Palo Alto Weekly December 28, 2018

Palo Alto

Vol. XL, Number 13 Q December 28, 2018

City Hall’s turn toward the middle reshapes local landscape Page 5

w w w. P a l o A l t o O n l i n e.c o m

700M

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Alleged Theranos fraud

358,300

A LOOK OK BACK

NUMBERS THAT MATTERED IN 2018

43% 74K Local support for recall

Cars

Anticipated annual ridership

| PAGE 9

94301 Priciest ZIP code

Donate to the HOLIDAY FUND page 10 Q Arts Theater productions that stood out in 2018 Page 19 Q Home What’s to like about the Southgate neighborhood? Page 20 Q Sports Stanford basketball teams host final games of year Page 22

Hybrid ablation and the minimally invasive Cox Maze procedures revolutionize the way we treat Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common irregular heart rhythm, affecting over two million Americans each year. Without detection and treatment, atrial fibrillation can cause stroke and heart failure.

Stanford Medicine experts are pioneering new treatments for AFib, through medications and groundbreaking new therapies like the hybrid ablation or the minimally invasive Cox Maze procedure.

Join us for this free community talk to learn more about AFib’s signs, symptoms, and all of the latest advances in treatment.

SPEAKERS

Paul J. Wang, MD

Anson M. Lee, MD

Director, Stanford Arrhythmia Service Co-Director, Stanford Center for Arrhythmia Research Professor of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine) and Bioengineering (by courtesy), Stanford University School of Medicine

Assistant Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Adult Cardiac Surgery), Stanford University School of Medicine

Page 2 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

FREE COMMUNITY TALK

January 12, 2019 9:30am – 11:30am Crowne Plaza Palo Alto Mediterranean Ballroom 4290 El Camino Real Palo Alto, CA 94306 This event is free and open to the public, though seating is limited.

If you plan to attend, please register at stanfordhealthcare.org/events or by calling 650.736.6555.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 28, 2018 • Page 3

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Page 4 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Upfront

Local news, information and analysis

Palo Alto Mayor Liz Kniss and Vice Mayor Eric Filseth speak about the city’s vision to work on issues grade seperation and housing during the first council meeting of 2018.

Photo by Veronica Weber.

Palo Alto’s middle path City Hall moved toward consensus in 2018

by Gennady Sheyner

D

uring his decade as Palo Alto’s city manager, James Keene personally witnessed how radically and rapidly local politics can shift.

He was here in 2013, when residents staged a referendum to overturn a housing development that the City Council had unanimously approved; in 2014 for the election when slow-growth “residentialists” won the council majority; and in

2016, when the candidates favoring more city growth took back the power.

When the soon-to-retire Keene addressed the council on Dec. 17, his final meeting in City Hall’s most critical position, he mused about the delicate nature of democracy and lamented the divisiveness in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in the world.

“There is emergent polarization

charge, Palo Alto moved decidedly toward the middle path. While the political divisions of yesteryear never dissolved, 2018 was by and large a period of compromise and moderation — a year that taught us that when it comes to politics, the center can indeed hold.

That message was sounded early in the year, when the City Council elevated its most centrist member — Eric Filseth — to the vice mayor’s chair, setting him up for mayorship in 2019. And it resounded in November, when Palo Alto voters elected a moderate challenger with

Whatever happened to ...

A compendium of updates on stories past

Veronica Weber

Airplane noise: Palo Alto city staff and local elected representatives sought change to the problem of airplane noise from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this year, but despite reports issued and discussions held, local residents still have yet to see — or hear — any difference.

In May, the Palo Alto City Council directed staff to investigate ways to potentially sue the FAA, reversing its decision from April not to pursue a legal strategy.

To create a more powerful regional voice, the city voted unanimously in June to become a founding member of the Santa Clara/Santa Cruz Counties Airport/Community Roundtable, which will make recommendations to the FAA. The Cities Association of Santa Clara County (continued on page 17)

no strong political affiliations over a staunchly pro-growth incumbent.

Along the way, the council eliminated from consideration its most extreme (and expensive) options for separating the railroad tracks from the roadways; reduced the long-term limit on office development to a level that matches recent history; and unanimously selected Assistant City Manager Ed Shikada — an experienced engineer and policy maker — as its next (continued on page 14)

YEAR IN REVIEW: EDUCATION

the company has not yet set a rollout date.

YEAR IN REVIEW

by Sue Dremann Many news stories captivate the public for one moment, but quickly fall by the wayside before theyíre resolved as other reports gain more attention. Weíve continued to track the latest developments to longstanding issues that will continue to play out in the new year.

Self-driving cars: Moun- Waymo makes its pitch. tain View’s Waymo and startup with a human “safety driver” in ThorDrive navigated their way the van — to Channing House to Palo Alto this year to test their and the Palo Alto Fire Departautonomous-vehicle technology. ment in a partnership with Waymo obtained permission Hassett Ace Hardware in late from California regulators in November. Waymo launched October to test cars without a a series of public meetings in driver in cities including Moun- November, reassuring residents tain View and Palo Alto. Thor- that it won’t initially run the cars Drive launched a pilot commer- without a human monitor behind cial-delivery service — currently the wheel. A spokesperson said

here,” Keene warned. “The defining nature of polarization isn’t onesidedness — you don’t have polarization with just one dimension. In a sense, we’re all responsible.”

Division in the community was certainly on display in Palo Alto in 2018, particularly over issues like rent control, the Ross Road bike project and commercial growth.

Yet it may offer some gratification to Keene — a Buddhist who is described in the city’s official resolution of appreciation as, among other things, a “bodhisattva” — that in his final year in

A year of stabilization for Palo Alto Unified With new superintendent, district sees smoother sailing in second half of 2018

by Elena Kadvany

A

s 2018 comes to a close, the state of the Palo Alto Unified School District contrasts sharply with that at the start of the year.

This year, the district hired a new superintendent, chief business officer and general counsel; was complimented by the federal government for its improved Title IX compliance; and is now being led by a newly constituted school board after a tight race for one of the two open seats. New faces have promised and are expected to chart a new path for Palo Alto Unified: a more legally compliant, well-managed and responsive district culture than ever before.

These changes came after a fraught year marked by public outcry over the district’s handling of sexual misconduct cases, financial mismanagement, compliance missteps and the performance of top district leadership, including the former superintendent.

This year saw the fallout from many of those issues. The former longtime chief business officer, Cathy Mak, announced in June that she would retire this fall after coming under fire for her central role in two major budget errors — a misestimate of property tax revenue in 2016 that created a (continued on page 16)

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 28, 2018 • Page 5

Upfront

Learn the Guitar this Winter

Carol McComb’s “Starting to Play” workshop hop includes the FREE use of a Loaner Guitar for the duration ration or eight of the classes. * Regular cost is just $180 for ncluded. d. weeks of group lessons, and all music is included.

PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL Editor Jocelyn Dong (223-6514)

For more information about this and Carol’s other classes at Gryphon, visit www.carolmccomb.com and click on “group classes.”

Sports Editor Rick Eymer (223-6516) Arts & Entertainment Editor Karla Kane (223-6517)

Assistant Sports Editor Glenn Reeves (223-6521) Express & Digital Editor Jamey Padojino (223-6524)

Stringed Instruments Since 1969

www.gryphonstrings.com

Editorial Assistant/Intern Coordinator Christine Lee (223-6526)

Consideration of Directors’ Meeting Compensation Amount for Calendar Year 2019

ADVERTISING Vice President Sales & Marketing Tom Zahiralis (223-6570)

Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors’ meeting to determine necessity for Directors to be for up to 15 days per calendar month and consideration of Directors’ meeting compensation amount for calendar year 2019

Multimedia Advertising Sales Elaine Clark (223-6572), Connie Jo Cotton (223-6571), V.K. Moudgalya (223-6586), Jillian Schrager, Caitlin Wolf (223-6508) Real Estate Advertising Sales Neal Fine (223-6583), Rosemary Lewkowitz (223-6585) Legal Advertising Alicia Santillan (223-6578) ADVERTISING SERVICES

Who:

The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors

What:

Public hearing for the Board of Directors to determine Necessity for Directors to be compensated for up to 15 days per calendar month, and consider Directors’ meeting compensation amount for calendar year 2019.

Advertising Services Manager Kevin Legarda (223-6597) Sales & Production Coordinators Diane Martin (223-6584), Nico Navarrete (223-6582) DESIGN Design & Production Manager Kristin Brown (223-6562) Senior Designers Linda Atilano, Paul Llewellyn Designers Amy Levine, Doug Young BUSINESS Payroll & Benefits Suzanne Ogawa (223-6541)

The Board of Directors of Santa Clara Valley Water District will hold a public hearing to determine necessity for Directors to be compensated for up to 15 days per calendar month, to consider the Directors’ meeting compensation amount for calendar year 2019, and to adopt associated ordinance.

Business Associates Nicholas Ogawa (223-6575), Angela Yuen (223-6542) ADMINISTRATION Courier Ruben Espinoza

President William S. Johnson (223-6505)

MONTHLY MEETING LIMIT 1.

Determine that there is an operational need to compensate Directors for up to 15 days per calendar month, and set the meeting day limit accordingly, effective March 9, 2019, for calendar year 2019; or

Director of Marketing and Audience Development Emily Freeman (223-6560)

Determine that there is NO operational need to compensate Directors for more than the current 10 days per calendar month, and therefore, make no change in the current limit.

MEETING COMPENSATION 1.

Keep the Directors’ compensation at the current amount of $286.68 per day, up to 10 or 15 days per calendar month, as previously determined, effective March 9, 2019.

2.

Reduce the Directors’ compensation to a specified amount below the current $286.68 rate per day, up to 10 or 15 days per calendar month, as previously determined, effective April 14, 2019; or

3.

Approve an increase up to 5% in Directors’ compensation in accordance with the California Water Code Sections 2020020207, for up to 10 or 15 days per calendar month, as previously determined, effective April 14, 2019.

Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate persons with disabilities wishing to attend this public hearing. To request accommodations for disabilities, arrange for an interpreter, or obtain more information on attending this hearing, please contact the Office of the Clerk of the Board at (408) 265-2600, ext. 2277, at least three days prior to the hearing.

12/2018 JA

Page 6 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

EGGS-HAUSTED EFFORT ... Palo Alto’s public art collection bid farewell to two hallmark works for the city: Digital DNA at Lytton Plaza and Go Mama along California Avenue. The removals, authorized by the Public Art Commission because they were costly to maintain, were particularly emotional for Adriana Varella, the artist behind Digital DNA, who didn’t let her 8-foot-tall egg-shaped sculpture leave without a protest on June 21. “This belongs to the city; this belongs to the people!” she yelled as movers took down the iconic circuit-board covered statue after a 13-year run. Varella’s sculpture now resides at Harvard Business School while the running doll Go Mama was returned to its creator, Marta Thoma.

EMBARCADERO MEDIA

At the time and place fixed for the public hearing, the Board of Directors will receive comments relevant to and make a determination of the necessity for Directors to be compensation for up to 15 days per calendar month for performance of official duties, and set the Board compensation for calendar year 2019. After considering all information presented, the Board will consider the following options:

2.

Veronica Weber

Contributors Chrissi Angeles, Dale F. Bentson, Mike Berry, Carol Blitzer, Peter Canavese, Yoshi Kato, Chris Kenrick, Jack McKinnon, Alissa Merksamer, Sheryl Nonnenberg, Kaila Prins, Ruth Schechter, Monica Schreiber, Jay Thorwaldson

Public Hearing Notice

Santa Clara Valley Water District Board Chambers 5700 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118

Alto “a ghetto of wealth, power and elitist liberalism by proxy, meaning that many community members claim to want to fight for social justice issues, but that desire doesn’t translate into action.”

Staff Photographer/Videographer Veronica Weber (223-6520)

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Where:

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reaking away from the norm seems to be the recipe for success in Palo Alto, the birthplace of Silicon Valley. This year saw its fair share of eccentric local news, from animal rescues in peculiar places to unusual proposed laws that somehow prevailed. We pulled out 10 stories that clearly went off the beaten path.

Staff Writers Sue Dremann (223-6518), Elena Kadvany (223-6519), Gennady Sheyner (223-6513)

650 ࠮ 493 ࠮2131

January 8, 2019, 6:00 p.m.

The year’s bizarre news that left us scratching our heads

Associate Editor Linda Taaffe (223-6511)

Home & Real Estate Editor Elizabeth Lorenz (223-6534)

When:

Odds ‘n’ ends

William S. Johnson (223-6505)

* “Starting to Play” meets for one hour each Monday day night nig for eight weeks beginning January 14th.

Topic:

YEAR IN REVIEW

450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 326-8210

Vice President Michael I. Naar (223-6540) Vice President & CFO Peter Beller (223-6545) Vice President Sales & Marketing Tom Zahiralis (223-6570) Director, Information Technology & Webmaster Frank A. Bravo (223-6551)

Major Accounts Sales Manager Connie Jo Cotton (223-6571) Circulation Assistant Alicia Santillan Computer System Associates Ryan Dowd, Chris Planessi The Palo Alto Weekly (ISSN 0199-1159) is published every Friday by Embarcadero Media, 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306, (650) 326-8210. Periodicals postage paid at Palo Alto, CA and additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for Santa Clara County.

