Palo Alto Weekly 01.21.2011 - Section 1

Page 1

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Caltrain faces draconian cuts Page 5

Four stories of survival, healing and seeking a greater meaning of life page 13

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Neighborhoods 10

Spectrum 12

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Puzzles 45 N Arts

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A bright day for black composers N Sports Paly, Gunn in hoop showdown N Home No new wood-burning ďŹ replaces

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Stevens Creek Blvd & S. Winchester

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Upfront

1ST PLACE

BEST LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE California Newspaper Publishers Association

Local news, information and analysis

Palo Alto police outline assault on crime wave Police increase undercover patrols, presence in neighborhood streets to quell the violent crimes by Sue Dremann

A

string of 20 robberies in Palo Alto neighborhoods is among the most serious some officers have seen in their careers because the robbers are using guns, police officials said during a community meeting to address the crimes Wednesday

night (Jan. 19). But they assured more than 150 residents at Cubberley Theatre that the department is putting every resource it has to help track down the criminals and curtail the armed robberies that have gripped the city

since September. Even police Chief Dennis Burns’ home has been burglarized, one officer disclosed. The meeting was serious but laced with humor and occasional brief, heated exchanges, and residents thanked the department for its efforts. A panel of the department’s top brass discussed the nature of the crimes before a concerned but mildmannered crowd: why police think they are happening, what the depart-

ment is doing to stop the robberies; and what residents can do to protect themselves and help the department capture the criminals. Police also discussed what they believe is the proper use of the city’s emergency-alert phone and e-mail system, Alert SCC, which some neighborhood leaders have said they want activated when robberies occur. The robberies are considered a particularly serious problem because

many have involved guns, Palo Alto Mayor Sid Espinosa told the crowd. Lt. Scott Wong agreed. “In my 29 years, we haven’t had a robbery string like this when people are coming up to you with guns.� But “this thing will subside,� he said. Espinosa expressed confidence that the robberies will be brought under control. (continued on page 9)

LAND USE

Stanford offers city $173M in expansion ‘benefits’ New offer aims to secure Palo Alto’s approval for major expansions of Stanford’s hospital facilities by Gennady Sheyner

S

Veronica Weber

Is this still winter? A colorful sunset glows through bare-branched trees on Cambridge Avenue Wednesday.

COMMUNITY

Residents’ opinions split among geographic lines, survey shows Concerns about transit services, population growth more prevalent in southern Palo Alto neighborhoods, new report indicates by Gennady Sheyner

P

alo Altans generally love their city, but when it comes to specific local services they have plenty of gripes, a recently completed survey indicates. The Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report, which the Office of the City Auditor released this week, indicates that the nature of gripes often depends on where in town the resident lives. People who live in the 94303 ZIP code (east of Middlefield Road and generally south of Embarcadero Road) are less likely to complain about the quality of street repair than residents around downtown. But they are more likely to com-

plain about the police coverage. The survey showed 57 percent of 94303 responders rated street repair “good� or “excellent,� compared to 39 percent in other parts of the city. But when asked about the quality of their contact with the Palo Alto Police Department, 63 percent gave the highest two ratings compared to 82 percent in the 94301 and 94304 ZIP codes (downtown and the neighborhoods around Stanford University, respectively) and 83 percent in 94306 (west of Middlefield Road and generally south of Oregon Expressway). The differences don’t stop there. Downtown residents were much more critical in describing the qual-

ity of Palo Alto’s storm drainage (67 percent said “good� or “excellent�) than counterparts in Midtown and south Palo Alto (80 percent in the 94303 and 76 percent in the 94306). Residents in 94303 and 94306 — which collectively include the entire south Palo Alto and large swaths of central Palo Alto — are more concerned about population growth than those who live downtown or in the foothills. Only 33 percent of the residents in the 94301 and 94304 area codes said population growth is “too fast,� compared to 62 percent in the 94303 and 54 percent (continued on page 5)

tanford University Medical Center has offered Palo Alto a $173 million package of community benefits — including an aggressive traffic-reduction program and funds for the city’s climate-protection efforts — in hopes of obtaining the city’s approval for its colossal expansion project. Stanford’s “Project Renewal� would bring about 1.3 million square feet of new development and more than 2,300 new employees to Palo Alto. The project includes the reconstruction of Stanford Hospital & Clinics, the expansion of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and renovations to the Stanford University School of Medicine. Because the project would far exceed the city’s zoning restrictions, Stanford is required to provide a series of negotiated “public benefits� in its development agreement with Palo Alto. Negotiations between Stanford and the city began to accelerate in June, when the hospital offered the city $124 million in benefits, including new bike lanes, an expanded shuttle service, Caltrain Go Passes for all hospital employees and $23.1 million to support the city’s affordablehousing programs. City officials are hoping to complete negotiations in the spring. On Tuesday (Jan. 18), Stanford announced that it has upped its offer by $49 million — to $173 million. The additions include $12 million to support Palo Alto’s efforts to combat climate change and encourage renewable energy, an accelerated payment schedule and an offer to pay $1.1 million if Stanford’s expanded facilities end up costing the city more money than they generate. The new offer aims to assuage the city’s primary concerns about the hos-

pital proposal — its impact on local traffic. Members of the City Council had consistently pressed Stanford to mitigate its traffic impacts and to address the shortage of local housing for the new employees. At one point, some council members had insisted that Stanford build housing for the new employees next to the hospital to reduce traffic impacts. Though Palo Alto is no longer insisting that Stanford build hundreds of new homes, city officials and residents remain concerned about traffic impacts. The Draft Environmental Impact Report for the project stated that “there is no single feasible mitigation measure that can reduce the impacts to a less-than-significant level� but recommended a series of mitigation measures, including new undercrossings for bicycles and pedestrians, new traffic signals and programs to encourage workers to use public transportation. Advanced Planning Manager Steven Turner, who is managing the Stanford Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process, said the bulk of the comments on the Draft EIR relate to potential traffic issues. Staff is now responding to these comments and will include its responses in the Final EIR, which the city plans to release in February. Stanford’s new package includes $126 million for programs relating to traffic reduction, including $91 million to pay for Caltrain Go Passes for all hospital employees. The cost of the Go Passes has increased from $65 million in the previous offer. Stanford is also offering to add four Marguerite shuttles to its fleet, to lease parking spaces in an East Bay lot, to pay for a transportation-demand manager and to support AC Transit and the U-line. Though Stanford is proposing to in(continued on page 9)

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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 Dale Bentson, Colin Becht, Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Chad Jones, Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Jeanie K. Smith, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Contributors Sarah Trauben, Zohra Ashpari Editorial Interns Vivian Wong, Photo Intern

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In my 29 years, we haven’t had a robbery string like this ... — Lt. Scott Wong at a community meeting on the recent rash of neighborhood robberies. See story on page 3.

Around Town CHANGE OF SCENERY... Palo Alto officials have a new plan for reaching out to the public — taking their policy-making show on the road. The City Council, which generally meets at City Hall, decided to hold its annual retreat at the Baylands Interpretive Center this Saturday (Jan.22 at 9 a.m.). The council also opted to meet at the Cubberley Community Center Monday night (Jan. 24) for Mayor Sid Espinosa’s “State of the City� speech. The goal is to reach out to those residents who have generally avoided council meetings in the past — particularly those who live in the southern part of the city. “We need to get out of City Hall,� Espinosa said in a news release. “And, we need to do more in south Palo Alto to connect with the community there.� He also indicated that the council will continue to look at other locations for future meetings. “It’s too easy to stay here in our Council Chambers, but that’s not good enough. I want us to do more outreach throughout the year. This is just a start.� STATE OF BLISS ... Hikers trekking along the Bay Trail off East Bayshore Road in Palo Alto may notice a solitary bicyclist sitting by the trail and taking in the Baylands scenery. The abstract, metal rider has one hand resting on the handlebars and one foot planted in the base of the sculpture, while the other foot rests on a pedal. The odometer on the bicycle reads 20,126. The sculpture was recently installed in memory of Bill Bliss, an avid bicyclist and proponent of bikesafety measures. According to the city’s official announcement, one of Bliss’ greatest personal accomplishments came in 2000 when he completed the Odyssey Tour — a 20,126mile 366-day journey. The city’s Public Art Commission Courtesy of City of Palo Alto

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

‘‘

Diet/Binge

has been working on the memorial project since 2008, when Bliss’ family asked the city to take it on. The sculpture was funded through donations by his family and friends. The commission, along with the Bliss family, selected the artist James Moore to create the sculpture. Bliss’ widow, Bonnie Bliss, was on hand to observe the installation. “I decided to sculpt a cyclist with one foot planted firmly on the ground while gazing at the sunrise to convey hope for the future combined with dedicated action in the present,� Moore said. “I believe Mr. Bliss personified this wholeheartedly during his life.� FOR YOUR INFORMATION ... Palo Alto officials were pleased to read in the latest Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report that most people (80 percent) rated the quality of city services “good� or “excellent.� But not all services are equally appreciated, the survey indicates. While most services scored much higher in Palo Alto than in other cities, sidewalk maintenance scored at about the “benchmark� level, with only 53 percent of Palo Altans giving the city high ratings. Sidewalk maintenance is particularly important to Palo Altans, the survey showed. It was identified by the National Research Center as one of five “key drivers� in Palo Alto that influences residents’ opinions about overall service quality. The other four drivers identified by the survey were public-information services; land use, planning and zoning; police services; and preservation of natural areas. This is the second year in a row in which “public information services� were singled out as a key driver in Palo Alto. Though the council routinely talks about engaging the citizenry, the percentage of residents satisfied with these services has remained roughly the same. In 2010, 67 percent of the surveyed residents rated public-information service “good� or “excellent,� down from 68 percent in 2009. (See separate story for differences between parts of the city.) N

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TRANSPORTATION

Caltrain faces $30 million gap, ‘drastic’ cuts in service

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‘Fiscal emergency’ for the commuter service expected to be declared by governing board at its Feb. 3 meeting by Jay Thorwaldson altrain’s already hard-pressed Peninsula commute service faces a $30 million deficit this year and is planning “drastic� cutbacks in services, Caltrain officials announced Thursday. A “fiscal emergency� is expected to be declared at Caltrain’s governing board meeting on Feb. 3. Caltrain’s total annual budget is about $100 million. The budget-gap announcement came on the eve of two major “save Caltrain� meetings, Friday, Jan. 21, and Saturday, Jan. 29. The announced crisis underscores the urgency of the meetings. The full scope of the budget gap is not yet known, as it depends on how deeply three transit agencies (San Mateo County’s SamTrans, Santa Clara County’s VTA and San Francisco transit) cut their subsidies of Caltrain. SamTrans recently announced a $10 reduction. The cuts could reduce services in-

volving 48 trains during the weekday commute. But that’s just a start. “All other service would be eliminated including: weekday service outside the commute peak, weekend service and service south of the San Jose Diridon station,� Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said. “The schedule also would require the suspension of service at up to seven stations.� Mark Simon, Caltrain’s executive officer for public affairs, said the cutbacks are not in final form, but are “where we are starting� given a bleak financial picture, a $10 million reduction in subsidy by SamTrans, and a continuing lack of a permanent source of funding, such as sales-tax revenues. Caltrain is the only Bay Area transit agency without such a source of funding, and has already made significant cuts in service and staffing. The projected $30 million gap is contingent on the other two transit

agencies making cutbacks similar to the SamTrans reduction, which reduced its annual contribution by $10 million, to $4.7 million, Simon said. Caltrain now operates 86 weekday trains, including 22 express trains, with an average daily ridership of 40,000. On Saturdays there are 32 local trains and four express trains and on Sundays there are 28 local and four express trains. Simon outlined “aggressive� measures Caltrain has taken in the past three fiscal years: “Salaries have been frozen. Employees will have taken a total of 17 furlough days from FY09 through FY11. Jan. 1, four weekday trains during the midday were eliminated and fares were increased 25 cents for each zone. “In an effort to generate additional revenue, a pilot program for weekend Baby Bullet service was introduced.� Caltrain administrative staff costs

City survey

that tends to divide the community — that’s the Oregon-Page Mill or north-south split,� Schmid said during the Tuesday night discussion of the SEA report. The data, when split by ZIP codes, gives the city a “mixed salad that doesn’t coincide with that division,� because similar neighborhoods in south Palo Alto could have different ZIP codes. He urged Acting City Auditor Michael Edmonds to consider a different way to split up the data in future surveys. “You ought to pick the one that’s most important to Palo Alto and make sure you gather data on the most appropriate split in the city,� Schmid said. The survey also showed many ar-

eas of agreement between residents in all four ZIP codes. More than 90 percent of residents in each ZIP code rated “overall quality of life in Palo Alto� as “good� or “excellent,� and an overwhelming majority (93 percent in the 94301 and 94304, 99 percent in the 94303 and 89 percent in the 94306) gave the city one of the two highest ratings as a “place to raise children.� N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

C

(continued from page 3)

in the 94306. In some cases, these differences are logical. Downtown residents were more likely to praise Palo Alto’s rail service (70 percent gave it “good� or “excellent�) — due to proximity to the city’s busiest Caltrain station. The number drops to just below 60 percent when residents in other ZIP codes are asked the same question. Bus service showed a similar trend, with 58 percent of downtown residents giving it the top two ratings compared to 36 percent in the 94303 and 43 percent in the 94306. Downtown residents were also more likely to say they feel they’re getting the biggest bang for their tax buck from the city. The survey showed 70 percent of respondents in the 94301 and 94304 ZIP codes (which were grouped together) rating the “value of services for the taxes paid to Palo Alto� as “good� or “excellent.� The number dipped to 59 percent in 94303 and to 57 percent in 94306. But when it came to the city’s storm drains, downtowners were the most critical, with only 67 percent rating them “good� or “excellent,� compared to 80 percent in 94303 and 76 percent in 94306. The split in public opinion didn’t shock Councilman Greg Schmid, who has consistently lobbied his colleagues to pay more attention to the less affluent neighborhoods in south Palo Alto. Schmid said Tuesday that while he supports getting more data from specific parts of the city, ZIP codes don’t tell the whole story. “There is one critical boundary

(continued on page 7)

Two Children’s Concerts with Nancy Cassidy

The Palo Alto Woman’s Club presents Nancy Cassidy in Concert 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Saturday, February 5th Woman’s Club of Palo Alto 475 Homer Avenue Downtown Palo Alto Proceeds will benefit local charities through the Philanthropy Committee of the Woman’s Club Tickets are $10 per person and sold in advance To order tickets please send a check payable to the Woman’s Club of Palo Alto to Diana Wahler P.O. Box 1059, Palo Alto, CA 94302 by Feb. 2 Tickets will be held at the door the day of the concert Call 650-855-9700 for more information This space donated by the Palo Alto Weekly as a community service

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TALK ABOUT IT

www.PaloAltoOnline.com Does the new city survey reflect your views about city services? Share your opinions on Town Square on Palo Alto Online.

This Sunday: Good Help Is Hard to Find Rev. David Howell preaching An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ

How do Palo Altans feel about their city? For statistically signiďŹ cant differences, that depends on which ZIP code they live in Survey question (ratings of “goodâ€? or “excellentâ€?)

