Palo Alto
Vol. XLI, Number 4
Q
November 1, 2019
President Hotel buyers renew conversion effort Page 5
w w w. P a l o A l t o O n l i n e.c o m
HITTING
ON ALL
CYLINDERS Palo Alto ready to compete for CCS volleyball title Page 41
IN SIDE TH I S I S S UE
Pulse 13
Spectrum 14
Eating Out 18
Movies 21
Puzzles 43
Q Arts Bold paintings and more on view at Cantor Arts Q Seniors Study: Thinking of retiring? Wait until 70 Q Home How to help kids ‘catch’ the gardening bug
Page 16 Page 24 Page 28
Easy access to the care you need when you need it For treatment of colds, flu, minor injuries, and other common conditions, rely on Stanford Express Care and the Stanford Walk-In Clinic. With extended hours and multiple locations, they give you easy access to precisely the right care at the right time in the right place. Stanford Express Care Palo Alto
Stanford Express Care San Jose
Stanford Walk-In Clinic
Same-day appointments
Same-day appointments
No appointment needed
211 Quarry Road, Suite 102 Palo Alto, CA 94304
52 Skytop Street, Suite 10 San Jose, CA 95134
211 Quarry Road, Suite 402 Palo Alto, CA 94304
call: 650.736.5211
call: 669.294.8888
call: 650.497.3940
visit: 7 days/week 9:00am–9:00pm
visit: 7 days/week 9:00am–9:00pm
visit: Monday–Friday 3:30pm–11:00pm
Pediatric patients 6 months and older welcome in all clinics
stanfordhealthcare.org/carechooser Page 2 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
734 SENECA STREET, PALO ALTO
3 HELEN PLACE, MENLO PARK
OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY ”” ß ”+
– OM Ĺš – BsV Ĺš Ä?Â›Ă›ÂšÂ—ÂœĂ›Â“Â“Â“ Ĺš š–—/ObOKBĂ Kda
OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY • ß —+
˜ OM Ĺš Â–Ă Â˜ BsV Ĺš Ä?Â—Ă›ÂšÂ˜Â“Ă›Â“Â“Â“ Ĺš – O_ObĂ Kda
175 JOSSELYN LANE, WOODSIDE
234 PARK LANE, ATHERTON
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Â–Ă Â›Âœ KoO ds zWsV llodyOM +_Bbp /lOKsBKt_Bo 9OpsOob W__ 8WOzp Ĺš Ä?Â™Ă›ÂšÂ›Â˜Ă›Â“Â“Â“ Ĺš ”š˜ dppO_|bĂ Kda
+oWaO WoKtp _tJ dKBsWdb á /stbbWbU odtbMp ™ OM Ĺš ˜ BsV Ĺš • B_Tø BsV Ĺš Ä?Â”Â˜Ă›Â˜Â“Â“Ă›Â“Â“Â“ Ĺš •–—+Bo^ BbOĂ Kda
A Fresh Approach Relentless energy. Relevant expertise. And results above and beyond O{lOKsBsWdbp Ü OyOo| sWaOà tM| VBp JtW_s B oOltsBsWdb Bp B  OoKOÛ hands-on advocate for her clients. Her data driven analytics combined with her thoughtful approach and deep knowledge set her apart in the industry. She’s consistently named as one of the Wall Street Journal’s top agents nationwide.
Judy Citron Â™Â˜Â“Ă Â—Â“Â“Ă Â›Â—Â•Â— judy@judycitron.com judycitron.com . “”›•˜˜™œ
#26 Agent Nationwide, WSJ 2019
.Bb^WbUp lodyWMOM KdtosOp| dT .OB_ 2oObMpĂ› 2VO 2VdtpBbM _Wps dT WbMWyWMtB_ BUObsp J| sdsB_ pB_Op yd_taO Wb •“”›à dalBpp Wp B oOB_ OpsBsO Jod^Oo _WKObpOM J| sVO /sBsO dT B_WTdobWB BbM BJWMOp J| ntB_ dtpWbU #lldostbWs| _BzpĂ WKObpO !taJOo Â“Â”Â˜Â•ÂšÂ•Â–Â˜Ă __ aBsOoWB_ loOpObsOM VOoOWb Wp WbsObMOM Tdo WbTdoaBsWdbB_ ltoldpOp db_| BbM Wp KdalW_OM Toda pdtoKOp MOOaOM oO_WBJ_O Jts VBp bds JOOb yOoW OMĂ VBbUOp Wb loWKOĂ› KdbMWsWdbĂ› pB_O do zWsVMoBzB_ aB| JO aBMO zWsVdts bdsWKOĂ !d psBsOaObs Wp aBMO Bp sd BKKtoBK| dT Bb| MOpKoWlsWdbĂ __ aOBptoOaObsp BbM pntBoO TddsBUO BoO Bllod{WaBsOĂ
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 3
Live ‌ Play ‌ Forget Work
Spectacular Central Woodside Estate 155 Prospect Street | Offered at $18,750,000 | www.155ProspectStreet.com • Highly desirable location within walking distance to Woodside School (pre K-8) and Town of Woodside’s shops and restaurants Ă™ Â›Ă›Â—Â˜Â˜ pntBoO TOOs dT sdsB_ _WyWbU plBKO á BWb VdaO MOpWUbOM J| 9B_^Oo 9BobOo oKVWsOKspĂš Â™Ă›Â“Â–Â˜ pnĂ Tsà á tOps VdtpOĂš ›—˜ pnĂ TsĂ ĂĽ ” JOModdaĂ› ” JBsV zWsV ^WsKVOb á dssBUOĂŚdT KOĂš š““ pnĂ TsĂ ĂĽ BaW_| .dda zWsV ^WsKVOb á +dd_ VdtpOĂš ›š˜ pnĂ TsĂ ĂĽ ” JOModdaĂ› ” JBsVĂ› BbM zdo^dts odda Ă™ –à “ BKoOp Tt__| tsW_W OM JOszOOb psotKstoOpĂ› BaObWsWOpĂ› BbM _BbMpKBlWbU Ă™ OsBKVOM KdssBUOĂŚdT KO dT š““ pntBoO TOOs pWstBsOM Wb loWyBsO oOMzddM UodyO JBK^Modl zWsV dtsMddo  oOl_BKO Ă™ +dd_Ă› plBĂ› BbM Â›ÂšÂ˜Ă¸pntBoOøTdds ”øJOModdaĂ› ”øJBsV ldd_ VdtpO zWsV workout room framing large pool patio
Ù 9do_MøK_Bpp sObbWp Kdtos zWsV WMOB_ bdosVOBpsÌpdtsVzOps doWObsBsWdbü pOs tlp Tdo JBp^OsJB__ BbM yd__O|JB__ü BM]BKObs JBob BbM ObK_dpOM corral Ù {sObpWyO OKdøToWObM_| UBoMObpÛ TotWs UodyOpÛ UdlVOoøloddTOM _BoUO front lawn with two custom playhouses • Ecologically sensitive systems: geothermal heating by Mechanical Wo zWsV  yO TtobBKOp sVodtUVdts VdtpOÛ pd_Bo VOBsWbU Tdo ldd_ü pd_Bo lBbO_p db sObbWp Kdtos BoJdoÛ sBb^_Opp zBsOo VOBsOop BbM programmable lighting by Lutron Homeworks in main house Ù WUVøplOOM bsOobOs KdbbOKsWdbpÛ atpWK BKKOpp BbM WoOKs 28 throughout main house and units Ù
WbtsOp sd ø•›“ ToOOzB| BKKOpp œ /BbM W__ .dBM
Thinking of selling your home? Let The Miller Team help you.
HELEN & BRAD MILLER Among Top Teams in SF Bay Area (per The Wall Street Journal rankings)
www.HelenAndBradHomes.com
650.400.3426 | 650.400.1317 helen.miller@compass.com brad.miller@compass.com License # 01142061 | License # 00917768
Compass is the brand name used for services provided by one or more of the Compass group of subsidiary companies. Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License !taJOo Â“Â”Â“ÂšÂœÂ“Â“ÂœĂ __ aBsOoWB_ loOpObsOM VOoOWb Wp WbsObMOM Tdo WbTdoaBsWdbB_ ltoldpOp db_| BbM Wp KdalW_OM Toda pdtoKOp MOOaOM oO_WBJ_O Jts VBp bds JOOb yOoW OMĂ VBbUOp Wb loWKOĂ› KdbMWsWdbĂ› pB_O do zWsVMoBzB_ aB| JO aBMO zWsVdts bdsWKOĂ No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate.
Page 4 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Upfront
Daylight Saving Time is ending Set your clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. this Sunday.
Local news, information and analysis
New President Hotel owner presses ahead with plan AJ Capital hosts open house, submits new legal arguments in attempt to win city’s approval for contentious conversion by Gennady Sheyner
T
he development firm that last year bought the historic President Hotel apartment building in downtown Palo Alto with the intention of converting it to a hotel made a renewed pitch for the highly
contentious project on Tuesday night, even as critics continued to assail the proposal as ill-conceived and illegal. Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners (AJ Capital), which bought the building at 488
University Ave. in June 2018, hosted an “open house” Tuesday with the goal of showcasing the merits of a project that has created a torrent of community opposition. The informal gathering brought residents, consultants and former mayors to the back room of Il Fornaio, a restaurant around the corner from the iconic downtown building. As visitors mingled at the buffet, chatted with the project team and studied
postcards with renderings of comparable projects, about a dozen residents outside the restaurant waved signs — including “We Don’t Need no Stinkin’ Hotel” and “AJ Capital puts profits over people. Shame!” The dueling messages have by now become the norm for the project, which has galvanized significant opposition and resulted in the eviction of residents from the building’s 75 apartments. In
addition to political pushback, AJ Capital continues to face numerous zoning hurdles, including a provision that the council adopted in April explicitly banning the conversion of “grandfathered” downtown buildings (those that were built before current development standards were adopted) from residential uses to non-residential ones. The law, (continued on page 8)
ENVIRONMENT
Efforts made to save dawn redwood Arborist: Tree at the downtown post office was neglected and dying by Sue Dremann
A
(continued on page 10)
(continued on page 9)
Sammy Dallal
$750,000 in cuts from next year’s budget and $1.5 million the following year to keep the district fiscally solvent. Closing a single school would save the district about $400,000, according to Sudaria. Other expenses that could be tightened
n ailing dawn redwood outside the downtown Palo Alto post office, a tree whose species dates from the time of the dinosaurs, may be saved thanks to concerned residents, city staff and a local nonprofit who have rallied to protect it from continuing neglect. The tree, which is on federal property at 380 Hamilton Ave. at Waverley Street, was planted in 1949 from seeds collected at one of the last remaining dawn redwood groves in China. Residents and others have tried to get the postal service to care for the tree for more than a year with no success. Through a concerted effort, city staff was finally able to repair a broken irrigation system and engage the postal service this year to care for the tree in the future. The Palo Alto dawn redwood is “a very visible and beloved tree with an interesting history,” said Catherine Martineau, executive director of urban forestry nonprofit Canopy. The dawn redwood, scientific name Metasequoia glyptostroboides, is one of the rarest trees in Palo Alto and, in the wild, in the world. Although the trees once covered much of the northern hemisphere, including in parts of the U.S., the species was not known until 1941 when Japanese paleobiologist Shigeru Miki found fossils dating back to the Mesozoic Era, 252-66 million
A day in the bay Ben Stevenson, left, and his son Lucas, 8, from Fairwood Elementary School in Sunnyvale, participate in a field trip to the Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto in late October.
EDUCATION
With school closures looming, Ravenswood district to hold series of public meetings Community also will be able to give feedback through open office hours, survey by Elena Kadvany
W
ith declining enrollment putting increasing pressure on the Ravenswood City School District’s budget, school officials are starting to seek public feedback about closing one or two schools next fall. The school board held a special meeting on Oct. 29 to discuss the budget and upcoming community
meetings on school closures. The East Palo Alto district also plans to hold open office hours, at which interpreters will be available, and send out an online survey to collect further input on consolidating schools. The district operates five elementary schools and one middle school, with enrollment of just
over 2,000 students. Yet “the district is operating as if we are a size of 3,000 students,” interim Superintendent Gina Sudaria said the board’s Oct. 24 meeting. At the urging of the district’s interim chief business official, the board recently directed Sudaria and her staff to identify
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 5
Upfront
Felipe’s
450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 326-8210
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
PUBLISHER William S. Johnson (223-6505)
Markets
EDITORIAL Editor Jocelyn Dong (223-6514) Associate Editor Linda Taaffe (223-6511)
Organic & Conventional Produce/ Local Dairy/ Imported Cheese/ European & Mediterranean Specialties Visit us at any of our three locations!
Sports Editor Rick Eymer (223-6516) Arts & Entertainment Editor Karla Kane (223-6517) Home & Real Estate Editor Heather Zimmerman (223-6515) Assistant Sports Editor Glenn Reeves (223-6521)
Cupertino Market
Felipe’s Market
Foothill Produce
Express & Digital Editor Jamey Padojino (223-6524)
19725 Stevens Creek Blvd Cupertino, Ca 95014 (408) 777-9111
1101 W. El Camino Real Sunnyvale, Ca 94087 (408) 720-8111
2310 Homestead Rd Ste. D Los Altos, Ca 94024 (408) 735-7775
Staff Writers Sue Dremann (223-6518), Elena Kadvany (223-6519), Gennady Sheyner (223-6513)
CupertinoMarket.com
FelipesMarket.com
FoothillProduce.com
Subscribe to our websites to receive our weekly deals!
WEEKLY SPECIALS: Valid through Nov. 7, 2019
Chief Visual Journalist Magali Gauthier (223-6530) Staff Visual Journalist Sammy Dallal (223-6520) Editorial Assistant/Intern Coordinator Lloyd Lee (223-6526) Editorial Intern Jonathan Guillen Contributors Chrissi Angeles, Mike Berry, Carol Blitzer, Peter Canavese, Edward Gerard Fike, Yoshi Kato, Chris Kenrick, Jack McKinnon, Sheryl Nonnenberg, John Orr, Ruth Schechter, Monica Schreiber, Jay Thorwaldson ADVERTISING
Bananas
Organic O Org rgan an c ani Fuji Apples
Papayas
49¢
99¢
99¢
per lb.
per lb.
per lb.