The Palo Alto Weekly is delivered free to homes in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, East Palo Alto, to faculty and staff households on the Stanford campus and to portions of Los Altos Hills. If you are not currently receiving the paper, you may request free delivery by calling 326-8210. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302. ©2018

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A CITY HOLIDAY ... Palo Alto won a day of recognition for itself when City Council voted on April 2 to officially designate April 9 as Palo Alto Day. “It is time, if not beyond time, that we establish something called Palo Alto Day,” Councilwoman Karen Holman said in explaining the proposal. Though there was some debate about which date should be chosen as the special day, Palo Alto city historian Steve Staiger suggested April 9 since that was when the townspeople voted for independence. Although this year’s Palo Alto Day went by quietly, the city is hoping the occasion will be more marked and festive next year for Palo Alto’s 125th birthday.

NO ROOM FOR HATE ... An associate pastor at First Baptist Church had to step down after numerous tweets surfaced in which he expressed hateful feelings toward the community.

In his tweets, Gregory Stevens called Palo Alto “disgusting” and “elitist” and made fun of seniors in his congregation. City officials expressed their concern at the May 14 council meeting, prompting the church to quickly remove Stevens from the church because his views didn’t represent the congregation. Although Stevens later told SFGate.com that he acted “unprofessionally,” he called Palo

EXPENSIVE HOME WITH A PIZZA ROOM ... A custom-built mansion on Los Trancos Road broke records this summer when Scott McNealy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, listed the four-story, 32,000-squarefoot home for a whopping $96.8 million, making it the most expensive Bay Area home to publicly be listed in the last decade, according to the Silicon Valley Business Journal.

The 20-room home features a pizza room, a poker room, a spa with a sauna and massage table, a disco, a full gym with a climbing wall, an indoor basketball court, a wine cellar, a billiards room, a theater, a 110-yard golf practice area and a 7,000-square-foot multipurpose indoor ice rink/tennis court with its own locker room.

SEEKING A CONNECTION ... A home burglary went awry on East Charleston Road on July 22 when a teenager woke up the residents to ask for Wi-Fi access in the middle of his break-in, police said.

The boy, 17, entered the home by climbing through a window and was confronted by one of the homeowners who pushed the juvenile out of the residence before calling police. No injuries were reported and no items were missing, except for two kitchen knives that officers haven’t recovered. The teen was arrested a short time later and was believed to be a suspect in a bicycle theft that occurred shortly after the break-in.

BANNING CAR-IDLING ... An ordinance against car-idling, the practice of keeping your engine running while standing still, entered Palo Alto lawbooks on July 30, but carries few consequences for violators. The new rule won’t be strictly enforced. Rather, city officials and police officers will merely ask any violators to turn their car off instead of issuing tickets. The city also planned to publicize the new law by posting signs, particularly near schools, and handing out informative cards. “I’m waiting to knock on someone’s car window and say, ‘You’re breaking the law!’ Then hand them the card,” Mayor Liz Kniss said.

WADDLING ALONG BAYSHORE ... It was an unusual site to see no matter what time of day: an adult

(continued on page 8)

Upfront YEAR IN REVIEW: NATIONAL

Beyond the bubble Palo Alto made headlines across the nation and around the globe in 2018

by Gennady Sheyner

Adam Pardee

Then-Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky addresses the media about his forthcoming recall election during a press conference at a Palo Alto home on May 8.

Y

the laughter, the uproarious laughter between the two — and their having fun at my expense,” Ford said.

Ford told the Senators she had been hesitant to come forward because she didn’t think her testimony would do any good, and in that, she proved prescient. While her allegations prompted the Senate members to delay their vote on Kavanaugh and order a brief FBI investigation, the Senate voted 50-48 on Oct. 6 to confirm his Supreme Court nomination.

Ford paid a price for stepping forward.

She told the Senate committee of the “constant harassment and death threats” she and her family had to Christine endure. She also Blasey Ford received an outpouring of support from her hometown. On Sept.

23, hundreds of residents gathered on the corner of El Camino Real and Embarcadero to hold “I believe Christine” signs and chant: “We are her. She is us.”

While Judge Kavanaugh managed to advance his career despite public outcry, another judge, Aaron Persky didn’t fare as well.

Persky, a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge whose June 2016 sentencing of former Stanford University student Brock Turner sparked a nationwide backlash, officially lost his job in June 2018 after a bitter recall election. With 60 percent of the voters supporting the recall, Persky became was the first California judge to get ousted

Courtesy of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee

ou don’t have to live in Palo Alto to know that the city boasts thousands of Teslas, two Philz Coffee locations and the ZIP code 94301, which has the priciest homes in the nation.

Nor do you have to be a resident to know that in April one local resident (Mark Zuckerberg) testified on Capitol Hill about his company’s role in influencing the 2016 presidential election or that in September, another resident almost upended a nomination of a Supreme Court justice.

For better or worse, the past 12 months reinforced Palo Alto’s often-touted reputation as a “special place” — a small city with an international reputation. From figure skater Vincent Zhou, a former Hoover Elementary School student, landing a historic quadruple lutz in the Pyeongchang Olympics to the blood-testing giant Theranos shutting down after its top executives were indicted for fraud, Palo Alto and Palo Altans often found themselves in the national spotlight in 2018.

No one epitomized this “beyond the bubble” aspect of 2018 more than Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University who in September publicly accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in the early 1980s. On Sept. 16, the Washington Post broke the story about Ford’s accusations, which go back to a party that she and Kavanaugh had attended when they were both students in suburban Maryland.

Ford told to the Post that she was at a house party when Kavanaugh, with the help of his friend Mark Judge, pushed her into an upstairs bedroom before pinning her to the bed, putting his hand over her mouth and trying to remove her bathing suit. Later that month, she recounted the story in a sworn testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and gave an unforgettable response when Sen. Patrick Leahy asked her what she remembers most about that evening.

“Indelible in the hippocampus is

from his seat in more than 80 years.

The outrage stemmed from Persky’s six-month sentence for Turner (who then only served three months) after the Stanford swimmer was found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious and intoxicated woman behind a Dumpster outside a fraternity house in January 2015. The sentencing sparked an emotional community debate this year about sexual assault, entitlement and judicial independence.

The national focus had a Palo Alto focus. Michelle Dauber, a resident and Stanford Law School professor, led the charge against Persky, arguing that even before Turner, he had demonstrated a “pattern of bias” against women and persons of color. LaDoris Cordell, a former Palo Alto councilwoman and a retired judge, defended Persky and argued that recalling a judge based on one controversial decision undermines the principle of judicial independence.

The fall from grace was even more jarring for Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes. The Stanford University drop-out who founded Theranos in 2003 was indicted in June on two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. Holmes and the company’s chief operating officer, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, each face up to 20 years in prison, for allegedly carrying out a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme against patients, doctors and the firm’s investors.

The company was headquartered on Page Mill Road until September, when it unceremoniously shut down after a troubling history of overpromising and underdelivering on faulty and often inaccurate medical devices. In his book, “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup,” which in June entered the New York Times bestsellers list, journalist John Carreyrou detailed Theranos’ history of deception and characterized the company’s behavior as a “a giant, unauthorized medical experiment.”

Other local experiments fared better. In late October, the autonomous-vehicle company Waymo secured a permit to release a fleet of 39 driverless cars in Palo Alto, Mountain View and other cities in the area. In late November, about 50 residents came to Cubberley Community Center to get a glance at the future. Some lauded the

disruptive potential of self-driving cars; others feared their destructive power (one attendant said he saw an autonomous vehicle drive the wrong way around a median island near Alma Street, prompting a child on a bicycle to fall over and hit her head).

While Waymo isn’t quite ready to release its full fleet of autonomous vehicles, the startup ThorDrive is speeding ahead with its own plans. In late November, ThorDrive launched a partnership with Hassett ACE Hardware and the Palo Alto Fire Department for a same-day-delivery service involving an autonomous van.

Though the vehicles still include

a safety driver (a condition of its DMV permit), ThorDrive founder Seung-Woo Soo said the cars could become fully autonomous within a year or two.

Among those who attended the kickoff event for the new service was Palo Alto Vice Mayor Eric Filseth, who is very likely to become mayor in 2019. During the ceremony, Filseth said he was excited to see Palo Alto at the center of the worldwide trend.

“Clearly, autonomous vehicles are going to be a revolution on transportation,” Filseth said. Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

CityView A round-up

of Palo Alto government action this week

City Council

The council did not have any meetings this week.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 28, 2018 • Page 7

Upfront YEAR IN REVIEW

YEAR IN REVIEW

In 2018, City Hall’s revolving door

In Memoriam: Remembering those who left us

There was a wholesale shuffle of staff in top city of Palo Alto positions in 2018. Here’s a list of who’s in, who’s out and who’s left.

WHO LEFT/LEAVING

Left to right: James Keene, city manager; Harriet Richardson, city auditor; Lalo Perez, CFO; Hillary Gittelman, planning director.

Left to right: Gil Friend, chief sustainability officer; Eric Nickel, fire chief; James Stephens, lead code enforcement officer.

WHO WAS PROMOTED/HIRED

Left to right: Ed Shikada, to city manager; Brad Eggleston, to director of public works; Robert Jonsen, as police chief.

at 68 Burton Richter, Nobel Prizewinning physicist, died July 18, at 87 Burt McMurtry, longtime Stanford volunteer, died Sept. 2, at 83 Don Kazak, Palo Alto Weekly’s first reporter, died May 16, at 71 Harry ‘Hunk’ Anderson, art collector and donor, died Feb. 7, at 95 Phyllis Cassel, community leader, died Aug. 14, at 77

David Mitchell, lawyer and community volunteer, died Dec. 19, at 83 This list is not comprehensive.

If you would like to take a moment to acknowledge others who died this year but who aren’t included here, go to PaloAltoOnline.com and leave your comments under this article online.

To look at additional obituaries, go to the Lasting Memories website, posted at PaloAltoOnline. com/obituaries. Q

Odds ‘n’ ends

day, with a court hearing in the case scheduled for Jan. 4. In a tweet, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company will be looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

SO MUCH IN COMMON ... Palo Alto got its first Chinese sibling in February when the City Council added the Yangpu District of Shanghai as a sister city. The large urban district was the latest addition to city’s international family, which includes Albi, France; Enschede, the Netherlands; Linkoping, Sweden; Oaxaca, Mexico; Palo, Philippines; Tsuchiura, Japan; and Heidelberg, Germany. In 2012, then-Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh and the mayor of Yangpu had signed an agreement to explore economic opportunities.

Although they’re more than 6,000 miles apart, the sister cities share many traits, including being tech hubs, housing a top university and celebrating various Chinese traditions.

(continued from page 6) male California sea lion wandering along East Bayshore Road in Palo Alto on the morning of Nov. 8. The 230-pound malnourished mammal was initially spotted laying in the bushes just off the road by an Animal Services staff member. City employees worked to keep the sea lion from entering the street until a team from The Marine Mammal Center arrived to bring the animal to its Sausalito hospital. He was later named Jamesmossy, a spin on the name of the Animal Services employee who contacted the center (James Moss) with a marine theme (“mossy”). He was nurtured back to good health and released into the Point Reyes National Seashore three weeks later.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL DUI ...

California Highway Patrol officers were in for a surprise when they pulled over a gray Tesla Model 3 speeding down U.S. Highway 101 at about 70 mph. They stopped the car as it approached Embarcadero Road around 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 30, only to find the driver passed out from behind the wheel, stirring suspicion as to whether the vehicle was in Autopilot mode.

The officers woke up the driver, Los Altos Planning Commissioner Alexander Samek, who failed a field sobriety test. He was booked into jail and released that same

Image courtesy Peninsula Humane Society && SPCA.

Left to right: Joshuah Mello, chief transportation official; Mike Sartor, director of public works; Peter Pirnejad, director of development services; Jonathan Reichental, chief information officer.

As 2018 comes to an end, the Weekly remembers those we lost this year who left behind permanent legacies that made the community a better place. These were individuals whose passion and hard work influenced everything from the local arts scene to physics and coffee cake. Here’s a look back at community leaders we lost: Peter Taber, Hobee’s Restaurant president, died Jan. 30, at 63 Faye McNair-Knox, One East Palo Alto director, died Sept. 12,

PIGGY LOOKING FOR A HOME ...

A small, black stray pig found in East Palo Alto at Alberni Street and Laurel Avenue in Nov. 8 captured the hearts of many. Her search for a new home began when she was brought to the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA Center for Compassion in Burlingame, where no one came forward to claim her. Staff, who named her Piggy Smalls, cared for the 45-pound animal who, they quickly learned, loved eating apples. On Dec. 5, the organization announced on Instagram that she found a family at a small farm where she “can enjoy life to the fullest.” Piggy Smalls was the third pig taken into the shelter this year.

WHO’S FILLING IN FOR NOW

Monique le Conge Ziesenhenne, interim director of community services; Jonathan Lait, interim director of planning; Kiely Nose, interim CFO; Rob de Geus, overseeing Office of Transportation.