ZIP Code 94301 & 94304

94303

94306

Palo Alto as a place to retire

72

71

57

Employment opportunities

60

52

47

Ease of walking in Palo Alto

93

88

78

Quality of street repair

39

57

39

Quality of bus or transit services

58

36

43

Quality of storm drainage

67

80

76

Impression of City of Palo Alto employees’ knowledge

84

68

84

Value of services for taxes paid to Palo Alto

70

59

57

Quality of contact with Palo Alto Police Department

82

63

83

Permit application process overall customer service

59

79

39

Population growth seen as “too fast�

33

62

54

94301 = downtown Palo Alto and the surrounding area 94304 = a small section of Sand Hill Road and the area around Foothill Expressway 94303 = east of MiddleďŹ eld Road, extending into the Baylands 94306 = west of MiddleďŹ eld and around El Camino Real

INSPIRATIONS

A resource for special events and ongoing religious services. To inquire about or make space reservations for Inspirations, please contact Blanca Yoc at 223-6596 or email byoc@paweekly.com

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Palo Alto government action this week

Human Relations Commission (Jan. 13)

Mediation: The commission approved four new mediators for two-year terms in the Palo Alto Mediation Program. Yes: Unanimous Calendar: The commission reviewed a draft of its six-month calendar. Action: None

City Council (Jan. 18)

Pardee Park: The council approved a proposal to remove 10 eucalyptus trees from Eleanor Pardee Park and to replace these trees with other species. Yes: Burt, Espinosa, Klein, Price, Scharff, Schmid, Shepherd No: Holman Absent: Yeh Risk Management: The council discussed its Energy Risk Management Policy and deferred adopting the policy until a later date. Action: None

Architectural Review Board (Jan. 20)

524 Hamilton Ave.: The board approved a proposal by Steve Reller for a new 11,445-square-foot, three-story, mixed-use building with commercial office on the first and second floors and one residential unit on the third floor. Yes: Lee, Malone, Prichard, Wasserman, Young No: Lew

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

Public Agenda A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week

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LU C I L E PA C K A R D

CITY COUNCIL ... The council will hold its annual retreat to discuss council policies and objectives and to consider implementation of council priorities for 2011, at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, in the Baylands Interpretive Center (2775 Embarcadero Road). CITY COUNCIL ... Mayor Sid Espinosa is scheduled to present the State of the City address at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 24, in the Cubberley Community Center Theatre (4000 Middlefield Road). Reception will follow in Gymnasium B. BOARD OF EDUCATION ... The board will hold a special morning meeting to discuss high-school plans for student achievement. At the regular evening meeting, the board will hear an update on the governor’s proposed budget and a report on elementary math instruction and assessment. The special meeting begins at 10 a.m. and the regular meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25, both in the boardroom of school district headquarters, (25 Churchill Ave.). PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION ... The commission plans to elect its chair and vice chair for 2011, review the design of the El Camino Park Reservoir Project and discuss the Highway 101 Pedestrian/Bicycle Overpass/Underpass Feasibility Study. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). CITY-SCHOOL LIAISON COMMITTEE ... City Council members Nancy Shepherd and Yiaway Yeh and school board members Barbara Klausner and Dana Tom will hold a monthly meeting to update one another on topics including teen mental health, the Jan. 8 parade and demographic trends. The meeting begins at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26 in Conference Room A of school district headquarters (25 Churchill Ave.). PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ... The commission plans to discuss 4041 El Camino Way, a proposal to amend the current Palo Alto Commons Planned Community (PC) zone by adding a 44-unit three-story senior-housing facility. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION ... The commission plans to discuss the results of the commission’s online survey of library users and continue its discussion on LINK+ and inter-library loan service. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

C H I L D R E N’S H O S P I T A L V I S I T W W W. L P C H . O R G TO S I G N U P F O R C L A S S E S Page 6ĂŠUĂŠ >Â˜Ă•>ÀÞÊÓ£]ĂŠĂ“䣣ĂŠUĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?Ăž

Corrections Artists Florence Goguely and Peng-Peng Wang jointly collaborated on the mural at the Stanford Terrace Inn mentioned in the cover story on art in public places (Weekly, Jan. 14, 2011). To request a correction, contact Managing Editor Jocelyn Dong at 650-223-6514, jdong@paweekly.com or P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302.

SUMMER CAMP

Upfront

News Digest Palo Alto polling community on city’s trees Palo Alto community members who would like to stake a claim in the state of the city’s tree canopy are being asked to participate in a survey of values and concerns about Palo Alto’s trees. The survey is being conducted by the Department of Planning and Community Environment, which is creating an Urban Forest Master Plan to maintain and enhance the canopy. “Our vision for Palo Alto trees is being developed through the survey in collaboration with the Palo Alto community,� Public Works Arborist Eric Krebs said. The results of the brief survey, which closes Jan. 26, will guide recommendations set to be discussed at a City Council study session Saturday, Feb. 7. Results will be considered as the city develops a Master Plan, funded by a CalFire grant to Palo Alto made prior to the controversial 2009 cutting of 63 trees on California Avenue. “We got the grant before that happened, but it did heighten the need for this,� Curtis Williams, director of planning and community environment, said. When written, procedures for canopy maintenance and interdepartmental collaboration will take into account the questions and concerns community members express in the survey, city officials said. “We want to develop an ongoing index of trees in Palo Alto and a way to continue to monitor the health of the urban forest. We want to ensure that we have policies and procedures for when we must take trees into account,� Williams said. The survey and the plan will mainly be concerned with trees on city property, Williams said. N — Sarah Trauben

Merger saves Palo Alto employees’ credit union A financially struggling credit union used by City of Palo Alto employees has been taken over by one of the largest credit unions in Silicon Valley, according to a California Department of Financial Institutions filing. The 70-year-old Palo Alto Community Federal Credit Union, with assets of $11.7 million, merged with the much larger San Mateo Credit Union in November after posting significant losses since the September 2008 stock market and housing crash. Efforts to expand its clientele could not help Palo Alto Credit Union survive on its own, according to Stephen Tabler, San Mateo Credit Union vice president of marketing. Credit unions are nonprofit cooperative financial institutions controlled by members, often by federal, state, county or municipal workers. Some unions are for large institutions, such as universities, or are community-based. Members pool their assets to provide loans and other financial services to each other, resulting in lower loan rates and dividends and fewer service fees, according to the Credit Union National Association. The institutions are not owned by outside stockholders. The City of Palo Alto makes transfers to employee accounts through payroll deductions but does not have a banking relationship for other city funding with the credit union, according to Lalo Perez, city administrative services director. City employees voted in September to accept the merger, Tabler said. The employees started the Palo Alto credit union in 1951. Located at 616 Ramona St., it served 1,553 members, according to National Credit Union Administration. San Mateo Credit Union has seven branches and a mortgage-loan center, 68,248 members and $605 million in assets, Tabler said. N — Sue Dremann

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are just 6.4 percent of its operating budget, below average for comparable commuter rail agencies, he said. Caltrain is operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, a public entity. He said the board is planning two public hearings, one on the proposed service cuts and one to declare a fiscal emergency, at its Feb. 3 meeting. Four community meetings will be held throughout the Caltrain service area on Feb. 17, followed by a formal public hearing on March 3. “A start date for any service changes has yet to be determined,� Simon said. The first “summit� meeting on saving Caltrain was set for today (Friday, Jan. 21) from 9 a.m. to noon at Stanford University, sponsored by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and a second will be held on Saturday, Jan. 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Samtrans Auditorium, 1250 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, sponsored by a multi-community group, “Friends of Caltrain.� The Leadership Group has designated saving Caltrain its number-one regional priority for 2011. The Stanford meeting is in the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Building, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, 366 Galvez St. “Caltrain is a critical component of our regional public transportation system, offering an effective alternative to driving on our already congested highways. But it lacks a dedicated source of funding to support its operations,� the Leadership Group said in an announcement of the meeting. N Weekly Editor Jay Thorwaldson can be e-mailed at jthorwaldson@ paweekly.com.

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Mexico president to address Stanford grads June 12 Mexico President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa will be the speaker at Stanford University’s 120th commencement June 12, the university announced Jan. 18. Also highlighting commencement weekend will be Class Day speaker Rob Reich, a Stanford political theorist and former sixth-grade teacher; and Baccalaureate speaker Gail E. Bowman, chaplain at Dillard University in New Orleans. Calderon, elected in 2006 to a six-year term, “is committed to finding solutions to a number of national and global problems, ranging from combating drug cartels to comprehensive immigration reform and arms control,� Stanford President John Hennessy said. “His views on a life devoted to solving pressing problems and to improving society will be particularly meaningful for our graduates, as will his experience leading a nation so vitally intertwined with the future of California and the United States.� Reich will address seniors, families and friends June 11 in a 30-year “Class Day� tradition of hearing a last lecture from a popular Stanford professor. He is an associate professor of political science, also teaching in the Philosophy Department and School of Education. He is faculty director of the Program on Ethics in Society. Bowman, a Harvard-trained lawyer who has been chaplain at Dillard since 1998, is a teacher as well as preacher and a member of the Louisiana Board of Ethics. N — Palo Alto Weekly staff

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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.

Mitzvah Day draws hundreds to volunteer Good deeds were the theme of the day at the Taube Koret Center for Jewish Life on Monday (Jan. 17) as hundreds of volunteers turned out for the Palo Alto organization’s fourth annual Mitzvah Day. (Posted Jan. 19 at 3:34 p.m.)

Bedbugs discovered in Mountain View apartments After infesting East Coast beds with a vengeance, bedbugs are beginning to jump into bed with West Coast residents, including some who live in Mountain View. (Posted Jan. 19 at 3:06 p.m.)

‘New information’ surfaces on Alpine Road crash Officials from the California Highway Patrol gathered at the intersection of Alpine Road and Interstate 280 around noon Tuesday (Jan. 18) to do more research into the Nov. 4, 2010, crash in which Los Altos bicyclist Lauren Ward, 47, collided with a tractor trailer and died, CHP officer Art Montiel said. (Posted Jan. 19 at 11:55 a.m.)

Taser video reveals profanity-laced exchange Videos from a Palo Alto police vehicle and Taser cameras released Tuesday (Jan. 18) revealed an expletive-laced exchange between a man and police officers, who yanked him from his vehicle and used Tasers on him in March 2008. (Posted Jan. 19 at 9:52 a.m.)

‘Traditional’ California Ave. design favored in voting Palo Alto art critics have spoken. A total of 419 members of the public weighed in on the upcoming California Avenue fountain decision by the Palo Alto Public Art Commission. Their comments were made available for viewing Tuesday afternoon (Jan. 18). (Posted Jan. 18 at 2:26 p.m.)

VIDEO: Sunday celebration honors ‘King’s Dream’ The life and message of civil-rights visionary Martin Luther King, Jr., was celebrated Sunday (Jan. 16) at the Annual Community and Interfaith Celebration at the First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto. (Posted Jan. 17 at 2:07 p.m.)

Felon arrested after three-car crash, manhunt A wanted felon out for a night of partying was arrested after a threecar crash and a manhunt in Palo Alto early Monday morning (Jan. 17). (Posted Jan. 17 at 11:10 a.m.)

Apple’s Steve Jobs takes third medical leave Apple CEO Steve Jobs has announced that he will take another medical leave of absence. Jobs, 55, sent a letter to employees making the announcement. The letter was posted to the media on Monday (Jan. 17). (Posted Jan. 17 at 9:40 a.m.)

‘Youth of the Year’ finalists speak out Overcoming neglectful parents and breaking free of a gang were among the stories shared by high school students in a tearful and joyful evening of speechmaking at the East Palo Alto clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula. (Posted Jan. 17 at 9:27 a.m.)

Caltrain delay due to death in Burlingame A male pedestrian was struck and killed on the Caltrain tracks in Burlingame early Monday morning (Jan. 17) in what appears to be a suicide, Caltrain spokeswoman Tasha Bartholomew said. (Posted Jan. 17 at 7:43 a.m.)

Freak accident traps man between parked cars A freak accident trapped an older man between two parked cars in the Stanford Shopping Center parking lot Sunday afternoon (Jan. 16). Palo Alto fire Battalion Chief Chris Woodard said the man was walking between the two cars when one car was hit by a third car, pushing the cars together and pinning the man at the knees. (Posted Jan. 16 at 10:30 p.m.)

Another lion sighting in Portola Valley, off Alpine A mountain lion was spotted in Portola Valley late Saturday night (Jan. 15), according to San Mateo County officials. At approximately 10:50 p.m., the cougar was seen in the vicinity of Applewood Lane and Nathorst Avenue, heading toward a creek behind 4370 Alpine Road, the county office of emergency services said. (Posted Jan. 16 at 8:13 a.m.)

Zumot’s attorney rips into expert’s cell data About three hours before Jennifer Schipsi’s body was found in a burned cottage on Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, her cell phone appeared to be traveling with her boyfriend Bulos Zumot’s phone, a cellphone expert testified Friday (Jan. 14). (Posted Jan. 14 at 6:15 p.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.

Page 8ĂŠUĂŠ >Â˜Ă•>ÀÞÊÓ£]ĂŠĂ“䣣ĂŠUĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?Ăž

Upfront

!

Crime wave (continued from page 3)

“I have faith in the police department,� he said. Robberies are cyclical, Palo Alto police Chief Dennis Burns said. “It’s our turn. People in neighboring communities who want to commit a crime think Palo Alto is the place to do it,� he said. Eight people have been arrested for six of the robberies and more individuals are under investigation, he said. The perpetrators have come from a range of cities, including Menlo Park, Redwood City and East Palo Alto, police said. The department has assigned nine of its 13 detectives to work on the robberies and many officers are patrolling all neighborhoods — some in plain clothes and unmarked cars, he said. Det. James Reifschneider said the robberies are not just happening in any one neighborhood. Suspect descriptions are of a diverse group of individuals who have been largely described as African American and Pacific Islander. “We haven’t eliminated that several different groups are out there,� he said. A half dozen East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park residents attended the meeting, sitting quietly as a Palo Alto man said he believed in racial profiling. “We came out as good neighbors out of concern,� East Palo Alto resident Willie Beasley said afterward. “What we are trying to do is bridge the Tower of Babel in East Palo Alto — of the different races trying to coincide in this little box,� he said. The lack of jobs among young men who are out of work (East Palo Alto has a 20 percent unemployment rate) has pushed some to crime, he said. “Palo Alto could be helpful. Palo Alto is a well-heeled city,� he said. The city’s residents “have a moral duty� to help the struggling community gain stable economic ground. Palo Alto must help build foundations for the future, he said.

Hospital expansion (continued from page 3)

clude these transportation programs as “community benefits� in its development agreement, council members have characterized them in the past as “mitigation measures� that Stanford would be required to institute to get environmental clearance for the project. City Manager James Keene said the council plans to evaluate both the mitigations (which will be listed in the project’s Final EIR) and Stanford’s proposed benefits the next few months before reaching a decision on the project in April. He called Stanford’s latest proposal a “good foundation� for the coming discussions. “We’re pleased that we’ve received the proposed terms for the development agreement,� Keene said. “I’m looking forward to us working through both of those (benefits and mitigations) side by side, together.� Stanford’s new proposal also includes a $23.2 million payment to Palo Alto to “support affordable hous-

“If not, they’re going to spend a lot of money on crime prevention,� he said. A five-year comparison does not show an increase in robberies over the year, but the problem is of concern because the 20 have occurred in the last few months, he said. Sgt. Zach Perron, a Palo Alto native who attended local schools, said the department has changed staffing levels to include patrol officers, the traffic team, two members of the crime-suppression team and swingshift officers to bolster those assigned to the robberies. The city has been divided into zones that are all covered by uniformed and plain-clothes officers and detectives, he said. But he admitted spotting the robbers is a difficult prospect. “It’s like a needle in a haystack,� he said. Robbery waves have happened before and been quashed, he added. “In 2006, we had a serious robbery trend in the north end of town. We dedicated more cops and it solved and deterred the crime,� he said. The department used to have more than 100 officers, but now it is down to 91 due to budget cuts, Burns said. He said the department has made its share of cuts just as any other city department. “We can’t have any sacred cows,� he said. Perron said he has heard the public say they think the department has 100, 60 or 25 officers on the street at any one time, but the real figures are far starker: Minimum staffing from 7 a.m. to midnight includes six officers and two supervisors. From midnight to 5 a.m., there are five officers and two supervisors. And from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., there are five officers and one supervisor. The maximum number of officers are 12 with three supervisors, he said. “There are far less than 50 percent of what people think are out there,� he said. Perron said residents can help

the department by trusting their instincts and calling police when “the little hairs on the back of your neck stand up. That’s when you pick up the phone and call the police. “We’ve had people call to report a squirrel having a heart attack. If those people can call, you can pick up the phone and call when someone is hiding in the bushes,� he said. Lt. Sandra Brown, head of personnel and training, said the department is looking at other ways to get the word out to residents other than using AlertSCC, the city’s emergency-alert phone and texting system. She has sent out 14 robbery-related press releases and works closely with the media on a day-to-day basis. Residents can get news of crime right away through Palo Alto Online or read about it the next day in the newspaper, she said. Residents are one of the most valuable crime-fighting tools in the department’s arsenal, Officer Kenneth Dueker, coordinator of Homeland Security for the city manager’s office, said. The Palo Alto Neighborhoods Block Preparedness Coordinator Program, which teaches neighborhood coordination and emergency preparedness, makes residents partners in crime solving rather than victims, he said. “I’ll throw out a challenge tonight to go out and meet your neighbors. You should have some basis about what is abnormal. Knowing your neighbors you get to know what’s normal or abnormal� for a neighborhood, he said. Police stressed that even they have been victims of crime in the current economic climate. Lt. Doug Keith of the field services division, said a robbery occurred 300 feet from his home. And even Chief Burns’ home was burglarized. “A crime-prevention tip from the Burns family: We got a dog. It would probably lick you to death — but he has a good bark,� Burns said. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be e-mailed at sdremann@paweekly. com.

ing and sustainable neighborhood and community development� — up from the $23.1 million in its earlier proposal. Stanford is also now offering the city $12 million for projects and programs addressing climate change and investments in renewable energy and energy conservation — benefits that weren’t included in its prior proposal. Mike Peterson, Stanford’s vice president for special projects, said Stanford put together its latest proposal after extensive conversations with city staff and community members since last July. He said Stanford decided to offer the city $12 million for renewable energy and conservation as part of its effort to support energy conservation. Stanford is also offering Palo Alto $1.1 million to compensate the city for any increases in expenditures the city could potentially incur in providing services to the expanded hospital facilities. Though Stanford’s economic consultant estimated that the city would realize an $8.4 million surplus over the 30-year development agreement period, the city’s consultant said the project could lead to a potential

deficit of $1.1 million. “We basically said that while we don’t necessarily agree with that analysis, in order to give you assurance that you’ll break even, we’ll offer up the $1.1 million,� Peterson said. Peterson said his conversations with Palo Alto officials over the past year have given him confidence about the project’s progress. Stanford is facing a state requirement to seismically retrofit its hospital facilities by 2018. “I think the nature of the work we’ve had with city staff and the council has been much more positive in the past year,� Peterson said. “We definitely see movement in the positive directions — that’s the most important thing.� N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@paweekly. com.