10% OFF
your entire produce purchase Valid through November 7, 2019
Vice President Sales & Marketing Tom Zahiralis (223-6570) Multimedia Advertising Sales Tiffany Birch (223-6573), Elaine Clark (223-6572), Connie Jo Cotton (223-6571) Real Estate Advertising Sales Neal Fine (223-6583), Rosemary Lewkowitz (223-6585) Legal Advertising Alicia Santillan (223-6578) ADVERTISING SERVICES 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
Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto 8th Annual
Angel Award an award evening and cocktail party honoring
Alyssa Houk Gen. Mgr. of Jasper Ridge Farm
Thank You to our Sponsors! You helped make the evening a success! www.KiwanisAngelAward.org www.Facebook.com/KiwanisAngelAward
Proceeds from the Angel Award in 2019 will benefit programs, services, and scholarships for children and youth in the Palo Alto area through the Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto Charitable Foundation
In-Kind Sponsors: Gleim the Jeweler • Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel Media Sponsor: Palo Alto Weekly • Platinum Sponsor: KCPA Board Silver Sponsors: Crist, Biorn, Shepherd & Roskoph Patrick Farris Realtors • First Republic Bank • Nancy Goldcamp, Realtor Irvin, Abrahamson & Co. • John King, Realtor • Mayfield Advisors, Inc. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford Bronze Sponsors: Renée & Mark Greenstein • Judy & Tony Kramer Debbie & Harold Lorber • Allean & John Richter • Debby & Rob Ruskin Nancy & Rick Stern • Valerie & Jim Stinger • Carole & Alan Stivers Page 6 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
BUSINESS Payroll & Benefits Cassadie Gonzalez (223-6544) Business Associates Kristine Cortes (223-6543), Suzanne Ogawa (223-6541), Rushil Shah (223-6575) ADMINISTRATION Courier Ruben Espinoza EMBARCADERO MEDIA President William S. Johnson (223-6505) 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) Director of Marketing and Audience Development Emily Freeman (223-6560) Major Accounts Sales Manager Connie Jo Cotton (223-6571) Circulation Assistant Alicia Santillan Computer System Associates Chris Planessi, Mike Schmidt 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 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. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Palo Alto Weekly, 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306. ©2019 by Embarcadero Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. The Palo Alto Weekly is available on the Internet via Palo Alto Online at: www.PaloAltoOnline.com Our email addresses are: editor@paweekly.com, letters@paweekly.com, digitalads@paweekly.com, ads@paweekly.com Missed delivery or start/stop your paper? Email circulation@paweekly.com. You may also subscribe online at PaloAltoOnline.com. Subscriptions are $120/yr.
Become a Paid Subscriber for as low as $5 per month Sign up online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com/join
It looks like a monster, but we have to face it. —Ana Maria Pulido, Ravenswood City School District board member, on school closures. See story on page 5.
Around Town
ON THE FRONT LINES ... Eight Palo Alto firefighters were among the more than 5,000 personnel working to extinguish the Kincade Fire that sparked north of Geyserville in Sonoma County on Oct. 23. The first strike team included fire Capt. Barry Marchisio, engine driver Jesse Wooton and firefighters Richard Lais and Adam Fortino arriving to Sonoma County on Oct. 26 in a regular fire engine, according to Battalion Chief Steve Lindsey. They were followed by a second strike team comprised of Capt. Hugo Godoy, engine driver Sunny Johnson-Gutter and firefighters Colin Fraser and Nate Heydorff, who reached the Napa County side of the blaze on Oct. 28 in an off-road equipped engine. The fire has burned 76,825 acres and is 30% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire. Despite the recent progress and improved weather conditions, firefighters from Palo Alto and surrounding cities aren’t expecting to rest any time soon. On Wednesday, the Bay Area strike force was redeployed to Simi Valley in southern California to battle the “Easy Fire,” threatening 65,000 homes and expected to grow. The Kincade and Easy fires are just two of the many large blazes local fire personnel have traveled to in recent years. Last summer, a four-man team was sent to the Mendocino Complex Fire that burned over 450,000 acres (becoming the largest fire in the state’s history) in Northern California, and the over 13,000acre Cranston Fire in Riverside County. In October 2017, Palo Alto crews were sent to North Bay to assist crews in extinguishing the Tubbs Fire in the Calistoga area and the Mendocino Lake Complex Fire. ANIMAL HOUSE ... The ambitious and much anticipated reconstruction of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo received a boost from the city this week, when the City Council approved a $1 million contribution that will allow visitors to mingle with animals at the popular Rinconada Park attraction, scheduled to reopen in October 2020. The council swiftly approved the $1 million transfer to the Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, the nonprofit that raised $25
million for the project. The Friends group is matching the council’s contributions with $1 million from its own coffers to add two new features to the zoo. One is a “Tree House” feature, an outdoor two-story fortress that will allow visitors to explore the tree canopy and mingle with animals that live up there. Another is “Loose in the Zoo,” a netted enclosure that will allow children to directly interact with birds, insects and other zoo critters. The city’s contribution comes from sales of “transfer of development rights” (TDR), a mechanism that provides density bonuses for the rehabilitation of historic buildings and that allows the city to sell bonuses to developers. Last year, the council approved the sale of nearly $4 million of TDRs, which were associated with reconstruction of the Avenidas building on Bryant Street and the renovation of the College Terrace Library at 2300 Wellesley St. Kristen O’Kane, director of the Community Services Department, called the new features a “really fascinating piece of the new (Junior Museum and Zoo) ... where kids and families will be able to walk around and interact with families and do feedings.” ARTFUL IMPACT ... For the first time in years, two notable contemporary American art paintings from the New York School will be available for public viewing at the Anderson Collection at Stanford University. The works were contributed by Atherton resident Mary Margaret “Moo” Anderson, who died on Oct. 22 at the age of 92 and whose family donated the core of their 20th-century American art collection to Stanford. The new additions, Willem de Kooning’s “Gansevoort Street” (c. 1949) and Jackson Pollock’s “Totem Lesson I” (c. 1944), come as the museum marks its fifth anniversary. “By donating two of the most soughtafter New York School paintings in private hands to Stanford, Moo Anderson continued to exemplify her strong conviction that art is to be shared and to be lived,” Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne said in a press release. The two works were unveiled on Monday. The two pieces were last featured in the Bay Area through an exhibition in January 2001. Q
Upfront EDUCATION
Stanford study shows link between achievement gap and racial disparities in school discipline Researchers urge school leaders, parents to pay attention to local disparities by Elena Kadvany
A
new Stanford University study has documented for the first time at the national level a direct link between unequal rates of achievement and unequal rates of discipline for black and white students: As one disparity grows or shrinks, so does the other, researchers found. “The black-white achievement gap and the black-white discipline gap are in fact two sides of the same coin,” said Francis Pearman, an assistant professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education and lead author of the study. Previously, the connection between the two was largely theoretical or studied only at the local level, within a single school
the country from the 2011-12 and 2013-14 school years. The researchers found that a 10 percentage point increase in the black-white discipline gap in a school district predicts an achievement gap that is 17% larger than the average blackwhite achievement gap. The relationship goes both ways, the researchers found. As the achievement gap between black and white students widens, so does the discipline gap. According to an announcement, this study, which was published earlier this month in a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association, is the first to examine this relationship in both directions.
district. Establishing a correlation has important implications for school districts, teachers and parents, the researchers said. “If your district has higher suspension rates for students of color than it does for white students, it’s likely that it is also failing to meet the academic needs of its students of color as well as it does its white students,” Pearman said. “Similarly, if your district is struggling to meet the academic needs of students of color, then it will likely have a racial discipline problem.” The study analyzed disciplinary and achievement data for students in third through eighth grade in school districts across
STATE GOVERNANCE
Berman expects big legislative push on boosting housing supply In his return to Palo Alto City Hall, assemblyman updates council on housing, transportation and wildfires by Gennady Sheyner
F
Skinner, D-Berkeley, and which restricts the ability of cities to reject housing proposals that meet “objective zoning standards” or to require these projects to reduce the number of units. The list also includes Assembly Bill 1482, a bill from Assemblyman David Chiu, DSan Francisco that caps rent increases and provides eviction protections for tenants. Assemblyman Berman said Marc Berman he expects to see many housing bills in the next legislative session. In the prior session, the Legislature focused on protecting existing tenants, he told the Weekly. Now, lawmakers need to move ahead on legislation that expands housing supply, he said “There’s a lot more we need to do as a state, a region and a city to address the homelessness and housing crisis we have,” Berman said. Among the most contentious bills still on the table is Sen. Scott Wiener’s SB 50, which would require cities to allow four- to five-story apartment buildings to be built in areas close to transit,
Courtesy Berman
or Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, the magnitude of the state’s housing crisis hit close to home last week, when he walked out of a CVS Pharmacy in downtown Palo Alto and nearly walked into a homeless person using a plastic bag as a toilet. Berman, who served on the City Council between 2012 and 2016, returned to City Hall on Monday to update the current council about the state’s efforts to address the housing shortage, the pension crisis and the devastating wildfires that continue to ravage large swaths of the state. Berman’s own housing bill, which would have required community colleges to make their parking lots available to homeless students, was not one of the 18 bills to get through the Legislature and get signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Responding to amendments that Berman argued significantly weakened the bill, Assembly Bill 302, Berman agreed to put the legislation on hold and make it a “two-year bill.” The last legislative session has been a busy one on the housing front, with Newsom signing 18 bills earlier this month. This includes Senate Bill 330, which was authored by state Sen. Nancy
including in areas currently zoned for single-family residences. Berman, who voted in favor of Skinner’s and Chiu’s bills, told the Weekly that he hasn’t taken a stance on the Wiener bill, which remains subject to further negotiations and amendments. To date, council members have largely opposed SB 50, framing it as an attack on local control (Vice Mayor Adrian Fine is the only council member who has publicly supported the legislation). Councilwoman Lydia Kou, who has consistently spoken out against SB 50, noted that most of the housing bills recently passed in Sacramento are unfunded, making it difficult for cities to properly analyze and implement them. Berman noted that while funding often isn’t included in these bills, the state budget does include about $2.75 billion in grant funding for housing programs and homeless services. Council members also asked Berman for an update on state efforts to fund early childhood education, address transportation challenges and defend the state against wildfires. Councilman Greg Tanaka urged Berman to try to obtain more funding for realignment of (continued on page 11)
In the Palo Alto Unified School District, black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, low-income and special-needs students are suspended at higher rates, according to California School Dashboard data. They also lag behind their peers academically, a chronic gap the district is working to address. While the study also found a “significant association” between achievement and discipline gaps between Hispanic and white students, other factors, such as poverty and education levels, were the root causes. Once the researchers controlled for these differences at the local level, the relationship between the two disparities went away for Hispanics. “This suggests that the mechanisms connecting the achievement gap to the discipline gap, such as teacher biases and feeling isolated at school, may be most salient for black students,” Pearman said. School leaders, teachers and parents should pay attention to the findings, the researchers said. The announcement notes that last year, the federal government rescinded guidelines put in place in 2014 to address racial
disparities in school discipline, which could cause districts to focus less on these efforts. “Our findings should caution against such moves,” Pearman said.
‘The black-white achievement gap and the black-white discipline gap are in fact two sides of the same coin.’ —Francis Pearman, assistant professor, Stanford Graduate School of Education Other remedies could include adopting ethnic studies programs and culturally relevant teaching to close the achievement gap and using non-punitive discipline practices instead of ones that exclude students from school. Efforts focused on closing one gap could have “crossover effects” on the other, Pearman said. Q Staff Writer Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@ paweekly.com.
Online This Week
These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAlto Online.com/news.
Man allegedly slams dog to the ground A 30-year-old East Palo Alto man seen allegedly slamming a small dog onto the ground while recording it with his phone has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty, Redwood City police said. (Posted Oct. 31, 2:08 p.m.)
Palo Alto man dies in head-on crash A man killed in a head-on crash on state Highway 152 in southern Santa Clara County on Wednesday morning has been identified as 27-year-old Palo Alto resident Juan Oliveras, the California Highway Patrol said. (Posted Oct. 31, 1:55 p.m.)
Two brothers bring DIY spirit to Halloween Tech billionaires and their over-the-top Halloween displays have turned the holiday into a mini-spectacle in Old Palo Alto, but neighbors Jesse and Josh Bingham are attracting their own fans with their DIY approach to haunting. (Posted Oct. 31, 8:25 a.m.)
Driver goes on road-rage ‘rampage’ A 66-year-old man allegedly attacked two drivers during separate road-rage incidents in Palo Alto on Oct. 25 in what police termed a “rampage.” He has been arrested, Palo Alto police said in a press release on Tuesday. (Posted Oct. 29, 12:09 p.m.)
City to educate public about rail redesign Despite spending a small fortune on planning alone and designating grade separation of the city’s rail tracks as an official council priority for 2019, city council members acknowledged that many of their constituents still don’t know that the project is happening. (Posted Oct. 29, 9:20 a.m.)
Burglars strike occupied home Burglars smashed through a glass door and entered an occupied Palo Alto home on Saturday, awakening a couple and stealing personal belongings and cash, Palo Alto police said Monday. (Posted Oct. 28, 12:03 p.m.)
Philanthropist dies at 92 Mary Margaret “Moo” Anderson, who along with her husband, Harry, donated the core of her family’s 20th-century American art collection to Stanford University, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, at her home in Atherton at the age of 92, according to a news release from the university. (Posted Oct. 24, 11:11 p.m.) www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 7
Upfront
President Hotel
incomplete and in violation of numerous zoning laws, including parking requirements. Lait wrote in his letter to Alex Stanford, AJ Capital’s chief development officer for the west coast, that the city’s zoning code has “no provisions for a commercial parking reduction available to this property.”
(continued from page 5)
Sammy Dallal
however, also includes a waiver for those who wish to circumvent that restriction. AJ Capital’s attorney, David Lanferman, has argued that the restriction violates the Ellis Act, a state law that limits the ability of cities to keep property owners from getting out of the rental business. He also argued in a Sept. 25 letter to the city that the law would not apply to the AJ Capital project because the building was already vacant when the restriction kicked in last May. As such, it did not have a “residential use.” In the same letter, Lanferman requested the waiver. But Palo Alto resident Jeff Levinsky, a land-use watchdog who has been critical of the hotel proposal and who last year alerted the city to a little-known zoning provision that barred conversions of “grandfathered” downtown buildings to other uses (the city has since revised the law), challenged Lanferman’s argument that the since-amended law on grandfathered buildings is illegal. “By his reasoning, any apartment building could simply cease renting out its units, declare itself out of the residential business, and then a day later apply for a new non-residential use by stating it has no ‘residential portion.’ In other words, he is arguing the entire law is moot, which is an interpretation courts are unlikely to accept,” Levinsky wrote in a report analyzing AJ Capital’s latest submission to the city. Levinsky also told the Weekly that the project continues to exceed the city’s restrictions on floor area ratio (a measure of building density). “It’s not fair for the other hotels
Palo Alto residents on Oct. 29 protest AJ Capital’s plan to convert the President Hotel in Palo Alto from an apartment building back into a hotel. in town for one hotel to just be able to avoid following the law,” Levinsky said.
