Upfront
Michael Repka Before you select a real estate agent, meet with Michael Repka to discuss how his real estate law and tax back-ground benefits Ken DeLeon’s clients.
Online This Week
These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAlto Online.com/news.
Coroner names Menlo Park teen killed by train The San Mateo County coroner has released the identity of the 16-year-old Menlo Park boy killed by a train on Monday afternoon. (Posted Oct. 16, , 3:45 p.m.)
‘Poor schools endanger U.S. prosperity’ Managing Broker DeLeon Realty JD - Rutgers School of Law L.L.M (Taxation) NYU School of Law
Though academic achievement of U.S. students is improving, it still ranks poorly compared to other developed countries and is not catching up, Stanford University education economist Eric Hanushek told a room full of students Tuesday. (Posted Oct. 16, 9:54 a.m.)
Parents for ‘climate committee’ sought (650) 488.7325 DRE# 01854880 | CA BAR# 255996
michaelr@deleonrealty.com
The Palo Alto school district is seeking parents to apply for membership on a new District Climate Committee, to help in “creating clear channels of communication” to the community on efforts to promote “safe and welcoming schools.” (Posted Oct. 15, 9:35 a.m.)
www.deleonrealty.com
SANDRA MARTIGNETTI, DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING SANDRA EARNED A B.S. IN EDUCATION/ EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY FROM PENN STATE UNIVERSITY AND A MASTER OF EDUCATION FROM NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR UNIVERSITY.
Stanford solar car takes fourth in world race Stanford University’s 375-pound, panel-covered solar car took fourth in an international solar car race that stretches across 2,000 miles of the Australian outback. (Posted Oct. 15, 9:34 a.m.)
CityView A round-up
of Palo Alto government action this week
City Council The council did not meet this week.
Architecture Review Board (Oct. 17) 405 Curtner Ave.: The board approved the design for a proposed three-story, six-unit residential condominium complex. Yes: Gooyer, Lippert, Malone Prichard, Popp No: Lew 636 Waverley St.: The board approved a proposal by Hayes Group Architects for a four-story, mixed-use building with commercial uses of the first and second floors and two residential units on the third and fourth floors. Yes: Gooyer, Lippert, Malone Prichard, Popp No: Lew
The impassioned music of Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti, and more
Sandra builds her work day around daily discussions and interactions with students, teachers, and parents. She sees the energy generated between these groups leading to growth and a dynamic school program. Our students are given opportunities to bring ideas forward and we at Priory listen and act upon them. Sandra says, “My office door is always open and it’s a rare day when I am in there alone.”
Schola Cantorum presents
A Festival of Italian Opera Choruses Toast Giuseppe Verdi’s 200th birthday with the drinking song “Libiamo.”
When Sandra isn’t helping students, she loves to hike, cook, travel and spend time with her family. ONE OF THE MANY REASONS TO SEND YOUR CHILD TO: Woodside Prior y School Admissions Office 302 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028 650/851-8223 ■ www.PrioryCa.org
OPEN HOUSE
Enjoy the “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves,” “Gloria all’Egitto”, and many more of the greatest choruses from Italian opera!
for Prospective Students and Families
Saturday, November 23rd at 10am Saturday, December 7th at 10am Wednesday, December 11th at 7pm (Information evening only) For information and to R.S.V.P. contact Admissions at 650.851.8223
Sat, Nov. 2, 7:30 pm First Congregational Church of Palo Alto Sun, Nov. 3, 3:00 pm Oshman Family JCC, Palo Alto
$25 in advance, $30 at the door www.scholacantorum.org (650) 254-1700
Infrastructure V Ì Õi`ÊvÀ Ê«>}iÊx®
After eight meetings spanning from March to Oct. 1, the four-member council committee charged with recommending a possible ballot measure instead recommended more polling and further exploration of various revenue options. Some council members, including Vice Mayor Nancy Shepherd, remain enthusiastic about a 2014 bond to fund the needed publicsafety improvements, but they also recognize that they are now racing against the clock. “We’re beginning to run out of time for the November 2014 ballot,” Councilman Larry Klein said at the Oct. 1 meeting, after the committee authorized more polls and analysis. Specifically, the city is now looking at five different options for raising revenues for infrastructure, most of which were not on the radar two years ago: an assessment fee to pay for new parking garages, through the creation of Mello-Roos districts; a oneeighth-cent sales-tax increase; raising the hotel tax by either 2 or 3 percent; a general-obligation bond to pay for public-safety facilities; and a general-obligation bond to pay for transportation improvements. Pending the council’s approval on Oct. 28, staff and the city’s polling company will also consider how voters would react to these revenue-raising measures in the context of city’s revision of utility-users-tax methodology. The polling will be conducted in November and December, after which time the council is expected to decide whether or not to pursue a 2014 infrastructure measure. The biggest wildcard in the conversation remains the police building. In 2011, the citizens committee argued that the project has been “dangerously deferred” and recommended floating a bond to pay for it “as soon as possible.” But in June, the council learned that such a vote would be far from a slam dunk. According to a poll commissioned by the council, only 60 percent of the respondents to the poll gave high marks to “providing police officers with the facilities and resources needed to investigate and prosecute crimes committed in our community” and only 52 percent said they would support spending “$57 million to buy land and construct the public-safety building,” well short of the needed two-thirds threshold needed (by contrast, things like bike improvements and fire-station upgrades received more than 70 percent support). Another option for paying for the new police station also now looks shakier than it once did. The proposal by Jay Paul to build a new police building for the city in exchange for permission to construct 311,000 square feet of office space at 395 Page Mill Road has recently encountered a few technical and V Ì Õi`Ê Ê«>}iÊ£{®
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