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Upfront

Neighborhoods A roundup of neighborhood news edited by Sue Dremann

TO PLANT OR NOT TO PLANT? ... The Barron Park Green Team, which promotes tree plantings and other sustainability projects, holds its second meeting of the year on Feb. 14. Members are looking for new Barron Park residents to join in on team efforts. Contact Lynnie Melena at lynniemelena@gmail.com. ARASTRADEO ROAD WORK ... Don’t be surprised by delays and pedestrian detours on Arastradero Road. Community-suggested road improvements started Jan. 18. Road work, which is not scheduled during peak commute hours, includes improvements to assist left-turning vehicles at Coulombe Drive and between Donald Drive/Terman Drive and King Arthurs Court, a pedestrian-activated warning system at Clemo Avenue and a speedreduction kiosk on Arastradero Road. SENIOR ASSISTANCE VIA CELL PHONES ... Senior center Avenidas is testing a new program to deploy cell-phone carrying volunteers to respond to local seniors’ requests for help. To learn about opportunities to see the technology in action, community members may attend a presentation on Jan. 31 at 10:30 a.m., hosted in the Avenidas Board Room at 450 Bryant St., Palo Alto. Interested persons can contact Kari Martell at kmartell@avenidas.org or 650-289-5427. N

Send announcements of neighborhood events, meetings and news to Sue Dremann, Neighborhoods editor, at sdremann@paweekly.com. Or talk about your neighborhood news on Town Square at www. PaloAltoOnline.com.

Veronica Weber

MIDTOWN HOSTS PERMITS TALK ... The Midtown Residents Association will hold its 2011 general meeting on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at Friends Meeting Hall, 957 Colorado Ave., Palo Alto. Assistant City Manager Steve Emslie, a fellow Midtown resident, will discuss streamlining the process of applying for city building permits. Emslie will be joined by Chief Building Official Larry Perlin and Blueprint Project Manager Yvonne Sheets-Saucedo to present “Blueprint for Change in the Development Center.�

Courtesy of Shirley Difani Weiland

AROUND THE BLOCK

The Difani home, top, was built in 1896 and featured gingerbread trim before the ‘06 earthquake. Pictured here are Lowena and Willi C. Difani, Shirley Difani Weiland’s grandparents, along with her aunt Alvernice and uncle George. Above, Shirley Difani Weiland, left, Diane Difani Cressey and Judy Difani look through old photos in the parlor of the old family home. The three sisters were raised in the home, and Judy has lived there her whole life.

This old house is a home The Difani family has lived in the same house since 1896 and watched Palo Alto grow up by Sue Dremann

T

he 19th-century Victorian gabled house on a quiet block of Kipling Street would fairly laugh if it could talk. Its interior walls have listened in on countless conversations, stories, loves and tribulations since Palo Alto’s first barber, Willi Clinton Difani, had it built in 1896. The Difani family has lived in this same house for four generations, according to Shirley Difani Weiland, 80, the granddaughter of Willi (pronounced WILL-eye). It is one of the oldest homes in the city continuously lived in by one family. The beige, two-story house looks no worse for wear, with its reddish doors,

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bay windows and scalloped siding. But, oh — the stories it could tell, Weiland said in an interview with the Weekly. They would be stories of birth and love and laughter and welcoming, and of what it means to be a good neighbor in times of need and plenty, she said. “When this house was built, there was nothing between the house and University Avenue. It was just a big field,� she said. The fence post where itinerant men who sought work during the Great Depression notched markings designated 834 Kipling as a “safe house,� where one could find food and work during the hard times of the 1930s,

she said. The post is long gone. Family members who gather in the house for celebrations and the generations who still inhabit the home — Weiland’s son, Michael, and her younger sister, Judy — keep the house’s spirit alive. “I was born on the dining-room table,� Weiland recalled, noting that Palo Alto’s first female physician, Dr. Edith Johnson, did the delivery. The house was filled with love and laughter, she recalled. Grandfather Willi, her grandmother, Lowena, father Frank Andrew, uncle George Dewey and aunt Alvernice were born and raised in the home, she said. Lowena had a beauty parlor on

the Stanford University campus, doing up the hair of young ladies, Weiland said. “During the earthquake (in 1906), the chimney fell down. “Grandma saw that people needed homes. She let them live on the property in tents,� she said. During World War I, when Frank and George went off to war, Grandma Lowena added another door and turned the house into a duplex to raise additional income. She rented the house to Stanford students and lived in the little house next door that George had built, she said. During the Depression, Lowena would feed the tramps that came from the train, but she wouldn’t feed anyone who wasn’t willing to do a little work around the place, Weiland said. Diane Cressey, Weiland’s sister, recalled that their father traveled to Half Moon Bay during the Depression to fish for their supper. And there were many, many beans harvested from the garden, she said. She vividly recalled the large victory garden her father created during World War II. “He kept chickens and rabbits on the side of the house,� she said. Uncle George’s house next door had a small stable in the back for grandmother’s horse. Every summer the family hitched the horse to a wagon and drove to Santa Cruz to visit Lowena’s sister, she said. When Weiland’s father was born, the family brought a small coast-redwood sapling back from Santa Cruz and planted the tree next to the home to commemorate his birth. The tree still stands: “It’s 111 years old,� she said. Weiland said she and her sisters played with other children on the one-block street. “We played tap-thefinger and other old games. It was not just certain ages. We all got together as a group. It was a nice place — a safe place. Everybody got along with everybody else,� she said. The neighborhood, while consisting of just a few homes, was filled with generations of families. The Mosher family had several homes, she said. Cressey recalled one Mosher relative, Agnes. “She lived alone; a little lady who collected everything. She never threw anything away. The house was packed. When she would come to visit, she would always find something for Shirley and always found something for me. She made Shirley a scrapbook of Shirley Temple and me a scrapbook of Deanna Durbin,� she said, adding it made the girls feel special. Boarders Betty Reinberg and Henry Holt were pianists. Beautiful music filled the house, Cressey said. “Goodness, that house! Living then, people were all warm toward others. It was a whole area where we knew each other and had time for each other. Nowadays you don’t even know your neighbor. They just pass you. Some don’t even know their nextdoor neighbors,� she said. N

Pulse

A weekly compendium of vital statistics

Palo Alto Jan. 11-17 Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft related Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Credit card forgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Theft undefined. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle related Abandoned Auto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Abandoned bicycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Suspended license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .8 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .5 Vehicle impound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Drunk driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Miscellaneous Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Misc. penal code violation . . . . . . . . . . .3 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Other/misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Menlo Park Jan. 11-17 Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Theft related

Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Shoplifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle related Auto recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Suspended license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Driving without license . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .3 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Alcohol or drug related Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Miscellaneous Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Annoying phone calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Info. case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Outside assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Probation violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .2 Suspicious person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Town ordinance violations . . . . . . . . . . .1 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Atherton Jan. 11-17 Theft related Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle related Abandoned vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Parking/driving violation . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Suspicious vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Vehicle accident/ property damage . . . .2 Vehicle code violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Alcohol or Drug related Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Possession of paraphernalia. . . . . . . . . .1 Miscellaneous Animal call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Be on the lookout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Citizen assist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Annoying phone calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Disturbing the peace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Fire call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Medical aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Meet citizen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Other/misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Outside assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .4 Suspicious person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Town ordinance violation . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Building/perimeter check . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Answers to this week’s puzzles, which can be found on page 45

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Pasteur Drive, 1/11, 7:12 p.m.; battery.

Menlo Park Ringwood, 1/14, 11:06 p.m.; battery. Ivy Drive, 1/14, 12:46 p.m.; spousal abuse. Madera, 1/15, 6:41 p.m.; spousal abuse.

A memorial service for Jeanne Kwan Fong, former president of the Hua Kuang Chinese Reading Room, who died Jan. 11, will be held Sat., Jan. 22, at 1:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Palo Alto, 1985 Louis Road. A 4 p.m. reception will follow at Foothills Congregational Church, 461 Orange Ave., Los Altos. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation to the Hua Kuang Chinese Reading Room, 4000 Middlefield Road, # H-4, Palo Alto, CA 94303-4739, be made in her memory.

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Introducing

Good for Business. Good for You. Good for the Community.

Friends are invited to a Celebration of Life Saturday, January 29 at 1:00 pm at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 600 Colorado Avenue, Palo Alto. A reception will follow the service. William Van Orsdol, of Palo Alto, California, passed away peacefully at home on December 15, 2010. His life will be celebrated on January 29. Bill was born in Rowley, Iowa, on March 5, 1916. He attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, graduating in 1940 with a degree in Accounting and Management. Bill followed the Quaker doctrine and registered as a conscientious objector. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Coast Guard. He was sent by his Captain to OfďŹ cer’s Training School and specialized in amphibious landings. After graduating and earning his commission as Ensign, he returned to Gulfport and married Marian Gordon, who was working for the USDA. Bill then shipped out to the PaciďŹ c, where he participated in the 1945 assault and occupation of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After the war, Bill and Marian moved to Los Angeles. He passed the CPA exam in 1948 and began a career in the aerospace industry, including work at Hughes Aircraft in Los Angeles and Rohr Aircraft. In 1963, he moved with his family to Palo Alto and worked at Lockheed Sunnyvale. In 1980 Bill retired from Lockheed and started the William F. Van Orsdol CPA ďŹ rm in Palo Alto. Bill sold the ďŹ rm in the 1990s and retired. Upon retirement, Bill actively involved himself in community efforts, including the Board of Palo

Alto Cable Coop, Treasurer of Friends of the Palo Alto Libraries, Treasurer of La Comida; and through Cable Coop and the Media Center, producing a series of interviews on international relations with the late Stanford Professor Ronald Hilton. Bill was a 38-year member of Kiwanis of Palo Alto, serving as its Treasurer and President during his tenure. He thrived on the group’s camaraderie and was actively involved in Kiwanis service projects and fundraising efforts. Bill is survived by Marian, his loving wife of 66 years, brother Robert (Hendersonville, NC), daughter Karen White of Palo Alto, son Karl Van Orsdol (San Mateo, CA), and granddaughters Allison White (Austin, Texas) and Kimberly White Edelman (Santa Monica, CA). The family thanks all who were involved in Bill’s care during his ďŹ nal illness, especially Mrs. Loloma Feaomoeata, Dr. Cheryl Bates at the Palo Alto VA and his many friends and colleagues who visited him, sent cards and extended warm wishes. Before his passing, Bill expressed heartfelt gratitude for everyone who had made his life so fulďŹ lling and asked that services reect the spirit of thanksgiving. In lieu of owers for the service (details above), memorial contributions may be made to The Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto Charitable Foundation, P. O. Box 149, Palo Alto, CA 94302, TIN #710871534, The Kiwanis Foundation. PA I D

OBITUARY

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Editorial

Combining services may save cities $$ Four North County cities to explore ways to combine some public-safety services to cut costs — but no big mergers in sight

A

n exploratory initiative by Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos to see if there are ways to save money by combining some public-safety services is such a logical step forward that one wonders why it didn’t happen long ago. The Palo Alto City Council Tuesday night approved the exploration as part of its consent calendar, usually reserved for completely non-controversial matters. This is where this belongs. Other city councils are adopting similar resolutions. Combining services is not new. Already the various cities have worked together on sewage treatment, waste disposal, animal services, SWAT teams and mutual aid for police and fire. We have come a long way from the early 1970s when there was no mutual aid and there were instances of fire trucks from one jurisdiction sitting across city boundaries watching neighboring firefighters struggle with fires. This actually happened before the formerly unincorporated Barron Park area annexed to Palo Alto, when Palo Alto fire trucks parked across El Camino Real while older volunteers struggled to quell a roof fire of the Cameo Club card room on an icy early-morning. It would be unthinkable today. “This recommendation is made understanding that difficult financial times require an even greater focus on reducing costs while maintaining or enhancing services,ĂŽ the Palo Alto staff report to the council states. Palo Alto City Manager James Keene and the other managers — Kevin Duggan of Mountain View, Doug Schmitz of Los Altos and Gary Luebbers of Sunnyvale — deserve credit for initiating the exploration. The managers have already held informal discussions and identified potential areas to explore. The Weekly reported on the discussions several months ago when just Mountain View and Los Altos managers were involved with Palo Alto. Sunnyvale joined the talks later. Public-safety communications is a leading possibility, along with emergency planning services, on which Palo Alto has been a leading community for years but still has far to go to be really prepared for a major disaster or crisis situation. More mundane but potentially fruitful areas include arson investigation, where one highly trained multidisciplinary team of experts might move in to conduct such investigations rather than each department developing separate investigative units. Similarly, fire-prevention efforts could be done by a roving team through several communities. But there are other, still undefined areas the managers may explore, Keene made clear in his one-page report to the council. “Although the previously mentioned consolidation opportunities will be the focus of the City Managers’ conversations, they are in no way limited to these criteria and are expected to explore any appropriate opportunity where cooperation can result in efficiencies, cost savings for taxpayers and increased services at less cost,â€? Keene stated. He emphasized, however, that “this is purely and exploratory process and none if it is binding.â€? That assurance, though intended to assuage any concerns by residents or employee unions, does give free official rein to expand on the earlier discussions. No timeframe has been specified for returning to the respective city councils with recommendations, however. Part of that will be determined by how far the managers have gotten during their unofficial discussions. One hopes that the group returns with some effective recommendations this spring, in time to implement before the next fiscal year begins July 1. There are areas needing caution. Careful attention needs to be placed on whether estimated cost savings or service improvements are truly achievable. Side effects also need to be assessed with care. The three-city waste management partnership, known as SMaRT, turned out to be a costly burden through longstanding contracts for delivering a minimum tonnage of waste to the Kirby Canyon landfill, resulting in potentially millions in penalties due to high public support of recycling efforts that reduced landfill volumes. One might also ask whether there are other local entities, such as the Menlo Park Fire Protection District or the Menlo Park and East Palo Alto police departments, that might have areas of potentially great benefit from combining services. But that should be a matter of one-step at a time, and we should let the existing manager-level explorations bear fruit before biting off more and possibly losing focus on solid achievements. Page 12ĂŠUĂŠ >Â˜Ă•>ÀÞÊÓ£]ĂŠĂ“䣣ĂŠUĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?Ăž

Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions

Fruit failures?

