Palo Alto Weekly 07.29.2011 - section 1

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East Palo Alto vows to take back streets Page 3 w w w.PaloA ltoOnline.com

Palo Alto speeds ahead with traffic-calming projects PAGE 14

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Spectrum 12

Movies 22

Eating Out 25

Puzzles 45

N Arts Alienation, ambiguity at Jewish ďŹ lm festival

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N Sports New swim star at Stanford

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N Home Big, green and not the least bit ‘modern’

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Upfront

Local news, information and analysis

Police: Outrage over homicides leads to tips Major leads in recent East Palo Alto killings mark turning point for community, leaders say

by Sue Dremann fter decades of adhering to a 3-month-old Izack Jesus Jimenez “no-snitch� culture, East Palo Garcia, has been crucial to solving Alto residents are coming for- murders that have rocked the city ward with tips about recent murders since July 13, police Chief Ronald as they never have before, East Palo Davis said last week. Within 48 Alto police are saying. hours, police received several credThat sea change, prompted in ible tips that led to the identification part by the June shooting death of of three suspects in two killings and

A

a possible connection to a third that occurred July 24, he said.

Perhaps most surprisingly, the willingness to come forward is coming from young people, community leaders said. “People are drawing a line in the sand and saying they are not going to tolerate this violence. Three homicides in a week is crazy. We should be outraged,� Davis said, just days before 19-year-old Kevin Guzman was gunned down outside an

East Bayshore Road pizzeria — the fourth homicide in 12 days.

Davis all but predicted the renewed violence after a July 6 summit of federal, state, county and local law-enforcement agencies, where Davis publicly vowed to shut down the entrenched Norteno and Sureno gangs.

The first of the four homicides occurred a week later. Nineteen-yearold Menlo Park resident Catherine Fisher was fatally shot as she and

two others sat in a car. Police said she was not the intended target.

Two East Palo Alto residents, Jabari Banford, 23, and Hugo Chavez, 26, were gunned down July 18 and 19. Then Guzman was killed and an 18-year-old was wounded on July 24. “How I feel about these recent deaths is certainly disgust,� East Palo Alto resident Whitney Ge(continued on page 7)

COMMUNITY

Two’s a crowd?

Plan for second Palo Alto Lions Club draws roars from existing club members

gathered and stayed together until dawn.

By 5 a.m. Saturday, Cindy Howard began mounting a memorial website (www.robertandanamaria. com), which quickly grew into a venue for expressions of shock, grief and the sharing of memories, photos and information from friends and family around the world.

Friends, neighbors and PTA colleagues sprang into action to prepare meals and help plan memorials, Cindy Howard said. “We’re supported by a lot of people,� she said. “Ana Maria’s family is also uniquely close, and they’re gathering and doing that same kind of

by Jeff Carr t a meeting of the Palo Alto City Council last month, Jack Van Eton announced an opportunity for District 4-C4 of Lions Clubs International, which covers the Peninsula, to form a new club in Palo Alto. Despite the organization’s reputation for community service, the seemingly innocuous announcement didn’t sit well with one group: the Lions Club of Palo Alto.

Current club members said that creation of a second Palo Alto branch is unnecessary in a time of dwindling membership and could even create unwelcome competition between the groups. “We are not for it,� said Robert Stoudt, who was the president of the existing Palo Alto club until July 1. “We’d like to see the district build up our numbers.� “The word I would use is ‘disappointment,’� new president Bill Downey said. The club’s roster of 31 members puts it “on the larger side,� he admitted, but numbers are dropping. “We’re stretched.�

Downey said an ideal club size might be 40, and he too would like to see the district help with recruiting instead of forming what he sees as a competitor.

Al Russell, extension chair for the district, said the rationale for starting a second Palo Alto branch is that one club can’t serve the needs of a community of more than 60,000 residents.

Russell has helped start four other clubs on the Peninsula in recent years. But in this instance, problems arose because then-district governor Mike Simonini left the Palo Alto club and its board of directors

(continued on page 8)

(continued on page 6)

A

Veronica Weber

That’s using their noodles!

Camp Avenidas participants Andrew Robell, left, Beverley Altman and Werner Wadensweiler use foam noodles during their waterexercise workout. The camp is a three-day summer program at Channing House featuring exercise, lectures and social events for seniors.

COMMUNITY

Friends, relatives remember family of four Vacationing Palo Alto couple, daughters, die in Canadian highway crash

by Chris ll four members of a Palo Alto family, who died last Friday (July 22) in a car accident in Canada, will be remembered at services Friday (July 29) in Turlock and Sunday in Palo Alto.

Robert Howard, 49, his wife AnaMaria Dias, 50, and their daughters

A

Kenrick Samantha, 11, and Veronica, 9, were on vacation in British Columbia’s Kootenay National Park when a tractor-trailer crossed the dividing line and collided with their Dodge camper, pinning it against a barrier and causing it to ignite.

Sunday’s Palo Alto service, to be

held outdoors at El Carmelo Elementary School — where Dias had been a PTA president and volunteer — is being organized by Howard’s closeknit family and a host of neighbors and PTA friends.

A Roman Catholic service, to be held Friday in Turlock, was organized by Dias’ family, 1975 refugees from the Angolan civil war who settled in the Napa Valley before retiring to the Central Valley.

Surviving family members got news of the accident in the early hours of Saturday, according to Cindy Howard of Palo Alto, the wife of Robert Howard’s brother John.

Robert Howard’s three siblings and father, Stanford engineering professor Ronald Howard — all of whom live in the immediate area —

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Upfront

PUBLISHER William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jocelyn Dong, 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 Tom Gibboney, Spectrum 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 Jeff Carr, Janelle Eastman, Aaron Guggenheim, Casey Moore, Editorial Interns Leslie Shen, Arts & Entertainment Intern DESIGN Shannon Corey, Design Director Raul Perez, Assistant Design Director Linda Atilano, Diane Haas, Scott Peterson, Paul Llewellyn, Senior Designers Gary Vennarucci, Designer PRODUCTION Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager Dorothy Hassett, Samantha Mejia, Blanca Yoc, Sales & Production Coordinators

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

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450 CAMBRIDGE AVE, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 (650) 326-8210

I refuse to be scared to step outside or walk down the street.

—Tameeka Bennett, East Palo Alto resident, on the need for people to stand up to violence. See story on page 3.

Around Town SO LONG, FAREWELL ...

After more than 70 years of collecting local trash and dishing out compost, the Palo Alto Landfill closed its gates for the final time on Thursday afternoon.

The Baylands facility has been the subject of much intrigue over the past two years, with city officials still undecided on what to do with local yard trimmings in the long haul. Local environmentalists are unlikely to shed any tears for the vast facility, which will soon be converted to parkland. Several planned to mark the occasion by sinking shovels into the dump for the last time on Thursday. But the local dump wasn’t always seen as a pariah. According to “Palo Alto: A Centennial History,� back in the day the landfill was a “social center of sorts,� noxious fumes notwithstanding. “Friends and neighbors hailed one another there, and children who rode with their parents found it a treasurehunting ground.� City Manager James Keene said the city has been making significant outreach to businesses and residents to advise them of the landfill’s closure. With the dump gone, residents who wish to dispose of their garbage and yard trimmings are asked to bring them to the Sunnyvale Materials and Recovery Station (SMaRT) at 201 Carl Road, Sunnyvale.

SPEAKING OF WASTE ...

Beauty, it is often said, is in the eye of the beholder. So, apparently, is waste. The City Council on Monday approved the creation of a new “fraud, waste and abuse� hotline for employees, but only after a lengthy debate over whether “waste� should be included in the hotline’s title. Council members Pat Burt and Greg Scharff both argued that unlike fraud and abuse, which are fairly easy to define because they entail illegal activity, defining “waste� is a tricky, highly subjective process.

City Auditor Michael Edmonds said “waste� generally would mean excessive and careless purchases and “poor use of city resources.� But Burt and Scharff both wondered if the city’s newly created anonymous hotline should focus on waste. City Manager James Keene also expressed some concern about potential “waste� complaints. “If we waste a lot of resources looking at waste complaints, that may be a factor we need to bring to the council,�

Keene said. The council ultimately decided (with Burt and Scharff dissenting), that “waste� should remain part of the hotline’s title.

The new line will be instituted for 18 months on a trial basis.

Though the council approved by a 7-1 vote, with Scharff voting no, some city officials had expressed anxieties about the fact that workers can now issue complaints behind the mask of anonymity. “I would hope that the majority of complaints that we get do not require an anonymous hotline for them to come forward,� Keene said Monday. “If they do, we have a very big cultural problem in this organization.�

DEFYING GRAVITY ... San Francisco residents could be forgiven if they mistook Palo Alto police and fire Chief Dennis Burns for Spider-Man last Saturday. Burns was one of about 70 people who raised money for Special Olympics by rappelling from the 38-story Grand Hyatt hotel in Union Square. On Monday, he received major kudos from City Manager James Keene and Mayor Sid Espinosa for raising close to $4,000 in the event.

But there was one thing that the chief refused to do, Keene said. “We did, as staff, put together a spandex superhero suit for him to wear, which he declined to wear,�

Keene said.

FOUR-WHEEL HOMES ... Palo Alto’s plan to ban living in vehicles was put on hold this week, after a chorus of protests from homeless residents and advocates. But the council’s decision to delay the discussion until September didn’t stop about 15 people from addressing the City Council on the topic. Given that item’s postponement, the council took the rare step of voting to give each speaker only one minute to say his or her piece (speakers typically get three minutes). Councilman Larry Klein said that because the issue will be discussed in detail by the council’s Policy and Services Committee at a future date, it would be a “waste of council’s time or public’s time for any meaningful discussion to be had on the merits or demerits of the problemâ€? at Monday’s meeting. In the meantime, concerned residents and homeless advocates plan to hold meetings and come up with an alternative plan. â–

Upfront

Avenidas presents the 8th Annual

EDUCATION

Less memorizing, more engagement, science panel says Stanford physicist leads project that will affect nation’s K-12 classrooms

by Chris Kenrick

L

ess memorization and deeper engagement is the way of the future for K-12 science classrooms, says Stanford University physicist Helen Quinn.

Quinn chaired a top-level committee of the National Research Council, which last week released a 282-page report calling for a new approach to science education.

The first such review in 15 years, the Framework for K-12 Science Education Standards is likely to affect the way science is taught in all 50 states, with consequences for lowperforming schools as well as highend districts such as Palo Alto.

The framework also will form the basis for “common core standards� in science, similar to those already in place for math and language arts. The existing common core standards have been adopted by 44 states, including California.

Quinn, a theoretical physicist and professor at Stanford since 2003, has long been interested in science education, running summer programs

for teachers and bringing college is? Those things need to match.� students from around the country to If someone walked into discusdo research at the SLAC sions about energy in National Accelerator today’s classes in biolLaboratory. ogy, chemistry and physShe retired from SLAC ics, “you’d be hard put to last year to devote herself figure out they’re talking full time to the science about the same thing,� framework committee which is confusing to “without feeling guilty kids, Quinn said. about not doing any The framework stresses physics.� core ideas in four areas: In an interview last physical science, life sciHelen Quinn week, she described the ences, earth and space committee work as “enorsciences and engineering, mous and fascinating intellectually. technology and the application of sci“One of the challenges was to ence. make the parallels across the disciIt incorporates new scientific findplines (biology, chemistry, physics) ings of the past 15 years, in areas such that they are coherent, so that such as DNA and climate change. what students are learning about enIt also incorporates research on ergy in the physical science stream how kids learn, Quinn said. matches what they’re asked to apply “The research says that kids don’t in life science. change their mindset by being told “For example, if you talk about a fact. the water cycle and you don’t know “For kids to really understand an the particulate nature of matter, how (continued on page 7) do you understand what evaporation

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Register at Avenidas.org or call (650) 289-5435.

Where age is just a number

CITY HALL

City banks on Stanford cash for major projects Council hopes to use $40 million on ‘meaningful,’ ‘transformative’ projects

by Gennady Sheyner

P

alo Alto officials are just starting the long process of allocating about $40 million that the city is scheduled to receive from Stanford University Medical Center. But the City Council agreed Monday night the funds should not be used to balance budgets but rather to fund big, ambitious projects with visible, long-term impacts.

The money, which Stanford agreed to provide in order to get the city’s permission for a major hospital expansion, is scheduled to come in three installments, with the first, $15.7 million installment due later this summer. The council kicked off what promises to be a long process of allocating the funds when it directed Mayor Sid Espinosa to appoint two council members to an advisory committee. The committee, which will also include two Stanford officials, is charged with determining how to spend $4 million allocated for community health programs.

In addition to this $4 million, Stanford is also slated to provide $23.2 million for “infrastructure, sustainable neighborhood and affordable housing� and $12 million for initiatives relating to climate change.

The city in July approved Stanford’s Renewal Project for its hospital facilities, which will exceed the city’s zoning code and has been commonly described as the “biggest development project in the city’s

history� — a 1.3 million square foot expansion.

Though the city continues to face years of projected budget deficits, council members and City Manager James Keene said Monday night that the Stanford money should not be the answer to Palo Alto’s short-term fiscal woes. Instead, Keene advised the council to proceed “methodically and cautiously� in considering how to leverage the funds into “transformative investments� in the community.

Keene said it’s too early to discuss what exactly the funds would be spent on, except for the $2 million that the council has already agreed to use to support Project Safety Net, the city’s effort to promote youth well-being. This week’s discussion focused not on specific items that the money would fund but on the process the city will use for allocation. The council’s Policy and Services Committee and its Finance Committee are expected to be heavily involved in this process in the coming years. “This is a lot of money that needs to be handled in a responsible and thoughtful way,� Councilwoman Gail Price said Monday. “I think it will be an incredibly important discussion.�

But while the Monday discussion was short on specifics, council members made it clear that they want the funds to be used for ambitious, long-term investments.

Councilman Greg Scharff said the funds should be used on projects that have at least a 20-year horizon. He specified that the money should not be used as a “stop-gap measure� and agreed that the projects should be “meaningful� and “transformative.� “We want to make sure we don’t fritter it away on small things that don’t have a lot of impact on our community,� Scharff said.

Espinosa agreed and said the money should be used for projects that have “real impacts that Palo Altans will notice, whether traffic or biking in particular, that really have some connection to the project and really are noticeable in their lives.� “It’s unusual that we get this sort of influx, so it’s something we could really see as a benefit to the community,� Espinosa said.

The council also agreed that some of the money from Stanford should be sequestered as an endowment and used to accrue interest. This includes the funds Stanford is providing to the city to ensure “cost neutrality� for the hospital project.

Vice Mayor Yiaway Yeh said Monday that he supports a staff recommendation to use some of the funds for an endowment. “It makes a lot of sense,â€? Yeh said. “It creates additional sources of revenue for additional needs in our community.â€? N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com. *>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?ÞÊUĂŠ Ă•Â?ÞÊә]ÊÓ䣣ÊU Page 5

Upfront

Woodland School Building a Lifelong Joy of Learning Accepting Applications for Fall, 2011

Online This Week

These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAltoOnline. com/news or click on “News� in the left, green column.

Two men arrested after high-speed chase Preschool through eighth grade, Woodland School’s focus is a challenging academic program with a strong enrichment program in the areas of French, art, music, drama, computers, gymnastics and physical education. Science, math and technology are an integral part of the 5th-8th grade experience.

Visit our beautiful ten acre campus in Portola Valley near Alpine Road and Highway 280 Woodland School, 360 La Cuesta Drive, Portola Valley s WWW WOODLAND SCHOOL ORG

Two men taken into custody Wednesday night (July 27) after leading law enforcement officials on a lengthy car chase through the East Bay are not the men suspected of homicides in East Palo Alto and Grand Junction, Colo. (Posted July 28 at 8:19 a.m.)

Sketch of indecent exposure suspect released Police have released a sketch of a man who indecently exposed himself to a juvenile in Los Altos Monday morning (July 25).

The man approached the victim in a vehicle and exposed himself before driving southbound on Grant Road toward Foothill Expressway at around 11:30 a.m., police said. (Posted July 28 at 8:35 a.m.)

Four people displaced in Mountain View fire

June 24 – August 6

A two-alarm fire displaced residents of two apartments in a Mountain View complex Tuesday night (July 26), emergency officials said. (Posted July 27 at 2 p.m.)

Tickets On Sale Now

Final week of world-class jazz!

Briones House wall purchased for $30,000 The last remnant of the historic Briones House that proponents sought to preserve through nearly 14 years of litigation has been purchased by Palo Alto Stanford Heritage for $30,000, according to Clark Akatiff, a member of the Friends of the Juana Briones House. (Posted July 27 at 9:01 a.m.)

Stanford forms emergency-medical team Members of the Stanford medical community have formed the Stanford Emergency Medicine Program for Emergency Response (S.E.M.P.E.R.) in order to more swiftly react to disasters worldwide. (Posted July 26 at 3:25 p.m.)

ELECTRIC MILES WITH WALLACE RONEY 7/30

BILL FRISELL 858 QUARTET 7/31

Palo Alto’s largest union agrees to pay freeze With fiscal deficits looming on Palo Alto’s horizon, pay freezes have become the new normal for the city’s largest workers union. (Posted July 26 at 9:48 a.m.)

Errant dog sparks alleged death threat, arrest Police were forced to intervene Saturday (July 23) when a 68-year-old Palo Alto woman allegedly threatened to kill her neighbor with a hammer, Palo Alto police said Tuesday (July 26). (Posted July 26 at 9:28 a.m.)

Computer heists at Portola Valley schools JOE LOVANO

THE BAD PLUS

8/1

8/2

A total of 31 computers, valued at $28,000, have been stolen from Portola Valley schools in recent weeks, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office reports. (Posted July 26 at 8:18 a.m.)

Rampaging teen smashes up store A Mountain View teenager was arrested after allegedly going on a destructive rampage through a Latham Street convenience store Saturday night (July 23), and then violently resisting police officers, a police spokeswoman said. (Posted July 25 at 2:37 p.m.)

Palo Alto schools get new education director TAYLOR EIGSTI QUARTET WITH TILLERY 8/3

SJW ALL-STAR JAM SESSION 8/5

A Pleasanton school administrator has been named to a highlevel post in the Palo Alto Unified School District. Charles Young, director of secondary education in the Pleasanton Unified School District, replaces Virgina Davis, who was Palo Alto’s assistant superintendent for educational services before retiring in June. (Posted July 25 at 9:54 a.m.)

Coroner IDs EPA shooting victim, 19 A 19-year-old East Palo Alto man who was shot to death Sunday night (July 24) has been identified by the San Mateo County Coroner. (Posted July 25 at 8:17 a.m.; updated July 25 at 11:01 p.m.)

Memorial service held for Cate Fisher GEORGE CABLES TRIO WITH MADELINE EASTMAN

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A memorial service for Catherine (Cate) Fisher, 19, of Menlo Park, who died after being shot in East Palo Alto, was held Friday (July 22) at Temple Beth-El in San Mateo. (Posted July 22 at 5:57 p.m.)

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Lions Club

(continued from page 3)

out of the process.

Simonini disagreed, saying he’d visited the Palo Alto club several months ago to talk about the plan.

While he described benefits to them of starting a new group, “They took it as though I was trying to kill their club,� he said.

The Palo Alto club, in operation since 1925, is best known for its annual event, the Concours d’Elegance. The Concours displays and awards prizes to classic and exotic automobiles and the proceeds support a Stanford athletic scholarship and about 40 area charities. This year’s Concours brought in about 10,000 attendees and $100,000. Downey said the event is by far the largest Lions Club event on the Peninsula, and it necessitates greater numbers than other clubs.

