edly flooded her with hundreds of of Oct. 15 and that he and Schipsi messages and e-mails that she said were in an argument both the night went “from one extreme to another” before and the day of the fire. and made her feel unsafe. She also “Based on all of these facts cited wrote that she stayed at her friend’s in this affidavit, I believe that Bu- house to avoid seeing Zumot. los Zumot killed Jennifer Schipsi But despite her earlier fears by strangling her and then set the and misgivings, Schipsi got back house on fire in order to cover up together with Zumot in October the homicide,” Sunseri wrote. 2008. According to the newly unZumot, 36, was calm and com- sealed police report, the threats posed during his hearing Friday didn’t stop. On Aug. 25, Schipsi afternoon, occasionally glancing requested an emergency protective and nodding toward the roughly order after Zumot threatened her. 20 friends and family members (continued on page 6) who came to support him at the

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Upfront

Holiday Fund

LAND USE

(continued from page 3)

Courtesy of Kenneth Rodriguez & Partners

The site diagram for proposed redevelopment of Edgewood Plaza indicates the relocated retail building on St. Francis Drive, as well as new singlefamily housing on Channing Avenue. Two Eichler retail buildings would be restored, and a grocery store building retained.

Residents to weigh in on Edgewood Plaza Following settlement of lawsuit, neighbors look forward to redevelopment of 53-year-old shopping center by Sue Dremann and John Squire

ust weeks after a lawsuit regarding Palo Alto’s Edgewood Plaza was settled, a public meeting about redeveloping the Joseph Eichler-built shopping center has been scheduled for next Tuesday (Nov. 17) from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Palo Alto Golf Course clubhouse. But residents of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood can hardly wait for progress. They’re calling the historic yet dilapidated center a dump and an embarrassment. Opinions vary on what the final outcome should look like, but most people said that it needs to change. “Rip it out and start over again,” Duveneck/St. Francis resident Jim Mulvey said Wednesday. Nakul Correa, another resident, said the development should be denser with an urban feel. “Maybe it’ll be a little better. It started out as a bad idea, and it’s probably just going to be another one,” he said. The 4.49-acre center, Eichler’s only retail development, is bordered by Embarcadero Road, St. Francis Drive, Channing Avenue and West Bayshore Road. Eichler homes abut it on two sides. The center includes a gas station and four buildings, including one that used to house a grocery store and an office that is now a yoga

center. Since Albertsons closed in August 2006, the center has languished. But a few shops remain. “You haven’t talked to anybody who’s against it, have you?” asked Leith Anderson, proprietor of Golf Lab, one of the few storefronts open at the trash-strewn center. Anderson said Golf Lab plans to move once redevelopment starts, but he is still in favor of the plan. “The neighborhood really needs it,” he said. Redevelopment first came under fire in 2006, after the property’s owners, Ho Holdings No. 1, LLC of San Mateo and Sand Hill Property Company of Palo Alto, announced they would tear down the small shops and replace them with an L-shaped building that would include retail space on the ground floor and 17 homes above. An additional 25 two-story townhomes were proposed for the site. That plan irked historic preservationists and neighbors. Three residents, known as the Architectural Control Committee for Tract 1641, filed suit against Edgewood’s owners on Aug. 5, 2008. They alleged Ho and Sand Hill Property were in violation of the housing tract’s 1955-1956 covenants, conditions and restrictions

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(CC&Rs), which limit the amount of development within the housing tract. The tract’s CC&Rs limit residences to one-story detached homes and restrict the two Edgewood lots for retail, restaurant, office and similar commercial uses, the suit alleged. The CC&Rs require that construction plans must be approved by the architectural-control group, whose members were appointed by Ned Eichler, the son of the developer. A court settlement between the owners and the group was reached last month to preserve the 53-yearold shopping center. The two Eichler retail buildings will be restored in accordance with federal Secretary of the Interior’s standards for rehabilitation of historic structures. The project plan will require approval by Palo Alto’s Historic Resources Board. The grocery store building will also be retained, though part of the added warehouse area could be removed to meet contemporary building standards. The compromise plan addresses a 3.58-acre parcel, excluding the gas station and yoga center. It reduces the number of new homes to 10 on the site and adds a 10,400square-foot (0.25 acre) park.

The 1,810-square-foot homes would be two-story with 25-foot setbacks from the street. Large front yards along Channing will “create a pleasant experience for the neighborhood,” a joint press release from the residents and Edgewood owners stated. The proposed park/plaza at the corner of St. Francis Drive and Channing Avenue would connect the neighborhood and shopping center. The park would be named Eichler Park, according to the release. The center’s owners remain committed to bringing a grocery store to the plaza, the release stated. The plan would include 143 parking stalls in the shopping area — nine more than required under city standards. Twenty-five residential parking spaces would be added, two more than required. The plaintiffs said they were pleased with the settlement. “It was never our intention to prevent Sand Hill Property from redeveloping Edgewood Shopping Center. We just wanted to be sure that the neighborhood had a voice in the planning,” Diane Sekimura said. John Tze, asset manager for Sand Hill Property, said the compromise (continued on page 12)

wake of the tragic suicides that have shaken our community,” Riddle said. The prolonged recession has made charitable giving all the more vital, said Dr. Philippe Rey, executive director of Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS). “It’s a vicious circle that all nonprofits are confronting during this time of economic uncertainty,” Rey said. “The need for free and affordable services is up, but the ability to fund those services is down. ACS is fortunate to have such broad community support that is allowing us to sustain our critical programs.” Since the Holiday Fund was inaugurated in 1993, it has distributed several million dollars, often making it possible for organizations to create or continue specific programs. Grants in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 are awarded by a committee of Weekly staff members each spring, after review of applications and visits to the nonprofit agencies. Most grants are $5,000 or less, with a few select programs receiving larger grants. The recipient of the largest grant last year, $25,000, was Reading Partners, a tutoring program at East Palo Alto Charter School that includes the Home Connections Family Literacy Program. Several agencies received $10,000 each: Adolescent Counseling Services, Collective Roots, Downtown Streets, Inc., East Palo Alto Kids Foundation, InnVision, Kara, Nuestra Casa, Opportunity Health Center, Palo Alto Drug and Alcohol Community Collaborative and Palo Alto YMCA. Donors of $25 or more will have their name acknowledged in the Weekly in every edition between late November and mid-January. People are asked to make checks payable to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund and send them to PAW Holiday Fund, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302. Contributors may also donate online through www.PaloAltoOnline. com. N

Schipsi murder (continued from page 5)

In September, Schipsi moved out of her home in Santana Row in San Jose and moved into the Addison Avenue house with Zumot, who owns Da Hookah Spot on University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto. The affidavit states Zumot arrived at the scene of the fire from work and was located by police about a block away from the fire. He then voluntarily came to the Palo Alto Police Department to provide a statement. Zumot is scheduled to enter his plea at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 24 at the North County Courthouse in Palo Alto. N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com

Upfront COURTS

Admitted officer-killer Alberto Alvarez says he was afraid 26-year-old — facing either death penalty or life in prison — says he ‘was scared for my life’

ometimes barely audible, softspoken 26-year-old Alberto Alvarez Thursday morning described how he often sold drugs in East Palo Alto and always carried a gun for protection. Alvarez, a Redwood City resident, said he came to East Palo Alto on Jan. 7, 2006 to hang out wit h friends. Thursday was the first time Alvarez had spoken of his life or the exchange of shots that left East Palo Alto Alberto Alvarez police Officer Richard May dead. Alvarez said he went to the Villa Taqueria for a steak lunch. He said two men entered and one began striking him. He fought back but left the taqueria after two other men separated them. He said when he saw a police patrol car approach, he fled across University Avenue toward Weeks Street because he was afraid the officer would find his gun and he would be sent back to prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. His parole officers testified previously that Alvarez faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted on a

by Sue Dremann weapons charge. Alvarez said he was fleeing from the officer when the officer hit him twice with a police baton. Seconds later, Alvarez was shot in the leg. He said he pulled out his 9 millimeter gun and fired back when he realized he couldn’t get away because of his leg wound. He said he believed the officer would kill him. Alvarez testified he fired several shots at the officer after running behind a parked car in a residential driveway on Weeks Street. He said he did not recall seeing May after he fired. “I remember I looked back, and he was chasing me. As I was getting up to the front of the car he shot me. First I heard the gunshot, then I felt the bullet rip through my leg. I fell forward. I grabbed my leg. ... It was real wobbly, and it hurt to put pressure on it,” he said. Alvarez said he ran near the garage and around a white truck. “I’m in front (of the truck) now. I turned around, and I started shooting back” toward the officer, who was standing behind the truck, he said. “He had his gun pointed at me. ... I started shootin’. I didn’t see him no more,” he said. Alvarez said he did not see the shots strike the officer. “I just remember the gun kicking every time I shot it off. The casings were flying back at me,” he said. Alvarez tried to continue running

away but realized he could go no further because of his leg. The only way back was toward the officer. As he walked toward the street, Alvarez said he did not at first see the officer, then he saw the officer and his gun. “I remember seeing him and the gun,” he said. Defense Attorney Eric Liberman asked, “Is he crouched? Is he laying down?” “I don’t remember. I wasn’t sure. At that point, I start shooting in that direction. I fired once or twice. I was still moving, and I shot in his direction,” Alvarez said. Liberman asked why he did not also shoot Marco Marquez, the Police Explorer who accompanied May and was sitting in May’s patrol car. Alvarez said they made eye contact. “The kid ain’t had nothing to do with what happened. He’s just as scared as I was. I was scared for my life,” Alvarez said. Alvarez has long admitted shooting May, but the trial in San Mateo County Superior Court is to determine whether it was self defense or an execution — which could mean the difference between life in prison and the death penalty. Testimony continues on Monday. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be e-mailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.

COMMUNITY

Improvements eyed for Oregon Expressway New bike lanes and left-turn lanes aim to make intersection safer, traffic flow more smoothly

busy stretch of Oregon Expressway in Palo Alto will soon see major renovations, including timed signals, new bike lanes and enhanced pedestrian walkways. The $3.5 million Oregon Expressway Improvement Project, which is being implemented by Santa Clara County and which was unanimously endorsed by the Palo Alto City Council Monday night, will modify nine intersections along the busy artery that connects U.S. Highway 101 and Interstate Highway 280. The most dramatic improvements are pegged for Middlefield Road and Ross Road. The four-lane Middlefield would be completely redesigned. Instead of two lanes in each direction crossing the intersection, the road would have one lane each way to cross Oregon, plus dedicated left-turn and right-turn lanes, according to a city staff report.

Initially, the county planned to widen Middlefield to improve driving conditions, but the city’s Planning and Transportation Commission rejected that idea because it would require the removal of trees. Ross Road, meanwhile, would be transformed into a bicycle boulevard. Currently, the road includes one lane crossing Oregon in each direction and a stop sign. Under the new plan, bicycles would still use Ross to cross Oregon, but cars would have to turn right. The county also plans to install new traffic signals aimed at creating a smoother flow of traffic, according to the city report. The county hired the consulting firm Kimley-Horn Associates to evaluate the impact of the improvements. An analysis showed the improvements and coordination of signals would “result in a drop in average travel time and

delay during peak hours, and as a result, the average speed would increase slightly from 20 to 23 mph. “The traffic would continue to move slowly, but more smoothly,” the staff report noted. Less dramatic improvements are also pegged for the intersections at West Bayshore Road, Indian Drive, Greer Road, Louis Road, Cowper Street, Waverley Street and Bryant Street. Liz Kniss, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, said the revisions meet three important goals: improving safety, synchronizing traffic lights for faster travel time and protecting the “flora and fauna.” “We worked on this for months in the county to make sure we really did address every concern,” Kniss said. “We had great feedback from citizens.” N —Gennady Sheyner

CityView A round-up of

Palo Alto government action this week

City Council (Nov. 9)

Eden Housing: The council voted to approve a 50-unit affordable-housing complex at 801 and 849 Alma St., a joint proposal by nonprofits Eden Housing and the Community Housing Alliance. Yes: Drekmeier, Kishimoto, Schmid, Espinosa, Yeh, Barton, Morton No: Klein, Burt Absent: Morton Oregon Expressway: The council voted to approve the plans by Santa Clara County to create improvements at nine Oregon Expressway intersections. Improvements include new bike paths, timed signals and lane reconfigurations. Yes: Unanimous

Board of Education (Nov. 10)

Summer School: The board approved a calendar, school venues and tuition fees for most summer school classes in 2010. Yes: Unanimous

Public Agenda PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL ... The council is scheduled to hear a quarterly update on California’s high-speed rail project, to discuss the California Avenue tree-replacement project and to consider revising zoning rules for ground-floor retail downtown. The study session on high-speed rail is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall. The regular meeting follows in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). PALO ALTO BOARD OF EDUCATION ... The board will vote on collective-bargaining agreements with the Palo Alto Educators Association, representing teachers, and the California School Employees Association, representing non-management staff, for the 2009-10 school year. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the board room of school district headquarters (25 Churchill Ave.). PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE ... The committee is scheduled to discuss the quarterly report from the City Auditor and hear the 2010 budget update. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). PALO ALTO PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION ... The commission is scheduled to hold a community meeting to discuss recreational opportunities for dogs and dog-owners. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the cafetorium of Jordan Middle School (750 N. California Ave.). PALO ALTO PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ... The commission is scheduled to discuss a tentative subdivision map for 4309 and 4329 El Camino Real, current site of Palo Alto Bowl. The proposed project would include a hotel and 26 residences. The commission is also scheduled to discuss a rezoning request for a 143-room hotel at 1700 Embarcadero Road, site of Ming’s Restaurant. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). PALO ALTO ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD ... The board is scheduled to hold an architectural review for 385 Sherman Ave., a proposal to build a new four-story mixed-use building to replace an existing single-story building. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). PALO ALTO PUBLIC ART COMMISSION ... The commission is scheduled to discuss its January retreat, a new commission logo and plans to move the Filaree statue to Greer Park. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). PALO ALTO LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION ... The commission is scheduled to discuss its 2010 goals, priorities for its joint meeting with the City Council and a resolution commending former Chair Susan Thom. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, in the Council Conference Room and City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

LET’S DISCUSS: Read the latest local news headlines and talk about the issues at Town Square at www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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Upfront

Online This Week

EDUCATION

Parents pony up $250,000 to entice donations for schools

These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com/news or click on “News” in the left, green column.

Family: Drowned man was a loving son, brother

Partners in Education enters ‘donation days’ campaign ahead of last year

The 21-year-old man found dead in a Redwood City swimming pool last week was a loving son and brother who always gave without reserve, family members said. (Posted Nov. 12 at 11:45 a.m.)

Improvements eyed for Oregon Expressway A busy stretch of Oregon Expressway in Palo Alto will soon see major renovations, including timed signals, new bike lanes and left-turn lanes. (Posted Nov. 12 at 9:51 a.m.)

Jewish family agency wins citizenship grant A $90,000 government grant to help persons with cognitive problems become U.S. citizens has been received by the Jewish Family and Children Services agency, with offices in Palo Alto and San Mateo. (Posted Nov. 12 at 9:15 a.m.)

Gas prices stay high in Bay Area, drop statewide The average price for gas remained above $3 in the Bay Area but has dropped below that mark statewide due to high supplies and weak consumer demand, according to an AAA survey released Wednesday. (Posted Nov. 12 at 9:14 a.m.)

Teens get rare inside view of Google, Facebook About 30 teenagers from lower-income families in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park will get a rare insider’s look at Silicon Valley giants such as Google and Facebook this Friday, while others will tour NASA Ames and a half-dozen other sites. (Posted Nov. 11 at 5:20 p.m.)

School parcel tax renewal vote may be in April Palo Alto school officials are eyeing an April election to renew the district’s $493-a-year parcel tax. Based on results from a community poll taken in October, officials believe voters would support a “modest” increase in the six-year tax with a possible 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment built in. (Posted Nov. 11 at 8:54 a.m.)

Gunn senior gathers shoes for those in need Gunn High School senior Alexandra Yesian has reached her goal of donating 1,000 pairs of shoes to the Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP), a nonprofit organization that helps low-income families in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park with food, clothing and support. (Posted Nov. 11 at 10:27 a.m.)

Neighborhood group wants voters’ opinions A group of residents, Palo Alto Neighborhoods (PAN), is hoping some of the more than 14,000 people who cast a ballot Nov. 3 will share how they decided which Palo Alto City Council candidates to vote for in the election. They’ve created a 17-question survey, which is posted online. (Posted Nov. 10 at 5:01 p.m.)

Counties getting bigger doses of H1N1 vaccine Santa Clara and San Mateo counties are about to get larger doses of H1N1 vaccines because they have so far come up short in state allocations. (Posted Nov. 10 at 3:39 p.m.)

by Chris Kenrick

group of Palo Alto parents has come up with $250,000 to offer dollar-for-dollar matches of donations to an independent foundation supporting Palo Alto’s public schools. The money comes from leaders of Partners in Education (PiE), an educational foundation devoted to raising money for Palo Alto schools. Volunteers are gearing up for “Donations Days” on the district’s 17 campuses next week. Parents will station themselves at each school during drop-off and pick-up periods to rally enthusiasm and contributions. PiE’s efforts mirror those of more than 600 local educational foundations in California, which play a growing role in supporting cashstrapped public schools. Palo Alto PiE suggests that parents donate $650 for each child they have in the school district. “If families can give the ‘ask’ of $650, that’s fabulous. If that is not possible, we understand and we warmly welcome all contributions,” PiE Board President Lois Garland said. The $650 figure was chosen after comparisons with neighboring education foundations, board members said. This year, for example, the Los Altos Educational Foundation is asking $800 per child, and the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation suggests that parents give $1,000 per child. The Las Lomitas Education Foundation asks for an average of $2,000 per child. Other foundations, such as the Foundation for the Future at Menlo-Atherton High School, have no specific “ask” amount, according to executive director Cindy Folker. Palo Alto’s PiE last year provided $2.57 million to the school district, comprising about 1.7 percent of the

Foul play ruled out in swimming pool death

What education foundations ask of donors Foundation

“Ask”

Palo Alto Partners in Education

$650 per child*

Los Altos Educational Foundation

$800 per child

Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation

$1,000 per child

Mountain View Educational Foundation

$360 per child

Mtn. View-Los Altos High School Foundation

$700 per child

Las Lomitas Education Foundation

$2,000 per child

Education Foundation of Orinda

$550 per child

*Suggested donation per student in family

district’s operating budget. This year, the group aims to raise the same amount. In elementary schools, the funds will go toward reading and math specialists, classroom aides and instruction in science and arts. In middle schools, funds are directed to counseling and transition programs for entering sixth graders; mentors to ensure technology is integrated into the curriculum; and academic enrichment, allowing principals to offer extra electives or offer more sections of a particular class. In high schools, PiE supports college and career counseling, career and technology education and instructional technology. PiE consults with school leaders each year before deciding on its fundraising priorities. This year’s priorities are similar to last year’s, Garland said. The average gift among contributing families last year was $665, PiE Executive Director Muneerah Merchant said. That figure excludes the 22 families who contributed $10,000 or more. The participation rate was more than 60 percent of elementary school families; about 40 percent of middle school families and 30

percent for high school families, Merchant said. Approaching the big push of “Donation Days,” PiE leaders said they already are at nearly $400,000, or 30 percent, ahead of where they were at this time last year. “In terms of participation, we are ahead pretty much across the board,” Merchant said. She said that trust in the five-yearold foundation is increasing. “As we grow stronger as an organization, the community’s view of us as a sustainable funding source is higher,” she said. Garland believes the economy also has prompted people to donate. “Everyone’s heard about what’s going on in Sacramento and the economic challenges we all face. And our community loves its schools,” she said. “A lot of us moved here for the schools. They’re an integral part of what we take pride in here in Palo Alto. Our district in fact is facing some cuts from the state, and our community rallies to make sure the quality of education we all enjoy stays in place.” N Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be e-mailed at ckenrick@paweekly.com.

Investigators do not believe there was any criminal activity involved in the death of a 21-year-old man whose partially decomposed body was found in a Redwood City public pool last week, a police captain said Tuesday. (Posted Nov. 10 at 12:23 p.m.)

Pitching in for kids in East Palo Alto, eastern Menlo Park

Mountain View man sought in attempted murder

Two foundations coexist to fill unmet needs in impoverished schools

Police are looking for a man who they say nearly strangled his girlfriend to death during a domestic dispute in a Latham Street apartment late Saturday night. (Posted Nov. 9 at 3:28 p.m.)

Police arrest man found in Atherton backyard Responding to a resident’s report of a burglar at an Atherton home in the 100 block of Heather Drive, police captured a man on the afternoon of Thursday, Nov. 5, as he was climbing over a fence behind some bushes in the backyard. (Posted Nov. 9 at 3:26 p.m.)

Police tie incident at BBC with 7-11 robbery Menlo Park police arrested three men on Thursday, Nov. 5, in connection with a bottle-throwing incident at the British Bankers Club night club on El Camino Real, and a later robbery at the nearby 7-11 convenience store at Alma Street and Oak Grove Avenue. (Posted Nov. 9 at 9:06 a.m.) Want to get news briefs e-mailed to you every weekday? Sign up for Express, our new daily e-edition. Go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com to sign up.