Pedestrian perils

Editor, Regarding your article featuring Rosalind Creasy promoting edible landscaping, I have some comments. For 30 years we have tried to do edible landscaping but squirrels and possums eat the apricots; squirrels devour the guavas, leaving a big mess; the grapefruit is so bitter we can only pick it and put it in the garbage; squirrels eat the fruit from both apple trees without minding that coddling moths got there first (in spite of traps); the dwarf Asian-pear tree grew taller than the two-story house and is unreachable; the Fuyu persimmon has been raided by both squirrels and thieves; the crabapples are too small for anything except to make the ground a nice shade of pink; the robins love the blueberries and figs; and so it goes. Herbs and vegetables have been successful. My advice: buy your fruit at farmers’ markets and avoid the frustration and angst of trying to grow your own, as Creasy suggests. Jean Garrett California Avenue Palo Alto

Editor, We’ve been reading a lot lately about pedestrians being hit by vehicles making left turns onto major streets. For each reported incident there are dozens of unreported near misses. I experienced one myself in Midtown crossing Middlefield at Colorado. It seems to me that the only really safe way for pedestrians to cross is for all traffic in all directions to be stopped when the pedestrian crossing light is on. The problem is that drivers making left turns look for other vehicles and don’t look for pedestrians. The crosswalks are so close to the intersections that large vehicles such as buses can’t even complete the turn without entering the crosswalks. Certain traffic lights in town need to be changed to allow pedestrians to cross while all traffic is stopped. Natalie Fisher Ellsworth Place Palo Alto

Compost plans Editor, The NIMBY stance of the two writers against the proposed anaerobic digestion plant (Letters, Jan. 7) is especially ironic since the facility they want to stop would process waste from their very own backyards. Without the facility, the considerable volume of yard trimmings produced in Palo Alto must be trucked to Gilroy since our landfill is closing. The proposed facility would be located next to the existing wastewater treatment plant and would require repurposing of about 8 percent of the land currently slated for the 126-acre Byxbee Park, or about 0.4 percent of the 1,940-acre Palo Alto Baylands. It would use completely enclosed processes to convert yard and food waste into compost that could be distributed in Palo Alto parks and gardens, as well as methane gas that can generate electricity and revenue for the city. The anaerobic processes could also treat sewage sludge that currently is incinerated at the 40-year-old waste treatment plant, which undoubtedly would improve the air quality over Byxbee Park. Palo Alto voters should get to decide what is the most responsible and ecological approach, which is why I’m supporting the petition to put the anaerobic project on the November ballot. Karen Porter Greer Road Palo Alto

Composting initiative Editor, In response to letters from Emily Renzel and Enid Pearson:

“Where do I sign?� “Thanks for doing this.� These are the responses I get every time I am collecting signatures for the composting initiative. The support is tremendous. I volunteer because I create waste that can be used to provide material for healthy soil and growth. I volunteer because I want my city to be responsible for its waste and to reuse it efficiently in the service of the community. I volunteer because sending our waste to Gilroy landfill creates pollution. The research of the Blue Ribbon Task Force and the current feasibility study appointed by the city will tell us how to proceed with providing a composting facility. This initiative is to re-purpose 10 acres of land that is currently part of the landfill so that Palo Alto can continue to compost material within the city. The most realistic site for this purpose is adjacent to the sewage plant. In the current climate of growing awareness and responsibility for the environment there is no alternative to this course of action. Elaine Elbizri PA Green Energy Initiative Greer Road Palo Alto

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

What do you think? What if any precautions have you taken due to the recent wave of robberies in Palo Alto? 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.

SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE

Cover Story

by Carol Blitzer

Vivian Wong

Veronica Weber

Faced with the prospect of death, four people shift priorities while embracing life

Vivan Wong

Vivian Wong

From top left, clockwise: Ken DeLeon, Ken Byk (with his dog Riley), Sue Rinsky and Ellie Guardino are among the survivors of life-threatening illnesses and/or events.

‘You can’t live in fear. You have to live every day ...’ ELLIE GUARDINO

R

EMEMBER THE OLD JOKE ABOUT THE MAN WHO WAS ASKED WHAT he would do if he had only a year to live? He said he’d stay married to his wife because every day felt like a year. For people who have gone through a near-death experience or received a diagnosis that could shorten their life, the question of how one’s life would change in the face of death goes well beyond a punchline. Researchers have pondered the outcomes of near-death experiences for decades, especially since an early study appeared in the medical journal The Lancet in 1991: The researchers found that people who have had a brush with death tend to come out more altruistic, less materialistic and

less fearful of dying. Not only do people who have near-death experiences have beneficial outcomes, but so do people (such as ER nurses) who witness them, notes Ryan Rominger, a faculty member at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto in a fall 2009 article in the Journal of Near Death Studies. People report greater spirituality and life changes, an increased sense of purpose and meaning in life, and greater compassion for people and the environment. Though the numbers of people who have faced down death and lived to tell about it are low, four local residents who have cheated death agree with the research. Ken Byk of Menlo Park found his faith strength-

ened after two massive heart attacks and an outof-body experience. Ken DeLeon, a Palo Alto resident, and Ellie Guardino, of Menlo Park, both express a greater passion for living a meaningful life. And, they became less afraid of death. And Palo Alto resident Sue Rinsky has devoted her time to volunteering with nonprofits and her synagogue following a leukemia diagnosis. They sat down with the Weekly to share their stories.

K

‘Life is precious.’ KEN BYK

en Byk turned 52 last April and ran San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers 12K race two weeks later. Over the years he’d (continued on page 16)

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A community health education series from Stanford Hospital & Clinics

Video-assisted Lung Cancer Surgery: Small Incisions Translate Into Big Gains For Pain Reduction and Recovery Speed Bonnie Borton had already bested one kind of cancer twice – lymphoma, the kind that emerges in the body’s lymphatic system. She’d gone through chemo twice, lost her hair and moved back into the regular rhythm of her life. Her oncologist kept a close eye on her.

And now she was 78, not an age where the body can easily handle the traditional surgical approach to remove tumors from the lung: Long incision, ribs spread, and sometimes broken, muscles split apart, all in a procedure that can mean significant pain and several months of recovery. Borton, however, was offered by her Stanford physicians a minimally invasive option not available until relatively recently, supported by advances in technology and human expertise: a video-assisted lobectomy, or VATS lobectomy. Surgeons would make just three, one to two inch incisions into her torso and, guided by a high grade video camera, remove her tumor. Not only would it be gone, but she’d probably be out of the hospital within a few

“I liked Dr. Shrager the minute I met him, and with my experience, I’m a pretty good judge.� – Bonnie Borton, patient, Stanford Hospital & Clinics The chest, said Stanford’s Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Joseph Shrager, has been one of the last frontiers for minimally invasive surgery. The chest is filled with critical structures like each of the pulmonary arteries that carry half the body’s blood flow. “If you nick a muscle around the gall bladder during a minimally invasive approach, that’s probably going to be okay,� he said. “The downside of having trouble in the chest is much, much greater.�

Focused Skills The field also includes surgery for esophageal cancer and other cancers of the chest. Nor had the medical profession developed, until the last two decades, the kind of training that produced surgeons who specialized in the chest’s special geography. Before that training emerged cardiothoracic sur-

geons “were basically heart surgeons who did a little thoracic on the side and didn’t really have a dedicated interest in the lungs or in cancer,� Shrager said. Now there are about 20 hospitals in the U.S.—Stanford among them—where separate groups of surgeons specialize in thoracic cancers and also carry on thoracic surgery-focused teaching and research. Shrager’s special For, Bonnie Borton, 80, standard lung surgery would have been a difficult interests include miniprocedure. It requires an incision several inches long and spreading of the mally invasive techribs, which can mean a great deal of pain and a long recovery. And she’s a niques to replace those woman who values her independence. traditional operations whose long incisions The post-surgical pain is more than make them dangerous for older and a question of discomfort; it can create sicker patients and whose after-effects dangerous complications. “Pain makes can linger long after surgery. The it difficult to cough and if you can’t incisions used for the decades-old procough after a lung operation, you have cedures are “the most painful in any the tendency to develop pneumonia,� surgery,� Shrager said. “You divide Shrager said. major muscles, you have to spread the ribs and no matter how careful you Many people who have lung surgery are, the nerves that run between the will also need chemotherapy, and that ribs are sensitive to manipulation.� needs to be started as soon after surgery as possible. “Minimally invasive procedures mean a quicker recovery time,� Shrager said, “and in some cases, the faster you can get chemo started, the more likely you are to have a good outcome.�

Norbert von der Groeben

Two years after her second occurrence of lymphoma, however, a scan showed some very tiny lesions in her lungs. She opted not to have a needle biopsy, a calculated risk that left her not at all surprised when another scan several months later revealed one particularly suspicious tumor. “I knew at the time I was rolling the dice,� she said.

days and back to her usual activities in a few weeks.

Norbert von der Groeben

One of the great joys in Borton’s life is her garden. To help it flourish, she needs to keep at it: Raking, watering, removing debris and harvesting. Because her Stanford surgeon, an expert in minimally invasive thoracic surgery, was able to remove her cancerous lung lesion with just three small incisions, she was back in her garden very quickly after her operation. Page 14ĂŠUĂŠ >Â˜Ă•>ÀÞÊÓ£]ĂŠĂ“䣣ĂŠUĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?Ăž

special feature

What You Should Know About Lung Cancer ¡ Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women. It is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Cigarette smoking is the cause of most lung cancers, but approximately 10% of lung cancers occur in non-smokers.

Diagnosis ¡ Symptoms can include persistent coughing, coughing up blood, hoarseness, chest pain, wheezing, lung infection, or weight loss. A chest X-ray or CT scan may determine the first indications of illness. ¡ PET scan, endobronchial ultrasound or mediastinoscopy, or brain MRI may be needed to track the possible spread of the disease to the lymph nodes in the chest or to distant sites in the body.

Treatments ¡ A lobectomy is the most common operation and involves the removal of an entire lobe of the lung. In most hospitals, it is still performed with a large incision, rib-spreading procedure called a thoracotomy. At Stanford

“I liked Dr. Shrager the minute I met him,� Borton said, “and with my experience, I’m a pretty good judge. Also, I’d already gotten on the Internet and checked him out. I also knew that my oncologist would bend over backwards to make sure I had the very best doctors. I feel very fortunate.�

Shrager and his partners at Stanford are a select team. They are among an estimated 50 physicians in the U.S. trained in a particular technique called sleeve lobectomy. It allows a surgeon to remove one of a lung’s lobes and then reconnect the remaining lobe or lobes. It’s another way to reduce the risks of lung surgery—by avoiding the removal of the entire lung. Shrager has performed more than 2,000 lung lobectomies in his career. His three thoracic surgeon colleagues at Stanford bring their collective experience to at least double that number.

“It’s like putting your eye right into the chest, right next to the things you’re dissecting.� – Joseph Shrager, Chief, Thoracic Surgery and video-assisted lobectomy expert, Stanford Hospital & Clinics The VATS procedure Shrager used to treat Borton’s lung cancer isn’t appropriate for every patient, he said. The cancer must be in its earliest stages, which means only one in three patients may benefit. “What you need is a tumor that is embedded in the lung tissue, but not stuck to anything or growing or spreading into other structures,� he said.

For more information about Stanford’s thoracic surgery program, visit: cancer.stanford.edu/thoracicsurgery or call 650.721.2086. Join us at stanfordhospital.org/socialmedia.

allow for important flexibility.

Surgical nurse Wilberto Gutierrez, RN, holds the long wand that holds a fiberoptic scope for the video camera that enables video-assisted thoracic surgery. The scope allows Stanford physician Joseph Shrager to work inside the lungs and chest with sharp and detailed visibility. Just three small incisions are needed: one for the video viewer and two for the instruments that carry the tiny removal tools. Tumors must be small enough to remove with this minimally invasive approach and they cannot be attached, growing or spreading into other body structures. This type of surgery allows recovery in weeks, not the months typical for large incision surgery. The smaller photo shows a nearly-life size view of two sizes of video lenses.

“He told me he’d like to use this approach,� Borton said. “He said he couldn’t guarantee that he’d be able to do it and that if he couldn’t, that he’d have to spread my ribs.� As it had before, Borton’s luck held. In an operation lasting just two hours, Shrager was able to remove the upper lobe of her lung, where the 1.3 cm tumor was, and all the draining lymph nodes, with the VATS technique. The optics that guided him mean the view is magnified so “it’s like putting your eye right into the chest, right next to the things you’re dissecting,� Shrager said. The tools he manipulated to cut, cauterize and suture are now articulated, like the human wrist, to

Norbert von der Groeben

Expertise Required

and a few other medical centers, surgeons have the option of VATS, video-assisted thoracic surgery, which is completed with three small incisions and without spreading the ribs. ¡ A pneumonectomy removes an entire lung and is considered the most drastic approach. Some patients do well with this, but it can mean longterm disability because of shortness of breath. ¡ A sleeve lobectomy is used when cancer is found at the origin of the airway to a lobe. It is the most complex type of surgery but may avoid the more injurious pneumonectomy. ¡ A segmentectomy means just a portion of a lobe is removed and can be appropriate for some smaller tumors.

Research underway at Stanford is exploring methods for an even more detailed view of cancer’s presence in the lymph nodes nearest the lungs. The Division of Thoracic Surgery is also investigating molecular aspects of lung cancer that may lead to future blood tests that could speed the diagnosis of lung cancer and build treatments that are less severe than chemotherapy and surgery.

Speedy Recovery Borton’s quick surgery was followed by a quick recovery: Shrager operated on a Wednesday; Borton was released home three days later on a Saturday. On Sunday morning, Borton woke up and went into her kitchen full with several family members and friends who’d arrived to help care for her during her recovery. “I recall walking around the kitchen, giving each one of them a hug and they were looking at me like, ‘God, this woman just had major surgery!’ In another three days, just a week after her surgery, Borton decided she wanted to buy a replacement lounge chair. A few hours of shopping later, with the chair found and ordered, her companion asked

whether Borton thought it might be a good idea to go home. “I guess so,� Borton replied. That quick recovery was important for Borton in another way, too. “I’m a pretty independent woman and I don’t like to be a burden to my children,� she said. Now, three small scars are the only marks of her VATS surgery.

“I was walking around the kitchen and I was giving each one of them a hug and they were looking at me like, ‘God, this woman just had major surgery!’� – Bonnie Borton, patient, Stanford Hospital & Clinics Not exercising the way she once did, but perfectly capable of doing most of those things that are the great pleasures of her life – taking care of the home she’s lived in for almost 50 years and tending to its garden, whose fruit trees and flowers she attentively nurtures. And, every day, she walks for at least 30 minutes, usually encountering a neighbor with a dog. She loves to read, as does her cat, apparently. As soon as she sits down with book in hand, Tippy leaps up onto her lap. She doesn’t think much about her illnesses. “I don’t worry about it. I can only live today,� she said. Nor is she thinking about any big moves. “I’m where I need to be. My husband was treated at Stanford. And I’ve had enough to do with Stanford to feel very comfortable right here. I’m happy to be where I am.�

Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of “America’s Best Hospitals,â€? Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. It is part of the Stanford University Medical Center, along with the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. For more information, visit stanfordmedicine.org. *>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?ÞÊUĂŠ >Â˜Ă•>ÀÞÊÓ£]ĂŠĂ“䣣ĂŠU Page 15

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Cover Story

Second chance (continued from page 13)

completed numerous charity runs and was fit and athletic. Moments after crossing the finishing line, he suffered a major heart attack. Luckily for him, an ER nurse and an anesthesiologist were nearby and performed CPR for 20 minutes until he regained a pulse. Later that day, at the hospital, he suffered a second heart attack. Tests showed 99 percent blockage of his main arteries, and he underwent quadruple bypass surgery days later. Byk (pronounced “Bike�) has no recollection of that day or the previous one — no memory of stopping by to pick up his race-registration materials or dropping off his dog at a friend’s. He didn’t even know what he was wearing that day until he saw the photo snapped as he crossed the finishing line. What he does recall is having an out-of-the-body experience during which he frantically searched for a person in charge who could help a man in an orange shirt who was lying on the ground. He caught someone’s attention and started taking him over to the downed man, only to realize that man was himself. Six months had passed when Byk sat down to talk to the Weekly about his heart attack, surgery and recovery, and what has changed in his life. “One of the powerful things I’ve learned is I have an amazing group of friends in San Francisco and the area here,� he said. Friends “took over my business and my dog, my parents, my life. They not only helped with the practical aspects of my life but with my emotional wellbeing. They lifted my spirits.� The first task his friends undertook was locating Byk’s dog. “Fortunately, I gave an emergency contact. No one takes that stuff seriously,� he said. That emergencycontact friend’s wife went to Byk’s Menlo Park home, opened his computer and found the e-mail list from his 50th birthday party. She “sent out a blast e-mail saying, ‘Ken had a heart attack: Does anyone know where his car is, or his dog, Riley?’� Another friend — who lived in San Francisco and worked in Novato — drove down to the Peninsula to make sure Byk’s paintingcompany employees were paid. He also contacted customers and told them about the medical emergency and minded the business for a few weeks. Byk’s elderly parents drove up from Palm Desert to be with him. “I was moved beyond words when I realized what my friends did for my parents,� including finding them housing. “Everyone just adopted my family.� Post-heart attack, Byk did some soul-searching. A practicing Christian, he felt a strengthening of his faith. Defying the survival odds and “having an out-of-body experience while lying pulseless has left me no doubt about having a spirit, and a profound sense that I was saved, for whatever reason. “This is why I feel so compelled to do good works and to make a differ-

ence in people’s lives — things that give life much greater meaning. “Life is precious.â€? One way in which Byk is trying to help others is through a San Francisco nonprofit that helps at-risk youth get ready for work and life, called New Door Ventures. For 10 years, Byk has served on the board and helped with the vision and operations of two for-profit businesses affiliated with New Door, a T-shirt and embroidery business and a bike shop. But now he wants to become more directly involved with youth. So he sat down and conducted interviews with 10 kids to prepare some of the teens for a three-month internship with a law firm. “I was blown away. I asked one, ‘What are your greatest strengths?’ He said, ‘I don’t know.’ A 6-year-old in Palo Alto would know. “These kids were so on fire because someone was taking an interest in them, many of them for the first time in their lives. “You just want to spend every day, every week there.â€? He’s also become a strong advocate for educating the world about hands-only CPR. He speaks often about the technique, which does not require mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. At a recent walk sponsored by the American Heart Association, he spoke before 5,000 people, introducing a high-school group singing, “Stayin’ Alive.â€? That was no coincidence, or even a play on words. The tempo of the song sets the pace for the 100 compressions per minute required. The technique requires 125 pounds of pressure. “The petite M.D. anesthesiologist broke three of my ribs doing CPR. My heart surgeon said, ‘Be thankful for those broken ribs’ because that saved my life,â€? Byk said. And he’s quick to recommend that anyone with a family history of heart disease get checked out before a heart attack. Although his parents are in their 80s, his grandfather died at age 51 from cardiac arrest. The most obvious change he made was the pledge to never run a major race alone. “Statistically, of those who have public heart attacks and are saved by CPR, 6 percent survive. If I’d been hiking in Tahoe a month later, at a higher elevation, alone, I would have dropped dead,â€? he said. Late last year, he brought his story to Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, where he usually attends The CafĂŠ, a “relaxed, contemporary worshipâ€? service where he can drop by in a T-shirt and flip flops. “If one in 3,500 takes something from my story, it’s worth it. That’s why I want to share it.â€? Byk said that after what he’s gone through, he’s “never going to say no to anything. “I’m not going to turn down speaking opportunities, dinner invitations. It’s just grabbing everything that life has to offer. “I don’t think twice. I go and do.â€?