The event is also a magnet for club membership. Downey was upset to learn of district representatives soliciting membership for the new club at this year’s Concours. “I don’t think too highly of that tactic,� he said. “That’s our turf.�

Russell said the district wants to be as non-intrusive as possible to what he said is “a damn good club� in Palo Alto. That’s why he and others have been advertising and holding informational meetings mostly on the southern end of the city. That’s also why Van Eton announced the district’s intentions to the City Council. “There’s no doubt in my mind that a city this size can handle another service organization,� Russell said. Palo Alto is the only city in the district with a population of more than 50,000 but only one Lions Club.

Even smaller Menlo Park has two. Russell said that in his experience, two clubs in the same city are more likely to complement each other than compete. “Once this gets up and running, I know that (the existing Palo Alto club) will benefit. They will gain members as a result of this,� he said.

Simonini agreed. Twice the public exposure of the Lions Club activities will garner twice the interest, he said. Prospective Lions will have a choice of which set of causes to support and which meeting to attend. Simonini also noted that the current Palo Alto club focuses the majority of its time on the Concours, and “car shows aren’t for everybody.�

Lions Clubs aid in a variety of causes worldwide and local clubs may select their own charities. But the Lions in general emphasize diabetes, hearing and especially vision issues, ever since Helen Keller encouraged members in 1925 to become “knights of the blind,� Downey said. Members collect eyeglasses and pay for eye exams for those in need.

According to Russell, members usually pay less than $10 in monthly dues and have no time commitments other than to “do what they can.� There is no paid staff at the local or district level.

Membership is down in all service clubs.

Lions Clubs in East Palo Alto and Atherton have recently been shuttered. However, Lions are often members of clubs in the cities where they work, not live. In fact, only a handful of the current Palo Alto Lions are actually from Palo Alto. Russell said East Palo Alto didn’t have the infrastructure to support a club, and the 60-year-old Atherton club failed to seek new members and thus shrank over time.

While Downey laments the district’s decision, he doesn’t fear for his own club’s future. “Our membership is loyal and our charities are loyal,� he said. N Editorial Intern Jeff Carr can be emailed at jcarr@paweekly.com.

Upfront

Homicide leads (continued from page 3)

nevro, 23, said in an email to the Weekly. “I cannot understand these killers’ minds, and how they must not have any love inside of them. I know anger is a strong emotion, but it should never be an emotion that drives the uncontrollable desire to kill a human being. “I hope others are willing to break their code of silence because they might have information to bring justice to these murders, and we need more people to stand up and do what is right. At my age, we have a great influence on the younger children and teens. If we are good role models, who knows the types of crimes and mishaps that can be avoided?� she said.

Near the spot on East Bayshore Road where Guzman was killed, two young men discussed the city’s homicides, including the June 5 death of the infant, Izack. It was a turning point, they said. “The killing of a 3-month-old baby — that’s just too much,� one of the young men, who asked to remain anonymous, said on Monday.

The city’s faith leaders said the turn-around goes against decades of ingrained fear. “Now there are a whole lot more people saying, ‘Enough is enough,’� said Rev. Paul Bains, pastor of St. Samuel Church of God in Christ. “In my years of being in the community since 1961, it’s not like it was in the past, where people said, ‘I don’t want to be involved.’ The stop-snitching culture has taken a

Science education (continued from page 5)

idea, they have to work with that idea. So what you need to do is have fewer facts and more development of ideas,� she said. “It’s a whole different culture of the classroom.�

Even in top districts like Palo Alto, she said “if you assess the discourse in a classroom today, 90 percent or more of what goes on is the teacher asks a question and a student answers and the teacher either affirms or critiques the answer.�

The new model would have students debating one another about whether measurements made in the classroom confirm a certain hypothesis, with the teacher guiding the process.

Quinn’s committee, comprised of university scientists and education scholars from across the country, said educators should de-emphasize “discrete facts� and refocus on “a limited number of core ideas and crosscutting concepts.� Every student should have a chance to work with the ideas, make connections and experience how science is actually done.

By the end of 12th grade, students should be able to “engage in public discussions on science-related issues, to be critical consumers of scientific information related to their everyday lives,� the committee said.

Quinn said her committee’s work is consistent with the direction the College Board has taken in revising its

turn. “Our city has grown socially.

People are not tolerating what they tolerated before. What had once not been tolerated by the few is now not being tolerated by the many.�

Tips from the community led to the identification of three suspects in the Fisher and Chavez homicides: Christian Fuentes, 20, Jaime Cardenas, 19, and Fidel Silva, 24, all of East Palo Alto. Fuentes was arrested last week for violating parole, police said.

The three have also been implicated in a string of crimes and homicides in Colorado, and police are looking into the possible involvement of one or more of the suspects in Guzman’s death. Fabian Zaragoza, 17, was arrested for Izack’s killing within hours of the shooting due to tips from the community, police said.

Young people said they are tired of living in fear. “Friends I know who were once fine walking to and fro in the city have been staying indoors lately for fear of a stray bullet,� Tameeka Bennett, 24, said in an email to the Weekly. “The chief is doing what he can, and I respect and appreciate that — but I strongly believe that is time for people of faith to stand up against the reckless violence in our community. “I refuse to be scared to step outside or walk down the street. I live here. This is my community, this is home.�

Genevro agreed. “As a community, especially in the faith-based community, we

have to stop being afraid, and start speaking up, and spreading the love of God. ... Parents should worry about whether or not their child will get picked for the varsity team at school, or if their child’s grades are good enough to get into a university, not whether or not this is the day they’ll get the call to identify their child’s body,� she said.

Larry Moody, director of the nonprofit Making it Happen for Our Children Promise Neighborhood, which aims to provide cradlethrough-college educational help for youth in the Gardens neighborhood, said the mood is definitely changing. “I had a conversation with eight teens recently, and without a doubt there’s a sense of being sick and tired of being sick and tired with the violence,� he said.

Operation Cease Fire, which offers social, medical and job resources to gang members who agree to leave the criminal lifestyle, has generated some interest on the street, he said. “Folks are talking about the program as a way out, which is a good start. Education and jobs are the key.

Even gang members will agree,� he said.

At a July 21 meeting at The Lord’s Gym Community Center, 15 religious leaders discussed ways to stop the recent violence.

Bains said they are taking “Jesus’ approach� by going out among the people to communicate their message of hope.

On the city’s most inflamed streets, the faith leaders are making contact with known crime perpe-

Advanced Placement science curricula to place greater emphasis on being able to apply knowledge and less emphasis on memorization of facts. “We’re cutting out details that are not depth,� she said. “People tend to think of detail as depth. But — talking about a cell, for example — it’s much more important to take the time and depth to understand how a cell functions than to be able to give the Latin names for all parts of the cell. “If you’re going to be a biologist or medical researcher, you will need to know the Latin names because that’s the language of the discipline.

But what we have right now is too much the language of the discipline

and not enough of the idea.�

The framework report will be passed to Achieve, a Washingtonbased organization created in 1996 by the nation’s governors and corporate leaders, to raise academic standards and graduation requirements.

Achieve will translate the framework directives into standards, expected to be released in late 2012.

Major support for the framework project came from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, as well as from the National Science Teachers Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. N Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be emailed at ckenrick@paweekly.com.

E LOV WE IDS K

trators to talk about ways they can choose an alternate lifestyle.

Other residents are trying to galvanize the community.

On Tuesday (Aug. 2), Moody’s group will host National Night Out, a nationwide community-cohesiveness event, with four block parties on Runnymede Street, Joel Davis Park, Newell Road and East O’Keefe Street, event organizer Lisa Moody said.

The City of East Palo Alto will host a town hall meeting with Mayor Carlos Romero and Davis to discuss a summer violence-reduction plan on Thursday (Aug. 4) from 6 to 8 p.m. at East Palo Alto City Hall, 2415 University Ave. Lisa Moody said last year residents on Runnymede boarded up an unsafe house and did weed abatement to reduce crime during National Night Out. “We will take back our city one block at a time, if we have to,� she said.

Bains said he wishes the media would stop referring to when the city was branded the national “murder capital.� That was in 1992 — nearly

20 years ago, he said. The city has had years of single-digit, steadily decreasing homicide rates. The constant branding does the community a disservice, he said.

But he isn’t naĂŻve about the current violence, he added. Community leaders will continue to push to solve the underlying causes of the violence, he said. “Violence is a reaction to something else going on. We are offering parenting classes; coaches are making an impact, teaching conflict-resolution skills. People need jobs. The unemployment rate in East Palo Alto is 28 to 29 percent,â€? he said. “We will push the community and push getting to know your neighbor. “One death is too much. Every life is precious. I can’t wait until we get to that zero death rate in East Palo Alto. I want it to be in my lifetime.

That will be a year of celebration — and that’s coming,� he said. N Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.

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Upfront

Howard memorial (continued from page 3)

Courtesy of the Howard family

Palo Alto residents and volunteers Robert Howard, left, Ana-Maria Dias, Veronica Howard and Samantha Howard, are pictured in a recent family photo.

thing in the Central Valley.�

Robert Howard lived in Palo Alto from the age of 3, attending Peninsula School in Menlo Park, Jordan Middle School, Palo Alto High School and Stanford University, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s in mechanical engineering.

After a decade at Apple, he moved in 1996 to the product design and development consulting firm Lunar Design, where he was vice-president of engineering.

Dias was born in the North At-

lantic archipelago of the Azores, moving between there and the Portuguese colony of Angola in Africa until the civil war there caused her family to flee to the United States when she was a teenager. “My father and my sister (AnaMaria) were at home (in Angola) and the fighting came close to the house,� said Dias’ sister, Mary Horvitz of Seattle. “They had about an hour to gather whatever they could. “It’s a very long story, but we all made it safely out and ended up in the Napa Valley,� where the family had a friend, she said.

Dias earned a degree in electronic engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San

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Luis Obispo, and worked at the American Rocket Company before moving to Philips Semiconductor.

She loved books and art and for a while worked part-time at Printer’s Inc. bookstore.

After the birth of her first child in 1999, Dias devoted herself to parenting and volunteering, becoming involved first at Palo Alto PreSchool Family and later at El Carmelo and JLS Middle School, which her daughters attended.

She was in the early stages of launching her own business as a professional organizer, her sisterin-law Kim Saxe said.

Samantha “Sam� Howard was about to enter seventh grade at JLS, and Veronica “Nica,� fourth grade at El Carmelo.

Friends painted a portrait of a sociable and close-knit family who took walks together in the neighborhood, volunteered and reached out to others.

Neighbor Carrie Manley, who recently went on vacation and left the family dog, Charlie, with a housesitter, said Dias had volunteered to take Charlie home for the rest of the week after he seemed lonely. “Knowing Ana-Maria, Robert, Samantha and Nica, I knew that Charlie would be extremely wellcared for and loved, so without hesitation I immediately said, ‘Yes,’�

Manley wrote on the website. “And so began Charlie’s best week ever,� Manley wrote, adding that she got email from Dias “with tender, sweet Charlie updates.�

Preparing to leave for the camping trip to Canada, Dias left Charlie at Manley’s house a few hours before Manley and her family returned from vacation July 16. “How many people write a thankyou note after they take care of your pet? This family did,� Manley said.

At Sunday’s outdoor service at El Carmelo, shade will be limited, and Cindy Howard is urging people to wear comfortable clothing, including hats and sunshades.

After the formal service, there will be an opportunity for sharing and recording stories on video. “That will mean so much to the family,� she said.

Dias is survived by her parents, Jose and Natalia Dias, a brother, John, sisters, Mary and Natalia, their spouses and children.

Howard is survived by his father, Ron; his sister, Kim Saxe, and her husband, Tim, of Los Altos; and his brother David of Menlo Park and his brother John and his wife, Cindy, of Palo Alto, and their children.

His mother, Polly Howard, died in 1997.

Sunday’s service will be at 3 p.m. at El Carmelo School, 3024 Bryant St., Palo Alto. Walking, bicycling or carpooling is encouraged.

Rather than flowers, the family prefers memorial contributions to Palo Alto Partners in Education (www.papie.org); Friends of PreSchool Family (www.fopsf.org); or the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (www.svdpusa.org), an organization that helped the Dias family when they arrived as refugees to the United States. N Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be emailed at ckenrick@paweekly. com.

Upfront

News Digest Palo Alto adds fee to garbage bills Palo Alto’s garbage rates are scheduled to rise in the fall for the second year in a row, but this time every residential bill will feel the same impact.

The City Council voted 8-0, with Greg Schmid absent, on Monday (July 25) to approve a $4.62 fee for residential refuse bills, effective Oct. 1. The council adopted the new fee to help close the $3.7 million deficit in the city’s refuse fund and to bring the residential and commercial rates a bit closer to parity.

The council also agreed to continue the 6 percent increase to residential bills and the 9 percent increase for commercial bills it approved last September. Both rate hikes were scheduled to expire Sept 30.

The new fee was imposed by the council as an interim measure while staff is considering a more dramatic overhaul to the refuse-rate structure.

Palo Alto’s refuse fund has been losing money in recent years as more customers switched to smaller trash cans, trimming their garbage bills and the city’s revenues. The new rate structure will likely include charges for recycling and composting, services that are currently offered for free.

The flat fee is helping city officials reach their goal of creating more parity between Palo Alto’s residential and commercial customers. Preliminary analysis from the Public Works Department has indicated that commercial customers are paying far more than their share for the garbage operation, effectively subsidizing residential customers.

The Finance Committee discussed the new residential fee on July 19 and voted unanimously to support it. In addition to bringing in needed revenues, the new fee will bring the city closer to compliance with Proposition 218, a state law that prohibits refuse rates from exceeding the cost of providing the services. N — Gennady Sheyner

Palo Alto’s airport takeover delayed until 2013 Palo Alto’s plan to take over operation of Palo Alto Airport has fallen behind schedule because of vacancies and turnover in the city staff, according to a new report from the city manager’s office.

The small but busy airport is currently operated by Santa Clara County under a 50-year lease that is set to expire in July 2017. County officials have indicated that they don’t want to renew the lease, prompting the city to consider an early takeover to ensure that the Baylands facility doesn’t deteriorate.

In December, the City Council directed staff to hire legal consultants and conduct environmental analysis to begin the process of taking over airport operations from the county. Staff was hoping to complete the takeover by July 2012. A recent business plan by the firm Ralph E. Wiedemann & Associates estimates that the city’s profit from the airport could be as high as $16.2 million by 2037 if the takeover occurred in 2012.

That money would have to be reinvested in the airport under federal law.

Palo Alto officials are still considering which business model to adopt for the airport operations. The Wiedemann report identified three options: running the airport with city staff; turning over airport management to fixed-base operations; and hiring a third-party to run the facility.

The City Council is scheduled to discuss the takeover of the airport in the fall. N — Gennady Sheyner

Equipment stolen from classrooms at Paly, Gunn Someone stole six digital cameras, worth $3,600 altogether, from a Palo Alto High School classroom over the weekend (July 23-24), according to police.

In a separate incident reported to police Friday (July 22), two laptops, valued together at $2,200, were taken from a classroom at Gunn High School.

The Paly burglary occurred sometime between 5:30 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Monday, police Sgt. Sal Madrigal said. The thief or thieves entered a science building at the school and took six cameras from a file cabinet, he said.

Madrigal said neither the classroom nor the file cabinet was locked, and there was no sign of a break-in. He said it is possible the person responsible is a student, as the school is hosting a summer science camp. “Everyone has access to the building,� Madrigal said.

The cameras were Canon and Nikon models valued at $600 each, Madrigal said.

The Gunn theft occurred between 9 p.m. Thursday (July 21) and 10:30 a.m. Friday (July 22), Madrigal said.

Unknown suspects entered Classroom 25 through an unlocked window and took two MacBook Pros, he said. Madrigal said he did not know whether the classroom is in use this summer, or why the window might have been unlocked.

A janitor working at Gunn Thursday night said he noticed two suspicious persons, a male and a female, on campus, but could not give a description. N — Bay City News Service LET’S DISCUSS: Read the latest local news headlines and talk about the issues at Town Square at PaloAltoOnline.com

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Upfront

Philip Joseph O’Neil March 15, 1925-July 10, 2011 Philip J. O’Neil of Palo Alto, California, died peacefully on Sunday, July 10, 2011 at the age of 86. Husband to Edith O’Neil (nee Clow); loving father of Elizabeth (“Betsyâ€?), Alice, Mary and Eileen; and dear grandfather of Sean and Christopher Elam, Jane and Ellie Childress, and Meagan and Laura Olson. Born on March 15, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois to Dr. Dillon and Margaret O’Neil, Phil was the 2nd child along with siblings Richard O’Neil, Patricia Parker & Jeanne Nestor. He joined the United States Navy to serve his country during World War II and was in line to train as a pilot when the War ended. He attended college in Rochester, NY. After the War and college he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii to work in the airline industry. In Honolulu, Phil met Edith “Dollyâ€? Clow, who had recently moved there from Seattle. They were married in 1950 in Seattle, and welcomed their ďŹ rst child, Betsy, while living in Honolulu. In 1952 he moved with his young family to Seattle, Washington where Alice was born.

The family moved to Palo Alto, California, in 1954 where he would settle for the rest of his life. His family soon grew to include daughters Mary and Eileen, both born in Palo Alto. A lifelong employee of United Airlines, Phil worked as an instructor until he retired in 1980. He continued his love of teaching by developing the curriculum for travel training at CaĂąada and Foothill Community Colleges and teaching the program for many years

after retirement.

He loved food and cooking for his family. His daughters and their friends will always remember the good food and laughter around the dinner table on Saturday nights. A veteran of innumerable road trips, train rides and cruises, as well as an ardent fan of all kinds of word games and puzzles, Phil never failed to surround his family with warmth, humor, good food and to generally spoil his grandchildren.

Phil was preceded in death by his beloved youngest daughter, Eileen Kohler in 1999. He is survived by Edith, his wife of sixty years, daughters Betsy Elam and her husband Craig, Alice Olson and her husband Grant, Mary Childress and her husband John, and son in law, Peter Kohler; his grandchildren, Sean Elam and his wife Jennifer, Christopher Elam and his wife Kristy, Jane Childress, Ellie Childress, Meagan Olson and Laura Olson; his sister Patricia Parker, many nieces and nephews, and his dear friend Helen Crisman.

Additionally there will be a great grandson born this fall.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, 2011 at Alta Mesa Cemetery, 695 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, California.

PA I D

O B I T UA RY

March 11, 1914 – July 13, 2011 In 1969, he retired and traveled with his wife to Mexico for half a year before moving to Sarasota, Florida. He reinvented himself as a real estate broker and within a couple of years had become Director of Marketing for Pelican Cove, a 750 unit townhouse development in Sarasota. Over the next seven years he oversaw the completion of the sale of all of the units and retired again in 1980, living in one of the units.

Beginning in 1980, he and his wife began summering in Palo Alto to be with family and avoid the oppressive Florida summer heat. They did that each summer for 25 years until they moved permanently in 2004. Ray was an avid golfer most of his adult life and continued to play until just a couple of years ago.

In addition to Elizabeth, Ray’s family includes his children Richard Stultz and Judith Stultz Scott. Richard Stultz and his wife Josie have two children, Julie Stultz Fine and David Stultz. Julie is married to Jacob Fine and their daughter Meira is Ray’s great-granddaughter. Judith Scott and her husband Charles have three children, Andrea, Teal and Jessica.

Gifts, in lieu of owers, may be given in his memory to DePauw University, 300 E. Seminary St., Greencastle, IN 46135. Private services are planned at 3pm, Friday, August 5 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 330 Ravenswood Ave., in Menlo Park.