WHO’S STILL HERE

Molly Stump, city attorney; Beth Minor, city clerk; Rob de Geus, deputy city manager; Michelle Poche Flaherty, deputy city manager; Claudia Keith, chief communications officer Monique le Conge Ziesenhenne, library director.

Public Agenda A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week CITY COUNCIL ... The council has no meetings scheduled this week.

Page 8 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

FOLLOW THE PIZZA ... What started out as a casual gathering in East Palo Alto turned into an animal-rescue operation on April 17. A group of friends enjoying pepperoni pizza were approached by a stray, starving mutt who stole a slice and led them to her nest of six tiny, week-old puppies. A man in the group contacted the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA, which sent rescue staffers and found the mutt and her family a temporary foster home. The pups were crowned as William, Henry, Duchess Kate, Lady Di, Charlotte and Meghan to pay homage to the royal family as it prepared for Prince Henry and Meghan Markle’s nuptials.

The Year in Numbers sources: HOUSING 300: “Palo Alto Adopts Plan to Build More Housing,” Weekly, Feb. 16 1, 57: “Palo Alto Approves Workforce Housing Project,” Weekly, June 8 75: “Documents Reveal Secret Dealings Over President Hotel,” Weekly, Nov. 30

$700M, 20: “The Rise and Fall of Theranos,” Weekly, June 22 2, 4, 2: “Sheriff Investigatin Whether Stanford Watchman Linked to Other Campus Murders,” Palo Alto Online, July 3; “DNA Leads to Arrest in 1973 Palo Alto Cold Case,” Palo Alto Online, Nov. 21.

$3.75M: Financial news site 24/7 Wall St., 2018 Top 50 list $2.42M: Zillow, October 2018 27.5: Most/Least Affordable Markets, Zillow Research, March 2018 $96.8M & $66.8M: “House with Hefty Price Tag Could Shatter New Record,” June 27, Palo Alto Online, June 27 CRIME $111,779, 60: “Expensive Gucci Handbags Stolen,” Palo Alto Online, Jan. 9

ELECTIONS 9, 28, 31, 7,377: “Final Election Results,” Palo Alto Online, Dec. 6 61.6, 43, “Voters Recall Aaron Persky,” Palo Alto Online, June 5 EDUCATION $2.5M, Palo Alto Unified School District 246, 25: Based on Uniform Complaint Procedure (UCP) reports filed during the 2017-18 school year and the start of 2018-19 (through Dec. 19)

$4.4M, $2.2M: “Teachers union agrees to reallocate bonus to schools,” Palo Alto Online, Feb. 14 INFRASTRUCTURE $57M, $106M: “Palo Alto Finalizes Design $9.6M, $39.4M: City of Palo Alto 74K: “Key Agreements Pave Way for Palo Alto’s New Bike Bridge,” Palo Alto Online, Dec. 17 TRAFFIC 358,300, 132,900: City of Palo Alto, State of California Caltrans 88%: Crescent Park Traffic Survey Report 2018 $95M: “North Palo Alto Residents Ramp up Traffic Battle,” Weekly, Jan. 26

Upfront

THE YEAR IN NUMBERS HOUSING INVENTORY

CRIME

300 1 57 75

Number of housing units city planned to approve in 2018 Number of multi-family projects the city approved all year Number of apartments in that project Number of units the city would lose under proposed conversion of President Hotel

HEISTS

Value of Gucci handbags 7 thieves took during an evening heist at Stanford Shopping Center

FRAUD

$700M

REAL ESTATE MARKET

$3.75M $2.42M 27.5

Listing price for 20-room Palo Alto Hills home

$66.8M

Amount price exceeded the most-expensive home sale recorded in city history

EDUCATION PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

$2.5M 246 25

$4.4M $ $2.2M

Sexual, racial, gender or disabilitybased harassment or discrimination allegations reported

Unbudgeted raises Palo Alto school district mistakenly authorized for teachers/staff in 2017 One-time bonus teachers union reallocated back to district in 2018

RAVENSWOOD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

28 31

Candidates who ran for 3 open school board seats Votes separating winning candidates Tamara Sobomehin and Stephanie Fitch

Days before winners of seats two and three were declared

PERSKY RECALL

61.6% 43%

Amount Theranos CEO and COO allegedly defrauded investors Years each could serve in prison

2 4 2

Stanford cold case murders solved Decades the unrelated, but similar, Stanford murders remained unsolved Additional unsolved high-profile murders that also took place on/near the campus between 1973-74

INFRASTRUCTURE CALIFORNIA AVENUE AREA PARKING GARAGE

POLICE HEADQUARTERS

$57M

Estimated cost in 2014

$9.6M

$106M

Estimated cost in 2018

$39.4M

Estimated cost in 2014 Actual construction contract approved in December

Cases still under investigation

ELECTIONS

9

Seconds it took them to cut the 49 handbags from security cables and escape

STANFORD COLD CASES

Number of homes you can buy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the price of one Palo Alto home

$96.8M

Legal fees

20

Median home price in Palo Alto Median home price increase since 2008

60

$111,779

Voters countywide who supported the recall of former Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky Palo Alto voters who supported the recall

101 BIKE BRIDGE

74K

Anticipated annual ridership

TRAFFIC

358,300 132,900

Cars using Palo Alto’s north-south roadways Additional cars since 1967

88% Crescent Park neighbors who say traffic is negatively impacting their quality of life

$95M Earmarked for current neighborhood traffic-calming projects

About the cover: Clockwise from top left: Vice President Joe Biden stands with Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes, center, and an employee during a tour of the company’s Newark manufacturing facility in July 2015. Photo by Jamey Padojino; Commute traffic creeps along University Avenue.

Photo by Veronica Weber; A home in the Professorville neighborhood. Weekly file photo; Palo Alto Mayor Liz Kniss addresses the crowd at the Palo Alto Pedestrian Bike Bridge project signing ceremony on Dec. 17. Photo by Magali Gauthier; Residents gather outside Santa Clara County’s main jail during a rally to recall Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky in 2016. Photo by Veronica Weber. Cover design by Paul Llewellyn. Sources: see previous page.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 28, 2018 • Page 9

Support our Kids with a gift to the Holiday Fund Last Year’s Grant Recipients 10 Books A Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,000 49ers Academy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Able Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Acterra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Ada’s Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Adolescent Counseling Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 All Students Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Art in Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Art of Yoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Bayshore Christian Ministries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Buena Vista Homework Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 CASSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Downtown Streets Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 DreamCatchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 East Palo Alto Kids Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 East Palo Alto Tennis & Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 Ellen Fletcher Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000 Environmental Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Family Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 Foundation for a College Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000 Friends of Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Get Involved Palo Alto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Health Connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Hidden Villa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 JLS Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000 Kara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 Live in Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Marine Science Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Music in the Schools Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 New Creation Home Ministries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 New Voices for Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,000 Nuestra Casa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 One East Palo Alto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Palo Alto Art Center Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Palo Alto Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000 Peninsula Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Peninsula HealthCare Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Project WeHOPE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,000 Quest Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Ravenswood Education Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Rosalie Rendu Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,500 Silicon Valley FACES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Silicon Valley Urban Debate League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 St. Francis of Assisi Youth Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Stanford Jazz Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,500 YMCA East Palo Alto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 YMCA Ross Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Youth Community Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,000 Youth Speaks Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,000

Child Care Facility Improvement Grants Children’s Center of the Stanford Community . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Children’s Pre-School Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Friends of Preschool Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Grace Lutheran Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 The Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Palo Alto Community Child Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Palo Alto Friends Nursery School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Parents Nursery School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Peninsula Family Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000

E

ach year the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund raises money to support programs serving families and children in the Palo Alto area. Since the Weekly and the Silicon Valley

Community Foundation cover all the administrative costs, every dollar raised goes directly to support community programs through grants to non-profit organizations.

And with the generous support of matching grants from local foundations, including the Packard, Hewlett, Peery and Arrillaga foundations, your tax-deductible gift will be doubled in size. A donation of $100 turns into $200 with the foundation

Give to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund and your donation is doubled. You give to non-profit groups that work right here in our community.

It’s a great way to ensure that your charitable donations are working at home.

matching gifts.

Whether as an individual, a business or in honor of someone else, help us reach our goal of $350,000 by making a generous contribution to the Holiday Fund.

With your generosity, we can give a major boost to the

CLICK AND GIVE

Donate online at ssiliconvalleycf.org/ paw-holiday-fund p

programs in our community helping kids and families.

Enclosed is a donation of $_______________ Name__________________________________________________________ Business Name __________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip ___________________________________________________ Email__________________________________________________

Credit Card (MC, VISA, or AMEX)

All donors and their gift amounts will be published in the Palo Alto Weekly unless the boxes below are checked.

__________________________________________Expires _______/_______

T I wish to contribute anonymously.

Phone _________________________________________________________

T Please withhold the amount of my contribution.

Signature ______________________________________________________ I wish to designate my contribution as follows: (select one)

Send coupon and check, if applicable, to:

T In my name as shown above T In the name of business above OR:

T In honor of:

T In memory of:

T As a gift for:

_____________________________________________________________ (Name of person)

Non-profits: Grant application & guidelines at www.PaloAltoOnline.com/holiday_fund Application deadline: January 4, 2019

Page 10 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Please make checks payable to: Silicon Valley Community Foundation

01 – Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund c/o Silicon Valley Community Foundation P.O. Box 45389 San Francisco, CA 94145 The Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund is a donor advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization.

A contribution to this fund allows your donation to be tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Donate to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund online at siliconvalleycf.org/paw-holiday-fund

Art & Peggy Stauffer .................. 500

Martha Shirk .............................. 500

Ray Bacchetti ............................. 250

Kroymann Family ....................... 250

Christina Kenrick..................... 1,000

Nancy & Bob Lobdell ...................... *

Mahlon & Carol Hubenthal ............ *

Dawes Family ............................. 250

Ruth & Chet Johnson ..................... *

Karen & Steve Ross ........................ *

Ken Bencala & Sally O’Neil ......... 200

Tracy & Alan Herrick ................... 100

Wileta Burch .................................. *

Nina & Norman Kulgein ................. *

Bob Fenster.................................... *

Mandy Lowell ................................ *

Tom & Nancy Fiene ........................ *

David, Zoe & Ken ....................... 100

Marcia & Michael Katz ............... 200

George & Betsy Young ................... *

Lee Zulman .................................... *

Mrs. Nancy Yih .............................. *

Tom Goodrich ............................ 100

Tom & Pat Sanders ......................... *

Merrill & Lee Newman ............... 250

Thomas W. & Louise L. Phinney ...... * Leo & Sylvia Breidenbach ............... *

Thank you donors As of Dec. 25, 291 donors have contributed $243,655 to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund.

28 Anonymous ................. $124,225 New Donors

Leif & Sharon Erickson ............... 250

Gerald & Joyce Barker ................ 200

Judy & Lee Shulman ................... 200

Diane & Brandy Sikic ...................... *

Stephen Levy ............................ 500

Brigid Barton & Rob Robinson .... 400

Donna & Jerry Silverberg ............ 100

Corrine Aulgur ............................... * Duncan Matteson ...................... 250

Karen Backer ............................. 500

John & Meg Monroe .................. 500

Jim & Alma Phillips ..................... 500

Victor Befera .............................. 100

Rosalie Shepherd ....................... 100

Daniel Cox ................................. 200

Peggy & Boyce Nute....................... *

Kay & Don Remsen ........................ *

Pam Grady ................................. 300

David Thom ............................... 200

Richard Zuanich ......................... 200

Michael & Cathie Foster ............. 500

Beth & Peter Rosenthal .............. 300

Elliot Eisner .................................... *

Sylvia McGovern ........................ 100

Kieschnick Family ........................... *

Diane Moore.................................. *

Robyn H. Crumly............................ *

Nate Rosenberg ......................... 200

Lawrence Dong............................ 50

Deborah Williams ...................... 500

Linda & Steve Boxer ....................... *

Charles & Barbara Stevens ............. *

Francine Mendlin ....................... 250

Amado Padilla & Deborah Farrington ................. 500

Bob Donald.................................... *

Annette Isaacson ....................... 100

Joan & Roger Warnke .................... *

Chuck & Jean Thompson ........... 100

Pamela Wong .............................. 25

Havern Family ......................... 5,000

Julie Jerome ............................... 500

Barbara Kinsey ........................... 500

Bill Johnson & Terri Lobdell ...... 1,000

Bonnie Berg ................................... *

Thomas Rindfleisch ........................ *

Mike & Jean Couch .................... 250

Gallo Family ............................... 500

Elgin & Elizabeth Lee .................. 500

Tony & Judy Kramer ....................... *

Weil Family ............................. 1,000

Peter Stern ..................................... *

Epstein Family ............................ 500

Dorothy Saxe ............................. 100

Kenyon Family ........................... 500

David & Nancy Kalkbrenner........ 100

Ann & Don Rothblatt ................. 500 Caryn Huberman Yacowitz ............. * Shirley R. Ely ........................... 1,000 Luca & Mary Cafiero ...................... *

Ellmann Family ........................... 100

David & Lynn Mitchell ................ 450

Steve & Diane Ciesinski .............. 500

Helene Pier .................................... *

Barbara Riper ................................. *

Jerry & Linda Elkind .................... 500 Donald & Virginia Fitton ............... 25 Don & Bonnie Miller................... 100 Roger V. Smith ........................... 300 Cynthia Costell .......................... 100 Anna & Chris Saccheri............. 1,000