K

en DeLeon, a 38-year-old Realtor with Keller Williams Realty of Palo Alto, has already seen more than his share of

personal tragedy. When he was 15 his 17-year-old sister committed suicide. At 26, while walking with his dad on the sidewalk in Boca Raton, Fla., he was seriously injured when a drug-crazed driver hit him at 40 mph. And at 35, he was diagnosed with lymphoma. Never has his positive attitude wavered. He recently completed a memoir, “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Sexy People?â€? “Life is dynamic, chaotic and amoral,â€? he wrote. “While we cannot entirely control circumstances, we can control our perception of and reaction to circumstances.â€? DeLeon had recently graduated from Boalt Law School and was visiting his folks in Florida when the car came out of nowhere, slamming into (and crushing) his right leg and throwing him through the windshield to land in the passenger seat. The driver, high on a drug cocktail that included Ketamine and amphetamines, yelled at him to get out while beating him with his fist. Then the driver stopped and dumped DeLeon out of the car. Seven months later, after a month in a hospital and six months of physical therapy, DeLeon acknowledged that he’d never surf, or play basketball, racquetball or tennis. But “I can still run and walk fine,â€? he said 12 years later. Beyond healing — and confronting his brush with death — DeLeon pondered the purpose of life. “Before the accident, my purpose in life was happiness. I wanted to be happy, to make friends and family happy as well,â€? he said. He soon changed his life purpose to what he calls “evolution, to maximize my potential, to evolve to the highest level possible.â€? Even sadness, he said, will lead to greater wisdom and evolution. “I see the value in sadness and tragedy,â€? he said, adding “I’m happy a lot of times, but happiness is a by-product of a life where I’m always growing and learning.â€? DeLeon had only dated his future wife, Megan, a University of California, San Diego student, a few times before his accident. When she caught a news account of his accident, she flew to Florida. After she returned to school, the two spoke daily on the phone. “The accident made us very truthful, very vulnerable. There was no need for a façade. It was a great time to form a lifelong relationship,â€? he said. Two years later they were married. They now have four children under the age of 7 and have been married for 10 years. DeLeon eventually took a job with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a law firm in Palo Alto, and worked there two years. “I was good at being a lawyer (but) I did not wake up with passion. Since over half our waking hours are work, I wanted work to be fulfilling,â€? he said. “I realized life can end at any moment. I wanted to live the life I wanted now and not wait.â€? Instead he chose real estate, where he said he’s involved with the largest transaction of his clients’ lives. “You really impact them, become

Cover Story

IF IT’S NOT IN THIS VAULT, IT’S NOT SAFE.

Changing how they live Faced with a premature death, many choose to bring balance to their lives

C

their friends. By sharing expertise you can help them achieve their dreams,� he said. DeLeon said he agrees that neardeath has made him more altruistic, less materialistic and less fearful of death — especially the latter. “With such a heightened awareness of death, I’ve gained a greater appreciation of life. I don’t fear death; I fear living a mediocre life. I don’t want a life filled with regrets. I try and make every moment matter because I realize it could be my last,� he said. Soon after the accident, he stopped what he called “spectating�: Instead of watching the TV show “Friends� he hangs out with friends. “The greatest crime against life is boredom. We have only one life. It could end at any moment,� he said. DeLeon’s positive view was tested once more three years ago when he developed a softball-sized tumor on the same right leg that was smashed in the accident. His doctor told him his lymphoma correlated heavily with the earlier trauma, involving a lymph node that drains into the same leg. Treated with chemotherapy and daily radiation, DeLeon said he was prepared for the cancer and whatever outcome prevailed. “I resolved no matter what to be confident and optimistic. My attitude would make chances of surviving higher,� he said. To keep his spirits up when his hair was falling out, he invited friends over for a head-shaving party. He sported his Mohawk for at least two days. And he continued to work, now as a Realtor. “I felt if I didn’t dwell upon the cancer I’d feel more normal and happier,� he said. However, at 35, he lacked life insurance and was con-

Veronica Weber

onfronting death can be compared to a person with vertigo standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon: sheer terror. But, according to Dr. David Spiegel, a Stanford University psychiatry professor who has been studying women with advanced breast cancer, facing death can be a period of growth. Research on the effects of stress and support on breast-cancer patients has been ongoing since the 1970s under Dr. Irv Yalom, who conducted support groups for women with breast cancer that had spread, or metasticized. His concern was whether the “support� groups would actually demoralize the women, Spiegel said. Instead, he found they “remoralized� them. “They faced decisions about how to live their lives,� he said. Spiegel has interviewed women who have changed their lives. He said a woman who had been a frustrated poet all her life published several books of poetry by the time she died.

David Spiegel, Stanford University psychiatry professor who studies the relationship between stress and cancer growth, stands in the foyer of the Stanford Cancer Center. Another quit her job to spend time with her 5-year-old child. cerned that without his earnings his wife and children would be unable to stay in their Palo Alto house. DeLeon’s positive attitude impacted both his health and his business; he sold $30 million in houses in three months. “I told my clients I was beating cancer and together we would destroy the housing market and successfully sell their houses. People understood and trusted me,� he said. His tumor was wiped out in about nine months. “Now there’s an 80 percent chance it won’t come back. If it does, I will face it with the same positive attitude.� Since his accident — and bout with cancer — DeLeon has volunteered on the speaking circuit, appearing at Jordan and Terman middle schools in Palo Alto and throughout Silicon Valley. “I tried to convey many lessons with the overriding theme: Although you cannot control life events, what you do with that event is within your power. “I want to leave as much of a positive legacy as I can so I can feel my life has meaning,� he said. DeLeon has chosen not to hate the driver who wreaked such havoc on his young life, instead directing his feelings toward recovery. “Before I could do 10,000 things. Now I can do 9,000. I’m going to focus on what I can do. “Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think you will fail, you will always be correct,� he said. “We’re all going to die. You want to make every day matter.�

A

t age 46 Sue Rinsky was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Although she had no symptoms, a blood test was

A journalist had planned in her will to help young journalists. After her diagnosis, she decided to implement her idea before she died, he said. “’Why start after I’m gone?’� she told him. Instead, she got involved in setting up the program and meeting women to help launch their careers. A Silicon Valley engineer said she’d always wanted to be an artist. “I’m not going to die without doing what I want to do,� she told him before she quit her job, went to art school and taught art. But not everyone makes a radical shift. “Some who feel life is pretty balanced will continue doing what they’re doing,� Spiegel said. “A big part is having the courage to face that: ‘My life is not the same, but maybe I can make it better,’� he said. Dr. Spiegel thinks often about his own life-balance, weighing his commitment to career and work at Stanford with family. “I’ve lost both parents in the last few years. I took time to deal with those losses, spent time with my sister. Earlier I might have worried about all that work to do. ... “I’m behind on a number of projects. I’ll get them done, but I’m not losing sleep over it.� N — Carol Blitzer odd enough for her doctor to send her for a bone-marrow biopsy. “It was a shock. There was no cancer in my family. I was 46 and always very healthy. It was pretty upsetting,� she said recently. She was advised that without a bonemarrow transplant, she’d have three to five years to live. That was in 1991. Rinsky spent the first year seeking a bone-marrow match but was unsuccessful because of an odd antigen that she had inherited from her mother. Without the transplant, doctors had little to offer in terms of treatment. She started on Interferon, which she described as “a horrid drug,� which led to bone and joint pain, migraines and “a tiredness that sleep doesn’t help.� From the start, Rinsky was as open as she could be about her health with her three children, who were 10, 13 and 14. And she powered on, doing what she’d been doing before. “I was still room parent, team parent. I was PTA president. I tried to give them as normal a life as we could,� she said. “I don’t know if stubbornness helps or outlook. I didn’t want my children to remember me as some unhappy, bitter invalid and their childhood all screwed up.� While Rinsky was continuing to live her life, doing what she wanted to do, her husband kept asking what she hadn’t done and where she’d like to go. An avid cook, she mentioned that she’d always wanted to do a Cordon Bleu cooking course. So he whisked her off to London for a week. And her son was an avid fan of Phantom of the Opera, which was (continued on next page)

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Cover Story

Second chance (continued from previous page)

only playing in New York at the time. “It was kind of an extravagance to take a 10-year-old to Broadway,� she said. But they treasured the experience. All the while, Rinsky held on to the hope that she would defy the odds. “When they told me the statistics, I just said, ‘These are statistics. There’s no reason to assume I’m at the bad end. All I have to do is stay healthy enough till they find a cure or something better,’� she said. So Rinsky continued her family involvement, travel and volunteer work, including serving on the boards of her synagogue, Congregation Beth Am, and of the local Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She raised $40,000 for the latter. And for 16 years she continued to take Interferon, stopping only after researchers developed a more-accurate blood test, a vast improvement on the quarterly bone-marrow biopsies she’d endured. Over the years she had developed neuropathy, a sort of numbness of the feet, that she feared would ultimately put her in a wheelchair. Although she’s been off the Interferon for several years, she still has the neuropathy but it hasn’t gotten worse. After living with a “death sentence� for 20 years, Rinsky has had to adjust her thinking to accept her illness as chronic, not fatal.

“When I was diagnosed, I worried that I wouldn’t be around for any high school graduations, much less other significant events in my children’s lives,� she said. But she’s seen her kids well beyond graduations to marriages and parenthood. “It’s like God knew I needed to hang around to plan weddings, holiday celebrations and be a grandparent!�

E

llie Guardino was dressing for a women’s cancer-center gala in 2008, checking in the mirror that no straps were showing in back, when she spotted a small mole that she thought had changed. The fair-skinned Guardino, a breast-cancer specialist on the Stanford Medical School faculty, went every six to 12 months for skin checks. But in just a few months that mole had evolved to Stage 3 melanoma — meaning her lymph nodes were involved and there was a high likelihood of the cancer having spread. Guardino was 43, married to a cardiologist and the mother of children aged 5, 8 and 10. Suddenly she was confronted with the possibility that she might not see them grow up. Guardino, who earned an M.D./ Ph.D. from Georgetown University, had earlier studied in Southern California with Dr. Don Morton, who had pioneered sentinel lymphnode screening. He performed her surgery, removing 31 additional nodes, and leaving her with drains in her back and under arm for nine

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weeks. “I spent a lot of time with my husband trying to decide what to do next with my own health and with my life,� she said. At first, she thought she’d have to make major changes to her life. But she reflected upon what she had accomplished in her life, the many patients she had cared for and the research she’d done. “I don’t think I could ever change my work. This is who I am. I’m not going to be happy doing something that isn’t that passionate and important to me, to make this world a better place.� The first year, Guardino went through treatment — first surgery, followed by a year of Interferon. She echoes Rinsky’s experience with the drug: “It was like having the worst flu you can imagine every day for a year.� And for someone who hadn’t let a day go by without exercising, Guardino struggled to walk up a flight of stairs. “It was amazing how hard it was on my body,� she said. But she managed to do treatments on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and still recover enough to see patients on Tuesday and Thursday — with occasional absences. “What was remarkable, not only did I maintain my practice, my patients were committed to being there. “These women were amazing. I had been there for them during their treatment; they also wanted to be there for me.�

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During that year, Guardino’s work was “a godsend. I don’t think I could have made it through a year of treatment if I didn’t have that purpose, that drive and that passion and that support. By helping others you’re helping yourself.� With support from family and her larger community, mainly at St. Raymond’s Parish and St. Joseph’s School where her kids attend, Guardino survived the hellish treatment year — learning a lot along the way about patient care and the value of support. “Until you’ve gone through those things yourself you can’t fully understand. Now the kind of advice I can give to my patients is remarkable,� she said. “There’s no question that the psychological aspect was incredibly challenging,� she said. Once recovered, she thought a lot about the importance of having better treatments. “You realize how horrible the experience is to try to do everything to save your life. There’s still a significant risk that this disease will come back. ... We need better drugs and less toxic drugs,� she said. Guardino now is limiting patient care and spending most of her energy doing global research at Genentech, working with the FDA to develop new treatments for breast cancer. “You’d think I would work on melanoma, but there’s lots of people working on melanoma. “Breast cancer is a passion. ... I can do a lot of good for this other

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disease that I’ve been passionate about for a long time.� Her Genentech project concerns chemotherapy that is directed straight at the tumor. “I was excited about an opportunity to work on something that I think will be important not only for breast cancer but all kinds of cancer, a new treatment approach that doesn’t have as many side effects.� She’s also developing a website (www.breastcancerbasics.org) that offers information for breast-cancer patients to become better advocates for themselves. She has seen patients who “might not have had the kind of excellence in care that they get in an academic center like ours,� who don’t have access to key information about treatment options. Her bout with cancer has made her bolder, Guardino said. “I’ve always been a strong person, but even more I’m more likely to speak my mind and not feel scared to take things head on, in all aspects of my life, and also try to empower other women to do the same,� she said. The possibility of recurrence, or metastasis, of melanoma is a constant presence in Guardino’s life. When it recurs, she said, it’s usually as lung or brain cancer. She has interval scans — PET, CAT, MRI — done along with blood work and checks in with her oncologist regularly. “I call myself a ‘limited Stage 3.’ If you look at all comers for Stage 3, the five-year survival is about 50 percent. ... I’m always the optimist that I’ll be in the more favorable category.� But even feisty Guardino sometimes succumbs to mild panic. One week she had a headache that lasted five days. She was going to call her doctor after a week. Still, she said, “You can’t live in fear. You have to live every day and be with your family, love your family, take that trip.� N Associate Editor Carol Blitzer can be e-mailed at cblitzer@ paweekly.com.

About the cover: On the cover: Portraits of (from top left, clockwise) Ken DeLeon by Veronica Weber; Sue Rinsky, Ken Byk and Ellie Guardino by Vivian Wong. Cover design by Shannon Corey.

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

Photos by Veronica Weber

Clockwise from left: LaDoris Cordell plays an emotional tribute to Billie Holiday at the Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto; Cordell playing; a four-hand piece played by Cordell and Josephine “Jodi� Gandolfi; the pair in close concentration.

A mission of music Local musicians aim to raise awareness about African-American composers with a benefit concert by Rebecca Wallace

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here’s a special kind of harmony that comes from sharing a piano bench. As LaDoris Cordell and Josephine “Jodi� Gandolfi play a duet arrangement of Betty Jackson King’s “Spring Intermezzo� — four hands, one piano — they often breathe in time. The piece is gentle, with some delicate dissonance sprinkled in, and Cordell’s hands chase Gandolfi’s down the keyboard. Their shoulders lean together amiably. At the end, they look at each other and smile. “I can hear her breathing,� Cordell says. While the piece, part of King’s “Four Seasonal

Sketches,� was written for one person, Gandolfi has arranged it for a pair. This way, the longtime Menlo Park piano teacher gets to team up with her student and friend. It’s been a fruitful musical partnership. Cordell, a former Palo Alto City Council member and retired judge, has been studying piano with Gandolfi for six years. A few years ago, Gandolfi, Cordell and other students including Deanne Tucker began exploring music by African-American composers. They knew some spirituals and jazz, but were shocked to realize how few black composers they knew, especially of classical music. (continued on page 20)

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Arts & Entertainment

Music

(continued from page 19)

Sitting in the theater at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto, Cordell and King list examples. William Grant Still, a pioneering symphony composer. Betty Jackson King, who wrote and arranged spirituals and other vocal and instrumental music. Valerie Capers, a New York composer of cantatas, song cycles and pop and jazz songs. And these are just for starters. “I had never heard of these composers — as a black person growing up with a black piano teacher,� Cordell says.