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wo foundations have organized to raise support for public school children in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park. Both groups draw their funds primarily from outside the community. The newest entry, the Ravenswood Education Foundation, has raised nearly $1.3 million since it got started in early 2008, mainly from donors in Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Woodside, Portola Valley and Los Altos. The 16-year-old East Palo Alto Kids Foundation (EPAK) in recent years has raised about $225,000 a year to offer grants to public school teachers in the Ravenswood City

School District. The two organizations say they are friendly, cooperative and stay off each other’s turf. “We love EPAK and we support them,” Ravenswood Education Foundation director Charley Scandlyn said. “We’ve purposely stayed away from teacher grants so we wouldn’t get in their way. We focus on projects, partners and initiatives.” “We are very cooperative with Ravenswood,” Kids Foundation board Vice-President Julie Mahowald said. “They do big projects — remodeling all the science labs, for example. We do the grants to teachers.” The Kids Foundation for years has

enabled teachers to set up programs such as classroom “literacy centers” and purchase book collections, art supplies and math-learning tools known as manipulatives. In August, the Kids Foundation met with teachers new to the Ravenswood district and offered them each $200 for classroom supplies, provided they submit receipts. Kids Foundation volunteers several years ago renovated the library at East Palo Alto’s Edison-McNair School, bringing in volunteers to sort through the old books, catalog new books and train librarians and teachers. (continued on next page)

Upfront

High-speed rail (continued from page 3)

Angeles and carry passengers through the Peninsula at a speed of 125 mph. State voters approved $9.95 billion for the project in November 2008. The communication problem, Barker said, has much to do with the fact that the authority has been conducting outreach through dozens of different project contractors, each working on a specific segment of the 800-mile line. The new publicrelations firm would streamline the process and report straight to the rail agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Board of Directors. Director Rod Diridon agreed with Barker that the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s communication structure needs an overhaul. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need top-down control in terms of consistency of message, which was a real problem in the past,â&#x20AC;? Diridon told the board at the Nov. 3 meeting. Diridon pointed to â&#x20AC;&#x153;misinformationâ&#x20AC;? as a particular problem. He likened the misinformation to â&#x20AC;&#x153;a sore that festersâ&#x20AC;? and a â&#x20AC;&#x153;rotten appleâ&#x20AC;? that Ogilvy needs to get out of the barrel immediately. Diridon told the Weekly he was specifically referring to an incident in Visalia, where a project manager reportedly told a local newspaper the rail authority had reached a decision about a possible station in Visalia (it hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, Diridon said). He also had in mind the popular Peninsula belief that the rail authority will build a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Berlin Wallâ&#x20AC;? along the Caltrain tracks to support the new rail line (elevated tracks are just â&#x20AC;&#x153;one of four or five alternativesâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;not a very likely one,â&#x20AC;? he said). Diridon asked Ogilvy staff at the November meeting how they would create â&#x20AC;&#x153;flying squads of emergency response to nip those problems in the budâ&#x20AC;? and directed them to come back with information on how theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d go about it. But while the communication professionals from Ogilvy are preparing to pluck rotten apples, soothe sores and teach its responders to fly, another group has been performing its own outreach effort across the Peninsula. Unlike the top-down model trumpeted by the rail authority in Sacramento, the largely local, grassroots movement has consisted of residents and local officials. Since spring they have been holding meetings

Foundations

(continued from previous page)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;One particular donor was interested and gave a large amount,â&#x20AC;? Mahowald said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the kind of project a principal doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time for. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any bigger project from now on weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll pass along to Ravenswood (Education Foundation),â&#x20AC;? she said. The Ravenswood Education Foundation (REF) got its start when private funders sponsored Scandlyn, formerly a youth minister at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, to manage the newly formed 501(c)3. The foundation underwrites ex-

throughout the Peninsula to discuss the rail project and get regular updates from rail officials working on the local segment of the line. A few Palo Altans have even made the trek to Sacramento to address the rail authority directly. One of them, Elizabeth Alexis, said she took issue with Diridonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nov. 3 comments about â&#x20AC;&#x153;rotten applesâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;flying squads.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to build something positive, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very disappointing to hear this type of language,â&#x20AC;? Alexis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was very surprised to hear someone in that role, in that responsibility, speaking that way.â&#x20AC;? Alexis has been working with a group of Peninsula residents and elected officials to create a more collaborative approach to designing the San Francisco-to-San Jose segment of the line. Last month, the group convinced the rail authority to use the â&#x20AC;&#x153;context sensitive solutionsâ&#x20AC;? (CSS) approach to the project. The context-sensitive approach, which is often used for highway projects, gives stakeholders along the rail line a greater say in how the project is designed. Palo Alto Councilwoman Yoriko Kishimoto has been one of the leaders of the local outreach movement for high-speed rail. Kishimoto chairs the Peninsula Cities Consortium, a coalition of elected officials that meets on alternate Friday mornings to discuss the $45 billion project. The coalition, which consists of Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, Belmont and Burlingame, was formed largely to address the dearth of information coming out of Sacramento about the potentially transformative project, Kishimoto said. Earlier in the fall, the coalition sponsored a teach-in and a design workshop on the project. Last week, the group brought in Hal Kassoff, an expert on context-sensitive solutions, to explain the process to the residents and local officials. Since the organization has sprung into existence, the mood at the community meetings on the project has gradually lightened. In late February, more than 200 angry Palo Alto residents jeered and booed at rail officials at an emotional meeting at the Mitchell Park Community Center. In September, many of the same people came to a teach-in at Cubberley Community Center, where the mood was considerably more civil and respectful. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We basically stepped in to fill a

vacuum because there was nobody really taking any action to really have true dialogue about how we can potentially merge the highspeed rail with the community in this area,â&#x20AC;? Kishimoto said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a gap. In some ways, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost like the future is coming at us faster than we expected.â&#x20AC;? Kishimoto said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too early to judge whether the rail authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $9 million effort will improve communications. But she said the authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts might be more effective if it focuses less on â&#x20AC;&#x153;public relationsâ&#x20AC;? and more on â&#x20AC;&#x153;public participation.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be a kumbaya, happy discussion,â&#x20AC;? Kishimoto said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It should be a hard-nosed discussion about what on-the-ground decisions we should be making.â&#x20AC;? She also said it would be a mistake for the rail authority to put â&#x20AC;&#x153;paid PR peopleâ&#x20AC;? between the Peninsula community and the rail officials with whom the community has been negotiating thus far. Robert Doty, director of the Peninsula Rail Program, and Domenic Spaethling, the rail authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regional manager for the Peninsula segment, have become a familiar presence at local meetings, often staying late to provide information and answer questions. The rail authority should take care not to create an extra public-relations barrier between these project managers and Peninsula residents, Kishimoto said. But the rail authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board agreed its new contractor should strive to provide a disciplined message, directed by the board itself. In the coming weeks, Ogilvy will be surveying public opinion, coaching project managers on effective communication strategies and helping the board craft the proper message. Diridon said he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new communication effort as in any way competing with the grassroots effort on the Peninsula. The two efforts, he said, should complement each other in a way that ensures the information being put out is accurate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all accurate and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no attempt to provide skewed information or inflammatory information, then the more information, the better,â&#x20AC;? Diridon said. N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

tended school days and summer academies at three schools. Members from the same church provided funds and volunteer power to remodel all of Ravenswoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s science labs and have provided continuing support for the districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s science teachers, Scandlyn said. Some 300 volunteers from an organization called 2nd Mile have done â&#x20AC;&#x153;extreme makeoversâ&#x20AC;? of Ronald McNair and Green Oaks schools, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This weekend, Willow Oaks will get a big dose of 2nd Mile graciousness,â&#x20AC;? he said. This fall for the first time, the Ravenswood Education Foundation is reaching out to parents, offer-

ing $1,000 matching grants to any school that can get 100 parents to donate $10. So far, three schools have met the challenge. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our role is really to listen and find out what the needs are,â&#x20AC;? said Scandlyn, whose office is in district headquarters next to that of Superintendent Maria De La Vega. De La Vega was out of town this week and could not be reached for comment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The heroes are those principals and teachers in the district, who are really laboring. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the experts,â&#x20AC;? Scandlyn said. N Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be e-mailed at ckenrick@paweekly.com.

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Upfront

News Digest ‘Path to Purpose’ talk coming to Gunn Nov. 17

L U C I L E PA C K A R D

C H I L D R E N ’ S H O S P I TA L

“The Path to Purpose: Helping Our Children Find Their Calling in Life” is the topic of a Tuesday, Nov. 17, presentation by William Damon, professor at the Stanford University School of Education and director of its Center on Adolescence. The event — for parents, teens and community members — will be from 7 to 9 p.m. in the library of Gunn High School, 780 Arastradero Road. It is cosponsored by the PTSAs of Gunn and Palo Alto high schools. Damon’s books include “The Path to Purpose,” published in 2008; “The Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Culture of Indulgence,” published in 1995; and “The Moral Child,” published in 1988. Damon’s presentation is described by the PTSA as “a forward-looking examination of why young people today struggle to find direction in their lives. ... “This talk is based on a compelling and brilliantly researched study that highlights the common characteristics and experiences in highly motivated individuals and spells out the path they all have followed to gain and evolve a meaningful purpose in their lives.” Information is available by contacting Homa Yazdani at homa_ yazdani@yahoo.com. A Palo Alto Weekly article about William Damon, “Late to launch: What it takes for young people to find their purpose in life,” can be read online at www.paloaltoonline.com. N — Chris Kenrick

Teachers, district share ‘exploding’ health costs

Your Child’s Health University Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital offers classes and seminars designed to foster good health and enhance the lives of parents and children. ALL ABOUT PREGNANCY Our newest class is designed to offer an overview of pregnancy for the newly pregnant or about-to-be pregnant couple. The program will include the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy, comfort measures for pregnancy, maternal nutrition and fitness, pregnancy precautions, fetal development and growth, pregnancy testing, life changes and more. This first offering of the class will be complimentary but please call to reserve a space. - Sunday, October 25: 1:00 - 3:00 pm

PREPARING FOR MULTIPLES SEMINAR Are you expecting twins, triplets or more? With the potential for early delivery, expectant parents of multiples are encouraged to learn everything there is to know about carrying and delivering multiple infants. - Sunday, November 1: 12:30 - 5:00 pm

PEDIATRIC WEIGHT CONTROL PROGRAM OPEN HOUSE This family-based, behavioral and educational weight management program promotes healthy eating andexercise habits for overweight children and their families. More than 80% of children achieve long-term weight loss through this program – and parents lose weight too! Call (650) 725-4424 for information. - Tuesday, November 3: 7:00 - 8:00 pm

CHILDBIRTH PREP CLASS Our Childbirth Prep Class is designed to explain the variations and choices surrounding birth. Along with preparation for labor and birth through lecture, discussion and ﬁlm, the class includes relaxation and breathing techniques, medical pain relief options and the important role of the support person for the laboring mother. - Two Sundays: November 8 & 15: 1:00 - 5:00 pm

Call (650) 723-4600 or visit www.lpch.org to register or obtain more information on the times, locations and fees for these and other courses.

L U C I L E PA C K A R D

C H I L D R E N’S H O S P I T A L C A L L TO D AY TO S I G N U P F O R C L A S S E S ( 6 5 0 ) 72 3 - 4 6 0 0 Page 10ÊUÊ Ûi LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓää ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

Entry-level teachers in Palo Alto will continue to earn $51,422 a year under a union agreement discussed by the Board of Education Tuesday night. School-district officials and union representatives said they have reached agreement on contract items that address the “exploding cost of medical insurance” through a shared effort of increased co-payments and other insurance adjustments, including an opt-out plan for retirees. The district’s two bargaining units did not seek pay raises this year, but had hoped to avoid any increase in medical co-payments. The unions are the Palo Alto Educators’ Association, representing teachers, and the California School Employees Association, representing non-management staff. The district’s average contribution to health and welfare benefits jumped from $12,125 per employee to $12,865 per employee. Beyond that, the district contributes another 12.5 percent of an employee’s salary to the State Teachers Retirement System and Worker’s Compensation funds, according to assistant superintendent Scott Bowers. The district’s teacher pay scale is based on seniority and education levels. For example, a teacher with seven years’ experience and 60 units of graduate work earns $74,753. An experienced teacher with 20 years of service and 90 graduate units makes $97,666. The maximum teacher salary in Palo Alto, for a teacher with 30 years’ experience, is $103,836. In addition, teachers with master’s or doctoral degrees receive an annual “stipend” of $1,982 and teachers who earn national board certification earn annual stipends of $2,571. “It isn’t a joyful year when we can’t offer a salary increase,” school board Chairman Barb Mitchell said. “While we were able to do a 2.5 percent increase last year, for the average teacher that amounted to $36 a week. This is not Goldman Sachs territory we’re coming from.” N — Chris Kenrick

Victor Frost pleads ‘not guilty’ to disturbance Victor Frost, Palo Alto’s well-known panhandler, pleaded “not guilty” on Tuesday morning to a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace and using offensive words “likely to provoke an immediate violent response.” Frost could face a maximum 90 days in county jail and $1,000 fine if convicted. He was arraigned before Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge William J. Monahan at the North County Courthouse in Palo Alto. He returns to court Jan. 12 for a pretrial hearing. Frost was arrested Sept. 22 for allegedly shouting racial epithets at a homeless amputee outside Whole Foods Market on Homer Avenue. A witness said Frost had left his usual panhandling spot and became enraged when he returned two hours later and saw a man in a wheelchair had taken his place. But outside the courtroom Tuesday, Frost said he thought the man was stealing money out of his collection pot. In a separate case, Frost is challenging citations for violating Palo Alto’s sit-lie ordinance. Attorneys are asking a judge to throw out the citations on constitutional grounds. Frost asserts the city applies two separate standards to the sit-lie law. The city enforces the ordinance against homeless persons while allowing restaurants to illegally maintain outside seating without the necessary permits, he said. That case returns to court Nov. 30. N — Sue Dremann

Upfront

Utilities

(continued from page 3)

tor and the man who fired Estrada. City and federal officials would not comment on the ongoing DOT investigation. But over the summer, the Utilities Department hired a third party to review its operationsqualifications procedures and to retest about 30 workers in the gas division. The company, Chico-based Gas Transmission Systems Inc., reviewed the city’s testing procedures and helped administer the new tests. Robert Gross, a company vice president who was involved in the review, said every Palo Alto employee who was retested by his company passed. Gross said the department already had qualification procedures in place that exceeded state and federal mandates. The Department of Transportation, which regulates natural-gas lines, requires utilities to use one of many methods — including written tests, oral tests and observation of performance — to ensure its workers are qualified. Even before the February scandal, the department utilized all of these methods, Gross said. “They actually go above and beyond what’s required,” Gross said Thursday. Gross said his company helped the Utilities Department make minor revisions in its Operator Qualification plan, mostly to eliminate sections that did not pertain to the department and revise some of the questions on the tests. The company also administered a variety of tests to the 30 gas-line workers who are required to qualify through testing. All 30 passed, he said. “I think the folks in the department know what to do and know how to operate,” Gross said. “It’s evidenced in the fact that they all passed the tests, which weren’t easy.” Utilities Director Valerie Fong said division supervisors also received additional training. She said she was pleased with the third-party review of the department’s qualification program. Earlier this year, the department also revised its test forms to make the tests more difficult to falsify. The new forms include sections at the bottom for names and signatures of both the employee taking the test and the person administering it. The previous form asked only for the names of both parties. Fong said the combination of internal and external reviews has enhanced the gas division’s qualification program. “Our employees have proven that each of them is trained, knowledgeable and competent to safely perform important natural gas line work on behalf of the community,” Fong wrote in an e-mail. “The public can be assured that all employees performing gas line work are trained and competent to safely work on the system and that the safety of our community is of utmost importance to us.”

raise the flagging morale of workers within the department. Estrada’s allegations against Dornell and Ghaffari came at a time of dramatic change and turmoil within the department. The two managers were reassigned to Utilities in 2005 to bring more “management oversight” and to make changes to the department’s “operations and practices and work culture,” City Manager James Keene wrote in a March 26 memo to the City Council. These changes included contracting out and streamlining some of the department’s operations, which did not sit well with some of the workers who saw some of their duties reassigned or outsourced. The federal affidavit cites two utilities workers, in addition to Estrada, who repeated Estrada’s allegations (both said they learned about the falsifications from Estrada) and complained about the low morale and bad oversight in the division. Dan Serna, a relative of Estrada, said he felt Dornell and Ghaffari lacked the qualifications to manage the division. Dentell Reed, a utility locator, also complained the supervisors “lacked experience, were not

concerned with safety and simply did not know what to do.” But most department employees saw Estrada’s complaints as false accusations by a disgruntled exworker against his former bosses. The week after the raid, the workers in the General Shop of the WaterGas-Wastewater Division met to discuss the complaints against the department. According to an e-mail from Supervisor Eric Mueller to Fong, the “consensus” was that “the investigation is a personal vendetta more than a scandal.” Other workers expressed similar sentiments during interviews with the Weekly in the spring. Fong also sent several notifications to the entire department staff between the time of the raid and mid-summer asking workers to refrain from retaliating against their colleagues in the department. “I know that the investigation is stressful and challenging for our team, but please be professional and treat all of your co-workers with the same level of respect,” Fong wrote in a June 23 memorandum. “Avoid petty comments and actions that could appear retaliatory, and if you

find yourself in an interaction where you feel like you are struggling to maintain the appropriate level of civility, step away and contact your supervisor for assistance.” Keene had also personally interviewed the two former managers and wrote in his report to the council that both had “firmly denied any direction of, or participation in, or knowledge of the falsification of the tests.” Keene said he believes them. Dornell, who now works in the Public Works Department, made it clear that he was deeply offended by the accusations “as his reputation and character have been called into question,” Keene wrote in his report. Keene also said staff reviewed and closely scrutinized the tests from 2006. In most cases, there were indications that different people took them, he said. But he didn’t rule out the possibility that some of the tests could have been falsified. “In some cases ... there are some tests that do not even have the employee’s name on the top of the test. “In some of these cases, there appears to be a possible pattern of

similarity as to how the multiplechoice questions were marked off. Thus, it may be possible that some of the tests might have been tampered with, or falsified, or filled out by the same person.” Keene told the Weekly this week that he is glad to see the department’s swift response to the problems identified through the various reviews, including its actions to make the tests harder to falsify. He said the department will “immediately respond” to any recommendations that will come from the DOT as the federal investigation unfolds. The Utilities Department is also taking a fresh look at its entire organization to see what staff or procedural changes it could make to improve its operations, Keene said. “They’re not just responding in the wake of the DOT investigation — as they should — but, in many cases, they’re doing even more than they have to,” Keene said. “They’ve made a very serious effort to respond in as comprehensive a way as possible.” N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com

ut even if the federal scrutiny helped strengthen Palo Alto’s gas operation, it did little to *> Ê Ì Ê7ii ÞÊUÊ Ûi LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓää ÊU Page 11

Upfront

Edgewood Plaza (continued from page 6)

Personal care will get even better More capacity. More access. More service. Menlo Medical Clinic will open a second Menlo Park location at 321 MiddleďŹ eld Road to provide exceptional primary and specialty care for its community. Personal. Knowledgeable. Integrated. Soon our family of physicians and practitioners will grow to 50+, our specialties will increase to 20, and our clinic will expand to two â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all in afďŹ liation with Stanford Hospital & Clinics to better serve you. Our second Menlo Park clinic at 321 MiddleďŹ eld Road will open December of 2009. Menlo Medical Clinic 1300 Crane St. Menlo Park, CA 94025 650-498-6500 menloclinic.com

GISSV

German International School of Silicon Valley

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showed a common vision. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No one wins in a neighborhood dispute. We have come together now in support of a revised plan for Edgewood Shopping Center that deserves broad support from the neighborhood,â&#x20AC;? Tze said. But some people have been unhappy with the complications of getting a plan through. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been to all the meetings. I feel bad for the developers,â&#x20AC;? resident Marianne Bowers said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The more elaborate plan would have been even better,â&#x20AC;? Anderson, the Golf Lab owner, said. Sand Hill has hired Palo Alto developer Jim Baer as project manager for the Edgewood redevelopment, which must go through public hearings and city approval before development can begin. Baer said he is optimistic the new plans will move through the city approval process without controversy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have learned many lessons by observing the conflicts that have surrounded other grocery store applications such as Alma Plaza and JJ&F Market. A developer must earn the support of neighbors by proposing a plan with few homes and with future retail viability. The Edgewood Project Concept Plan achieves these goals,â&#x20AC;? he said. The plan will require at least two hearings before the Planning and Transportation Commission and one or more meetings before the Architectural Review Board, plus two City Council meetings. A comprehensive application should be submitted by December, after a meeting with neighbors, Baer said. Karen White, Duveneck/St. Francis Neighborhood Association president, said she was thrilled to learn of the compromise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fabulous resolution. It meets the needs of everyone Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve talked to, regardless of their perspective. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so gratified. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see a center the entire community will be proud of,â&#x20AC;? she said. N Editorial Intern John Squire and Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be e-mailed at jsquire@paweekly.com and sdremann@paweekly.com.

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Upfront COMMUNITY

Gunn senior finds lots of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;extra shoesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

A Guide to the Spiritual Community

Teen collects more than 1,000 pairs of shoes to benefit the Ecumenical Hunger Program by John Squire unn High School senior Alexandra Yesian has reached her goal of donating 1,000 pairs of shoes to the Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP), a nonprofit organization that helps low-income families in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park with food, clothing and support. Yesian started her â&#x20AC;&#x153;Got Extra Shoes?â&#x20AC;? program last summer. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy but it was all worth the stress, Yesian, 17, said recently as she closed in on her goal. She said she chose shoes because she loves shoes and felt that everyone needs a good-fitting pair. She put ads in the school paper and on Fogster, an online advertising forum. Each day after school, she swam through three hours of synchronized swim practice and an inbox full of messages from people wanting to donate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was very important for me to get kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shoes because childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feet are constantly growing, but I accepted anything in good condition,â&#x20AC;? Yesian said. Shoes came in from all over the community, and many pairs had stories. A dying neighbor left his shoes to Yesian so she could give them to those in need. A group of triathlon runners picked up unclaimed shoes after a race. They even donated goggles and swim caps to her swim team. What started as a solo effort soon turned into a family affair. Until Yesian got her driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, her mother, Charlotte, pitched in by transporting carloads of shoes to the hunger program. Her father and brother put up fliers at their offices. When Melanie Jones-Carter, administrative manager at Ecumenical Hunger Program, first met Yesian in May, she had already collected 688 pairs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was quite refreshing to meet someone that had fig-

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First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto Veronica Weber

Sunday Services â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8:30 & 10:25 Sunday School â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9:00 Rev. Love & Rev. McHugh OfďŹ ce Hours: 8-4 M-F

625 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto

(650) 323-6167 s WWW &IRST0ALO!LTO COM

Alexandra Yesian unloads boxes of shoes, which sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been collecting for the Ecumenical Hunger Program in East Palo Alto. In a year sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collected more than 1,000 pairs of shoes. ured out how their passion could help others,â&#x20AC;? she said. Yesian met her goal, with 11 pairs of shoes extra, last week. The project has helped raise the profile of the Ecumenical Hunger Program, which supplies emergency relief to families and individuals on the Peninsula. The program accepts food, clothing and household essentials year round and is located at 2411 Pulgas Ave., East Palo Alto. More information is at www.ehpcares.org. N Editorial Intern John Squire can be e-mailed at jsquire@paweekly.com.

Stanford Memorial Church University Public Worship Stanford Memorial Church Sundays, 10:00 am

All are welcome. Information: 650-723-1762

Sermons by the Dean, the Senior Associate Dean and the Associate Dean for Religious Life, as well as occasional guest speakers Music featuring University Organist and Memorial Church Choir Director, Dr. Robert Huw Morgan http://religiouslife.stanford.edu

Los Altos Lutheran Church ELCA

Pastor David K. Bonde Outreach Pastor Gary Berkland 9:00 am Worship 10:30 am Education Nursery Care Provided Alpha Courses

650-948-3012 460 S. El Monte Ave., Los Altos

www.losaltoslutheran.org

We Invite You to Learn and Worship with Us.

FPCMV welcomes our new Pastor Timothy R. Boyer. Biblically based Sermons and Worship Service 10:30 AM. www.fpcmv.org 1667 Miramonte (Cuesta at Miramonte) 650.968.4473

INSPIRATIONS

A resource for special events and ongoing religious services. To inquire about or make space reservations for Inspirations, please contact Blanca Yoc at 326-8210 x6596 or email byoc@paweekly.com *>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;7iiÂ&#x17D;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Â&#x153;Ă&#x203A;iÂ&#x201C;LiĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;ÂŁĂ&#x17D;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Ă¤Ă¤Â&#x2122;Ă&#x160;U Page 13

CITY OF PALO ALTO NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING of the City of Palo Alto Architectural Review Board (ARB)

Please be advised that Thursday, December 3, 2009, the ARB shall conduct a public hearing at 8:30 AM in the Council Chambers, 1st Floor, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Any interested persons may appear and be heard. 195 Page Mill Road [08PLN-00000-00281]: A request by Hohbach Realty Company Limited Partnership for Major Architectural Review of a mixed use, 157,387 sq. ft. building on a 2.41-acre (net) site within the GM zone for a ďŹ&#x201A;oor area ratio (FAR) of 1.5:1, with approximately 50,467 sq. ft. of research and development use and 106,920 sq. ft. of residential use consisting of 84 rental dwelling units. The project includes requests for: (1) a Design Enhancement Exception to allow the building to exceed the 45% maximum site coverage by 3%, and the building overhangs to extend beyond the 5% allowable overhang area, (2) two Concessions pursuant to California Govt. Code 65915-65918 to allow the residential use in the GM zone and to allow the additional 1:1 FAR to accommodate the residential ďŹ&#x201A;oor area, and (3) two Variances to allow a zero rear setback where 10 feet is required, and a 5 foot interior side setback where 10 feet is required, per RM-40 regulations. A draft Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration were prepared and circulated for public review beginning November 2, 2009 through December 1, 2009

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the City Council of the City of Palo Alto will hold a Public Hearing at the Regular Council Meeting on Monday, December 7, 2009 at 7:00 p.m., or as near thereafter as possible, in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California to Consider Approval of a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) and adoption of (1) a Resolution Amending the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map to Change the land use designation for 2180 El Camino Real from Neighborhood Commercial to Mixed Use and (2) an Ordinance amending Section 18.08.040 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code (The Zoning Map) to change the classiďŹ cation of property known as 2180 El Camino Real from Neighborhood Commercial (CN) District to PC Planned Community for a mixed use project (the â&#x20AC;&#x153;College Terrace Centerâ&#x20AC;?) having 57,900 square feet of ďŹ&#x201A;oor area for a grocery store, other retail space, ofďŹ ce space, and eight affordable residential units, with two levels of below-grade parking facilities and surface parking facilities. The Planning and Transportation Commission recommends conditional approval of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Rezoning to Planned Community. DONNA J. GRIDER, MMC City Clerk

The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations to access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn more about the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), please contact the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ADA Coordinator at 650.329.2550 (voice) or by e-mailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org. Amy French Manager of Current Planning

Saturday, November 21st s AM

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Palo Alto Nov. 3-8 Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Child abuse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Rape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Sexual assault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft related Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Shoplifting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle related Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Driving with suspended license . . . . . . .1 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Lost/stolen plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle accident/prop. damage . . . . . . .6 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Miscellaneous Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. penal code violation . . . . . . . . . . .2 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Noise ordinance violation . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Other/misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Nov. 3-10

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Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Domestic disturbance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft related Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Theft unidentified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle related Driving w/ suspended license. . . . . . . . .4 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Parking/driving violation . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Vehicle accident/no injury. . . . . . . . . . . .2 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Drug activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Miscellaneous Coroner case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Property for destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Other/misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Atherton Nov. 4-6 Violence related Assault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft related Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle related Bicycle stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Miscellaneous Be on the lookout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Citizen assist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Hazard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Medical aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Other/misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Outside assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Property for destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Suspicious person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Town ordinance violation . . . . . . . . . . . .1

assault/rape.

