Upfront
Local news, information and analysis
Palo Alto in ‘uncharted’ territory on compost City to explore a range of technologies, export options for dealing with three types of organic waste by Gennady Sheyner HE FUTURE OF ORGANIC WASTE IN 0ALO !LTO REMAINS MURKY BUT CITY OFFICIALS HOPE TO SOLVE THIS MESSY AND DIVISIVE DILEMMA BY EAR LY AND ARE NOW LOOKING TO THE FREE MARKET FOR HELP 4HE CITY IS IN THE MIDST OF A MULTI YEAR EFFORT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO
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WITH ITS FOOD SCRAPS YARD TRIMMINGS AND BIOSOLID WASTE !S OFFICIALS WEIGH THE PROS AND CONS OF SHIPPING WASTE ELSEWHERE OR BUILDING A PLANT TO CONVERT THE WASTE INTO ENERGY THEY ARE PREPARING TO SOLICIT PROPOS ALS THAT WILL HELP THEM REFINE THEIR COST ESTIMATES FOR BOTH
4HE QUESTION OF WHAT TO DO WITH LOCAL COMPOST TOOK ON A SENSE OF UR GENCY LAST YEAR WHEN THE CITY SHUT DOWN ITS "YXBEE 0ARK LANDFILL A ACRE SPRAWL NEAR THE "AYLANDS THAT HAD HOUSED THE CITY S COMPOST ING OPERATION 4HE IDEA OF BUILDING A PLANT GAINED A BURST OF MOMENTUM IN .OVEMBER WHEN VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED -EASURE % 4HE MEASURE WHICH WAS PLACED ON THE BALLOT BY A COALITION OF LOCAL ENVIRONMENTALISTS
AUTHORIZES THE CITY TO USE ACRES OF PREVIOUSLY DEDICATED PARKLAND FOR AN ANAEROBIC DIGESTER AN ENCLOSED PLANT IN WHICH MICRO ORGANISMS BREAK DOWN YARD TRIMMINGS AND FOOD WASTE AND TURN THEM INTO NATU RAL GAS /PPONENTS OF THE MEASURE A GROUP THAT INCLUDES SOME OF THE CITY S MOST PROMINENT CONSERVATION ISTS HAVE VOCIFEROUSLY ARGUED THAT "YXBEE 0ARK IS NO PLACE FOR A WASTE FACILITY AND HAVE URGED THE CITY TO EXPORT THE WASTE AND TURN THE FOR
MER LANDFILL SITE INTO A PUBLIC PARK AS HAD LONG BEEN PLANNED 7HILE -EASURE % ANSWERED THE MAIN QUESTION IN THE COMPOST DE BATE WHERE A PLANT COULD BE BUILT MANY OTHER QUESTIONS REMAIN 4HESE INCLUDE $OES IT MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE TO CONSTRUCT A LOCAL PLANT 7HICH TECHNOLOGY SHOULD THE CITY ADOPT 4O WHAT EX TENT SHOULD THE CITY BE INVOLVED IN (continued on page 9)
EDUCATION
School board candidates air issues at forum Site-based decision-making, teacher evaluations, among topics in panel led by state Sen. Joe Simitian by Chris Kenrick NCUMBENTS TOUTED THE ACADEMIC AND FISCAL STRENGTH OF 0ALO !LTO SCHOOLS WHILE CHALLENGERS SAID THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD BE DOING BETTER ON A RANGE OF ISSUES -ONDAY NIGHT /CT AT A SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES FORUM 4HREE OF THE FOUR CANDIDATES SAID THEY WOULD BACK A LONGER PROBA TIONARY PERIOD FOR TEACHERS BEFORE TENURE IS GRANTED WHILE THE FOURTH +EN $AUBER SAID HE WOULD SUPPORT DATA GATHERING TO SEE WHETHER THE CURRENT TWO YEAR PROBATIONARY PE RIOD IS OR ISN T WORKING %XTENDING THE TWO YEAR PROBATIONARY PERIOD WOULD REQUIRE A CHANGE IN STATE LAW &OUR CANDIDATES CHALLENGERS (EIDI %MBERLING AND $AUBER AND INCUMBENTS #AMILLE 4OWNSEND AND -ELISSA "ATEN #ASWELL ARE COMPETING FOR THREE SEATS ON THE 0ALO !LTO SCHOOL BOARD IN THE .OV ELECTION $AUBER CAME ACROSS AS THE STRON GEST CRITIC SAYING THE BOARD NEEDS TO hBRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN SENTIMENT AND REALITYv ON A RANGE OF ISSUES RE LATED TO ACADEMIC STRESS h7E NEED TO MOVE BEYOND THE IDEA THAT THERE S A PROBLEM AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT v HE SAID #ASWELL %MBERLING AND 4OWNSEND POINTED TO ANTI STRESS PROGRAMS THAT RECENTLY HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE h3OMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO LET PEOPLE DO THEIR WORK v 4OWNSEND SAID #ITING THE DISTRICT S NEW HOME WORK POLICY ADOPTION OF THE WELL NESS PROGRAM $EVELOPMENTAL !SSETS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE COM MUNITY COALITION 0ROJECT 3AFETY .ET 4OWNSEND SAID h4HE DISTRICT HAS TAKEN A LOT OF ACTION IN THE LAST FEW YEARS v )N !CADEMIC 0ERFORMANCE )NDEX SCORES THAT LAST WEEK RANKED 0ALO
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Veronica Weber
Towards the end of day The setting sun casts a reddish glow over the Baylands and silhouettes a bird.