PA I D

Page 10ĂŠUĂŠ Ă•Â?ÞÊә]ÊÓ䣣ÊUĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?Ăž

A round-up of

Palo Alto government action this week

City Council (July 25)

Refuse: The council voted to add a $4.62 fee to residential refuse bills, effective Oct. 1. Yes: Burt, Espinosa, Holman, Klein, Price, Scharff, Shepherd, Yeh Absent: Schmid Stanford: The council directed Mayor Espinosa to name two members to a joint committee to determine how to spend money from the city’s development agreement with Stanford University Medical Center. Yes: Burt, Espinosa, Holman, Price, Scharff, Shepherd, Yeh Recused: Klein Absent: Schmid

Parks and Recreation Commission (July 26)

Water plant: The commission held a study session to discuss proposed landscaping around the Regional Water Quality Control Plant. Action: None Recycling: The commission heard a presentation from staff about proposed improvements to the Household Hazardous Waste facility next to the Recycling Center and the potential closure of the Recycling Center. Action: None

Council Rail Committee (July 28)

Caltrain: The committee approved a letter to Caltrain outlining the city’s concerns about the certification of the Environmental Impact Report for the electrification plan.

Yes: Burt, Klein, Shepherd Absent: Price

Public Agenda A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week CITY COUNCIL ... The council plans to hold its annual joint meeting with the Human Relations Commission; discuss a switch to electronic packets for staff reports; adopt a resolution to place on the November ballot an initiative to undedicate 10 acres of parkland at Byxbee Park; consider an extension of the Arastradero Road re-striping trial project. The joint meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 1, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.). The rest of the meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at 7 p.m. or as soon as possible after the joint meeting.

ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD ... The board plans to review AT&T’s proposed design for a Distributed Antenna System, which includes antennas at nine existing utility poles. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

Raman Wilson Stultz Raman Wilson Stultz of Palo Alto passed away peacefully at age 97 in Palo Alto on July 13, 2011.

Ray is survived by his wife of 67 years, Elizabeth Stultz.

Raman Stultz was born to G. Roy and Pearl Teal Stultz in Clinton, Indiana on March 11, 1914. During the Depression, he worked his way through DePauw University and graduated with a BA degree in 1937.

A warm and engaging person and an excellent tennis player, he was offered a position teaching English and coaching tennis at Ruston Academy in Cuba. There he learned Spanish, which became a lifelong interest. While at Ruston, he was recruited by the United States military to be a civilian undercover agent whose assignment was to determine who was leaking information to the Germans about the schedule and routes of ships heading to Europe.

As the war intensiďŹ ed, in August of 1943 he enlisted in the Navy’s OfďŹ cer Candidate School and was commissioned six months later. He was selected to be among a small number of ofďŹ cers based in Vero Beach, Florida whose task was to train Navy ďŹ ghter pilots to y low altitude missions at night over the ocean.

On March 30, 1944, he married the love of his life, Elizabeth Hoff of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Honorably discharged from the Navy after the war, he initiated a new career at Leo Burnett advertising agency in Chicago. The family moved to Winnetka, Illinois, and he became Personnel Director of the 300 employee company. He was with the company for 20 years becoming Vice President of Personnel as it grew to 1,800 employees.

CityView

O B I T UA RY

RAIL CORRIDOR TASK FORCE ... The task force will continue its discussion of the city’s vision for the Caltrain corridor. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4, in the Downtown Library (270 Forest Ave.).

PUBLIC ART COMMISSION ... The commission plans to discuss newmedia art and public-art opportunities in Midtown. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4, in the Council Chambers at City Hall (250 Hamilton Ave.).

Lasting Memories An online directory of obituaries and remembrances.

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Roger Simmons Schuyler August 8, 1932 – July 10, 2011 Roger was born in Los Angeles on August 8, 1932 and passed away in Spokane, Washington on July 10, 2011. He resided in Palo Alto in the 1960s and 1970s, working in the technical publications ďŹ eld and was the founder of Imagemakers, Inc. in Sunnyvale. He sold the company in 1981 and moved to the Smith River in the redwoods of Northern California. He is survived by his wife Ginny of Spokane, Washington. For the full obituary, see www. heritagefunerals.com.

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Pulse

A weekly compendium of vital statistics

Palo Alto July 20-25 Violence related Assault w/ deadly weapon . . . . . . . . . . .1 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Child abuse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Theft related Commercial burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Residential burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Shoplifting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Vehicle related Abandoned auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Abandoned bicycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Driving w/ suspended license . . . . . . . . .3 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .5 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .5 Vehicle stored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Miscellaneous Animal call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 False info to police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Firearms disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. penal code violation . . . . . . . . . . .1 Noise ordinance violation . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Other/misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Public incident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .2 Terrorist threat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Menlo Park July 20-26 Violence related Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Sexual assault. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft related General burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Residential burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle related Auto recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Driving with suspended license . . . . . . .5 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vehicle accident/no injury. . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle accident/injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Alcohol or drug related Drug activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Miscellaneous Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Indecent exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Juvenile problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Medical aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Misc. penal code violation . . . . . . . . . . .2 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Other/misc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Property for destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .5 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

VIOLENT CRIMES Palo Alto Harker Avenue, 7/20, 10:34 p.m.; domestic violence/battery.

Embarcadero Road, 7/21, 4:30 p.m.; child abuse.

Middlefield Road, 7/23, 7:59 a.m.; domestic violence/battery.

3000 block El Camino Real, 7/23, 11:45 a.m.; assault w/ deadly weapon.

Cereza Drive, 7/23, 1:24 p.m.; domestic violence/battery.

Pasteur Drive, 7/24, 10:00 a.m.; domestic violence.

Menlo Park 300 block Grayson Court, 7/22, 6:48 p.m.; sexual assault.

2300 block Sharon Road, 7/23, 3:45 p.m.; domestic violence.

Dalyn Joanna Wells Dalyn Joanna Wells of Cupertino, California born December 1, 1941 died peacefully in her sleep at Asilomar on July 17, 2011. Friend, mother, sister and companion, her joyful, loving magniďŹ cence is deeply missed.

Memorial services for friends and family will be held on Saturday, August 13 at 11 am at the First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto, 625 Hamilton Ave. Donations in lieu of owers may be sent to Unicef United States Fund. 125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038.

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Free. Fun. Only about Palo Alto.

C R O S S W O R D S Visit www.paloaltoonline.com/puzzle

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Karen is survived by her husband, Michael Seto; her two children, Megan and Zachary; her mother, Lola Chin; her sister and her husband, Cynthia and Eddie Lee; her brother and his wife, Gary and Janie Chin; her nephew and his wife, Eric and Julia Chin; and a large extended family of her aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A celebration of Karen’s life will be held at 11am, July 30, 2011 in the Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, California.

In lieu of ower donations, please consider donating a memorial gift to Yosemite National Park (http://www. yosemiteconservancy.org/gifts-memory) or your favorite national park of choice.

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John Laurance Madden “Jack�

Jack passed away peacefully on July 15, 2011 at the age of 86 at the Skilled Nursing at Vi in Palo Alto, California, surrounded by his family.

He is survived by Claude, his wife of 61 years, his daughters Gay Giffen (Richard), Laura Jermann (David), and Carin Wineman (Scott), his ďŹ ve grandsons, Rory, Russell (Carolin), and Thayer Giffen, John and Grant Wineman, and his brother Frank Madden.

Jack was born on January 4, 1925 in Yonkers, New York. He grew up in Princeton, N.J., and graduated from Princeton University with the class of ’47 in 1949. He was a member of Cottage Club. During WWII Jack was a lieutenant in the Army Air Corps; he was part of the 850th Bomb Squadron of the 490th Bombardment Group. Jack was a navigator on a B-17, named “The Bad Penny�.

In 1950 he married Claude Harper. They lived in Princeton, N.J., Buffalo, N.Y., and moved to Palo Alto, California in 1960. Jack was the Division Manager for the Engineered System Division, a part of FMC, in San Jose.

Jack was an avid y ďŹ sherman, duck hunter, and he enjoyed camping in the High Sierras. He loved to play golf on the Stanford Golf Course where he was a member. Jack adopted Stanford sports, especially

football. In his later years he became a dedicated walker and would often be seen walking the streets of Palo Alto or the cliffs of Santa Cruz wearing his green jacket and white hat.

Jack and Claude loved to travel the world. Their favorite winter destination was Maui, where they returned for the last 36 years. Summers were spent at their beach house in Santa Cruz, amid the bustle of their children, grandchildren and friends.

Family and friends will remember Jack for his quick sense of humor, inquisitive mind and great kindness. He never met a stranger that didn’t become a friend.

Jack was a parishioner of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, where the family will hold a private service.

A celebration of Jack’s life will be held August 24th from 2 - 4pm at Vi of Palo Alto at 620 Sand Hill Road. In lieu of owers, please make a donation to the Nature Conservancy, 4245 N. Fairfax Dr. suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203.

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Nov. 18, 1928-July 16, 2011

OBITUARY

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Oct. 5, 1952-July 15, 2011 Karen left us on July 15, 2011 at the young age of 58.

Born October 5, 1952 in Oakland, California, Karen attended Catholic school during her early years, graduated from Oakland High, and went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of California, Berkeley.

Karen loved to meet people and travel, spending much of her working life as a ight attendant for World Airways.

She married on December 16, 1984 and spent her next 27 years enjoying and raising her 2 children who were most dear to her. Karen enjoyed cooking (and of course eating), taking her children to museums and parks, venturing on many summer and winter visits to Yosemite, regular trips to Hawaii (Mike’s home), trips along the California and Oregon coast and international travel. Karen was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and niece to all her family.

Edgar E. Jacobs

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

4 7 6 1 5 9 3 2 8

Karen Louise Chin

2 4 9 6 3 1 5 8 7

Edgar E. Jacobs, a former longtime resident of Palo Alto, died of pneumonia on July 16, 2011 at Stanford Hospital.

He was 82 years old. He is survived by his son David and daughter-in-law Elga of Palo Alto; his daughters Terry of Palo Alto and Meg of Petaluma; and his granddaughter Sonya of Sausalito. Jenny, his wife of nearly 50 years, died in 2000.

A native of Idaho, Edgar served in the Army and then attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, where he met his wife Jenny. He received degrees in physics and business from Reed and M.I.T.. After working in Massachusetts, Ohio, and England, Edgar moved with his family to Palo Alto in 1963.

He worked for many years as an industrial economist at Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International). His consulting work took him to Europe numerous times, as well as to Brazil for an extended period.

Edgar had a keen love of nature, and enjoyed spending time birdwatching in the

Palo Alto Baylands Preserve. He was intellectually curious, with a broad knowledge of science and a great interest in world history and art. He and his wife made close friends in the Palo Alto area, and they also had great affection for their children’s friends, who were always welcome in their home.

In recent years, Edgar had lived in Pocatello, Idaho, where he renewed old friendships.

After being diagnosed with lung cancer at the beginning of this year, he returned to Palo Alto to be with his family while undergoing medical treatment at the Stanford Cancer Institute at Stanford Hospital.

A celebration of Edgar’s life will be held at a later date in Palo Alto.

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Editorial

What to do with $40 million?

Stanford money tied to approval of hospital expansion will require disciplined process

by Council and the community

T

he Palo Alto City Council and administration set the stage Monday for what we hope will be a serious and productive discussion about how to bring the most benefit to the city from the $40 million that will begin flowing from Stanford later this summer.

The task is both exciting and daunting, and judging by the discussion at Monday night’s meeting, most council members appeared appropriately circumspect by the responsibility to decide how this money should be invested or spent.

There was no talk of pet projects or other specific ideas, like the funding of a new police station, which was put on hold two years ago due to fiscal constraints. Instead, council members focused on the yet-to-be-defined process for deciding how to utilize the funds.

Although no formal vote was taken, comments suggested that the council will be looking for a project or projects that will bring visible, long-term impacts to the city. And even though the city faces substantial budget-balancing challenges in the coming years, no one was suggesting using the Stanford money as a means of avoiding cuts in services.

City Manager Jim Keene wisely recommended that the council proceed “methodically and cautiously� as they look for ways to leverage the funds into “transformative investments� for the community. The council’s Policy and Services Committee and its Finance Committee will be the starting points for the discussion, according to Keene.

The only concrete action taken Monday was to direct Mayor Sid Espinosa to appoint two members to an advisory committee that will include two Stanford officials. The panel will advise the council how to spend $4 million that was specifically allocated for community health programs in the city’s development agreement with Stanford, with the expectation that $2 million would be used to support Project Safety Net, the community collaborative formed in response to recent teen suicides.

Stanford’s money will come in phases, starting with $15.7 million this year, which includes the $4 million for the community health safety programs, $7.7 million nominally dedicated to infrastructure and affordable housing and $4 million for sustainability programs, although the city is free to use the funds for whatever it chooses.

A second payment of $11.7 million is due next year with the funds allocated to the same categories. The final $11.7 million payment will not be received until January 2018.

During the discussion, several members were eager for details on how the work of the council’s two committees would be managed and differentiated. Some potential uses for the funds might lend themselves to the Policy and Services Committee, while others, like infrastructure, might be more appropriate for the Finance Committee. City Manager Keene urged members to be patient as his staff develops more detailed recommendations for how the council should proceed.

We would urge the council to resist the temptations to begin spending these funds until the hospital construction is complete and the traffic and other impacts are fully realized. While not bound to use these funds to mitigate the direct impacts of the expansion of the adult and children’s hospitals, the purpose is to make the city “whole� on costs that it will incur when the project is complete. Transportation needs and concerns should be at the top of that list.

Some council members, including Greg Scharff, want to make sure that the funds be used on projects that are “meaningful� and “transformative� and have at least a 20-year lifespan.

Mayor Espinosa said he will be looking for projects that have “real impacts that Palo Altans will notice, whether it is traffic or biking in particular that really have some connection to the (hospital) project and really are noticeable in their lives.�

Palo Alto might be wise to take a lesson from Mountain View, which recently received a $30 million advance rent payment from Google and grappled with what to do with it. At first the city toyed with spending a portion of the funds to balance this year’s budget, but in the end decided, at least for now, to bank the money and spend only the interest of about $1 million a year.

That would be a wise parameter for the council to impose on itself and the community as this unusual process begins.

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Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions

Borders building Editor, With the demise of Borders, let’s review the history.

The Varsity Theater, a Class-A historical building (the highest designation in California), was to be destroyed to accommodate Borders.

A petition signed by thousands was presented to the City Council, asking that the theater be saved and big chain stores discouraged from moving into town. The petition was ignored and the project fast-tracked.

When Chop Keenan embraced Borders, a vicious battle raged with its evil twin Barnes & Noble for mega-chain bookselling primacy.

Independent booksellers and small chain bookstores and employees were collateral damage — Mega Books, Stacys, Chimera, and the beloved Printers Ink, unable to sustain high rents, online sales and Borders downtown. And Palo Alto lost some of its heart.

I feel sorry for Borders employees and lost revenue for the city, but I cannot feel bummed about Borders crashing.

But for Palo Altan Dennis Backland finding that state laws (CEQA) required preservation (where was the city attorney?), the theater building would have also been lost. Keenan was forced to preserve it, constructing removable floors so that it may revert to theater use in the future.

As Chop shops for new tenants, the city must ensure the historical integrity of the Varsity Theater. Every little plaster cherub and flourish; every neon tube and tile must be preserved in anticipation of the lovely night when film may again flicker on the Varsity screen. In the meantime, we can recommit our support for our remaining local independent bookstores and film theaters.

Winter Dellenbach La Para Avenue Palo Alto

Paly problems Editor, I was a victim of systematic white privilege as much as anyone else and I think the recent outburst of suicides in Palo Alto is a direct result of too much privilege.

Teachers give some students the benefit of the doubt creating a very harmful sense of entitlement, while the school casts disadvantaged students aside. Our high-school classes are based on lanes that force some students to stay in AP and honors classes while other students are systematically excluded from entering higher lanes.

In addition, students with disabilities are given little or no chance to achieve Paly’s high expectations of “success.� These young adults are put into lower lanes and often treated with disrespect by other teachers (some of whom refuse to recognize learning accommodations).

My next suggestion for improvement is that Paly should diversify its staff to include more teachers who promote social justice and accept differences among faculty and students. While attending Paly, I encountered a number of horrific statements from my so-called “teachers� including a Geology teacher who called one of my queer peers a “f----t.�

This type of hateful language should never be tolerated, especially

not in a school setting. Every school should be a safe place for students to grow, but Paly provided no support to help students develop the coping strategies that we need in order to survive.

Looking back at my experience at Paly, the only thing I learned was to think that I’m stupid when really that was just oppression talking.

Karin Zander Byron Street Palo Alto

This week on Town Square Posted July 23 at 9:36 p.m. by Andrea, a resident of the Evergreen Park neighborhood: Downtown Palo Alto used to be a place where you could get dinner, grab an ice cream and window shop from one end of the street to another. It was clean, friendly and a nice place to visit.

That is no more.

Restaurants and stores come and go so frequently it’s almost a joke to see what’s gone and what’s still there on the few times I do go downtown. There is re-

ally nothing down there now and I have no reason to deal with the bad smelling, dirty street with empty stores and so many homeless ... don’t even get me started on the parking.

I don’t feel safe down there and to be honest it makes me sad as a lifelong resident to see it like this.

It’s embarrassing when you look at downtown Los Gatos or San Carlos and here’s affluent Palo Alto ... what a joke.

Borders was the one place I went to and could take my child

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

What do you think? Is Palo Alto doing enough to calm trafďŹ c and encourage bicycling?

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.

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Check out Town Square!

Hundreds of local topics are being discussed by local residents on Town Square, a reader forum sponsored by the Weekly on our community website at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Post your own comments, ask questions, read the Editor’s blog or just stay up on what people are talking about around town!

to. Z Gallery was the other. Now what’s left? Not much. The Varsity was an awesome place and so was Swensons. Two places I spent a lot of time growing up.

Now the teens of Palo Alto have nowhere to hang out like we did.

I will not allow my daughter to go down there at night. Palo Alto needs to take a good look at what it is becoming before we all get fed up and leave. And yes the traffic lights at Town & Country are the stupidest things ever!

Posted July 26 at 3:57 p.m. by Everydayer, a resident of the Downtown North neighborhood: I spend everyday in downtown. Here’s what I see: Empty storefronts? Only because they are in the midst of remodeling and getting ready to open as something else. That’s what I like about downtown. It’s dynamic.

I never know what I am going to find in the way of new shops or restaurants. I don’t see a dying downtown, I see a vibrant one.

I also see one or two regular homeless folks. I don’t see overwhelming numbers of them. I did see them several years ago, but I think downtown has come a long way in addressing this issue. There is an organization I see everyday call the Downtown Streets Team. They clean the streets, everyday, all day. The streets are exceptionally clean and the alleys are unbelievably clean.

Other downtowns should be so lucky.

Lytton Plaza has been redone and I see folks enjoying the sunshine and water feature there everyday. The downtown has a vacancy rate of 2 percent according to one report I read recently. That’s not what I call a dying downtown.

Those who categorize downtown Palo Alto as sub par probably haven’t been downtown in a while and ought to come back and take a look. It ain’t that bad folks.

Borders or not.

Board of Contributors: Mediation program raises Palo Alto’s ‘mellow/Yelp’ score

by Jeff Blum e are lucky to live in Palo Alto where the weather is sublime and the restaurants are superb (check Yelp’s reviews of Palo Alto restaurants).

There is more to Palo Alto’s reputation for being a wonderful place to live or work.

Take, for example, Palo Alto’s Mellowness. What helps make it a mellow place to live is the Palo Alto Mediation Program.

This program is so great it ought to be expanded. Mediation could be offered in situations where parents have a substantial dispute with their teenager. The police and school officials who deal with these disputes could strongly encourage parents and the teen to show up and at least listen to our opening statement. Most people then are willing to engage and continue with mediation, which is successful most of the time.