CITY OF PALO ALTO NOTICE OF CITY MANAGERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PUBLIC HEARING CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY

Menlo Park

Palo Alto 600 Block Ramona Street, 11/7, 9:53 p.m.; battery. El Camino Real, 11/4, 6:47 p.m.; child abuse. Embarcadero Road, 11/3, 12:49 p.m.; domestic violence. Terman Drive, 11/5, 12:30 p.m.; domestic violence/battery. 200 Block Curtner Avenue, 11/8, 9:49 p.m.; domestic violence/battery. Los Robles Avenue, 11/3, 5:12 p.m.; sexual

Middlefield Road and Ringwood Avenue, 11/3, 10:43 a.m.; battery. 600 block Willow Road, 11/4, 10:54 a.m.; battery. 3500 block Haven Avenue, 11/4, 11:31 p.m.; battery. Unit block Willow Road , 11/6, 4:48 p.m.; domestic disturbance.

Atherton 500 Block Middlefield Road, 11/5, 12:31 p.m.; battery.

Transitions Births, marriages and deaths

Deaths Ruth Wallace Carpenter Ruth Wallace Carpenter, 98, a resident of Palo Alto since 1942, died Nov. 8 after a period of declining health. Born in Toronto, Canada, in 1911, she moved to Pasadena, Calif., at age 6. She earned undergraduate and masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degrees from Stanford University, both in 1932. She assisted her first husband, Ralph Wallace, in his insurance business and became an agent with New York Life Insurance Co. after his death in 1970. She married Floyd Carpenter, a retired Lockheed employee, in 1971. He died in 2002.

She was active in theater in Pasadena in the 1930s and appeared in several plays at the Palo Alto Community Theater in the 1940s and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s. Her memberships included Chi Omega, Palo Alto Lawn Bowls Club and First Baptist Church of Palo Alto, where she sang in the choir in the 1940s. She leaves two sons, Lane, of Aptos, and Scott, of Australia; and two granddaughters. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, at First Baptist Church of Palo Alto, 305 North California Ave., Palo Alto.

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Palo Alto City Manager or his designee will consider the application of Stanford Yellow Cab, for a CertiďŹ cate of Public Convenience and Necessity to operate a taxicab service in the City of Palo Alto under the business name of Stanford Yellow Cab, and the Amendment to the current CertiďŹ cate of Public Convenience and Necessity for Yellow Checker Cab Company, Inc to increase the number of taxicabs to operate in the City of Palo Alto under the business name of Silicon Valley Checker Cab Company and Yellow Cab Company of Palo Alto, at a special meeting on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in the First Floor Human Resources Conference Room, located at 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto.

*/(. 2/"%24 7!43/. 0/,,/#+ John Robert Watson Pollock, 88, Madison, Wis. and formerly of Palo Alto, died on Saturday, October 31, in the care of hospice. John was born on October 11, 1921, in Fargo, N.D., to James Wendell Pollock and Constance Watson Pollock. He graduated from DeerďŹ eld Academy in Massachusetts, attended Carleton College, and graduated from Harvard College. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and married Nancy Higbee on May 26, 1948, in La Crosse, Wis. He received a Master of Library Science degree from San Jose State University and went on to a career as a librarian at NASA Ames Research Center and junior colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area and Juneau, Alaska.

A man of broad knowledge, John researched the history of the American West, loved the intricacies of the English language, and enjoyed travel throughout the United States. He was dearly loved by many friends and relatives and spent many happy summers at â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Camp at Reserveâ&#x20AC;? on Lac Courte Oreilles in Wisconsin. John was a member of the Oregon-California Trails Association and E Clampus Vitus. Survivors include Nancy Pollock, his wife of 61 years; son James Pollock of East Palo Alto; and daughter Ann Pollock (James Coors) of Madison, Wis. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Elizabeth Engebretson, and a niece. No services are planned. In lieu of ďŹ&#x201A;owers, memorials may be made to HospiceCare, Inc., 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg, WI 53711; or the Weiss Community Library, 10788 State Hwy 27/77, Hayward, WI 54843. Vaya con Dios, Straight Arrow.

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O B I T UA RY

*!-%3 '!,,!'(%2 0!4%,, *5,9 ÂŻ /#4/"%2 James Gallagher Patell died at age 21 while in his senior year at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. He is survived by his parents, Colleen and James Patell, his sisters Jennifer and Teagan Patell, two of his four grandparents, nineteen aunts and uncles, and twentyďŹ ve cousins. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jimboâ&#x20AC;? Patell endured three difďŹ cult heart surgeries before he was four years old, but he was determined to live an active, normal life. He participated in sports in elementary school at St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of the Sacred Heart, and he graduated from Menlo High School in 2006, rowing for the Northern California Crew team in his junior and senior years. Jim and his father enjoyed ďŹ&#x201A;y-ďŹ shing together, completing six one-hundred-mile raft trips in Alaska, in addition to trips throughout California, Montana, and British Columbia. Jim loved working with tools. For two

summers, he served as a volunteer in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, working on construction projects with Visions, an international youth organization. At Loyola Marymount, Jim was a loyal and enthusiastic member of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, where his brothers enjoyed his sense of humor as well as his dedication to their ideals. Jim dreamed of entering the military or law enforcement, and he was proud of earning his NRA Instructorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CertiďŹ cate. Jim carried a heavy burden as he struggled against the constraints that his heart placed on his ambitions, and he taught his family and friends how to be strong and loyal. A beautiful Catholic Mass and Memorial Service was held for Jim at Loyola Marymount University on October 29. In lieu of ďŹ&#x201A;owers, his family asks that donations be made to the Lucille Packard Foundation for Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health / Pediatric Cardiology, in memory of James Gallagher Patell. Donations can be made online at www. supportlpch.org by clicking the â&#x20AC;&#x153;memorialâ&#x20AC;? button and designating James G. Patell, or by mail to The Lucille Packard Foundation for Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health, Attention Gift Processing, 400 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 340, Palo Alto, CA 94301. PA I D

O B I T UA RY

Editorial

Promising recovery from tree disaster City staff response to mass tree felling Sept. 14 is collaborative, inclusive and efficient, and should be a model for future projects — before disaster strikes

here may be a positive ending to the mid-September mass tree cutting in the California Avenue commercial district.

Palo Alto’s timely response to community outrage over the abrupt felling of 63 holly oaks is a surprise to some observers who have watched years of the dawdling “Palo Alto Process.” This process is different. City officials — no doubt prodded significantly by City Manager James Keene — have been listening to citizens, tree experts, local merchants and others. Together they have produced a responsive, creative plan in what may be record time for Palo Alto. The City Council will review it Monday night on a schedule that, it is hoped, could get some new trees planted this winter. A nice feature of the new plan is that it eliminates two phases and melds immediate first steps with a cohesive overall vision — responding to one of the criticisms of the initial project. But the best element is that it breaks from the single-tree, redmaple approach initially favored by the board of the California Avenue Area Development Association (CAADA). While plans to replace the 30-year-old holly oaks have been around for several years, earlier discussions anticipated a phased removal. This was shifted to an all-at-once replacement plan with virtually no public notice. A city staff member’s oversight led to the premature felling of the trees, and subsequent outcry. But looking forward, the plan that is emerging from an intense period of feedback shows a blend of trees designed to reflect the mix in surrounding residential areas and in Palo Alto’s “urban forest” of neighborhood street trees. With citizen meetings plus reviews by the city’s Architectural Review Board and Planning & Transportation Commission, as well as input from residents and the community-based Canopy tree-advocacy group, the city appears ready to move ahead. The respected landscape-architectural firm of Royston Hanimoto Alley and Abey (RHAA) on Nov. 5 produced a detailed plan (on the city’s website) showing the mix and configuration of several varieties of both deciduous and evergreen trees, based on earlier feedback. This Tuesday Dave Marcoullier of RHAA issued a statement citing the collaborative effort and noting the desire for a “cohesive design” before anything is done. He said the California Avenue Business District “has evolved organically” as a business and social center that largely serves surrounding and nearby neighborhoods. The current design reflects the feel of such neighborhoods in terms of the type and arrangement of trees. We agree, and are pleasantly surprised that our initial concerns that this redesign might become an endless “Palo Alto Process” debate seem to be supplanted by a streamlined but open process of efficient collaboration and communication. We hope this important “process” lesson lasts at least as long as, well, the life spans of the new trees.

Weekly launches annual ‘Holiday Fund’ drive

ver the past 16 years, the Palo Alto Weekly’s annual “Holiday Fund” drive has raised millions of dollars that have gone directly to community-based programs directly serving children and families.

This joyful effort is one of great pride for the Weekly, as employees throughout the organization take part in awarding the usually modest grants that enable local nonprofit organizations and schools launch, continue or enhance programs. The huge range of grants is reported elsewhere, but the collective impact cannot be measured in dollars alone. The grants often help organizations through tight spots or to achieve a something they might not otherwise be able to accomplish. For the next two months, during Thanksgiving and the holiday season of sharing, the Holiday Fund will be accepting donations toward a $260,000 goal. Last year, despite the economic downturn (or perhaps because of it) new donors came forward. Matching funds from major local foundations and the fact that the Weekly absorbs all overhead costs means that all donations go directly to the grant recipients. Please join us as we again embark on a this year’s communitybuilding, life-enhancing effort. Page 16ÊUÊ Ûi LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓää ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions

Destination art? Editor, An ancient Chinese proverb observes that a bird does not sing because it has a question. It sings because it has a song. Skilled artists, fascinated with the echoes of reality, perceive and sing songs as yet unheard. That enduring arch with its chaotic, polycrystalline mineral form, that Bruce Beasley will present to Mitchell Park is being forged in the furnace of a catastrophe which we still living in our neverland of sentiment and dreams are unwilling to admit. Were it to have a name, we should call it “Rubble,” or “After The Big One,” or “Portal to the Past,” or if indeed it is a “true destination piece of art” as Elise deMarzo claims, we could call it “Tombstone.” Michael Goldeen Tasso Street Palo Alto

Sculpture safety Editor, As an artist and an architect I am glad to see that a sculpture by the immensely gifted sculptor Bruce Beasely has been selected for the grounds of the new Mitchell Park Library. The granite sculpture shown in the illustration forms an arch. A granite arch, although stable under gravity forces, has zero tensile strength and thus would collapse under moderate earthquake forces. I hope that the city of Palo Alto insists that a licensed structural engineer make recommendations for stabilizing Mr. Beasley’s arch to resist tensile forces as a failure would be deadly to those standing beneath this object during an earthquake. Jim Blake Bain Place Redwood City

Principal’s good decision Editor, I fully support the Palo Alto High School principal’s decision to suspend students who choose to behave in destructive ways by throwing eggs, etc. If these students and their parents are concerned about their kids’ chances of getting into good colleges and universities, all the kids have to do is choose not to behave in such destructive activities. It’s as simple as that. Our entire society has become very enabling of bad behavior. Consequences for behavior strongly influence whether or not we decide to engage in those behaviors. Our young people need to learn to take responsibility for their actions. This cannot happen if their parents continually make excuses for their kids’ behavior. Janet Boggs Clarke Avenue East Palo Alto

This week on Town Square Posted Nov. 10 at 9:04 p.m. by Janie, a member of the Walter Hays School community: PLEASE EVERYONE GIVE TO PiE!!! Our schools are in such trouble! Please, please open your checkbooks and give to Partners in Education. Palo Alto schools are suffering. I hear they are looking at furlough days for the teachers next year. This is horrible! Give what you can!

In the industry, there haven’t been too many salary raises and bonuses in the past two years (longer for some). Education is an industry like any other ... they get affected by the economy as well. There are quite a few families in Palo Alto, where one (or some cases both) parents are out of a job. Donations to PiE should be expected to decrease due to this. Let’s just be realistic. There is no money fountain in the backyard.

Posted Nov. 11 at 9:37 a.m. by neighbor, a resident of another community: Perhaps Palo Alto should eliminate the city sculpture budget for a few years so that they can invest in the city’s services and CHILDREN instead. I guess Palo Alto is more interested in image.

Posted Nov. 11 at 8:10 p.m. by Donald, a resident of the South of Midtown neighborhood: It would help if people could keep track of the difference between the city and the school district. I see that the comment on the sculpture budget was made by someone from a different community, so let me clarify this. The City of Palo Alto’s budget is completely separate from that of the Palo Alto Unified School District.

Posted Nov. 11 at 5:07 p.m. by Where should we get the money from?, a resident of the Meadow Park neighborhood:

YOUR TURN The Palo Alto Weekly encourages comments on our coverage or on issues of local interest.

What do you think? Have you felt any of the economic recovery yet? Submit letters to the editor of up to 250 words to letters@paweekly.com. Include your name, address and daytime phone number so we can reach you. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, objectionable content, libel and factual errors known to us. Anonymous letters will generally not be accepted. You can also participate in our popular interactive online forum, Town Square, at our community website at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Read blogs, discuss issues, ask questions or express opinions with you neighbors any time, day or night. Submitting a letter to the editor or guest opinion constitutes a granting of permission to the Palo Alto Weekly and Embarcadero Publishing Co. to also publish it online, including in our online archives and as a post on Town Square. For more information contact Editor Jay Thorwaldson or Online Editor Tyler Hanley at editor@paweekly.com or 650-326-8210.

Check out Town Square! Hundreds of local topics are being discussed by local residents on Town Square, a reader forum sponsored by the Weekly on our community website at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Post your own comments, ask questions, read the Editor’s blog or just stay up on what people are talking about around town!

Guest Opinion Is dealing with the “Dog Matter” barking up the wrong tree? by Paul Losch very decade or so, the “Dog Matter” pops up in Palo Alto — no relation to the little piles rarely seen in these post-PooperScooper days. The Dog Matter topic has its own complicating factors that are important to Palo Alto. There are also questions that other communities have resolved about recreational opportunities for dogs and their owners. At long last, we are starting such a process here. Disclosure: I own a beagle named Bijou who has been with my family since 1998. He typically gets a morning walk around the Community Center neighborhood where I live, and on weekends he often gets to stroll downtown or Town and Country Village for a change of pace and more exercise time. Some years ago we would go to a local elementary school on summer evenings so he could play with other dogs while the us humans chatted. While I discontinued that practice awhile back, I have on the occasional Sunday morning taken him to that school yard and let him work his nose off — he is a hound, and the aromas he picks up there are as close to heaven as he can get. I and fellow Parks and Recreation Commissioner Daria Walsh, also a dog owner, have for a couple of years wanted the commission to look into how well dogs and their owners are served in Palo Alto. Several thousand households include dogs.

For many, the companionship of a dog is an essential aspect of their quality of life. Dogs are not for everybody. There have been local incidents where someone was hurt by a dog, and some folks are just plain frightened of dogs. So, there are diverging opinions about dogs, as in most communities. Until recently, other business before the commission resulted in putting dogs on the back burner, so to speak. At least, we have scheduled a public meeting , set for next Tuesday night, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Jordan Middle School cafetorium. The meeting, open to all (except dogs), is to get feedback about ideas relating to the dog topic. Questions we have identified so far include: (1) Can we add or expand dog runs? (2) Can we designate certain areas in certain parks as “dog havens” at certain times of day? (3) Could dogs be allowed in Foothills Park (on leash) on weekends as well as weekdays? (4) How should we respond to widespread violation of the city’s “leash law,” now a half century old? I have some preliminary thoughts and observations, and would welcome ideas of others. On dog runs, there presently are three in Palo Alto: Mitchell Park, Hoover Park and a “bowling alley” for dogs at Greer Park. Other cities have much larger and nicer dog runs than we do. Questions: Would more dog runs in various parks around town be a valued addition? Are the configurations of existing dog runs satisfactory? What are best practices for developing dog runs at this time? One notion that has intrigued me is the idea

Streetwise

Are you worried about the H1N1 flu?

The (leash) law seems to be so out of touch with the realities of how things actually work here. And to change it requires a voter referendum. to designate areas and times as “dog havens” where they could run free for a time. As a built-out community, there is no space for adding new single-use activities of any sort. That means something either gets replaced or shared. In economics this would be viewed as a “yield management” opportunity. It works in other areas. A park in Menlo Park is available to responsible dog owners at certain times. The same area is used for baseball at other times. There is no time conflict between the two groups. The solemn pact that dog owners have is that they will deal with their dogs’ “matter” each and every day before they vacate the premises. It has been a win/win: Each group the same space at different times, a space/time continuum of sorts. Can Palo Alto try a similar approach? Foothills Park may be a different matter. Dogs currently are welcome, on leash, during the week but not allowed on weekends. My only assertion here is that there appears to be an inconsistency in how dogs are viewed as part of an experience at the park. This needs to be thought through. Too many people show up at the entrance and are turned away because it is the weekend, and the dog was

brought along. Is the present arrangement appropriate or is another approach indicated? Palo Alto’s leash law is a difficult topic. There is a law from the mid 1950s that states that any dog, any time, in Palo Alto must be on a leash when outside a home or private yard. This ordinance is violated daily by our neighbors and friends, and I have been guilty as charged. The law seems to be so out of touch with the realities of how things actually work here. And to change it requires a voter referendum — it is not something the City Council can modify. They only can decide to put an alternative out there for a vote of the people. Is there enough consensus in the community that this ordinance should be reviewed and an alternative ordinance be crafted that is more in keeping with how things really are? What would an alternative ordinance look like? How would it be different from what is on the books now? How do we assure that the interests of both non-dog owners and dog owners are fairly reflected in an alternative ordinance?These issues are neither trivial nor simple. As Commissioner Walsh and I began thinking it through with city staff, we concluded that taking on all four issues at once would be overwhelming. Consequently, we have chosen to start with the first two issues: adding or expanding dog runs and designating certain areas and times as “dog havens” and to defer the Foothills Park and leash law until we address the first two. N Paul Losch has been a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission since 2004. He owns a company based in Fremont, and blogs on www.PaloAltoOnline. com.

Asked at Mitchell Park. Interviews by Royston Sim. Photographs by Shawn Fender.

Chris Henry

Paula Mattson

Maria O’Shea

Anabel FitzMedrud

Mariana Dominguez

“No, I’m around kids so much that I’ve acquired a tolerance to flu.”

“I’m not super worried; there are concerns about it but everyone has to take measures.”

“Yes, because the population it is targeting are my children.”

“Not particularly; there are so many illnesses going around that we need to figure out how to cope with it anyway.”

“No, everyone seems to have gotten it and no one’s been badly affected.”

Soccer Coach La Honda Avenue, San Jose

Tteacher Arastradero Road, Palo Alto

Homemaker Haven Avenue, Redwood City

Volunteer Park Avenue, Palo Alto

Student Space Park Way, Mountain View

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Guest Opinion Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just experienced the best Veterans Day ever by Carrie Manley hanks to the swine flu, one dedicated Palo Alto mom and about 100 caring students from JLS Middle School, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just experienced my best Veterans Day ever Wednesday. This Veterans Day story actually began several months ago, when PTA volunteer Megan Fogarty decided to create a â&#x20AC;&#x153;JLS PTA Family Service Day.â&#x20AC;? Teaming up with the respected non-profit, Youth Community Service, Megan first solicited ideas from JLS students. Next, she organized teams of parents and students to help six non-profit groups around Palo Alto, all on Wednesday, a school holiday. Thanks to this community-wide effort, some kids spent this Veterans Day mulching the trees around the JLS campus by Mitchell Park, in partnership with Canopy. Other middle schoolers read stories to preschool children at a local child care center, in service to Palo Alto Community Child Care. Still others helped Innvision volunteers stock shelves at the Food Closet downtown at All Saints Episcopal Church. Another JLS team went to Abilities United to build raised garden beds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and finished the job in one morning! And dozens of other students, siblings and parents gathered at Stevenson House, a nonprofit retirement home near Mitchell Park for

low-income seniors. Students interviewed elderly residents to learn about their lives. JLS sixth-grade teacher Shauna Rockson, who had the day off from teaching, decided to join in on this day of giving â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and learning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The students are now going to write up these incredible oral histories, really firstperson narrative histories,â&#x20AC;? Rockson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will share them with the residents of Stevenson House and with the wider JLS community. s â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was really historic; to see so many kids helping and giving in so many ways. This service day was really something everyone needs to know about,â&#x20AC;? Rockson said. I volunteered with another mom, Erina Dubois, to take a group to the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital. Our plan was to have the kids deliver some generic gifts to veterans at the Spinal Cord Injury unit. But the week before Veterans Day, VA Recreational Therapist Tom McCarthy told us that because of the H1N1 virus threat, it would not be possible for any kids under 16 to go to the bedsides of the hospitalized vets. Because of this reasonable health concern, we decided to meet with the veterans one-by-one, to find out what gifts they would really like on Veterans Day. We figured while we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t promise them a free trip to Paris, or a new car, at least our students could bring them what they really wanted. Tom kindly gave Erina and me permission to visit each patient. Some of them were paralyzed from the waist down, others from the neck down. Some of them received their injuries in Iraq or Afghanistan. Others became

paralyzed from car accidents or calamitous falls during their civilian lives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What would you most like for Veterans Day?â&#x20AC;? we asked. One veteran said he would love some pecan pie. Another asked for three crispy tacos from Taco Bell. Tom Parks, a vet who has lived in a bed on the Spinal Cord unit for four years now, paralyzed from the neck down from a car accident, said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love some fried scallops. Another vet said he could really use a reliable ball-point pen. Another veteran, partially paralyzed and legally blind from multiple sclerosis, said he would really enjoy some scuba-diving magazines. He told us that before MS damaged his optic nerve he used to go scuba diving. He said he still dives with a non-profit group that helps disabled divers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What I see looks like an impressionistic painting,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So if you can find a diving magazine with big, colorful pictures, that would be great.â&#x20AC;? Another wonderful veteran, Floyd, said he could really go for vanilla malt. Loaded with this specific wish list, we went to local businesses for help; the generosity of our business community was unmatched. Even with the on-going struggling economy each and every wish was granted, thanks to Borders Books, Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Book Store, Accent Arts, University Art, Palo Alto Toy and Sport, Keplerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, the Book Rack in Menlo Park, the Fish Market, Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alley, Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt, Village Stationers, Congdon & Crome, Know Knew Books, Piazza Food, Rickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rather Rich Ice Cream, Books Inc., and the Palo Alto Creamery.

It is amazing how small gifts, given with love, can mean so much. It is also amazing how the act of giving can, in fact, be the greatest gift of all, for the person lucky enough to get to do the giving. When we first asked hospitalized veteran Mark Yoder what he really wanted, he started to choke up with deep-felt emotion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you could help me, what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like a disposable camera. My daughter is coming here at 6 p,m. tonight from Reno, with her 1-year old daughter. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never met my granddaughter before. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had so many surgeries this past year, I never thought I would live to see this day. I never thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d get to meet my granddaughter. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll give you some money, if you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind getting me a disposable camera.â&#x20AC;? Though it was still a few days before Veterans Day, we decided Mr. Yoder needed his gift delivered early. One hour later, Mr. Yoder had two disposable cameras, plus two stuffed animals so he could give a gift to his granddaughter. The Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alley florist even contributed a beautifully-wrapped pink rose, so Mr. Yoder would have special gift to give his daughter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We cried a half-hour,â&#x20AC;? Mr. Yoder told us on Wednesday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My daughter is saving the rose petals. Thank you so much. I will never forget you.â&#x20AC;? N Carrie Manley is a PTA volunteer and a mom living in Midtown. Her son, Will, and her daughter, Ellen, helped at the VA, as did her husband, Brian, who delivered the hot scallops to Tom Parks. She can be emailed at carrie_manley@yahoo.com.