Bill Land ......................................... * Emmett Lorey ................................ * Ted Linden ................................. 200 Marie & Don Snow .................... 150 Ben Barres ................................. 100 Kathleen Morris ............................. *

Eric Keller & Janice Bohman ....... 250

Our Loving Parents Albert & Beverly Pellizzari .......................... *

Diana Diamond .......................... 150

August L. King ............................... *

A Carlisle Scott .............................. *

Bob Kirkwood ................................ *

David & Virginia Pollard.............. 150

Nancy & Joe Huber .................... 100

Jennifer DiBrienza & Jesse Dorogusker ............................. 500

Diane Finkelstein ........................ 200

Sue Kemp .................................. 250

James W. & Nancy E. Baer .......... 200

Peter Beller & Nadine Dabby .......... *

Julia Schwartz ................................ *

The Ely Family ............................ 250

Carol Kersten ............................. 300

Lee Domenik.................................. *

Linda Groffie-Balint .................... 150

Marts Beekley, M.D. ....................... *

Michal Sadoff ............................ 100

Margaret McAvity - “Granny” ........ *

Ellen Krasnow ................................ *

Carol Berkowitz ............................. *

Meri Gruber & James Taylor ....... 250

Don Kenyon............................... 100

Tony & Kathleen Hughes ......... 1,500

Judge Bart Phelps........................... *

Kaaren & John Antoun............ 1,500

Erika Buck .................................. 100

Ernest J. Moore .......................... 200

Richard Johnsson .................... 7,000

Carolyn Williams ........................ 200

Bruce Gee & Jane Gee ............... 250

Jocelyn Dong ................................. *

Jacques, Nancy, Wanda & Jimmy George ............................. *

Eric Hahn & Elaine Hahn ......... 1,000

Spreng Family ............................ 200

Bob & Dee Crawford...................... *

Susan D. Osofsky ....................... 200

Diane & Bob Simoni ................... 200

Leo & Marlys Keoshian ............... 100

Jan Thomson & Roy Levin............... *

John & Lee Pierce ....................... 250

Donald & Adele Langendorf ....... 200

Susie Richardson & Hal Luft............ *

Irvin & Marilyn Yalom ................. 100

Don & Dee Price............................. *

Brigid Barton.............................. 500

Anne & Don Vermeil ...................... *

Jerry & Bobbie Wagger................... *

John & Mary Schaefer ................ 100

John & Florine Galen ...................... *

Judy Ousterhout ............................ *

H. Anton & Carolyn Tucher ........ 250

Ellen Lillington ........................... 300

Andrea Smith............................. 100

Phil Fernandez & Daniel Sternbergh ....................... *

B & D Fryberger ......................... 100

Braff Family................................ 500

Bob & Micki Cardelli ...................... *

Eugene & Mabel Dong ............... 200

Gwen Barry.................................... *

John Pavkovich .......................... 500

Debby Roth................................ 200

Richard & Tish Fagin................... 100

Eileen Stolee .............................. 100

Phil Hanawalt & Garciela Spivak ..................... 1,000

Margo Sensenbrenner.................... *

Sallie Whaley ................................. *

Al & Joanne Russell .................... 300

Ann Burrell & Allen Smith .............. *

Harry & Susan Hartzell ............... 100

Elizabeth Shepard .......................... * Nancy Moss ................................... * Rita Vrhel ................................... 300 Virginia Laibl .............................. 500 Barbara Klein & Stan Schrier........... * Paul Kingston Duffie .................... 50 Carol Hubenthal .......................... 50 Steve & Virginia Morgan .............. 50 Barbara Noparstak & Duane Bay .............................. 100 Judith & Hans Steiner ................. 150 Marc & Margaret Cohen ............ 250 Dennis & Cindy Dillon .................... * Carol Gilbert .................................. * Jane Holland .................................. * In Memory Of Jim & Dottie Mellberg ................ 200 Robert Spinrad ............................... * Boyd Paulson Jr. ............................. * Edward & Elizabeth Buurma ........... * Samuel Benjamin Kurland .......... 300 Previously Published David Labaree ............................ 300 Bruce Campbell ......................... 200 Janis Ulevich .............................. 100

Richard Baumgartner & Elizabeth Salzer ........................... * Sally & Craig Nordlund ............... 500 Ted & Ginny Chu............................ * Stev & Mary Chapel ..................... 50 Ruth Hammett ........................... 100 Drew McCalley & Marilyn Green ......................... 100 Roy & Carol Blitzer ......................... * Judith Appleby ........................... 200 Carolyn Brennan ............................ * Susana & Doug Woodman ............. * Jody Maxmin ................................. * Pat Burt ..................................... 250 Larry Baer .................................. 500 Arthur Keller .................................. * Lawrence Naiman ...................... 100 Pamela Mayerfeld ...................... 100 Eileen Brooks ............................. 500 Scott & Jan Kilner....................... 500

Page & Ferrell Sanders................ 100 JoAnne N. Zschokke................... 100 Ralph R. Wheeler ....................... 300 Bert Fingerhut & Caroline Hicks .......................... 250

Stewart & Carol Hansen ............. 100

Mike Gordon ............................. 250

Lani Freeman & Stephen Monismith ................. 100

Patti Yanklowitz ......................... 150

Frances Codispoti....................... 500

Bill Reller ........................................ *

Tom & Ellen Ehrlich .................... 350

Linda Selden .................................. *

Hal & Carol Louchheim .............. 400

Ellen & Mike Turbow .................. 200

Robert & Barbara Simpson ............. *

Dena Hill .................................... 500

Herbert Fischgrund .................... 200

Xiaofan Lin .................................. 50

Gwen Luce .................................... *

Michael Patrick .......................... 200

M D Savioe .................................... *

Robert Aulger ................................ *

Bonnie Packer ............................ 100

In Memory Of Er-Ying & Yen-Chen Yen ............ 250

Ron Wolf ................................... 200

Pat & John Davis .......................... 50

Romola Georgia ............................. *

Janet Hermsen ........................... 200

Sally Landy & Betty Meltzer .......... 50 Mary Floyd & Susan Thomas ........ 50 Jack Sutorius .............................. 300 In Honor Of Melissa Baten Caswell .................... * Lucy Berman’s clients .............. 2,500 Jill .............................................. 200 Scott .......................................... 200 Polly........................................... 200 Hayley........................................ 200 Jake ........................................... 200 Garrett....................................... 200 Gil ............................................. 200 Joe Simitian ................................... * Marilyn Sutorius ......................... 300 Physicians, Kaiser RWC .................. * Businesses & Organizations Alta Mesa Cemetery & Funeral Home ...................... 2,000 Bleibler Properties ................... 1,000 Communications & Power Industries ...................... 500 deLemos Properties .................... 200 Palo Alto Business Park .................. *

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 28, 2018 • Page 11

Page 12 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

During this special time of year, we look back with utmost appreciation and gratitude to our amazing clients and wonderful community that have made our success possible.

We hope that 2018 has been just as memorable for you and your loved ones, and look forward to an even better 2019 together. From all of us here at DeLeon Realty, Happy New Year!

®

650.900.7000 | michael@deleonrealty.com | www.deleonrealty.com | DRE #01903224 www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 28, 2018 • Page 13

Upfront

Middle path (continued from page 5)

‘Crisis mode’ Palo Alto’s elected leaders were surely over-optimistic when they adopted in early February a goal of adding 300 residences per year for the next 15 years. That number was based on the council’s new Comprehensive Plan, which envisions construction of between 3,500 and 4,400 new housing units in the city by 2030.

Mayor Liz Kniss, and Councilmen Adrian Fine and Cory Wolbach, who had all made housing the central issue of their respective campaigns in prior years, talked about the ongoing housing crisis with a sense of urgency and submitted a memo in late 2017 proposing a series of zone changes to spur more residential construction. In a rare show of bipartisanship, the full council embraced the memo.

During the February retreat, Kniss encouraged residents to think about the impacts of the city’s severe housing shortage and to consider questions such as: Would I like my kids to live here?

Would I like to stay here as long as possible? She also said she was

Veronica Weber

city manager. It began to make slow and gradual progress on the ever-critical topic of housing; and it began implementing the policies of its new Comprehensive Plan — a document that was completed in the end of 2017 and that, true to its name, gave just about everyone something to praise and complain about.

Councilman Cory Wolbach listens to speakers during the public comment section of a City Council meeting on Dec. 3. optimistic that the council could achieve its goal of 300 apartments, condominiums and other residences.

“It’s daunting somewhat, but I believe we can do it,” Kniss said.

Yet by the end of the year, Keene was forced to acknowledge the city had fallen far short of its adopted goal. Despite making housing a top priority, the council only approved one multi-family development this year, a 57-apartment complex at the corner of El Camino Real and Page Mill Road for the city’s “missing middle” — residents who make too much to qualify for below-market-rate housing but not enough to afford the typical market-rate apartment.

Things, however, aren’t completely bleak for housing advocates. The city’s 2017 revision of rules surrounding construction of accessory-dwelling units prompted a proliferation of these units, with the city receiving more than 50 applications by the summer of 2018 (before the zoning revision, the city averaged about four accessory-dwelling units per

year). These units are spread out throughout the city and so far, not a single one has triggered a public complaint about parking, traffic or aesthetic impacts.

The city is also making progress on an application by Palo Alto Housing, which is looking to build 59 units of below-market-rate housing on El Camino Real, near Wilton Avenue. Earlier in the year, the council approved an “affordable housing overlay” zone that relaxes the design standards for residential projects consisting entirely of below-market-rate housing. Palo Alto Housing’s project, the first to utilize the new zoning overlay, scored a big victory in early December, when the city’s Architectural Review Board approved its application. The council will likely do the same in early 2019, giving Palo Alto its first new affordablehousing project since 2012, when “The Treehouse” was constructed on El Camino and East Charleston Road.

The council’s biggest action on housing occurred on Dec. 3, when it approved a host of zoning

changes, including a new “housing incentive program” that allows downtown developers to build more densely; a new “minimum density” requirement for developments in high-density zoning districts; and more wiggle room for affordable-housing developers to request relaxed parking requirements, provided they can prove their ability to meet these standards.

Some on the council thought the new rules went too far, others that they didn’t go far enough, but in the end, the majority deemed the final product a solid compromise.

“It’s an important start,” Wolbach said.

Grassroots politics The council thought it had settled the citywide debate over the proliferation of office space in November 2017, when after a tortuous, decade-long process it adopted a new Comprehensive Plan with a cap on commercial growth of 1.7 million square feet between now and 2030. To mark the plan’s adoption, the council took the rare action of popping open a champagne bottle and taking celebratory sips.

Then, residents got other ideas.

In April, former Vice Mayor Greg Schmid and members of the slowgrowth-leaning group Palo Altans for Sensible Zoning brought forward an initiative that would halve the cap’s square footage to 850,000 square feet. Council members retreated into their familiar ideological camps, with the residentialists backing the initiative and the more pro-growth council members opposing it. By late July, the initiative was seemingly headed for the November ballot, setting up a

Notable quotables ‘Do we want a great city to raise a car or a great city to raise a family?’

Adrian Fine, Palo Alto City Councilman, on using existing parking lots for new house.

‘This is the Palo Alto process on steroids.’

Roger Smith, Palo Alto resident,on moving ahead with a new police headquarters.

‘I’d hardly say getting a fine is a reason for someone to resign or be asked to resign.’

Liz Kniss, Palo Alto mayor, on the California Fair Political Practices Commission’s ongoing investigation into her 2016 campaign.

‘We are losing experienced leadership when we need it most.’

John Guislin, Palo Alto resident, on the departure of Palo Alto’s Chief Transportation Official Joshuah Mello.

‘Each member will just talk more.’

Herb Borock, Palo Alto resident, on shrinking the council.

‘To lose your home for any reason is hideous, but to watch it bulldozed against your will is a soulbludgeoning experience.’

Carolyn Schmarzo, Palo Alto resident, on rail redesign that could require property seizures.

‘What is music to their ears is noise to us.’

Mahendra Ranchod, First Baptist Church neighbor, on allowing commercial activities at the site.

‘It’s our job as judges and justices to ignore the dragon.’

Aaron Persky, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge, on judicial independence and recalls.

Page 14 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

‘It’s only a crisis if we decide we’re going to do nothing.’

Steven Eichman, Ravenswood City School District chief budget official, on budget shortfall.

‘We can’t let this just be a moment in a history textbook that’s a footnote.’

Lucy Carlson, Castilleja School student about gun-violence protest.

vigorous debate.

Then, in a surprise move, Wolbach jumped across the aisle and voted with the four residentialist members to adopt the initiative outright. Just like that, the cap was slashed in half.

The move displeased some.

Fine suggested that revising the commercial cap so soon after the Comprehensive Plan’s adoption effectively made the plan meaningless. Councilman Greg Scharff, who weeks earlier had made a motion to delay placing the measure on the ballot pending further study, argued that it should go to the voters for the sake of democracy.

Others, including Filseth and Tom DuBois, took the opposite view and argued that constraining office growth is the most effective way to meet some of the plan’s key goals, including promoting residential development and protecting neighborhoods from worsening traffic congestion and parking shortages.