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On Jan. 30, Cordell, Gandolfi and Tucker will present their third concert of music by African-American composers, together with several other musicians: soprano and East Palo Alto native Yolanda Rhodes, clarinetist Carol Somersille, violinist Susan C. Brown, and cellist Victoria Ehrlich. The 3 p.m. performance will be at the Eastside Prep theater, with all proceeds benefitting the school’s music department. “We’re on a mission: to bring these talented composers to the world,� Cordell says. The program encompasses 11 composers and one world premiere. Composer Joshua McGhee, 24,

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING of the City of Palo Alto Historic Resources Board Please be advised the Historic Resources Board shall conduct a meeting at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 in the Civic Center, Council Chambers, 1st Floor, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Any interested persons may appear and be heard on these items. NEW BUSINESS: Public Hearings Major Project 285 Quarry Road [10PLN-00398]: Request by Stanford Hospital and Clinics on behalf of The Board of Trustees for the Leland Stanford Junior University for Historic Resources Board review of exterior renovations to Hoover Pavilion, a component of the Stanford University Medical Center Facilities Renewal and Replacement Project. Existing Zone District: PF (Public Facilities). OTHER BUSINESS: CertiďŹ ed Local Government Report 2009-2010 Review: HRB and staff review of the CertiďŹ ed Local Government Report 2009-2010 submitted to the State OfďŹ ce of Historic Preservation in December 2010. Questions. If interested parties have any questions regarding the above applications, please contact the Planning Division at (650) 329-2441. The ďŹ les relating to these items are available for inspection weekdays between the hours of 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM and staff reports will be available for inspection at 2:00 PM the Friday preceding the hearing. 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 City’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), please contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at 650.329.2550 (voice) or by e-mailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org. Steven Turner, Advance Planning Manager

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who recently earned a bachelor’s degree in music with a composition emphasis at California State University, East Bay, will premiere his work “Where Freedom Rings.â€? It’s a setting of his own text for soprano, piano, violin and cello. McGhee has been writing melodies as long as he can remember. He started piano lessons late, in the ninth grade, but before then he had already become fascinated by “FĂźr Eliseâ€? and taught himself the piece by ear. “I don’t know. It just was kind of natural,â€? the affable McGhee said in a recent phone interview. “By my senior year in high school, I had about 11 instruments checked out to me. I played every single one — not well, but I played them. ... I would mess around with it, learn the fingering.â€? McGhee now writes orchestral pieces: sometimes “really artsy symphonic work,â€? sometimes “music that’s more like film scores.â€? “Where Freedom Ringsâ€? is his first commissioned work. Gandolfi, Cordell and Rhodes met with him at school, told him about the concert and asked him to write a piece for it.

Composer Joshua McGhee, 24, is premiering his work “Where Freedom Ringsâ€? at the Jan 30 concert. struggle.â€? After Cordell wrote the words, The text begins: “Come my Gandolfi sent them to Capers. In a mother / come my son / let us flee thrilling moment for Cordell, she this brutal storm. / May the sun says: “Valerie loved it! She even shine tomorrow / and nurture the asked permission to record it.â€? She strength they’ve seen / let us go to beams. “Of course.â€? where freedom rings.â€? The program also includes spiriBack at the Eastside Prep the- tuals by Jacqueline B. Hairston ater, Gandolfi pulls out the music and Hale Smith, the Betty Jackson “I had never heard for “Where Freedom Ringsâ€? and King four-hand arrangements, and plays some excerpts of it on the instrumental chamber music by of these composers piano. Parts are hymn-like; parts William Grant Still: “Vignettesâ€? — as a black person are rhythmic and minimalist. She for trio and the third movement of praises the piece’s “richness,â€? add- the Suite for Violin and Piano. growing up with a ing, “The harmonic vocabulary is Still (1895-1978) is perhaps the black piano teacher.â€? quite sophisticated.â€? best-known composer on the proCordell takes a solo turn at the gram. The Mississippi native is in piano, demonstrating another piece the American Classical Music Hall — Pianist LaDoris Cordell on the upcoming concert program. of Fame, and is said to have been Inspiration came in part from With emotion, her eyes half-closed, the first black composer to have a “My Country ‘Tis of Theeâ€? and she sings and plays a musical trib- major orchestral work performed ute to Billie Holiday called “Bil- by a major United States orchestra part from the concept of freedom. (his Symphony No. 1, in 1931). “I started thinking about how lie’s Song.â€? Valerie Capers wrote the piano In 2009, when Gandolfi and her there are so many people around the world who aren’t free,â€? McGhee piece, and Cordell put lyrics to it. students performed their first consaid. “The text of the piece, the “A song just for you / if only you cert of works by African-American underlying theme, is about perse- knew / how much you touched composers, at the Palo Alto Art verance, overcoming some kind of our hearts ... “ she sings in a low, Center, Still’s music was the centersmooth voice. piece. Gandolfi ordered the music through the composer’s daughter. Then the group decided to further explore more works by black composers. “There was such a richEcole internationale de la PĂŠninsule ness, such a wealth of literature,â€? Gandolfi says. They performed another concert at Eastside Prep last year, to a packed house in the 200-seat theater. Cordell smiles. “Jodi said, ‘If we play it, they will come.’â€? N

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What: “Music by African-American Composers: Yesterday and Today,� a vocal and instrumental concert Where: Eastside College Preparatory School, 1041 Myrtle St., East Palo Alto When: Sunday, Jan. 30, from 3 to 5 p.m. Cost: Suggested donations, which benefit the school’s music department, are $15 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. Info: Call 650-688-0850.

SEE MORE ONLINE Weekly photographer Veronica Weber also shot video while LaDoris Cordell and Jodi Gandolfi were rehearsing on the piano at Eastside Prep. To get a video taste of their upcoming concert, go to PaloAltoOnline.com.

Peace Corps

Arts & Entertainment

Celebrating 50 Years of International Service www.peacecorps.gov 800.424.8580

Palo Alto Information Session: Tuesday, Jan. 25, 6:30PM Lucie Stern Center, Fireside Room 1305 MiddleďŹ eld Rd

77 Countries. No Cost. Great BeneďŹ ts!

Photos by Veronica Weber

PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL CIVIC CENTER, 250 HAMILTON AVENUE BROADCAST LIVE ON KZSU, FM 90.1 CABLECAST LIVE ON GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL 26 *****************************************

Signe Mayfield sits in a Palo Alto Art Center gallery with the GyĂśngy Laky sculpture “That Word,â€? which is made of grapevine branches and telephone wire.

THIS IS A SUMMARY OF COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS. THE AGENDA WITH COMPLETE TITLES INCLUDING LEGAL DOCUMENTATION CAN BE VIEWED AT THE BELOW WEBPAGE: http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/knowzone/agendas/council.asp

A creative legacy

(TENTATIVE) SPECIAL COUNCIL AGENDABAYLANDS INTERPRETIVE CENTER 2775 EMBARCADERO ROAD JANUARY 22, 2011 - 9:00 AM

Retiring as curator of the Palo Alto Art Center, Signe Mayfield looks back on 21 years of diverse and traveling exhibitions by Rebecca Wallace 1.

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igne Mayfield has deep roots in the Palo Alto community. It’s where she and her husband raised their two children, and where she has volunteered on playground projects, taken drawing classes and lived for decades. Still, as Mayfield prepares to retire from the Palo Alto Art Center after 21 years as its curator, she finds herself reminiscing about Hawaii and Washington, D.C. Some of her proudest accomplishments as curator have been her exhibitions that started at the city’s art center and ended up traveling west and east. In a recent interview, Mayfield sounded especially nostalgic about 120 glazed ceramic maquettes. These pieces, studies for larger sculptures by the late sculptor and U.C. Davis professor Robert Arneson, were the big draw in the 2002 exhibition “Big Idea: The Maquettes of Robert Arneson.� “It was like organizing a retrospective,� Mayfield said, then added with a grin, “You couldn’t have fit in all the full-sized pieces.� When “Big Idea� headed for other galleries in 2002-04, Mayfield traveled with it. Destinations included The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, as well as stops in Chicago and Nebraska. When the show went to Hawaii, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin wrote, “Many of the maquettes represent Arneson’s first concepts for works, and their freshness and spontaneous execution illuminate the artist’s freewheeling creativity, offering glimpses of his thought process in clay.� During Mayfield’s tenure, several other art-center exhibitions also traveled, including works by weaver

Kay Sekimachi and woodturner Bob Stocksdale in 1994, and mixed-media artist Dominic Di Mare in 1997. Both exhibitions went to the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., among other locations. “It was a real eye-opener� to see how various museums interacted with the community, or how different the same art looked in new places, Mayfield said. “Every installation designer interpreted the material in a new way.� Over the past 21 years, Mayfield has had a wealth of material to work with. The art center’s exhibitions have featured objects as diverse as Javanese court dance masks, IDEO design prototypes and Haitian paintings. “Signe has offered the community a unique and inspired glimpse into new worlds, novel forms of artmaking, and diverse cultural experiences,� center director Karen Kienzle said in a press release. Mayfield also clearly feels a strong connection to the educational programs at the center, which include art education for kids, adult classes and studio programs, docent tours and lectures. Many exhibitions have hands-on components. “This is a place that can initiate audiences. It’s not pretentious. It’s inviting, welcoming and a great warm place,� she said. Mayfield grew up in New York, then earned a degree from University of California, Berkeley, in art history. Later, she was a gallery director in San Francisco and curated exhibitions at Sacred Heart Schools in Menlo Park. She joined the Palo Alto Art Center in 1989 as curator.

When asked about the artists she especially enjoyed working with, Mayfield said immediately, “Nathan Oliveira.� While many think of Oliveira, who was a longtime studio art professor at Stanford, as an influential painter, the art center’s 2008 Oliveira exhibition focused on the artist’s bronze sculptures from 1960 to 2008. Mayfield said it was the first show to comprehensively focus on his bronze sculpture. Oliveira died last year. Another highlight, Mayfield said, was exhibiting Keith Haring’s last work, “The Altar Piece,� in 199495. She was also rather attached to the figurative paintings and works on paper in the 1994 exhibition “David Park: Fixed Subjects.� “I nearly cried when the David Park exhibition had to come down,� she said. After Mayfield retires at the end of this month, she will continue to follow several favorite projects. Artist Mildred Howard, who is now showing bottle-house sculptures at the art center, will unveil a new Eichlerinspired work in the spring. On April 1, the art center will close for a year for extensive renovations that include adding a kids’ wing with a new sculpture garden, and upgrading the exhibition spaces. During that time, a new art bus will come in handy, bringing art-education programs from place to place. The center is also launching a national search for Mayfield’s replacement. As for Mayfield herself, she expects that retirement will bring more time for travel, but she won’t leave the art world entirely. “I might be interested in curating an exhibit a year,� she said thoughtfully. N

Council Retreat JANUARY 24, 2011 - 7:00 PM Mayor Sid Espinosa cordially invites you to the State of the City Address on Monday, January 24, 2011 at 7 P.M. at the Cubberley Community Center Theatre, 4000 MiddleďŹ eld Road. Reception following in Gymnasium B. (TENTATIVE) SPECIAL COUNCIL AGENDA COUNCIL CHAMBERS JANUARY 25, 2011 - 2:30 PM

1.

Closed Session: City Attorney Candidate Interviews

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING of the City of Palo Alto Architectural Review Board (ARB) 8:30 A.M., Thursday, February 3, 2011 Palo Alto Council Chambers, 1st Floor, Civic Center, 250 Hamilton Avenue. Go to the Development Center at 285 Hamilton Avenue to review filed documents; contact Alicia Spotwood for information regarding business hours at 650-617-3168. 211 Quarry Road [10PLN-00398]: Request by Stanford Hospital and Clinics on behalf of The Board of Trustees for the Leland Stanford Junior University for Architectural Review of exterior renovations to Hoover Pavilion and construction of a new 60,000 square foot medical office building and parking structure containing 1,088 parking spaces. These projects are components of the Stanford University Medical Center Facilities Renewal and Replacement Project. Existing Zone District: PF (Public Facilities). Amy French Manager of Current Planning

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COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS AN ORIGINAL FILM PRODUCTION A FILM BY MICHEL GONDRY “THE GREEN HORNET� EDWARD JAMES OLMOS EXECUTIVE DAVID HARBOUR AND TOM WILKINSON MUSICBY JAMES NEWTON HOWARD PRODUCERS SETH ROGEN EVAN GOLDBERG MICHAEL GRILLO ORI MARMUR GEORGE W. TRENDLE, JR. BASED UPON “THE GREEN HORNET� WRITTEN PRODUCED DIRECTED RADIO SERIES CREATED BY GEORGE W. TRENDLE BY SETH ROGEN & EVAN GOLDBERG BY NEAL H. MORITZ BY MICHEL GONDRY

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(Guild) Timing is everything. “Barney’s Version� arrives in town less than a week after star Paul Giamatti collected a Golden Globe for Best Actor (in a Musical or Comedy). Since the film is nothing if not a character study, Giamatti is the surly, sarcastic selling point. We get the story of a lifetime in “Barney’s Version,� which introduces Giamatti’s Barney Panofsky as a 65-year-old TV producer Paul Giamatti and Dustin in Montreal. His work is schlock, Hoffman in “Barney’s Version.� and he carries a regretful wearialong the way. The most humane ness with him that, in no small of these come from Hoffman’s part, owes to the dissolution of warm, fearless Izzy; Giamatti’s his third marriage. (As something complicatedly self-destructive like a hobby, he phones up and haBarney; and Pike’s solicitous and rasses his ex-wife’s husband.) The sympathetic Miriam (it’s nice to people in his life tolerate him at see Pike not stuck playing posh). best, and as he begins to experiYour mileage may vary on ence his latest unraveling — inwhether or not “Barney’s Vervolving scandal and ill health sion� is more or less than the sum — the film stretches back into of its parts. Even at more than two Barney’s past for some answers. hours, the everything-and-theWe’re never invited to question kitchen-sink plot suffers from the Barney’s “version� of the story, lost luxuries of the page, and direcframed as his memories. Though tor Richard J. Lewis seems more this seems a missed opportunity interested in the little things (like given such an otherwise unrelicameos for Canadian filmmakers able character, the story has more Denys Arcand, Atom Egoyan and than enough on its plate as it is. David Cronenberg) than bringing We get three weddings and at focus to the big picture. All the least one funeral, among other same, Giamatti’s ornery anti-hero events dutifully recounted from keeps us guessing as he learns his Mordechai Richler’s 1997 novel, lessons the hard way. his last. Richler’s self-lacerating Jewish characters put him in the Rated R for language and some company of Philip Roth and felsexual content. Two hours, 12 low Canadian Saul Bellow, whose minutes. “Herzog� makes a cameo in the — Peter Canavese hands of Barney’s true love. In hindsight, Barney’s good times in 1974 Rome turn out to be The Company Men absurdly short-lived. He hurtles --1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) Reheadlong into an ill-advised marriage to the pregnant, dissembling, cession-era America finally gets, unstable Clara (Rachel Lefevre), in “The Company Men,� a movie against the advice of his alco- that squarely addresses recessionholic writer buddy Boogie (Scott era America. But now that it’s here, it’s a bit hard to imagine who Speedman). Seeking the safety of conven- would want to see it. Those folks hit hardest by the tion back home in Montreal, Barney tries being a good boy by recession won’t put their discremarrying a pushy but “suitably� tionary dollars to seeing John Jewish girl (Minnie Driver), iden- Wells’ drama, and why should tified only as “the second Mrs. they? They’re living their own caP.� But the bad boy busts out at tharsis. I suppose working-class the wedding, as a disinterested folks may go to laugh and point Barney listens to a Stanley Cup at fallen executives (that’s entergame, drinks heavily, spars with tainment?). But I’m betting the his father-in-law and, for an en- most likely audience for this one core, professes his love to beauti- will be people like Wells himself: ful stranger Miriam (Rosamund comfortably wealthy individuals putting in liberal-guilt time and/or Pike). Barney seeks romantic advice executives in need of assuagement from his ex-cop father (Dustin that they’re still good people in a Hoffman), falls under investiga- dog-fire-dog economy. OK, I’m being a bit cynical, but tion for murder (by Mark Addy’s suspicious detective), marries Mir- the TV-bred Wells (“ER�) has iam, and divorces again, bringing written and directed “The Comthe story back around to miser- pany Men� without ever coloring able old Barney. Since the events outside the lines: It’s all a bit too are largely foretold, “Barney’s neat and obvious and predictable. Ben Affleck plays Bobby WalkVersion� isn’t so much about the “what� as the “how� and “why,� er, a middle-tier employee fired by and the filigrees of character Boston-based ship-building corpo-