OK, maybe this idea is a bit intrusive of family relationships or over the top, or both.

Yet our community has been made more civil thanks in part to the good work of the Palo Alto Mediation Program for the past 30 years. I learned some of the program’s history courtesy of Lynn Torin, who was involved in mediation on behalf of Palo Alto’s Human Relations Commission and has written a summary of its history.

The Palo Alto Mediation Program is a group of city-appointed volunteers trained in mediation. When it was created by the

W

Human Relations Commission only a few requests for mediation were made per year.

As requests grew a commission task force was set up to respond to the growing need, called the Rental Housing Mediation Task Force (RHMTF, pronounced “rum tough�).

During the 1980s requests for mediation expanded, including any area other than those within the purview of the City Council or the Police Department. The name of the task force was changed to Mediation Task Force to reflect this change. Later, “task force� was dropped since the group’s sole purpose was to mediate, although its role later expanded. In addition to mediating, the group promoted mediation and helped with training and workshops. Eventually it became the Palo Alto Mediation Program.

Palo Alto residents know of “the Palo Alto Process� — the opportunity to participate extensively in meetings of the school board, City Council, planning commission and Human Relations Commission so they can speak their minds (often at length and more than once) to help move the governing process and the city forward. It often works, in time. Surveys consistently show that we Palo Altans like our city and the way it operates. If you converted these surveys to Yelp scores, the city’s would be high.

Just as our boards and commissions give us an opportunity to speak our minds and participate in the process, the Palo Alto Mediation Program gives landlords, tenants, neighbors, business owners, business customers, employers and employees that same opportunity to speak their minds and peacefully work out their differences. This builds our community.

Many of the 150 or so cases that the Palo

Alto Mediation Program opens each year are successfully resolved, frequently resulting in written agreements between the parties.

People who collaboratively work out their differences often establish and sometimes expand upon fruitful relationships.

In a successful Palo Alto Mediation Program mediation that I participated in involving a former disgruntled terminated employee and his employer the parties ended their session by agreeing to collaborate with one another on future projects.

In another successful mediation neighbors were able to resolve their dispute over a flooding problem occurring on one neighbor’s property that was allegedly due to conditions existing on the other neighbor’s property.

These success stories show the contributions of the Palo Alto Mediation Program to maintaining the stability and happiness of the community at large.

Thus, just as the Palo Alto Process does, the Palo Alto Mediation Program also increases Palo Alto’s mellow/Yelp score.

Next time you fill out one of those resident surveys about satisfaction with Palo Alto services, remember to give some credit to the Palo Alto Mediation Program. Have your teenage kids fill out these things, too, even if you think it might lead to an argument between you and your teen. (There’s always mediation.) N Jeff Blum, a family law attorney practicing in Palo Alto, is a former member of the Palo Alto Human Relations Commission and of the Palo Alto YMCA board.

He can be emailed at Blumesq@aol.com.

Streetwise

What is your opinion of traffic in Palo Alto?

Asked at Town & Country Village, El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Interviews and photographs by Aaron Guggenheim.

Meera Parat

Student Hubbartt Drive, Palo Alto “It’s pretty good compared to other areas.�

Jane Smith

Consultant Ross Road, Palo Alto “Whenever I drive, I don’t have much trouble finding parking.�

Ron Silzer

Retiree University Drive, Menlo Park “It is what it is because of the way the city was laid out.�

Carrie Lavin

Retiree Golden Oak Drive, Portola Valley “I hardly come to town because it is too congested.�

Tim Richards

Software Engineer Darling Lane, Los Altos Hills “Lots of people trying to do 35 mph on 25 mph streets. ... It’s the speeders and tailgaters that drive me nuts.�

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Cover Story

CHANGING LANES

Drivers worry about getting left behind as Palo Alto speeds ahead with traffic-calming projects

A cyclist rides past a newly installed traffic signal at Coulombe Drive and Arastradero Road in Palo Alto last week. The city’s planning commission recently recommended a one-year extension of the traffic-calming trial along Arastradero.

story by Gennady Sheyner photographs by Veronica Weber

F

A driver makes a right turn onto Stanford Avenue from El Camino Real in Palo Alto, where construction is aimed at making the intersection safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.

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or a glance at Palo Alto’s transportation future, drive up and down Arastradero Road during the morning rush hour.

The busy thoroughfare, which stretches between highways 280 and 101, has undergone a complete makeover over the past year as part of the city’s robust effort to make life easier for bicyclists and pedestrians. Once a simple four-lane stretch favored by drivers bound for Stanford Research Park and by parents dropping off their kids at school, the road was transformed last year into a parade of signals, road markings and left-turn lanes. Most significantly, the number of lanes has been reduced from four to three throughout most of the stretch from El Camino Real to Gunn High School.

Earlier this month, Palo Alto’s planning director, Curtis Williams, called the Arastradero project “a precursor to our whole ‘complete streets’ effort that we have as an ongoing goal in the city.� The plan, which the City Council is scheduled to discuss on Monday (Aug. 1), is to make busy roads near schools more accommodating to non-drivers.

But the project has also polarized the community. Bicyclists and school parents praise the new signals, bike lanes and crosswalks for providing welcome relief from speeding drivers. Others argue, equally convincingly, that to calm traffic is to enrage drivers. Some residents are also complaining that their previously quiet side streets are now becoming detours for frustrated four-wheel commuters.

Cover Story

Palo Alto challenges Portland on biking excellence Strategic plan proposes ‘core network’ of bicycle boulevards, new trails and bike lanes

by Gennady Sheyner pacious bike lanes, winding trails and a network of bicycle boulevards stretching to all corners of Palo Alto could soon become visible features of the city’s landscape thanks to an aggressive push by local officials to make the city the nation’s top bicycling hub.

The city’s plan for overtaking Portland, Ore., San Francisco and other famously bikefriendly hubs is detailed in a new strategic plan, which the consulting firm Alta Planning + Design released Tuesday (July 26). The plan, almost a year in the making, proposes a “core network� of bike trails and boulevards connecting major thoroughfares and a link between the east-west Bay to Ridge Trail and the north-south Bay Trail in the Baylands.

The release of the new bike plan is the latest milestone in what City Manager James Keene and the City Council dubbed the “Year of the Bike� in Palo Alto. In May, the council began its meeting with a tour of the city’s next bike boulevard, which stretches from Park Boulevard in the north to Wilkie Way in the south.

Though the plan gives Palo Alto’s serious bikers something to cheer about, its main focus is on the casual cyclist. The plan particularly targets the 60 percent of commuters who are classified by planners as “interested but concerned� — a group whose members are open to biking but who tend to avoid major speedways like Foothill Expressway and traffic-heavy roads such as Alma Street. The other three groups, according to a theory developed in (where else?) Portland, are the “no way, no how� people who wouldn’t get on a bike even in the safest of settings (they make up about 30 percent of commuters); the “strong and fearless� riders (1 percent) who are perfectly at ease swerving through traffic jams; and the “enthused and confident� set (9 percent), a group that was particularly well represented at Tuesday’s meeting, when the master plan was unveiled.

The city’s goal with the plan is to double the rate of bicycling for both local and work commutes by 2020 — to 15 percent and 5 percent, respectively, according to Alta consultant Casey Hildreth. “The aspirations are to be at the higher echelon of communities really committed to bicycle and pedestrian planning,� Hildreth said.

As such, Palo Alto officials want to overcome their Portland envy by becoming the nation’s top biking city. They hope to see Palo Alto’s status raised from the respectable “gold� level to the elite “platinum� level, as designated by the League of American Bicyclists.

City officials don’t expect every commuter to make the switch to bicycles (their goal of raising the percentage of work commuters who use bicycles to 5 percent may not strike the average reader as particular ambitious). But they hope to see more residents rely on bikes for discretionary trips around town, whether to go to the grocery store or the library.

For this reason, the plan pays particular attention to bicycle and pedestrian connections around popular destinations such as schools and shopping areas, Hildreth said.

The plan is unlikely to be implemented in its entirety any time soon, but many of its components will start popping up around town in the coming months. This includes the city’s newest “bicycle boulevard,� which is scheduled to be completed along Park Boulevard, Castilleja Street and Wilkie Way as early as this fall, according to Chief Transportation Official Jaime Rodriguez. Future bike boulevards are planned for Moreno Avenue, Greer Road and Ross Road. These thoroughfares would also, under the plan, ultimately connect to trails in the Baylands and the Foothills, allowing bicyclists to traverse the city easily.

Not everyone has bought into Palo Alto’s recent bicycling renaissance. The city’s recent projects aimed at calming traffic and making life easier for bicyclists were met with skepticism and, in some cases, criticism from some residents and business owners (see main story). Some have argued that the new roads don’t discourage drivers but rather enrage them and, in some cases, prompt them to detour onto residential side streets.

Rodriguez said many aspects of the bike plan would have little or no impact on drivers.

The planned bike boulevard on Park already has most of the traffic-calming measures in place, and driving conditions are not expected to change. He also noted that the council and the community will have plenty of opportunity to decide which projects they want to take on. “The bike plan is as aggressive in implementation as the community wants it to be and as the council wants it to be,� Rodriguez told the Weekly in a recent interview. “For a future bike boulevard — like Ross Road, for example, which could be about five years away — we would go through a community outreach effort and see what types of traffic-calming measures the community will accept.�

Bike boulevards typically include a series of traffic-calming methods as well as designated bicycle lanes and way-finding signs directing bicyclists to notable local destinations.

The plan urges the city to proceed more aggressively with creating a “network� of boulevards to complement the existing one on Bryant Street.

The plan recommends branding the proposed network by installing way-finding signs and other low-cost improvements in the short term and proceeding with more significant improvements on a spot basis, as funding becomes available.

Funding, in fact, remains the largest obstacle in the city’s quest to overtake Portland. The city’s previous strategic bike plan, which the council adopted in 2003, also outlined a series of bike improvements, but its recommendations were never implemented because of a lack of funding and political commitment.

City officials are confident the new plan will get greater traction. The city is in the midst of reconstructing the busy El Camino Real and Stanford Avenue intersection, a project that aims to make the crossing safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. The council also approved funds last week for design work on the California Avenue streetscape project, which includes reducing driving lanes and improving bicycling amenities.

Palo Alto residents will have two months to comment on the draft plan. They can submit their comments at www.altaprojects.net/palo-alto. N

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Motorists pass through the intersection of Terman Drive and Arastradero Road in Palo Alto, where restriping has narrowed Arastradero from four to three lanes.

At a July 13 hearing on the trial project Planning and Transportation Commissioner Eduardo Martinez said he didn’t think he had ever “heard such disparate positions on an issue� as in reading emails and hearing comments from the public about the Arastradero Road re-striping project.

The debate is almost certain to become more common and more vehement in the coming months as Palo Alto’s multi-pronged effort to slow down traffic and turn the city into a bicycling Mecca expands to just about every section of the city. Earlier this year, Mayor Sid Espinosa and City Manager James Keene declared 2011 the “Year of the Bike� and, since then, they’ve been putting the city’s (as well as the state’s and county’s) money where their mouths are. Construction is already proceeding at the dangerous intersection of Stanford Avenue and El Camino Real, a traffic-calming project aimed at helping students cross the street and making El Camino a more bikeable, walkable boulevard. Deer Creek Road in the Stanford Research Park is now in the process of losing a driving lane and picking up a bike lane. And design work is proceeding on the California Avenue lane-reduction plan despite a lawsuit from two residents concerned about the impact on businesses.

Further down the road, city officials are eying more ambitious projects, including four new bike boulevards that would complement the existing bike boulevard on Bryant Street.

The bike-friendly throughways would include Park Boulevard, Greer Road, Moreno Avenue and Ross Road. The city is also looking forward to a $3 million payment from Stanford University Medical Center to improve pedestrian and bicycle connections between the hospitals and downtown Palo Alto. These big-ticket items would complement a score of smaller projects on the city’s radar, including installing color-coded signs guiding bicyclists to popular destinations and creating easy-to-identify, green bicycle lanes of the sort already in place in San Francisco. One such lane is proposed for Channing Avenue, between Newell Road and Lincoln Avenue, as part of a traffic-calming project that also includes a cornucopia of traffic-slowing signs, road markings and speed banks.

Ambitious bike projects are far from new to Palo Alto, a city that introduced the concept of the “bike boulevard� in 1982 and that currently carries a “Gold Level� designation from the League of American Bicyclists.

But even by the city’s historically lofty standards, the efforts have accelerated over the past year and will likely continue their pace in the months ahead, as the city proceeds with the implementation of its new Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (see sidebar).

Palo Alto officials point to a series of trends for the sharp increase in transportation projects on city streets: the slew of transportation grants aimed at encouraging environ(continued on next page)

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Former council member Ellen Fletcher stands with her bike next to the Ellen Fletcher Bicycle Boulevard sign on Bryant Street in Palo Alto last week. More bike boulevards are planned.

Changing lanes (continued from previous page)

mentally sustainable commuting habits; staffing changes in the city’s Transportation Division, including a new Chief Transportation Officer position; a City Council and a city manager who are passionate about biking; and a realization by a growing number of Palo Altans, particularly in the school community, that when it comes to wheels, more isn’t always better.

Daniel Garber, a member of the Planning and Transportation Commission, alluded to Palo Alto’s zeitgeist during the July 13 discussion of the Arastradero Road projects, at which time the commission recommended extending the trial project for another year. The road, he said, reflects the way Palo Alto’s transportation culture has changed over the past decade, as walking and biking have grown in stature. “It’s not that driving has been disregarded or lowered in value, it’s that the pedestrian involvement and bicycle involvement in our community has risen,� Garber said. “As a result, you end up with streets like Arastradero that historically have been more cut-through. “It’s not the freeway experience that some of the residents have described. It is mixed, and it really is

the street of our future, which requires us to be able to slow down, requires us to think what this is and accept slower drive-through times as a result of things that I think are now valued by our community.�

His view is supported by the daily scenes of spandex-clad bikers streaking down Arastradero, Foothill Expressway and other popular throughways; of families and errand-runners cruising down Bryant Street while drivers are negotiating their way around the speed bumps and roundabouts; and of students increasingly eschewing cars in favor of biking or walking (at Gunn and Palo Alto high schools, more than a third of students now walk or bike to school, compared to fewer than 15 percent about a decade ago).

The Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee continues to be a robust lobbying force for new bike lanes and other amenities, though they are preaching to a council that increasingly agrees with their views. In May, council members began their meeting with a bike tour along the city’s next bike boulevard on Park Boulevard and Wilkie Way — a tour that involved at least 40 residents and a score of department heads from City Hall. And it’s not just the city leaders and students who are rediscovering their bikes. Close to 1,400 cyclists took to the streets between 6:30 and 9 a.m. during the

Cover Story always put concentration on moving more cars faster,� Fletcher said. “It’s really the wrong policy.�

The philosophical shift spreads far beyond Palo Alto. Cities like San Francisco and Portland, have been gradually building up their bike infrastructures and adding restrictions and fees for drivers.

But even their efforts pale when compared to what’s happening in Europe. A recent story in The New York Times, descriptively headlined “Across Europe, Irking Drivers Is Urban Policy,� lists various European cities, including Copenhagen, Vienna and Zurich, where officials

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city’s annual Bike to Work Day in May — a 2.5 percent increase over 2010.

These numbers have given council members plenty to boast about. “We have reversed a national trend and set new records, contrary to most everywhere else,� Councilman Pat Burt said at a May meeting, referring to successful “Safe Routes to School� program.

Councilman Greg Scharff said he’d like to see Palo Alto surpass other bike-friendly cities in national prominence. For Palo Alto, being merely one of the best is clearly not enough. “I’d like us to be more bold and aggressive,� Scharff said. “I’d like to be a first-class bicycle city where everyone calls us instead of calling Portland.�

Keene shares this ambition. Last year, when he and then-Mayor Burt met officials from various companies at Stanford Research Park, the subject of bike-sharing programs popped up on more than one occasion. Keene called the “Year of the Bike� concept a “good convergence between our sustainability initiatives and our focus on infrastructure.� “Bicycling seems to be in character with the geography and values of Palo Alto,� Keene told the Weekly. “We’re in good shape, but there’s no reason why we can’t be the best bicycling city in the nation.�

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shelf. But city officials are confident that the new plan — the draft of which was released this week — will be different. “We have a combination of the council that’s in place right now, particularly the last two mayors (Pat Burt and Sid Espinosa), as well as with Jim Keene, where there’s some real political commitment to making this happen,� Williams told the Weekly. “And we’re realizing that in order for the community to stay at the forefront in terms of bicycling in the national way, and as far as finding alternatives to the automobile — which we have to do to live in a sustainable way — we need to focus more on implementing these projects.�

Burt shared Williams’ optimism.

At the May council meeting, he called the city’s failure to implement the 2003 bike plan a “great disappointment� but predicted that the new plan would be more promising. “We now have a commitment within the planning and transportation departments and the city manager’s office that I think is one that’s going to move this plan toward implementation,� Burt said.

Such words ring like music to the ears of Palo Alto’s passionate and politically savvy bicycling community. Ellen Fletcher, a former council member and a trailblazer on bike issues (the Bryant Street is also known as the Ellen Fletcher Bicycle Boulevard), called the resurgence of pro-bike projects “heartwarming.�

For Fletcher, making Palo Alto a

more bike-friendly city has been a labor of love stretching back to the early 1970s, when her son was a student at Fairmeadow Elementary School and she served as the safety chair for the school. At 82, she continues to get around the city on her bicycle.

A Berlin native, Fletcher discovered bicycling shortly after she moved to London in December 1938, during the onset World War II. “In England, everybody rode bikes during the war,� Fletcher said. “It was natural to ride a bicycle.�

In 1946, she immigrated to New York, where a biking culture was almost nonexistent. Frustrated with traffic congestion and the city’s subway system, Fletcher — then a 17-year-old student at Hunter College — became the “only one in college who had a bike on campus,� she said. She rode it year round.

After college, Fletcher moved to Menlo Park and, later, Palo Alto, where she rediscovered bicycling during the energy crisis of the late 1970s (“I decided I wasn’t going to stand in line for gasoline�).

Fletcher maintains that the slew of traffic-calming projects on the city’s agenda will benefit everyone, not just bicyclists. If residents and commuters switch from cars to bikes, the roads will become less congested for drivers, she said. The city, she said, is finally realizing that policies that prioritize drivers don’t always net the best results. “That’s really been the national philosophy all these years — we’ve

have slowed traffic down to a crawl during the morning-commute hours.

John Elman, who lives on Hubbartt Drive off Arastradero, said it now takes him an extra 16 minutes to travel from his home to the gym at the Campus for Jewish Life, which is about 2 miles away. The project drastically reduced speeds, prompting drivers to switch to residential side streets, he said.

Elman invited commissioners to come to his house in September, when school resumes, and survey the impacts of the Arastradero project for themselves. He even sweetened the offer by saying he would

We’ve always put concentration on moving more cars faster. It’s really the wrong policy. —ELLEN FLETCHER, FORMER MEMBER, PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL

are trying to create environments that are “openly hostile to cars.�

This includes closing some of their busiest areas to traffic and adding tolls. The Times quotes Zurich’s chief traffic planner, who said the city’s goal is to “reconquer public space for pedestrians, not to make it easy for drivers.�

Palo Alto officials aren’t going that far — at least, not yet. The fact that the city is a job magnet with a population that more than doubles during the day time suggests that it’s not feasible to get everyone to shrug off their cars. But at the same time, city planners and at least one council member are looking ahead to a time when the city will do more to discourage driving. This could include new parking fees and zoning requirements that set a “maximum� rather than a “minimum� number of parking spots for new developments.

