Upfront
Train part
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thoughts when he saw the size of the object and the trajectory of the large slash. It seemed to have come from above. “My sister said, ‘No, a part of a plane fell on it,’” he said Tuesday afternoon. Peters gazed toward the train tracks across the street, which are hidden by a row of houses. He marveled that an object of that size could be hurled with such force that it would fly over homes where people were sleeping, cross Park and slice a hole into his car on the side street. “It must have exploded. It’s hard to believe it came this far,” he said. Palo Alto police Sgt. Kara Apple said on Tuesday that traveling at high speed, a shattered object of such size could be flung quite far. “We were all saying, ‘Thank God no one was outside. Thank God a car wasn’t driving down the street and was struck,’” she said. Police did not immediately know what the object could be. But Peters’ body-shop repairman had an idea. It looked like part of a train fan housing, and it was marked “UP 9999,” Peters said. He said he did not yet know the extent and cost to repair the vehicle, but the body shop said the damage was extensive, Peters added. Union Pacific spokesman Aaron Hunt initially said on Tuesday that there were no reports of a Union Pacific incident in Palo Alto. But Dunn on Wednesday said Caltrain would work with authorities to identify the object and would inspect its trains. On Thursday morning, she had an answer. “Caltrain has inspected all of its equipment and none of our equipment is missing any parts. We have also inspected the part and identified it as the cover of cooling fan, which is located on the top of a locomotive. We have also identified the part as coming from a Union Pacific locomotive. We are in the processing of notifying Union Pacific,” she stated in an email. Palo Alto police spokesman Lt. Zach Perron on Thursday referred further comment to Union Pacific. “I received word that the part has been identified as coming from a Union Pacific locomotive that had stopped in San Francisco, according to a colleague of mine with the San Mateo County Transit Police,” he wrote in an email. Hunt said that Union Pacific is continuing to investigate and officials are in touch with local authorities. “UP locomotive 9999 was not in California on the evening in question,” he said in an email on Thursday. “Since we are still in the process of investigating, I am unable to comment on what Caltrain is sharing with you.” But he said he should know more on Friday. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.
SEE MORE ONLINE
www.PaloAltoOnline.com Additional photos of the damaged Suburban have been posted on Palo Alto Online.
CityView
A round-up of Palo Alto government action this week
Board of Education (Oct. 9)
Counseling: The board heard reports from high school principals about reforms to guidance-counseling programs and informally advised the principals to collaborate on the purpose of counseling and how to measure success. Action: None Enrollment: The board heard a report on official enrollment figures for the 2012-13 school year. Action: None
Planning & Transportation Commission (Oct. 10) Heights: The commission discussed the possibility of modifying zoning regulations regarding height limits. Commissioners said they would be open to relaxing the 50foot height limit for new developments but only in certain locations and after extensive public outreach. Action: None
Council Rail Committee (Oct. 11)
Caltrain: The committee discussed with Caltrain officials the ongoing analysis of grade crossings and traffic impacts of upcoming improvements to the Caltrain corridor. The committee also heard an update about the memorandum of understanding between Caltrain and the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Action: None
Online This Week
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.
Cynthia graduated with a Bachelor in Theatre from Barnard College at Columbia University in New York City.
Bar Association president-elect named Palo Alto attorney Dianne Sweeney will serve as the Santa Clara County Bar Association’s president-elect for 2013 and will automatically assume the office of president in 2014, the association has announced. (Posted Oct. 11 at 9:40 a.m.)
Rite Aid to pay $800,000 for false advertising Rite Aid Corporation has agreed to pay $800,000 for false and deceptive advertising. The company has settled a civil law-enforcement suit with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and DA offices in Riverside and Ventura counties, the Santa Clara County DA has announced. (Posted Oct. 11 at 9:14 a.m.)
Study released on life in Santa Clara County A study released Wednesday, Oct. 10, on life in Santa Clara County shows that while the majority of people are satisfied with their quality of life, financial and economic issues are also a major source of stress. (Posted Oct. 11 at 8:22 a.m.)
Stanford energy facility to cut carbon in half A new Stanford energy facility that could reduce campus carbon emissions by 50 percent, cut water use by 18 percent and save the university an estimated $300 million in the next 35 years broke ground Wednesday, Oct. 10, the university announced. (Posted Oct. 10 at 10:59 a.m.)
Gov. Brown issues order to help reduce gas prices The California Air Resources Board announced Sunday evening, Oct. 7, that it is easing certain restrictions on gasoline production in response to a directive issued by Gov. Jerry Brown. (Posted Oct. 8 at 2:18 p.m.)
Palo Alto woman dies in crash on I-880 A woman who was killed in a crash on southbound Interstate Highway 880 in Fremont Saturday morning, Oct. 6, has been identified by the Alameda County coroner’s bureau as 49-year-old Palo Alto resident Charla Suzette Smoot Pate. (Posted Oct. 6 at 8:04 p.m.)
Two homicides reported in East Palo Alto Friday
As a Residential Life and World Languages Faculty member, Cynthia is involved in student’s lives on just about every level. If she’s not working in the dorms, she can be found in the classroom, teaching 6th Grade French, or in the Performing Arts Center, assistant directing and stage managing Priory’s theatrical productions. As a 2005 Priory graduate, Cynthia was active in the Performing Arts department and continues sharing her passion for the arts with current students in the Priory. Cynthia also has a strong interest in volunteering and has worked at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for the past 12 summers and volunteers once a week at Hidden Villa leading school groups on tours of the farm and wilderness. ONE OF THE MANY REASONS TO SEND YOUR CHILD TO: Woodside Prior y School
Police are investigating two fatal shootings that occurred three blocks apart in East Palo Alto Friday night, Oct. 5. (Posted Oct. 6 at 1:29
Admissions Office 302 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028 650/851-8223 ■ www.PrioryCa.org
p.m.)
Councilman Schmid recovering from heart surgery Palo Alto City Councilman Greg Schmid is in recovery mode after undergoing an unplanned coronary bypass surgery at Sequoia Hospital Wednesday, Oct. 3. (Posted Oct. 5 at 2:04 p.m.)
Crash on I-280 in Woodside injures two All southbound lanes of Interstate 280 were reopened Friday morning, Oct. 5, following a solo-vehicle crash near the Woodside Road offramp that injured two people, the California Highway Patrol reported.
OPEN HOUSE
for Prospective Students and Families
Saturday, November 10th, 2012 at 10 a.m. Wednesday, November 28th, 2012 at 7 p.m. Saturday, December 8th, 2012 at 10 a.m. For information and to R.S.V.P. contact Admissions at 650.851.8223
(Posted Oct. 5 at 9:22 a.m.)
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