How much parking is enough? Parking is another point of heavy contention between the developer and project opponents. If the hotel were a new development, the zoning code would require the developer to provide about 200 parking spaces. The President Hotel has only 10 spaces in the basement. AJ Capital is hoping to fill the gap by offering a valet program — using parking both on and off site — and by giving employees public-transit passes. The developer had also commissioned a transportation study, which concluded in August that the city’s parking requirements are “substantially higher than the actual parking demand expected based on industry standards and locally surveyed parking demands for hotels.” The study by the consulting firm Fehr & Peers estimated that actual demand for a 100-room
®
hotel would be about 60 to 70 spaces. With the proposed valet program, the demand at President Hotel would be between 30 to 40 spaces, the study concluded. Levinsky, however, highlighted the project’s parking plan as one of its most glaring flaws. Even with valets and “stacker” spaces, the developer would only be able to provide 18 spots in the hotel’s basement, Levinsky noted, citing an estimate from AJ Capital’s valet provider, All About Parking. Even assuming that the developer gets a 25% parking reduction for restoring a historical resource, as allowed by state code, AJ Capital would need to provide in-lieu fees for 91 spaces, Levinsky estimated. (Levinsky starts with the 208 spaces required by city code and then deducts spaces for various reasons: the property’s payment to the city’s Parking Assessment Levy, the 18 spaces in the basement, the offsite parking spaces and the 25% reduction for historical restoration.) With each space valued at $106,171, this means AJ Capital would owe the city at least $9.7 million in in-lieu fees. Palo Alto’s planning staff has also found AJ Capital’s parking plan insufficient. Last March, Planning Director Jonathan Lait deemed the application to be
AJ offers to fund nonprofits; opponents want housing In the lead-up to Tuesday’s meeting, AJ Capital released in recent weeks a 43-page brochure detailing the benefits that the project would bring to the Palo Alto community, including hotel-tax revenues, contributions to local nonprofits and the restoration of the 1929 building. Its $50 million budget for the project includes $9 million for “critical upgrades,” including a seismic retrofit, new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, ADA accessibility and fire and life safety. AJ Capital believes that restoring the building to its original purpose as a hotel is the “highest and best use for the asset,” said Stanford. “We’re confident we can restore Hotel President it to its original glamour,” he said. In its promotional brochure, AJ Capital pledged to fund local organizations, including ones focusing on housing. Stanford told the Weekly said the company wants to become part of the “fabric of the community” by supporting nonprofits including the Palo Alto History Museum and Palo Alto Housing. While he declined to discuss the specific amounts of money the developer plans to give these nonprofits, the company’s promotional book states that AJ Capital plans to award $2.4 million to various organizations, including $1 million to Palo Alto Housing, the nonprofit that is now developing a 59-unit apartment building for low-income residents at El Camino Real and Wilton Avenue.
Public Agenda A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week CITY COUNCIL ... The council plans to hold a study session with the Palo Alto Youth Council. The council will then hold a hearing in accordance with the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA) for financing of construction, developing and furnishing of a proposed Bowman School facility at 4000 Terman St.; consider revisions to the city’s building code; consider a requirement for all-electric construction starting 2022; and discuss next steps for placing a tax revenue measure on the November 2020 ballot. The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave.
The DeLeon Difference® 650.543.8500 www.deleonrealty.com 650.543.8500 | www.deleonrealty.com | DeLeon Realty CalBRE #01903224
BOARD OF EDUCATION ... The school board will vote on whether to form a bond advisory committee; discuss tentative agreements with the teachers and classified employees’ unions and Palo Alto Management Association (PAMA); Caltrain rail crossings and several board policies; and hear an informational report on later school start times. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the district office, 25 Churchill Ave. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD ... The board plans to discuss topics for its upcoming joint study session with the City Council. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave.
The AJ Capital brochure also includes the logos of several potential partners, including the Downtown Streets Team, the Palo Alto Transportation Management Association and Palo Alto Partners in Education. Stanford said AJ Capital decided to support these nonprofits after holding meetings with various organizations over the summer. To date, however, the contributions are conceptual and purely prospective. Downtown Streets Team staff told the Weekly that the developer has offered a “pledge” but has not made a contribution. And Palo Alto History Museum Executive Director Laura Bajuk said the funding is contingent on the hotel project getting approved. As such, she is not counting on the proposed contribution as part of fundraising total for the museum, which is slated to open in the Roth Building on Homer Avenue. Levinsky pointed to a footnote in AJ Capital’s brochure stating that its contributions are “to-beconfirmed,” “subject to change” and “contingent upon the hotel being issued a building permit.” These conditions, he argued, undercut its commitment to the nonprofits. He compared it to AJ Capital’s offer last year of financial benefits to tenants — payments that were contingent on tenants not speaking against the project. “We don’t know if similar quid pro quo conditions apply to these new proposed contributions,” Levinsky wrote. Other residents offered a broader criticism of the AJ Capital proposal: It is taking away homes at a time of a significant housing shortage. Outside the building, Palo Alto resident Winter Dellenbach led a group of about 10 people who held signs and flyers. Every now and then, a former President Hotel tenant approached the group of residents outside the hotel to thank them for their work. Passersby picked up flyers titled “The President Hotel: Keep it Residential” as they strolled past the restaurant or walked inside. “There are only a couple of downtown residential buildings that come close to having 75 units of housing,” the flyers stated. “Losing it for a hotel is a huge blow to Palo Alto’s housing supply.” Dellenbach said the goal of the demonstration was to highlight the loss of housing at President Hotel and to bring attention to the fact that AJ Capital can still take a different path that would work out well for both the city and the developer: the preservation of housing. “They can profit from it. The community can benefit from it. And they wouldn’t have to be going through this torturous process and trying to convince people that the project is sound and right and is a benefit to them. We feel that it is not,” Dellenbach said. “What (continued on page 9)
Page 8 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Upfront
President Hotel (continued from page 8)
is going on with this open house is really a view that’s based on a ‘house of cards’ and not really on housing the people.” The Tuesday meeting also attracted several former President Hotel residents, most of whom vehemently oppose the AJ Capital project. Some said they had moved out of town; others found other local apartments but now face much steeper rents. Susan Powers, a former tenant who works at VA Palo Alto Health Care System, said she had rented a studio at President Hotel for $1,900 a month. Now, she pays
Dawn redwood (continued from page 5)
differently. A former President Hotel tenant who last year helped organize residents in opposing the planned evictions, she now works as an adviser to AJ Capital, using her background in public affairs. She told the Weekly that her new job “fits with what I do professionally.” She also suggested that the project can be good for Palo Alto. “It was not a great building. And these people are willing to step up and do what has to be done. Who else is going to do that?” Kraus said. She also dismissed the notion that her new role may conflict in some ways with her prior role, which included dealing with the tenants’ legal counsel. The
and recommended how to care for the dawn redwood and other mistreated trees on the post office grounds, Martineau said. Passmore said city staff also placed mulch over the roots, but the city’s role in the tree’s survival is limited. “The post office needs to take the next steps to care for the tree, which they said would happen. The tree is not designated as a heritage tree, but the post office understands the significance of it,” he said. USPS spokesman Augustine Ruiz said the post office and the city have been working together to revive the tree since it was first brought to their attention. The post office is also addressing other landscaping issues, such as removal of dead weeds and branches. Passmore said if regular watering is restored and maintained, the tree may respond with new growth by next spring or possibly sooner. There were once about 20 Metasequoia species, but all are extinct except for the dawn
redwood, which is related to the better-known California redwood and giant sequoia. In the wild, the dawn redwood is listed as an endangered species, though the trees have become widespread in urban landscaping. In Palo Alto, however, Passmore thinks they are “very rare.” The city has five dawn redwoods on public property, but none are as tall as the one at the post office. Martineau said Canopy and residents will be keeping an eye on Palo Alto’s venerable tree. “To me, what has happened to this tree in the last few years is a striking example of what a lack of appreciation and understanding of the benefits of trees and of their needs can produce. Years of drought compounded by aggressive water conservation measures, and in this case total neglect, have real consequences on the urban tree canopy,” she said. Q Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@ paweekly.com.
tenants, she said, “did a good job in taking care of each other until the end.” She said she didn’t become an adviser for AJ Capital until late June, well after the eviction period. Her changing role didn’t sit well with everyone. Powers told Kraus at the meeting that she and other tenants were “heartbroken” to see Kraus involved in the hotel conversion. “Why are you on the wrong side of this?” Powers asked Kraus. “Stay tuned. It isn’t all that it appears,” Kraus replied. “It appears to me like it’s pretty much what it seems to be,” Powers said. “I felt like I got socked in the gut when I heard you were on the other side of this.”
Pemo Theodore, a former President Hotel tenant, said she was able to find a new apartment nearby. Her monthly rent has risen from $1,900 to $3,000, a situation that has subjected her to significant financial stress, she said. “I think it’s an affront for them to come here, after the way they treated us,” Theodore said of AJ Capital. “And now they’re deciding to build a community here? Wouldn’t it be better to start that way, rather than trying to salvage a sinking ship?” You can’t make a community with money,” she added. 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 (Oct. 28)
Berman: The council held a study session with Assemblyman Marc Berman. Action: None 874 Boyce Ave.: The council approved an ordinance to allow the creation of a flag lot at 874 Boyce Ave. Yes: Cormack, Fine, Kniss, Kou, Tanaka Absent: DuBois, Filseth
Planning and Transportation Commission (Oct. 30) 470 Olive Ave.: The commission continued the item to a later date and directed staff to return with an ordinance allowing the applicant to retain non-conforming use at 470 Olive Ave. for two years. Yes: Alcheck, Lauing, Roohparvar, Templeton, Waldfogel No: Summa Absent: Riggs
AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAITING LIST OPEN ARASTRADERO PARK APARTMENTS One, Two, Three & Four Bedroom Apartments Application Packets may be picked up November 1, 2019 thru November 29, 2019 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday – Friday 574 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306 OR download at www.pah.community in Arastradero Park Apartments under “Find Housing” Completed applications must be RECEIVED at the 4HUHNLTLU[ 6ɉJL 574 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306 no later than 4:00 PM, November 29, 2019 A lottery will determine an applicant’s place on the waiting list. Maximum & Minimum Income Limits Apply
Sammy Dallal
years ago. A research expedition by Chinese scientists to a remote part of Sichuan province that same year found a large living example in a small village where locals had built a shrine at the base. After World War II, Chinese scientists connected the fossils to that tree and living trees found in a small grove. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University sent an expedition in 1948 to collect seeds. Soon thereafter, fascination with the ancient “living fossil” led to seeds being distributed throughout the world, according to the book “Geobiology and Ecology of Metasequoia.” Palo Alto’s now-massive tree was planted from those seeds, according to a 2004 Weekly story. At 88 feet, and with a trunk circumference of 182 inches and a crown spread of 59 feet, the Palo Alto dawn redwood is registered as a California Big Tree by the Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The tree is one of just 231 urbanforest trees of any species so designated in the state. Residents who saw the tree’s obvious decline notified the media, the city and even congressional representatives this year. “It’s been an uphill battle with many months of total inadequate responses and lack of action on the part of the Post Office,” Martineau said. Several Canopy volunteers and other community members installed a soaker hose and turned the irrigation on at the property to try to sustain the tree. Palo Alto Urban Forester Walter Passmore said the redwood is in fair to poor condition. “The top leader and many branch tips have died,” he said in an email, noting that the main culprit was a broken irrigation system. In July, city Landscape Architect Peter Jensen engaged the local postmaster, and with his blessing, repaired the irrigation system, deep watered the tree
$2,800 for a studio. While the building was pretty rundown, no one complained because the rates were relatively cheap, she said. Powers said she is still able to pay rent, even as it takes a much greater share of her income. Many of her former neighbors are having a harder time, she said. “It’s painful to talk to many of these neighbors who can’t turn the heat on because they can barely pay the rent,” Powers said. She said she doesn’t resent AJ Capital, which she said creates beautiful projects, but believes Palo Alto is the wrong place to pursue such a project, given its severe lack of housing. Michelle Kraus sees things
Residents have been concerned about a rare dawn redwood on United States Postal Service property in downtown Palo Alto that is imperiled due to a lack of care.
Sign up today at PaloAltoOnline.com/express www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 9
Public Notices 995 Fictitious Name Statement A+ COMMERCIAL SERVICES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN659500 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: A+ Commercial Services, located at 2526 Qume Drive, Suite 25, San Jose, CA 95131, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A Corporation. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): YAYAKK, INC. 2526 Qume Drive, Suite 25 San Jose, CA 95131 Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 8/27/2019. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on October 7, 2019. (PAW Oct. 18, 25; Nov. 1, 8, 2019) JANO HINDI FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN659496 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Jano Hindi, located at 4177 Hubbartt Dr., Palo Alto, CA 94306, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A Corporation. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): US HINDI FOUNDATION (USHF) 4177 Hubbartt Dr. Palo Alto, CA 94306 Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 01/01/2011. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on October 7, 2019. (PAW Oct. 18, 25; Nov. 1, 8, 2019) JANO INDIA FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN659499 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Jano India, located at 4177 Hubbartt Dr., Palo Alto, CA 94306, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A Corporation. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): US HINDI FOUNDATION (USHF) 4177 Hubbartt Dr. Palo Alto, CA 94306 Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 01/01/2011. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on October 7, 2019. (PAW Oct. 18, 25; Nov. 1, 8, 2019) SONATA APARTMENTS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN659348 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Sonata Apartments, located at 8101 Kelton Dr. Gilroy, CA 95020, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Individual. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): EDUARDO CERNA 2105 S. Bascom Ave., Ste. 230 Campbell, CA 95008 Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 10/1/19. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on October 1, 2019. (PAW Oct. 18, 25; Nov. 1, 8, 2019)
997 All Other Legals ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA Case No.: 19CV354324 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner: JOHN JUNIOR ANTIONETTE FERANDIN filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: JOHN JUNIOR ANTIONETTE FERANDIN to JOHN ANTHONY FERANDIN. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.
Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING: January 21, 2020, 8:45 a.m., Room: Probate of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, 191 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. A copy of this ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: PALO ALTO WEEKLY Date: September 6, 2019 /s/ JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT (PAW Oct. 11, 18, 25; Nov. 1, 2019) NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: ESTELLE JEAN BRODY aka ESTELLE JEAN ALEXANDER BRODY Case No.: 19PR186971 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of ESTELLE JEAN BRODY aka ESTELLE JEAN ALEXANDER BRODY. A Petition for Probate has been filed by: GORDON ALEXANDER BRODY in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA CLARA. The Petition for Probate requests that: GORDON ALEXANDER BRODY be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. 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 on November 20, 2019 at 9:01 a.m. in Dept.: 13 of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, located at 191 N. 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. Attorney for Petitioner: Brandi P. Chavin Friedman McCubbin Law Group LLP 425 California St., 25th Floor San Francisco, CA 94104 (415) 974-5008 (PAW Nov. 1, 8, 15, 2019)
Call Alicia Santillan at 650-223-6578 or email asantillan@paweekly.com for assistance with your legal advertising needs. Page 10 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Upfront
Ravenswood (continued from page 5)
include legal costs, transportation and contracts with outside consultants, she said. The district is spending more than $1 million on transportation despite declining enrollment. The district’s budget for legal fees this year is about $600,000. Ronda White, president of the teachers union, urged the board to ensure cuts are made on services as far away from the classroom as possible, such as contracts with consultants that do not directly impact students’ learning.