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Cover Story

Veronica Weber

Children practice their Mandarin vocabulary after school through Champion Y.E.S. (Youth Enrichment School), a private program located at the Stratford School in Palo Alto.

Palo Alto children by the thousands are learning Chinese dialect by Chris Kenrick and Royston Sim

he world’s most widely spoken language, Mandarin Chinese, increasingly is being spoken by the children of Palo Alto. Driven by a growing Chinese population that wants its children to know their “heritage” tongue — as well as by Caucasian and other parents who view Mandarin as a key to the global economy — more than 2,000 Palo Alto schoolchildren are actively learning the language this fall. On weekends, as many as 1,500 students fill classrooms at Gunn High School and Jordan and JLS middle schools for all forms of Mandarin instruction. After school, hundreds of kids play, recite and sing in Mandarin at Fairmeadow Elementary School, the private Stratford School and Cubberley Community Center. And Monday through Friday, more than 200 children spend their days “immersed” in Mandarin in local public and private schools, one of which just opened in August. Both Gunn and Palo Alto high schools also offer Mandarin among their “world

language” electives. “It’s reached a critical mass. There’s a lot of interest and excitement,” said Sara Armstrong, whose 6-year-old son Isaac is in Ohlone Elementary School’s Mandarin Immersion program.

‘We want to teach not just the languages, but the cultural and global leadership aspects of education.’ – Jean Paul Ho, founder, Wellspring Academy Jean Paul Ho, a fluent Mandarin speaker and private equity investor, launched the private bilingual Wellspring Academy in Palo Alto this fall, which educates children in grades K-8. The school hired veteran Walter Hays Elementary School second-grade teacher Cathy Dilts as part of his program. Beginning with a handful of students, Wellspring aims to produce bilingual, multicultural graduates prepared to par-

ticipate in the global economy. “We want to teach not just the languages, but the cultural and global leaderships aspects of education,” Ho said. The rise of Mandarin instruction in Palo Alto reflects its growth both statewide and nationally. Mandarin is considered a “critical need language” by the U.S. National Security Agency. Some programs around the nation — including one at Palo Alto High School last summer — are financed by the Defense Department’s National Security Language Initiative. Across the U.S., the number of students studying the language grew from 16,091 in 2003 to 26,020 in 2007, according to the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools. Locally, Mandarin instruction is available in all shapes and styles, from small, home-based tutoring groups to the 1,000plus students who fill Gunn classrooms on Sunday afternoons. The majority of Palo Alto’s Mandarin students are “heritage” children with some prior familiarity with the language, whose parents want them to become literate.

But growing numbers of students have no previous family or cultural ties to Mandarin. There are Mandarin programs catering to each group — and some that try to teach both in the same classrooms. The teaching methods and atmosphere of the programs are as varied as the founders themselves. aunched in 1979 as a French-American school, International School of the Peninsula (ISTP) pioneered allday Mandarin instruction in Palo Alto in 1996. From a kindergarten class of five children that year, ISTP has grown to a full K-8 Mandarin program with 175 students, mirroring its well-established sister program in French. Children — about 25 percent heritage Mandarin speakers, the others native English speakers — sit on carpets in a colorful classroom, reciting and playing games.

(continued on next page)

Palo Alto Weekly • November 13, 2009 • Page 19

Mandarin

(continued from previous page)

ISTP students spend much of their day in the target language but learn math and science in English. “We want our students to leave ISTP with at least two or three languages,” Head of School Philippe Dietz said. French is introduced as a third language to students on the Mandarin side at grade 3, and the French students get Mandarin for their third language. “Knowing a language is a very big element of the culture,” Dietz said. “The mission of our school is globalization, responsible bilingualism, academic rigor.” Looking to add another language to the school in the mid-1990s, ISTP considered Spanish, Italian and Japanese before settling on Mandarin, not an obvious choice at the time.

‘Knowing a language is a very big element of the culture.’ – Philippe Dietz, head of school, International School of the Peninsula “A core reason was that Chinese and European culture have many differences but also many things in common. One thing is the rigor of education. Then we felt that if we talk about globalization, it was very important to bring an understanding of a different world. “It was a real challenge at the time, something so new. It took some time to get the school onto the map.” Retaining students from year to year is critical for any bilingual school. ISTP’s first kindergarten class in 1996 dwindled after fourth grade, never making it to fifth, Dietz said, but today the program boasts an 85 to 90 percent retention rate. Parents love the all-day immersion experience for their children because it makes it possible for the children to pick up a new language with ease, they say. When people comment to her that learning Mandarin must be hard for her son, Isaac, Armstrong often chimes in: “’No, it’s not hard.’ He doesn’t perceive it as hard,” she said. Though private-language schools have been exploring Mandarin for years, the public school system has only just started. The Ohlone Mandarin Immersion program has settled comfortably into its second year this fall following a bitter and wellpublicized controversy over whether it should be started at all.

“The first year, we just embraced it,” said Ohlone Principal Bill Overton, who was an Ohlone teacher at the time. “It wasn’t our job to decide where it was going to go or anything like that. We took it on and made the best of it.” An Ohlone Mandarin Immersion classroom looks much like any Palo Alto elementary classroom, except that most of the writing on the walls is in Chinese characters. In Room 26, a second-grade classroom, a fullsized clown hangs on the door, welcoming visitors in both English and Mandarin. Inside, mornings are taught in Mandarin, while afternoon provides time for reading and book writeups in English, some students sitting at desks and others in a small reading group with the teacher on the floor. Mindful that “guest” programs at a school have a poor chance if they are isolated, school leaders took pains to welcome and integrate Mandarin students and their families into the “Ohlone way.” That includes work on the school farm, a “child-centered” philosophy of education and mixed-grade classes. The popular program, which is filled by lottery, aims for one-third native Mandarin speakers and two-thirds non-Mandarin speakers. Last year there were two K/1 classes. This year there are two K/1 classes and a second-grade class. Now serving 66 children, the Mandarin Immersion program, which is still considered a “pilot” program, is due to be evaluated by the school board in 2010. Grants provide funding for materials to carry the program through fifth grade. “There’s a very large demand for this program,” Overton said. “It’s a thriving program. “You go into some of these classrooms and the teacher is speaking only Mandarin and some of the kids have only been in school one or two months, and they’re following directions.” The newest entrant into Palo Alto’s Mandarin immersion field is the tiny Wellspring Academy, launched this fall by Los Altos Hills investor Ho, the major backer of the school. He has hired professional teachers and administrators to run day-today operations. A loquacious Mandarin speaker with a longtime interest in education and the perspective of a global investor, Ho said his own children attended ISTP’s Mandarin program, Yew Chung International School of Mountain View and Harker School of San Jose. His educational philosophy springs from his experience in global business. (continued on page 22)

Veronica Weber

Cover Story

Jane Yang, who launched Champion Y.E.S. in 2002, stands in a classroom. She credits a Los Altos woman with helping her to value understanding between cultures.

Sowing seeds of understanding Teacher’s passion was nurtured through kindness of a stranger ane Yang’s path to success in the United States leads back to a woman in Los Altos, Helen Morrison, who has since died. Arriving here as a tongue-tied exchange student from Shanghai in the 1980s, Yang lived with Morrison, who helped her learn English, make friends, took her to garage sales and showed her everything American. Eventually, Morrison even arranged Yang’s wedding at her church. “Her house was like an international house — it was kind of her tradition. Every holiday there were so many young people,” Yang said. “I get tears in my eyes when I think of Helen Morrison.”

‘I want to do something so our two big nations can have more exchange, understand each other better.’

Veronica Weber

Songjuan Liu leads the kindergarten class at Champion Y.E.S., an after-school program that teaches children Mandarin. Page 20 • November 13, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

– Jane Yang, founder, Champion Y.E.S. It was Morrison who opened Yang’s eyes to the power of personal connections in building international understanding. “She showed me there are so many kind and generous people here,” Yang said. Yang had been trained in Shanghai as a Chinese teacher, but there were no such jobs here in the United States in the 1980s. So she went back to school, studied computer science and worked as a software engineer. “I had my own large office. I could take a two-hour lunch, but I felt empty inside,” she said. “My passion is teaching and cultural exchange.”

With her own two children and a few others as students, Yang began an after-school Mandarin program in Mountain View in 2002. She found a growing market among Mandarin-speaking parents for after-school child care that included language instruction. Her program, Champion Y.E.S., has expanded. Besides the Mountain View campus, it occupies a bank of portable classrooms behind Stratford School on North California Avenue in Palo Alto, where 125 students come each day for Mandarin literacy and other electives. Yang’s students are overwhelmingly heritage Mandarin-speakers. “I don’t feel my way of teaching is successful for (non-heritage) people who come here at 5 and have no listening and conversation ability,” she said. “For success you have to start early. We teach a very advanced level here.” But Yang has not given up on her dream of teaching non-Mandarinspeaking American children. With a small business loan, she will open a 12,000-square-foot allday Mandarin-immersion preschool in Sunnyvale next month. “We really want to have American families. If they come at 2 or 2.5, they will have no pain, no difficulty at all to pick up the language. Then they will have the listening and speaking ability by age 5.” “I want to do something so our two big nations can have more exchange, understand each other better. Peace starts at a very early age, when you know the language and know the people. If you give the seed of love and understanding when they are little, maybe the hate will be less when they are adults.” ■ — Chris Kenrick

Cover Story

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Ma Liping, founder of the Stanford Chinese School, stands in her home. She began teaching children Mandarin in 1994.

When children and Mandarin donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mix Weekend school tackles conflict over language between Americanized kids and their Chinese parents

hat started as an experiment for Stanford Chinese School Principal Ma Liping has blossomed into a thriving weekend program with enrollment of about 1,000 students. A native of Shanghai, Ma began teaching Mandarin to children of Chinese graduate students in 1994 while pursuing a Ph.D. in math education at Stanford University. At that time, Ma visited several weekend ethnic schools that taught languages such as Hebrew, Japanese and Mandarin. She said she was struck by how many children disliked or even hated the languages they were learning. So Ma decided to start her own school in an attempt to address that problem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My vision is that education in a correct way should be received by kids instead of fought against,â&#x20AC;? Ma said. Though not affiliated with the university, Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school is widely known as Stanford Chinese School because she first held classes at the community center in Escondido Village, on the Stanford campus. That name has since stuck, though the school is officially named â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sitanfu,â&#x20AC;? or Stanford as pronounced in Mandarin pinyin. Ma taught in Escondido Village for four years till she graduated. She then rented classrooms at Gunn High School. Her school, the first in Palo Alto to teach simplified Mandarin script, holds classes every Sunday afternoon in two sessions: 1 to 2:40 p.m., and 3:10 to 4:50 p.m. Stanford Chinese School teaches children from age 5 to 10th grade and is targeted at children from Mandarin-speaking families. Children are expected to already under-

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stand oral Mandarin upon enrollment, but a handful of students who do not speak Mandarin at home have kept up due to sheer determination, she said. She usually suggests tutors to help such students. She has also sought to solve what she calls a â&#x20AC;&#x153;warâ&#x20AC;? between parents and children. Children donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to learn their heritage language but parents will send them to school anyway, Ma said. To tackle that problem, Ma designed her own curriculum catering to Silicon Valley children. She rewrote stories and exercises with a local twist so children here could more easily relate to their study materials. She also created multimedia homework so children can hear correct pronunciations of the words. Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curriculum soon grew in popularity. More than 100 weekend Mandarin schools in America are using her curriculum, Ma said. Such success is not new to Ma, who has penned an acclaimed math textbook accepted by both sides in the math world. Reflecting back, Ma said she has yet to completely solve the problems she identified, though she is satisfied with what she has done to date. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three-quarters of my students will say they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hate Chinese,â&#x20AC;? Ma said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They will not say they love Chinese school, but they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hate it.â&#x20AC;? Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergence as a global power has also helped promote positive feelings toward the language. Mandarin has become relevant to children again, Ma said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They kind of see more reason to learn Mandarin,â&#x20AC;? Ma said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;coolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; now. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect that.â&#x20AC;? â&#x2013; â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Royston Sim Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ November 13, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 21

Mandarin

(continued from page 20)

“What I see time and time again when we build these companies is that people can’t communicate with each other,” Ho said. “It’s not just language, but cultural perspective. “Even the concepts of leadership and what leaders should be doing is different. “The reason I started Wellspring is I didn’t see any schools doing what we’re trying to do, teaching not just the language but the cultural and global leadership aspects of education.” Wellspring rents space in the Unitarian Universalist Church on E. Charleston Road. The six kindergarten- and first-grade students spend half their time in Mandarin and half in English. Three or four additional students come for after-school time. “We’re thinking about what a child needs to be in the 21st century to be truly involved, to be a leader and be productive in global organizations. What kind of skills do we need to give them in language, cultural understanding and collaboration?” Ho said. “If we have that goal in mind, it’s a very different task for the teachers.”

s Mandarin continues to surge in popularity, Palo Alto has seen an increasing number of after-school programs that teach Mandarin. These programs used to target primarily children from Mandarin-speaking families, but in recent years some have shifted to cater to children whose families don’t speak Mandarin at all.

Acme Education Group and Champion Youth Enrichment School (see sidebar, “Sowing seeds of understanding”) are two programs that offer after-school day care with Mandarin classes. Emerson School, a private school located along West Bayshore Road, began offering an after-school Mandarin immersion program in September to students from first- to eighthgrade. Chuck Bernstein, president of the Early Learning Institute, which operates Emerson School and three HeadsUp! child centers, set up Emerson’s after-school program and a separate preschool Mandarin immersion program at the HeadsUp! Child Development Center at the same campus as Emerson. “I realized we could do a lot better in helping kids with their language skills,” Bernstein said. Two years ago, only 25,000 people in the United States were learning Mandarin, a stark contrast with China, where more than 200 million people were learning English, he said. Emerson began offering Mandarin classes four years ago but Bernstein realized students would not be fluent without more time with the language. The after-school program runs from 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and currently has 10 students. “It’s not even clear to me that three hours after school is enough for our kids to be literate,” Bernstein said. He is also thinking about organizing exchange programs to China. All Emerson students are eligible for the after-school program, which also accepts students from other schools. Bernstein said Chinese provides students

Veronica Weber

Cover

First-graders Cameron Hsu, center, and Claire Lin, right, practice using the abacus at the Inter School of the Peninsula, a private immersion school in Palo Alto. with a different mental framework. Students have to write characters that were once drawings and listen carefully to the four tones present in Mandarin, he said. “There are interesting things in the Chinese language that help us think about the world differently,” Bernstein said. “Mandarin only has a single tense, so we’re always in the present.”

In 2002, Acme principals Daphne and Janet Chao moved their institution to Cubberley Community Center from Mountain View after noting a lack of similar programs here. “I chose this area because I thought it had more potential at that time, and I made the right decision,” Daphne said. A Taiwan native, Daphne earned her master’s degree in education from the University

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were not fluent in Mandarin themselves. She liked the continuity that a daily program such as Acme offers. “They are learning so much here,” Wu said. “They are not fully conversant, but they now are familiar with tones and know basic words.”

andarin education in Palo Alto was first made available more than 45 years ago through weekend Chinese schools. The Palo Alto Chinese school was founded in 1963 and is the oldest Chinese school in the San Francisco Bay Area. More recently, Stanford Chinese School was formed in 1994, while Hwa Shin Bilingual Chinese School was created in 1995. Each of these programs caters to different needs. Hwa Shin teaches Mandarin as a second language to non-Chinese speaking students, while Palo Alto Chinese School and Stanford Chinese School cater almost entirely to “heritage” children. (See sidebar on Stanford Chinese School, “When children and Mandarin don’t mix.”) Even so, the demand by non-Mandarinspeaking parents is changing the schools. The Palo Alto Chinese School added three classes teaching Mandarin as a second language three years ago due to burgeoning demand, Principal Georgia Lu said. Lu said her school usually refers non-heritage students to Hwa Shin, but inquiries increased to an extent that her school diverted resources to cater to those students. They currently have 43 students learning

Mandarin as a second language. “The demand for Chinese as a second language is growing every year,” Lu said. “It’s growing because of globalization and the economy. If you want to go to China to do business you have to speak Chinese.” Palo Alto Chinese School holds classes every Friday at JLS Middle School from 7 to 9 p.m. for students aged 5 to 18.

‘The demand for Chinese as a second language is growing every year. It’s growing because of globalization and the economy.’ – Georgia Lu, principal, Palo Alto Chinese School The school is one of few institutions in the area that teaches Mandarin in “traditional script” as opposed to the increasingly popular “simplified script” used throughout China. Chinese characters in traditional script are more complex and often require more strokes to write. Lu said her school would continue teaching traditional script because it purchases textbooks from Taiwan, which uses traditional script. Words also gain extra meaning when taught in their original, traditional form, Lu said. She said the school teaches students to transition from traditional to simplified script at higher grades. Hwa Shin principals and Taiwanese natives Thomas and Phyllis Liu founded their school

because their own children dropped out of heritage Chinese schools here. “They didn’t like the traditional teaching methods. Kids were told, ‘You didn’t do your homework, go stand outside,’” Thomas said. “So we decided to teach Chinese as a second language using American teaching methodologies.” Students play games like Bingo (with Mandarin characters instead of alphabets), and teachers constantly ask questions to stimulate their thinking, Thomas said. Like Palo Alto Chinese School, Hwa Shin teaches both traditional and simplified script. “A lot of schools just teach, teach and teach, but we make sure we’re interacting with kids and their families,” Thomas said. “It’s not just whiteboard teaching.” Only 5 to 10 percent of their students come from heritage backgrounds, Thomas said. Their student population is highly varied and includes Caucasian, Indian, Korean and Japanese children. Hwa Shin conducts classes for more than 80 students every Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. at Jordan Middle School. The school also offers after-school classes at Fairmeadow Elementary School from 1:45 to 3:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and at Laurel Elementary School in Menlo Park from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. “These extra sessions would offer students more opportunities to learn and speak Mandarin,” Thomas said. N Staff Writer Chris Kenrick and Editorial Intern Royston Sim can be e-mailed at ckenrick@paweekly.com and rsim@ paweekly.com.

First-grader Kira Sterling reads a book in Mandarin at Ohlone Elementary School, a public school in Palo Alto.

It’s not just for Chinese-heritage children Options are growing for non-Mandarin-speaking children who want to master the language

rom preschools to elementaryschool programs, educators are finding a market among parents seeking early immersion to make language acquisition easier for their child. And it’s not just Mandarin-speaking parents, either.

Families of other ethnicities are hiring Mandarin-speaking nannies to give their children a head start, according to Jane Yang, founder and director of Champion Youth Enrichment School (Y.E.S.), an after-school program in Palo Alto and Mountain View.

Immersion preschool and elementary programs are available at the International School of the Peninsula and the new Wellspring Academy, both in Palo Alto. Two-thirds of students in the popular and publicly supported Mandarin Immersion Program at Ohlone

Above, Colin Babian, a second-grader, writes Mandarin characters as part of Ohlone’s Mandarin Immersion program. At left, children work together on a Mandarin exercise at an after school program held at Stratford School.

Veronica Weber

Shawn Fender

of Northern Iowa before moving to teach Mandarin in Cupertino. She bought Acme from its previous owner in 1998 and decided to retain the name. Ninety percent of the school’s 150 students are heritage speakers, but the bilingual teachers give students the same material and employ the same teaching methods for all. “We put children in a Chinesespeaking environment,” Daphne said. “If they get lost, the teachers use a little bit of English to help them. We don’t have a specific class for those who don’t speak Chinese at home.” The children, from kindergarten to sixth-grade, learn Mandarin for 45 minutes every weekday afternoon and are also tutored in English and math. Janet recalled an Indian girl in third-grade who has studied at Acme since kindergarten. She rnational can fully understand Mandarin, but still employs more English when responding to her teachers. Even with daily instruction, children from non-heritage families still face significant challenges in becoming fluent in Mandarin. Parents find the after-school program valuable. “Our kids did not speak Mandarin at all, but after one month here they can,” said Irene Wu, a Chinese-American parent who sent her sons to Acme because she and her husband

Elementary School didn’t know a word of Mandarin before enrolling. Currently about 60 students are served by the program. They were admitted by lottery. For after-school and weekend options, non-Chinese parents are sending their children to learn Mandarin as a second language at Hwa Shin School at Jordan Middle School on Saturdays and Fairmeadow Elementary School on Wednesday afternoons. To meet the demand, Hwa Shin recently expanded to Laurel School in Atherton.

At the high school level, students at both Gunn and Palo Alto high schools and many area private schools are taking Mandarin as a language class. N — Chris Kenrick About the cover: Songjuan Liu, a kindergarten teacher, leads the Mandarin after-school program at Stratford School in Palo Alto, run by Champion Y.E.S. Photo by Veronica Weber.

*> Ê Ì Ê7ii ÞÊUÊ Ûi LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓää ÊU Page 23

Arts & Entertainment

Karen Ande

A weekly guide to music, theater, art, movies and more, edited by Rebecca Wallace

CHILDRENin a CRISIS by Be’eri Moalem any people assume that HIV/AIDS is no longer a problem, that somehow we have mastered this virus. Nothing could be further from the truth,” says Ruthann Richter, the author of “Face to Face: Children of the AIDS Crisis in Africa.” Richter, a Palo Alto medical writer, joined documentary photographer Karen Ande on a series of trips to Kenya starting in 2004. What started as a visit to help out at an orphanage in Navisha, Kenya, is now a newly published book. Richter and Ande, who were college roommates at Stanford

Left: Mary, whose parents died of AIDS, nearly starved to death before she was brought to a Kenya orphanage, according to the book “Face to Face.” Right: Blessing, center, and brother Felix, right, who are being cared for by their teenage sister in the Nairobi slum of Kibera.

“M

Karen Ande

Page 24ÊUÊ Ûi LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓää ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

in the 1970s, will be discussing their new book in three local events in the coming weeks, including a Nov. 19 talk at Kepler’s Books. “I had been covering AIDS for decades as a medical writer,” said Richter, who is director of media relations at Stanford University and a former newspaper reporter. “But nothing could prepare me for the emotional impact

of seeing children living under the stark conditions we encountered.” The book is about children in Kenya and those who give them care. Its photos show kids in tattered clothing living in tin shacks or running around the streets alongside open-sewer trenches. Poorly supplied classrooms, hunger and desperation for survival are narrated in a set of moving stories. But despite the depictions of dire poverty and the grim reality of AIDS, “Face to Face” also manages to convey a sense of beauty, hope and happiness. “I agreed to take these photos in an ef-

Local author travels to Africa to document the pain and hope of kids living through the AIDS epidemic

Ukranian Egg by Laurel Rezeau

HOLIDAY FAIR

Mary and her sister Caroline.

Fine Crafts U Local Artists December 11, 12, 13, 2009 Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10-5 Hoover House (aka â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Girl Scout Houseâ&#x20AC;?) 1120 Hopkins, Palo Alto

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Palo Alto medical writer Ruthann Richter, who began traveling in Kenya and documenting her experiences five years ago. fort to help her (Richter) publicize the need. ... (I) returned home and watched these childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faces emerge in the developing tray,â&#x20AC;? Ande said in an e-mail interview. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was one of the most exciting things Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ever seen. I knew these kids mattered and had the good sense to realize I could help them ... if I would totally turn my life upside down. I did and havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t looked back.â&#x20AC;? The children in Andeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photos are joyous, curious, innocent or mischievous, as one would expect from children anywhere. The kids have bright smiles, huge inquisitive eyes and colorful outfits. Alongside suffering there are smiles. Alongside distress there is kindness. Along-

side disease there is life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Face to Faceâ&#x20AC;? profiles 13year-old Esther Ipeche, who takes care of her family after her mother died of AIDS; â&#x20AC;&#x153;gogo granniesâ&#x20AC;? such as 98-yearold Sara Nduku, who take care of grandchildren whose parents have died; Father Daniel Kiriti, who helps commercial sex workers find alternative professions; and the children who depend on the kindness and resilience of those who step in as their parents. Ande took more than 10,000 photos in Africa and built relationships with the locals in order to capture natural-looking pictures. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People in Kenya do not, and I mean seriously do not, like to

have their photos taken unless they know why you are doing it and have their permission,â&#x20AC;? she told the Weekly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t possible to photograph people on the street, except for in a few places to which I returned. Once they came to know me and realized that I would return with their prints they were much more willing to cooperate.â&#x20AC;? Because she has worked as a physical therapist, Ande said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am used to being physically near people and respectful of their situation. I am also comfortable around serious illness and I think the people I photographed picked up on that.â&#x20AC;? Ande made nine trips to Africa and would sometimes stay for

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Arts & Entertainment

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Stories about Palo Alto, as told by local residents as part of the Palo Alto Story Project, are now posted on the Internet. Watch them at www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Jeff Johnson

WELLSPRING INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

San Francisco photographer Karen Ande, left, has been capturing images of the AIDS epidemic in Africa since 2002.

