Upfront
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.
East Palo Alto police triples force for New Year’s Eve %AST 0ALO !LTO PLANS TO ADD MORE THAN THREE TIMES ITS USUAL POLICE PATROLS IN A MAJOR EFFORT TO REDUCE .EW 9EAR S %VE CELEBRATORY GUNFIRE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED 7EDNESDAY $EC (Posted Dec.
Police, DA to step up DUI arrests with $161K grant 4HE 3ANTA #LARA #OUNTY $ISTRICT !TTORNEY S /FFICE HAS BEEN AWARDED A TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT TO ENHANCE AN ANTI $5) PROGRAM AIMED AT PRE VENTING ROADWAY DEATHS AND INJURIES 4HE GRANT WAS AWARDED BY THE #ALIFORNIA /FFICE OF 4RAFFIC 3AFETY (Posted Dec. 29 at 9:29 a.m.)
Mountain View police release sketch of suspect 0OLICE HAVE RELEASED A SKETCH OF A SUSPECT IN A $EC BURGLARY AND ARE ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC S HELP IN SOLVING THE CASE ! TEENAGE BOY AND HIS MOTHER ENCOUNTERED A BURGLAR UPON RETURNING HOME ON $EC AC CORDING TO ,IZ 7YLIE A SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE -OUNTAIN 6IEW 0OLICE $EPARTMENT (Posted Dec. 29 at 8:56 a.m.)
Menlo Park Blockbuster goes bust )T S LIGHTS OFF FOR -ENLO 0ARK S "LOCKBUSTER STORE AT !LAMEDA DE LAS 0ULGAS IN 7EST -ENLO 0ARK 4HE STORE PLANS TO SHUT ITS DOORS ON &EB (Posted Dec. 29 at 8:46 a.m.)
New law requires car seats for kids 8 and younger ! NEW CHILD SAFETY LAW EFFECTIVE *AN WILL REQUIRE KIDS IN #ALIFORNIA TO USE A BOOSTER SEAT IN A VEHICLE UNTIL THEY ARE YEARS OLD ACCORDING TO THE STATE S $EPARTMENT OF 0UBLIC (EALTH (Posted Dec. 29 at 8:29 a.m.)
East Palo Alto man on trial for rape, kidnapping 4HE DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR AN %AST 0ALO !LTO MAN ACCUSED OF KIDNAP PING AND RAPING HIS EX GIRLFRIEND SAID 4UESDAY $EC THAT HIS CLIENT HAD BEEN FALSELY ACCUSED AND THAT THE SEX THE TWO HAD IN *ULY WAS CONSENSUAL (Posted Dec. 28 at 9:05 a.m.)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Draft Negative Declaration has been prepared by the Palo Alto Department of Planning and Community Environment for the project listed below. In accordance with A.B. 886, this document will be available for review and comment during a minimum 20-day inspection period beginning January 3, 2012 through January 23, 2012 during the hours of 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Development Center, 285 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. You may send your comments to transportation@ cityofpaloalto.org or mail at Transportation Division, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301. This item will be considered at a public hearing by the Planning and Transportation Commission on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 6:00 P.M. in the Palo Alto City Council Chambers on the ďŹ rst oor of the Civic Center, located at 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. North California Avenue Safe Routes to School/TrafďŹ c Calming Project: The project consists of four speed tables on North California Avenue between MiddleďŹ eld and Greer Road, warning signs and Sharethe-Road pavement markings (sharrows) along the south side of North California Avenue between MiddleďŹ eld and Louis Road. A speed table is 22 feet long in the travel direction, comprised of a 7-foot approach ramp, 8-foot at section three inches high, and a 7-foot departure ramp. The Sharrow is used to inform both motorists and bicyclists of the safe positioning of the bicycle on a roadway with on-street parallel parking and without bike lanes. It is intended to reduce the chance of drivers opening doors of parked vehicles in the path of bicyclists and to alert road users within a narrow traveled way of the lateral location where bicyclists ride. The project, as described above, was installed in September 2010 as a trail installation to assess the effectiveness of the trafďŹ c calming measures. The trial phase appeared successful and the project is now proposed as a permanent installation. *** Curtis Williams, Director of Planning and Community Environment In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, listening assistive devices are available in the Council Chambers and Council Conference Room. Sign language interpreters will be provided upon request with 72 hours advance notice.
Page 12ĂŠUĂŠ iVi“LiÀÊÎä]ÊÓ䣣ÊUĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?Ăž
(continued from page 5)
LIER THIS MONTH THAT SHE WAS SUR PRISED BY HOW MUCH THIS PROPOSAL RESONATED WITH THE PUBLIC h) VE NEVER WRITTEN A BILL THAT S BEEN SO POPULAR AND RECEIVED SO MUCH ATTENTION FROM CONSUMERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY v %SHOO SAID
Joe Simitian
29 at 9:50 a.m.)