Espinosa acknowledged at a May meeting that removing parking spaces would be a “struggle in this community.� But he also said he wondered if “that’s what it takes to get us to the next level.�

Such policies, however, remain far out on the city’s horizon. Williams said officials are currently focusing their parking strategies on “making more efficient use of parking areas� by creating new signs directing drivers toward local garages and providing automated counts of cars in garages. Over time, however, they may have to consider alternate parking strategies, he said. “I don’t see limiting parking spaces as something that would be high on our agenda within the next couple of years,� Williams said. “I’d image that within five years or so, we’ll need to have serious discussions about that because we’ll see more and more cities try to adopt that.�

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o are Palo Alto drivers headed for gridlock and parking shortages? The verdict on that score is still out, but some residents are panning the early results.

Earlier this month, several public speakers asserted at a planning commission meeting that the trafficcalming measures on Arastradero

provide fresh-brewed coffee, fresh orange juice and ricotta-blueberry pancakes. “Then we’ll go out and wander into traffic and you tell me if it improved things in the city of Palo Alto,� Elman said.

Barron Park resident Doug Moran told the commission that at public hearings on the project “there’s been an impression that the needs of drivers have been disregarded.�

The reconfiguration of the road and the abrupt shift in the number of lanes has created what he called a “problem of poor predictability� for drivers.

The city’s effort to remodel California Avenue, which also involves lane reductions, has also come under fire from a small but vocal group of merchants and residents, who earlier this year convinced the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to delay a grant award for this project. Resident Joy Ogawa and Terry Shuchat from the California Avenue camera store Keeble & Shuchat filed a lawsuit against the city in April, claiming officials failed to follow California’s environmental laws in approving the streetscape project.

Former Vice Mayor Jack Morton, whose accounting practice is located on California Avenue, publicly criticized the lane-reduction plan at last week’s council meeting. “For most businesses at California Avenue there will be a disastrous impact on their cash flow,� Morton said. “For sure, it is the case that the majority of businesses on California Avenue find the proposal to reduce lanes on California Avenue completely unacceptable.�

Palo Alto is nevertheless proceeding with the lane-reduction plan, which officials say will make the street more attractive and more welcoming to bikers and pedestrians. The City Council approved a contract for design last week.

The flurries of protest come as no surprise to traffic experts. Last year, the city hosted a special presentation by Jeffrey Tumlin, a transportation planner and principal in the San Francisco firm Nelson/ Nygaard. Tumlin, who had worked (continued on next page)

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Changing lanes (continued from previous page)

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extensively in Palo Alto and Stanford and who received Palo Alto’s now-defunct “Consultant of the Year� award in 2000, described the city as “almost the perfection of the California lifestyle� and as one of the few places he’s ever been to that “really captures the potential of the suburban dream in California.� “For those reasons, change is really scary because things are good,�

Tumlin said during his presentation. “Any kind of change to the deal that you’ve got threatens this extraordinary thing that you’ve got.�

But both he and Palo Alto offi-

cials acknowledged that change is inevitable and that cities must do their part to meet shifting conditions. The Arastradero Road project, after all, was undertaken only after a series of large, dense developments went up in south Palo Alto in the past decade, forcing city planners to address the need for traffic improvements.

For now, Williams told the Weekly, the city is focusing its bike boulevards and traffic-calming efforts around schools and parks. The goal is more equitable sharing of streets, even if that means it might take drivers longer to get where they’re going. “There may be improvements on

those roads over time that do slow the traffic somewhat because we’re trying to balance the needs of all users,� Williams said. “Most of the roads have been heavily used by cars. We’re trying to get some more balance into some of the roads.� N Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

About the cover: A sign on El Camino Real warns motorists of upcoming sidewalk construction at the Stanford Avenue intersection in Palo Alto. Photo illustration

by Veronica Weber and Shannon Corey.

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

C U LT U R A L C ON V E R S AT ION Jewish Film Festival explores family and tradition, estrangement and ambiguity

by Leslie Shen

Top: Vincent Piazza, right, plays a young Jewish DJ and Judd Hirsch, left, is his uncle in “Polish Bar.� Above left: A still from the French World War II film “The Roundup.� Above center: A woman finds a lost Jewish girl in Warsaw in “Joanna.� Above right: A still from “Intimate Grammar,� which takes place in Jerusalem in the early ‘60s. he universe of Jewish cinema is a universe of memory, evocative of Amsterdam and Jerusalem, 1942 Paris and Nazi-occupied Warsaw. Its stories speak of crisis and faith, of alienation and belonging.

Many of these stories will be told in Palo Alto next month, when the 31st annual San Francisco Jewish Film Festival comes to town.

The festival, with screenings in San Francisco, Berkeley, Palo Alto and San Rafael, comprises feature films, shorts, animation and raw, revealing documentaries, brought together in discussion of what it can mean to be Jewish, and what it can mean to create or see a Jewish film. What makes cinema Jewish? What makes cinema cinema?

The films include more traditionally historical offerings along with the stories of today, such as the 2010 drama “Polish Bar.�

The time of “Polish Barâ€? is now, the landscape Chicago and its hustling, brooding underbelly. Reuben (Vincent Piazza) is the child of suburban respectability, a young Jewish DJ chasing his dreams of making it big — but his tall ambitions and naĂŻvetĂŠ leave him dealing cocaine out of the questionable strip club in the Polish Village neighborhood where he spins his beats.

Mired in theft and sleaze-laden nights that estrange him from his family, Reuben begins to lose control of the worlds that define his life, among them his relationship with his mother and stepfather, his uncle, (Judd Hirsch) his dying grandfather and his Hasidic cousin Moises, who invites him to pray. “I don’t rocks the Orthodox,� Reuben quips by way of refusal. Later he admits, “I just don’t need all this pressure to be Jewish all the time,� to which Moises replies: “You

can’t escape. We’re everywhere.�

The 96-minute film, like its music, is brave-talking and heavy-hitting, buoyed up by a defiant hip-hop energy that gives way seamlessly to otherworldly yet folksy songs sung in Hebrew. Modern, but in a way that remembers.

Confident, but with painstaking attention given to each character’s self-doubt. There’s Tommy, Reuben’s troubled and violent friend, and Ebony, a tough but vulnerable pole dancer. They add to a patchwork of stories, not especially Polish and not always intuitively Jewish. But then again, such stories may not have to be. “Yes, it’s possible to make a Jewish film, and yes, ‘Polish Bar’ is one,� said the film’s director, Los Angeles-based Ben Berkowitz, a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. “But films are never really one thing. It was more about making it good, making it honest. I tried very hard not to do a demographic because I’m more interested in the stories. I don’t want to just see the happy parts. I want to (continued on page 21)

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Arts & Entertainment

Tyler Risk, left, plays theater producer-with-an-attitude Carmen Bernstein, and Ryan Drummond is the humble Lt. Frank Cioffi.

A must for musical fans ‘Curtains’ is Kander and Ebb’s valentine to Broadway

by Kevin Kirby eginning with “Flora the Red Menace� in 1965 and ending with Ebb’s death in 2004, composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb enjoyed one of the longest Broadway collaborations, producing such landmark musicals as “Cabaret� and “Chicago.� Their simple song forms, innuendo-laced lyrics and penchant for gritty characters marked them more as descendants of Weil and Brecht than of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

It’s interesting, then, that their final show, “Curtains� — currently playing at Foothill Music Theatre — is a fairly tender-hearted “Valentine to Broadway.� Sure, the show is peppered with unsavory characters, salty lyrics and a dash of misanthropic wit. It is, after all, a whodunit in which more than one character meets a brutal end. But beneath all that lies a sweet tribute to the magic of Broadway.

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Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District Notice is hereby given that RFP’s will be received by the Palo Alto Unified School District for Network Equipment & Fiber package: Contract Nos. 11-F-05-E-1R DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK: The work includes, but is not limited to: All equipment necessary to replace the existing district network infrastructure and fiber modules. No labor to be included in the bid. Bidding documents contain the full description of the work.

There will be a mandatory pre-bid conference for each project on August 2, 2011, at 2:30 p.m. at the District Business Office located at 25 Churchill Ave., Palo Alto, California 94306. Non-attendance or tardiness will deem the vendor ineligible to submit a bid.

Bid Submission: Proposals must be received at the District Business Office located at 25 Churchill Ave. Palo Alto, California 94306, by 3:00 p.m. on August 15, 2011.

Bonding required for this project is as follows: Bid Bond 10% of the total bid.

Vendors may examine proposal documents at the District Business Services office. Vendors may obtain copies of Plans and Specifications free of charge at the District Business Services office located at 25 Churchill Ave., Palo Alto, California 94306.

All questions can be addressed to: Palo Alto Unified School District 25 Churchill Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306-1099 Attn: Denise Buschke Tel: 650-329-3802 Fax: 650-329-3803

THEATER REVIEW Set in 1959, the story concerns a new musical, “Robbin’ Hood,� which has just opened for out-of-town tryouts in Boston, on its way to New York.

This musical-within-the-musical is a corny Old West version of the Robin Hood legend; its anthem “Wide Open Spaces� is a thinly disguised riff on the title song from “Oklahoma!�

The musical’s future seems uncertain after the Boston critics savage the show on opening night. To complicate matters, the show’s leading lady, a talentless Hollywood diva named Jessica Cranshaw (played broadly if briefly

by Reggie Reynolds), collapses during the curtain call and dies several hours later, victim of an inexplicable poisoning.

Enter Lt. Frank Cioffi of the Greater

It Happened in Palo Alto When the United States entered the Great War, as it was called in Europe (World War I nowadays) in April, 1917, it was unprepared for the mass training and mobilization required. All over the U.S., training camps were hastily set up. One was Camp Fremont in Menlo Park; an historical marker in the city park at University and Santa Cruz avenues is all that remains. When war ended in November, 1911 Camp Fremont was ordered closed and all buildings were demolished except for the Hostess House, a spacious wooden building with stone ďŹ replaces, which a woman’s group proposed to move to Palo Alto.

The city owned prime land bordered by San Francisquito Creek, El Camino Real, University Avenue, and the railroad tracks. Proceeds from a concert held by the women just before war ended were applied to the cost of moving Hostess House. The City Council of Palo Alto having accepted the donation of the building, it created a Community Center Commission to oversee the move and conversion of the house for public use. The city would assume responsibility for maintaining the building. The house was disassembled and reassembled piece by piece, complete with plumbing, electrical ďŹ xtures, a telephone line, ďŹ replaces, and furnishings. Some of the labor was donated. On November 11, 1919, exactly one year after the Armistice ended World War I, a gala affair celebrated the Community Center’s dedication. With the Stanford Band leading, about 3,000 people marched from Waverley and University Avenue to the community site. Numerous groups participated. Mayor Swain presided; there was music, speeches, and a general good feeling. The Palo Alto Community Center was one of the ďŹ rst such centers in the United States.

Lana Ralston, RealtorÂŽ 650-776-9226 www.RalstonWorks.com DRE # 01477598

Intero Real Estate Services Page 20ĂŠUĂŠ Ă•Â?ÞÊә]ÊÓ䣣ÊUĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?Ăž

Boston Police Department. An amateur thespian, Cioffi is nearly giddy to find himself rubbing elbows with the “Robbin’ Hood� cast and creative staff. As his murder investigation progresses, Cioffi seems more interested in fixing the musical’s problem numbers than in catching the killer. (In the end, of course, he manages both.)

Actor Ryan Drummond makes his FMT debut as Cioffi, and it’s hard to imagine a better actor for the role.

Drummond’s characterization is a marvel of understatement: Cioffi’s childlike enthusiasm is utterly believable, and his humility is a welcome break from the grandiose self-involvement of the theater folk.

To keep Cioffi (and the audience) guessing, “Curtainsâ€? features a plethora of suspects, every one of them harboring some hostility toward Jessica Cranshaw. They include: • Carmen Bernstein, the show’s flinty producer, a sort of cross between Mama Morton and Mama Rose. Veteran Foothill choreographer Tyler Risk plays Carmen with a wink and a growl, soft-pedaling her harshest moments but still maintaining the requisite aura of menace. • Carmen’s husband Sidney (a tooquiet Jaime Martinez) and daughter Elaine, aka Bambi (Jordan Michele Kersten), a loud-mouthed aspiring dancer who can do no right in her mother’s eyes. • Beleaguered, effete, British director Chris Belling, portrayed in pitchperfect style by Walter M. Mayes. • The divorced songwriting team of Aaron Fox and Georgia Hendricks, reunited — professionally, at least — to create the “Robbin’ Hoodâ€? score.

The pair’s ballads, “Thinking of Himâ€? and “I Miss the Music,â€? may not be Kander and Ebb’s best work, but actors Mike Rhone and Alicia Teeter deliver them beautifully. • Niki Harris (a wide-eyed Katie Blodgett), the murdered woman’s understudy, who captures Cioffi’s heart despite the fact that her fingerprints seem to wind up on every scrap of evidence in the case. • Bobby Pepper (Gary Stanford), the star of “Robbin’ Hoodâ€? and Geor-

Arts & Entertainment gia’s latest beau. • Oscar Shapiro (Todd Wright), a financial backer who has begun to fear for his investment. • Johnny Harmon (a no-nonsense Joe Colletti), the show’s stage manager.

This truly is an ensemble piece — a tribute to the collaborative nature of musical theater — and the cast works together admirably. If a few of the performers seem a bit green, it doesn’t matter. The group’s enthusiasm is evident, and under the sure hand of director Jay Manley, it produces a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Certain numbers stand out, of course. “What Kind of Man,� in which Carmen, Aaron, Georgia and Oscar lambast the Boston critics who have lambasted their premiere, provides the show’s first delicious pinch of Kander and Ebb strychnine, drawing the audience immediately into the backstage

fold. Risk (Carmen) has a second hit on her hands with “It’s a Business,� in which Carmen expounds on the pragmatic side of their artistic endeavor, backed by a delightful chorus of stage hands and seamstresses.

The Act 2 opener, “He Did It,� is a tightly written exercise in creeping paranoia, and the staging — amazing what you can do with blankets and flashlights — is as effective as it is minimal. And “In the Same Boat,� a ditzy vaudeville pastiche from “Robbin’ Hood� that Cioffi encourages Aaron to rewrite time and again, pays off beautifully when it finally comes together late in the second act. Everyone, Cioffi included, joins in for the creation of a song-and-dance extravaganza that exceeds one’s expectations for the space-constrained Foothill production.

Over the years, Manley has proven himself adept at staging large-scale

Broadway musicals in small venues, without losing the expansive feel of the original. It’s a skill that serves him well here, as the large Smithwick Theatre (the usual home of FMTs summer productions) is undergoing seismic retrofitting, forcing “Curtains� into the lovely but much smaller Lohman Theatre.

Together with choreographer Dottie Lester-White, Manley has created a show that feels much bigger than the space it inhabits. The cast of 30-plus never seem crowded on the stage, assembling and scattering with no hint of traffic congestion. The dance numbers never feel “scaled back� and deliver plenty of punch.

The Lohman venue does, however, pose a couple of challenges that are only partially met. Hidden somewhere behind the set, Mark Hanson’s five-piece combo does a decent job of covering the old-style Broadway accompaniments (originally scored for

Film festival

ish Community Center, and the 58 festival films in total, seem not to be there to resolve uncertainties. Far from it. Collectively, they appear to make a case that uncertainties can be desirable, even crucial, as unknowability turns into possibility and possibility turns into inclusiveness.

The people inside the art are lovable clowns, traumatized youths, grandparents, matchmakers, seductresses and singers, and their stories are as tender as they are harrowing, as sweet as they are difficult. In some way or another, many of these stories have already been told. But perhaps they persist because they’re worth telling again. N

What: The 31st annual San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, with some screenings in Palo Alto Where: Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto.

When: Local screenings are afternoons and evenings, Aug. 1 through Aug. 7.

Cost: Tickets are $12 general admission and $11 for matinees (4 p.m. and earlier on Monday through Thursday).

Student and senior tickets are $10.50.

A free Palo Alto screening of “Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness� is at 4 p.m. on Aug. 3.

Info: For more information, go to sfjff. org or call 415-621-0523 weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(continued from page 19)

see the conflicts, the struggle. And I’d hope that someone who is not Jewish would be able to watch and relate.�

What is true of its sister films is undoubtedly true of “Polish Bar� itself: All is not necessarily as it seems. It’s not a parable of childhood, but it is about growing up and coming to terms. “There is no bar that’s exactly like the Polish bar, but it’s real,� Berkowitz said. “People in ‘Polish Bar’ are all trying to be good, but the film is not an easy film. It’s not a feel-good film. It’s tough. It can be really heartbreaking.�

Heartbreaking, yes. But what is most heartbreaking is also most reassuring, in particular at moments of a mother’s insurmountable love, a stepfather’s words of wisdom or an Orthodox cousin’s honesty about family and faith. Ends are left untied, questions left unanswered.

And somehow, that’s all right, with this film and others in the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. Maybe nobody knows what will become of the Jewish girl who has lost her mother and is taken in by a Gentile woman, the titular character of the wintry Polish drama “Joanna,� at great danger to both woman and child in Germanoccupied Warsaw.

It also might be tricky to explain why political complicity, as detailed in the French World War II film “The Roundup,� is so painful to talk about.

And no one can say for sure if Romuald Jakub Weksler-Waszkinel — Catholic priest, Jew and the subject of “Torn,� an Israeli documentary — will find true reconciliation between the seemingly antithetical halves of his religious identity. “I had struggled all my life with what it meant to be a Jew if I didn’t pray weekly, much less daily — if I sometimes believed in God and sometimes didn’t,� Joseph Dorman, director of the American biographical documentary “Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness,� said in a director’s statement. “The important thing, in the end, is to wrestle with the ambivalences of identity. Only by doing so can we hope to hold on to our ever-shifting identities in any meaningful way.�

The 29 films to be shown Aug. 1 to 7 at Palo Alto’s Oshman Family Jew-

two dozen instruments), but the synthesized horns can be distractingly cheesy at times.

Scenic designer Joe Ragey gives the stage a sense of faded glory with a faux proscenium and a red main curtain that rises and falls for “Robbin’ Hood� rehearsals and performances.

However, with limited upstage space, he relies on projections to suggest the “Robbin’ Hood� sets. This approach, sadly, fails to create the feel of a Broadway-bound 1959 production.

But the strengths of FMT’s “Curtains� far outweigh its few shortcomings, just as Kander and Ebb’s songs — a few of which might seem tired or derivative if taken out of context — are the perfect complement to the non-

stop laughs of the script. “Curtains� is a must, not just for Kander and Ebb fans, but for anyone with a soft spot for the Broadway musical. N What: The musical “Curtains,� presented by Foothill Music Theatre Where: Lohman Theatre at Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills When: Through Aug. 14, with shows at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (except for July 31, which has a 7 p.m. show) Cost: Tickets are $26 general, $24 for seniors, $20 for non-Foothill students, $13 for Foothill students and staff, and $10 for kids under 12.

Info: Go to foothillmusicals.com or call 650-949-7360.

David Finckel & Wu Han, Artistic Directors

“Innovative, engaging, and artistically excellent...â€? —gramophone FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC £™nxĂŠ ÂœĂ•ÂˆĂƒĂŠ,Âœ>`]ĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠUĂŠÂ­ĂˆxäŽÊnxĂˆÂ‡ĂˆĂˆĂˆĂ“ĂŠUĂŠĂœĂœĂœÂ°vVVÂŤ>Â°ÂœĂ€}ĂŠ -Ă•Â˜`>ÞÊ7ÂœĂ€ĂƒÂ…ÂˆÂŤĂŠ>˜`ĂŠ-Ă•Â˜`>ÞÊ-V…œœÂ?ĂŠ>ĂŒĂŠÂŁĂ¤\ääÊ>°“°

This Sunday: Animal Blessing Sunday

THE 2011 FESTIVAL: Through Brahms July 22-August 13, 2011 / Atherton Menlo Park Palo Alto

Bring your pets for outdoor worship!