Children in crisis (continued from previous page)

up to a month. “I discovered people that were extraordinarily different from the one-sided version usually portrayed in the western media. Yes, people are suffering, children are orphaned and struggling. But children are also hopeful and have dreams for themselves. I talked to one teenaged slum girl who wanted to be an airline pilot; many others wanted to be doctors or nurses so they could help people.” Throughout Richter’s career, she has been following developments in the battle against HIV-AIDS. In an e-mail, she lists statistics that are echoed in her book: “There are an estimated 22.5 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who are living with HIV, including 2.3 million children ... and 12 million orphans in that region, with the numbers growing daily. AIDS is causing communities to crumble. Life expectancy in countries heavily affected by HIV/AIDS is now 49 years, 13 years less than it would be without AIDS, according to the World Health Organization. Most children born with HIV have a life expectancy of five years.” According to Richter, antiretroviral drugs that prevent transmission of HIV 99 percent of the time are available. She said: “In the Bay Area, there has not been a single child born HIV-positive in years. In sub-Saharan Africa, however, there are 400,000 to 500,000 children born HIV-positive every

year. That’s because only about 20 percent of pregnant, HIV-positive women undergo testing and less than half get any kind of therapeutic intervention.” Richter and Ande have helped raise thousands of dollars for the children in Africa, and a portion of the proceeds from the book will also be donated to the cause. Richter’s recommended charity for children with AIDS is the Santa Cruzbased Firelight Foundation, www. firelightfoundation.org. In addition to educating readers about the plight of children affected by the epidemic, Richter hopes the book will also be used as a fundraising tool. “I could not turn my back on what I saw,” she said, “and I returned hoping that others would not turn their backs either.” N What: Author Ruthann Richter and photographer Karen Ande talk about their new book, “Face to Face: Children of the AIDS Crisis in Africa.” Where and when: Three talks are planned: 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at Cafe Scientifique at the Stanford Blood Center, 3373 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; and 11:15 a.m. Nov. 22 at Congregation Kol Emeth, 4175 Manuela Ave., Palo Alto. Cost: Free Info: Go to facetofaceafrica. com or call 650-725-8047.

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Arts & Entertainment THEATER REVIEW

Joyce Goldschmid

Andrew Gruen plays Romeo to Sepideh Moafi’s Juliet.

Love lives on Admirable Palo Alto Players production reminds us why we still care about Romeo and Juliet by Chad Jones

irector Bill Olson asks an interesting question in his program notes for Palo Alto Players’ “Romeo and Juliet.” He wonders, in this digital world, if it’s still possible for audiences to emotionally invest in a classical tragedy where the characters’ problems, as he puts it, “could be solved with one phone call.” Think about it. Romeo is banished and Friar Lawrence’s message to him is never delivered because of an unexpected plague quarantine. Because of that missed communication, three people die needlessly. In the modern world, the friar would just call Romeo (or text him: “OMG! Juliet not really dead!”) and tell him the complicated plan involving Juliet’s temporary stint in the crypt. No one would learn important, albeit tragic lessons, and the Montagues and Capulets would likely continue their petty feuding. The answer to Olson’s question is, of course: Yes, we still care about those crazy, star-crossed kids. We care about them in fair Verona and we care about them when they’re singing Bernstein tunes on New York’s Upper West Side. We care because, cell phones and singing aside, they are the beating heart of an irresistibly juicy love story. Olson certainly knows this, though his road to the play was slightly unusual. After working on “Romeo and Juliet” with students at Jordan Middle School, he convinced Palo Alto Players to produce a Shakespearean play on the stage of the Lucie Stern Theatre for the first time in 54 years (though the company did produce three summer Shakespeare productions in Woodside about a decade ago). He probably made a persuasive argument about making a direct, unfettered connection with the emotions at the core of this oft-told tragic tale. And that’s exactly what he does here. Though not every member of Olson’s 17-member cast (which includes the director himself as Friar Lawrence) handles the verse with precision, everyone on stage attacks it with gusto. Even when the words aren’t always clear, the action is, and that goes a long way toward effective storytelling. Fair Verona is represented in Patrick Klein’s bustling, crowded set, which needs only a few sliding or rolling

tweaks to become a romantic balcony or a chilly crypt. Cleverly, Klein has subtly designed the railing on one side of the set with ornate Cs for Capulet, and Ms for Montague on the other side. Costume designer Mary Cravens goes for a similar device to depict the feuding families. The overarching color scheme of the show favors rich autumnal hues, but for The show keeps the specific families, the Capulets are in reds one foot in and maroons, while modern day with the Montagues go for a electric keyboards range of blues. There’s a classical and, for several feel to Olson’s stage, fight scenes, but it never feels musty. Sound designer George electric guitar. Mauro keeps one foot in modern day with his underscore and its decidedly un-Elizabethan sounds such as electric keyboards and, for several fight scenes, electric guitar. Olson’s dynamic staging of the fights is one of the two-and-a-half-hour show’s highlights. From the slowmotion prologue, in which the entire tale is told through its violence, to the intense confrontations between the young men of the warring families, the fight choreography dazzles with its swordplay and its hand-to-hand combat. Equally as impressive is the romance. The famous balcony scene with all those famous lines — it’s a veritable Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits! — is especially charming. After having met and fallen in love at first sight at a masked ball, Romeo (Andrew Gruen) and Juliet (Sepideh Moafi) seal the deal romantically speaking with a spritely moonlight flirtation. First, we see Juliet on the balcony outside her bedroom singing to herself. Clearly Moafi is an extraordinary singer as she teases us with her gorgeous soprano. If the play were suddenly to turn into an opera, that might not be such a bad thing where Moafi is concerned. Watching and listening to her, it’s easy to see why Romeo would be so easily smitten. In addition to her beautiful (if only briefly glimpsed voice), Moafi brings considerable verve to Juliet, a smart young woman with easy access to her emotions. With Gruen’s Romeo, it’s harder to see why Juliet would fall so hard, but Gruen warms up to the role and finds reserves of charm in his scenes with Moafi. She’s sassy and bursting with life, and he’s gleefully overwhelmed. The bulk of the play’s testosterone is burned by Tybalt (Paul Jennings), Juliet’s kinsman; and Romeo’s homeboys, Benvolio (Kevin Hsieh) and Mercutio (Jeremy Koerner). They’re all lively, especially when fighting, but the show’s liveliest livewire is Shannon Warrick as Juliet’s nurse. There’s always a chance that “Romeo and Juliet” will be stolen by the nurse, a role filled with bawdy humor and genuine, heart-wrenching emotion. Warrick gets some big laughs here before she takes us deep into grief. She, like so many great nurses before her, makes you wish someone could have written a spin-off show following the exploits of the nurse after the “R&J” madness ends. Curiously, in a play so famous for its language, Olson stages some of his most effective scenes with only musical underscore. First, there’s that ballet-like prologue, and then there’s Romeo and Juliet’s actual wedding, which is touching in its silence. Words are secondary to emotions in this ambitious, admirable production. N

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What: “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, presented by Palo Alto Players Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto When: Through Nov. 22 with 8 p.m. shows Thursday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. matinees on Sundays Cost: Tickets are $32 general, and $28 for seniors and students on Thursdays and Sundays. Info: Go to www.paplayers.org or call 650-3290891. *> Ê Ì Ê7ii ÞÊUÊ Ûi LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓää ÊU Page 27

Arts & Entertainment

24th Annual Palo Alto Weekly

Pen it like Mamet Young Palo Alto playwright is a winner in “write like David Mamet” contest by Rebecca Wallace

Read the winning stories online December 4 PaloAltoOnline.com

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com CHRIS AYERS PHOTO

or a playwright — or for anyone who likes to stir up words — the American Conservatory Theater’s Mamet writing contest could be irresistible. This is the fourth year that the San Francisco company issued a challenge to write like playwright David Mamet, who is known for his streetwise dialogue that is sometimes choppy and sometimes deftly rhythmic, and always salty. The assignment: Write one scene with a political bent, perhaps a depiction of an event in U.S. history or a concession speech. A.C.T. announced 11 winners this week. Many of the 45 entries were about Sarah Palin (really, could you resist?); others were about Rod Blagojevich, the Hamilton-Burr duel and Reagan’s invasion of Grenada, or maybe Granada. Palo Alto’s Ellen Cassidy, the one local winner, took a different historical path. She dug for a moment in history when “there was lots of wheeling and dealing,” and pulled up the 1824 election. It was a tight race between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, with the election thrown to the House of Representatives. House speaker Henry Clay ultimately decided the contest by giving his vote to Adams. Reportedly, this was after Clay offered his vote to Jackson in return for being appointed Secretary of State, and Jackson said no. In her scene, Cassidy imagines the conversation between Jackson and Clay, which reads in part (without the hyphens): JACKSON: Look, it’s time to make a f---ing deal. CLAY: Well, s--t! I didn’t know you wanted to talk politics ... I thought we’d go for a f---ing picn— JACKSON: Do you want the money or not? CLAY: What do I want? What does a man ... a one, Henry Clay, want? There’s a lot of history packed into Cassidy’s short scene. At one point, a fan barges into Jackson’s office to sing a song to the former war hero, “Hunters of Kentucky.” (Jackson responds, “Lady, I will shoot you.”) The song was a real campaign jingle that Cassidy found online. “You have to listen to it,” she said, laughing. “It’s the most absurd song.” Cassidy, 22, a recent Stanford University graduate, said she’d never tried to write in another writer’s style before. She is, however, a fan of Mamet’s satirical political play “November.” (The play is running at A.C.T., just in time for the contest.) “Mamet’s style is so not my style at all. I do drop the F-bomb with some frequency, but I do it in a much younger, more vernacular-

Page 28ÊUÊ Ûi LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓää ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

Ellen Cassidy type way,” Cassidy said. “When I reread my Mamet play, I thought, ‘God, I sound like a guy.’” The winning entries will be performed this weekend as staged readings at A.C.T., something Cassidy is excited about as a budding playwright. She’s currently A.C.T.’s dramaturgy intern — staffers had to enter the Mamet contest under a pseudonym — and hopes to get a master of fine arts in playwriting. Cassidy, who comes from Philadelphia, was focused on acting until she took a class at Stanford from playwright Octavio Solis. “I knew that was it for me,” she said. “There was nothing that would make me as whole as that would.” She subsequently founded her own theater company at Stanford and put on her play “Single Gay Man.” It’s about a man and woman who start to become romantically involved, but he still identifies as gay. The experience was an adventure. “We had a cast of seven, and I went through six recasts,” Cassidy said. “I ended up playing the female lead.” But she remains devoted to her theater career. “If you can get through this, you can get through anything.” N Info: Ellen Cassidy’s scene “The Corrupt Bargain” will be performed as a staged reading with four other scenes tonight, Nov. 13, at Fred’s Columbia Room in the American Conservatory Theater, 415 Geary St., San Francisco. The other six winners will be read on Nov. 14. Readings are free and held after the end of the 8 p.m. performance of Mamet’s “November.” Go to www.act-sf.org/mamet contest.

Correction

An Oct. 30 article on the Mexican Museum exhibition at the Palo Alto Art Center at 1313 Newell Road incorrectly stated the center’s opening hours. The center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.

Arts & Entertainment PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL

Worth a Look

comes to town with his band “the not ready for naptime players.” Roberts has scheduled two concerts that day, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., at Smithwick Theatre at Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills. Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. Call (650) 969-9506. Music will likely include songs from Roberts’ most recent CDs, “Meltdown” and “Pop Fly.” And does that kid ever catch a pop fly? Check out the concert (or listen online at www.justinroberts.org).

Books

Barbara Kingsolver

Joyce Goldschmid

Lucy Littlewood and Martin Gutfeldt are among the singing storytellers in Bus Barn Stage Company’s holiday show “A Christmas Pudding.”

Theater

Novelist Barbara Kingsolver, author of “Pigs in Heaven,” “Poisonwood Bible,” “The Bean Trees” and other books, will speak at Menlo-Atherton High School’s new performing-arts center next Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. She’ll focus on her new novel, “The Lacuna,” about an American-born, Mexican-raised man finding his identity during the war years of World War II. Set in the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s, the novel ranges from a coastal tropical jungle to the metropolis of Mexico City to the rising superpower in the north. It imagines encounters with Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsky reaching backward to Mexico’s Aztec heritage and forward to socialist ideologies. The high school is at 555 Middlefield Road in Atherton, with the free talk organized by Kepler’s Books. For more information, go to www.keplers.com or call 650-324-4321.

Art

‘A Christmas Pudding’ So, Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Charles Dickens and Mark Twain walk into a theater... That could make a good joke, but it’s probably a better play. Good thing. Bus Barn Stage Company’s new holiday show, “A Christmas Pudding,” incorporates writings by the above authors, along with melodies and carols such as “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” “Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day” and “The Holly and the Ivy.” The show was created by David Birney. Directed by Bus Barn’s artistic director, Barbara Cannon, a cast of 12 will sing and tell stories, accompanied by cello, flute, guitar and piano. The show previews on Thursday, Nov. 19, and then runs through Dec. 19 at 97 Hillview Ave. in Los Altos. Show times are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., with a few Wednesday and Sunday performances thrown in. Tickets range from $24 for the preview to $32 for opening night. For details, go to www.busbarn.org or call 650-9410551.

Japanese calligraphy Shoko Kazama, official calligrapher of the Zen temple Kencho-ji in Kamakura, Japan, comes to Palo Alto this month for free demonstrations, as well as a local solo exhibition of her work. This Saturday, Nov. 14, Kazama holds two free presentations and workshops (the same program will be repeated) at 2 and 4 p.m. in studios A and B at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road. The events include question-and-answer sessions and the opportunity to have Kazama create Zen calligraphy for audience members. Attendees may bring a white T-shirt or small cloth. To RSVP for the event, e-mail ykishimoto@earthlink. net. Meanwhile, Kazama is also exhibiting her art at the downtown Palo Alto Kimura Gallery, which shows Japanese prints, antiques and folk art. The show is at 482 Hamilton Ave. through Nov. 30. For more information, call 650-322-3984. Lastly, Kazama is also planning a demonstration at the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple at 2751 Louis Road on Nov. 17 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Call 650-856-0123.

Family Justin Roberts

A&E DIGEST

Todd Rosenberg

The kid’s coach sends him to the outfield, where it’s hard to pay attention. How can you, when there are dandelions and a quirky squirrel, and “cotton-candy clouds that look like elephants”? The familiar situation makes for a cheerful, head-bouncing song, “Pop Fly,” by children’s entertainer Justin Roberts. He calls his music Justin Roberts brings his “kindie” rock. On Sunday, Nov. 15, “kindie” rock for families to the ramblin’ musician Foothill College for two concerts on Nov. 15.

PROKOFIEV PROGRAM CHANGE... Russian pianist Alexander Toradze, who was scheduled to perform at Stanford University this weekend as part of Stanford Lively Arts’ Prokofiev Project festival, has canceled due to emergency knee surgery. For tonight’s piano concert, former Toradze student Vakhtang Kodanashvili will fill in for Toradze and perform the Piano Sonata No. 6, op. 82 (instead of Sonata No. 7). For the Nov. 14 orchestral concert, Nikita Abrosimov — a member of the Toradze piano studio at Indiana University South Bend — will fill in on the Piano Concert No. 2. Both concerts are at 8 p.m. in Dinkelspiel Auditorium, with tickets priced at $40/$46 for adults and $10 for Stanford students. Go to livelyarts. stanford.edu or call 650-725-ARTS.

CIVIC CENTER, 250 HAMILTON AVE. BROADCAST LIVE ON KZSU, FM 90.1 CABLECAST LIVE ON GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL 26 (TENTATIVE) AGENDA-SPECIAL MEETING COUNCIL CHAMBERS NOVEMBER 16, 2009 - 6:00 PM 1. 2. 3. 4.

7. 8.

9. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

Quarterly Update High Speed Rail 7:30 or as soon as possible thereafter Adoption of a Resolution Expressing Appreciation to Rosemary Ralston Upon Her Retirement Adoption of a Resolution Expressing Appreciation to Jannette Huber Upon Her Retirement Approval of a Contract with Xxx Inc., in the Amount of $Xxx for Construction of Greer Park Renovation and Pump Station Replacement - Capital Improvement Program Project PE09002 Approval to Utilize the State of California CALNET II (CALNET 2) Contract for Telecommunication Services with AT&T for City-Wide Telecommunications Services in an Amount Not to Exceed $350,000 Approval of a Utilities Enterprise Fund Purchase Order with DitchWitch Bay Area in the Amount of $285,945 for Delivery of an All Terrain Directional Boring Unit – Capital Improvement Program Projects GS-02013 and GS-03007 Finance Committee Recommendation to Accept City Auditor’s Fiscal Year 2010 Work Plan with Risk Assessment Adoption of Two Resolutions: (1) Adopting a Compensation Plan for Management and Professional Personnel and Council Appointees and (2) Amending Section 1701 of the Merit System Rules and Regulations to Incorporate the 20092010 Compensation Plan for Management and Professional Personnel and Council Appointees Approval of Three City Attorney Ofﬁce Contracts Adoption of an Ordinance Approving and Adopting a Plan of Improvements to the Junior Museum & Zoo to Construct a New Bobcat Exhibit and to Replace Fencing and Walkways – Capital Improvement Program Project AC-10000 Adoption of a Resolution Expressing Appreciation to Mei Wong Upon Her Retirement Adoption of a Resolution Expressing Appreciation to Sridhar Bilgiri Upon His Retirement Adoption of a Resolution Expressing Appreciation to Sandra Domingo Upon Her Retirement Adoption of a Resolution Expressing Appreciation to Adam Nowak Upon His Retirement Adoption of a Resolution of the Expressing Appreciation to Jerzy Siegenfeld Upon His Retirement Status Report on California Avenue Street Improvements and Recommendations for Community Engagement Regarding Removal of City Owned Street Trees and Approval of Recommended Action Plan for Community Engagement and Board and Commission Review of Tree Replacement and Other California Avenue Street Improvements Including Addition of New Street Furniture, and Street Repaving and Restriping (continued by Council Motion on October 05, 2009)

17. Public Hearing Adoption of an Ordinance Amending the Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 18.08.040 (the Zoning Map), Chapter 18.30(C) (the Ground Floor (GF) Combining District), and Chapter 18.18 (the Downtown Commercial Community (CD-C) Zone District) to Modify Restrictions on Ground Floor Uses in the Downtown Area (continued by Council Motion on November 09, 2009) 18. Public Hearing Approval of a Tentative Map and Record of Land Use Action to Create Six Commercial Condominium Units Within an Existing Ofﬁce Building at 164 Hamilton Avenue STANDING COMMITTEE MEETINGS The Finance Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 7:00 PM regarding 1) Auditor’s Ofﬁce Quarterly Report as of September 30, 2009, and 2) 2010 Budget Update and 2009 Financial Update

*> Ê Ì Ê7ii ÞÊUÊ Ûi LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓää ÊU Page 29

Movies

Movie reviews by Jeanne Aufmuth, Peter Canavese, Tyler Hanley, Renata Polt and Susan Tavernetti OPENINGS

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

- PETER TRAVERS,

(Palo Alto Square, Century 20) The 1960s soundtrack can almost float this boat all by itself. And when the DJs on board the British pirate radio ship arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doing needle drops on vinyl by The Who, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, Martha and the Vandellas and other rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll legends, the exuberant performances of the cast keep the comedy by writer-director Richard Curtis (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love Actuallyâ&#x20AC;?) upbeat. Operating in the North Sea, the pirates transmit the mid-1960s explosion of pop rock to British portable radios, homes and workplaces. While the stuffy government-sanctioned BBC wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play the popular music for even an hour a day, Radio Rock (based on the famed Radio Caroline) offers a â&#x20AC;&#x153;countdown to ecstasyâ&#x20AC;? all day and all of the night. Twenty-three million listeners tune in. Upper-class Quentin (Bill Nighy) helms the old fishing trawler and its motley radio crew who gain star status across the U.K. Philip Seymour Hoffman is electrifying as The Count, an American who lives for the music and threatens to utter the F-word on British radio for the first time. He shares the airwaves with a legendary DJ (Rhys Ifans of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Elizabeth: The Golden Ageâ&#x20AC;?), an unlikely ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; man (Nick Frost of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hot Fuzzâ&#x20AC;?), a sweet-natured Irishman (Chris Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dowd of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vera Drakeâ&#x20AC;?) and an assortment of distinct personalities (including Rhys Darby of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes Man,â&#x20AC;? Tom Wisdom of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2â&#x20AC;? and Ralph Brown of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Caught in the Actâ&#x20AC;?). But the coming-of-age story really belongs to the sensitive Carl (Tom Sturridge of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vanity Fairâ&#x20AC;?), whose free-spirited mother (Emma Thompson) shipped him off to his godfatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boat. Expelled from an all-boys school, Carl moves to the all-male ship â&#x20AC;&#x201D; lesbian cook (Katherine Parkinson of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Easy Virtueâ&#x20AC;?) excepted. The frat-house atmosphere is just what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d expect: lots of smoking, alcohol and sex (when â&#x20AC;&#x153;girlsâ&#x20AC;? are invited aboard every second Saturday). Scenes cut back and forth from the antics on Radio Rock to the rapt listeners and austere government minister (Kenneth Branagh) who wants to shut the pirates down. Danny Cohenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lensing, the costuming and the production design capture the period well. The narrative, though, goes adrift. More characterthan conflict-driven, the story floats aimlessly in the middle of the film, buoyed by the acting and music. Often the song selections seem too pat. When the fetching Marianne (Talulah Riley of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Summer Houseâ&#x20AC;?) hops onboard, you know Leonard Cohen will soon be growling â&#x20AC;&#x153;so longâ&#x20AC;? to her. Elenore (January Jones of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mad Menâ&#x20AC;?) offers the perfect excuse for the eponymous song by The Turtles. Ultimately the bonds of friendship and a willingness to live and die for the music give the movie what it seeks: a reason for being. Rated: R for language and some sexual content, including brief nudity. 1 hour, 55 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Susan Tavernetti

is akin to starting your day with a bowl of Lucky Charms and a glass of chocolate milk â&#x20AC;&#x201D; nutrients and flavor are sacrificed for an impetuous and, ultimately, nauseating sugar rush. Hollywood is fascinated with apocalyptic motion pictures â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the box-office receipts they produce. Civilization has been threatened and/or exterminated in a variety of horrific ways: Alien invasion (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Independence Dayâ&#x20AC;?), zombie onslaught (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dawn of the Deadâ&#x20AC;?), weather run amok (â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Day After Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;?), meteor strike (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Deep Impactâ&#x20AC;?), rampant plague (â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Am Legendâ&#x20AC;?) and even aggressive vegetation (â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Happeningâ&#x20AC;?). Sadly, â&#x20AC;&#x153;2012â&#x20AC;? doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t break new ground in the bloated genre. In fact, it is weaker than any of the aforementioned films (except for M. Night Shyamalanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hapless â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happeningâ&#x20AC;?), relying on a flashy concept rather than a compelling story. American scientist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has made a startling discovery: The planet will see cataclysmic changes in the year 2012, fulfilling an ancient Mayan prophecy foretelling the end of days. Helmsley, government PR pro Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) and U.S. President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover) struggle with breaking the news to a terrified public as the world quickly tumbles into a destructive downward spiral. Powerful earthquakes rip apart entire cities, massive tidal waves barrel down on fleeing citizens and long-dormant volcanoes suddenly fill the sky with fire and ash. Caught in the chaos are novelist/limo driver Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), his estranged wife, Kate (Amanda Peet), and their two young children. A serendipitous run-in with wacky conspiracy theorist Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson) leads Jackson and his family on a dangerous trek to China, where enormous ships are waiting to rescue earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brightest (and wealthiest) survivors. Jackson and his family must brave death-defying plane flights, ceaseless temblors and panicked masses to reach the next chapter in humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence. Cusack and Ejiofor are both excellent â&#x20AC;&#x201D; especially given the dearth of intelligent dialogue they have to work with â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and Platt and Harrelson serve up the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requisite comic relief. The obviously pricey effects are impressive, such as when a tidal wave crashes on Washington, D.C., or Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s limo swerves through a crumbling Los Angeles. The filmmakers here spared no expense, and it shows. There is something inherently ridiculous about using a (primarily) paranoia-inspired date and transforming it into a cinematic spectacle. The scientific reasoning behind the catastrophes that rip through â&#x20AC;&#x153;2012â&#x20AC;? is about as believable (and logical) as a book by Dr. Seuss. The 160-minute run time overwhelms before the end credits roll, almost making an afterfilm Advil a downright necessity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;2012â&#x20AC;? is, admittedly, a fun ride at times â&#x20AC;&#x201D; albeit a dumb and dizzy one. Rated PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language. 2 hours, 38 minutes.

