Upfront
Local news, information and analysis
Effort to close Buena Vista hampered by lack of information Palo Alto considers revised analysis from owner of city’s only mobile-home park by Gennady Sheyner OR MORE THAN A HALF CENTURY UNTIL LAST .OVEMBER WHEN THE *IS THE "UENA 6ISTA -OBILE (OME SER FAMILY ANNOUNCED ITS INTENTION 0ARK HAS STOOD OUT AS A QUIET TO SHUTTER "UENA 6ISTA AND CONVERT IT COUNTERPOINT TO 0ALO !LTO S AFFLUENT INTO A UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX TOUCHSCREEN TAPPING 0RIUS CULTURE %VEN NOW WITH THE SPOTLIGHT SHINING !S ONE OF THE CITY S FEW REFUGES ON "UENA 6ISTA AND ADVOCATES STEP FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS THE TRAILER PING FORWARD TO PROTECT ITS ROUGHLY PARK AT %L #AMINO 2EAL LIN RESIDENTS FROM DISPLACEMENT GERED MOSTLY IN POLITICAL OBSCURITY MUCH REMAINS UNKNOWN ABOUT THE
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COMMUNITY INCLUDING THE EXACT NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING AT THE PARK THE PERCENTAGE WHO HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS OR DISABILITIES AND THE VALUE OF EACH MOBILE HOME 4HAT INFORMATION OR LACK THERE OF HAS BECOME KEY AS THE *ISSER FAMILY TRIES TO COMPLETE A MANDATED 2ELOCATION )MPACT 2EPORT AN ANALY SIS OF THE PARK THAT DETERMINES HOW MUCH EACH HOUSEHOLD WOULD GET PAID IN EXCHANGE FOR LEAVING "UENA 6ISTA
4HE FAMILY SUBMITTED THE FIRST VERSION OF THE REPORT IN -AY BUT THE DOCUMENT WAS DEEMED INCOMPLETE BY THE CITY /N *ULY THE FAM ILY SUBMITTED AN AMENDED VERSION WHICH THE CITY IS NOW REVIEWING FOR COMPLIANCE )F DEEMED COMPLETE THE REPORT WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE HEARING OFFICER #RAIG ,ABADIE AN ATTORNEY RETAINED BY THE CITY WHO WOULD DETERMINE WHETHER THE COM PENSATION OFFERED TO THE RESIDENTS BY THE *ISSERS IS FAIR
-UCH LIKE THE ORIGINAL REPORT THE PAGE AMENDED VERSION ILLUSTRATES THE STEEP CHALLENGES THE *ISSER FAMI LY IS FACING AS IT TRIES TO COMPLY WITH THE LOCAL LAW FOR PARK CLOSURE -ANY OF THE RESIDENTS HAVE EITHER DECLINED TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES THE *ISSERS RELOCATION SPECIALIST HAS SENT OUT OR HAVE SUBMITTED INCOMPLETE RE PLIES WHICH SUGGESTS THAT THEIR POP ULATION COULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER (continued on page 6)
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Palo Alto police are capturing license-plate info Police say the new device will catch criminals; critics express concerns by Sue Dremann AMERAS MOUNTED ATOP A 0ALO !LTO POLICE CAR ARE RECORDING THE LICENSE PLATES OF NEARBY VEHICLES NOW THAT AN AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER HAS BEEN IN STALLED 4HE DEVICE DEBUTED ON 4UESDAY *ULY AND IS DESIGNED TO HELP PO LICE FIND CRIMINALS AND STOLEN VE HICLES QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY ,T :ACH 0ERRON SAID "UT CIVIL LIBERTIES WATCHDOGS FEAR THAT THE PRICE FOR CATCHING LAW BREAKERS IS TOO HIGH 4HE READER TAKES IN LICENSE IN FORMATION FROM ALL NEARBY VEHICLES NOT JUST A SUSPECT S !ND THAT IN FORMATION CAN BE FED TO OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACCORDING TO THE !MERICAN #IVIL ,IBERTIES 5NION !