Residents also contributed to the seesawing of opinions about commercial growth: Some at the council argued that the city should just adopt a moratorium on office projects until it lowers its ratio of jobs to housing, which at 3.02 is the highest in the county. Schmid, however, noted that the citizen initiative does not halt growth; it merely keeps it at historic levels.

In supporting the initiative, the council majority signaled its concurrence that for all the debate, the impacts of the lowered cap would be minimal.

While the Comprehensive Plan revision was a political victory on the slow-growth side of the dais, those who favor more development also scored some points in 2018.

In late April, the council voted to relax the rules for its annual office cap, which restricts office growth in downtown, around California Avenue and on El Camino Real to 50,000 square feet. The new changes include a provision that allows unused square footage from one year to “roll over” into the next. The rule change squeaked by with a 5-4 vote, despite opposition from the council’s four residentalists. During that meeting, Kniss made the case for supporting more commercial growth.

“At some point, a city dies if there is no building,” Kniss said.

The building boom

‘There’s not an hour in the day or the night without traffic.’

Allen Akin, Palo Alto resident on city’s response to traffic woes.

‘We’re not going to let this guy stop us from being Jewish.’

Ellen Bob, executive director at Congregation Etz Chayim, on the antisemitic attack at Tree of Life Congregation.

As the self-proclaimed heart of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto has always had outsized ambitions when it comes to innovation and infrastructure.

Some city projects, including Fiber to the Premises (a fiber network that promised to bring ultrahigh-speed Internet to every Palo Alto home and business) and a train tunnel, have been intriguing city leaders for more than a decade with little progress to show for it other than consultants’ studies and staff reports.

That said, 2018 has been a boom year for infrastructure in Palo Alto, with the city breaking

Upfront

Veronica Weber

Palo Alto City Manager Jim Keene talks about the Rinconada Fire Station to be built at the corner of Embarcadero and Newell roads, during a groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 30. ground, approving design plans or signing construction contracts for some of its most critical projects.

In January, construction crews demolished the cramped, 70-year-old fire station near Rinconada Park, which is now being rebuilt. In December, the council approved the construction contract for a new garage in the California Avenue area, a response to years of complaints from neighborhood residents about their streets serving as de facto parking lots for local employees’ vehicles. City officials also signed agreements with the state Department of Transportation and Google to make possible the new bike bridge over U.S. Highway 101, which will give south Palo Alto a new year-round connection to the Baylands. Days before the signing ceremony, officials also celebrated the recently completed flood-protection project near San Francisquito Creek.

Along the way, the council approved design plans for the new police building — the city’s most critical infrastructure project that, after decades of uncertainty, is set to be built immediately after the California Avenue garage.

Not everything went completely as planned. More than 1,000 residents signed a petition opposing the newly installed Ross Road bike boulevard, which includes a large new median island near East Meadow Drive. In pursuit of “traffic calming,” the petition states, “the changes have created dangerous interactions between cars and bikes.” In June, more than

100 residents attended a community meeting, with dozens venting about the project.

City officials conceded that they should have done a better job in both communicating with residents and in executing the project, though they didn’t make any concrete changes on Ross. To demonstrate their new commitment to outreach, engineers took a more cautious approach this summer when they began work on the long-awaited streetscape changes on Charleston-Arastradero.

Meanwhile, the city’s most expensive and potentially transformative infrastructure project — grade separation at the four rail crossings — remains in limbo. The council failed to meet its goal of making a decision on a preferred design for all four rail crossings by the end of the year, kicking the issue forward to 2019. During the council’s final meeting of the year, some residents continued to call for a tunnel stretching from one end of the city to another, while other recommended an aerial viaduct for Caltrain. Staff, for its part, is recommending a moderate approach: focusing on significant redesigns of the two southernmost crossings, East Meadow Drive and Charleston Road, and considering less radical improvements in the north.

Political thaw In some areas, Palo Alto’s measured steps in 2018 have helped set the stage for more dramatic actions in 2019. The city this year kicked off its long-delayed process for

developing a new vision for Cubberley Community Center, a 35acre campus in south Palo Alto that is jointly owned by the city and the school district and which is viewed by both entities as a vital asset for meeting future needs and overdue for an upgrade. That planning will continue throughout the next year.

The city also launched this fall a new visioning process for a section of the Ventura neighborhood, which includes the sprawling site of Fry’s Electronics, which officials see as particularly suitable for accommodating future housing. The development of the North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan kicked off with the appointment of neighborhood stakeholders and property owners, who will spend the next year debating ways to improve their neighborhood.

So far, both major projects have enjoyed broad support from both the council and the general public.

It will be up to Shikada, who officially takes over as city manager on Dec. 29, to keep the momentum going and to reconcile the different viewpoints as each project moves further along.

Helping him in this endeavor will be a leaner and potentially more centrist council. Alison Cormack, who will be sworn in in January, is set to become the council’s new swing vote. During her campaign, Cormack stressed that she wasn’t running with or against any other candidates and that she has no appetite for rehashing the divisive 2018 debates over office caps. Voters rewarded her message of moderation by electing her with more votes than any other candidate.

At the same time, Holman and Scharff, who each joined the council in 2010 and who represent more than anyone else the council’s “residentialist” and “pro-growth” wings, respectively, are terming out at the end of this year.

With Filseth almost certain to fill the mayor’s chair and Cormack joining the council, Shikada has some reasons to feel optimistic that the spirit of moderation and cooperation will continue to define City Hall in 2019. Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

Answers to this week’s puzzles, which can be found on page 23.

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This business is owned by: A Limited Liability Company.

The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): VIBE YOGA LLC 1386 Dana Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94301 Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on December 6, 2018.

(PAW Dec. 14, 21, 28, 2018; Jan. 4, 2019) CERNA GROUP OF MARCUS AND MILLICHAP FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN649262 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Cerna Group of Marcus and Millichap, located at 84 West Santa Clara St., Suite 680, San Jose, CA 95113, Santa Clara County.

This business is owned by: An Individual.

The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): EDUARDO CERNA 84 West Santa Clara St., Suite 680 San Jose, CA 95113 Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 12/11/2018.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on December 11, 2018.

(PAW Dec. 14, 21, 28, 2018; Jan. 4, 2019)

997 All Other Legals NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: JOHN H. WHARTON CASE NO. 18PR184946 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of JOHN H. WHARTON. A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by ROBERT WHARTON in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA CLARA. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests

that ROBERT WHARTON be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act . (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 03/04/19 at 9:00AM in Dept. 13 located at 191 NORTH FIRST ST., SAN JOSE, CA 95113 IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 28, 2018 • Page 15

Upfront

PA Unified (continued from page 5)

Veronica Weber

Terry Fletcher talks about her mother’s legacy during a Dec. 3 dedication ceremony at the newly named Ellen Fletcher Middle School.

Page 16 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

in January will become the new in-house attorney.

The board and community are looking to Austin to move the needle on issues that have long resisted progress in Palo Alto, from closing the achievement gap and reforming special education to improving the district’s budget process.

Despite this year’s progress, 2018 saw a number of conflicts flare up in Palo Alto Unified.

The renaming of two middle schools became a contentious, divisive process — specifically, when a committee suggested naming one of them after Fred Yamamoto, a Japanese-American Palo Altan who was interned during World War II and later died in battle as a member of the U.S. Army’s 442nd Infantry Regimental Combat Team.

Many members of Palo Alto’s Chinese immigrant community staunchly opposed the surname for its association with Isoroku Yamamoto, an unrelated Japanese admiral who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and to whom local parents attribute WWII war crimes against the Chinese.

The board ultimately voted to rename Jordan Middle School after Frank S. Greene Jr., an African-American technologist who supported people of color, particularly women, in the technology industry, and Terman Middle School after Ellen Fletcher, a former Palo Alto City Councilwoman, bicycle advocate and Holocaust survivor. The renaming prompted the board to approve a resolution that seeks to address an undercurrent of racism and discrimination that community members and trustees believed was inflamed by the school-names debate.

Paly was again in the spotlight this summer when the district realized the school was improperly counting its total instructional minutes and had to revise its new bell schedule. An initial proposed schedule had planned later start times to protect students’ sleep, mental health and choices, but the start times had to be moved earlier to ensure students were getting enough minutes per year.

This November also saw a hotly contested school board election. Newcomer Shounak Dharap — a younger candidate and attorney with no children in the school district — beat out special-education advocate Stacey Ashlund and parent Kathy Jordan after a tight race for the second open seat that went on for days after the election. (Incumbent Dauber comfortably secured the other open seat.)

The tone of Jordan’s more critical campaign, focused on the missteps of the past few years, invigorated some segments of the community (particularly some Chinese immigrant parents) and concerned others, including a group of parents who formed a last-minute campaign committee in opposition to her candidacy.

Voters also approved term limits for board members in November, limiting current and future trustees to two

consecutive terms. Q Staff Writer Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@ paweekly.com.

Veronica Weber

multimillion dollar shortfall and a contractual error in 2017 that cost the district $4.4 million in unbudgeted raises. Mak was replaced by Jim Novak, who came to Palo Alto with a long career in school finance and a highly regarded reputation. (In approving his contract this summer, thenboard President Ken Dauber described Novak’s hiring as “a real coup” for the district.)

Former Palo Alto High School Principal Kim Diorio also left the district this year after months of intense public scrutiny of her role in the school’s response to a female Paly student who said she was sexually assaulted in a campus bathroom in 2016.

Diorio didn’t leave quietly, first objecting to and then releasing the reprimand letter the district issued her and her detailed rebuttal, which laid responsibility for the flawed handling of the incident squarely on the district office. Diorio was succeeded by one of her assistant principals, Adam Paulson.

Other personnel departures this year included Barbara Harris, the chief academic officer of elementary education (replaced by former Principal Anne Brown); Keith Wheeler, the district’s equity coordinator (the position has not been filled); and Chuck Merritt, the longtime principal of Escondido Elementary School (replaced by Marcela Simões de Carvalho, formerly the principal of Gabriela Mistral Elementary School in the Mountain View/Whisman

School District).

The district also hired new principals for Fairmeadow and Hoover elementary schools this year.

After the rockiness of the past two years, the district is showing some signs of reform. After nearly a whole academic year of interim leadership that followed the September 2017 resignation of Superintendent Max McGee, the school board hired Superintendent Don Austin this spring from the K-12 Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District in southern California in the hope that he would bring much-needed change to the structure and operations of the district.

Austin has started to make his mark here in several ways.

Before the school year started, he brought in a communication specialist to train all of the district’s administrators. He’s asking senior leadership and principals to set short-term “sprint” goals to spur collaboration and identify realistic action that can be accomplished in as little as two months. He promoted Karen Hendricks, the assistant superintendent of human resources who served as interim superintendent before his hiring, to deputy superintendent, and supported the board’s hiring of the district’s first-ever general counsel.

Austin also planned to reorganize into one department the district staff who work on or are closely involved with Title IX issues — including the Title IX officer, a full-time investigator, a legal request specialist and compliance officer who handles Public Records Act requests, Komey Vishakan, who

Uriel Pulido, center, a maintenance worker at Ravenswood City School District, marches down University Avenue in East Palo Alto with other staff and teachers protestesting Superintendent Gloria Hernandez-Goff’s contract renewal.

Ravenswood City School District

T

he past year was a tumultuous one for the K-8 Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto.

A financial crisis and warnings of insolvency required the school board to approve more than $5 million in budget cuts, primarily from the elimination of classified staff positions. The district also closed its state-funded preschool program, the Child Development Center, which later was transitioned to a new service provider.

The factors that led to the budget crisis — years of declining enrollment and a corresponding loss in state revenue, compounded by several years of deficit spending — are expected to continue in the coming years as enrollment grows at local charter schools and economic pressures force families out of East Palo Alto.

More budget cuts are ahead, district leadership has warned.

This year’s financial crisis inflamed parent, teacher and staff concerns about the performance of Superintendent Gloria Hernandez-Goff, voiced in public marches, comments at board meetings and even through parents keeping their children home from school. Her critics urged the school board not to renew her contract, but it ultimately did so in a 3-1 vote in April with member Marielena Gaona-Mendoza dissenting and then-member Marcelino Lopez absent.

Concern about the future of the district prompted a crowded field of initially 10 candidates to compete for

three open seats in the November school board election.

Of the three incumbents, only Ana Maria Pulido won reelection. Newcomers Tamara Sobomehin, who oversees development and strategy for youth technology nonprofit StreetCode Academy, and Stephanie Fitch, who oversees the English language arts curriculum manager at Summit Public Schools in Redwood City, won the other two seats after a tight race that lasted for several weeks after Election Day. Sobomehin and Fitch were voted president and vice president, respectively, at the newly constituted board’s first meeting earlier this month.

“As early as tonight, you will begin having extremely challenging conversations about the future of this district,” Hernandez-Goff told the new board members on Dec. 13. “However, the one thing that will keep you focused is the basis of the children of Ravenswood. When you think about the countless children who were never able to break the cycle of poverty because their school district had failed them; when you think about students living in cars and yet who come to school with a smile, ready for a better tomorrow; when you think about the Ravenswood students that are succeeding in high school — those are the thoughts that provide me with the necessary strength to work with you and our community to lead this district forward.” Q Staff Writer Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@paweekly.com.