2012 --

(Century 16, Century 20) An Oscar-caliber cast and dazzling visual effects canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rescue this formulaic disaster flick from a script flooded with generic dialogue and preposterous plot points. Watching â&#x20AC;&#x153;2012â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Tyler Hanley To view the trailers for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pirate Radioâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;2012,â&#x20AC;? go to Palo Alto Online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com

INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS

NOW PLAYING The following is a sampling of movies recently reviewed in the Weekly:

STARTS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH IN THEATRES EVERYWHERE! ! ! ! " ! #!

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Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A Christmas Carol --(Century 16, Century 20) This latest adaptation of the Dickens classic is rich with vibrant imagery and boasts an impressive cast, with funnyman Jim Carrey at the forefront. The story itself â&#x20AC;&#x201D; first

published in 1843 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; has been adapted and retold so many times that even those who have never opened a book are familiar with its plot and characters. One chill Christmas eve, humorless old miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey) is haunted by the specter of his former business partner Jacob Marley (Gary Oldman) and warned to learn compassion or suffer eternal consequences. Although Dickens has been translated

time and time again, this animated adventure is no humbug. Rated PG for scary sequences and images. 1 hour, 36 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; T.H. (Reviewed Nov. 6, 2009) Law Abiding Citizen (Century 16, Century 20) Gerard Butler plays Clyde Shelton, who must watch helplessly as his wife and daughter are slaughtered by two random, home-

MOVIE TIMES (Untitled) (R) ((( 2012 (PG-13) ((

STANFORD THEATER

Century 16: Fri.-Mon. at 10:05 p.m. Century 16: Fri.-Mon. at 11:20 a.m.; 12:10, 1, 1:50, 2:45, 3:35, 4:25, 5:15, 6:15, 7:05, 8, 8:45, 9:40 & 10:30 p.m. Century 20: Fri.-Mon. at 11:15 a.m.; noon, 12:40, 1:20, 2:45, 3:30, 4:10, 4:50, 6:15, 7, 7:40, 8:20, 9:45 & 10:30 p.m. Fri. also at 10:30 a.m.; 2, 5:30 & 9 p.m.Sat. & Sun. also at 2, 5:30 & 9 p.m. Mon. at noon, 3:30, 7 & 10:30 p.m.

A Serious Man (R) ((((

Century 20: Fri.-Sun. at 12:10, 2:40, 5:15, 7:50 & 10:25 p.m. Palo Alto Square: 2:15 p.m. Sun. Tue. & Thu. also at 3:15 & 4:45 p.m. Fri.-Sat. also at 9:50 p.m.

Amelia (PG-13) (((1/2

Aquarius: 5:30 p.m. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. at 11:20 a.m.; 4:25 & 10 p.m.

An Education (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Fri. - Mon. at 11:25 a.m.; 2, 4:30, 7 & 9:35 p.m.

Astro Boy (PG) ((1/2

Century 20: Fri. - Sun. at 11:45 a.m.; 2:10, 4:40 & 7:05 p.m.

The Box (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Fri. - Mon. at 12:55, 3:50, 6:55 & 9:50 p.m. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. at 11:35 a.m.; 2:20, 5:10, 7:55 & 10:35 p.m.

Capitalism: A Love Story (R) (((

Century 16: Fri. - Mon. at 12:45, 4 & 7:10 p.m.

Coco Before Chanel (PG-13) ((1/2

Aquarius: 2:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Couples Retreat (PG-13) ((1/2

Century 20: Fri. - Sun. at 9:25 p.m.

Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A Christmas Carol (PG) (((

Century 16: Fri. - Mon. at 12:05, 1:15, 2:30, 3:40, 4:55, 6:10, 7:20, 8:40 & 9:45 p.m. In 3D at 11:30 a.m.; 12:40, 1:55, 3:05, 4:20, 5:25, 6:45, 7:55, 9:15 & 10:20 p.m. Century 20: Fri.-Sun. at 11:55 a.m.; 1:05, 2:25, 3:35, 4:55, 6, 7:35, 8:45 & 10:05 p.m. Fri. also at 10:40 a.m. In 3D Fri.-Sun. at 12:30, 1:50, 3, 4:20, 5:30, 7, 8:10, 9:30 & 10:40 p.m. Sat. & Sun. also at 11:20 a.m.

The Fourth Kind (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Fri. - Mon. at noon, 2:35, 5:05, 7:35 & 10 p.m. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. at 12:05, 2:30, 4:50, 7:20 & 9:50 p.m. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. at 11:55 a.m.;, 2:35, 5:05, 7:40 & 10:15 p.m.

The Men Who Stare At Goats (R) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Fri.-Mon. at 11:35 a.m.; 12:50, 2:05, 3:10, 4:25, 5:30, 6:50, 7:50, 9:10 & 10:25 p.m. Century 20: Fri.-Sun. at 11:50 a.m.; 1, 2:15, 3:25, 4:45, 5:50, 7:10, 8:15, 9:35 & 10:40 p.m. Fri. also at 10:35 a.m.

The Metropolitan Opera: Century 16: Wed. at 6:30 p.m. Century 20: Wed. at 6:30 p.m. Turandot (Not Rated) (Not Reviewed) Michael Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s This Is It (PG) (((

Century 16: Fri. - Mon. at 11:30 a.m.; 2:15, 4:50, 7:30 & 10:10 p.m. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. at 11:40 a.m.; 2:20, 5, 7:45 & 10:25 p.m.

Paranormal Activity (R) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Fri. - Sun. at 10:15 p.m. Century 20: Fri. - Sun.at 11:25 a.m.; 1:40, 3:55, 6:10, 8:25 & 10:35 p.m.

Paris (R) (Not Reviewed)

Aquarius Theatre: 2, 5 & 8 p.m.

Pirate Radio (R) (Not Reviewed)

Century 20: Fri. - Sun. at 11:15 a.m.;, 1:55, 4:35, 7:30 & 10:15 p.m. Palo Alto Square: 1:45, 4:30 & 7:15 p.m. Fri. & Sat. also at 9:55 p.m.

Skin (Not Rated) (Not Reviewed)

Guild Theatre: 2:30, 5:15 & 8 p.m.

Twilight (R) (((

Century 16: Thu. at 9 p.m. Century 20: Thu. at 9 p.m.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: Thu. at midnight Century 20: Thu. at midnight

Where the Wild Things Are (PG) (((1/2

Century 16: Fri. - Mon. at 2:25, 5 & 7:40 p.m. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. at 2 & 7:25 p.m.

The Wizard of Oz Century 16: Tue. at 6:30 p.m. Century 20: Tue. at 6:30 p.m. (70th Anniversary Encore) (Not Rated) (Not Reviewed)

( Skip it (( Some redeeming qualities ((( A good bet (((( Outstanding

Century Cinema 16: 1500 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View (800-326-3264) Century 20 Downtown: 825 Middlefield Road, Redwood City (800-326-3264)

The Maltese Falcon (1941) Humphrey Bogart plays Sam Spade in this archetypal film noir. Fri.-Sat. at 7:30 p.m. Sat. also at 3:30 p.m. Citizen Kane (1941) Orson Wellesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; story of Hearst-esque newspaper mogul Charles Foster Kane. Fri.-Sat. at 5:20 & 9:20 p.m. The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) A man helps defeat a rebel plot by impersonating the kidnapped king. Sun.-Mon. at 7:30 p.m. Sun. also at 3:50 p.m. The Mark of Zorro (1940) Tyrone Power portrays a fop-turnedavenger. Sun.-Mon. at 5:45 & 9:25 p.m.

Law Abiding Citizen (R) (

Aquarius: 430 Emerson St., Palo Alto (266-9260)

The Stanford Theatre is at 221 University Ave. in Palo Alto. Go to www.stanfordtheatre.org or call 650-324-3700.

CinĂŠArts at Palo Alto Square: 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (493-3456) Guild: 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (266-9260) Internet address: For show times, plot synopses, trailers and more information about films playing, go to Palo Alto Online at http://www.PaloAltoOnline.com/

of dance, awesome musicianship and Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy of contributions to both. Two hours spent in the cavernous claustrophobia of the bizarrely lit Staples Center and The Forum may help the audience to empathize with a celebrityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s otherworldly existence. Despite the scope â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the inclusion of film footage and special-effects montages â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the film has a potent intimacy. Rated PG for suggestive choreography and scary images. One hour, 51 minutes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; P.C. (Reviewed Oct. 30, 2009)

Pirate Radio (R) 1:45, 4:30, 7:15, Fri/Sat add 9:55 <= >/AA3A 1:/AA71 AC>3@A/D3@A

A Serious Man (R) 2:15, 4:45, 7:20, 9:50

â&#x20AC;&#x153;SPECTACULAR ENTERTAINMENTâ&#x20AC;? Paul Fischer, DARK HORIZONS

ON THE WEB: The most up-to-date movie listings at www.PaloAltoOnline.com invading sickos. When the case reaches the Philadelphia courts, it lands with hotshot prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), who touts his 96-percent conviction rate. In part because heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unwilling to risk his record, Rice insists on cutting a deal with one perp in order to ensure conviction for the other. Ten years later, Nick is still upwardly mobile, missing his daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s violin recital (yet again) to attend an execution. The man strapped to the table is one of Clydeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tormenters, and when the execution goes horribly

Discover the FRENCH FILM CLUB OF PALO ALTO at PALO ALTO ART CENTER 1313 Newell Road

WINTER PROGRAM â&#x20AC;?Les Classiquesâ&#x20AC;? November 20th at 7pm movie at 7:30pm

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moliereâ&#x20AC;? by Laurent Tirard - 2007

wrong, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not long before the authorities realize that Clyde has begun his own search for vigilante justice. Rated R for strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape, and pervasive language. One hour, 48 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; P.C. (Reviewed Oct. 16, 2009) Michael Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s This is It --â&#x20AC;&#x153;Michael Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s This is Itâ&#x20AC;? compiles

material culled from a reported 120 hours of rehearsal footage shot as reference and archive material. Jackson here is as unguarded as he comes. The King of Pop comes across not as a diva but as a surprisingly chivalrous professional. Director Kenny Ortega doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hide the scarecrow-thin Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eccentricity â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in fact, he flaunts it at times â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but the emphasis is on the concertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebration

#$ %&&'

! "

! " # "$ $ #$ $ %

Established in 1977, the French Film Club is an independent non-proďŹ t Organization, open to the public. For full program and archives, go to:

frenchďŹ lmclubofpaloalto.org

STARTS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES SORRY, NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT

PIZZA Pizza Chicago 424-9400 4115 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

of the week

This IS the best pizza in town Spot A Pizza 324-3131 115 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto Voted Best Pizza in Palo Alto www.spotpizza.com

AMERICAN

CHINESE

Armadillo Willy’s 941-2922

Peking Duck 856-3338

1031 N. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos Range: $5.00-13.00

Also at Town & Country Village,

We also deliver. Su Hong – Menlo Park

Available for private luncheons

Burmese

Winner, Palo Alto Weekly “Best Of”

Burmese & Chinese Cuisine 3950 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto (Charleston Shopping Center) Dine-In, Take-Out, Local Delivery-Catering

CHINESE

Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-6 pm

INDIAN

SEAFOOD

Darbar Indian Cuisine 321-6688

Cook’s Seafood 325-0604

129 Lytton, Downtown Palo Alto

751 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Lunch Buffet M-F; Open 7 days Janta Indian Restaurant 462-5903 369 Lytton Ave., Downtown Palo Alto

on the corner of El Camino, Los Altos

Lunch Buffet M-F; Organic Veggies

ITALIAN

2008 Best Chinese MV Voice & PA Weekly Jing Jing 328-6885 443 Emerson St., Palo Alto

Lounge open nightly

8 years in a row!

Chef Chu’s (650) 948-2696 1067 N. San Antonio Road

Sun 4:30 - 9:30pm

Dining Phone: 323–6852 To Go: 322–4631

(650) 494-7391

4269 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Dinner Mon-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 5-11pm;

Palo Alto 327-4111

Green Elephant Gourmet

Trader Vic’s 849-9800

Seafood Dinners from $6.95 to $10.95

THAI Thaiphoon Restaurant 323-7700 543 Emerson St., Palo Alto

417 California Ave, Palo Alto ÝµÕ Ã ÌiÊ `ÊUÊ"ÕÌ` ÀÊ }

Full Bar, Outdoor Seating www.thaiphoonrestaurant.com

www.spalti.com

Best Thai Restaurant in Palo Alto

Food To Go, Delivery

JAPANESE & SUSHI

3 Years in a Row, 2006-2007-2008

Ming’s 856-7700

Fuki Sushi 494-9383

1700 Embarcadero East, Palo Alto

4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

www.mings.com

Open 7 days a Week

New Tung Kee Noodle House

MEXICAN

520 Showers Dr., MV in San Antonio Ctr. Voted MV Voice Best ‘01, ‘02, ‘03 & ‘04

Palo Alto Sol 328-8840

STEAKHOUSE Sundance the Steakhouse 321-6798 1921 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2:00pm Dinner: Mon-Thu 5:00-10:00pm

Prices start at $3.75 See Coupon

408 California Ave, Palo Alto

Fri-Sat 5:00-10:30pm, Sun 5:00-9:00pm

947-8888

Õ}iÊ i ÕÊUÊ iÃÌÞ iÊ,iV «iÃ

www.sundancethesteakhouse.com

Page 32ÊUÊ Ûi LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓää ÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ

Order online at www.pizzachicago.com

Spalti Ristorante 327-9390

Authentic Szechwan, Hunan

www.jingjinggourmet.com

Deep Dish Gourmet Pizza

2310 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Hobee’s 856-6124 4224 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

POLYNESIAN

Rated the BEST Chicago Style,

Search a complete listing of local restaurant reviews by location or type of food on PaloAltoOnline.com

Eating Out RESTAURANT REVIEW

True blue

After more than a decade, traditional Italian cuisine still shines at Vaso Azzurro by Monica Hayde Schreiber

Shawn Fender

Vaso Azzurro executive chef Hasan Yildiz presents the shrimp scampi plate.

DINNER BY THE MOVIES AT SHORELINE’S

Pizzeria Venti

ons ervati s e r g ceptin party! y now ac a d i l o

rh for you

ble! a l i a v ng a cateri

t has been more than a decade since Vaso Azzurro opened at the mouth of Mountain View’s Castro Street, on the train-station end of the river of restaurants that flows from El Camino Real. Fauxrustic sponged walls and cheesy mandolin music plunking out of the speakers give this upscale Italian establishment a quaint, slightly dated feel. But really, there’s nothing passé about traditional Italian cuisine served by a solicitous wait staff in a lovely, but no-fuss ambiance. Eleven years down the road, Vaso Azzurro remains a relevant — and delizioso — part of the Castro Street culinary scene. Although the restaurant’s tagline on its website and menus — “fine

Italian and Provençal cuisine” — would suggest an equal share of Southern Gallic fare, Vaso Azzurro (“blue vase” in Italian) tilts almost completely to Italy. The menu is structured around traditional and familiar dishes: pollo saltimbocca, scampi gamberi, salmone stromboli, gnocchi and risotto. There are also longtime house specialties such as the fettuccine azzurro ($15.25 lunch; $16.95 dinner) a savory tangle of extrawide fettuccine, firm to the teeth and sautéed with black mussels, rock shrimp, scallops and garlic in a chardonnay and saffron sauce. With a crisp Montresor Valdadige Pinot Grigio ($8 glass; $30 bottle) (continued on next page)

Spaghetti al Cartoccio s LB SPAGHETTI s 4BLS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL s CLOVES OF GARLIC s SMALL BUNCH PARSLEY s "ASIL LEAVES s MEDIUM SHRIMP PEELED AND DEVEINED s LB CLAMS OR MUSSELS CLEANED AND RINSED

s LB SQUID CUT INTO RINGS s TABLESPOONS WHITE WINE s OZ TOMATOES CHOPPED For each packet: s TABLESPOONS PARSLEY CHOPPED s PRAWN

Preparation: Put 4 large sheets of aluminum foil on a clean work surface. Form an edge, about 1 1/2 inches high, on all sides of foil sheets. Heat oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat. Add chili and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add mussels/ clams and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil and parsley; cook for 5 minutes more. Remove pan from heat; remove and discard chili pepper, garlic and basil leaves. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add spaghetti and cook just until very al dente. Reserving 2 tablespoons cooking liquid; drain pasta. Immediately add pasta, cooking liquid, squid, prawns and shrimp to pan with mussels, stir together and cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Divide pasta and sauce among foil sheets; add garnish to each packet and fold foil over pasta, crimping edges to make four sealed pouches. Place pouches on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Transfer pouches to plates and open at the table.

History:

1390 Pear Ave., Mountain View (650) 254-1120 www.mvpizzeriaventi.com

Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday

The term, “al cartoccio”, from the word ‘carta’ for paper - means cooking food in parchment paper or a sack. This cooking method is traditionally used to seal in ﬂavors of otherwise delicate ingredients, such as seafood, but can be used successfully with vegetables and lighter fare. The original use of parchment paper is still viable but foil is equally acceptable. This method, contrary to popular belief, is not derived from the French, en papillotte, which is traditionally used when cooking beef. We trust you will ﬁnd this style of cooking to be the perfect method for preparing the herbs, seafood and pasta in our recipe, allowing all of the ingredients to gently come together, in this beautiful tableside display.

From our kitchen to yours, Buon appetito! Chef Marco Salvi, Executive Chef *> Ê Ì Ê7ii ÞÊUÊ Ûi LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓää ÊU Page 33

Eating Out

ShopTalk chandise as targeting the 12- to 40-year-old consumer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to be the premier spot where people go to buy their sneakers around here,â&#x20AC;? Biner said. SIMPLE PIZZA, SIMPLE INGREDIENTS ... A different kind of pizza parlor is the newest tenant at Town & Country Village in Palo Alto. Howieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Artisan Pizza is scheduled to open Nov. 19 on the El Camino Real side of the center, next to Sur La Table. Howieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner, Howard Bulka, comes with a lengthy set of credentials. He was the chef and proprietor of Menlo Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MarchĂŠ until 2008, when he left to devote his attention to the development of Howieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Artisan Pizza.

Bulka does not take his pizza lightly. He has been on a quest to create â&#x20AC;&#x153;the perfect pizza,â&#x20AC;? and calls himself an artisan pizza maker. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our product is a wellcrafted pizza and we take each component of it quite seriously,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We make our own ricotta, we make our own pancetta and we use really good products. Our menu is simple and our pizza is simple,â&#x20AC;? he said. Bulkaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idea for creating a pizza parlor was based on the notion that pizza is the third most popular American food. And the first two, according to Bulka? Hamburgers, then French fries. Or is that just one â&#x20AC;&#x153;burger-&-friesâ&#x20AC;? food? WALGREENS ON TRACK ... Construction is still on track for the brand new Walgreens at 310 University Ave. in downtown Palo Alto. Completion of the contemporary steel and glass, decidedly non-traditional-looking Walgreens is expected by the end of the year. Office space will occupy the second and third floors of the

three-story building. The original Walgreens was gutted after a July 2007 fire, later discovered to be arson. It completely destroyed the historic building on the corner of University and Bryant Street. The ensuing, massive reconstruction project proved to be a one-two punch for some nearby merchants. Trucks, machinery and noise all discouraged foot and car traffic in the area. The construction combined with the faltering economy was too much for some: Today, at least a half dozen of the Bryant Street retailers in the 500 block are gone. GAMESTOP BEGETTING ... It was just a matter of time before GameStop would find Palo Alto. Scheduled to move into the former Golden Loom and the former, former Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wearhouse at 370 University Ave., GameStop has a few locations nearby â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one in Mountain Viewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s San Antonio Center and two in Redwood City, at Sequoia Station and Woodside Central. There

vegetables. It is the kind of sparsely populated dish that can be measured in price-per-bite, but it works when each bite manages to be both decadent and delicate. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the only one to notice that in recent years the volume of a glass of wine is often inversely proportional to the price of a restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entrĂŠes. As the quantity has diminished â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the prices

have inched up toward the double digits â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come to watch the size of the pour like a curmudgeonly old barfly, ready to pounce on the poor bartender with a lecture about how I am going to have to dip into my retirement fund to afford a simple glass of house white. At Vaso Azzurro, where some of the entrĂŠes do bump up to the pricier end of things, I was fully expecting

the requisite oversized glass with an undersized pour. However, two copious glasses of a full-bodied San Fabiano 2006 Chianti ($8.50 glass; $32 bottle) were placed before us at the bar. And later, to my amazement, the bartender generously topped off our glasses before we moved to our table for lunch. Neighborly, old-fashioned touches like this, along with the highly at-

by Daryl Savage

SAN JOSEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LOSS, PALO ALTOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GAIN ... Ramona Street just got a bit hipper. Premier Boutique, San Joseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trendy little shoe and clothing store, will open this month at 534 Ramona St. in downtown Palo Alto. The threeyear-old boutique closed its doors on Winchester Boulevard with a bang last week. Some bargain-hunting customers showing up for an early-November moving sale had to wait in line for more than two hours to enter the store. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a good move for us,â&#x20AC;? said Aaron Biner, a Bay Area native who co-owns Premier. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hoping to widen our market appeal by moving to Palo Alto,â&#x20AC;? he said. He describes his mer(continued from previous page)

and a basket of warm focaccia to dip in a basil, garlic and red pepperinfused olive oil, it made for a substantial and flavor-packed lunch on my first visit. The shrimp scampi ($17.25 lunch; $19.95 dinner) is four rotund shrimp lined up in formation, wading in a buttery-garlicky pool and surrounded by a garnish of sautĂŠed

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is also a GameStop in Sunnyvale at Cherry Orchard. The gaming store bills itself as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest video-game retailer, with more than 6,100 stores in the United States and 17 other countries. GameStop began in 1984 as Babbageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, a Dallas-based software retailer. Its Palo Alto store is part of GameSpotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business plan to open an additional 400 stores this year. DIAMONDS OF PALO ALTO CLOSING ... After 21 years, Diamonds of Palo Alto at 261 Hamilton Ave., Suite 320, is slated to close in February. Owner Israel Zehavi said the closure was due to health issues. The store plans to hold a Nov. 19 sale with prices marked down up to 50 percent.