#,5 WHICH PUBLISHED A REPORT ON THE ISSUE IN *ULY !BOUT "AY !REA GOVERNMENT AGENCIES USE LICENSE PLATE READERS ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY THE #ENTER FOR )NVESTIGATIVE 2EPORTING INCLUD ING THE #ITY OF %AST 0ALO !LTO -EN LO 0ARK PLANS TO ADD READERS TO ITS CRIMINAL CATCHING ARSENAL 4HE 3ANTA #LARA #OUNTY 3HERIFF S /FFICE GAVE A READER TO EACH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN THE COUNTY AND WILL GATHER THE DATA COUNTYWIDE FROM MULTIPLE POLICE DEPARTMENTS 0ALO !LTO RECEIVED ITS DEVICE AT NO COST 0ERRON SAID "UT THE 3HERIFF S /FFICE HAS NOT YET DECIDED WHETHER IT WILL USE THE INFORMATION ONLY TO SOLVE CRIMES OR WILL SUBMIT THE INFORMATION TO A FED ERAL AGENCY FOR BROADER INTELLIGENCE PURPOSES 3HERIFF S /FFICE 3GT +URT 3TENDERUP SAID ,ICENSE PLATE DATA IS COLLECTED IN THE "AY !REA THROUGH THE .ORTHERN #ALIFORNIA 2EGIONAL )NTELLIGENCE #ENTER ONE OF hFUSIONv SITES NA TIONWIDE ESTABLISHED AFTER THE 3EPT TERRORIST ATTACKS h4HE GOAL IS TO CREATE A SYSTEM
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Christophe Haubursin
Handle with care Jen Kotkin, left, and Shannon Forbes, educators and handlers for Wildlife Associates, present an African crested porcupine, Koe, at the Cubberley Community Center on July 24. The show-and-tell demonstration also involved Bug, a six-banded armadillo; Savannah, an African serval cat; and Wiyaca, an American kestrel.
ENVIRONMENT
El Palo Alto gets the high-tech treatment Radar being used to gauge Palo Alto namesake’s health, with aim of helping venerable redwood endure by Sue Dremann L 0ALO !LTO THE CITY S ICONIC REDWOOD THAT HAS STOOD NEAR THE BANKS OF 3AN &RANCISQUITO #REEK FOR MORE THAN YEARS IS UNDERGOING THE MOST IN DEPTH TECH NICAL STUDY OF ITS HEALTH EVER DONE CITY 5RBAN &ORESTER 7ALTER 0ASS MORE SAID 4HE STUDY IS USING CUTTING EDGE RADAR TECHNOLOGY TO SEE DEEP INTO THE TREE S CORE AND TO ASSESS ITS ROOTS 4HE WORK IS BEING DONATED TO THE CITY BY !RBORIST /N3ITE A 3OUTH "AY HORTICULTURAL CONSULTING COM PANY 0ASSMORE SAID ! SCAN OF THE TRUNK S OUTER LAYERS STARTED 4HURSDAY *ULY AND WAS EXPECTED TO BE FINISHED BY THE END OF THE AFTERNOON $AVE $OCKTER THE CITY S MANAGING ARBORIST DONNED A HARD HAT AND HARNESS AND PREPARED TO