An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ

Music@Menlo, the Bay Areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier chamber music festival, offers an incomparable musical experienceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; world-class concerts in intimate venues, innovative programs performed by a cadre of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great musicians, and numerous free opportunities to engage with artists and explore classical music. Â&#x2122; :M8:EI>DC6A 8DC8:GIH 7N LDGA9"G:CDLC:9 BJH>8>6CH Â&#x2122; :C<6<>C< HNBEDH>6 6C9 A:8IJG:H Â&#x2122; ;G:: 86;w 8DCK:GH6I>DCH 6C9 B6HI:G 8A6HH:H Â&#x2122; ;G:: 8DC8:GIH 7N NDJC< 6GI>HIH ;GDB BJH>85B:CADÂźH >CHI>IJI:

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

FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION:

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650-331-0202

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Movies OPENINGS

Cowboys & Aliens --1/2

(Century 16, Century 20) This entertaining genre mash-up â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one part western, one part sci-fi â&#x20AC;&#x201D; stretches believability but boasts an excellent cast and impressive action. Daniel Craig (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Quantum of Solaceâ&#x20AC;?) and Harrison Ford (if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know who he is, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help you) make a terrific, no-nonsense tandem while the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imaginative energy permeates nearly every frame.

But there is a certain absurdity to the whole affair that makes the picture seem a bit small in scope, and the cowpoke vs. extraterrestrial dynamic is an odd pairing. Fortunately, the inspired cast and director Jon Favreauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gritty approach to the western backdrop help set â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cowboys & Aliensâ&#x20AC;? apart from standard action/adventure fare.

When outlaw Jake Lonergan (Craig) awakes alone in the desert with fragmented memories and a high-tech device strapped to his wrist, he makes his way to a quiet old-west town run by gruff cow herder Woodrow Dolarhyde (Ford) and kindly sheriff John Taggart (Keith Carradine). Lonergan and Dolarhyde have a strained past â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one Lonergan doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember â&#x20AC;&#x201D; made even more untenable by the disorderly antics of Dolarhydeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spoiled son, Percy (Paul Dano of â&#x20AC;&#x153;There Will Be Bloodâ&#x20AC;?).

A deadly unexpected attack by alien spacecrafts forces Lonergan and Dolarhyde to work together as Percy, Taggart and several other townspeople are abducted. The pair form a posse that includes Ella (Olivia Wilde of TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;House M.D.â&#x20AC;?), Doc (Sam Rockwell), Meacham (Clancy Brown) and Nat (Adam Beach) to hunt down the space in-

Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cowboys & Aliens.â&#x20AC;? vaders and rescue their captured kin. And Lonerganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laser-blasting bracelet proves invaluable in the dangerous quest.

Favreau puts together a fantastic cast, perhaps thanks to his own thespian roots. Both Craig and Ford exude a stoic toughness, and their shared screen time is a real boon for the film. Dano and Rockwell â&#x20AC;&#x201D; tremendous and often underrated actors â&#x20AC;&#x201D; shine in their unusual roles.

Beach lends the film the necessary emotional poignancy while Wildeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understated performance is mysterious and seductive.

The aliens are adequately menacing, coming across as violent parasites, and the visual effects are impressive. Where â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cowboysâ&#x20AC;? stumbles is with the plot (the aliens are here for the gold, dadgummit) and western/sci-fi blending, a clever idea that starts with promise but soon grows into befuddlement for the audience. The future and the past donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

)))) SPELLBINDINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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ROGER EBERT, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

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A GUARANTEED GOOD TIME AT THE MOVIES.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;

TY BURR, THE BOSTON GLOBE

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always come together seamlessly, even in Hollywood blockbusters.

Still, Favreau should be commended for assembling a scintillating cast and keeping the action tight and engaging. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cowboys & Aliensâ&#x20AC;? succeeds despite itself â&#x20AC;&#x201D; you might just get roped in.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of western and sci-fi action and violence, some partial nudity and a brief crude reference. 1 hour, 58 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Tyler Hanley

Tabloid ---

(Aquarius) The accidentally timely â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tabloidâ&#x20AC;? must have documentary filmmaker Errol Morris thanking his lucky stars for Rupert Murdochâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s misfortune. If Morrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; last picture, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Standard Operating Procedure,â&#x20AC;? was news of the world, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tabloidâ&#x20AC;? is â&#x20AC;&#x153;News of the World.â&#x20AC;?

Morris is best known for rooting out idiosyncratic (if not outright bizarre) figures and throwing the spotlight on them. No exception is Joyce McKinney, a former â&#x20AC;&#x153;Miss Wyoming Worldâ&#x20AC;? who became infamous as the star of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mormon sex in chainsâ&#x20AC;? scandal of 1977.

Though Morris probably had you at â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mormon sex,â&#x20AC;? itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the â&#x20AC;&#x153;in chainsâ&#x20AC;? bit that gives the film one of its most memorable moments, when a tabloid reporter confesses that they were probably ropes, but that

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;chainsâ&#x20AC;? just had that extra frisson of kink. In extensive, candid interview footage, McKinney shows no sign of shame or self-awareness, just an eagerness to play to an audience (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thank God for all those years of drama schoolâ&#x20AC;?). To hear her tell it, accusations of kidnapping and rape were actually misunderstandings of her â&#x20AC;&#x153;honeymoon,â&#x20AC;? the climax of â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Very Special Love Storyâ&#x20AC;? (the title of her unfinished memoir).

McKinney describes falling for Mormon fella Kirk Anderson, who one day disappeared into Mormon missionary work. Convinced her hubby was being brainwashed by shame-based religion, she tracked down her man in London, whisked him away to a secluded cottage, and tried to, um, love him back to his senses. Whether the sex was mutual (with a twist of S&M) or rape remains a case of he said, she said, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;the manacled Mormonâ&#x20AC;? understandably didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grant Morris an interview.

Instead, we hear from McKinney and her accomplices, and Morris encourages us to read between the lines about who knew what and when.

Without ever making any overt comment, Morris knows how to give â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em enough rope to hang themselves.

That said, given the impossibility of objectivity on their parts, neither McKinney nor Anderson has or had a monopoly on the truth about what happened. Morrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; approach to retelling the case has an impish, winking quality to it: Though we never see him on camera, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to conjure the image of the filmmaker smiling, with a wink and a nod. At one point, a pilot McKinney hired recalls, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Joyce had a lot of baggage,â&#x20AC;? a literal comment that all too easily reads as a deadpan pun.

Adding a larger dimension to the story are the smug tabloid journos who exploited the story for maximum personal gain. They prove as shameless as McKinney, and even more inclined to entrap. The true common denominator between the tabloid reporters and their subject is narcissism, the difference between feeling entitled to claim oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desires without asking and feeling compelled to play by the social rules.

But Morris also implies that the tabs are giving us (himself included) only what we want. The existence of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tabloidâ&#x20AC;? testifies to Morrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attraction to the salacious, and if you watch his film, you implicate yourself along with him.

Morris also doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t apologize for falling into his own obsession with McKinney, a character who seems to make him a bit giddy behind the camera. She comes across as alternatingly charming â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a Southern drawl helps â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and kooky, and Morris seizes on every happy irony and quirk. With no apparent self-awareness of the deeper implications, she likens herself to Narcissus.

Morris saves the weirdest twist for last, as McKinneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secondary obsessive love, for dogs, comes to the fore. Her enduring love for a dog

named Booger launched McKinney briefly back into international prominence, giving new meaning to one reporterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appraisal of McKinney as â&#x20AC;&#x153;barking mad.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tabloidâ&#x20AC;? ultimately doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t amount to much more than an entertaining trip through some â&#x20AC;&#x153;news of the weirdâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard not to feel that Joyce shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have her need for attention fed, especially since people are laughing at and not with her. But Morris compellingly unfolds the story and clearly means for us to see our own untoward qualities writ large in McKinney and the circus surrounding her.

Not rated. One hour, 28 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Peter Canavese

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

--1/2

(Century 16, Century 20) No one is particularly crazy or stupid in Glenn Ficarra and John Requaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sad-funny movie about love. The directing team (â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Love You Phillip Morrisâ&#x20AC;?) has crafted a relatively tame romantic comedy with strong undercurrents of loss and longing.

With his hangdog expressions and deadpan lines, suburban husband Steve Carell sets the tone â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and exhibits more bromance chemistry with womanizer Ryan Gosling than with Julianne Moore, who plays his wife of almost 25 years. The most hilarious scenes involve Goslingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character trying to transform Carellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loser into a Lothario.

Love and relationships make Dan Fogelmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Carsâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tangledâ&#x20AC;?) script go round. The plot centers on a heartbroken Cal Weaver (Carell), who is happily married to his highschool sweetheart Emily (Moore) until she blurts out that sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s had a fling with a co-worker (Kevin Bacon) and wants a divorce.

Cal hits the bar scene, where the club-hopping Jacob (Gosling) takes pity on the pathetic guy with the Supercuts hairstyle and New Balance white sneakers who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;cuckoldedâ&#x20AC;? loudly and repeatedly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a word not that funny when uttered the first or the fifth time. But Calâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s metrosexual makeover will elicit some laughs.

Using the Weaversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; marital discord as a trigger, the comedy also examines the relationships of everyone in their orb, including their 13-year-old son (Jonah Bobo), their Stanford-bound babysitter (Analeigh Tipton) and a recent law-school graduate portrayed by the ubiquitous Emma Stone. Establishing so many characters and love-links takes time, so the story plods forward until two surprising plot twists deliver a payoff that connects all the dots in a stroke of brilliance.

Depending upon your point of view, the movieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tone may seem quirky or just awkward. The comedy swings from dealing with honest emotions to the most contrived and sentimental of scenes, particularly

MOVIE TIMES Beginners (R) (((

Aquarius Theatre: 3:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Bridesmaids (R) (((1/2 Buck (Not Rated) (((

Century 16: Fri.-Wed. at 9:30 p.m. Century 20: Fri.-Sun. & Tue.-Thu. at 9:30 p.m.

Palo Alto Square: 2, 4:45 & 7:20 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. also at 9:45 p.m.

The Cameraman (1928)

Stanford Theatre: Fri. at 8:30 p.m.

Captain America: The First Avenger (PG-13) (((

Century 16: 10 a.m.; 12:40, 1:10, 3:40, 4:20, 7, 7:40, 10 & 10:40 p.m.; In 3D at 10:50 & 11:40 a.m.; :50, 2:50, 5, 5:55, 8:20 & 9:10 p.m. Century 20: 10:50 a.m.; 12:20, 1:45, 3:15, 4:40, 6:10, 7:35, 1 9:05 & 10:30 p.m.; In 3D at 11:30 a.m.; 1, 2:30, 3:55, 5:25, 6:50, 8:20 & 9:50 p.m.

Cars 2 (G) ((1/2

Century 16: 12:45 p.m.; Fri.-Wed. also at 6:30 p.m.; In 3D Fri.-Thu. at 10 a.m. & 3:45 p.m. Century 20: 1:10 & 6:55 p.m.; In 3D at 10:30 a.m. & 4:15 p.m.; In 3D Fri.-Wed. also at 9:40 p.m.

Cowboys & Aliens (PG-13) ((1/2

Century 16: 10 & 11 a.m.; 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 & 10:50 p.m. Century 20: 10:40 & 11:35 a.m.; 1:25, 2:20, 4:10, 5:05, 7, 7:55, 9:45 & 10:45 p.m.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (PG-13) ((1/2

Century 16: 10:10 a.m.; 1:20, 4:10, 7:20 & 10:20 p.m. Century 20: 11:10 a.m.; 12:30, 1:55, 3:20, 4:45, 6:15, 7:40, 9:10 & 10:35 p.m.

The Electric Daisy Carnival Century 16: Thu. at 9 p.m.

Event (PG-13) (Not Reviewed) Friends with Benefits (R) (Not Reviewed)

Century 20: Thu. at 9 p.m.

Century 16: 10:30 & 11:30 a.m.; 1:30, 2:20, 4:30, 5:30, 7:50, 8:40 & 10:30 p.m. Century 20: 11:05 a.m.; 12:05, 1:45, 2:40, 4:25, 5:25, 7:05, 8:05, 9:45 & 10:45 p.m.

The Globe Theatre Presents Century 20: Mon. at 6:30 p.m.

Henry IV Part I (PG) (Not Reviewed)

Palo Alto Square: Mon. at 6:30 p.m.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Century 16: 11:20 a.m.; 2:40, 6:10 & 9:20 p.m.; In 3D at 12:20, 3:30, 7:10 & 10:15 p.m. Century Hallows: Part 2 (PG-13) (((( 20: 10:25 a.m.; 1:25, 4:25, 7:25 & 10:25 p.m.; In 3D at 11:55 a.m.; 3, 6 & 9 p.m.

Horrible Bosses (R) (((

Century 16: 11:25 a.m.; 2:10, 4:40, 7:30 & 10:10 p.m. Century 20: 12:40, 3:10, 5:45, 8:15 & 10:40 p.m.

Midnight in Paris (PG-13) (((1/2

Century 20: 11:45 a.m. & 2:15 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. & Tue.-Thu. also at 4:50 & 7:10 p.m. Guild Theatre: 2, 4:30, 7:15 & 9:45 p.m.

The Navigator (1924)

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

North by Northwest (1959)

Stanford Theatre: Sat.-Thu. at 7:30 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. also at 3:05 p.m.

The Smurfs (PG) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 10:05 a.m.; 12:50, 3:55, 7:05 & 9:40 p.m. Century 20: 10:35 & 11:50 a.m.; 1:15, 2:35, 4, 5:10, 6:50, 7:45, 9:25 & 10:20 p.m.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Aquarius Theatre: 1 & 6 p.m.

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Stanford Theatre: Sat.-Thu. at 5:35 & 10 p.m.

Super 8 (PG-13) ((1/2

Century 20: 7:15 & 10 p.m.

Tabloid (R) (((

Aquarius Theatre: 2:30, 4:45, 7:15 & 9:30 p.m.

Transcendent Man: Live with Century 16: Wed. at 8 p.m.

Ray Kurzweil (Not Rated) (Not Reviewed) Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PG-13) (Not Reviewed)

Century 20: Wed. at 8 p.m.

Century 16: 9:15 p.m. Century 20: Fri.-Tue. & Thu. at noon, 3:35, 7 & 10:20 p.m.; Wed. at noon & 3:30 p.m.

The Tree of Life (PG-13) (((( Palo Alto Square: 1:15 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. & Tue.-Thu. also at 4:15 & 7:15 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. also at 10:15 p.m.

Winnie the Pooh (G) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 10:20 a.m.; 12:30, 2:30, 4:45 & 7 p.m. Century 20: 10:45 a.m.; 12:45, 2:45 & 4:45 p.m.

Zookeeper (PG) (Not Reviewed)

Century 16: 1:55 & 4:35 p.m.; Fri.-Tue. & Thu. also at 7:15 & 9:50 p.m.; Sat.-Thu. also at 11:10 a.m.

Century 20: 10:55 a.m.; 1:35, 4:05, 6:45 & 9:20 p.m.

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

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

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

Stanford: 221 University Ave., Palo Alto (324-3700)

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

Internet address: For show times, plot synopses, trailers and more information about films playing, go to PaloAltoOnline.com.

CinĂŠArts at Palo Alto Square: 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (493-3456)

Calâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show-stopping outburst at his sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s middle-school graduation.

ClichĂŠs include the shattered glass of a framed photograph of the once-smiling married couple and the kid too wise for his years, although sometimes the directors flip overused conventions in unexpected ways. Cultural references to â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Karate Kidâ&#x20AC;? and Mr. Miyagilike mentoring seem trite, while the allusion to the closing-night performance of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dirty Dancingâ&#x20AC;? is fresh and amusing. The acting styles vary, too, with Marisa Tomei putting the â&#x20AC;&#x153;crazyâ&#x20AC;? into her broad performance as one of Calâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sexual conquests.

Instead of expecting a laugh-outloud comedy about fools for love, anticipate a quieter movie that reaffirms traditional values about finding and fighting for your soul mate.

Rated: PG-13 for coarse humor, sexual content and language. 1 hour, 47 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Susan Tavernetti

2011

COMING SOON! PaloAltoOnline.com

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

(TENTATIVE) AGENDA-SPECIAL MEETING Council Conference Room AUGUST 01, 2011 - 6:00 PM STUDY SESSION 1. Joint Meeting With the Human Relations Commission CONSENT CALENDAR-Council Chambers-7:00 PM 2. Adoption of a Resolution Calling an Election on November 8, 2011 on the Palo Alto Green Energy and Compost Initiative and Argument Procedures 3. Approval of a Water Enterprise Fund Contract With Anderson PaciďŹ c Engineering Construction, Inc. in a Not to Exceed Amount of $8,605,000 for the Construction of the El Camino Park Reservoir, Lytton Pump Station and Well Project WS-08002-501 4. Approval of a Water Enterprise Fund Contract With Anderson PaciďŹ c Engineering Construction, Inc. in a Not to Exceed Amount of $2,560,000 for Construction of the Well Rehabilitation Project WS-08002501 5. Automatic Aid Agreement With Menlo Park Fire; Approval of Agreement Between the City of Palo Alto and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District for Automatic Aid and Inter-Jurisdictional Fire Protection Service, Emergency Medical, Rescue and First Response 6. Approval of a Contract With Alliance RooďŹ ng Company, Inc. in the Amount of $402,751 for Civic Center Tower Roof Replacement Project 7. Authorize the City Manager to Execute the Amended Memorandum of Agreement With the Bay Area Recycled Water Coalition for the Recycled Water Project 8. Authorize the City Manager or Designee to Execute the Welch Road Utilities Project Facilities Construction, Ownership, Operation and Maintenance Agreement 9. SECOND READING: Adoption of an Ordinance Adding Section 2.36.040 to the Palo Alto Municipal Code to Require Impartial Mediation for Impasses in Labor Contract Negotiations ACTION ITEMS 10. PUBLIC HEARING â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Adoption of an Ordinance for a Zone Change, Requested by William Lyon Homes Inc., From PF (Public Facility) Zone to ROLM (Research OfďŹ ce Limited Manufacturing) Zone, of a 1,968 Square Foot Parcel of Land Located Within the Approved Residential Development Project Area at 200 San Antonio Road 11. Approval of an Extension of the Trial Period for Phase 2 of the Charleston-Arastradero Corridor ReStriping Project through June, 2012 12. PUBLIC HEARING: Adoption of a Resolution ConďŹ rming Weed Abatement Report and Ordering Cost of Abatement to be a Special Assessment on the Respective Properties Described Therein 13. Recommendation from the Policy & Services Committee Regarding Electronic Packet for Council 14. Council Determination on Authoring Ballot Arguments for Green Initiative and Binding Arbitration 15. Designation of Voting Delegates and Alternates to the League of California Cities Annual Conference 16. Recommendation From the Finance Committee to Approve Policies and Guidelines for a Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff *>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;7iiÂ&#x17D;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2122;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;䣣Ă&#x160;U Page 23

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

of the week

Spot A Pizza 324-3131 115 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto Voted Best Pizza in Palo Alto www.spotpizza.com

POLYNESIAN AMERICAN

INDIAN

Armadillo Willyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 941-2922 1031 N. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos Range: $5.00-13.00

Darbar Indian Cuisine 321-6688

Hobeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 856-6124 4224 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Also at Town & Country Village, Palo Alto 327-4111

Burmese Green Elephant Gourmet 494-7391 Burmese & Chinese Cuisine 3950 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto (Charleston Shopping Center) Dine-In, Take-Out, Local Delivery-Catering

CHINESE Chef Chuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 948-2696 1067 N. San Antonio Road on the corner of El Camino, Los Altos 2010 Best Chinese MV Voice & PA Weekly Jing Jing 328-6885 443 Emerson St., Palo Alto Authentic Szechwan, Hunan Food To Go, Delivery www.jingjinggourmet.com Mingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 856-7700 1700 Embarcadero East, Palo Alto www.mings.com New Tung Kee Noodle House 520 Showers Dr., MV in San Antonio Ctr. Voted MV Voice Best â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;01, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;02, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;03 & â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;04 Prices start at $4.75 947-8888

129 Lytton, Downtown Palo Alto Lunch Buffet M-F; Open 7 days

Janta Indian Restaurant 462-5903 369 Lytton Ave., Downtown Palo Alto Lunch Buffet M-F; Organic Veggies

ITALIAN La Cucina di Pizzeria Venti 254-1120

Page 24Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2122;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;䣣Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;*>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;7iiÂ&#x17D;Â?Ă&#x17E;

SEAFOOD Cookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Seafood 325-0604 751 El Camino Real, Menlo Park Seafood Dinners from $6.95 to $10.95

1390 Pear Ave, Mountain View www.pizzeriaventi.com Fresh, Chef Inspired Italian Food

Spalti Ristorante 327-9390 417 California Ave, Palo Alto Ă?ÂľĂ&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x160; Â&#x153;Â&#x153;`Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;"Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x152;`Â&#x153;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}

Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

www.spalti.com

THAI JAPANESE & SUSHI Fuki Sushi 494-9383 4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Open 7 days a Week

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

Siam Orchid is an organic ďŹ ne dining Thai restaurant offering modern Thai fusion. We provide dine-in, private parties, pickup, delivery and catering.