Heard a rumor about your favorite store or business moving out, or in, down the block or across town? Daryl Savage will check it out. She can be e-mailed at shoptalk@paweekly.com.

tentive and unpretentious service, help distinguish Vaso Azzurro from so many other fine Italian restaurants in the area. The tag-team service was outstanding on each of my visits, never falling into overly solicitous territory. In fact, my husband and I put them to the ultimate test one evening by bringing along our 6- and 3-year-old girls. As warm and friendly as the restaurant is, it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the first place youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d think of taking children, what with all the white tablecloths and stemware, and the utter lack of spaghetti and meatballs. They were gracious about every one of our annoying, kid-focused requests, from finding an additional booster seat to bringing two kinds of pasta sauce on the side, lest one sauce failed to please the little ones. We adults started with the aubergines au grill modena ($6.95 lunch; $7.95 dinner), a warm, savory stew of marinated eggplant, tomatoes, onions, garlic and roasted red peppers. Slightly smoky and savory, it had us in a veritable fork fight for the last bites. Unfortunately there were not enough bites. It seemed downright cruel to give us such a sublime dish, but so little of it. The thickly cut calamari fritti ($8.95 lunch; $9.95 dinner) were tasty, fried to just the right point of chewiness. For my entrĂŠe, I ordered the fish of the day, a generous piece of halibut stuffed with rock shrimp and spinach and served on a shallow pool of hollandaise ($23.95). I was honestly a little worried when I placed my order, fearing a saucedrowned fish, outdone completely by such a rich accompaniment. But they got it right. The hollandaise was lemony and zesty, and spooned gently around the flaky fish. The accompanying dollop of creamy mashed potatoes may not be the most authentically Italian item on the menu, but who cares. They inspired yet another fork fight. We also enjoyed the rich buccatini al salmone affumicato ($13.25 lunch; $14.95 dinner). The waiter seemed unsure when we asked him if the buccatini (similar to spaghetti, but thicker and hollow inside)

Eating Out were house-made, but finally said he thought it was among the pastas the kitchen turns out itself. The string-thick pasta tasted so fresh we decided they must be making it on site â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or flying it in from Italy. The buccatini were sautĂŠed with smoked salmon, green peas, generous amounts of fresh dill and a light cream sauce. Unfortunately, dessert was disappointing. We ordered an unremarkable piece of chocolate fudge cake ($6.95) and a tiramisu ($6.95) that was cake-like and cloying, lacking any espresso or rum flavor. My decaf coffee had that sour, charred

taste that can mean only that it had been heating on the burner for too long. The coffee was quickly replaced with a fresh cup, but we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bother finishing our desserts. For all its traditional Italian-ness, Vaso Azzurro is owned by three Iranian-born brothers: Michael, Alan and Hoss Sadri who bought the restaurant from its original Turkish owners four years ago. The Sadri brothers are veterans of the kitchens of many of the Peninsulaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-known Italian establishments, past and present: Il Fornaio, Piatti, Piccolo Mondo, Fontanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Parkside Grill. N

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Sports Shorts

STANFORD FOOTBALL

This run will be tested

CARDINAL CORNER . . . Stanford alum Peter Marshall broke his own world record in the 50-meter backstroke for the third time in 366 days, swimming 22.73 on Wednesday on the third leg of this fall’s World Cup short-course meet in Stockholm, Sweden. Marshall continues to lead the overall field with 80 points, followed by South Africa’s Cameron van der Brugh with 66 points. Jessica Hardy leads the women’s field with 125 points. Over the past 13 months, the 50-meter record has been broken five times, three times by the Cardinal All-American. Over that time, Australia’s Robert Hurley broke the world record in October, 2008 with a time of 23.24, before Marshall snatched it back with a time of 23.05 in Stockholm two weeks later. Four days later American teammate Randal Bal dropped the mark below 23 seconds at 22.87. Nearly a year later, Marshall, swimming in South Africa last month, broke it again, at 22.75. Each winner of the World Cup will earn $100,000 at the end of the circuit. Second place takes $50,000, while third nets $30,000. The meet, which already has gone through South Africa, Moscow and Sweden, will continue in Berlin on November 14 and 15 and close out in Singapore on November 21 and 22. Palo Alto High sophomore Jasmine Tosky competed in Sweden and also will swim in Berlin as a member of the U.S. National Youth Team.

HELP WANTED . . . Palo Alto is looking for coaches in the following sports: baseball, boys’lacrosse and softball. Those interested should send resumes to Palo Alto Athletic Director Earl Hansen at 50 Embarcadero Road, 94301 or contact him at 329-3886.

ON THE AIR Friday Women’s volleyball: Oregon at Stanford, 7 p.m., KZSU (90.1 FM)

Saturday

SPORTS ONLINE For expanded daily coverage of college and prep sports, please see our new site at www.PASportsOnline.com

Stanford football coach Jim Harbaugh had plenty to celebrate last Saturday following his team’s 51-42 upset of Oregon. Harbaugh hopes to be enjoying a similar moment this Saturday when his team visits USC.

(continued on next page)

CCS PLAYOFFS

NCAA SOCCER

Paly volleyball has shot to keep its streak going

Stanford’s Jenkins sees final goal is within reach

by Keith Peters he second season is under way this week in fall high school sports. For some, it’s another opportunity to improve upon an already successful season. For others, it’s another chance to make up for some disappointments in this or past seasons. Those opportunities are under way in girls’ tennis and volleyball, plus boys’ and girls’ water polo. Those teams with the best chance of competing for Central Coast Section titles have most of the week off after receiving firstround byes following title-winning league seasons. One of those teams is the Palo Alto girls’ volleyball squad. Paly coach Dave Winn had hoped to receive either a No. 2 or 3 seed for the Division II playoffs in order to be in the bracket opposite nationally No. 1-ranked Mitty. Winn got his wish as the Vikings got the No. 2 after finishing the regular season with a 33-3 record and a 31-match winning streak. Winn has been very successful in previous seasons, as well, going 33-7 last season, 27-11 in 2007 and .27-9 in 2006. In each of those years, however, Paly faced either Mitty or St.

Page 36 • November 13, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

(continued on page 40)

Keith Peters

College football: Stanford at USC, 12:30 p.m., Comcast Sports Net Bay Area; XTRA Sports (860 AM); KZSU 90.1 FM) Women’s volleyball: Oregon St. at Stanford, 7 p.m.; KZSU (90.1 FM)

by Rick Eymer ou don’t hear a lot about the guys in the Tunnel Workers Union, or their beanies. Stanford running back Toby Gerhart and quarterback Andrew Luck swear by them though. The members of the union, a.k.a. Stanford’s offensive line, include center Chase Beeler, tackles Jonathan Martin and Chris Marinelli, guards Andrew Phillips and David DeCastro. Those are the front men. The inspirational leader is Allen Smith, who sustained a season-ending injury after a couple of games back from a previous season-ending injury. Tyler Mabry, Bert McBride, James McGillicuddy and Derek Hall are also card-carrying members. “They go to work every day making holes for me,” said Gerhart, the Pac-10’s leading rusher and school recordholder after gaining 223 yards against Oregon last weekend. “Those guys get after it week in and week out.” This week’s Pac-10 Conference football game at No. 11 USC may be their biggest test yet for the offensive line, as the Trojans are among the national leaders in sacks and

Kyle Terada

OF LOCAL NOTE . . . Gunn High grad Kyle Gertridge and Kielan Crow of Portola Valley combined for eight goals to help the Johns Hopkins men’s water polo team to a third-place finish at the 2009 CWPA Southern Championships last weekend in Lewisburg, Pa. Also scoring for John Hopkins was Sacred Heart Prep grad Alex Whittam. The Blue Jays clinched a fourth straight trip to the CWPA Eastern Championships. Gertridge is a senior and Crow is a freshman.

Cardinal ground game will face a tough USC defensive line

Stanford co-captains (L-R) Ali Riley, Alicia Jenkins and Kelley O’Hara display Pac-10 trophy.

by Rick Eymer licia Jenkins still gets a little upset whenever she thinks about the final game of her freshman year at Stan-

ford. The Cardinal thoroughly outplayed Clemson in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament, but lost in penalty kicks. “I was nervous because it was at Santa Clara and we seemed to always have lost on that field,” Jenkins said. “For a long time it was not a good feeling going there.” The nervousness has since been replaced with a quiet confidence. Each recruiting class brought in more pieces to the puzzle. Last year was a journey. This year seems more like a mission. Top-ranked Stanford (20-0) began its chase of the elusive national championship against Northern Arizona on Thursday (see www. pasportsonline.com for results) and hopes to continue with a win Saturday at 1 p.m. Jenkins, who started all 23 games, was used primarily as a forward in her rookie campaign. Scoring seemed to the one area in which Stanford lacked depth. Kelley O’Hara, who appeared in 17 games, led the team with (continued on page 43)

David Gonzales/Stanford Photo

Kyle Terada

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck threw for 251 yards in the win over Oregon and will have to be nearly as good against USC.

Stanford senior running back Toby Gerhart (7) broke the school single-game rushing record with his 223-yard output in last weekend’s 51-42 upset of Oregon, but will be facing a much-tougher USC defense Saturday.

Stanford football

crowd is pulling for you.” He’s not fooled by USC’s recent lack of success either. “Any game they can come out and play awesome ball,” Powers said. “To say they haven’t played well the last couple of weeks, you know coach (Pete) Carroll will have his team ready to play.” Gerhart was in contact with his brother Garth, an offensive lineman for the Sun Devils. “He texted me ‘pound the rock, you will have your way running on them,’” Gerhart said. “Year in and year out they are good. They get

(continued from previous page)

tackles for a loss. Luck will need all the protection he can get. “I am 100 percent confident in them,” said Luck, the Pac-10’s leader in pass efficiency. “The O-line prides itself of getting the dirty work done.” Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh called the offensive line “A real bright spot for Stanford football. They have an identity, they play physical and they play smart.” Harbaugh singled out DeCastro and Phillips for their extraordinary efforts against then-No. 7 Oregon last Saturday, a game the 25thranked Cardinal (5-2, 6-3) won, 51-42, to put itself squarely in the battle for a Pac-10 title. “They run block and pass protect equally well,” Harbaugh said. As for the Trojans (4-2, 7-2), well, there’s plenty to be concerned. “Their defensive line is very good across the board,” Harbaugh said. “Having them in the opposing team’s backfield is a constant from their defense. Even more spectacular is there is no dropoff when they go to the next guy.” USC hasn’t played as well as it would have liked so far. Losses to Washington and Oregon have all but knocked the Trojans out of the BCS championship series. They didn’t look good in a 14-9 victory over host Arizona State, either. “It’s still USC,” Luck said. “That’s the best program over the last 10 years and we don’t need any extra motivation to play them. We have to bring out ‘A’ game or they will exploit us.” The upset two years ago notwithstanding, Stanford has struggled on the road. The Cardinal has won

just five of its past 22 games away from The Farm, including a 5-12 mark in road conference games. “We have to be good enough to win on the road,” Harbaugh said. “The mindset should be like the NFL guys; you don’t care where you play and you’re offended if you don’t get booed.” Stanford linebacker Will Powers, for one, loves to play in hostile environments. “It’s part of the game and I enjoy it,” he said. “Some of the best parts of the game is going into a stadium where only a tiny percentage of the

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the top recruits and always seem to replace everybody. I think that’s one of the better defenses.” Toby Gerhart was recruited by USC as an outside linebacker or fullback. They weren’t going to let him play baseball either, which was one of the major reasons why UCLA and Stanford were his final choices. “They said they would give me a chance at running back but I don’t think it would have happened,” Gerhart said. “This is another huge opportunity for us, if not bigger than last week. We won’t get any

satisfaction from getting to a bowl game and just beating Oregon.” The Pac-10 title is within their grasp, Luck said, and it’s something the team has pointed to since the beginning of the season. “Getting to a bowl game is great but we want to win the Pac-10 championship,” Luck said. “To do that we need to beat USC.” Becoming bowl eligible doesn’t necessarily guarantee Stanford a winning record for the first time since 2001. That would take at least one more win in the final three games. ■

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www.bowmanschool.org 4000 Terman Drive l Palo Alto, CA l Tel: 650-813-9131 Palo Alto Weekly • November 13, 2009 • Page 37

Sports

Palo Alto goes after division football title against Wilcox Vikings can win SCVAL De Anza Division crown and enough points for a berth in the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs

points. Gunn should beat Cupertino and share the SCVAL El Camino Division title with Los Altos. And Burlingame needs to win in order to claim the PAL Ocean Division crown. Palo Alto would get extra points for playing league champions and beating two of them. If the Vikings get the needed points, they’ll be back in the top division. “We’ll play wherever they send us,” Hansen said. “We won it (the Open Division) that last time we were there.” That was in 2006 when the Vikings swept through the Open Division, beat Oak Grove in the finals and advanced to a CIF State Championship game — losing to Orange Lutheran to finish off a 12-2 campaign. Should Paly get deep into the playoffs, it won’t have Christoph Bono available to play quarterback. The junior, who suffered a broken clavicle in the win over Gunn, has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. “He’s done for the year,” Hansen said. “We don’t want to risk further injury. He’s not playing.” Junior T.J. Braff will continue to start at quarterback. He has gone 3-0-1 since taking over for Bono, leading the Vikings to big victories over Milpitas and Los Gatos. In last Friday’s comfortable win over host

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Mountain View, Braff completed his first nine passes and finished 9 of 10 for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Braff threw a 12-yard scoring pass to Davante Adams and a 23yarder to Maurice Williams. Braff also scored on a two-yard plunge. The Vikings also got two short TD runs by Jared Beeson and a three-yard plunge by Miles Anderson. Peter Ibarra rushed for 76 yards and Palo Alto held a comfortable 28-0 lead at halftime. Mountain View (0-6, 3-6) did run for 238 yards, compared to 199 for Paly, but managed only 12 yards through the air. The Spartans scored both their touchdowns against Paly’s reserves, the second one coming with just 38 seconds to play. Wilcox will provide a much more difficult test for Palo Alto, even though the Chargers aren’t as dangerous as in previous seasons. “They just don’t have that speed that they’ve had over the years,” Hansen said. Wilcox did beat Palo Alto last year, but didn’t have a run from scrimmage longer than 15 yards. “They just ran it down our throat,” Hansen said. “We just need to prevent that.” Palo Alto is better suited to do just that with its much-improved linebacking corps of Michael Cullen, Will Glazier and Beeson. All are good, talented football players who have done a solid job backing up an equally good defensive line led by junior Kevin Anderson. Everyone knows what’s at stake on Friday and the Vikings will be ready. Gunn will salute its seniors on Friday night when the Titans (4-1, 6-3) play host to Cupertino ((0-5, 2-7) in a regular-season home finale at 7:30 p.m. A victory will give Gunn a cochampionship (with Los Altos) in the SCVAL El Camino Division. Los Altos finished its regular season with a 5-1 record (6-3 overall). The Titans tuned up with a solid victory 41-14 over Santa Clara last Friday night at Buchser Middle School. “That was the strangest 41-14 game I’ve ever been involved in,” Gunn coach Bob Sykes told gunntitans.com after the game. “For the first three quarters every time we looked like we would get control, Santa Clara battled back. They have some really good players who battled.” However, it was the Gunn underclassmen of juniors Josh Jackson, Henry Ayala, Anthony Cannon, along with sophomore Casey Jackson, that helped make the difference on this night. Of course a few key plays by Gunn senior Maceo Parks and the tough running of Jonathan Godoy helped clinched the Titans’ first winning season since a six win campaign in 2003. As has been the case in all six Gunn wins, the Titans earned it on the ground as they rushed for a season-high 395 yards on 48 carries. Josh Jackson gained 100 yards on 13 carries while Godoy had 78 yards

Keith Peters

by Keith Peters hile a Central Coast Section football playoff berth is wrapped up, Palo Alto still has a little work to do to win the SCVAL De Anza Division football championship. It comes down to just two scenarios. If the Vikings beat host Wilcox on Friday night at 7:30 p.m., they win. If Paly loses to Wilcox but Milpitas beats Los Gatos, the Vikings still win. It’s that simple after Palo Alto (4-0-1, 7-1-1) disposed of winless Mountain View, 42-14, while Los Gatos (4-1, 7-2) knocked Wilcox (3-2, 6-3) out of the title picture with a 26-14 defeat on Friday night. Milpitas, with two league losses, can’t overtake Paly but can help the Vikings. “We want to win the championship outright,” said Palo Alto coach Earl Hansen. A league crown will give the Vikings 2 1/2 points and perhaps an opportunity to move up to the Open Division in the CCS playoffs. “There’s one spot left and I believe it’s between us and San Benito (Hollister),” Hansen said. “It could come down to a half-point difference.” A lot depends on what happens to some other teams on Friday that Paly played earlier this season. Mitty should beat Riordan but needs Bellarmine to lose to get extra

Menlo’s Danny Diekroeger on 14 hauls, Cannon added 77 yards on eight runs from his quarterback position, Parks added 72 yards on just three carries, and Casey Jackson had 64 yards on 10 carries to lead the way. Gunn broke away from a close game by marching 94 yards on 12 plays, all on the ground, with Casey Jackson going in from nine yards out for a 14-6 game. An interception by Parks, one of four by the Titans, set up one-yard run by Cannon and a 20-7 halftime lead. Santa Clara got to within 20-14 in the third quarter and looked to be back in business when Casey Jackson fumbled and the Bruins recovered. Ayala then came up with the first of his two interceptions to set up a 37-yard scoring run by Parks and a 27-14 lead. Ayala intercepted his second pass of the night with 1:30 left in the third quarter and Santa Clara at the Gunn 18. The Titans then went 82 yards, with the first 67 coming on the ground before a 15 yard play action fake from Cannon to Blake Johnson to put Gunn up 34-14 with 8:48 remaining in the game. Gunn recovered an onside kick at the Bruins’ 33 and, on the very first play, Cannon executed a perfect fake handoff and went 33 yards for the second Titans’ touchdown in 12 seconds to make the final score 41-14. Bragging rights will be at stake on Friday when Menlo (3-2, 6-3) plays host to Sacred Heart Prep (4-1, 7-2) in the annual Valpo Bowl at 2:45 p.m. Neither team will be playing for a championship in the nonleague game, but the contest could be explosive. SHP senior Matt Walter has rushed for 1,343 yards and 18 touchdowns this season while senior teammate Chris Gaertner had added 881 yards and nine TDs. Menlo quarterback Danny Diekroeger has completed 177 of 295 passes for 2,863 yards

and 24 TDs while fellow senior Clay Robbins has caught 62 passes for 1,246 yards and 10 scores. Truly, it will be Sacred Heart Prep’s running game against Menlo’s passing show. Menlo is averaging 424.7 yards per game while Sacred Heart Prep is averaging 417.7. The teams rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, in San Mateo County. Walter rushed for 260 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries in the Gators’ 35-12 romp over Aragon as SHP finished its first-ever season in the PAL Bay Division in second place. Sacred Heart simply pounded its way past the Dons (2-3, 5-4) as the Gators gained 428 yards on the ground. With 8:30 left in the game and SHP holding a 28-12 lead, the Gators drove 85 yards on 10 runs to eat up the clock. Aragon got the ball back but had only 2:20 left. Aside from a couple of fumbles, the Gators’ offense was pretty much in control. Walter scored on runs of 22, five and six yards. He also ripped off runs of 38 and 48 yards that set up Sacred Heart Prep’s final two touchdowns. Menlo, meanwhile, finished up its PAL Ocean Division season with a wild 42-35 win over visiting Carlmont. The Knights kept their CCS playoff hopes alive by scoring 28 unanswered points to rally from a 21-point deficit for its third straight victory that was preserved when junior cornerback Jordan Williams broke up a long fourth-down pass. Both teams combined for 940 yards, Carlmont (3-6, 0-5) rushed to a 28-7 second-quarter lead. Menlo’s Beau Nichols’ failed to score from the 1-yard line as the half ended, but he finished with three touchdowns runs — including the winner from three yards out with 4:38 left to play. Nichols finished with 146 rushing yards. Diekroeger threw three touchdown passes while completing 23 of 35 passes for 374 yards. Robbins caught 10 passes for 227 yards to as the Knights finished with 509 total yards. In another PAL Bay Division game, Menlo-Atherton had its best statistical game of the year while dropping a 49-27 decision to host Terra Nova. Terra Nova (5-0, 6-3) clinched the division crown despite being losing nearly every statistical category to the Bears ((0-4, 1-8). Menlo-Atherton remarkably led in time of possession, 32:44 to 14:05; rushed for a season-high 370 yards; finished with a season-best 495 total yards, and scored more points than in any other game this season. Junior Sakalia rushed 18 times for 113 yards and scored on runs of 22 and five yards with Stephen Fifita added 87 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Jonathan Hoech even contributed 125 passing yards on 10 of 14 completions while Michael Brown caught four passes for 67 yards. Menlo-Atherton concludes its season on Friday by visiting winless Woodside at 8 p.m. ■

Sports

by Rick Eymer

he Stanford basketball season officially gets underway on Friday the 13th. The men’s team has already had enough bad luck to last the year. The women’s team has had a few setbacks but has the ability to overcome a lot of them. The women’s team opens at Old Dominion on Friday afternoon. The second-ranked Cardinal moves to Rutgers for a Sunday matinee at 11 a.m. The men’s team opens with a 7 p.m. tipoff at San Diego on Friday night before hosting Cal Poly in its home opener on Sunday at 7 p.m. Cardinal coach Johnny Dawkins starts the season with a depleted roster. It began with sophomore center Will Paul being placed on academic suspension, continued with losing freshman forward Andy Brown for the year with a torn ACL, and having sophomore guard Jeremy Green suspended from the team. Junior forward Josh Owens has not been cleared to practice by the team’s medical staff and is out indefinitely. Stanford was picked to finish last in the Pac-10 by both coaches and the media and that was before Dawkins knew he’d be without Brown, Green and Owens. There’s some good news too. Se-

nior Landry Fields, the team captain, has all-conference potential and he’ll be asked to carry the load. Seniors Emmanuel Igbinosa and Drew Shiller will also need to make contributions on a team filled with role players. “Landry gained a lot of experience last season and I am excited about his play,” Dawkins said. “He is our captain and I think he can be one of the best players in the conference.” Dawkins may have use a platoonlike system to coax the best out of the team’s ability. Junior guard Da’Veed Dildy was considered a top recruit as a point guard and will likely be given the chance to run the team along with Shiller. Transfer Andrew Zimmerman, a familiar name to Santa Clara fans and former Broncos coach Dick Davey, will provide an inside presence. Sophomores Elliott Bullock, Matei Daian, Jarrett Mann and Jack Trotter, as well as freshman Gabe Harris will be counted upon for valuable minutes. “We are going to have young players that are ready to go out there for us,” Dawkins said. “We feel with that knowledge that they will continue to grow and we are excited about this season and where we can take things.”

Kyle Terada/Stanford Athletics

Senior Landry Fields is the most experienced returning player for the Stanford men’s basketball team this season.

In its 94-year history, the Cardinal owns a 77-17 record in season openers, including 20 of its last 21. Stanford opened on the road 17 times and is 9-8 in those games. The Cardinal also owns a 53-41 mark in road openers. Stanford brings a six-game nonconference road winning streak to the 5,100-seat Jenny Craig Pavilion. Fields had a breakthrough junior season in which he led the team in rebounding (6.6) and steals (42), finished third in scoring (12.6) and connected on 49.8 percent of his shots from the floor. “Overall, he is a very good competitor.” Dawkins said. “I could talk about his versatility, and he competes every day, every play. He has a great work ethic. He gets after it every day.” He is also the Pac-10’s leading returning rebounder and shoots the 3-pointer at a 36.8 percent rate. He scored double-figures 24 times, which includes five double-doubles. The Stanford women won’t have the problem of having to use younger players. They will, though, have the choice. The Cardinal enters the season only slightly dinged up. Senior center All-American and reigning Pac10 Player of the Year Jayne Appel may not quite be 100 percent and guard JJ Hones will be brought along slowly after losing last year to a torn ACL. Sophomore Sarah Boothe and junior Hannah Donaghe will be out for a while. Stanford freshman Joslyn Tinkle has a bruised left foot, an injury sustained in practice. Michelle Harrison is nursing a sore back. They are both on the season-opening road trip and all could see playing time. “JJ is doing very well,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “Point guard sense is not something you can teach. She still has the sense of how to run the team. All our guards have to really assert themselves.” Junior guard Jeanette Pohlen has been receiving preseason accolades, and for good reason. She stepped into the void left when Hones went down and helped carry the team to the national championship game. Fifth-year senior Roz GoldOnwude has been working on her shooting and has always been a tough defender. Redshirt junior Melanie Murphy is another experienced ball handler. Sophomore guards Lindy La Rocque and Grace Mashore are also in the mix. Appel, junior forward Kayla Pedersen and sophomore forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike make up one of the top front lines in the nation. All three have established themselves on the national scene and all three are accomplished scorers and rebounders. “We want it all this year,” Appel said. “We know the work ethic it will take and we’re all behind it.” Junior forward Ashley Cimino and freshman forward Mikaela Ruef join Tinkle to add depth to the front line. ■

Rick Bale/Stanford Athletics

Ready or not, Stanford men and women open their respective basketball seasons

Senior All-American Jayne Appel (in white) will be the driving force behind Stanford’s run at the NCAA Final Four again.