ration Global Transportation Systems. After 12 years, he’s offered 12 weeks’ full pay and benefits, and a desk in a job-search center (the corporate buzz-speak for this courtesy is “outplacement�). Profoundly disappointed top-floor exec Gene McClary (ever-sturdy Tommy Lee Jones) can’t abide the tightening gyre of layoffs, but the company’s CEO (Craig T. Nelson) resolutely holds up this defense: “We have a responsibility. We work for the shareholders now.� Wells makes it abundantly clear that Bobby is a guy desperately in need of some humility. Accustomed to his lifestyle, he refuses to give up his country-club membership or consider selling his house, and getting the Porsche detailed never seemed more like a defense mechanism. The bubble of Bobby’s denial eventually bursts, as he processes the concern and hurt of his wife (Rosemary DeWitt) and teenage son Drew (Anthony O’Leary). Having first sneered at the offer, Bobby crawls back to his blue-collar brother-in-law Jack (Kevin Costner) for construction work; it’s one in a series of “indignities� that gets Bobby, once a “Master of the Universe� in training, back in touch with the human race. The early movements of “The Company Men� generate some interest with the semi-absurdist space of the job center and the suspense of how far into trouble Gene’s conscience will push him. (Some of that trouble involves Maria Bello’s exec, who draws up the layoff lists; Gene’s trysting with her behind the back of his socialite wife.) Less suspenseful is the character arc of Gene’s friend Phil (Chris Cooper), an account rep whose longterm loyalty to the company means he’s an expensive — and therefore eminently expendable — employee. Another betrayed company man, he’s unprepared for the cruelty of today’s job market. Wells structures his story to transparently didactic ends. After establishing Bobby as a horrible person, Wells allows him sunny redemption. Call it character shading, optimism or a cop-out, but neither Wells nor Affleck can make it ring true. Similarly, the film’s inspirational ending plays like wishful thinking. But at least it’s in tune with the rising chorus of these dark financial days, singing of a sensible scale of back-to-basics business in homegrown production. Rated R for language and brief nudity. One hour, 49 minutes. — Peter Canavese

The following is a sampling of movies recently reviewed in the Weekly: Blue Valentine ---(Aquarius, Century 20) At the film’s present-day outset, we find couple Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), along with young daughter Frankie (Faith Wladyka), living in that house in rural Pennsylvania. The early scenes show a functional family with everyday tensions, little fissures that eventually erupt. The point is pressed when the family dog goes missing, with an emotional fallout that sends Frankie to the grandparents for a spell and forces Dean and Cindy to deal with each other. In a clumsy bid for romance, Brooklyn-bred Dean insists: “We have to get out of this house. Let’s go get drunk and make love.� So the couple repairs to a honeymoon hotel and encamps in the cheesily decorated (and pointedly chosen) “Future Room.� The story unfolds in two timelines: the presentday and six years earlier, when the couple meet, court and marry. Rated R on appeal for strong graphic sexual content, language and a beating. One hour, 52 minutes. . — P.C. (Reviewed Jan. 7, 2011) The Fighter --1/2 (Century 20) Christian Bale plays a crackhead in mid-’90s Lowell, Mass. Ex-boxer Dicky Eklund milks his status as “The Pride of Lowell� as he struts the streets, crowing, “Making my comeback!� Walking a halfstep behind Dicky, younger half-brother Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) wears a weary smile. Co-dependency zig-zags through Micky’s extended family as he pursues his own light welterweight boxing career Micky trusts Dicky’s boxing instincts, but Micky’s no fool. When a promoter dangles a deal with the condition of “no crazy-time nonsense,� Micky recognizes the opportunity, though it takes the moral support of new girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams) to take a leap. Rated R for language throughout, drug content, some violence and sexuality. One hour, 54 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Dec. 17, 2010) The Green Hornet -1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the wastrel son of newspaper publisher James Reid (Tom Wilkinson), who defined his son’s future 20 years earlier by spitting, “Trying doesn’t matter because you always fail.� His father’s death nudges Britt into the daylight, but he has no ambitions for The Daily Sentinel. Only when he meets the family mechanic/barista Kato (Jay Chou of “Curse of the Golden Flower�) does Britt find inspiration: A drunken criminal escapade turns into an impromptu crime-fighting incident. Soon, Kato is putting his mechanical genius and martial-arts skills to heroic use, though Britt gets all the credit as the masked duo’s front man, the Green Hornet. Ponying up for a ticket at any price will teach you the true meaning of the hero’s battle cry, “You’ve just been stung!� Rated PG-13 for sequences of violent action, language, sensuality and drug content. One hour, 59 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Jan. 14, 2011) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 ---1/2 (Century 20) The boy wizard who has captivated audiences since his literary introduction in 1997 is ready for his final curtain call. Harry Potter is officially a young man in this film (“Part 2� is due out in July 2011). From the onset it is clear “Hallows� is a darker, more intense offering than past installments. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), are still reeling from the death of their beloved headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. But there is little time for grief. Dark wizards led by the serpentine Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) have seized control of the wizarding world, casting an ominous shadow on all things magical. Rated PG-13 for some sequences

of intense action and frightening images. 2 hours, 27 minutes. — T.H. (Reviewed Nov. 19, 2010) Rabbit Hole ---1/2 (Century 16) Eight months earlier, Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie’s (Aaron Eckhart) 4-year-old son, Danny, chased his dog into the street, and suburban bliss turned into an unyielding emotional claustrophobia. The odds are against the Corbetts salvaging their marriage; though they have thus far endured, tensions have begun to win out over tolerance. Their different grieving processes have yet to mesh. Howie finds day-to-day comfort in his memories and a support group, while the perpetually touchy Becca rejects painful keepsakes and those who claim to know what she’s feeling. Howie puts it succinctly: “Something’s gotta change.� Though the death of a child and potentially a marriage are unspeakably horrible, “Rabbit Hole� turns out to be improbably hopeful. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, some drug use and language. One hour, 32 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Jan. 14, 2011) Somewhere --1/2 (Century 16) Whiling away his off-set days at West Hollywood’s infamously dissolute Chateau Marmont Hotel, Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff ) has women flinging themselves at him. His agent, manager and personal assistant ensure he never has to think about his schedule. And though he’s divorced, he has a perfectly lovely 11-yearold daughter (Elle Fanning). “Who cares?� one might ask. Writer-director Sofia Coppola, whose “Somewhere� finds its central character peeking over the fence and wondering if the grass has turned a shade greener. Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language. One hour, 37 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Jan. 14, 2011) True Grit --(Century 16, Century 20) The Coen brothers place their indelible stamp on this impressive remake of the classic John Wayne western. Assertive young lass Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is determined to track down her father’s killer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), who is hiding out deep in rugged Indian territory. Mattie is headstrong and defiant, and seeks to hire only the very toughest bounty hunter to bring in Chaney. Enter Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a no-nonsense U.S. Marshal who speaks with a gruff voice and sports an eye patch. Also on Chaney’s trail (for a separate crime) is cocky Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon). After considerable dissention, the three odd companions elect to travel together in hopes of hunting down Chaney. Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of western violence including disturbing images. 2 hours, 8 minutes. — T.H. (Reviewed Dec. 24, 2010)

MOVIE TIMES Barney’s Version (R)

Guild Theatre: 1, 4, 7 & 9:50 p.m.

(((

Black Swan (R) (((

Century 16: 11:40 a.m.; 2:20, 5, 7:40 & 10:15 p.m. Century 20: 12:05, 2:45, 5:20, 8 & 10:35 p.m.

Blue Valentine (R) ((((

Aquarius Theatre: 2, 4:30, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Century 20: 11:20 a.m.; 2, 4:45, 7:35 & 10:20 p.m.

Cat People (1942)

Stanford Theatre: Sat.-Mon. at 7:30 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. also at 4:45 p.m.

The Company Men (R) ((1/2

Century 16: 11:30 a.m.; 2, 4:30, 7:30 & 10:10 p.m. Century 20: 11:55 a.m.; 2:35, 5:05, 7:40 & 10:10 p.m.

Country Strong (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 12:40, 3:50, 7 & 9:45 p.m. Century 20: 11:40 a.m. & 2:25 p.m.; Fri.-Tue. & Thu. also at 5:10, 7:55 & 10:40 p.m.

Dangerous (1935)

Stanford Theatre: Thu. at 7:30 p.m.

The Dilemma (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 11:55 a.m.; 2:30, 5:10, 7:50 & 10:30 p.m. Century 20: 11:15 a.m.; 12:10, 1:50, 2:50, 4:25, 5:25, 7:05, 8:05, 9:45 & 10:45 p.m.

Ex-Lady (1933)

Stanford Theatre: Fri. at 7:30 p.m.

The Fighter (R) ((1/2

Century 16: 12:10, 3:20, 6:40 & 9:40 p.m. Century 20: 11:50 a.m.; 2:55, 5:35 & 8:25 p.m.

Front Page Woman (1935)

Stanford Theatre: Fri. at 5:55 & 8:50 p.m.

The Green Hornet (PG-13) (1/2 Century 16: Noon, 3, 6:10 & 9:10 p.m.; In 3D at 1, 4, 7:20 & 10:05 p.m. Century 20: 12:20, 3:10 & 6 p.m.; In 3D at 11:30 a.m.; 1:15, 2:15, 4:05, 5, 7, 7:50, 9:50 & 10:45 p.m. Gulliver’s Travels (PG) (Not Reviewed)

Century 20: In 3D at noon, 2:30 & 4:40 p.m.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Century 20: 6:50 & 10:05 p.m. Hallows: Part 1 (PG-13) (((1/2 I Walked With a Zombie (1942) Stanford Theatre: Sat.-Mon. at 6:10 & 8:55 p.m. The King’s Speech (R) (((1/2 Century 20: 11:20 a.m.; 2:10, 4:55, 7:45 & 10:25 p.m. Palo Alto Square: 1:30, 3, 4:20 & 7:15 p.m.; Fri.-Tue. & Thu. also at 5:55 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. also at 8:45 & 10 p.m. Little Fockers (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 2:15 & 7:25 p.m. Century 20: 11:35 a.m.; 2:10, 4:35, 7:10 & 9:35 p.m.

The Metropolitan Opera: Century 20: Wed. at 6:30 p.m. Palo Alto Square: Wed. at 6:30 p.m. La Fanciulla del West (Not Rated) (Not Reviewed) No Strings Attached (R) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 11:35 a.m.; 2:10, 4:50, 7:35 & 10:20 p.m. Century 20: 11:35 a.m.; 1, 2:20, 3:40, 4:50, 6:15, 7:30, 8:55 & 10:15 p.m.; Sun. also at 10:25 a.m.

Rabbit Hole (PG-13) (((1/2

Century 16: 11:30 a.m.; 1:50, 4:10, 7:10 & 9:35 p.m.

Season of the Witch (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 11:45 a.m.; 4:40 & 9:55 p.m.

The Social Network (PG-13) (((1/2

Aquarius Theatre: 2:30, 5:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Somewhere (R) ((1/2

Century 16: 12:05, 2:40, 5:15, 8 & 10:25 p.m.

Special Agent (1935)

Stanford Theatre: Thu. at 6 & 9 p.m.

Tangled (PG) (((

Century 16: In 3D at 12:30, 3:30, 6:20 & 8:45 p.m. Century 20: 11:25 a.m.; 1:45 & 4:15 p.m.; In 3D at 12:45, 3:15, 5:45, 8:10 & 10:30 p.m.; In 3D Sun. also at 10:20 a.m.

The Tourist (PG-13) (1/2 Tron: Legacy (PG) ((1/2

Century 20: 8:50 p.m. Century 16: In 3D at 12:15, 3:10, 6:30 & 9:20 p.m. Century 20: 6:55 & 9:55 p.m.; In 3D at 11:45 a.m.; 2:40, 5:30 & 8:30 p.m.

True Grit (PG-13) (((

Century 16: 11:50 a.m.; 12:50, 2:25, 3:25, 5:05, 6:50, 7:55, 9:30 & 10:30 p.m. Century 20: 11:15 a.m.; 1:55, 3:05, 4:40, 5:55, 7:20, 8:40 & 10 p.m.

The Way Back (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 12:20, 3:40, 7:05 & 10:10 p.m.

Yogi Bear (PG) (Not Reviewed) Century 20: 12:25 p.m.; Sun. also at 10:15 a.m.

( Skip it (( Some redeeming qualities ((( A good bet (((( Outstanding Aquarius: 430 Emerson St., Palo Alto (266-9260)

(493-3456)

Century Cinema 16: 1500 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View (800-326-3264)

Guild: 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (266-9260)

Century 20 Downtown: 825 Middlefield Road, Redwood City (800-326-3264)

Stanford: 221 University Ave., Palo Alto (324-3700) Internet address: For show times, plot synopses, trailers and more information about films playing, go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com.

CinĂŠArts at Palo Alto Square: 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

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PIZZA Pizza Chicago 424-9400 4115 El Camino Real, Palo Alto This IS the best pizza in town

of the week

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POLYNESIAN AMERICAN

CHINESE

Armadillo Willy’s 941-2922

Peking Duck 321-9388

1031 N. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos

151 S. California Avenue, Palo Alto

Range: $5.00-13.00

We also deliver.

Hobee’s 856-6124 4224 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Also at Town & Country Village, Palo Alto 327-4111

Su Hong – Menlo Park Dining Phone: 323–6852

Burmese

8 years in a row!

Green Elephant Gourmet

INDIAN

(650) 494-7391 Burmese & Chinese Cuisine

Darbar Indian Cuisine 321-6688

3950 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto

129 Lytton, Downtown Palo Alto

(Charleston Shopping Center)

Lunch Buffet M-F; Open 7 days

Dine-In, Take-Out, Local Delivery-Catering

Chef Chu’s (650) 948-2696

Janta Indian Restaurant 462-5903

THAI

ITALIAN

Thaiphoon Restaurant 323-7700 543 Emerson St., Palo Alto Full Bar, Outdoor Seating www.thaiphoonrestaurant.com Best Thai Restaurant in Palo Alto 5 Years in a Row, 2006-2010

Spalti Ristorante 327-9390 417 California Ave, Palo Alto

Jing Jing 328-6885

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www.spalti.com

Authentic Szechwan, Hunan Food To Go, Delivery www.jingjinggourmet.com

JAPANESE & SUSHI Fuki Sushi 494-9383

Ming’s 856-7700 1700 Embarcadero East, Palo Alto www.mings.com

New Tung Kee Noodle House

Siam Orchid 325-1994 496 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto Organic Thai Free Delivery to Palo Alto/Stanford 4-6 p.m. 25% off menu M-F

4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Open 7 days a Week

STEAKHOUSE

MEXICAN

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 Fri-Sat 5:00-10:30pm, Sun 5:00-9:00pm www.sundancethesteakhouse.com

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

Palo Alto Sol 328-8840

Prices start at $4.75

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Scott’s Seafood 323-1555 #1 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto Open 7 days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner Happy Hour 7 days a week 4-7 pm Full Bar, Banquets, Outdoor Seating www.scottsseafoodpa.com

Lunch Buffet M-F; Organic Veggies

2008 Best Chinese MV Voice & PA Weekly

Cook’s Seafood 325-0604 751 El Camino Real, Menlo Park Seafood Dinners from $6.95 to $10.95

369 Lytton Ave., Downtown Palo Alto

1067 N. San Antonio Road on the corner of El Camino, Los Altos

SEAFOOD

To Go: 322–4631 Winner, Palo Alto Weekly “Best Of�

CHINESE

Trader Vic’s 849-9800 4269 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Dinner Mon-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 5-11pm; Sun 4:30 - 9:30pm Available for private luncheons Lounge open nightly Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-6 pm

Dine-in, Pick-up & Delivery 115 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto 650.324.3131 133 Main St, Los Altos 650.947.7768 Open 7 days 11:00-9:00 Delivery from door to door

NEW SPOT! great for teen parties

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

1ST PLACE

BEST SPORTS COVERAGE California Newspaper Publishers Association

SENIOR BOWL . . . Stanford ended its football season on a high note by winning the Orange Bowl and finishing 12-1. That, however, didn’t end the campaign for everyone on the team. On Wednesday, linebacker/fullback Owen Marecic and nose guard Sione Fua were included among the 13 players from the Pacific10 Conference to have accepted invitations to participate in the 62nd Under Armour Senior Bowl on January 29 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m.( PT) and will be televised on the NFL Network. Marecic was a first team All-America selection by the American Football Coaches Association of America. Fua, who anchored Stanford’s defensive line from the nose guard position, earned second team All-Pac-10 recognition.