496 Hamilton Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94301 Phone: 650.325.1994 Fax: 650. 325.1991 www.siamorchidpa.com

MEXICAN Palo Alto Sol 328-8840 408 California Ave, Palo Alto Ă&#x2022;}iĂ&#x160;Â&#x201C;iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Â&#x153;Â&#x201C;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Â?iĂ&#x160;,iVÂ&#x2C6;ÂŤiĂ&#x192;

Siam Orchid 325-1994 496 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto Organic Thai Free Delivery to Palo Alto/Stanford/Menlo Park Order online at www.siamorchidpa.com

Oaxacan Kitchen Mobile 321-8003 2010 Best Mexican We have hit the Road!

Follow Us twitter.com/oaxacankitchen

Su Hong â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Menlo Park Dining Phone: 323â&#x20AC;&#x201C;6852 To Go: 322â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4631 Winner, Menlo Almanac â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Ofâ&#x20AC;?

8 years in a row!

Trader Vicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

Become a Fan facebook.com/oaxacankitchenmobile Find Us www.OaxacanKitchenMobile.com

STEAKHOUSE 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

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

Eating Out RESTAURANT REVIEW

Burgers galore Great beef at Workshop grill, but some other dishes need work

by Dale F. Bentson

Veronica Weber

I

The southwest burger at Workshop comes with bacon, guacamole and jalapeĂąos.

almost developed a napkin fetish by the time I finished my visits to The Workshop Burgers Bar & Grill. Napkins were dispensed on grimy tabletop chrome dispensers, and the paper was microscopically thin, something for tapas or hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres. It took a dozen or more napkins to do the job. By mealâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end, the tabletop looked like a grenade had been tossed into a paper factory.

Napkins werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only issue I had with The Workshop, which opened in February and occupies the space of the late Bella Luna in downtown Palo Alto. First, though, some positive news: The burgers were very good.

In my book, the second most

Dinner by the Movies at the Shoreline

important part of a good burger is quality ingredients, and The Workshop uses both Angus and Kobe beef, as well as tender chicken and turkey, and crisp vegetables for toppings.

Where The Workshop excels, and what makes its burgers truly delicious, are the handcrafted, baked-in-house buns. They are light, soft and wonderfully textured, and complement meats perfectly.

With more than a dozen choices, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t decide on a favorite sandwich during my visits, but favored The Workshop Burger ($10.95), a Kobe beef patty with (continued on next page)

,A #UCINA DI 6ENTI 2ECIPE

Experience the taste of Italia from the 7 hills of Rome

TO THE SEA BREEZES OF THE !MALl COAST AND WINDING BACK THROUGH THE ANCIENT TOWNS OF 4USCANY

#UCINA DI 6ENTI HAS CAPTURED THE SOUL OF )TALIAN COOKING 7E TAKE PRIDE IN BRINGING YOU THE VERY BEST 4HE INGREDIENTS ARE SIMPLE Â&#x2C6; FRESH HERBS TO BRING OUT THE TRUE TASTE OF THE REGIONS AND EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL ENHANCE CLASSIC DISHES FROM THE WORLD S l NEST CUISINE /UR LOVE OF )TALIAN FOOD KNOWS NO BOUNDS

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heated s 3ALT s &RESHLY GROUND PEPPER s ! LITTLE BUTTER FOR THE BAKING DISH

0REPARATION

Join us soon and experience the taste of Italiaâ&#x20AC;Ś right here in Mountain View.

La Cucina Pizzeria Venti TM

di

AN AMERICAN TRATTORIA IN THE ITALIAN TRADITIONâ&#x201E;˘

0EAR !VE -OUNTAIN 6IEW s s WWW MVPIZZERIAVENTI COM (OURS 3UNDAY THROUGH 4HURSDAY Â&#x2C6; A M TO P M s &RIDAY THROUGH 3ATURDAY Â&#x2C6; A M TO P M

0REHEAT YOUR OVEN TO & 0OUND THE CUTLETS m AT TRIM AWAY ANY FAT AND REMOVE ANY MEMBRANE 3ALT AND PEPPER THE MEAT TO TASTE DIP IT IN THE BEATEN EGG AND DREDGE IT IN THE BREAD CRUMBS PRESSING DOWN TO MAKE SURE THE CRUMBS ADHERE -ELT BUTTER IN A LARGE SKILLET AND WHEN IT BEGINS TO BUBBLE &RY THE CUTLETS UNTIL GOLDEN TURNING THEM ONCE 4RANSFER THEM TO A BUTTERED BAKING DISH LAY A SLICE OF PROSCIUTTO AND ONE OF CHEESE SLICES ON EACH PIECE AND BAKE FOR MINUTES OR UNTIL THE CHEESE MELTS 3POON A WARM TOMATO SAUCE OVER EACH AND SERVE WITH CRUSTY BREAD

buon appetito! *>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;7iiÂ&#x17D;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2122;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;䣣Ă&#x160;U Page 25

Buy 1 entree and get the 2nd one

with coupon (Dinner Only)

,UNCH "UFFET - & s /RGANIC 6EGGIES s 2ESERVATION !CCEPTED

369 Lytton Avenue Downtown Palo Alto 462-5903 Family owned and operated for 15 years

w w w. j a n t a i n d i a n r e s t a u r a n t . c o m Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District Notice is hereby Given that proposals will be received by the Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District for bid package: Palo Alto High School New Bleachers & Site Improvements - Increment No. 1 Contract No. PABL11 DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK: The work includes, but is not limited to: The design of fully accessible, approvable by the Division of the State Architect (DSA), Home and Visitor Bleachers at the Palo Alto High School Stadium facility, including Press Box and Vertical Lift which comply with design criteria in the bid documents and integrate with utilities and site features as well as the Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program requirements. The work also includes the lump sum cost to install the Home and Visitor Bleachers, Press Box and Vertical Lift approved by DSA for a complete and operational facility. Bidding documents contain the full description of the work.

There will be a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit at 10 a.m. on August 3, 2011 at the District Facilities OfďŹ ce at 25 Churchill Ave., Building D, Palo Alto, California 94306.

Bid Submission: Proposals must be received at the District Facilities OfďŹ ce, 25 Churchill Ave., Building D, by 10:00 a.m. on August 18, 2011.

Eating Out (continued from previous page)

Parmesan cheese, sautĂŠed onions, roasted tomato and pungent aioli sauce. No ketchup needed on this burger; it was juicy, flavorful and filling, and came with fries.

The equally delectable Southwest burger ($9.95) was Angus beef with pepper jack cheese, guacamole, bacon and ringlets of jalapeĂąos with a chipotle spread.

There was no room to fit the lettuce, pickles and tomato slice that accompanied, and they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t needed. The flavors were irresistible, the meat juicy, the bun yielding and doughy.

The chicken BLT burger ($8.95) with Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato was not quite juicy enough to encourage me to order again. It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a bad option, though, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sworn off red meat (hold that bacon) and arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interested in the miso salmon burger ($10.95) or the veggie burger ($7.95).

All burgers came with fries.

Sweet-potato fries ($1.75 additional with burger) were excellent. But

d Granin g!

Open

the regular fries were never very warm and had little crunch or flavor. The batter for the onion rings ($1.75 extra with burger) wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t crispy enough, leaving the ringlets raw-tasting. They just needed more time in the fryer.

Backyard sliders, beef or turkey ($2.95 each, $7.95 for three), were delightful and came with a petite pile of fries. Two were enough for the smaller appetite â&#x20AC;&#x201D; three would do the trick for others â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the price was right.

The price is also appealing for happy hours, held from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. Beer-and-burger combos are $7.95 with appetizer specials priced at $2 to $6 each. Pretty good deal.

However, more money could have been spent on the restaurant itself, including the decor.

There is a long bar along one wall and several large TVs fill in vacant spaces. I suppose if the intent is to be a college bar hangout, the decor is apt â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sturdy and plain.

Bathrooms were not much im-

July 8, 9, 10

HACHI

Exciting New Japanese Fusion Restaurant

50% off

jÂ&#x2039;Â&#x201E;w Š iw { Š ^wÂ&#x192;wy~ Š iwÂ&#x2030;~ Â&#x192; Open 5pm - Midnight

PREVAILING WAGE LAWS: The successful Bidder must comply with all prevailing wage laws applicable to the Project, and related requirements contained in the Contract Documents.

Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District will maintain a Labor Compliance Program (LCP) for the duration of this project. In bidding this project, the contractor warrants he/she is aware and will follow the Public Works Chapter of the California Labor Code comprised of Labor Code Sections 1720 - 1861. A copy of the Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s LCP is available for review at 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D, Palo Alto, CA 94306.

1. A pre-construction conference shall be conducted with the contractor or subcontractors to discuss federal and state labor law requirements applicable to the contract.

2. Project contractors and subcontracts shall maintain and furnish to the District, at a designated time, a certiďŹ ed copy of each payroll with a statement of compliance signed under penalty of perjury.

3. The District shall review and, if appropriate, audit payroll records to verify compliance with the Public Works Chapter of the Labor Code.

4. The District shall withhold contract payments if payroll records are delinquent or inadequate.

5. The District shall withhold contract payments as described in the LCP, including applicable penalties when the District and Labor Commissioner establish that underpayment of other violations has occurred.

Bidders may examine Bidding Documents at the District Facilities OfďŹ ce, 25 Churchill Ave, Building D, Palo Alto. Bidders may purchase copies of Plans and SpeciďŹ cations at American Reprographics Company (ARC), 599 Fairchild Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043. Phone: (650) 967-1966

1711 W. El Camino Real Ste. B, Mountain View

650-988-6938

Menu available on Facebook

â&#x153;ą FREE â&#x153;ą

5pcs. of Ahi Tuna Sashimi with orders of $30 or more when you kiss your signiďŹ cant other for our photo wall.

proved since Bella Luna closed; fixtures looked refurbished rather than new. There were decades worth of leftover unpleasant odors that cleansers simply could not mask.

As for the service, it was friendly and attentive. Food was delivered promptly, but appetizers and entrees were served at the same time.

And the quality of the other dishes was mixed.

The chili ($4.95) was mostly about beans. There wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much ground beef, and no detectable tomato, no spice, no zip to it. Raw chopped onion and a couple of shreds of cheese topped it off.

The Santa Fe chicken salad ($9.95) was another off-ish offering. The grilled chicken had been cubed and mixed with the greens along with corn, chopped tomato and cheese. Part of the salad was blanketed with guacamole, another part covered with the chili (beans, the menu said), and a side of ranch dressing to top the toppers. This all made the greens dense and heavy, and erased any reason to have ordered a salad at all.

One excellent side dish, though, was the green apple slaw ($5.95) with raisins and walnuts. Plenty to be happy about here: generous portion, crisp julienned green apple, sweet raisins and crunchy walnuts in a perfectly balanced mayo dressing.

Desserts were announced on small â&#x20AC;&#x153;table talkerâ&#x20AC;? signs. A waitress told me that the apple pie was made on-site.

It took 20 minutes for the pie to appear. I inquired what the delay was in cutting a piece of pie, since the other courses had always arrived within five to 10 minutes.

I was told the kitchen was really backed up. OK, but the place was scarcely half-filled at the time.

The pie wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worth the wait.

If it was house-made, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fresh; it seemed to have been microwaved. The crust was mushy and tasteless, and the amount of fruit was miserly and too sweet.

The scoop of ice cream was the best part and I know that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t house-made.

There are numerous craft and draft beers available by the pint and pitcher ($3.95-$11.95). The wine list is meager.

The Workshop Burgers serves excellent beef burgers and sweetpotato fries. Threading through the rest of the menu can be challenging, though. And I hope they get better napkins. â&#x2013; The Workshop Burgers Bar & Grill 233 University Ave., Palo Alto 650- 328-7437 Hours: Sun.-Wed. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m.

Reservations

Banquet

Credit cards

Catering

Address all questions to:

City lots Beer & wine

Outdoor seating

Palo Alto UniďŹ ed School District 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D, Palo Alto, CA 94306-1099 Attn: Heidi Rank Phone: (650) 833-4205 Fax: (650) 327-3588 hrank@pausd.org

Takeout Highchairs Wheelchair

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COACHING CORNER . . . Palo Alto Knights Youth Football is seeking experienced head and assistant football coaches for the 2011 season. Contact: Mike Piha 269-6100 or mike@ in2change.com. . . . Sacred Heart Prep is seeking an assistant crosscountry coach. All candidates please contact AD Frank Rodriguez at frodriguez@shschools.org or 473.4031.

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Incoming Stanford freshman David Nolan shocked the swimming world when he set three individual national prep records and swam on two record-breaking relays all in the same meet in March. Nolan will be among a talented field for the 2011 ConocoPhillips National Championships that start Tuesday at Stanford.

A new U.S. swim star is surfacing

Stanford freshman David Nolan heads into national championships after setting five national prep records

by Keith Peters avid Nolan went from a fat kid to a fast kid â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from chubby to champion â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and from nowhere to somewhere as one of the fastest high school swimmers ever.

The Stanford-bound Nolan, who is a lock to be named the boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; na-

D

tional high school swimmer of the year by Swimming World Magazine, set the swimming world on its ear with three individual national public school records and two national relay marks this past season.

In doing so, Nolan accomplished something even Olympic stars like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte

never did. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think anybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever done what he has in a high school season, so thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why all the hoopla,â&#x20AC;? said Skip Kenney, the Stanford menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swim coach who won the recruiting battle for Nolan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maybe the most successful swimmer â&#x20AC;&#x201D; based on his high school events â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that

thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever been.â&#x20AC;?

During his senior year at Hershey High (Pa.), Nolan broke national records in the 100-yard free (42.34 relay leg), 100-yard back (45.49), 200 IM (1:41.39) and anchored the 200 medley relay (1:30.27) and 200 free (continued on page 31)

BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC

Former No. 1s making successful comebacks Sharapova, Serena Williams are battling to regain the elite stature they once enjoyed on the WTA Tour

by Rick Eymer o matter what happens the rest of the summer, one thing is certain: Serena Williams is on her way back. The former world No. 1 made that clear with a swift, resounding victory over Anastasia Rodionova earlier in the week at the $721,000 Bank of the West Classic.

Maria Sharapova, also a former No. 1 player, is a year into her comeback from right shoulder surgery and sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the verge of reclaiming her place on top of the tennis world.

Sharapova entered the week ranked fifth, and reaching Friday nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarterfinals wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt a bit.

Williams is still in her infancy as far as recovering from a serious right foot injury that kept her off the court for nearly a year. She was favored to beat Maria Kirilenko late Thursday afternoon, which would mean a highly-anticipated date in

N

the quarters with Sharapova at 8 p.m.

Williams, who turns 30 in September, is playing just her third tournament since winning last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wimbledon singles championship.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s her first tournament on American soil since the 2009 U.S. Open, in which she reached the semifinals before losing to Kim Clijsters.

Williams needed only 47 minutes to dispose of Rodionova, 6-0, 6-0, in her first-round match at Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Taube Family Tennis Center. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I felt good,â&#x20AC;? Williams said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to be more consistent and I think I did that by not going for too much and not doing too much.â&#x20AC;?

She recorded six service aces, did not have a double fault and won all 17 of her first-serve points in front of a full house. (continued on page 29)

Harjanto Sumali

OF LOCAL NOTE . . . Palo Alto native Evan Cranston, a recent Castilleja graduate, will continue her water polo career at Brown University next spring. Cranston, a goalie, was one of five recruits announced this week . . . Stanford graduate Michael Taylor was a triple short of hitting for the cycle as he collected five RBI as host Sacramento topped Reno, 10-1, on Monday night at Raley Field in Triple-A baseball . . . Former Stanford football wide receiver Doug Baldwin signed with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.

Libby Nolan

ON THE PITCH . . . The nationally No. 1-ranked Palo Alto 93 Blue has some work to do if the local 18U boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; soccer team has any plans of playing for the championship of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series on Sunday in Phoenix, Ariz. Palo Alto opened play in the four-team, roundrobin tournament with a 2-1 loss to defending champion and national No. 2 Alpharetta Rush (Ga.) on Wednesday, despite a last-minute first half goal and a sustained attack in the second half. Alpharetta Rush scored its first goal at 11:10 on a short corner play and scored its second at 29:50 on a steal and a breakaway. At the 46:00 mark, Palo Alto was awarded a free kick from 30 yards out and Riley Hanley scored on a direct kick that beat the keeper cleanly, shortly before the first half ended. To start the second half, Palo Alto shifted to a 4-5-1 to slow down the speedy Georgians and mount an attack up the middle.

The tactic worked as Palo Alto carried the run of play and had five good scoring chances, but could not score again. The top two teams from the round-robin stage will advance to Sunday morningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s title match. The Palo Alto 93 Blue has played together since 2002. This is their first trip to nationals. Palo Alto had to win the Northern California State Championship and the Far West Regional Championship. The roster includes Trevor Assaf (Crystal Springs), Cameron McElfresh (Gunn), Andrew Wohl (Gunn), Mackenzie Kelley (Mountain View), Sam Hayward (Gunn), Mark Raftrey (Palo Alto), Zach Hummel (Palo Alto), Miguel Vazquez (Half Moon Bay), Yotam Kasznik (Gunn), Daniel Tirosh (Gunn), Juan Gamez (Mission, SF), Grahame Fitz (Summit Prep), Ian Leung (St. Francis), Evan Coutre (St. Francis), Jose Mendoza (UNLV), A.J. Beloff (Carlmont), Ricky Minno (Palo Alto), Fernando Salazar (Foothill College) and Hanley.