Upfront

What happened

News Digest

(continued from page 5)

Buena Vista Mobile Home Park: Repairs began in February to the aging mobile homes at Buena Vista Mobile Home Park in Palo Alto to bring them up to basic standards required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In March, park operator Caritas Communities said that repairs could cost as much as $30 million, which would include replacing homes with upgraded or new ones. The Santa Clara County Housing Authority, which owns the property, is seeking funds for the repairs.

Cameras on cops: Palo Alto police began wearing body cameras this year after the Palo Alto City Council approved their use.

Capt. Zach Perron said last week that the cameras are working just fine. All patrol officers are equipped with the cameras, which complement the five cameras in each patrol car.

College Terrace Market expected, which will launch a 45day public-comment period.

Cubberley Master Plan: In June, the Palo Alto City Council and the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education each finally approved a contract with consultant Concordia to create a master plan for the aging Cubberley Community Center on Middlefield Road. Since late September, two of four community meetings have been held to discuss ideas, including for new programs and building design, which will inform the draft master plan. The third meeting, scheduled for Jan. 24 from 7-9 p.m. at the Cubberley Pavilion, will cover the design, direction and aesthetics phase.

Also this fall, a citizen group, the Cubberley Fellows, formed to assist the project team to engage the community in the co-design process by providing advice about the process to maximize community understanding, inform the community about opportunities to participate and to be table hosts at community meetings.

College Terrace Market: The College Terrace Market at 2100 El Camino Real in the new College Terrace Centre, which opened in 2017, shuttered in early January after only six months. In July, Blox CEO Jason Oberman purchased the Centre, and in late August, the Khoury family, which ran the neighborhood’s now-demolished JJ&F Market from 2011 to 2013, announced it would be taking over the market’s space.

Though the Khourys told neighbors the store would open Nov. 24, their application for signage and other minor improvements was deemed incomplete by the city and had to be resubmitted on Nov. 26. The application is under review, according to the city.

City auditors: To save money, the Palo Alto City Council Finance Committee voted on May 15 to slash all five staff positions in the Office of the City Auditor, leaving only the city auditor herself. That decision was quickly opposed by former City Auditor Sharon Erickson and, less strenuously, current City Auditor Harriet Richardson, who acknowledged that other cities’ auditors outsource the work to consultants.

One week later, the committee reversed its vote. Richardson, however, has decided to resign, effective at the end of the year.

Veronica Weber

Castilleja development: Castilleja School’s hopes to secure city approval of its redevelopment plan hit a few snags this year, starting with former Director of Planning and Community Environment Hillary Gitelman’s decision that the school’s conditional-use permit would no longer exempt it from R-1 residential zoning that dictates how much new development is allowed. In March, the all-girls’ school asked instead for a variance for the project, as was recommended by the city.

Castilleja is expected to submit final plans in January, the same month the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the project is

Palo Alto’s city auditor prepares for departure

Veronica Weber

is seeking a facilitator to manage the new group.

The city also has retained technical experts to help understand FAA changes to flight paths and procedures. Staff sent a letter to the FAA in September outlining suggestions, including raising the altitude of incoming flights, investigating safety issues from low-altitude aircraft, and changes to night-time flights.

Some progress came from an unlikely source. In October, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) staff told the city that a new landing system that could allow for some flights to come in at higher altitudes has been submitted to the FAA for approval.

If approved, the higher altitude flights — which would be quieter to those below — could begin in March 2020.

Meanwhile, the FAA this year altered a flight path for 30 percent of the planes into SFO that has had the greatest impact on Palo Alto, moving it a quarter mile east toward East Palo Alto.

The agency also announced it will bring oceanic flights in at higher altitude over Woodside starting early next year.

Peers Park Dog parks: The city’s Parks, Trails, Natural Space and Recreation Master Plan, approved in September 2017, proposed building at least six new dog parks. This June, the first of those opened at Peers Park and includes drinking fountains, seating, dog-waste disposal stations and double-entry gates. The new park is notable because it is the first of the city’s dog parks to be located north of Oregon Expressway — and the first to be built in Palo Alto in 25 years.

Eichler guidelines: In response to conflict between neighbors in Eichler neighborhoods, Palo Alto in 2018 adopted new guidelines for Eichler home remodels. But the Palo Alto City Council in April stopped short of making the Eichler Neighborhood Design Guidelines mandatory, calling them instead “voluntary.” The guidance covers design features for the midcentury-modern houses, such as the placement of windows at the rear of the house and use of materials such as tile roofs.

Council members also directed staff to return with concepts for a new zoning district with restrictions, similar to the single-story overlay zone, to which Eichlertract homeowners could “opt in.”

The policy hasn’t moved forward because of limited resources, staff wrote in an Oct. 29 report.

First Baptist Church tenants: In May, the City Council voted 7-2 to approve a conditional-use permit for First Baptist Church, allowing it to continue to host tenants that offer classes and community services and bringing to a close a contentious issue that arose in 2017. The permit restricts hours of operation, the number of

Palo Alto City Auditor Harriet Richardson plans to step down from her position, leaving yet another high-profile vacancy at City Hall.

Richardson, who joined the city in April 2014, told the Weekly that she plans to retire on Feb. 15.

Her announcement means that one of the first critical tasks that the new City Council will have to undertake is recruiting Richardson’s successor. The city auditor position is one of four that is appointed directly by the council. It also means that the city will see turnover in two of its four council-appointed officer positions. City Manager James Keene is set to retire at the end of this week. Ed Shikada, who currently serves as assistant city manager and general manager of the Utilities Department, is set to take over on Saturday.

Richardson’s departure follows a turbulent year in which her office released several critical audits, including one of the city’s codeenforcement program, which found that the program is marred by “unclear roles and responsibilities” and that the city’s records “do not provide reliable and useful information for management decisions.”

Her office became a source of controversy in May, when the City Council Finance Committee briefly flirted with the idea of eliminating the four auditor positions in the auditor’s office from the city budget and outsourcing auditing to a private contractor. The idea was ultimately scrapped.

Richardson also has faced some resistance from within her own ranks, including at least two complaints from her staff members that prompted investigations. In both cases, allegations against her were unsubstantiated, according to numerous City Hall officials who declined to discuss this issue on the record. Q —Gennady Sheyner

Man suspected in Southgate attack arrested Palo Alto police on Saturday arrested a 28-year-old man who they believe violently attacked a woman in the city’s Southgate neighborhood on Thursday.

Officers made the arrest about around 12:30 p.m., after an officer identified the man at the Palo Alto Transit Center at 95 University Ave. On Friday evening, a judge granted a felony arrest warrant for the man for one count of assault with intent to commit a sex offense.

The man was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on that warrant and on a misdemeanor warrant out of Palo Alto for a minor municipal code violation.

The alleged attack occurred on Thursday evening on Castilleja Avenue, near Churchill Avenue. Police said an attacker came up behind a woman who was walking south on Castilleja, put his hand over her mouth, pushed her into the bushes and began struggling with her on the ground, according to a news release issued Friday from the Palo Alto Police Department.

When the woman started screaming, the attacker began to punch her in the face repeatedly, police said. Neighbors heard the screams and stepped outside, prompting him to run away east on Miramonte Avenue and turn south on Mariposa Avenue, police said. Q —Kate Bradshaw

City pushes back against Verizon proposals Facing a flurry of new applications for wireless antennas, Palo Alto officials are pushing back against proposed designs for the new equipment and considering a challenge to recently adopted federal rules that will make it easier for telecommunication companies to receive approvals.

The regulations, which the Federal Communications Commission adopted in September, create new “shotclocks” — time limits for reviews — for the types of wireless equipment typically mounted on local streetlights and utility poles. The new rules, which will take effect in January, give the city 60 days to review an application for wireless equipment that would be mounted on an existing pole or 90 days for an application that uses a new structure. Currently, the law includes a 150-day “shotclock” for such facilities.

Both the review process and the proposed code change come at a time when the city has applications for about 100 new wireless facilities going through the permitting process, according to Deputy City Attorney Albert Yang. They also come at a time when wireless equipment is becoming an increasingly polarizing community topic, as evidenced by recent appeals from citizens.

On Dec. 12, the planning commission heard about a legal challenge that more than a dozen cities, including San Jose, are mounting against the new FCC regulations. The planning commission agreed to revise the local law to comply with the faster “shotclock,” but also agreed that the City Council should obtain a legal opinion on the ongoing litigation and decide whether Palo Alto should join the opposition. Q —Gennady Sheyner

(continued on page 18)

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 28, 2018 • Page 17

Upfront

John Richard Northrup Walker What happened

August 15, 1932 – December 19, 2018 John Richard Northrup Walker (Dick), a 50-year resident of Palo Alto, passed away peacefully at home Dec. 19, 2018, surrounded by his loved ones. He was born Aug. 15, 1932 in Puunene, Maui. He attended Punahou High School in Honolulu and Stanford University earning a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 1955. Dick was a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity, where he made lifelong friendships. He was married to his college sweetheart, Wanda Herrington, for 64 years. Dick served in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot for 3 years. He returned to Stanford to get his MBA in 1960. Dick was a stockbrocker for over 35 years in Palo Alto. He enjoyed hiking in the Sierras and sailing on San Francisco Bay. His lifelong dream was to build his own sailboat and sail around the world. He never realized that dream, but he was able to travel the world with his wife. Dick was preceded in death by his son Chuck. He is survived by his wife, Wanda, son Ken (Yvonne), daughter Wendy (Scott) and grandsons Brett (Prianka) and Kevin. A memorial service will be held on Maui in January. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Hospice, Sutter Care At Home, 1700 S. Amphlett Blvd., Suite 300, San Mateo, CA 94402.

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OBITUARY

Charles Earl Philips “Charlie” August 14, 1926 – December 17, 2018 Charles Earl Philips (“Charlie”) died Monday, December 17, 2018 in Palo Alto, California.

Born August 14, 1926 in Independence, Missouri, to Earl L. Philips and Gertrude Frances (Lamb) Philips, he lived a full life up until his very last day. After serving two years in the U.S. Army in WWII, Charlie attended the University of Arizona and received a BS in civil engineering. To put himself through college, he worked part time at the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind in Tucson where he met his wife, Katherine (“Kay”) Bulkley. Charlie first worked as a civil engineer for Southern Pacific Railroad, then as a structural engineer at Bechtel, Inc. and George Nolte Engineering in Palo Alto before opening his own structural engineering business. Charlie was an avid skier, and skied at Sugar Bowl, his favorite mountain, the week before he died.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Kay Philips; his daughters and sons-in-laws, Carol and Bruce Cumming, and Susie and Chuck Dorn; his grandsons on whom he doted, Sandy Cumming and Niles Dorn; his brothers, Nick Philips (and his wife, Mickey) and Herb Philips. Private services have been held with the immediate family.

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OBITUARY

Page 18 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

(continued from page 17)

events and occupancy. The council agreed to revisit the permit in five years.

Palo Alto Animal Shelter: After more than a year of negotiations, the City Council reached a five-year agreement in late November with the nonprofit Pets In Need to take over management in January of the city Animal Shelter. The city also will pay for $3.4 million in capital improvements for the antiquated facility. But the longer term goal is to build a new shelter, with fundraising conducted

by Pets In Need. The city will remain responsible for animalcontrol services.

Pickleball courts: In October, the City Council acknowledged the rising popularity of pickleball, a tennis-like game, by

designating times and rules for pickleball play at the city’s tennis courts. The city has restriped three tennis courts for both tennis and pickleball. Staff is also looking into creating dedicated pickleball courts and will review the alternatives with tennis and pickleball players and the Parks and Recreation Commission in 2019.

Police traffic teams: After three years of being missing in action, the Palo Alto Police Department brought back its traffic team in July. A motorcycle officer and a patrol unit began their duties to rein in motorists’ antics on the city’s busy streets.

Between July 1 and Nov. 30, the department doubled its traffic citations and warnings: 4,386 citations and/or written warnings to adults and 125 citations or written warnings to juveniles, Capt. Zach Perron said. During the same time period in 2017, the department issued 2,983 citations or written warnings to adults and 70 citations

David Lawrence Powell, Sr. February 6, 1937 – December 5, 2018 Dave was born on February 6, 1937, and passed on December 5, 2018. He was a resident of Woodside, CA, at the time of his passing.

Dave was born and raised in New York. He attended Bronxville High School and graduated from St. Lawrence University. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps and spent the subsequent four years serving his country, ascending to the rank of Captain.

Dave spent his professional career in the recruiting business. He worked in personnel for Del Monte Foods, Fairchild Semiconductor, and National Semiconductor before moving into the executive search business in 1971.

After five years with Staub Warmbold and Associates, Dave founded David Powell, Inc., to serve the recruiting needs of the emerging technology sector. Widely recognized as a pioneer in Silicon Valley, Dave was instrumental in building the senior leadership teams of some of the Valley’s most influential and successful companies.

Dave brought passion, intensity, and warmth to all aspects of his life, business, hobbies, family and friends. He was an avid outdoorsman and sports enthusiast, a talented artist, and a gifted fly fisherman. Dave enjoyed cooking, music, gardening, Jack Daniels, and fine cigars. Among his favorite places were Cabo San Lucas, Tuscany, Squaw Valley, Fall River Mills, and any trout stream in the Mountain West.

