Transitions Births, marriages and deaths
John McCarthy John McCarthy, a retired Stanford University computer science professor, 84, died in his sleep Oct. 24, 2011. McCarthy, who retired in 2000 after teaching 38 years at Stanford, was a major figure in the field of artificial intelligence. He first proposed the term as the title for a computer conference at Dartmouth College back in the 1950s. At the time, he wrote, “The study is to proceed on the basis of the conjecture that every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it.� He was born in Boston in 1927 and graduated from high school in Los Angeles. He earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics from the California Institute of Technology and a PhD in mathematics from Princeton University. He was named a distinguished alumnus by Caltech. McCarthy designed the LISP programming language in 1958 while a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The language is still in use today. He also developed the idea of computer time sharing around that time. McCarthy started Stanford’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in 1965 and directed it until 1980. McCarthy garnered attention in 1966 by hosting a series of four simultaneous computer chess matches carried out via telegraph against rivals in Russia. The matches, played with two pieces per side, lasted several months. McCarthy lost two of the matches and drew two. McCarthy would later develop the first “hand-eye� computer system in which a computer was able to see real 3D blocks via a video camera and control a robotic arm to complete simple stacking and arrangement exercises. One project that McCarthy returned to near the end of his life was a paper he had written in the early 1970s exploring the practicality of interstellar travel. He wrote: “We show that interstellar travel is entirely feasible with only small improvements in present technology provided travel times of several hundred to several thousand years are accepted.� McCarthy was known as well for wanting to bring scientific rigor to every aspect of life and for his wry, often self-deprecating sense of humor. This humor was perhaps best exemplified in a personal philosophy he termed “radical optimism� — a positive outlook so strong that McCarthy believed that “everything would be OK even if his advice were not followed,� said daughter Susan McCarthy. “And, he was a loving father, too.� He received the A.M. Turing Award of the Association for Computing Machinery in 1971 and was
president of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence in the 1980s. He received the National Medal of Science in 1990, and was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences. He is survived by his third wife, Carolyn Talcott of Stanford; two
daughters, Susan McCarthy of San Francisco and Sarah McCarthy of Nevada City; a son, Timothy Talcott McCarthy of Stanford; a brother, Patrick, of Los Angeles; two grandchildren, Kitty McCarthy of San Francisco and Joseph Gunther of New York City; and his first wife, Martha Coyote. A memorial service will be planned for a future date.
Memorial Services A memorial service for Carolyn Goldenstein will be held Sunday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m. at Sunnyview Retirement Community, 22445 Cupertino Road, Cupertino. The family suggests that donations be sent to one of her favorite charities, such as www.panamhealth.org. A memorial service for Diana Steeples will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Palo Alto, 505 E. Charleston Road. Memorial gifts in her honor may be sent to Avenidas, 450 Bryant Street, Palo Alto 94301, or Abilities United, 525 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto 94306.
Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District Notice is hereby Given to Subcontractors, that proposals will be received by the Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District from pre-qualiďŹ ed General Contractors for bid package: Contract No. TMS-11 DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK: The work includes, but is not limited to: The phased construction of a new single story Drama building, a single story Library addition, remodeling of various ofďŹ ce, restroom, kitchen, lounge and classroom areas, HVAC installations and seismic upgrading in addition to associated site work, landscaping and other improvements at Terman Middle School. Bidding documents contain the full description of the work. There will be a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit at 3:30 p.m. on November 15, 2011 at Terman Middle School, 655 Arastradero Ave., Palo Alto, California. Bid Submission: Proposals must be received at the District Facilities OfďŹ ce, 25 Churchill Ave., Building D, Palo Alto, CA by 10:00 a.m. on December 6, 2011. PREVAILING WAGE LAWS: The successful Bidder must comply with all prevailing wage laws applicable to the Project, and related requirements contained in the Contract Documents. Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District will maintain a Labor Compliance Program (LCP) for the duration of this project. In bidding this project, the contractor warrants he/she is aware and will follow the Public Works Chapter of the California Labor Code comprised of labor code sections 1720 – 1861. A copy of the Districts LCP is available for review at 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D, Palo Alto, CA 94306. 1. A pre-job conference shall be conducted with the contractor or subcontractors to discuss federal and state labor law requirements applicable to the contract. 2. Project contractors and subcontracts shall maintain and furnish to the District, at a designated time, a certiďŹ ed copy of each payroll with a statement of compliance signed under penalty of perjury. 3. The District shall review and, if appropriate, audit payroll records to verify compliance with the Public Works Chapter of the Labor Code. 4. The District shall withhold contract payments if payroll records are delinquent or inadequate. 5. The District shall withhold contract payments as described in the LCP, including applicable penalties when the District and Labor Commissioner establish that underpayment of other violations has occurred. Bidders may examine Bidding Documents at Facilities OfďŹ ce, Building “Dâ€?. Bidders may purchase copies of Plans and SpeciďŹ cations at ARC, 599 Fairchild Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043, Phone: (650) 967-1966.
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Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District Notice is hereby given that proposals will be received by the Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District for the following bid package: Contract No. FM-11 DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK: Construction of a new classroom building, addition to library, modernization to multiple existing buildings, site & landscape modernization. Work includes but is not limited to: demolition, abatement, excavation, site work, landscaping, irrigation, site utilities, concrete, structural steel, CMU, framing, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, ďŹ nishes etc. Bidding documents contain the full description of the work. There will be a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit at 3:00 p.m. on November 21, 2011 at Fairmeadow Elementary School located at 500 East Meadow Drive, Palo Alto, California 94306. Bid Submission: Proposals must be received at the District Facilities OfďŹ ce building D, by 3:30 p.m. on December 5, 2011. Pre-QualiďŹ ed General Contractors: List of pre-qualiďŹ ed general contractors can be obtained by emailing request to ptiwana@pausd.org PREVAILING WAGE LAWS: The successful Bidder must comply with all prevailing wage laws applicable to the Project, and related requirements contained in the Contract Documents. Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District will maintain a Labor Compliance Program (LCP) for the duration of this project. In bidding this project, the contractor warrants he/she is aware and will follow the Public Works Chapter of the California Labor Code comprised of labor code sections 1720 – 1861. A copy of the Districts LCP is available for review at 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D, Palo Alto, CA 94306. 1. A pre-job conference shall be conducted with the contractor or subcontractors to discuss federal and state labor law requirements applicable to the contract. 2. Project contractors and subcontracts shall maintain and furnish to the District, at a designated time, a certiďŹ ed copy of each payroll with a statement of compliance signed under penalty of perjury. 3. The District shall review and, if appropriate, audit payroll records to verify compliance with the Public Works Chapter of the Labor Code. 4. The District shall withhold contract payments if payroll records are delinquent or inadequate. 5. The District shall withhold contract payments as described in the LCP, including applicable penalties when the District and Labor Commissioner establish that underpayment of other violations has occurred. Bidders may examine Bidding Documents at Facilities OfďŹ ce, Building “Dâ€?. Bidders may purchase copies of Plans and SpeciďŹ cations at American Reprographics Company (ARC), 599 Fairchild Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043, Phone Number (650) 967-1966. All questions can be addressed to:
All questions can be addressed to: Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D Palo Alto, CA 94306-1099 Attn: Heidi Rank Phone: (650) 329-3927 Fax: (650) 327-3588
Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D Palo Alto, CA 94306-1099 Attn: Peter Tiwana ptiwana@pausd.org Phone: (650) 329-3927 Fax: (650) 327-3588
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