City of Palo Alto ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Politics
Court upholds murder conviction in 2003 shooting ! FEDERAL APPEALS COURT IN 3AN &RANCISCO 4UESDAY $EC UPHELD THE MURDER CONVICTION AND SENTENCE OF LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE OF A 6ALLEJO MAN IN THE FATAL SHOOTING OF AN %AST 0ALO !LTO DINER OWNER IN (Posted Dec. 28 at 8:50 a.m.)
Governor names new Santa Clara County judge ! 3AN *OSE WOMAN WAS APPOINTED TO A JUDGESHIP IN THE 3ANTA #LARA #OUNTY 3UPERIOR #OURT 'OV *ERRY "ROWN ANNOUNCED 4UESDAY $EC (Posted Dec. 28 at 8:40 a.m.)
Woman wounded in Christmas Eve shooting ! WOMAN WAS SHOT IN THE HAND IN %AST 0ALO !LTO 3ATURDAY MORNING $EC POLICE SAID (Posted Dec. 27 at 8:56 a.m.)
Nearly 250 arrested for DUI over holiday week -ORE DRIVERS ARE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF HAVING ONE TOO MANY DRINKS BEFORE GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IN 3ANTA #LARA #OUNTY WHERE SHERIFF S DEPUTIES HAVE ARRESTED PEOPLE FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE (Posted Dec. 27 at 8:44 a.m.)
BUY 1 ENTREE AND GET THE 2ND ONE
with coupon (Dinner Only-Coupon not valid Friday & Saturday)
,UNCH "UFFET - & s 3UNDAY /NLY "ROWN 2ICE s 2ESERVATIONS !CCEPTED
369 Lytton Avenue Downtown Palo Alto (650) 462-5903 Fax (650) 462-1433
Family owned and operated for 17 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
3IMITIAN CAPPED HIS FINAL YEAR IN 3ACRAMENTO BY SEEING OF HIS BILLS BECOME LAW INCLUDING A SEVEN YEAR OLD PROPOSAL FROM TWO 0ALO !LTO POLICE OFFICERS TO BAN SALES OF CERTAIN COUGH MEDICINES TO MINORS 3ENATE "ILL WHICH AIMS TO KEEP MINORS FROM GETTING HIGH ON $8- A CHEMICAL IN SOME OVER THE COUNTER COUGH MEDICINE WAS ONE OF TWO PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT WERE PITCHED TO 3IMITIAN AS PART OF HIS ANNUAL h4HERE /UGHTA "E A ,AWv #ONTEST !NOTHER BILL 3EN ATE "ILL WAS INSPIRED BY -ARY -INOW FOUNDER OF THE WEBSITE ,I BRARYLAW COM )T EXPANDS #ALIFOR NIA S LIBRARY PRIVACY LAWS TO INCLUDE DIGITAL INFORMATION SUCH AS ONLINE CHATS EMAIL AND E BOOKS 0ERHAPS HIS MOST AMBITIOUS BILL OF THE YEAR WAS 3" 8 WHICH REQUIRES #ALIFORNIA S UTILITY COM PANIES TO GET PERCENT OF THEIR ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES BY )N AN !PRIL LETTER TO 'OV *ERRY "ROWN 3IMITIAN ARGUED THAT THE BILL WOULD IMPROVE AIR QUAL ITY ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE AND hBRING ENERGY INVESTMENT DOLLARS TAX REVENUES AND JOBS TO #ALIFOR NIA v "ROWN SUBSEQUENTLY SIGNED THE BILL INTO LAW
Rich Gordon
'ORDON WHO PLEDGED IN HIS PRE ELECTION CAMPAIGN TO BRING CONSEN SUS TO THE HIGHLY PARTISAN #APITOL CONCLUDED HIS ROOKIE YEAR BY SEEING OF THE BILLS HE AUTHORED SIGNED BY 'OV *ERRY "ROWN ˆ THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF ANY STATE LAWMAKER /NE OF HIS BILLS !SSEMBLY "ILL EXEMPTS VOLUNTEERS FROM THE STATE S PREVAILING WAGE REQUIRE MENTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS !NOTHER ONE !" BOOSTS PROTECTION FOR SENIORS WITH MONEY IN TRUSTS 'ORDON ALSO AUTHORED BILLS THAT EXTENDED EXISTING STATE PROGRAMS !" FOR EXAMPLE ENSURED THAT PUBLIC LAND TRUSTS SUCH AS THE 0EN INSULA /PEN 3PACE $ISTRICTS WOULD RECEIVE TAX EXEMPTIONS FOR THE NEXT YEARS !" MEANWHILE EXTENDS THE STATE S 0LASTIC -AR KET $EVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDES FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR #ALIFORNIA BASED PROCESSORS OF RE CYCLED PLASTICS 'ORDON ALSO AUTHORED !" WHICH INCREASES INCENTIVES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT GENERATE RENEW ABLE ENERGY "ROWN SIGNED THE BILL INTO LAW IN /CTOBER N 3TAFF 7RITER 'ENNADY 3HEYNER CAN BE EMAILED AT GSHEYNER PAWEEKLY COM
TALK ABOUT IT
www.PaloAltoOnline.com What do you think were the most memorable stories of 2011? Talk about it on Town Square on PaloAltoOnline.com.