The board discussed on Oct. 24 whether to close one or two schools, debating the merits of being more aggressive or easing into what will be a difficult, potentially divisive decision. Most favored the former. “We have to face it,” board member Ana Maria Pulido said. “It looks like a monster, but we have to face it.” The district could potentially close one school next fall and a second campus the following year. The upcoming community meetings on school consolidation will be held at Ravenswood Middle School at 2450 Ralmar Ave., East Palo Alto. The meetings,
FOLLOW US ON
@PALOALTOONLINE
all of which will have the same agenda, are scheduled for the following dates: • Saturday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to noon. • Monday, Nov. 4, 6-8 p.m. • Tuesday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m. to noon. Child care and interpretation will be available. The district plans to document and publish all feedback from each meeting. Office hours at the district office (2120 Euclid Ave., East Palo Alto) will take place the week of Nov. 4-8. Sudaria plans to bring to the board a recommendation on which school or schools to close by late November or early December. The district plans to then host informational sessions at the potentially impacted schools. The board is set to make a final decision on school closures at its Dec. 12 meeting. Q Staff Writer Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@ paweekly.com.
Upfront
Berman (continued from page 7)
the rail corridor so that train tracks do not intersect with local roads — a project that the city has been studying for years. Given that Palo Alto has the second-busiest Caltrain station on the corridor, the benefits of improving local intersections extend well beyond Palo Alto, Tanaka argued.
‘There’s a lot more we need to do as a state, a region and a city to address the homelessness and housing crisis we have.’ —Marc Berman, assemblyman “The payback is not just for Palo Alto, but everyone in the region — everyone who has to come to Palo Alto to work. It makes it more feasible for people to live farther from jobs,� Tanaka said. While Berman said he will continue to fight for grant funding for the rail-corridor redesign, he was less assertive when Fine asked him about the prospect of allowing cities to charge tolls on major streets. Fine pointed to East Palo Alto, which has floated the idea of turning University Avenue into a tolled road. “It’s definitely an interesting concept and something that could help communities like East Palo Alto and Palo Alto where you have certain corridors that are just jammed,� Berman responded. Berman also supported Palo Alto’s recent adoption of a “carbon neutral� electric portfolio. This, he argued, makes Palo Alto “the perfect kind of test bed� for phasing out natural gas in new construction — an idea that the council will consider on Nov. 4. At the same time, Berman echoed Newsom in criticizing the state’s electric utilities companies, which he blamed in large part on the wildfires that are continuing to devastate large swaths of California. “It seems like half our state is on fire right now,� Berman said. “The current structure of our utility system is not meeting the needs of our 40 million residents. The fact is that decades of neglect and greed that have permeated through these companies have led to a situation where their current utility infrastructure isn’t able to withstand the increased and heightened weather events that we now find ourselves having because of climate change.� Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.
TALK ABOUT IT
PaloAltoOnline.com What top state concerns would you like to see Assemblyman Marc Berman and the state legislature address this year? Give your opinion on Town Square, the community discussion forum at PaloAltoOnline. com/square.
FOOTHILL-DE ANZA Community College District Board of Trustees seeks applicants for its Audit and Finance Committee Candidates appointed to the volunteer Audit and Finance Committee shall act in an advisory role to the Board in carrying out its oversight and legisla[P]L YLZWVUZPIPSP[PLZ HZ [OL` YLSH[L [V [OL +PZ[YPJ[ÂťZ Ă„UHUJPHS THUHNLTLU[ Applicants must reside in the district’s service area, which includes the cities of Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale HUK WVY[PVUZ VM :HU 1VZL :HU[H *SHYH HUK :HYH[VNH (WWSPJHU[Z TH` UV[ IL HU LTWSV`LL JVU[YHJ[VY JVUZ\S[HU[ VY ]LUKVY VM [OL KPZ[YPJ[ ;OL (\KP[ and Finance Committee Board Policy 6401 (BP 6401) are available for YL]PL^ H[ O[[W! ^^^ IVHYKKVJZ JVT JH MOKH )VHYK UZM 7\ISPJ VY I` JHSSPUN Currently, two committee members are needed for four-year terms in the following category: ŕ Ž ([ SHYNL YLWYLZLU[H[P]L In this capacity the Audit and Finance Committee will: ‹ 9L]PL^ HUK TVUP[VY I\KNL[ HUK Ă„UHUJPHS TH[LYPHS HUK YLWVY[Z YLSH[LK [V Ă„UHUJPHS TH[[LYZ PUJS\KPUN IVUKZ JLY[PĂ„JH[LZ VM WHY[PJPWH[PVU HUK V[OLY M\UKPUN PUZ[Y\TLU[Z [V JVTL ILMVYL [OL )VHYK VM ;Y\Z[LLZ ‹ 4VUP[VY [OL L_[LYUHS H\KP[ ZLSLJ[PVU HUK LUNHNLTLU[ WYVJLZZ
CALLING ALL DOGS!!! Volunteers Needed for Pet Therapy Program Stanford Health Care is seeking pet therapy teams (handler and dog) to visit patients at the bedside, families in waiting areas, and assist in lowering stress levels among staff. If you feel your dog can demonstrate basic obedience, has the desire and aptitude to be around strangers and other animals, is comfortable in new environments and would pass a veterinarian health screening, your dog may be eligible to volunteer in many capacities. Adults are required to meet Stanford volunteer guidelines.
Stanford Health Care’s PAWS (Pet Assisted Wellness at Stanford), in conjunction with Pet Partners is holding a free information session on Saturday, January 11th from 1pm-2pm in Palo Alto. No pets please – humans only.
‹ 9L]PL^ PUKLWLUKLU[ H\KP[ YLWVY[Z HUK TVUP[VY MVSSV^ \W HJ[P]P[PLZ • Assure availability of the Audit and Finance Committee members to meet ^P[O [OL )VHYK VM ;Y\Z[LLZ LHJO `LHY H[ [OL [PTL VM WYLZLU[H[PVU VM [OL L_[LYUHS H\KP[ [V [OL )VHYK ‹ *VUZ\S[ ^P[O PUKLWLUKLU[ H\KP[VYZ YLNHYKPUN HJJV\U[PUN Ă„ZJHS HUK YLSH[LK THUHNLTLU[ PZZ\LZ ‹ 4VUP[VY VWLYH[PVUHS YL]PL^Z Ă„UKPUNZ HUK YLJVTTLUKH[PVUZ HUK MVSSV^ \W HJ[P]P[PLZ Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter detailing [OLPY X\HSPĂ„JH[PVUZ HUK UV[PUN ^OPJO VM [OL HIV]L JH[LNVYPLZ [OL` ^V\SK represent, to any of the following: E-mail: JOHUJLSSVY'MOKH LK\ Mail: 6Ń?JL VM [OL *OHUJLSSVY Foothill-De Anza Community College District 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 Fax: (650) 941-1638 *VTWSL[LK HWWSPJH[PVUZ T\Z[ IL YLJLP]LK I` W T -YPKH` 5V] For TVYL PUMVYTH[PVU WSLHZL JHSS VY LTHPS JOHUJLSSVY'MOKH LK\
FOOTHILL-DE ANZA Community College District Board of Trustees seeks applicants for its Measure C Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee Candidates appointed to the independent, volunteer Measure C Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee review and report to the public on the district’s Measure C bond expenditures. Applicants must reside in the district’s service area, which includes the cities of Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and portions of San Jose, Santa Clara and Saratoga. Applicants may not be an employee, contractor, consultant or vendor of the district. The Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee bylaws are available at www.measurec.fhda.edu or by calling (650) 949-6100. Currently, two committee members are needed for two-year terms in the following category: • (1) At-Large representative • (1) FHDA Auxiliary organization representative (foundation or advisory council) This committee is responsible for reviewing expenditures related to the district’s $490,800,000 general obligation bond, Measure C, approved by the voters on June 6, 2006. Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter KL[HPSPUN [OLPY X\HSPĂ„JH[PVUZ HUK UV[PUN [OL HIV]L JH[LNVY` [OL` would represent, to any of the following: E-mail: chancellor@fhda.edu Mail: 6Ń?JL VM [OL *OHUJLSSVY Foothill-De Anza Community College District 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 Fax: (650) 941-1638 Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 20, 2019. For more information, please call (650) 949-6100 or email chancellor@fhda.edu
RSVP via email to Lyn Belingheri at labsite@sbcglobal.net, location details will be sent to you via email. RSVP required to attend this session.
Timothy Anthony Kennedy October 1, 1926 – October 24, 2019 Timothy Kennedy, 93, a 44year resident of Menlo Park, died October 24, 2019. He was born October 1, 1926, in Dublin, Ireland. He graduated from Queens University Belfast with a degree in philosophy. He moved to California in 1962 to study for the priesthood at St. John Seminary in Camarillo. He was ordained a priest in 1966 for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and served for nine years in the Archdiocese. He met the love of his life, Sheila O’Connell, in 1972, and they were married in 1975. After moving to the Bay Area, he worked as a social worker with Children’s Protective Services for the County of San Mateo until his retirement in 1993. He was an active member in his parish community, the Church of the Nativity, and served as a lector, Eucharistic minister, in the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and worked with people who were joining the church through the RCIA. Tim was a regular lector on the Catholic TV mass with his wife Sheila as well. Tim had a variety of interests, primarily family, as well as reading, gardening, and all things Ireland. Predeceased by his parents, Timothy and Bridget and brothers, Gerard and Cornelius and sister, Mary Josephine. He is survived by his wife Sheila, of Menlo Park; his 3 wonderful children; daughter, Maureen Anchondo of South San Francisco, son Tim Kennedy (Maria), of San Jose, and his son Pat Kennedy (Nikki), of San Jose. He also has eight lovely grandchildren, Kristen, Carmen, Cara, Kajsa,Cassie, Sofia, Isabella and Timothy. Tim’s great smile, openness to everyone he met, and joy in living will be missed by all who loved him. A prayer Vigil will be held on Monday, Nov. 4th at 7:00 p.m. and Funeral Mass on Tuesday, Nov. 5th at 11:00 a.m. Both services will be held at The Church of the Nativity at 210 Oak Grove Ave. Menlo Park. Memorial donations may be made to the Nativity St. Vincent de Paul Society 210 Oak Grove Ave. Menlo Park or The Catholic TV Mass, One Peter York Way, San Francisco, CA 94109. PAID
OBITUARY
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 11
SPECTACULAR MOVING SALE!
Big announcement for all of my customers! I must move out. Another 57-condominium building is being built at my location.
1495 West El Camino Real, Mountain View
650.938.7846 www.rugcenter.com Page 12 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
I have one of the largest rug inventories in the Bay (YLH ^P[O V]LY VM [OL ÄULZ[ VUL VM RPUK OHUK RUV[[LK Y\NZ -VY [OL WHZ[ 25 years, I have been serving all of your rug needs, from washes and YLWHPYZ [V M\YUPZOPUN `V\Y OVTLZ ^P[O J\S[\YL HUK elegance.
Now is the prime time to purchase! Come in HUK M\SÄSS `V\Y OVTL»Z ULLKZ ^OL[OLY `V\ ULLK Z[`SL HUK HWWLHS MVY H UL^ OVTL VY `V\ ^HU[ [V THRL `V\Y J\YYLU[ OVTL SVVR IYHUK UL^
Pulse
Marilee S. Beatty
A weekly compendium of vital statistics
POLICE CALLS Palo Alto Oct. 24-31
Violence related Arson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Theft related Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Shoplifting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle related Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Parking/driving violation . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Theft from auto attempt . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . 15 Vehicle accident/prop damage. . . . . . . 4 Vehicle impound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Alcohol or drug related Drinking in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Driving under influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Possession of paraphernalia . . . . . . . . 1 Miscellaneous Court order violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Disturbing the peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Other/misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Psychiatric subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . 6 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Ă•ĂƒiՓÊ+Ă•>Â?ÂˆĂŒĂžĂŠ,iÂŤ>ÂˆĂ€Ăƒ UĂŠ*ÂœĂ€ViÂ?>ÂˆÂ˜ĂŠUĂŠ*ÂœĂŒĂŒiÀÞÊUĂŠ >Ă€LÂ?iĂŠ UĂŠ >`iĂŠUĂŠ Ă›ÂœĂ€ĂžĂŠUĂŠ Â?>ĂƒĂƒĂŠ UĂŠ7œœ`ĂŠUĂŠ-ĂŒÂœÂ˜i
Ăˆx䇙{n‡{Ă“{x
www.restorationstudio.com
Give blood for life! Schedule an appointment: call 888-723-7831 or visit bloodcenter.stanford.edu
Robert Walker Miller November 1940 – December 2014 November 3 Please raise a toast to Robert Walker Miller Happy Birthday The world is a more beautiful place because of you. 11-1940 – 12-2014 We’ll miss you forever Joan and Kristine PAID
OBITUARY
Marilee S. Beatty passed away peacefully on Oct 20th surrounded by abundant love. She was 85. Marilee was 3rd generation San Franciscan, a distinction that made her very proud. She attended Lowell High School, SF City College then Cal Berkeley. Following Cal, she had a brief career in retail, which no doubt, was the foundation for her love of shopping. Marilee married Bob Morehead and together they raised two children in Tiburon. Decades later she met the love of her life, John Beatty. They eventually settled in Portola Valley and quickly developed many cherished friendships. They spent many years traveling with friends, playing tennis, golf, entertaining and truly enjoying this life. Marilee was a long time Peninsula Volunteer, who loved being with “The Ladies� enjoying bridge games and lunch dates always keeping connected to the friendships she adored. She never forgot a birthday, anniversary or thank you and a card was guaranteed to be in your mailbox with her return address. She is survived by her beloved daughter Jill Morehead, son Dean Morehead, step-daughters Susan Hites, Tracy Todd, Nancy Noble (Reno Bruce), 8 grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren. Her consistent companion Lola became her rock and deeply trusted caregiver. Words can express the immense gratitude the family feels towards her care team, Lola, Siale, Les, and Regina for their unwavering loving care and the outstanding Mission Hospice team, especially our beloved Anna Woods. The family will hold a private memorial service. In honor of Marilee, please support Mission Hospice - San Mateo with a donation. www.missionhospice.org PAID
OBITUARY
Menlo Park Oct. 24-31
Violence related Assault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft related Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Theft undefined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle related Abandoned auto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Driving w/ suspended license. . . . . . . . 9 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Suspicious vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle accident/no injury. . . . . . . . . . . 3 Alcohol or drug related Driving under influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Possession of paraphernalia . . . . . . . . 2 Miscellaneous Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Info. case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Misc. penal code violation . . . . . . . . . . 2 Other/misc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Psychiatric subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
VIOLENT CRIMES Palo Alto
675 El Camino Real, 9/22, 1:27 a.m.; battery. Pasteur Drive, 10/22, 7 p.m.; battery/ sexual. El Camino Real, 10/22, 8:01 p.m.; domestic violence court order. Starr King Circle, 10/26, 7:49 p.m.; domestic violence/battery. 3700 Blk Middlefield Road, 10/27, 10:25 a.m.; battery 4120 Middlefield Road, 10/28, 7:20 p.m.; arson. Emerson St., 10/28, 10:23 p.m.; domestic violence/battery. 1150 Bryon St., 10/29, 5:10 p.m.; arson.