Dave is survived by his wife, Jean Bagileo; his brother, Dick; his children from his first marriage, Andrea, Dave Jr., Suzy, and Dana; and their extended families. He is preceded by his father Edward, his mother Doris, and his brother Ted. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Fall River Conservancy (www.fallriverconservancy.org), an organization to which Dave was deeply devoted.

Services will be held on Friday, January 18, 2019.

• 11:00am – Mass Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park

RV dwellers: The East Palo Alto City Council approved a plan in July to create a “safe parking” pilot program to accommodate up to 20 recreational vehicles (RVs) on a city-owned piece of land. The program, which is being managed by the nonprofit Project WeHope, was to launch in November after improvements were made to the site but the opening has been postponed until February. Construction is to begin “as soon as possible,” according to a Dec. 18 staff report, based on availability of the contractor and subcontractors.

Greenmeadow homicide: In a preliminary hearing in November, a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge found there was enough evidence against Palo Alto resident Jingyan Jin for her to stand trial for first-degree murder in the July 7, 2016, death of her sister-in-law, Jenny Shi. Jin is accused of stabbing Shi repeatedly in Shi’s Greenmeadow neighborhood home in July 2016. Her next hearings are scheduled for Jan. 7 and March 25.

North Palo Alto traffic: Fed up with their neighborhood streets getting clogged with commuter traffic, Crescent Park neighborhood residents banded together this year to take concrete steps to deal with the problem. They met with city transportation staff and police in January to discuss ideas, which resulted in the city’s receipt of a state grant in August, in collaboration with the city of East Palo Alto, to synchronize 14 traffic lights along University Avenue and Donohoe Street.

The synchronization is expected to be done by next summer, after consultants have evaluated timing settings and signal hardware and the cities have approved those recommendations.

Crescent Park residents also created a survey and report in October to define neighborhood traffic problems and solutions.

Meanwhile, a report on the results of the pilot Downtown Middlefield Road road diet project and its final implementation will be on the City Council’s agenda in January, city staff said. Q Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@ paweekly.com.

THERE’S MORE ONLINE PaloAltoOnline.com

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or written warnings to juveniles.

The numbers do not include the number of verbal warnings.

But Perron noted these citations and warnings were issued by any sworn member of the department and not just the two officers assigned to the full-time traffic team.

OBITUARY

Watch or listen to Weekly journalists recap the defining moments, the surprises and the newsmakers of 2018 in this week’s episode of “Behind the Headlines.” Go to Youtube.com/paweekly/videos for the webcast or download the podcast version on iTunes or Google Play Music (search for “Palo Alto Online”).

A weekly guide to music, theater, art,

culture, books and more, edited by Karla Kane

WE SALUTE SOME OF OUR FAVORITE MIDPENINSULA PRODUCTIONS

by Karla Kane s 2018 draws to a close, it’s time once again to take a look back and give an extra shout-out to 12 (it was too hard to pick just 10!) of the best shows we saw on the Midpeninsula theater scene this year.

A

“Distracted” — Los Altos Stage Company In April, Los Altos Stage Company produced a pitch-perfect version of Lisa Loomer’s funny and smart exploration of a family dealing with a child’s ADHD diagnosis and the many complications surrounding it, anchored by a stellar performance by Dana Cordelia Morgan as Mama.

“Equivocation” — Dragon Productions Theatre Company Dragon delivered a fantastic fakespearian tale that involved cast members switching between roles at breakneck speed, big ideas about creativity, history and propaganda and local gem Max Tachis in the role of the Bard.

“Fun Home” — TheatreWorks Silicon Valley The Tony-winning musical based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic-novel memoir came with high expectations. Happily, TheatreWorks’ beautiful version did not disappoint.

“The Music Man” — Broadway by the Bay Redwood City transformed into River City for this big-hearted, high-quality production of the beloved musical about rascally con man Harold Hill and how his (false) plans for a children’s band actually

Dragon Production Theatre Company’s “Equivocation” was one of the Palo Alto Weekly’s favorite local shows of 2018. Photo by Lance Huntley.

transform a conservative, humdrum town for the better.

“Skeleton Crew” — TheatreWorks Silicon Valley/Marin Theatre Company

“Homo Ex Machina” — Stanford University

Weekly writer Kaila Prins said this resonant Bay Area co-production, about four factory workers struggling in an economic downturn, had “grit, wit and a lot of heart.”

It’s always exciting to witness a new work in development. Stanford University bioethicist Karola Kreitmair wrote a thought-provoking play about an experimental therapeutic device and its effects, both positive and negative, on a woman suffering from a neurodegenerative disease.

“Tarzan” Players

—

Palo

“Pippin” — Los Altos Stage Company Los Altos Stage Company had

“Hedda Gabler” — Pear Theatre Weekly critic Janet Silver Ghent said of the Pear’s production of the Ibsen classic: “While this show is a tragedy, the lively pacing, the acting and the intimate setting make this ‘Hedda’ a theatrical treat, even amid our own dark times.”

“Seeing Red” — San Francisco Mime Troupe After being denied a permit to perform in Mitchell Park in 2017 (due to solicitations of donations), the venerable San Francisco Mime Troupe made a triumphant return to Palo Alto with a free, outdoor performance of their original time-traveling socialism musical at Cubberley.

“Our Great Tchaikovsky” — TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Weekly critic John Orr especially enjoyed piano maestro, writer and actor Hershey Felder’s return to TheatreWorks in the role

of Russian composer Tchaikovsky.

“The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence” — Dragon Productions Theatre Company Actor Tasi Alabastro lit up the stage playing multiple characters named Watson in this twisty, mind-bending dramedy. Q Arts & Entertainment Editor Karla Kane can be emailed at kkane@paweekly.com.

MOVIES NOW SHOWING

Alto

For its family-friendly production, Palo Alto Players turned the Lucie Stern Theater into a verdant rainforest in Disney’s “Tarzan.”

Great fun, great apes, and Jimmy Mason made the vine-swinging title character more than just a one-note strongman.

magic to do and did it well in this whimsical, groovy, dark Stephen Schwartz musical about the son of Charlemagne seeking purpose in life.

A Star is Born (R) ++1/2

Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Aquaman (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri - Sun. At Eternity’s Gate (PG-13) Bohemian Rhapsody (PG-13)

Aquarius Theatre: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Bumblebee (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018) (PG) Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Century 16: Fri. -

The Favourite (R) Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Palo Alto Square: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Green Book (PG-13) ++1/2

Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Holmes & Watson (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. If Beale Street Could Talk (R)

Guild Theatre: Fri. - Sun.

Mary Poppins Returns (PG) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun.

Mary Queen of Scots (R) Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Aquarius Theatre: Fri. - Sun.

Mortal Engines (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. The Mule (R) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. On the Basis of Sex (PG-13) Sun.

Palo Alto Square: Fri. -

Ralph Breaks the Internet (PG) +++ Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Second Act (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Spider-man:Into the Spider-Verse (PG) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Vice (R) +++1/2 Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Welcome to Marwen (PG-13) Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Century 16: Fri. - Sun.

+ Skip it ++ Some redeeming qualities +++ A good bet ++++ Outstanding

Aquarius: 430 Emerson St., Palo Alto (For recorded listings: 327-3241) tinyurl.com Aquariuspa Century Cinema 16: 1500 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View tinyurl.com/Century16 Century 20 Downtown: 825 Middlefield Road, Redwood City tinyurl.com/Century20 CineArts at Palo Alto Square: 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (For information: 493-0128) tinyurl.com/Pasquare Guild: 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (For recorded listings: 566-8367) tinyurl.com/Guildmp ShowPlace Icon: 2575 California St. #601, Mountain View tinyurl.com/iconMountainView Stanford Theatre: 221 University Ave., Palo Alto (For recorded listings: 324-3700) Stanfordtheatre.org

Find trailers, star ratings and reviews on the web at PaloAltoOnline.com/movies

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 28, 2018 • Page 19

Home&Real Estate

OPEN HOME GUIDE 21 Also online at PaloAltoOnline.com

A weekly guide to home, garden and real estate news, edited by Elizabeth Lorenz

Home Front COMPASS GETS CITRON ...

New York-based Compass real estate brokerage, which has made a small foray into California, bought Pacific Union and also wooed Alain Pinel’s Judy Citron, a national top-selling agent, to their new Palo Alto office. Citron brings over 15 years of industry experience and consistently has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal/Real Trends as among the Top 20 real estate brokers in the U.S. by Individual Sales Volume. Last year her sales volume was $235 million.

Founded in 2012 by Ori Allon and Robert Reffkin, Compass operates in cities across the United States, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Aspen, Tahoe, Telluride and The Hamptons.

This will be Compass’ first strategic foray into Palo Alto, said company spokeswoman Sarah Vallarino. “With Judy on board, we have secured space on Lytton in Palo Alto and are currently looking for a permanent space that we can build out.”

A GARDEN IN WINTER ... The Palo Alto Adult School will offer a 10-week course on gardening in winter, taught by Sherri Bohan.

The class, which will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Jan. 16-March 20, will cover soil, watering, how to grow a wide range of plants, flowers and bulbs, as well as how to control diseases organically. The class will be held in Room A2 at Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.

Cost is $65. To register, go to paadultschool.org.

CHEESE FEST ... If you’ve always wanted to make fresh cheese, join Hidden Villa’s “Cheese Please” workshop on Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Participants will make fresh cheese and hand-pressed tortillas to create quesadillas.

Included will be a visit to the farm’s dairy cows. The cost is $30. Hidden Villa is located at 2687 Moody Road, Los Altos Hills. To register, go to hiddenvilla.org.

Send notices of news and events related to real estate, interior design, home improvement and gardening to Home Front, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302, or email elorenz@ paweekly.com. Deadline is one week before publication.

READ MORE ONLINE

PaloAltoOnline.com

There are more real estate features online. Go to PaloAltoOnline.com/ real_estate.

NEIGHBORHOOD SNAPSHOT

village

It takes a #

Southgate thrives on its quiet streets and close neighborly ties

#

by Elizabeth Lorenz

H

obey Landreth and his wife were scouring west Menlo Park, Menlo Oaks and even Ladera in Portola Valley looking for a home to buy. Then one day, their Realtor took them to Southgate in Palo Alto.

“We chose it because it had an older feel like Old Palo Alto, but was more affordable, has a Bordered by Alma Street, El Camino Real, great park right down the street, and the streets Churchill Avenue and Park Boulevard, Southare quiet,” Landreth said.

He and his wife moved into the neighborhood gate is adjacent to both Palo Alto High School in 2000 and had their daughter in 2003. She is and Stanford University and close to both the shops and restaurants along California Avenue now a sophomore at Palo Alto High school.

Landreth, who worked at Hewlett Packard for and Town & Country Village.

The Caltrain tracks run parallel to Alma more than two decades, is now a part-time management consultant who also volunteers for the Street, so there is no way in from Park BoulePalo Alto High School band. His wife works at vard near Peers Park, blocking it off from two of four sides. a Santa Clara software company.

“We were attracted to the vintage 1920’s Southgate, Landreth said, was designed with narrow streets, “almost lane-ways,” with sepa- Craftsman style with the inviting front porch, and we were willing to take on a rated sidewalks, modest property fixer upper. After 10 long years sizes and lots of trees. There are ‘Our neighbors of renovating, we have turned no through streets to adjacent our house into a home,” Kramer neighborhoods, so there is very are friendly, said. little traffic. supportive and “I would say it was a stroke of “The effect is that you feel like you live in a village. You get to caring. We came good luck that initially landed in Southgate, but it’s the inknow your neighbors, because for the schools us tangibles such as the scale of the you see them, and you can stand but stay for our neighborhood, narrow, tree-lined around the sidewalks or even in streets, limited access in and out the street and have a conversaneighbors.’ of the neighborhood, walkability tion. It is an excellent walking —Anne Kramer, resident to shops and restaurants, charm, neighborhood,” he said. and close friendships with neighAnne Kramer and her husband, David, who own an ergonomics business bors that keep us here.

“Our neighbors are friendly, supportive and in Palo Alto, moved to Southgate in August 2004, just in time to enroll their son in kinder- caring. They can be counted on to buy cookies from the Girl Scouts, holiday wreaths from the garten at Walter Hays Elementary School.

The Kramers initially rented a home on Boy Scouts, collect mail and keep an eye on the Mariposa Avenue. “We had nearly a year to house when you’re out of town, and make a meal ‘test drive’ the neighborhood before our current when you’re under the weather. We came for the home a block away came on the market. We schools but stay for our neighbors.”

Southgate got its name because it bordered looked no further and pounced on it immediStanford University’s southern side. The ately,” Anne said.

“We quickly discovered Peers Park, shops Stanford family owned the land before it was and restaurants on California Avenue and the subdivided.

Since then, the architecture has varied someCaltrain station, to name a few. A fun discovery for me were the three pedestrian walkways that what, with some New England two-story homes sprinkled among Spanish or Mediterranean, pepper the Southgate neighborhood,” she said.