John Todd/StanfordPhoto.com

LIN BACK IN RENO . . . Palo Alto High graduate Jeremy Lin is back in the NBA Development League and flourishing once again, after languishing on the Golden State Warriors’ bench. Since returning to the Reno Bighorns, the Warriors’ affiliate, Lin has taken over the team’s scoring lead with 19.1 points a game in eight appearances. In his past three games with Reno, Lin has scored 60 points. In his last outing on Sunday in a 109-102 win over Texas, Lin had 17 points with four rebounds and three assists. He’s currently averaging 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game with Reno. Lin was sent by the Warriors to Reno on Jan. 10, his second assignment with the Bighorns. The first came on Dec. 28 and lasted four games before Golden State recalled him. Lin played sparingly on his return and was reassigned to the D League. He scored 21 points in a 111-102 win over Maine in his first game back on Jan. 12, then tallied 22 points in a 117-93 win over Sioux Falls on Jan. 13 and added 21 against Texas last Saturday in a 108-85 victory by Reno. In his four games since his return, Lin has scored 81 points.

Paul Llewellyn/Photo Illustration

Sports Shorts

Stanford senior Hilary Barte (left) and Cardinal junior Bradley Klahn both are coming off seasons where Barte helped the women’s tennis team win an NCAA title in addition to her claiming a doubles crown while Klahn won the men’s NCAA singles title. Both Stanford teams open their home seasons next week.

A chance to mirror each other’s success Stanford men’s and women’s tennis teams want to win the NCAA championships that they’ll be hosting by Rick Eymer

S

everal similarities exist between the men’s and women’s tennis teams at Stanford University, but there’s only one thing each would love to share and that’s to be the last team standing at the end of the year. With the NCAA tournament slated for Taube Tennis Center this season, winning a national championship in front of the home crowd would be something special.

“It’s always in the back of my mind,� Stanford men’s coach John Whitlinger said. “And I will bring it up. It’s such a cool feeling. In 2006, when we beat Duke in the Round of 16 in front of a full house, it was incredible.� The Cardinal women won the national title at Stanford in 2006 and are the defending national champs heading into this season. There’s a lot to be accomplished before the big two-week event opens

Stanford junior Bradley Klahn is the defending NCAA singles champion and successfully defended his singles title at the Sherwood Cup last week. He also brought home the doubles crown. Senior Hilary Barte is part of the defending NCAA doubles championship team and successfully defended her title at the National Collegiate Tennis Classic. Both teams lost an important play(continued on page 27)

PREP ROUNDUP

Gunn-Paly hoop games offer more than rivalries by Keith Peters he Palo Alto-Gunn rivalry is always big, no matter the sport and the teams’ records. Throw in unbeaten records and a chance to take over sole possession of first place in league play, and the rivalry is all the more intense. That’s the scenario for the schools’ basketball teams when they meet Friday night at Palo Alto High. The girls’ game will match Gunn (5-0, 13-2) and Palo Alto (4-0, 11-4) at 6:15 p.m. The winner will take over the top spot in the SCVAL De Anza Division while relegating the loser to second place. “I think it will be a fun game to play,� said Paly coach Scott Peters, whose team lost twice to Gunn last season. “Defense and turnovers. Looking forward to the game.� As is Gunn coach Sarah Stapp. “Should be a lot of fun,� she said. “I’m just hoping that we can take care of the ball better than we did in both of our games against Paly last year. For us, that will be the key to the game. Both teams are athletic and rely heavily on their defensive effort and steals forced, which

T

ON THE AIR Saturday Men’s basketball: Stanford at UCLA, 11 a.m.; CBS (5); XTRA (860 AM); KZSU (90.1 FM) Women’s basketball: USC at Stanford, 2 p.m.; KZSU (90.1 FM)

Thursday Women’s basketball: Stanford at Oregon, 6 p.m.; Comcast Sports Net Bay Area; KZSU (90.1 FM) Men’s basketball: Oregon at Stanford, 7 p.m.; XTRA (860 AM); KZSU (90.1 FM) Vivian Wong

READ MORE ONLINE

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

in mid-May and the first steps are next week. The Stanford men enter the season ranked eighth in the nation, while the Cardinal women are No. 1, a far cry from last year’s No. 13 preseason ranking. National titles do a lot for voters’ perception. The Stanford men open at home against Sacramento State at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. The women host UC Davis next Wednesday in their opener at 3 p.m.

Palo Alto’s Emilee Osagiede (45) and Gunn’s Cat Perez will renew their battles on Friday night at Paly with first place on the line.

create an early offense.� The Gunn girls come in riding a fivegame winning streak, the most recent triumph coming Wednesday in a 60-31 win over Wilcox. Paly beat the Chargers last week, 39-9. Gunn and Paly actually have played six common opponents this season, with neither losing. The Titans have averaged 58.3 points in those games while allowing 34.7, with the Vikings’ averages at 52.1 and 35. Gunn allowed 207 points while Paly gave up 208. The teams are that close. For the Gunn girls to win, they need a similar effort like the one they had against Wilcox. Junior Cat Perez had 21 points with nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks. Freshman Zoe Zwerling added 15 points with three rebounds, three assists and four steals while sophomore Claire Klausner and junior Julia Maggioncalda combined for 17 points, five rebounds and seven steals. Gunn needs to press and cause turnovers, pretty much Paly’s game plan. The Titans have scored at least 60 points in their past (continued on page 26)

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Sports

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ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Steve is passionate about working to help lift children out of poverty, violence, and neglect. After earning his M.A. from ITP, Steve founded a counseling program in East Palo Alto, a culturally rich but underserved community. “ITP changed my life, and now, working together with wonderful ITP interns, we are changing the lives of hundreds of kids by helping their families strengthen and stabilize.�

Find out more: www.itp.edu/steve Academic Programs: On-Campus & Online r Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology r 1Äľ % Ĝĝ 5Ĺ€ĎĝŠĽIJĹ€ŠğĝĎĚ 1Ĺ ĹˆİľğĚğĴĹˆ r . " Ĝĝ $ÄźĹƒĝŠIJĚĜĝĴ 1Ĺ ĹˆİľğĚğĴĹˆ .'5 -ĜİIJĝŠĹƒĹ€IJ

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Hailie Eackles

Joseph Bolous

Pinewood School

Sacred Heart Prep

The senior forward scored 46 points with 21 rebounds, nine steals and five assists in two wins-- making eight treys and scoring 32 points against Menlo -- as the Panthers remained unbeaten and atop the WBAL basketball race.

The sophomore forward had a goal and one assist in a 2-0 soccer victory over Priory and added two goals in a 4-1 win over rival Menlo as the Gators beat two top contenders and improved to 4-0 in the WBAL and to 9-0 overall.

Honorable mention Sydney Davis Palo Alto basketball

Gina Graumann Sacred Heart Prep soccer

Ahjalee Harvey* Eastside Prep basketball

Claire Klausner* Gunn basketball

Miranda Seto Pinewood basketball

Zoe Zwerling Gunn basketball

Anthony Cannon Gunn basketball

Cole McConnell Sacred Heart Prep basketball

Reed McConnell Sacred Heart Prep basketball

Will McConnell* Sacred Heart Prep basketball

Isaac Polkinhorne Sacred Heart Prep soccer

Matt Redfield Gunn basketball * previous winner

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

ÂŽ

Prep roundup (continued from page 25)

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three games. The Vikings need to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Paly can be very good on defense (nine points vs. Wilcox) or just the opposite (65 against Terra Nova). Gunn has no senior starters while Paly goes with seniors Katerina Peterson and Sydney Davis. The Gunn at Paly boys’ game at 7:45 p.m. should be just as competitive. Both teams, however, come into the showdown having lost their last game — both to Cupertino. Paly lost last Friday, 45-40, while Gunn fell on Tuesday, 50-42. The Titans (4-1, 12-5) and Vikings (3-1, 9-6) are essentially tied for the division lead, with the winner earning sole possession of the top spot. Gunn has an all-senior starting lineup of Taylor Perricone, Jack Hannan, Matt Redfield, Cody Carefoot and Anthony Cannon. Paly, under first-year coach Adam Sax, is averaging 56.6 ppg with a lineup that includes sophomore EJ Floreal, junior Israel Hakim, senior Max Schmarzo, junior Alec Wong, senior Davante Adams, sophomores

Mathias Schmutz and Aldis Petriceks plus junior Tori Prati. Paly is potentially more explosive, having surpassed 60 points six times with two games over 70. Gunn has scored 60 or more only twice. Prior to the boys’ game, the Palo Alto football team will be presented with the Army National Guard national ranking trophy, as part of the sixth annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions. The Vikings finished No. 13 in the final MaxPreps national rankings and is one of 50 schools being honored on this season’s tour that recognizes the finest high school football teams in the country. Boys’ soccer Gunn (1-2-2, 2-6-4) won its first match since Dec. 4, finally ending a streak of 10 matches without a victory with a 1-0 triumph over visiting Santa Clara in a SCVAL De Anza Division match on Wednesday. The winning goal came four minutes into the second half when a Santa Clara player tried to clear the ball from his own box, and it ricocheted off the leg of Gunn’s Sammy Hayward and into the Bruins’ cage for the only goal of the game. N

Sports

Stanford tennis (continued from page 25)

er to graduation — Richard Wire and Lindsay Burdette — but return at least four players who won more than 20 matches each last season. The men have three players currently ranked among the top 61 while the women have five players ranked among the top 80. Both teams also play in one of the toughest conferences in the country. The men shared the Pac-10 title with USC and California last year. The Trojans are the defending national champs. USC enters the year ranked second, while UCLA is sixth. The women won their 22nd Pac-10 title in 23 years last season, but their only loss was to the Bruins, who are ranked fourth entering the season. Cal is ranked 10th and claims the nation’s top player in Jana Juricova. There has been at least one Pac10 women’s team in the national championship match every year beginning with 1999. The Cardinal women also bring the longest home winning streak (164 matches) among all sports in Division I athletics into the season. Lele Forood has a coaching record of 259-16 (76-3 in the Pac-10) and six national titles. Her teams have gone undefeated four times and have lost two or less four other years. Whitlinger is 93-52, including 40-12 over the past two years. The tennis programs have com-

bined to win 32 of Stanford’s 99 NCAA titles. The men own 17 of those championships and the women possess 15. The men’s water polo team is third on the list with 10 NCAA titles. Klahn (41-8 last year, 76-17 overall) heads an experienced group that also includes seniors Alex Clayton (ranked 61st in the nation), Greg Hirshman and Ted Kelly. The former top-ranked boys’ 18 player is 37-10 in dual meets and has never played below the No. 2 spot. Klahn, ranked 15th, was the National Rookie of the Year in 2009. He was the Pac-10 champion as a freshman and finished second last year. “He’s really and getting better,� Whitlinger said. Clayton, bothered by injuries the past two years, was the National Rookie of the Year in 2008 and won the Pac-10 title. He’s 83-33 over his first three years and has played just five of his 66 dual meets lower than the No. 2 spot. He was 22-12 last season. “He’s still not 100 percent but he’s a competitor,� Whitlinger said. “He’s a talented player and had a

good fall.� Hirshman won 25 of 33 matches last year, winning at least once at every spot on the ladder from No. 3 through No. 6. Kelly has proven to be a valuable doubles player, with an overall mark of 34-26. Klahn and fellow junior Ryan Thacher reached the semifinals of the NCAA doubles tournament last year and are currently ranked 16th. Thacher, ranked 41st in singles, was 26-8 last year and is 46-17 overall. Sacred Heart Prep grad Jamie Hutter has appeared in a couple of matches for the Cardinal. Denis Lin is the top returning sophomore, winning 19 of 28 singles matches and 24 of 34 doubles matches. He was also versatile, winning matches everywhere he played in the lineup. Sophomore Matt Kandath adds significant depth, carrying a 16-10 singles record and an 18-11 doubles mark into the season. Kandath and Lin were 18-9 as a doubles team. Walter Kehrer and Sam Ecker complete the sophomore class. Kehrer was a valuable doubles player

nation of exquisite shot-making and much more power and penetration to her strokes.� Fellow seniors Carolyn McVeigh (24-9) and Jennifer Yen add leadership qualities to the team. McVeigh has won at least 24 singles matches in each of her first three seasons and is 56-17 in dual meets. Yen is 35-20 in singles matches. Junior Veronica Li has won several important matches for the Cardinal over the past two years and went 22-3 in dual meets last year. Mallory Burdette, 36-5 last year, ranks 31st in the nation and forms the third-ranked doubles team with Barte. The Pac-10 Freshman of the Year recorded the clinching point in Stanford’s 4-3 win over Florida in last year’s NCAA championship match. Sophomore Stacey Tan won 30 matches last year and is currently ranked 47th. She won 28 doubles matches with Burdette. Sophomore Natalie Dillon adds depth to the roster. Newcomers Kristie Ahn and Nicole Gibbs have already shown they will be factors this season. N

It took more than a year to get a diagnosis. When I went to Stanford’s Dermatology Clinic, I finally found a dermatologist who truly listened to what I said—and then actually DID something about it. —Cindy W., Stanford patient

COLLEGE CALENDAR FRIDAY, Jan. 21 Women’s squash Stanford at Yale, 8 a.m. Stanford vs. Bowdoin at Yale, 2 p.m. Men’s swimming Stanford at Arizona, 2 p.m. Women’s swimming Stanford at Arizona, 2 p.m. Men’s volleyball Stanford at Hawaii, 10 p.m. SATURDAY, Jan. 22 Women’s water polo Stanford vs. Hartwick at Michigan, 6:15 a.m. Women’s squash Stanford vs. Brown at Yale, 10 a.m. Men’s basketball Stanford at UCLA, 11 a.m. Men’s swimming Stanford at Arizona State, 1 p.m. Women’s water polo Stanford vs. Loyola Marymount at Michigan, 1:45 p.m. Women’s basketball USC at Stanford, 2 p.m. Women’s squash Stanford vs. George Washington at Yale, 3 p.m. Women’s basketball William Jessup at Menlo, 5:30 p.m. Men’s gymnastics California at Stanford, 7 p.m. Men’s basketball William Jessup at Menlo, 7:30 p.m. SUNDAY, Jan. 23 Women’s water polo Stanford vs. Indiana at Michigan, 5:30 a.m. Stanford at Michigan, 11:45 a.m. Women’s gymnastics UCLA at Stanford (Burnham Pavilion), 2 p.m. Wrestling Stanford at Oregon State, 7 p.m. Men’s volleyball Stanford at Hawaii, 8 p.m.

last year. Menlo School grad Jamin Ball, a freshman, has impressed Whitlinger and could find his way into the lineup at some point. “He has things he needs to work on but I see him helping us down the road,� Whitlinger said. “He’s done very well and is competing for a spot in the lineup.� Fawaz Hourani and Daniel Ho complete the roster. Hourani was a member of Jordan’s Davis Cup team last year. Ho was the top 14s player in China. “The lineup is not completely set yet,� Whitlinger said. “It is going to be competitive. We’re hoping to build on a home court advantage as we focus on the day-to-day details.� Barte, ranked fifth, has carved out a special place in the Stanford record books, having won 63 of 69 matches played at the No. 1 position over her career. She’s 3-3 elsewhere in the lineup. “Hilary established herself as one of the top players in college tennis during her freshman year with a long, impressive win streak,� Forood said. “Her game is a combi-

Stanford Dermatology Center offers a full range of medical and surgical dermatology services in a patient friendly environment. Whether you’re suffering from a common condition or a difďŹ cult-to-manage disease, Stanford Dermatology’s team has broad experience in treating all skin conditions—from the common to the complex.

NEW EXTENDED HOURS Mon – Fri: 8:00am – 4:30pm

Make an appointment, call 650.723.6316 or visit: stanfordhospital.org/dermatology

450 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA 94063 *>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?ÞÊUĂŠ >Â˜Ă•>ÀÞÊÓ£]ĂŠĂ“䣣ĂŠU Page 27

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