Menlo Park
2000 block Menalto Ave., 10/25, 6:17 a.m.; assault. 1900 block Euclid Ave., 10/29, 12:52 p.m.; assault. 500 block Oak Grove Ave., 10/29, 7 p.m.; battery.
Cheryl Lita Eitner-England December 10, 1958 - September 24, 2019 After battling Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer for 3 years, Cheryl Lita went home to be with her Lord and Savior. Lita was born in Redwood City, and lived in Menlo Park for 31 years. After she married her husband, Garonn, she lived in Union City for 30 years. Besides her husband, she is survived by her daughter, Mica England, also of Union City. She is also survived by her four brothers, Max, Dan, AJ, and Bill Eitner, all living on the San Francisco Peninsula, as well as her aunt, Denise Cox Boyd and several cousins, living in Northern California. Lita graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School, Menlo Park, in 1977. She graduated from San Jose State University With Great Distinction earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology in 1981 and received a second Bachelor’s Degree With Great Distinction in Television and Film in 1986. She published two Young Adult Historical Fiction Novels, Bullmina the Courageous Bulldog in 2004, and its sequel, Bullmina the Courageous Bulldog to the Rescue in 2010. In Summer 2018, she finished her third and final book in the Bulldog Trilogy, Bullmina the Courageous Bulldog Comes Home, including short story Payasito (all books available through AuthorHouse Publishing). She was the Sr. Contract Administrator and Accounting Manager of R.P. Coatings, Hayward, for 21 years, and a former employee of Total Video Company, So. San Francisco for 4 years. As well as being a season ticket holder with the San Jose Opera for several years and a film aficionado, Lita was an avid rose gardener who enjoyed traveling and fine dining with friends. She also attended First Presbyterian Church of Newark and Centerville Presbyterian Church, Fremont, and frequently visited Park Blvd. Presbyterian Church, Oakland. A private memorial service will be held in November. Please don’t send flowers. Make a donation to “Metavivors� at https://www.metavivor.org/ or to the American Cancer Society. PAID
OBITUARY
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 13
Editorial Wrong time, wrong place Chicago-based boutique hotel firm thinks it can overcome opposition with pledges to nonprofits
I
t’s not clear whether Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners (AJ Capital) did a terrible job at researching the zoning obstacles they would face when buying the 75-room President Hotel in 2018 or brashly thought they could just steamroll Palo Alto officials and residents into approving their conversion of an apartment building back into a hotel. But the privately held firm, which has developed some 20 hotels in college towns since its Graduate Hotels chain was started in 2014, has now opted to pursue a transactional strategy of pledging $2.4 million to popular community organizations if it can win approval of its project. Saying it wanted to become part of the “fabric of the community,” the company recently published a slick, 43-page promotional brochure describing its vision for the renovation of the now-empty University Avenue apartment building and hosted an “open house” Tuesday at Il Fornaio to chat up the public and answer questions. Guests, many of whom oppose the conversion, enjoyed free wine and appetizers as a handful of protesters carried signs outside. Ironically, among the promised recipients of a million dollars is Palo Alto Housing, the nonprofit housing developer that should be leading the opposition to the loss of rental housing that would result from the President’s conversion to a hotel. Other announced potential beneficiaries of AJ Capital’s “philanthropy” are the Downtown Streets Team, Palo Alto Partners in Education, the Palo Alto History Museum and the Palo Alto Transportation Management Association. None of these organizations have announced support for the President Apartment project, and several said the donations being pledged were not being viewed as firm commitments because they were contingent on AJ being issued a building permit. A footnote in the AJ Capital brochure makes similar qualifiers. Offers of cash in exchange for zoning changes may have been a successful strategy for AJ Capital in other projects, but it would be unprecedented in Palo Alto. While development proposals are usually required to mitigate their impacts through fees and, sometimes, negotiated infrastructure improvements, community benefits unrelated to the development have been limited to special “planned community” developments where such benefits were required. Partially because of the appearance that developers were just paying money for the right to exceed zoning requirements, this practice was halted by the City Council several years ago. Facebook has made many donations to nonprofits in the east Menlo Park and East Palo Alto communities prior to seeking approvals of its various developments from the Menlo Park City Council, hoping that such philanthropy will create good will. But it has not conditioned such gifts to specific approvals. AJ Capital is therefore plowing dangerous ground as it both curries favor among some Palo Alto nonprofits and prepares for a legal challenge against Palo Alto’s zoning laws. City zoning requires 200 parking places for a hotel of this size, and only 10 spaces currently exist. That total can be cut through the use of valet parking and incentives for restoring an historic building, but even with those measures there would be a large parking deficit, and potential in-lieu parking fees could reach $10 million. In addition to the parking problem, the city passed an ordinance in April banning the conversion of residential uses to nonresidential ones. AJ argues this doesn’t apply to them because it took effect after all the tenants had moved out, rendering the apartments no longer a residential use. Such logic would mean that any apartment building property owner could simply allow a building to become vacant and then proceed with converting it to non-residential use. That is clearly not the intent. But besides these and other legal obstacles, the conversion would eliminate badly needed housing at a time when housing creation and protection is a top city priority. By all accounts, AJ Capital is a quality developer whose recent hotel projects in college towns have been tasteful and well-received. If Palo Alto was short on hotels and the preservation of moderately priced housing was not such an urgent need, it might be the ideal developer of such a project. “Where others see challenges, we see opportunity” is the prominent slogan on the AJ Capital website. In this case, AJ has miscalculated. Having acquired the President Hotel apartment building assuming it could woo support for its concept, zoning be damned, it should hear loudly and clearly that project approvals in Palo Alto aren’t for sale, nor are our nonprofits going to be pawns in a quid pro quo for their support. Q Page 14 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions
Grateful to Rowena Chiu Editor, I read your story about Rowena Chiu breaking her silence about Harvey Weinstein with gratitude for her courage. Hopefully others will never have to endure traumas like those Ms. Chiu experienced, thanks to her speaking out and addressing previously taboo subjects. Thank you to Ms. Chiu. Michele Lew Dana Avenue, Palo Alto
Study Eastside Prep Editor, If Don Austin, Palo Alto’s new superintendent of schools, might have a visit with Chris Bischoff, founder (beginning with a yearlong middle school basketball team to develop trust) and longtime headmaster of Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto, I think he’d come away with a new set of glasses through which to examine the plans he’s requested from administrators and principals due the board in December. I just spent an amazing morning at Eastside and came away with a feeling of so much hope. Seven first-generation high school graduates; Hispanic, African American, Pacific Islander (all of whom developed incredible public speaking skills there), and who are now working in good jobs throughout the country, responded to questions about the kind of support they had received from Eastside beyond academics — the human support necessary to close such a gap. Students receive the support in applying, after application, throughout the time they are at Eastside, then in college, and on through their jobs. They receive support for social challenges, emotional challenges, even advice on what to wear in weather challenges on the East Coast. I had no idea. From the moment they apply, there is support of every kind through the school’s coordinated program. This includes immediate personal interactions that provide whatever help is needed from teachers, members of the staff, administration and ongoing guidance by previous Eastside graduates, to make sure each one succeeds every step of the way. Everything that happens at Eastside is supported by donations from community businesses and individuals who have watched these results over 25 years: 100% admissions by all students to fouryear colleges; 80% hold a bachelor’s degree (11% nationally); all students are on full scholarship. If parents and community members genuinely want to close
this achievement gap, then the school system has to ask for donations from the community to help with this kind of personal human support for all first-generation students, not just those who are college-bound. One of the seven people who spoke when I visited Eastside was just hired by the school to oversee this entire support program. She’d be a good one to connect with also. I’m sure that there are plenty of adults as well as young people who’ve gone through Palo Alto schools who would love to be part of this. I sure would’ve been many years ago when my kids went through Palo Alto schools. Anne Hillman Alamos Road, Portola Valley
Eminent domain error Editor, I would like to call attention to a misrepresentation in the Weekly’s article “At the crossroads” (Oct. 11). The article focuses on the 100 block of Churchill Avenue, calling it “ground zero for Palo Alto’s raging debate over ‘grade separations’: the redesign of the railroad crossings that ... could threaten dozens of homes with eminent domain.” Later in the article, the author mentions recent consideration of a viaduct at Churchill as a way to achieve grade separation, describing it as “a design that could require the city to seize properties ... through eminent domain.”
City Council and staff and the latest incarnation of the Citizen Advisory Panel (XCAP) are indeed considering grade separation options for three of Palo Alto’s at-grade crossings in order to improve traffic flow and increase options for bicycle and pedestrian safety. However, as of March 2018, all proposals for Churchill that required “takings” have been eliminated from consideration on that account. The necessity of taking property, along with the expense, is what doomed the popular citywide trench and tunnel options. Indeed, the only grade separation option under consideration for Churchill that does not require property seizures is the viaduct. I have noticed this particular suggestion — that all grade separation designs, including a viaduct, require takings — in a number of Weekly articles about the rail crossing issue. Unfortunately, I have heard it repeated by some of my neighbors as well. I am disappointed that the Weekly has not been following the very challenging work of sorting through rail crossing options closely enough to get its facts and implications right. As a regular observer of the CAP and XCAP, I would say the issue is challenging enough without our primary news source whipping up anxiety with a false threat of eminent domain. Susan Newman Portola Avenue, Palo Alto
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Submit letters to the editor of up to 300 words to letters@paweekly.com. Submit guest opinions of 1,000 words to editor@paweekly.com. Include your name, address and daytime phone number so we can reach you. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, objectionable content, libel and factual errors known to us. Anonymous letters will generally not be accepted. Submitting a letter to the editor or guest opinion constitutes a granting of permission to the Palo Alto Weekly and Embarcadero Media to also publish it online, including in our online archives and as a post on Town Square. For more information, contact Editorial Assistant Lloyd Lee at llee@paweekly. com or 650-223-6526 or Editor Jocelyn Dong at editor@paweekly.com.
Check out Town Square! Hundreds of local topics are being discussed by local residents on Town Square, a reader forum sponsored by the Weekly at PaloAltoOnline.com/square. Post your own comments, ask questions or just stay up on what people are talking about around town!
Guest Opinion Traffic Study: a rhyme for our time by Evelyn Preston Who has devised this mind-blowing maze, narrowed gauntlets of tightened roads, A modern labyrinth choked and blocked with increasing traffic loads?
The future belongs to an incredible notion That tons of traffic must proceed in slow motion! As drivers learn the new math — a unique equation: Quadruple the cars equals road minimization.
Left turn lights help a bit, ‘though the lane’s too short; Note tire-marked cement where cars tried to abort When barred from home driveways with no U’ees allowed, Cut-off homeowners add to the creeping crowd.
Try GPS in any direction, Waze any new route up or down, Follow each path like a pinballmachine on main drags all over town.
And if Silicon Valley’s the center of high tech innovation, Why aren’t more traffic signals set for high tech synchronization?
When we’re told we ought to ... ditch the auto, We shun most transit modes ... to stay on roads. Yet when it comes to choice ... we still give voice To the Green New Deal ... then take the wheel.
When we’re told we ought to ... ditch the auto, We shun most transit modes ... to stay on roads. Yet when it comes to choice ... we still give voice To what’s not real ... then take the wheel.
It started with mass-painted street hieroglyphics, Arrows, ovals, green lanes and hash lines prolific. Then came tons of cement poured out everywhere! Angled corners ballooned to new forms large and square.
Beware of the bikers, so elusive at dark; Never miss them at curbside where cars also park; Pray they show pinpoints of light, hope for bright red! Dodge drab-clothed pedestrians, a hazard to dread.
Our shopping center built an entry complete With a ramp-like driveway, jutting far into the street, And so near a crosswalk that all through-cars must swerve Where this concrete divide demands deadly quick nerve.
Aim early for the foothills, play late at the beach; What a shame they’re so incredibly hard to reach. Even short P. A. trips demand staying power, Often snaking along under 25 miles per hour. But we love the Bay Area bounty, in spite of quakes and who-knows-when rain; Think weather, jobs, home prices, schools — dare an old fud like me complain?
Wide turns, narrow streets, force cars toward the middle into the oncoming lane; Add school-bound bikes, chauffeuring moms, all playing that old chicken game. When we’re told we ought to ... ditch the auto, We shun most transit modes ... to stay on roads. Yet when it comes to choice ... we still give voice To how P.C. we feel ... then take the wheel.
When we’re told we ought to ... ditch the auto, We shun most transit modes ... to stay on roads. And when it comes to choice ... we still give voice To walking’s great appeal ... then take the wheel.
The commute stretches by day in a serpentine crawl, Cars stuck at odd-sequenced lights — a suburban sprawl! At night, it’s a hardscape slalom that’s so hard to see, With skinny lanes barely as wide as an SUV.
What if we’re at home in grave emergency, Waiting for an ambulance or desperate to flee? If we’re trapped, so are fire trucks and EMTs! In hot situations, we’re all caught in a freeze.
Read more opinions online Palo Alto Online’s bloggers are writing about everything from innovation and politics to the environment and family. Here are excerpts from the latest posts from a few of our bloggers. Discuss these and other topics with them at PaloAltoOnline.com/blogs. ‘I Don’t Want to Say This to My Partner ...’
There are a few reasons why it is important to say the scary stuff.
by Chandrama Anderson Posted Oct. 25, 2019
I hear this phrase from clients on a regular basis. You don’t want to say the hard things out loud. There are a number of reasons for this: I can’t not know it myself once I say it to him/her. I am afraid of hurting him/her. I feel like a bad person for feeling/thinking this.
Done with Gender by Laura Stec Posted Oct. 20, 2019
I keep hearing about kids changing their gender and keep wondering why. Then last weekend happened. I was at a local watering hole Sunday when a guy asks me to dance. The meeting was uneventful — we boogied only a minute before the song ended, thank yous
What’s called “traffic calming” on our shrunken roads Enrages drivers ... and civility corrodes. Crashes, queues and jams spawn grim scenes graphic Of speeders, cheaters, scofflaws, who aggravate traffic. With the promise of big business luring a larger population, Social engineers chart fewer courses with devout dedication. When we’re told we ought to ... ditch the auto, We shun most transit modes ... to stay on roads. Yet when it comes to choice ... we still give voice To save-the-air zeal ... then take the wheel.
Long, low planters clutter the middle, making less room at more cost; But flowers and plants can’t compensate for all the space that we’ve lost.
The old four-laned, straight street is long gone, with its plain and clear center lines, Such simple, safe vehicle guides with blessedly brief light-waiting times.
Whether accidents on the streets, police calls or a major crisis, Reduced routes that close in gridlock could result in sad surprises!