One of the paths runs behind her Mariposa California ranch and cottages. There are around Avenue home. Their son Justin, now a freshman 230 single-family homes in the neighborhood, at the University of Arizona, took this path to which looks a bit like downtown Burlingame or high school each morning. A second path made even some parts of Berkeley.

Southgate has rallied around several issues a good shortcut for going to Stanford games, and a third runs from Sequoia Avenue to the front- over the years. In 2006 a number of families petitioned the Palo Alto Unified School District age road at El Camino Real.

Landreth, too, said he didn’t realize at first Board because of an initiative to re-draw school how convenient Southgate’s location is. “Any boundaries. More recently, there has been strong event at Stanford is a walk or a short bike ride opposition to the high-speed rail plan because away, and there is always something happening of proposed demolition of homes along the Caltrain tracks through eminent domain. there.”

Page 20 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

During the neighborhood’s recent holiday party, 30 residents ended up congregating, socializing and donating to the nonprofit home LifeMoves, which provides support services for homeless families and individuals. Photo by Adam Pardee.

Landreth noted that there is quite a bit of aircraft noise overhead because of the alignment of approach routes to San Francisco International Airport. The trains can be loud at times, as well as the sirens from the local Stanford fire station.

In 2016, the City Council endorsed a residential parking permit program for Southgate, a plan which would require permits for those who park their cars in the neighborhood for longer than two hours.

Kramer said “The neighbors are passionate about maintaining the safety and character of Southgate.”

She said the neighborhood’s “de facto mayor,” Jim McFall, has been instrumental in organizing a neighborhood watch email list implemented by volunteer block captains, a Memorial Day potluck block party and a holiday gift drive.

“These casual gatherings invite old and new neighbors together where food is shared and friends are made,” Kramer said. Q Elizabeth Lorenz is the Home and Real Estate Editor at the Palo Alto Weekly. She can be emailed at elorenz@ embarcaderopublishing.com.

FACTS

CHILD CARE AND PRESCHOOLS: Casa dei Bambini, 457 College Ave.; Escondido Kids’ Club, 890 Escondido Road; Walter Hays Kids’ Club, 1525 Middlefield Road FIRE STATION: No. 6, 711 Serra St. on the Stanford Campus LIBRARY: Rinconada Library, 1213 Newell Road; and College Terrace branch, 2300 Wellesley St. LOCATION: bounded by El Camino Real, Park Boulevard, the railroad tracks and Churchill Avenue NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Jim McFall, Neighborhood Watch, wmjmcfall@yahoo.com, 650-327-4428 PARK: Alexander Peers Park, 1899 Park Blvd.

POST OFFICE: Cambridge, 265 Cambridge Ave. PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Escondido and Walter Hays elementary schools, Greene Middle School, Palo Alto High School SHOPPING: Town & Country Village; California Avenue

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2775 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94306 Phone: (650)321-1596 Fax: (650)328-1809 www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 28, 2018 • Page 21

Sports Shorts

ON THE COURT ... The Pinewood girls basketball team beat St. Francis, 72-27, in a battle of unbeaten teams last weekend, reinforcing the Panthers No. 1 ranking in the Central Coast Section. Mitty will still have a say in those rankings despite entering its tournament this weekend with a 5-2 mark. The Monarchs easily handled the only CCS team it has played thus far, beating a quality Aptos squad by 58 points.

Mitty is also 3-0 against teams from California. Its two losses were by four points and in overtime. Pinewood (7-0) has outscored its opponents by an average of 65.0-42.4 heading into Thursday’s game against Alemany at College Park High in the West Coast Jamboree Platinum Division. Hannah Jump scored 22 of her 26 points in the first half against the Lancers (9-1).

Klara Astrom added 15 points and 13 rebounds. Annika Decker added a career-best 14 points.

Bob Drebin/isiphotos.com

ON THE MAT ... The high wrestling season picks up again with a pair of two-day tournaments this weekend.

The Palo Alto boys are entered in the Pat Lovell Holiday Coast Classic at the PAC Center at Aptos High while the Menlo-Atherton girls are entered in the Queen of the Hill Tournament at The Rinks Corona Inline in Corona.

Pat Lovell, an Olympian, eight-time AAU All-American and a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, passed away in November at the age of 81. He had been officiating high school football and wrestling matches for nearly five decades.

Palo Alto senior Andrew Wang placed seventh in the 126-pound division in 2016, the same year Paly grad Seth Goyal won the 132-pound championship. The Vikings placed 29th overall. Formerly known as the California Coast Wrestling Classic and run by Lovell, it was announced in 2016 that the tournament would be named in his honor beginning in 2017. Weigh-ins are at 9 a.m. Thursday and 7 a.m.

Friday. In Corona, wrestling begins at 9:30 a.m. Friday and will include everything up to the semifinals.

Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Last year’s tournament, with a 63team field, included five of the top 10 team finishers at the CIF State Championships, including Northview and Corona, each of which finished ahead of M-A, which placed fourth.

Daejon Davis was a bright spot in Stanford’s loss to USF last weekend. He’ll look to improve in Saturday’s game against the 49ers.

STANFORD BASKETBALL

Finishing the year on a good note Cardinal men hosts Long Beach State, women play CSUN on Saturday

by Rick Eymer hanks to impressive victories over a pair of top 10 women’s basketball teams, one on the road, sixth-ranked Stanford (9-1) was able to enjoy its Christmas holiday.

It’s been a little different for the Cardinal men (6-5), despite winning four of its last six games.

Those two losses were to teams who were a combined 18-1 at the time of competition. Win or lose, the past few games have not sat well with Stanford coach Jerod Haase.

Both teams have a chance to finish the calendar year on a high note with Pac-12 Conference play looming early in 2019.

It’s a day-night basketball doubleheader, with the Stanford women hosting CSUN (6-7) at 2 p.m. Saturday and the Cardinal men meeting visiting Long Beach

T

State at 7:30 p.m.

The Matadors have played Pac12 opponents Washington State (a 65-52 win), California (a 67-42 loss) and USC (a 58-42 loss). Stanford hosts USC in the conference opener at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4.

The Trojans and Cardinal are two of the seven conference teams with one loss or less. Washington State is the only Pac-12 team with a losing record.

“We have great teams and great players in our conference, and for us, we’re a contender,” Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer said.

“You’ve got to be healthy and you’ve got to keep improving. I just look at there’s a lot of really good teams and hopefully seven or eight teams will go to the NCAA tournament.”

There are currently five Pac-12 teams ranked among the top 17.

“I’m very confident that we have

ON THE AIR

Klara Astrom

Isaiah Saams-Hoy

PINEWOOD BASKETBALL

EASTSIDE PREP BASKETBALL

The senior scored 15 points and had 13 rebounds in Pinewood’s convincing victory over St. Francis last Saturday.

She recorded her fourth double-double of the season.

Saturday College women’s basketball: CSUN at Stanford, 2 p.m., Stanford Live Stream College men’s basketball: Long Beach State at Stanford, 7:30 p.m., Pac-12 Networks

Monday

www.PASportsOnline.com For expanded daily coverage of college and prep sports, visit www.PASportsOnline.com

(continued on next page)

The senior guard started hit and stayed hot in scoring 39 points in the Panthers’ 68-52 victory over host Pacific Bay Christian last week. He scored 21 points in the first half.

Honorable mention Annika Decker

Avery Lee

Brendan Carney

Aaron Morgan

Hannah Jump*

Emily Stanger

Yianni Gardner

Hakeem Musawwir

Ela Lane*

Hailey Stewart

Phil Marlowe

Nick Tripaldi

Pinewood basketball

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understanding of how important every situation is in building the final product,” Haase said at the Pac-12 media day. “So that’s a message that’s trying to be delivered every day, and how much is sinking in, time will tell.”

For the women, senior Alanna Smith and freshman Lacie Hull have been honored by the Pac-12 the past two weeks. Smith was named conference and national Player of the Week. Hull is the reigning Freshman of the Week.

Smith, who averages 19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds, has scored at least 13 points in all but one game.

She reached 30 points for the second time in Stanford’s victory over Buffalo and also achieved season highs with 13 rebounds and five assists.

Hull, who has started the past

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

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College football: Sun Bowl: Stanford vs. Pittsburgh, 11 a.m., CBS

a championship team if we have championship practices and we have a championship attitude and we have championship work ethic along the way and championship improvement,” VanDerveer said.

Long Beach State (5-9) has lost at UCLA (91-80), at Arizona State (90-58) and at USC (75-65) and lost at home to Oregon State (7572). Stanford opens Pac-12 play at UCLA at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 3.

The men would do well to beat the 49ers by double digits and enter conference action with a solid victory. The Pac-12 has 11 teams with a .500 or better record. California is 5-6. The Bruins were picked to finish second and Stanford was picked to place ninth.

“It’s understanding that every game, every practice, every possession impacts the program, and having a sense of urgency and an

Pinewood basketball Priory basketball

Page 22 • December 28, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Menlo basketball Priory soccer

Woodside basketball

Sacred Heart Prep basketball Sacred Heart Prep basketball Woodside basketball

Watch video interviews of the Athletes of the Week, go to PASportsOnline.com

Menlo soccer

Eastside Prep basketball Menlo-Atherton basketball *Previous winner

Basketball

Sports Shorts

(continued from previous page)

(continued from previous page) CARDINAL CORNER ... Stanford fifth-year libero Kyle Dagostino is one of 18 men’s volleyball players named to the Erik Shoji Award watch list, an honor awarded by the website “Off the Block” and announced Wednesday. Shoji is a Stanford grad who currently plays for the United States men’s national volleyball team. ... Stanford’s Lacie Hull was

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four games as her sister Lexie recovers from an injury, scored a season-high 14 points against the Lady Vols and then followed that with a season-best five rebounds against Buffalo.

Lexie Hull earned a spot in the starting lineup, playing three games and averaging 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds before missing the past seven games.

The Cardinal is also missing senior guard Marta Sniezek, who has yet to play this season.

The Stanford men did not have an answer for USF’s intensity in its last contest and that led to a loss for the Cardinal men’s basketball team.

“It was not sustained at the level we need to play at,” Haase said.

“As they increased the pressure we got back on our heels. As they got more aggressive, we came to a screeching halt.”

The Cardinal held a 7-2 lead in the first five minutes of play but the Dons came roaring back, outscoring Stanford 28-12 the rest of the first half and taking over control of the contest.

Haase has not been pleased with the team since taking Kansas to overtime before losing on Dec. 1.

“It’s extremely disappointing,” he said. “The good news is we made runs the past few games.

The bad news is we’re not playing very well.”

Freshman Cormac Ryan, who averages 11 points a game, missed the past two games with an ankle injury. Q

named Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week for her performances in the Cardinal’s road sweep of then-No. 9 Tennessee and Buffalo. The honor is the first of Hull’s career and Stanford’s seventh alltime freshman of the week selection. ... Stanford grads Jamie Neushul and Kiley Neushul each scored three goals and the United States women’s national water polo team completed a three-game exhibition sweep of the Netherlands with a 12-3 victory at El Toro High last weekend.

Alanna Smith averages 19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds a game for Stanford.

Across 1 Palestinian president 6 Indira Gandhi’s son 11 Actor Shepard of “Idiocracy” 14 Ben Stiller’s mom Anne 15 Edit out 16 Brand of pads 17 Scottish singer born 12/25/1954 19 Pince-___ glasses 20 Do, for instance 21 Island instrument 22 Porgy’s love 24 Conversation 26 Dish with peanut and lime garnish 29 It’s been alternately called a “cash point” or “bankomat” 30 One who takes things the wrong way?

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36 Canadian world leader born 12/25/1971 39 Juan ___ de León (Fountain of Youth seeker) 40 Did penance 41 Put ___ signal 42 Citrus soft drink introduced in the 1960s 43 Scott Joplin song 46 Hang on the line 48 “An Inconvenient Truth” presenter 50 Princess who became a general 51 High point 53 Tahiti, e.g.

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Answers on page 15.

Answers on page 15.

Down 1 Dresden Dolls lead vocalist Palmer 2 1984 marathon gold medalist Joan 3 Not a big chicken 4 “The Little Mermaid” heroine 5 Enclosure to an ed.

6 Need a bath 7 Obama education secretary Duncan 8 It’s somehow National Soup Month, for short 9 Line on a weather map 10 Perturbed 11 Longtime Dolphins coach 12 Prop for Paul Bunyan 13 W’s successors?

18 Bela of monster roles 23 Completely fake 25 Speak before a crowd 26 2000 Alejandro Iñárritu drama “Amores ___” 27 Baseballer Felipe, Matty, or Jesus 28 Promising words 31 Where 100 is 4 32 Midler of “Beaches” 34 Word before artist, clause, or room 35 Best-case 36 Soup du ___ 37 Up to this point 38 Opens a bottle 39 Okra portion

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42 Crème de ___ (strawberry liqueur) 43 Tanner of ‘70s-’80s tennis 44 Garfield’s girlfriend 45 Got overexcited over niche pop culture, with “out” 47 Hockey pucks, e.g.

49 Gargantuan 51 Strong ___ ox 52 Loretta played by 56-Across 54 Print maker 55 Id’s counterpart 57 Upscale hotel amenity 58 Circumference-to-diameter ratios ©2019 Jonesin’ Crosswords (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com)

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