Second-seeded Maria Sharapova advanced to Friday nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarterfinals at the Bank of the West with a three-set victory on Wednesday night. *>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;7iiÂ&#x17D;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2122;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;䣣Ă&#x160;U Page 27

Sports

USA menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water polo teams play for fifth Palo Altoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tosky earns a gold medal when U.S. womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 800 free relay team captures title at FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China

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he USA menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water polo teams will be coming home from the 2011 FINA World Championships empty-handed. There will be no gold, silver of bronze medals for either team.

Both squads, in fact, will be playing for fifth place when action wraps up Friday for the women and Saturday for the men in Shanghai, China.

The women suffered a setback to Russia in the quarterfinals while the men dropped a tough decision

to Hungary, with each loss knocking the USA out of the medal round.

Both teams, however, bounced back after their respective losses.

Three players representing Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past, present and future all scored as the USA Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Team advanced to the fifth-place match following an 8-4 victory over Canada on Wednesday.

Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brenda Villa (past), Annika Dries (present) and Maggie Steffens (future) all contributed goals to help Team USA move on

L U C I L E PA C K A R D

to Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final match where the Americans will face either Australia. China and Greece will make their first-ever appearances play in the championship match. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was very happy with our effort and our ability to come back,â&#x20AC;? said U.S. coach Adam Krikorian, whose team lost to Russia (9-7) in its previous outing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that shows a lot of character and a lot of toughness and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what this team is all about. As disappointing as it was two days ago, we know that we are

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C H I L D R E Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S H O S P I T A L VI S IT LP CH.ORG TO S IG N U P FOR CLAS S E S Page 28Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2122;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;䣣Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;*>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;7iiÂ&#x17D;Â?Ă&#x17E;

going to learn from it and bounce back and it showed we had one bad quarter here. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if anything will really kind of take the sting away from that loss. For us itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important we feel the sting, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not something weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve felt and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve felt in a long time. It makes you appreciate just how difficult it is to win games at this level. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been saying this all along, this womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water polo tournament, the parity in womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water polo is incredible. I think we have a little bit more respect for that now.â&#x20AC;?

In the win over Canada, the resilient U.S. was led by Heather Petri, who tallied two goals, and goalie Betsey Armstrong, who stopped 12 shots across four quarters.

It was a slow start for the U.S. until Villa scored at the 4:05 mark of the opening period. Canada answered less than a minute later with a skip shot goal of its own that went bar down and in for a 1-1 match.

With 2:49 left in the period, Steffens (the USAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youngest player) scored a fancy shot -- gathering the ball in front of the net on a rebounded shot and tipping it from her left hand to her right and then past the goalie for a 2-1 lead.

Team USA took a 6-3 lead into the fourth quarter but kept attacking.

After Steffens drew a power play, it was Dries beating the goalie from four meters for a 7-3 lead. It was 8-4 with 5:27 remaining.

A bid for a three-peat at the FINA World Championships by the USA women went by the wayside in the loss to Russia in the quarterfinals on Monday.

Leading 6-2 early in the third quarter, the U.S. was blitzed by five straight Russian goals to give up a lead the Americans would never regain. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had talked about how itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not over till itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over,â&#x20AC;? said U.S. veteran Brenda Villa, the Stanford grad and current Castilleja head coach. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We watched the World Cup, we watched so many games where they (the American women) tied it at the end, regardless of how the game starts.

But the momentum swung and we just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop it. I feel like if we could have had one more field block or one more goal in that swing of things maybe there would have been a different outcome.â&#x20AC;?

The USA men joined the women in a fifth-place match as Peter Varellas scored two goals and fellow Stanford grad Layne Beaubien added a solo tally as the U.S. held off Germany, 9-8, on Thursday.

Team USA will face either Spain or Montenegro for fifth place on Saturday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it is really positive for us,â&#x20AC;? said USA coach Terry Schroeder. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think there is the message that we have a lot of work to do. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be playing fifth through eighth, we want to be playing one, two, three. I think there is a realization that we are close to being there, but close doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t count for much.â&#x20AC;?

The U.S. lost out on a chance to automatically qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics following a loss earlier in the week to defending Olympic champion Hungary. The win over Germany was a positive step forward.

Beaubien gave the U.S. a 3-1 lead, Varellas made it a 5-4 match and later scored to make it 7-4.

Swimming Palo Alto High senior Jasmine Tosky had one swim to earn herself a medal at the World Championships.

While she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t swim in the finals, Tosky nonetheless earned that medal when the U.S. womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 800 free relay team captured the gold with a time of 7:46.14 on Thursday.

The relay members were Missy Franklin, Dagny Knutson, Katie Hoff and Allison Schmitt. Tosky swam the third leg during the prelims, replacing Schmitt, and thus earned a gold medal, as well.

In other finals on Thursday, Stanford grad Markus Rogan of Austria clocked a 1:58.14 while finishing fifth in the 200 IM. The race saw American Ryan Lochte break his own world record by a tenth of a second as he clocked 1:54.00.

The mark broke Lochteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time set in Rome two years ago when the since-banned high-tech suits were used.

Lochte relegated teammate Michael Phelps to second in 1:54.16.

Earlier in the week, Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chad La Tourette was the top American finisher in the 800 free as he took sixth in 7:46.52. La Touretteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best chance for a medal will come Saturday when he competes in his specialty, the 1500 free. N

Palo Alto Oaks play for World Series berth

T

he game was tied when Bryan Beres came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning for the Palo Alto Oaks in the championship game of the AABC Northern California State Tournament against the NorCal Longhorns on Sunday in San Jose.

The Oaks had just rallied for three runs to deadlock the contest and now Beres had a chance to be the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hero with two out and the winning run at third. Beres worked the count full, needing only a ball or

base hit to end the game.

Beres swung on the final pitch and struck out, sending the game to extra innings. Fortunately for Beres, he got another chance to redeem himself.

In the bottom of the 11th, Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tyler Gaffney led off with a broken-bat double to center as the centerfielder dived for Gaffneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hit and just missed it. Gaffney hussled into second base to put the Oaks in (continued on page 30)

(continued from page 27)

Sharapovaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 win over Daniela Hantuchova also was played before a large crowd. She needed over two hours to gain the victory over Hantuchova, who reached the fourth round of the French Open and the third round at Wimbledon earlier this season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Overall I had a good first set and then it kind of went away,â&#x20AC;?

Sharapova said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The things I was doing well in the first set I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doing. She had all the confidence in the world and all the momentum going into the third set.â&#x20AC;?

Whomever Sharapova plays Friday will prove a tough chore. She lost to both of them the last time she played Williams and Kirilenko, who is one of her best friends. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can never rest against Serena,â&#x20AC;? Sharapova said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t played in quite a while but sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a great competitor. At the end of the day she has 13 Grand Slam titles and I have three. That says a lot. Maria can produce great tennis and beat the top players.â&#x20AC;?

Former Bank of the West Classic champion and third seed Marion Bartoli, fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and eighth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova all reached the quarterfinals with victories on Wednesday.

I felt great. I love this tournament; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great way for me to start back,â&#x20AC;? Bartoli said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I lost to Rebecca (Marino) last year in Quebec, so it was good for me to take revenge.

I really felt like I was moving well.

I was hitting the ball well for having three weeks off. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really pleased and know that I still must improve

a few parts of my game here and there.â&#x20AC;?

Williams took all the drama out of her match with Rodionova the instant she established her serve and showed a consistent ground game. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was me being focused,â&#x20AC;? Williams said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve personally never taken this much time off. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s totally different than at any other time after a surgery. Maybe this is teaching me to be patient.â&#x20AC;?

Williams finds herself ranked 169th in the world after being away so long. Sharapova was out of the top 100 last year before reaching the Bank of the West finals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always said if I play my best no one can beat me,â&#x20AC;? Williams said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hopefully I can get back to that level. No. 1 is great but I really want to play well.â&#x20AC;?

Williams, despite a 49-week absence from competitive tennis, remains one of the toughest players on the WTA Tour with 479 career victories, 37 career singles titles, including 13 Grand Slam titles, and 20 doubles titles. â&#x20AC;?Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming back and sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winning again,â&#x20AC;? Kirilenko said after beating sixth-seeded Julia Goerges of Germany, 6-2, 6-3. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really have to be focused every minute and ready from the first point.â&#x20AC;?

Only older sister Venus Williams, with 43, owns more career titles among active players. They have combined to win 12 doubles titles in Grand Slam events and own two gold medals for winning the doubles title in each the 2000 and 2008 Olympics.

Sharapova has defeated Hantuchova, who has been ranked as high as No. 5, eight times in nine meetings. It was their first meeting in three years.

Harjanto Sumali

Dominika Cibulkova kept her title hopes alive as the No. 8 seed won her second-round match on Wednesday in the Bank of the West.

Former world No. 1-ranked Maria Sharapova has bounced back from injuries and has risen to No. 5 this year.

Sharapovaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three-set victory over Daniela Hantuchova on Wednesday moved her into Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarterfinals.

Hantuchova fell to 8-45 against the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top five, although she owns three wins over the elite players this season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leading 2-0 in the third set, that next game was crucial,â&#x20AC;? Hantuchova said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She went on that unbelievable run and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where it changed a little bit.â&#x20AC;?

Sharapova took the next four games to re-establish herself and carried that forward for the victory. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even though I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t playing my best tennis, I still felt like I had so many chances,â&#x20AC;? Hantuchova said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think I had 12 break points on two of those. It was a good fight. Unfortunately, I had to face someone like that in the second round.â&#x20AC;?

Sharapova has changed things within her team and equipment.

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finally seeing the success. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had to make some tough choices over the last year,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Little by little Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m seeing the payoff.â&#x20AC;?

Sharapova improved to 9-0 in three-set matches this year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The things you guys notice,â&#x20AC;?

Sharapova said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t aware of that. Winning is the most important thing so I guess thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good.â&#x20AC;?

That thought probably was shared

by Ayumi Morita of Japan, who battled her way to a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory on Thursday over qualifier Urszula Radwanska of Poland to open the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schedule.

Defending champion Victoria Azarenka took on Marina Erakovic of New Zealand in the second match and was shocked by a three-set loss 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Semifinals will be Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., with the singles championship set for Sunday at noon. The winner earns $111,000, with the runner-up nabbing $60,700.

The doubles final will follow at 2:30 p.m.

Friday nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarterfinal (8 p.m.) will be televised live by EPSN2. Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s matches will be taped-delayed by ESPN2, while Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final matches will be televised live. N

Harjanto Sumali

Bank of the West

Harjanto Sumali

Sports

Victoria Azarenka opened her title defense on Thursday with a three-set upset loss to Marina Erakovic of New Zealand. *>Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;7iiÂ&#x17D;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2122;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;䣣Ă&#x160;U Page 29

Sports

Palo Alto Oaks

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s no place like home.â&#x20AC;?

(continued from page 28)

Redwood City - San Mateo - San Jose

www.matchedcaregivers.com

business. Anthony Bona was intentionally walked to put the force on, so Palo Alto manager Steve Espinoza called for a bunt. Nick Borg responded with a sacrifice to the runners to second and third.

Jeff Ramirez was walked to load the bases and that brought up Beres again with another opportunity to knock in the winning run. The Longhornsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pitcher got behind 3-0 but came back to throw two strikes.

On the full-count pitch, Beres came through with s sharp single between the shortstop and third baseman to

drive home Gaffney with the winning run.

Palo Altoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 7-6 victory gave the Oaks their second straight NorCal State title and another berth in the AABC Stan Musial Western States Regional.

The Oaks (17-1) will face the No. 2 SoCal team in an opening-round game on Friday at 4:30 p.m. at The Masters College in Santa Clarita.

The finals are scheduled for Sunday at Brookside Park in Pasadena at 9 a.m., with a challenge game (if necessary) starting around noon.

The tournament champion will advance to the Stan Musial World Series in Houston, Texas.

Palo Alto actually clinched a trip

to the regionals on Sunday morning when its opponent, Solano, failed to show. That left only the Oaks and the Longhorns, with the tourneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top two teams advancing.

The championship game, as it turned out, also had no bearing on the Oaksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trip this week because the Longhorns had committed to another tournament in Marysville and had planned on skipping the regional in Southern California no matter the outcome.

Espinoza, however, didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know that at the time and played the finale like it was an all-or-nothing game. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We came to win the Northern California championship,â&#x20AC;? Espinoza said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we did.â&#x20AC;? N

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(continued from page 27)

relay (1:21.01) to national marks. All the records came at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class AAA Championships at Bucknell University in March. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nolanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time in the 200 IM would have won NCAAs (in 2011),â&#x20AC;? said Kenney. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty amazing since our guy (Austin Stabb) won it (in 1:41.57).â&#x20AC;?

Despite all the commotion surrounding his record-breaking, Nolan seemingly has kept everything under control. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is great to have the privilege of grabbing the few national records that I did this past season,â&#x20AC;? Nolan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just like any other record, it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the end of the road, but a checkpoint and motivation to improve.â&#x20AC;?

Kenney, who has seen Nolan swim on YouTube, actually has yet to see him swim in person. Kenney will get that chance next week when Nolan joins a top field for the 2011 ConocoPhillips National Championships that runs Aug. 2-6 at Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Avery Aquatic Center.

Top swimmers from around the nation, including at least nine U.S. Olympians, are expected to compete. Prelims begin at 9 a.m. each day with finals beginning at 6 p.m.

Olympic gold medalists Jason Lezak, Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay lead a field of U.S. National Team members that includes Ariana Kukors, Katie Hoff, Dagny Knutson, Missy Franklin and others. Hoff is the defending champion in the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 400 free.

Lochte, Vanderkaay, Kukors and Franklin are currently at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China. Lochte won the gold medal in the 200-meter free on Tuesday, beating longtime rival Michael Phelps. Lochte won the 200 back, 200 IM and 400 IM at last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national meet in Irvine.

Nolan is planning on swimming the 100 fly, 200 IM, 200 free, 200 back, and 100 back.

In addition to the top national swimmers, the local area will be well-represented by the Stanford menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teams along with athletes from Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA). Stanford Olympians Julia Smit and Elaine Breeden are expected to compete in their specialties while current Cardinal competitors like Maya DiRado, Andi Taylor and Sam Woodward hope to improve upon last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finishes.

The Stanford women will have 15-20 swimmers while the Cardinal men also will have around 20.

Along with selecting the yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s USA Swimming national champions, the event will serve as the selection meet for the 2011 Pan American Games, set for October 15-22 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and the 2011 FINA World Junior Championships, set for August 16-21 in Lima, Peru.

Everything, of course, is just preparation for next summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U.S. Olympic Trials and Summer Games in London, England. â&#x20AC;&#x153;London is definitely on my list of long-term goals,â&#x20AC;? Nolan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I get to school, the Olym-

pics is what I will be thinking about for most practices. This summer, Nationals is my big meet.â&#x20AC;?

Nolan will go into the national championships at Stanford as arguably the most accomplished high school swimmer in U.S. history, but without the long-course credentials to match. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Long course has always been more difficult for me due to the fact that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m only training in that pool two out of 12 months a year,â&#x20AC;? Nolan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Plus, I believe that swimming long course (meters) is completely different from swimming short course (yards). The technique of the strokes, strategy of races, and the mental game are barely comparable to that of yards. I would love to consider myself equally fast for LCM but, unfortunately, that is not the case. Improvement is very much needed.â&#x20AC;?

Nolan made only one final at last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nationals, held in Irvine. Then 17 years old, Nolan took seventh in the 200 IM in 2:01.01 while trailing the first-place Lochte (1:54.84) and the second-place Phelps (1:55.94) to the finish line. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last summer at nationals, I was able to race the big American guys and see how I raced with them,â&#x20AC;? Nolan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was a great opportunity and national-level meets are all great places to assess how I measure up with the big dogs. It is always fun to race them. Hopefully, I can pull a little bit closer each time I hop in the pool with them.â&#x20AC;?

Kenney said the difference between long course and short course is technique and kicking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He has these down really, really well,â&#x20AC;? Kenney said.

Stanford associate head coach Ted Knapp says next weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meet is crucial for Nolan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little unproven at long course and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have that experience,â&#x20AC;? Knapp said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He really came out of nowhere after his junior year of high school. He wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t on anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s radar as a sophomore.â&#x20AC;?

Despite starting his swimming career at age 7, Nolan carried more weight around his middle than anywhere else and swimming was a way to shed the extra pounds. He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start to blossom until age 13. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was fat all over, I was a tank,â&#x20AC;?

Nolan told Joseph Santoliquito of MaxPreps.

Nolan is now 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and a seven-time Pennsylvania state champion. He has 13 gold medals with relays included.

Now, people are comparing Nolan to Phelps and Lochte and anyone else who has set world records, including Mark Spitz. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people are putting a lot of unwarranted pressure on him,â&#x20AC;?

Knapp said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a guy who really only had a few great swims his senior year.â&#x20AC;?

Nolanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s times, however, were mind-blowing and comparisons were natural. Speaking of which, Nolanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is not the first swimmer to come to Stanford with a handful of national marks.

Joe Hudepohl set national Independent (private) school marks in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles and still holds records in the 100 (43.43 relay) and 200 free (1:34.96). Patrick Fowler set the still-standing Independent school mark in the

100 breast (53.66) before arriving at Stanford in 1998 and current Cardinal Matt Thompson did the same, in the 200 IM (1:45.27), before joining Kenney in 2009.

And former Stanford distance great Jeff Kostoff set an American record while still in high school and still owns the public school mark of 4:16.39 in the 500 free from 1983.

Thus, Nolan should be right at home with his Stanford teammates and the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s storied history. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The recruiting process was the most amazing few months of my life,â&#x20AC;? Nolan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got to see plenty of colleges, talk to all sorts of coaches, and meet tons of cool people on all of my trips. It all came down to priorities and, for me, swimming and school are pretty much equal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With that said, Stanford offers the best combination between swimming and academics, and after receiving e-mails from most of the guys on the team and getting to hear their wise words, Stanford came out on top.â&#x20AC;?

Nolan said one particular comment stood out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A swimmer on the Stanford team taught me one of the most important questions I asked myself during the few months of searching . . . that was: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where would I like to be if I got hurt and swimming was out of the equation? Stanford was the answer to that question.â&#x20AC;?

Next weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national championships will offer Nolan a chance to get his feet wet on The Farm for the first time. In the fall, the real work begins. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our mission is to get him exposure and get him prepared for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympic Trials,â&#x20AC;? said Knapp. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We look forward to this challenge of bringing him along at this level like his high school and club team did.â&#x20AC;?

Kenney, for one, canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait for Nolanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrival. â&#x20AC;&#x153;David is as good a young man as he is a swimmer,â&#x20AC;? said Kenney. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a normal kid who just swims faster than anyone else.â&#x20AC;? N

Stanford grads and 2008 Olympians Elaine Breeden (left) and Julia Smit will feel right at home at the U.S. Nationals at Stanford next week.

2011 CONOCOPHILLIPS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS At Avery Aquatic Center, Stanford (Prelims at 9 a.m., finals at 6 p.m.)

TUESDAY, AUG. 2 Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 butterfly Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 400 freestyle Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 IM Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 breaststroke Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 400 freestyle Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 400 IM Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 400 freestyle relay WEDNESDAY, AUG. 3 Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 backstroke Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 freestyle Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 backstroke Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 freestyle Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 butterfly Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 400 freestyle relay THURSDAY, AUG. 4 Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 breaststroke Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 butterfly Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50 freestyle Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50 freestyle

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 400 IM Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 800 freestyle relay FRIDAY, AUG. 5 Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 freestyle Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 butterfly Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 IM Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 backstroke Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 800 free (heats) Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1500 free (heats) Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 800 freestyle relay SATURDAY, AUG. 6 Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 800 free (final) Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 freestyle Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 backstroke Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 breaststroke Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 200 breaststroke Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1500 free (final) Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 400 medley relay Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 400 medley relay

Outstanding Member The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize an outstanding leader in the business community.

Mehran Farahani:

2011 Member Recruiter of the Year

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