We used to only see trucks on the Oakland side, Now big rigs here threaten to jack-knife and collide! And loose State laws add lane-splitters to our woes. Drive time should be prime time to keep us on our toes. Instead we do everything else while we speed along without care, Eat, drink, talk and tap on our phones as if of the dangers unaware. The old system’s erased, replaced by the New Green; Perhaps buying back what we’ve lost might soon be seen. When during fierce congestion, whether night or day, Would tax-strapped councils decree that drivers must pay? Like cruising express lanes, FasTrak’s the future “new normal” — in fact, Opting to live life in the “fast lane,” we’ll all need a cash app for that! When we’re told we ought to ... ditch the auto, We shun most transit modes ... to stay on roads. Yet when it comes to choice ... we still give voice To what was asked for ... but can’t take the wheel anymore. Q Evelyn Preston is a former Palo Alto teacher and a 25-year investment adviser who now writes.
exchanged, and we turned away. About a half hour later I leave, when I see my dance partner coming straight at me. Face scrunches with rebuff, talk to the hand, and I block by opening my car door. I slip inside; he bellows, “I have no one to talk to,” and while backing up he sweetens the deal with, “I’m single!”
Why don’t city officials love my car? by Diana Diamond Posted Oct. 29, 2019
I love my little hybrid gas-sipping silver car, but it’s unrequited love. City officials don’t adore my car the same way I do. They’d prefer to see me walk or bike; they keep on spending transportation money on more bike lanes and narrower roads, and once streets go on a diet, their attitude seems to be “problem solved!” — when it really isn’t (think Charleston and
Arastradero roads in Palo Alto where commute congestion clogs intersections daily).
Hurtling into the 21st century. Or not. by Sherry Listgarten Posted Oct. 27, 2019
I live from the past most of the time. I expect many of you do as well. What I mean by that is that our experience and expectations are largely colored by the past rather than some vision of the future. It makes sense since all we know is the past; it forms the basis of our memories, our attachments, our habits. I was reminded of this orientation the other day, when my (teenaged) daughter was upset that I had put the Halloween pumpkin in a new spot. There’s generally nothing wrong with this perspective. We enjoy a sense of stability and have less day-to-day stress by maintaining continuity from past to present. Q
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 15
Arts & Entertainment A weekly guide to music, theater, art, culture, books and more, edited by Karla Kane
What’s new on view at
Cantor Arts Center by Karla Kane and Sheryl Nonnenberg
Courtesy Center for Creative Photography, Arizona Board of Regents
Courtesy of Sargent’s Daughters, New York
Paintings that make connections
Edward Weston’s “Chandler (on the cowshed wall),” above, and Jordan Casteel’s “Marcus and Jace,” top, are currently on view at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. Page 16 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Painter Jordan Casteel’s “Returning the Gaze,” her first solo museum show, is all about recognizing and reflecting relationships. As the title suggests, the subjects of her large, richly textured and brightly colored portraits are often staring straight at the viewer, inviting conversation and demanding acknowledgement. In some of her work, the image is a faceless, closecropped detail, such as a hand resting on the top of a skateboard, but the effect is no less conversational. The exhibition, making its West Coast premiere at Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center, features 29 paintings from the past halfdecade. The exhibition will be on view until Feb. 2, 2020. The “Brothers” series, Casteel said at a recent press preview, explores “what male-to-male relationships look like intergenerationally; how to represent the black male as a vulnerable, intimate being, as I have known them.” In “Marcus and Jace,” for example, an adult man has his arm wrapped tenderly around a sleeping boy. Casteel created the “Visible Man” series toward the end of her MFA program at Yale University. These subjects are nude, a choice Casteel made in order to further emphasize the vulnerability and humanity of black men, whose bodies, she said, have historically been villainized, marginalized and victimized. They’re also shown with objects they intentionally chose as meaningful, such as in “Ato,” in which the subject poses in a chair that had belonged to his grandmother, next to a photograph of his mother. In some pieces, she pushes against stereotypes and assumptions by painting skin tones in unnatural shades of green, blue and red. “Every time people say I only paint black men, I push them to see beyond that,” she said, “because I see so much of myself within this work; the feminine does not seem absent.” After Yale, Casteel moved to
Bold paintings, photographs by U.S. masters and a quirky, poignant tribute to the Stanford family among current exhibitions
New York, finding a sense of home in the “vibrancy and energy” of Harlem, chronicling the landscape of neighbors and neighborhood landmarks that make up the community. Her most recent work, a series of zoomed-in paintings inspired by moments on the subway, evolved from curiosity about how she might be able to present an engaging scene without the piercing eye-contact of many of her portraits, she said. These pieces are no less powerful at reflecting authentic human moments, such as in “Lean,” in which a “Do not lean on door” train sign is juxtaposed with the figure of a child leaning in to an adult’s leg. According to curator Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander, “What Jordan’s practice is really asking of us is to stop and make a connection with a painting that is really a connection with the artist’s community.”
Masters of photography Photography has a long and distinguished history at Stanford. The latest addition to the museum’s impressive photographic holdings, 1,000 prints by seven notable American artists, is a gift from the Capital Group Foundation. Rather than a large scale, blockbuster-type exhibition displaying the entire gift, the museum has chosen to present the new acquisitions in a series of smaller shows that will focus on just a few artists. For the inaugural exhibition, “West x Southwest: Edward Weston and Ansel Adams,” the museum has selected two iconic photographers whose output is indelibly linked with the American West. (“West x Southwest” will be on view until Jan. 6, 2020. The second show in the series, “John Gutmann, Helen Levitt, Wright Morris,” will open Jan. 20, 2020, followed by a show of work by Gordon Parks in May.) Majestic images of Yosemite are what most people associate with Ansel Adams but he also traveled around the desert Southwest,
Arts & Entertainment Stanford’s cabinet of wonders If it wasn’t for the untimely death of teenage Leland Stanford Jr., who created his own museum collection in the top floor of his family’s San Francisco mansion, Stanford University may never have existed. It was the desire of his grieving parents, Jane and Leland Stanford, to honor their bright and curious son’s memory that led to the founding of what eventually became the Cantor Arts Center (and, of course, the university itself). Curated by 2019-20 Diekman Contemporary Commissions Program Artist Mark Dion, Cantor’s new, ongoing exhibition (opening in conjunction with the museum’s 125th anniversary), “The Melancholy Museum: Love, Death, and Mourning at Stanford,” brings together more than 700 objects collected by the Stanford family, including toys, stuffed birds and other natural history specimens, jewelry, ancient artifacts and personal items, to help tell the Stanford story. It’s a story of how, in Dion’s estimation, the tragic loss of a beloved only child ultimately led to the founding of Silicon Valley, changing the course of history. By examining the material culture Stanford Jr. found meaningful as well as how his parents chose to commemorate his life, Cantor visitors get a glimpse into their perspective on the world, as well as a tribute to the campus museum, which was critically damaged by both the catastrophic
1906 and 1989 earthquakes. “The museum’s first century of existence was steeped in sorrow and destruction,” as Susan Dackerman, John and Jill Freidenrich Director at the Cantor, puts it in her essay on “The Melancholy Museum.” The exhibition of objects, spanning two rooms, includes a specially designed Victorian-style mourning cabinet. Visitors are invited to open more than 50 drawers filled with all sorts of treasure, making it an interactive experience of discovery. Dion, according to the exhibition’s press materials, uses archaeological and other scientific means of collecting and exhibiting specimens and is known for organizing objects in unexpected ways (the mourning cabinet is organized according to the classical elements: fire, air, earth, water and ether). Stanford undergraduate and graduate students contributed to the massive project, including to the extensive, essay-filled field guide that accompanies the exhibition. As visitors can encounter such tidbits as an eerie spirit photograph, a plaster paw imprint, confetti thrown to Leland Stanford Jr. from an Italian prince during a Roman carnival and an “imitation finger,” the effect of the exhibition proves both quirky and poignant. Q Arts & Entertainment Editor Karla Kane can be emailed at kkane@paweekly.com. Freelance writer Sheryl Nonnenberg can be emailed at nonnenberg@aol.com.
Courtesy of Stanford University
capturing dramatic landscapes in New Mexico and Arizona. His “St. Frances Church” is a stark depiction of an adobe structure, its slab walls solidly rooted into the sand. In another image, “Aspens, Northern New Mexico,” Adams invokes a chiaroscuro effect, with tree trunks appearing like streaks of light against a deep black background of forest. And while Adams is mainly known for his landscape work, two portraits of friend and fellow f/64 Group founder Edward Weston are wonderfully insightful, showing Weston looking at ease at Pt. Lobos and impishly smiling on the porch of his Wild Cat Hill home in Carmel. Weston’s prints in the show reflect an important turning point in his work when he moved away from the impressionistic style of pictorialism and became an advocate of “straight photography.” A trip to Mexico resulted in a new focus on detail, which can be seen in a series of still lifes of everyday objects on a table top. Weston would take many nude photos of friends and lovers but the lone example here is quite minimal — the broad back of a seated woman. Shape, whether the human form or that of a green pepper, was fascinating to the artist. Zabriskie Point in Death Valley was visited by both men and viewers may enjoy comparing how the textures of the dunes and patterns of light and shadows were so skillfully captured by these two masters of black-andwhite photography.
“The Melancholy Museum: Love, Death and Mourning at Stanford” includes a Victorian-style mourning cabinet. What: Current exhibitions at the Cantor Arts Center. Where: 328 Lomita Drive, Stanford. When: Open Wednesday-Monday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Thursdays open until 8 p.m.). Cost: Free. Info: museum.stanford.edu.
Music, theater, dance, and more at Stanford University
Bing Studio
Minorities
NASSIM
Allison Miller
Alicia Olatuja
Yang Zhen - Red Virgo
by Nassim Soleimanpour
Boom Tic Boom
Minorities, by “boy wonder” choreographer Yang Zhen, explores how minority identities in China fit (or don’t fit) in the narrative of a harmonious One China.
Intuition: Songs from the Minds of Women
Touchingly autobiographical yet powerfully universal, NASSIM is a striking theatrical demonstration of how language can both divide and unite us.
F R I -SAT, N OV 1 & 2 8:00 P M S U N, N OV 3, 2:30 P M B I N G ST U D I O
T H U -SAT, N OV 7-9, 8:00 P M SAT & S U N, N OV 9 & 10, 2:30 P M B I N G ST U D I O
NYC-based drummer/ composer/teacher Allison Miller gathers inspiration from a wide array of genres. Miller has been named “Rising Star Drummer” and “Top 20 Jazz Drummers” in Downbeat Magazine.
Praised by the New York Times as “a singer with a strong and luscious tone and an amiably regal presence on stage,” Olatuja astounds audiences with her exquisite vocals and captivating demeanor.
BUY TICKETS
live.stanford.edu
F R I, N OV 15 7:00 P M & 9:00 P M B I N G ST U D I O
650.724.2464
SAT, N OV 1 6 7:00 P M & 9:00 P M B I N G ST U D I O SEASON SPONSOR:
SEASON MEDIA SPONSOR:
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 17
Eating Out
Alhambra Irish House keeps the fun alive in historic downtown space Story by Monica Schreiber
T
he Scots have left the historic Alhambra building in downtown Redwood City and the Irish have moved in. Martins West Gastropub served its last fried haggis this past summer, pulling up stakes after a decade in the beautiful 1896 building. Local lore says gunslinger Wyatt Earp once tossed back drinks here while his wife sang and danced in the Alhambra’s upstairs playhouse. But the Wild West long ago gave way to wild rents and endless construction on ever-gentrifying Main Street. As they closed the books on their gastropub, Martins West’s owners cited labor shortages, rising costs and other familiar challenges for the region’s family-owned restaurants. Nevertheless, Erik Barry, owner of Mountain View’s St. Stephen’s Green and native of County Wexford, saw an opportunity. He lured back to the Bay Area his former St. Stephen’s Green general manager (also from County Wexford), inherited much of the Martins West staff and set about establishing the only Irish pub in downtown Redwood City. Like most right-thinking people, I love Irish pubs. They pretty much capture in one warm and
|
Photos by Sammy Dallal convivial place that’s all good and right in the world: community, humor, good drink and soulful music. And in this case some pretty tasty food as well. Alhambra Irish House follows in the gastropub tradition of its predecessor. (The term “gastropub” was coined in England about 25 years ago, denoting a public house that showcases food well above the quality of typical pub grub.) The Alhambra’s exposed brick walls, wide plank floors and long, redwood bar harken back to the building’s 1890s saloon days. The soaring ceiling, TV screens and loud music (modern pop stuff, not traditional Irish music) create buzz — a little too much for my liking. I prefer not having to shout over my pint, but there’s no denying it is a lively place, especially for the after-work crowd. Four months into operations, the Irish House still looks a lot like Martins West. They’re slowly moving toward a more Irishthemed décor and vibe. Renovations, extended hours, more tap beers and live music are all in the works. General manager Des Whelan said that the upgrades likely will roll out slowly over the course of several months given the building’s historic status and
Page 18 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
attendant need for city approvals. So, while the Irish House hasn’t yet achieved full Irish-ifcation, Barry and Whelan are leveraging their St. Stephen’s Green experience to make a fine contribution to the craic in Redwood City. They host team trivia contests on
Tuesday evenings and happy hour runs from 4:30-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Meals start with fresh, grainy soda bread, served with pats of Kerrygold butter. The recipe is Whelan’s and he should be famous from here to Dublin for
it. Sweetened with honey, this dense-but-moist version of Ireland’s iconic bread has no baking soda-bitterness to it. It is almost like cake. A bruschetta-style appetizer on the happy hour menu ($8) was another winner: crusty bread toasted with sweet heirloom
Top: James Hill enjoys a Guinness at Alhambra Irish House in Redwood City. Above: Alhambra Irish House’s burger with Irish cheddar, caramelized onion, tomato, pickles, arugula and paprika aioli.
tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and a garlicky almond pesto. Of course they offer shepherd’s pie ($18), a comforting but otherwise unremarkable bowl of ground lamb and beef, peas and gravy topped with mashed potatoes. The fish and chips ($22) showcased an impressive slab of Icelandic haddock — darn near the size of a leprechaun’s surfboard, I’d say. The fish was a touch too greasy, but it was flaky and substantial, and the chips were crispy and piping hot. The succulent, if slightly messy, Alhambra burger ($17) was topped with Irish cheddar, caramelized onion, heirloom tomatoes, pickles, arugula and paprika aioli. The accompanying side of fries was enough for two. I’m not sure what possessed me to order mushroom and pea tagliatelle ($17) in an Irish pub, but it was perhaps my favorite dish, a generous bowl of pasta and fresh peas made decadent with cream, shallots and Irish whiskey. Candied bacon ($7) from the bar snacks portion of the menu sounded naughty and intriguing, described as being glazed with Irish whiskey and maple syrup. The four slices of bacon we received tasted only slightly sweet, not all that different from standard-issue breakfast fare. The house-made salt and vinegar potato chips ($6) proved the better choice for a bar snack. The menu currently showcases 14 draft beers ($8-$9), including the classics you’d expect — Guinness, Harp and Smithwicks — and a nice selection of lesser known Irish and West Coast brews. Expect the on-tap selection to grow markedly in the coming months. In addition to several whiskey flights ($17-$21), each one showcasing three whiskeys or bourbons, there’s also a solid cocktail menu. I recommend the Irish Mule ($12), made with Tullamore D.E.W, a triple blended and very smooth whiskey, ginger beer and squeeze of lime. It happens to be the only cocktail that gets the halfoff treatment at happy hour. Ask for light ice. An Irish pub absolutely must have friendly and convivial service and for the most part, the Irish House is delivering on that front. A meal at the bar on a Friday evening was enhanced by friendly chit-chat with the folks behind the bar, all of whom seemed genuinely excited by what is in store for Wyatt Earp’s old hangout. Q Freelance writer Monica Schreiber can be emailed at monicahayde@yahoo.com. Alhambra Irish House 831 Main St., Redwood City 650-366-4366 alhambra-irish-house.com Hours: Monday-Thursday 4:30-11:30 p.m. (Kitchen closes at 9 p.m.) Friday-Saturday 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Kitchen open 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Credit cards Reservations Catering Takeout
Outdoor seating: No Parking: Street Alcohol: Full bar Noise level: Loud Bathroom: Excellent
INSPIRING CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY, CHARACTER
Auto Repair Shop in Palo Alto Quality, Integrity, Technology
WHERE HI-TECH MEETS HIGH TOUCH At ECar Garage, we are committed to serving you with integrity and high quality workmanship using the latest automotive technology.