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TUESDAY, Nov. 10 First round St. Ignatius 5, Carlmont 2 Sacred Heart Prep 5, Scotts Valley 2 Burlingame 4, Independence 3 R.L. Stevenson 6, Evergreen Valley 1 Notre Dame-Belmont 4, Salinas 3 Leland 7, Notre Dame-Salinas 0 Harker 7, Carmel 0 Piedmont Hills 7, Half Moon Bay 0 WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11 Second round Homestead 5, St. Ignatius 2 Saratoga 6, Sacred Heart Prep 1 Burlingame 4, Milpitas 3 Mitty 7, R.L. Stevenson 0 Menlo 5, Notre Dame-Belmont 2 St. Francis 6, Leland 1 Harker 4, Menlo-Atherton 3 Monta Vista 7, Piedmont Hills 0 FRIDAY, Nov. 13 Quarterfinals (All matches at 2:30 p.m.) Homestead at Saratoga Burlingame vs. Mitty at Decathlon Club Menlo vs. St. Francis at Cuesta Park Harker at Monta Vista MONDAY, Nov. 16 Semifinals at noon and 2 p.m., Courtside Tennis Club, Los Gatos WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 Championship at 2 p.m., Courtside Tennis Club, Los Gatos

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

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CCS playoffs (continued from page 36)

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Page 40 • November 13, 2009 • Palo Alto Weekly

Francis and never reached the CCS finals — thus having its season end before the NorCal playoffs. By getting the No. 2 seed on Saturday during the CCS seeding meeting, the Vikings had a bye into this weekend’s quarterfinals. They’ll face No. 7 Aragon (23-9) on Saturday at Los Gatos High at 3 p.m. Aragon trailed Burlingame, Menlo-Atherton and Carlmont in the PAL Bay Division this season but gave Paly a battle while losing in the Menlo Invitational. “We are very excited in the Paly camp,” said Winn. “It’s the best draw we could have hoped for in Division II. Aragon wasn’t easy the last time we played them, and Pres is one of the three teams that beat us. So, it’ll still be hard, but at least it’s a good shot at the CCS finals.” A victory on Saturday will send Palo Alto into the semifinals on Wednesday at Valley Christian in

Los Gatos d. Lynbrook, 25-14, 25-13, 25-14 St. Francis d. Pioneer, 25-14, 25-7, 2513 Leland d. Los Altos, 25-14, 25-21, 2025, 25-21 SATURDAY, Nov. 14 Quarterfinals No. 6 Mountain View (21-12) vs. No. 3 Presentation (31-7) at Santa Teresa, 11 a.m. No. 7 Aragon (23-9) vs. No. 2 Palo Alto (33-3) at Los Gatos, 3 p.m. No. 5 Los Gatos (24-9) vs. No. 4 St. Francis (26-6) at Los Gatos, 5 p.m. No. 8 Leland (21-9) vs. No. 1 Mitty (33-0) at Los Gatos, 1 p.m. Division IV WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11 First round Santa Catalina d. King’s Academy, 2624, 15-25, 25-21, 26-24, 15-8 King City d. San Lorenzo Valley, 31-33, 25-21, 25-16, 23-25, 15-7 SATURDAY, Nov. 14 Quarterfinals No. 6 Menlo (16-18) vs. No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep (20-10) at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 3 p.m. No. 10 Santa Catalina (13-12) vs. No. 2 Mercy-Burlingame (24-4) at Santa Teresa, 1 p.m. No. 5 Soquel (21-10) vs. No. 4 Carmel (23-11) at Aptos, 1 p.m. No. 8 King City (20-10) vs. No. 1 Notre Dame-Salinas (23-5) at North Salinas, 11 a.m. Division V SATURDAY, Nov. 14 Quarterfinals No. 6 St. Thomas More (19-14) vs. No. 3 St. Francis-CCC (19-12) No. 7 Pacific Collegiate (13-7) vs. No. 2 Castilleja (15-12) at Aptos, 3 p.m. No. 5 The Priory (20-10) vs. No. 4 Crystal Springs-Uplands (18-11) at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 11 a.m. No. 8 Liberty Baptist (13-14) vs. No. 1 Mt. Madonna (23-6) at Aptos, 11 a.m. BOYS’ WATER POLO Division I TUESDAY, Nov. 10 First round Gunn 11, Salinas 9 Los Gatos 7, Leland 6 Serra 11, Lynbrook 4 Mountain View 13, Woodside 10 SATURDAY, Nov. 14 Quarterfinals No. 6 Gunn (19-6) vs. No.3 Menlo-Ather-

San Jose, with No. 3 Presentation the likely opponent. Menlo-Atherton, meanwhile, will take its solid 19-7 record and No. 2 seed into the CCS Division I playoffs. The Bears had a first-round bye and will open Saturday in the quarterfinals against No. 7 Gilroy (16-10) at Watsonville High at 1 p.m. Also in Division I was Gunn (1623), which eliminated in a firstround match on Wednesday by No. 9 and host Monta Vista, 15-25, 25-17, 23-25, 27-25, 15-10. Senior Shelly Kousnetz had 41 assists in her final match while sophomore Julia Maggioncalda had 15 kills. The CCS Division IV volleyball playoffs offers an interesting quarterfinal matchup on Saturday as rivals Menlo and Sacred Heart Prep will meet again at Sacred Heart Cathedral at 3 p.m. The Gators (20-10) received a No. 3 seed while the Knights (16-18) got the No. 6. Menlo was on the bubble following a 4-6 season in the West Bay Athletic League (Foothill Division) and

ton (14-11) at St. Francis, 2:30 p.m. No. 7 Los Gatos (18-5) at No. 2 St. Francis (12-15), 10 a.m. No. 5 Serra (15-11) vs. No. 4 Los Altos (19-4) at Lynbrook, 11:30 a.m. No. 9 Mountain View (13-15) vs. No. 1 Bellarmine (17-7) at Lynbrook, 2:30 p.m. Division II TUESDAY, Nov. 10 First round Aptos 16, R.L. Stevenson 8 Willow Glen 7, Carmel 2 Pioneer 10, Santa Cruz 6 Live Oak 12, Burlingame 8 SATURDAY, Nov. 14 Quarterfinals No. 6 Aptos (19-4) vs. No. 3 Soquel (16-6) at Aptos, 11:30 a.m. No. 7 Willow Glen (11-10) vs. No. 2 Menlo (20-6) at Sacred Heart Prep, 2:30 p.m. No. 5 Pioneer (21-5) vs. No. 4 St. Ignatius (10-13) at Aptos, 1 p.m. No. 8 Live Oak (13-10) at No. 1 Sacred Heart Prep (21-5), 10 a.m.

GIRLS’ WATER POLO Division I WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11 First round Gunn 14, Gilroy 8 Palo Alto 15, Salinas 4 Aragon 15, Monta Vista 3 Los Altos 15, Santa Teresa 4 SATURDAY, Nov. 14 Quarterfinals No. 6 Gunn (13-7) vs. No. 3 Leland (20-6) at Lynbrook, 10 a.m. No. 7 Palo Alto (17-11) at No. 2 St. Francis (24-2), 11:30 a.m. No. 5 Los Altos (22-5) vs. No. 4 Los Gatos (18-4) at Lynbrook, 1 p.m. No. 9 Aragon (16-9) vs. No. 1 MenloAtherton (25-1) at St. Francis, 1 p.m. Division II WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11 First round Burlingame 17, Presentation 6 Santa Cruz 14, R.L. Stevenson 3 Menlo 8, Pioneer 3 Live Oak 12, Soquel 10 SATURDAY, Nov. 14 Quarterfinals No. 6 Burlingame (12-12) vs. No. 3 St. Ignatius (12-11) at Aptos, 2:30 p.m. No. 7 Live Oak (19-4) vs. No. 2 Castilleja (17-9) at Sacred Heart Prep, 1 p.m. No. 5 Santa Cruz (21-4) vs. No. 4 Mitty (16-6) at Aptos, 10 a.m. No. 8 Menlo (9-19) at No. 1 Sacred Heart Prep (19-8), 11:30 a.m.

having an overall losing record. The Knights, however, missed their top player, junior Allie Frappier, for a handful of matches due to injury, but she’s back and Menlo is closer to full strength. Menlo and SHP met for the second time just last week, with the Knights winning an emotional five-game match on Senior Night. The winner likely will face WBAL (Foothill Division) regular-season champ Mercy-Burlingame in the semifinals on Wednesday at Harker School. Mercy-Burlingame swept both Menlo and SHP this season. In the CCS Division V volleyball playoffs, Castilleja (15-12) received the No. 2 seed and The Priory (2010) got the No. 5. Both will open Saturday in the quarterfinals. The Gators, who are the defending state champions, will play No. 7 Pacific Collegiate (13-7) at Aptos High at 3 p.m., while The Priory will take on No. 4 Crystal Springs-Uplands (1811) in a matchup of WBAL (Skyline (continued on next page)

Sports

Keith Peters

Menlo-Atherton senior Marietta Tuionetoa closed out her career with a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 1 singles during a 4-3 loss to Harker.

CCS playoffs

(continued from previous page)

Division teams at Sacred Heart Cathedral at 11 a.m. Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tennis It was a short stay in the 24-team CCS Team Tournament for the Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo-Atherton teams this week. Sacred Heart Prep (12-10) was bounced from the playoffs following a 6-1 loss at No. 3 Saratoga on Wednesday, just a day after opening with a 5-2 win over Scotts Valley. Menlo-Atherton (16-3), which had the No. 8 seed and a bye on Tuesday, was eliminated by unseeded Harker on Wednesday, 4-3. The Bears had to travel to Lynbrook High for their home match because their courts, which had been undergoing renovation since last spring, still werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ready. The Bears won two singles matches, including at No. 1 where senior Marietta Tuionetoa closed her fine career with a 6-2, 6-1 victory. She decided to bypass the CCS Individual Tournament, where she would have been among the favorites, in order to concentrate on her academics. Menlo (14-8), seeded No. 5, is the lone remaining entrant in the CCS field. The Knights opened play Wednesday with an easy 7-0 romp over Notre Dame-Belmont. Their reward will be a quarterfinal match against No. 4 St. Francis (16-3) on Friday at Cuesta Park at 2:30 p.m. The Lancers defeated the Knights, 5-2, back on Sept. 18. Awaiting the winner of that match will be top-

seeded Monta Vista in Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s semifinals at Courtside Tennis Club in Los Gatos. Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; water polo Gunn and Menlo-Atherton will continue their seasons in Division I while Menlo and Sacred Heart Prep do the same in Division II this week. Gunn (19-6) received a No. 6 seed and opened Tuesday with an 11-9 win over No. 11 Salinas at Live Oak High in Morgan Hill. Alex Berenfeld paced the Titans with seven goals. Gunn will face No. 3 MenloAtherton (14-11) on Saturday in a quarterfinal match at St. Francis High at 2:30 p.m. In Division II, defending champ Sacred Heart Prep (21-5) is the No. 1 seed and 2008 CCS runnerup Menlo (20-6) the No. 2. Both are favored to return to the title match on Nov. 21 at Santa Clara University. Both also had first-round byes and will open Saturday. The Gators will face No. 8 Live Oak (14-10) at home at 10 a.m., while the Knights take on No. 7 Willow Glen (11-10) in the SHP pool at 2:30 p.m. Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; water polo Gunn, Palo Alto and MenloAtherton will be busy in Division I while Sacred Heart Prep, Menlo and Castilleja take on challengers in Division II this weekend. Palo Alto (17-11), which finished fourth in the SCVAL De Anza Division playoffs on Saturday, took its No. 7 seed into Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opener against No. 10 Salinas and handed the visitors a 15-5 defeat under the lights. Sophomore Skylar Dorosin

scored five goals for the Vikings while Hayley Conner added three. Paly will face defending CCS Division I champion St. Francis (24-2) in a quarterfinal on Saturday in the Lancersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pool at 11:30 a.m. Gunn (13-7), which upset Los Altos in the semifinals but fell to Los Gatos in the De Anza Division finale (9-7), is seeded No. 6 for CCS. The Titans opened with a 14-8 thumping of No. 11 Gilroy on Wednesday at Aptos High. Sophomore Elizabeth Anderson scored five goals and freshman Lauren Lesyna added three. The Titans will face No. 3 Leland (20-6) on Saturday at Lynbrook High at 10 a.m. Menlo-Atherton (25-1) is the obvious No. 1 seed will play in Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarterfinals against No. 9 Aragon (16-9) at St. Francis at 1 p.m. The Bears are riding a 23game winning streak after sweeping through the PAL tournament â&#x20AC;&#x201D; toppling Castilleja in the finals last Saturday, 15-3. M-A won the NorCal Championships two weeks ago and ranks among the best teams in the state this season. The Bears are favored to reach the finals and likely face No. 2 St. Francis in a rematch of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s section title match that was won by the Lancers in overtime. Menlo (9-19) earned a No. 8 seed and opened with an 8-3 win over No. 9 Pioneer on Wednesday in a firstround match at Live Oak High. Hailey Smith scored five goals and Nikki Wemple added two for Menlo, which will face No. 1 Sacred Heart Prep (19-8) in the quarterfinals on Saturday in the Gatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pool at 11:30 a.m. Castilleja (17-9), which lost to SHP in the section finals last season, has another good shot at reaching the finals again. The Gators are seeded No. 2 and will open in the quarterfinals against No. 7 Live Oak (19-4) on Saturday at SHP at 1 p.m. All four CCS championship matches will be played at Santa Clara University on Nov. 21. â&#x2013;

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Giannina Ong

Matt Walter

Menlo School

Sacred Heart Prep

The freshman tennis player won her first West Bay Athletic League singles championship by winning three matches that saw her lose a total of only 10 games, topped by a 6-2, 6-0 win over teammate Saga Shermis in the finals.

The senior running back carried 23 times for 260 yards and scored on runs of 22, five and six yards in addition to setting up two other TDs to help the Gators run over Aragon, 35-12, to clinch second in the Bay Division.

Honorable mention Elizabeth Anderson Gunn water polo

Gunn water polo

Emily Dorst*

Ben Dearborn

Menlo-Atherton water polo

Allie Frappier Menlo volleyball

Menlo football

Palo Alto tennis

Connor Dillon Menlo water polo

Erin Robinson

Clay Robbins*

Gunn cross country Menlo water polo

Sacred Heart Prep water polo

Danny Diekroeger*

Emma Marti/Janet Liu

Hailey Smith

Alex Berenfeld

Menlo football

Darryl Sepulveda Eastside Prep cross country * previous winner

To see video interviews of the Athletes of the Week, go to www.PASportsOnline.com

Why Menlo School? Come Find Out.

Rigorous. Engaging. Joyful. Middle School Open Houses: 11/8/09 1:00 pm; 12/3/09 6:00 pm Upper School Open Houses: 12/6/09 1:00 pm 7BMQBSBJTP "WFOVF "UIFSUPO $" t FYU s XXX NFOMPTDIPPM PSH Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ November 13, 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 41

Sports

Castillejaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Albanese headed to Northwestern, M-Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dorst to UCLA Stanford basketball teams line up top players for next season while womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water polo signs another elite class of players by Keith Peters t was the first day that high school seniors could sign national letters of intent with the college of their choice. For Castillejaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sammy Albanese, it was a year in the making. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew a year ago to the day when I gave my verbal,â&#x20AC;? Albanese said about which college she had selected. On Wednesday, she made it official by signing her letter to play softball next year at Northwestern University during a ceremony at

Castilleja in the morning, which was attended by her classmates, her parents Craig and Laura, and younger sister Melanie. Albanese said she fell in love with the school, the softball coaches, her future teammates and the changing of the seasons in Evanston, Ill. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have four seasons out here,â&#x20AC;? Albanese said, alluding to the lack of snow and the other lack of seasonal differences on the West Coast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And I loved the coaches and the camaraderie with the players

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11 season. who showed up on my visit. Dorst is one of the top players in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Northwestern has always been my No. 1 choice,â&#x20AC;? Sammy said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so, the state and certainly in the CCS, this has been like a dream coming where she is the reigning Division I Player of the Year. During the past true.â&#x20AC;? three seasons, the Bears The school, she said, are 71-13. As a sophomore, is a perfect combination she helped the Bears win of academics and softtheir first-ever CCS title. ball. Albanese reportedly She got the Bears back into plans on attending Northlast seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s title game, westernâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kellogg School where M-A dropped a 7-6 of Management to study overtime loss to St. Francis business, finance or ecoand finished the year 25-4. nomics. This season the Bears are â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything about my 25-1 and primed for a run unofficial visit was outstanding -- the school, the Sammy Albanese at a second crown. At UCLA, Dorst will coaches, the players, the campus, and Evanston itself,â&#x20AC;? she join a program that has won national titles the past five years. said. Albanese is currently a senior at Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also be reunited with former Castilleja, where she is one of the Menlo School players Camy Sultop pitchers in the Central Coast livan and Megan Burmeister plus Section. She is a three-time MVP former Sacred Heart Prep standout of the West Bay Athletic League KK Clark. In other commitments: and has been named to the Cal High Menlo senior and multi-sport Sports All-State team and various All-American teams. Students athlete, Maggie Brown, has made a Sports Softball lists her as one of verbal commitment to play lacrosse the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 100 recruits in the at Georgetown. Brown, who was an All-American class of 2010. Perhaps the highlight of her junior after her junior season when she season was the 3-2 victory over Se- broke the Menlo single-season scorquoia in 14-innings where she struck ing record with 103 goals (previous out 37 batters while pitching all 14 record was 74 goals by Allie Haynes frames. That earned her recognition â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;08), will be the first Menlo athlete in Sports Illustratedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Faces in the to play lacrosse at Georgetown. Crowd.â&#x20AC;? During the offseason, Albanese Stanford menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball The five recruits who verbally plays for the Vallejo-based Sorcerer 18-under ASA team, which cap- committed to Stanford are set to tured the 2009 ASA Gold National sign letters of intent this week. The list includes: Josh Huestis Championships in Oklahoma City, (Great Falls, MT/C.M. Russell H.S.), Okla., earlier this year. In other local signing news, Men- Dwight Powell (Toronto, Ont./IMG lo-Atherton senior Rebecca Dorst Academy), Anthony Brown (Hunhas decided to accept a scholarship tington Beach, Calif./Ocean View offer from defending NCAA cham- H.S.), John Gage (Vashon, Wash./ pion UCLA and play water polo for Vashon Island H.S.) and Aaron the Bruins beginning with the 2010- Bright (Issaquah, Wash./Issaquah

IT P

H.S.). Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball Chiney Ogwumike is expected to announce her choice between Stanford, Connecticut and Notre Dame on Thursday morning at Cy-Fair High. Stanford announced the signing of guards Sara James (El Dorado Hills, Calif./Oak Ridge H.S.) and Toni Kokenis (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central H.S.). â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very excited to welcome Sara and Toni to the Stanford family,â&#x20AC;? Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are very competitive, very talented athletes and will each do very well here at Stanford. They will contribute immediately to this team and as exceptional individuals both on the court and in the classroom, I look forward to Sara and Toni being very successful here at Stanford.â&#x20AC;? Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water polo Stanford coach John Tanner announced the signing of four studentathletes to national letters of intent on Wednesday. The quartet of signees that will become members of the Stanford Class of 2014 consist of Kaley Dodson (Seal Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos HS), Kaitlyn Lo (San Anselmo, Calif./Sir Francis Drake HS), Lexie Ross (Laguna Beach, CA/Laguna Beach HS) and Kelsey Suggs (Ladera Ranch, CA/Tesoro HS). â&#x20AC;&#x153;These four give us a diverse, tough to guard group of athletes who are ready to play at the highest level of college water polo,â&#x20AC;? Tanner said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am extremely excited about the skills, talent and drive they can bring to our program. Like all our current players, they are also fantastic students with a wide range of interests.â&#x20AC;? â&#x2013;

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Sports

Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara is named Pac-10 Player of the Year ecord-setting senior Kel- of Stanford career marks in both ley Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara was named as categories as she heads into the the Pacific-10 Conferenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NCAA Tournament, which begins womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soccer Player of the Year Thursday against visiting Northern Arizona. on Wednesday, leading Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara, who also has a sweep of individual nine assists, has scored in honors for No. 1-ranked 13 matches for the CardiStanford. nal (20-0) and has seven Freshman midfielder multi-goal performances, Mariah Nogueira was including two hat tricks. named Newcomer of the In Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 14 matches Year, the third consecutive against teams in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s year Stanford has won the NCAA field, Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara has honor, and Paul Ratcliffe 16 goals, eight assists, repeated as Coach of the Kelley Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara three two-goal games and Year. In all, nine Stanford players re- a hat trick. She has eight gameceived all-conference honors -Ăą five winning goals. Stanford players earning allon the first team, two on second and two on honorable mention. In addi- conference first-team honors were tion, the Cardinal had four players Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara (remarkably, for the first time), Nogueira, Press, senior denamed to the All-Freshman team. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara broke Cardinal season fender Ali Riley and defender Rarecords for goals (23) and points chel Quon, the only other freshman (55) this season and is within reach to make the first team. â&#x2013;

NCAA soccer (continued from page 36)

nine goals. Hillary Heath, Kristin Stannard, Ali Riley and Jenkins contributed another 12 goals to the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total of 37. Katie Riley was also a freshman that season, playing in 20 contests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I would be playing that much,â&#x20AC;? Jenkins said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a great opportunity to get the playing time and the experience. I learned a lot playing the game.â&#x20AC;? Jenkins had the sense that Stanford could be one of the best teams in the country even then. The Cardinal had not gone to a Final Four in 15 years and each season seemed destined to be the breakout year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re successful now because we had great players in front of us,â&#x20AC;? Jenkins said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rachel Buehler, Shari Summers, Marissa Abegg, Jenny Farenbaugh, Lizzy George, April Wall, Allison Falk, all of them. They were the ones who set the tone. They expected us to step up to their level.â&#x20AC;? In the past two seasons, Jenkins and her teammates have done exactly that. The Cardinal reached its second straight Sweet Sixteen the following year, losing to Connecticut. There was a sense, though, things were beginning to change. Christen Press had a solid freshman season, combing with Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara for 17 goals and 11 assists. Stannard and Ali Riley added another six and Stanford scored 46 goals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been amazing,â&#x20AC;? Jenkins said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You could just see the team develop and each year we got closer and closer.â&#x20AC;? The loss to the Huskies may have been a defining moment. Jenkins said losses like that stayed in the back of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collective memory and was used for motivation. With the addition of another quality freshmen class last year, which included Castilleja grad Lindsay Taylor, Palo Altoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Teresa Noyola and Camille Levin, Stanford set scoring records, played magnificent

defensively and reached the Final Four for the first time in 17 years. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara, who led the team in goals her first two years with 9, had 13 goals last year and was third on the team behind Taylor and Press, each with 16. Stanford scored a school record 71 goals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were really playing well together last year,â&#x20AC;? Jenkins said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were beating teams by three and four goals. It felt like things were clicking and we were playing our game instead of adjusting to what the other team was doing.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been more of the same this season, only better. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every game we feel like we can play with any team in the country,â&#x20AC;? Jenkins said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to have that confidence and as things play out, you get more confident.â&#x20AC;? Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara, added a school record 23

Keith Peters

Stanford senior Alicia Jenkins (center) congratulates senior Kelley Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara (19) for her third goal while Hilary Heath joins in the celebration during a 4-1 win over Cal last Sunday to win the Pac-10 title. goals to her total this season. Press added another 16. You know the program has come a long way when you realize that Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara and Press combined to score more goals this season than the Cardinal did as a team in Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Haraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s freshman season. The top six points leaders is a microcosm of how Stanford has developed the past four years: senior Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara (55 points), junior Press (45), sophomore Taylor (20),

freshman Mariah Nogueira (15), freshman Courtney Verloo (14) and sophomore Noyola (13). Every class has made its own contribution. A total of 15 players have at least an assist, and two others -freshman Alina Garciamendez and junior Kira Maker -- are major players on the defensive end. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same fundamental things through it all,â&#x20AC;? Jenkins said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We owe a lot to the players ahead of

us who showed us how to practice and how to work for each other. I feel fortunate to be on this team. The personalities complement each other so well.â&#x20AC;? Should Stanford win its first two games, it will host the third round the weekend of Nov. 20-22, and meet the survivor of the four teams at Santa Clara, which includes the host Broncos, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and USC. â&#x2013;

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