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RAPPEL DOWN THE FOOT DEEP BANK OF 3AN &RANCISQUITO #REEK 4HURSDAY MORNING %VERY THREE FEET OR SO HE WOULD AIM THE RADAR GUN AT A CON CRETE RETAINING WALL *ANE ,ATHROP 3TANFORD HAD INSTALLED IN TO KEEP THE BANK FROM ERODING FURTHER 4HE RADAR TECHNIQUE IS LIKE MAG NETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OR -2) AND WILL CHECK THE SOUNDNESS OF THE WOOD AND THE VOLUME OF THE ROOTS IN THE SOIL 4HE EQUIPMENT FITS INTO TWO SMALL HARD SHELL SUITCASES /NLY TWO UNITS EXIST IN #ALIFORNIA AND THERE ARE ONLY IN THE 5 3 "OB "OOTY OF !RBORIST /N3ITE SAID ! -ARCH ASSESSMENT OF THE TREE FOUND SOME DECAY BUT ALSO HELD PROMISING NEWS h4HE VERY TOP OF THE TREE IS DEAD v "OOTY SAID "UT THE BUTTRESS ROOTS AT
THE BOTTOM OF THE TREE ARE IN VERY GOOD HEALTH HE ADDED !RBORIST /N3ITE AND CITY ARBORISTS ALSO PLAN TO SCAN THE TRUNK AT ABOUT FEET HIGH "OOTY SAID %L 0ALO !LTO HAD TWIN TRUNKS IN WHEN IT MARKED THE CORNER OF ,ELAND 3TANFORD S FARM BUT IN THE S ONE TRUNK DISAPPEARED 3OME PEOPLE THEORIZE IT WAS SWEPT AWAY IN A FLOOD OTHERS THINK IT WAS REMOVED BECAUSE IT WAS TOO NEAR THE 3OUTHERN 0ACIFIC RAILROAD BRIDGE 0ASSMORE SAID 7HATEVER THE REASON ,ELAND 3TANFORD ADDED A WOOD BULKHEAD ALONG THE CREEK TO STABILIZE IT 4HE BARRIERS OF WOOD AND CONCRETE WILL BE NO OBSTACLES TO THE GROUND PENETRATING RADAR WHICH WILL MAP (continued on page 8)
WE CAN USE TO SHARE INFORMATION v 3TENDERUP SAID h7E ALL KNOW CRIME DOESN T STAY IN ONE CITY v 3INCE THE SYSTEM IS NEW THROUGH OUT THE COUNTY 0ALO !LTO POLICE ARE WORKING WITH OTHER COUNTY LAW EN FORCEMENT AGENCIES TO WRITE A POLICY THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH STATE AND FED ERAL LAW 0ERRON SAID 4HE POLICY WILL INCLUDE INFORMA TION ON PROPER AUDITING AND INSPEC TIONS OF THE SYSTEM TO ENSURE IT IS BEING LEGALLY USED AND THE LENGTH OF TIME RECORDS WILL BE RETAINED HE SAID h4HE INITIAL PLAN AT THIS POINT IS FOR THE 3HERIFF S /FFICE TO RETAIN THE DATA FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR 4HE 3ANTA #LARA #OUNTY 0OLICE #HIEFS !SSOCIATION WILL BE DISCUSSING THE SYSTEM AND POLICY GOVERNING ITS USE AT THEIR NEXT MEETING ON !UG !ND WHILE THE SYSTEM WENT @LIVE YESTER DAY IN 0ALO !LTO NO DATA IS ACTUALLY BEING STORED UNTIL !UG v 0ERRON STATED IN AN EMAIL 7EDNESDAY 3TENDERUP STRESSED THAT THE SYSTEM AND POLICIES GOVERNING PRIVACY ARE hVERY MUCH IN THE INFANCY PHASE v 0ALO !LTO POLICE ARE GOVERNED BY THE DEPARTMENT S PROCEDURES CON TROLLING ACCESS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION 0ERRON SAID /FFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A LEGITIMATE hRIGHT TO KNOWv AND hNEED TO KNOWv IN ORDER TO SEE THE INFORMATION 4HE READER CONSISTS OF FOUR CAMER AS MOUNTED TO THE TOP OF THE CAR THAT CAN LOOK FORWARD AND BACK HE SAID 4HE CAMERA READS THE INFORMATION WHICH IS FED INTO A DATABASE THAT IS SHARED WITH COUNTY LAW ENFORCE MENT )T CAN IMMEDIATELY FLAG ANY LICENSE PLATE THAT COMES UP STOLEN OR FOR WHICH POLICE HAVE A WARRANT 0ERRON SAID (E MAINTAINED THE DEVICE ISN T (continued on page 10)
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