15% off
Any Service
Valid for BMW, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, Mercedes Benz, Maserati, Volkswagen, Lamborghini, Honda, Toyota and GM models. Free wiper blades on ZLY]PJL V]LY *HUUV[ IL JVTIPULK ^P[O V[OLY VɈLY VY ZWLJPHS 7SLHZL WYLZLU[ VɈLY \WVU ]PZP[
WE WARRANTY OUR REPAIRS FOR 24 MONTHS OR 24,000 MILES Call for Full Warranty Details
MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT
(650) 493-7877
439 LAMBERT AVE., PALO ALTO
OPEN HOUSE EVENTS November 16, 2019 Lower Campus 477 Fremont Avenue Los Altos, CA 94024 9:00am - 11:00am November 16, 2019 Middle Campus 327 Fremont Avenue Los Altos, CA 94024 11:30am - 1:30pm November 9, 2019 Upper Campus 26800 Fremont Road Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 10:00am - 12:15pm
Register online at www.pinewood.edu
www.ecargarage.com | 650-493-7877 contact@ecargarage.com
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 19
Huge Retirement Sale
UP TO
Doing Business Since 1973
80% OFF
EVERYTHING IN STOCK
Over 4,000 traditional and contemporary rugs from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal. 4x6 Stock # 8086 8083 9504 7322 7694 10923 9276 1316 9509 9511 2615 9506 7697 9507 6291 832 9273 9280 9271 545 8090 1374 10940 10936 1240 950
6x9 Description India Berber India Berber Pakistan Gabbeh Pakistan Gabbeh Afghan Balouch India Sultanabad India Boro Persian Gabbeh Soumak India Fine Tabriz India Fine Tabriz Pakistan Tabriz 16/16 Fine India Tabriz Afghan Balouch India Fine Tabriz Iran Gabbeh Pakistan Sultanabad India Boro India Boro India Haji Jalili Tabriz Pakistan Sultanabad India Berber Tuffenkian Rag Weave India Sultanabad India Sultanabad India Kazak Iran Gabbeh
Size 4.2 x 6 4.1 x 5.11 3.5 x 5.9 4.1 x 6.2 3.10 x 5.10 4x6 4x6 3.11 x 5.10 4.1 x 6.4 4 x 6.3 4.0 x 6.1 4.2 x 6 3.4 x 6.1 4.2 x 6 4.5 x 6 3.5 x 6.1 4.2 x 6 4.1 x 6.2 4x6 4.1 x 6.1 4.2 x 5.11 4x6 4.1 x 6.3 4 x 5.9 4.2 x 5.11 3.10 x 5.9
Color Black Crème Burgandy/Blue Blue/Gold Rust/Navy Brown/Red Saffron Red Ivory/Blue Green/Beige Blue/ Ivory Beige Red Ivory/Blue Rust/Green Beige Blue Blue Burgandy/Ivory Red/Burgandy Beige Grey/Gold Silver/Sand Navy/Red Ivory/Blue Gold/Red
Original Price $875 $1,005 $2,105 $2,085 $705 $1,805 $2,885 $3,005 $2,845 $2,755 $2,445 $2,755 $702 $2,845 $3,395 $1,500 $2,885 $2,885 $2,885 $1,685 $865 $5,505 $1,915 $1,725 $1,715 $4,185
Sale Price $250 $250 $450 $450 $250 $450 $750 $650 $750 $750 $650 $750 $250 $650 $970 $350 $750 $750 $750 $350 $295 $950 $550 $450 $750 $750
India Shiraz India Berber Persian Gabbeh Persian Kashkuli Nepal Modern India Kazak Turkish Konya Old Persian Malayer India Kazak Nepal Modern w/Silk Iran Gabbeh India Modern Jute Pakistan Sultanabad India Ikat Pakistan Chobi India Pebbles India Haji Jalili India Haji Jalili Antique Persian Kurd Pakistan Chobi Persian Kashkuli
5 x 6.9 5.10 x 6.10 4.8 x 6.7 4.6 x 6.5 5.2 x 7.2 4.6 x 6.8 4.5 x 7.2 4.11 x 6.6 4.10 x 6.10 5.1 x 7.2 5.2 x 7.7 5.3 x 7.6 5.7 x 7 4.9 x 7.10 5.7 x 7.9 5 x 7.10 5.3 x 7.1 5 x 7.9 4.5x 7.7 5.1 x 6.8 5.8 x 7.8
Rust/Navy Grey/Ivory Red/Gold Ivory/Rust Black/Gold Navy/Beige Blue/Rust Rust/Navy Green/Rust Green/Rust Beige/Brown Gold/Brown Beige/Red Blue/Ivory Chocolate Grey/Beige Beige/Gold Red/Burgandy Rust/Navy Beige Ivory/Navy
$3,355 $1,395 $2,505 $5,005 $2,505 $2,505 $1,255 $1,005 $2,505 $5,715 $4,755 $1,785 $3,445 $3,875 $4,675 $2,505 $3,275 $4,655 $1,005 $3,745 $8,505
$950 $425 $950 $1,850 $850 $950 $450 $450 $950 $1,525 $950 $550 $850 $1,450 $1,250 $850 $1,250 $1,550 $450 $1,250 $1,850
5x7 10031 8094 9030 8735 851 1402 7368 11733 10828 1053 952 9032 1115 9951 1785 9020 2092 9270 11730 8232 8734
Stock # 2246 2612 12421 8440 5847 6082 7206 4996 8015 811 14532 11734 8228 9948 1126 1437 10693 1445 294 800 2180 2088
Description Pakistan Chobi Pakistan Chobi India Isfahan India Oushak Turkish Kazak India Bidjar India Soumak India Sultanabad Pakistan Antique wash Iran Gabbeh Soumak Turkish Bidjar Pakistan Chobi India Oushak Inda Tabriz Pakistan Chobi India Oushak India Kazak India Haji Jalili Persian Kurd Pakistan Ghazani India Herati India Haji Jalili
Size 5.1 x 9.4 6 x 8.10 5.10 x9 6x9 6.3 x 9.3 6.1 x 8.9 6.2 x 8.10 6 x9 5.10 x 8.10 5.7 x 7.10 6x9 6x9 6.8 x 8.7 5.10 x 8.10 6 x 9.4 5.9 x 8.9 6x9 6 x 9.1 5.3 x 9 6 x 8.8 6.1 9.2 7x9
Color Chocolate Red/Ivory Pink/Ivory Red/Ivory Gold/Red Rust/Blue Blue/Ivory Beige/Brown Beige/Peach Gold/Red Gold/Red Beige/Green Beige Ivory/Brown Beige Beige/Rose Beige Brown/Navy Navy/Red Red/Burgandy Navy/Red Navy/Rust
Original Price $3,495 $3,975 $1,755 $7,905 $5,005 $2,970 $1,775 $2,575 $2,505 $5,315 $4,550 $5,005 $7,445 $5,155 $3,805 $1,815 $4,415 $6,685 $6,525 $3,215 $4,745 $6,300
Sale Price $750 $950 $850 $1,250 $450 $950 $550 $950 $950 $1,650 $750 $1,950 $1,950 $2,250 $950 $850 $1,250 $1,950 $950 $950 $950 $1,950
India Haji Jalili India Haji Jalili India Antique Look Kazak India Fine Tabriz India Esplande India William Morris Design Pakistan Bokhara India Esplande India Kozen Rajastan N Rajastan K Afghan Elephant Foot India Rhapsody with Silk India Rathey with Silk Pakistan Aryana Pakistan Chobi Rajstan K India Ikat India Mulberry with Silk India Pur Silk Tabriz
7.10 x 10.2 7.10 x 10 7.8 x 9.9 7.10 x 10.4 7.11 x 10.4 8 x 10 7.1 x 10.5 8 x 10.7 7.10 x 9.10 7.10 x 10 8.3 x 10.1 8.5 x 11 7.9 x 10.3 8 x 10 8 x 9.7 8.2 x 10.7 8 x 10.2 7.8 x 9.9 8.3 x 10.4 8.2 x 9.11
Burgandy/Gold Burgandy/Gray Navy/Rust Rust$8,905 Grey/Beige Rust/Beige Taupe Beige/Gold Beige Buirgand/Brown Burgandy/Blue Burgandy Grey Beige/Blue Beige/Rust Rose/Ivory Rust/Beige Navy/Rust Blue Beige /Green
$9,565 $9,405 $6,775 $1,950 $5,595 $3,605 $6,005 $6,855 $8,405 $7,445 $7,505 $4,005 $8,965 $10,005 $7,220 $4,500 $5,045 $6,305 $15,345 $19,295
$2,675 $2,575 $1,950
8 x 10 9267 9266 2045 9939 5078 11967 9830 6628 10554 1220 10059 12618 10896 10917 1101 7874 12911 7225 10538 4004
$1,650 $1,350 $990 $1,950 $1,990 $2,150 $990 $990 $1,550 $3,550 $1,950 $990 $2,250 $1,350 $4,550 $2,950
RUGS UNDER $1,000 Many colors and sizes to choose from.
QUALITY BRINGS YOU IN, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE BRINGS YOU BACK! Page 20 • November 2019 • PaloAvenue, Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com 707 Santa1, Cruz Menlo Park | (650) 327-6608 | www.theorientalcarpet.com
Movies
Answers to this week’s puzzles, which can be found on page 43.
So-dam Park and Woo-sik Choi star in the comical thriller “Parasite.”
OPENINGS
High and low 0001/2 (Aquarius, Century 20 & Icon) Few filmmakers working today display the combination of storytelling command, visual and editorial craft and perverse edge that distinguishes Bong Joon-ho. The writer-director of “The Host” returns with “Parasite,” an incomeinequality comedy that’s also a tinderbox ever threatening to ignite. The screenplay by Bong and co-writer Han Jin-won begins by introducing the Kims, a family living hand to mouth in a South Korean slum. From their sunken apartment, the Kims — father Ki-taek (Kang-ho Song), mother Moon-gwang (Jeong-eun Lee), son Ki-woo (Woo-sik Choi) and daughter Ki-jeong (So-dam Park) — conspire to steal local Wi-Fi; endure the indignity of drunks habitually urinating right before their eyes; and work together at odd jobs, like folding pizza boxes for a pittance. Although theirs is a constantly trying existence, the Kims have each other. This tight-knit bunch of merry pranksters spends each day tricking poverty into allowing
Courtesy of Neon.
In ‘Parasite,’ rich family crosses path with poor one
them to survive on the bottom rung of society. The family catches a break when a friend of Ki-woo, a university student about to study abroad, more or less hands off his job of tutoring rich girl Park Dahye. After smoothly maneuvering himself into the family, Ki-woo lands the job and entry into the Parks’ lavis and literally above-itall modern manse (also occupied by Lee Sun-kyun’s Mr. Park and Jung Hyun-joon’s spoiled brat Dasong). The ostensible “Parasite” of the title, the Kim family begins pondering how to make the most of their new access to the good life. That’s as much as you should know going into “Parasite,” which revels in its narrative hairpin turns. Bong masterfully constructs a comic first act destined to implode in a suspenseful second act. With a skilled cast, dazzling confidence and Fincher-esque control of design, photography and pacing, Bong delivers wild-ride entertainment that’s funny, squirmy, horrifying and poignant all in service of a
zeitgeist-y story of working-class frustration. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, where plans will always be disrupted by the chaos of nature and the predictability of human nature. “Parasite” implicitly poses the question of who is truly living off of whom in today’s economy that, if it continues on its current course, seems destined for class warfare. When populism fails at the ballot box, can violence be far behind? The stakes established, Bong hurtles into his unapologetic comic thriller with reckless abandon, following the allegorical fantasy where it wants to go. “Parasite” suggests that struggle tightens the bonds of family — but an untested family, warm in the lap of luxury, lives in an illusion of security and a cloud of ignorance. Deliver a shock to that system and the pain and bewilderment may be unendurable, irreparable. Rated R for language, some violence and sexual content. Two hours, 12 minutes. — Peter Canavese
Opera San José presents Engelbert Humperdinck’s
A holiday treat for the whole family!
MOVIES NOW SHOWING Abominable (PG) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Ad Astra (PG-13) ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. The Addams Family (2019) (PG) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Arctic Dogs (PG) Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Black and Blue (R) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. The Black Cat (1934) (Not Rated) Stanford Theatre: Friday Countdown (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. The Current War: Director’s Cut (PG-13) ++1/2 Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Downton Abbey (PG) ++ Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Dracula (1931) (Not Rated) Stanford Theatre: Friday Gemini Man (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Harriet (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Houseful 4 (Not Rated) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. The Invisible Man (1933) (Not Rated) Stanford Theatre: Sat. & Sun. JoJo Rabbit (PG-13) Palo Alto Square: Fri. - Sun.
Joker (R) ++1/2 Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Judy (PG-13)
Palo Alto Square: Fri. - Sun.
Youth Tickets ONLY $9!
The Lighthouse (R) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (PG) +1/2 Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Motherless Brooklyn (R) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood (R) +++ Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Pain and Glory (R)
Aquarius Theatre: Fri. - Sun.