U.S. CONSTITUTION
Palo Alto considers Citizens United City may join movement for an amendment to address Supreme Court decision on corporate spending by Gennady Sheyner ORPORATIONS ARE NOT PEOPLE -ONEY IS NOT SPEECH 4HESE MAXIMS HAVE BE COME A RALLYING CRY FOR OPPONENTS OF THE RECENT DECISION IN THE CASE OF #ITIZENS 5NITED VS &EDERAL %LEC TION #OMMISSION IN WHICH THE 5 3 3UPREME #OURT RULED BY A VOTE THAT POLITICAL SPENDING IS A FORM OF
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FREE SPEECH PROTECTED BY THE &IRST !MENDMENT .OW OPPONENTS OF THE RULING HOPE TO ADD THESE WORDS TO THE 5 3 #ONSTITUTION 4HE DRIVE TO AMEND THE #ONSTITU TION AND TO SPECIFY THAT #ITIZENS 5NITED NOTWITHSTANDING CORPORA TIONS ARE IN FACT NOT PEOPLE HAS BEEN PERCOLATING AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL
EVER SINCE THE NATION S HIGHEST COURT MADE ITS DECISION IN *ANUARY /N -ONDAY NIGHT THE 0ALO !LTO #ITY #OUNCIL WILL CONSIDER WHETHER THE CITY SHOULD THROW ITS SUPPORT BE HIND THIS MOVEMENT !T LEAST ONE LOCAL COMMISSION (continued on page 6)
!LTO SIXTH IN THE STATE THE BIGGEST GAINS CAME FROM LOW INCOME AND MINORITY STUDENTS SHE SAID $AUBER SAID HE AND A PARENT GROUP HE COFOUNDED 7E #AN $O "ET TER 0ALO !LTO COULD TAKE CREDIT FOR PRODDING THE BOARD ON SOME OF THE NEW ANTI STRESS POLICIES h7E VE MADE SOME PROGRESS ON THIS AND ) VE BEEN INVOLVED v HE SAID $AUBER SAID THE DISTRICT S CULTURE OF LETTING SCHOOLS CHOOSE THEIR OWN PROGRAMS AND PROCESSES KNOWN AS SITE BASED DECISION MAKING HAS GONE TOO FAR STIFLING THE SPREAD OF BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT h4OO OFTEN DEFERENCE TO SITE BASED DECISION MAKING MEANS WE DELIVER UNEVEN QUALITY v HE SAID MENTIONING THE DIFFERING COUNSELING PROGRAMS AT THE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS THE TIME LAG BEFORE THE *,3 -IDDLE 3CHOOL ORIENTATION FOR SIXTH GRAD ERS SPREAD TO THE TWO OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THE hPATCHYv IMPLE MENTATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY BASED COMMUNICATION TOOL h3CHOOLOGY v #ASWELL SAID THERE S A hDELI CATE BALANCEv BETWEEN SITE BASED DECISION MAKING AND CENTRALIZED CONTROL #ITING HER MANAGEMENT EX PERIENCE IN TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES SHE SAID PROFESSIONALS DO THEIR BEST WORK WHEN THEY RE GIVEN CLEAR GOALS AND METRICS NOT WHEN THEY ARE MI CRO MANAGED h4HE DISTRICT SHOULD SET POLICY AND METRICS VERY CLEARLY MAKE SURE PEO PLE UNDERSTAND THEM AND LET INNOVA TION HAPPEN AT THE SITES v SHE SAID #ASWELL AND 4OWNSEND ACKNOWL EDGED THE BOARD COULD HAVE DONE BET TER SETTING CLEAR POLICY AND METRICS IN SOME INSTANCES BUT NOTED AGENDAS FOR BOARD MEETINGS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO (continued on page 9)
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