Parasite (R) Aquarius Theatre: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Terminator: Dark Fate (R) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. The Werewolf of London (1935) (Not Rated) Stanford Theatre: Sat. & Sun. Western Stars (PG) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Zombieland: Double Tap (R) 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 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
All kids receive a small gift, plus sweet treats, opportunities to meet characters, and be photographed in fun, fairy tale settings. Recommended for children ages 6+
Nov 16 - Dec 1 Tickets available at OPERASJ.ORG or call (408) 437-4450
California Theatre • 345 South 1st Street, San José www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 21
Page 22 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 23
NOVEMBER 2019
LivingWell A monthly special section of news
& information for seniors
If you haven’t turned 70 yet, don’t retire
RETIREMENT AGE | WORK HOURS
Delayed retirement & savings
Stanford researchers find that working longer can be a boon to retirement savings by Sue Dremann
W
ant to retire more comfortably? Work longer. A Stanford University study on the financial benefits of delaying retirement until age 70 found that seniors can gain a significant amount of Social Security income to help offset drawing down their retirement savings. The May 2019 joint report by the Stanford Center on Longevity and the Society of Actuaries studied how middle-income retirees can best maximize their financial power so they’ll have enough to live on as they age. “Viability of the Spend Safely in Retirement in Retirement Strategy” found that working even a few extra years can mean a significant increase in retirement income. Most of the increased income comes from delaying Social Security benefits and not drawing down savings from your retirement account. The “spend safely in retirement strategy” starts with the assumption that most older workers will fall short of commonly recommended
retirement income goals — unless they can continue to work into their late 60s or 70s. But there are ways to manage even retirement income. The spend-safely strategy anticipates that middle-income retirees will rely heavily on Social Security benefits. A previous 2017 study by the researchers found that among middle-income retirees who use the spend-safely strategy to build a retirement income, Social Security benefits represent between twothirds to more than 80% of the portfolio. The dominance of Social Security benefits in the portfolio dampens the volatility in total retirement income from more aggressive investments, such as having a large proportion of stocks. Social Security benefits protect against the risks of longevity, inflation and market risks. The main drawback is if political winds shift and reduce Social Security payouts, the authors wrote. The study examined 292 different retirement-income strategies.
70 full time
$70,755
70 part time
$67,567
66.5 full time
$53,031
66.5 part time
$51,526
62 retired
$37,585 $0
$10K $20K Social Security
APARTMENTS AVAILABLE
They also looked at five hypothetical models: people who retired completely at age 62 and started Social Security benefits; those who kept working part or full time until full-retirement age 66 1/2; and those who worked part or full time until age 70 before taking the
650.327.0950 inquiry@channinghouse.org
www.channinghouse.org Lic #430700136
Page 24 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Drawdown Security
Source: ‘Viability of the Spend Safely in Retirement Strategy,” by Society of Actuaries
STAY CONNECTED, RETIRE IN DOWNTOWN PALO ALTO 850 Webster Street Palo Alto, CA 94301
$30K $40K $50K $60K $70K $80K
benefits and drawing from their savings. In one scenario, a 62-year-old, middle-income couple retiring in 2019 has a combined $100,000 household income and $350,000 in retirement savings. Their retirement income would be $70,755 if
they worked full time until age 70. If they worked full time until age 66 1/2, their retirement income would drop to $53,031 annually. Retiring at age 62, they would have to live on just $37,585. The amounts are not adjusted for inflation. (continued on page 27)
Medicare Advantage Plans FROM STANFORD HEALTH CARE
The coverage. The doctors. The healthy extras. With Stanford Health Care Advantage (HMO), you get medical, hospital and prescription drug coverage in one plan, and trusted care from a robust network of leading doctors—plus even more benefits that focus on healthy aging.
Walk in or RSVP StanfordHealthCareAdvantage.org/seminar
Or call us toll-free to learn more
1-844-778-2636 (TTY: 711) 8am – 8pm*
Come learn about Stanford Health Care Advantage at one of our seminars in your neighborhood.
Stanford Health Care Advantage is an HMO with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Stanford Health Care Advantage depends on contract renewal. For accommodations of persons with special needs at meetings call 1-844-778-2636 (TTY: 711). ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-855-996-8422 (TTY: 711). ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-855-996-8422 (TTY: 711). 注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-855-996-8422 (TTY: 711)。
H2986_MA20020_M
*Seven days a week (October 1 – March 31, except Thanksgiving and Christmas); Monday to Friday (April 1 – September 30, except holidays)
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 25
PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 5V[PJL PZ OLYLI`! .P]LU [OH[ 7HSV (S[V <UPÄLK :JOVVS +PZ[YPJ[ PZ PU]P[PUN IPKKLYZ [V Z\ITP[ H YLX\LZ[ [V IL PUJS\KLK PU [OL +PZ[YPJ[»Z )PKKLYZ )VVR MVY [OL ZJOVVS year 2019-2020 Trade categories include but may not be limited to: Asbestos Abatement, Audio-Visual, Bleachers, Clean up, Commissioning, Concrete, Demolition, Doors, Electrical, Elevator Services, Energy Management, Fences, Fire Alarm, Fire Protection, Flooring, Frames, Fuel, Furniture, General Contractor, Inspection & IOR Services, Irrigation Services, Janitorial Supplies, Landscaping, Mechanical, Modular )\PSKPUNZ 4VK\SHY 6ѝJL -\YUP[\YL 4V]PUN 7H]PUN 7OVUL +H[H 7OV[V]VS[HPJ 7S\TIPUN 9VVÄUN :LJ\YP[` :OLL[ Metal, Signs, Synthetic Turf Services, Testing, Trenching, Windows, and Window Coverings Request Submission no later than December 2, 2019 Send all information to: 7HSV (S[V <UPÄLK :JOVVS +PZ[YPJ[ 25 Churchill Avenue, Building D, Palo Alto, CA 94306-1099 Attn: Veronica Melero vmelero@pausd.org Phone: (650) 329-3927 Fax: (650) 327-3588
Living Well
Senior Focus AFTERNOON IN VIENNA ... Pianist Ian Scarfe will describe the context of early 1800s Vienna and play selections from Beethoven and Schubert in an afternoon lecture and recital on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 1 - 2:30 p.m. in the Schultz Cultural Arts Hall of the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center. Cost $15 at the door, no reservations required. The event is part of the JCC’s Community Tuesdays series. For more information, contact Michelle Rosengaus at 650-2238616 or mrosengaus@paloaltojcc. org.
NORTH KOREA ... The United Nations Association Film Festival will screen Linda Jablonska’s 2009 documentary “Welcome to North Korea,” which follows 27 Czechs on a sightseeing tour of a country that cultivates a cult of personality, maintains concentration camps for its citizens and doesn’t hide its development of nuclear weapons. Foreign visitors are permitted a view of only a carefully prepared illusion, supervised by guides. Monday, Nov. 11, 3 - 4:30 p.m. at Channing House Auditorium, 850 Webster St., Palo Alto, Free.
LINE DANCING ... Instructors Sandy Hsu and Kent You offer a line dancing class to pop music from around the world, classics and seasonal songs. No partners needed. Beginners welcome. Tuesdays, 1 - 2:30 p.m. at Avenidas@Cubberley, 4000 Middlefield Road. Free for Avenidas members; $5 for nonmembers.
HONORING VETERANS ... Oboist Brenda Schuman-Post will present “A History of Music in the U.S. Military” on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 1 2:30 p.m. in the Schultz Cultural Arts Hall of the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center. SchumanPost will present photos, paintings and video of soldiers and military transport, accompanied by music
Care.Cure.Prevent. Announcing Part Three of the Kensington Place Brain Health Speaker Series: PREVENT Thurs, Nov 14, 2019 • 5:30-6:30pm • Bloomingdales at Stanford Shopping Center featuring a special performance by Voices of Kensington, our resident singing group
Dr. Frank Longo
Kensington Place is a memory care residence that exclusively serves individuals with memory loss and their families. Our team has built strong relationships with progressive industry leaders who are making a difference in the lives of people living with dementia and who are searching for a cure. Please join us for a presentation by Dr. Frank Longo, a George E. and Lucy Becker Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford. Dr. Longo will discuss the science behind a potential cure for Alzheimer’s and will share measures that could possibly PREVENT the disease. RSVP to info@kensingtonplaceredwoodcity.com or call (650) 363-9200.
from the depicted time periods. Cost is $15 at the door, no reservations required. The event is part of the JCC’s Community Tuesdays series. For more information contact Michelle Rosengaus at 650-223-8616 or mrosengaus@paloaltojcc.org. DEATH CAFE... Mission Hospice will sponsor a “death café” Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2 - 4 p.m. at Bay Area Cancer Connections, 2335 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Death cafés offer people a chance to share their thoughts and questions about death in a supportive and safe environment . There is no agenda and Mission Hospice describes the death café as “a discussion group, not a support group or counseling session.” Tea and snacks will be served. Participation is free but registration is required. Go to missionhospice. eventbrite.com or contact Susan Barber at 650 532-2396. TAX PLANNING ... CPA Dennis Young and certified financial planner Barbara Binder will present tips and strategies for year-end tax planning on Monday, Nov. 18, 2 - 3:30 p.m. at Avenidas@450Bryant. The two will discuss 0% qualified dividends, longterm capital gains, tax treatments on withdrawals from IRAs, Roth IRAs and brokerage accounts, tax-efficient ways to give to charity and more. Space is limited. Call 650-289-5400 to RSVP. VOTERS CHOICE... Jean Lythcott of the League of Women Voters of Palo Alto will discuss Santa Clara County’s new election plans for 2020 on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 11 a.m. to noon at Avenidas@450Bryant. The California Voter’s Choice Act of 2016 allows counties to conduct elections under a new model that provides greater flexibility and convenience for voters. Santa Clara County will be among the first to adopt the changes, and Lythcott will describe what to expect. Free. HATS, JEWELRY AND MORE ... The Avenidas knitting club Aveneedles will offer handmade hats, scarves, jewelry and more in its annual fundraiser on Friday, Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Lounge of Avenidas@450Bryant. Proceeds will benefit Avenidas, the homeless services agency LifeMoves and the Peninsula Humane Society.
Items for Senior Focus may be emailed to Palo Alto Weekly Contributing Writer Chris Kenrick at ckenrick@paweekly.com.
(650) 363-9200 | 2800 El Camino Real | Redwood City, CA 94061 | www.KensingtonPlaceRedwoodCity.com Devoted Exclusively to Residents with Memory Loss
Partnering with and supporting:
Neurology & Neurological Sciences
Page 26 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Partnering sponsor:
RCFE License 415600964
Total Care Services
Make an appointment: call 888-723-7831 or visit bloodcenter.stanford.edu
Living Well
Retirement (continued from page 24)
Starting with more money doesn’t necessarily mean retirees will be better off as they age, the researchers found. An affluent couple with a $200,000 combined pre-retirement income and $1 million in retirement savings by age 60 would have a retirement income of $69,481 at age 62 and $128,156 if they worked full time until age 70. Although a seemingly better financial outcome, the affluent couple would also fall short of their common retirement income goals. They would be taking proportionately more income from their savings compared to the middle-income couple. As a result, they have more income subject to the savingseroding factors, such as longevity, investment and inflation risks, the report found. The researchers suggest the more affluent couple could benefit from refining their strategy or finding alternatives to the spend-safely model. Since many retirees have inadequate savings, the analysis looked at strategies for boosting retirement income. A large portion of retirement income would come from Social Security, so retirees might put much of their savings in investments such as stocks — the theory being they have little to lose and potentially much to gain with significant investments. “If they invest mostly in fixed-income investments, they lock in their modest savings,” the researchers said. They compared retirement incomes based on ages 77 to 80 to see how nominal retirement income amounts might fare under various kinds of investments: annual income
with 100% in stocks; annual income with 50/50 stock and bond allocations; and annual income with 100% invested in bonds. Over a 30-year retirement period, despite volatility, the 100% stock investment portfolio out-earned the 100% bonds or even the 50/50 stock-and-bond investments most of the time, but not always, the researchers found. They acknowledged most retirees would not feel comfortable with a 100% investment in stocks — even though the allocation of stocks to the total retirement income portfolio would be less than 50% when the value of Social Security benefits are included. Retirees could still benefit favorably with a 75% stock allocation, they said. There are some savings built into retirement. Workers need a total retirement income that replaces 70% to 80% of their gross pre-retirement income to maintain their standard of living before they retired, the researchers pointed out. They won’t need a 100% income replacement because retirees don’t pay Federal Insurance Contributions Act payments and Medicare taxes, which account about 7.65% of pay up to the Social Security Wage Base ($132,900 in 2019). Medicare taxes kick in at 1.45% if the income is above the Social Security Wage Base, and are more for higher incomes. Retirees also pay significantly less for state and federal taxes, since a large portion of Social Security income is exempt from income taxes and taxpayers ages 65 and older have larger tax deductions. The full report can be found online at tinyurl.com/y6haadm7 or at longevity.stanford.edu. Q Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.
NOVEMBER 2019 Living Well Discover the Top 5 reasons you should join Nov 1 Nov 8 Avenidas Rose Kleiner Center Open House Club Aveneedles (Needlework Club) Avenidas Village! 10-11am, tours; 11am-12pm, caregiver support group. 270 Escuela, Mountain View. Call 650289-5499 for more info. Free. Senior Planet Fall Course Open House 10-11am, Senior Planet@Avenidas. Free
Nov 2
• Transportation assistance & free rides • One phone number to call day or night for help • Network of pre-screened vendors + discounts • Volunteers who attend medical appointments & take notes • Numerous cultural outings & social gatherings
To find out more about Avenidas Village, feel free to call, stop by or attend one of our monthly Coffee Chats. Thursday, 11/7 at 2 pm Tuesday, 11/19 at 2 pm To register, call (650) 289-5405 or visit www.avenidasvillage.org
450 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 For complete schedule or info about Avenidas events, call 650-289-5400
Care Forum: Caregiver Health and Wellness Strategies 11am-2pm, Avenidas Rose Kleiner Center, 270 Escuela, Mountain View. RSVP required. Call 650-289-5400. Free. LGBTQ Season of Sharing Holiday Happy Hour, 2:30-4;30pm, Avenidas@450 Bryant. For more info call 650-289-5417. Free
Nov 4
Mandarin Language: “Medicare Updates and Changes for 2020” presented by HICAP, 10:30am-11:30am, Avenidas@Cubberley. Call 650-289-5409 for more info. Free.
Nov 5
Collage Club every Tuesday, 9:30-11:30am, Avenidas@450 Bryant. Bring your own project and supplies. Drop-in, free.
Nov 6
every Friday, 2-4 pm, Avenidas@Cubberley. Bring your own project. Light instruction only. Drop-in, free
Nov 11
Nov 20
Presentation: The California Voter’s Choice Act 10:30-11:30am, Avenidas@450 Bryant. RSVP required. Call 650-289-5400. Free.
Nov 21
Sound Bath 3-4pm, Avenidas@450 Bryant. RSVP required. Call 650-289-5400. $25/$30
Avenidas Hikers 9:30am – every Thursday. Email Susan at Susanj1942@gmail.com for trailhead info or to schedule. 0/$5
Nov 12
Nov 22
Book Club: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, 2:30-4pm, Avenidas@450 Bryant. Drop-in, free.
Annual Holiday Sale handmade hats, scarves, jewelry and more, 10am-2pm, Avenidas@450 Bryant. Presentation: “Designing Avenidas” 11:30am-12:30pm, Avenidas@450 Bryant. RSVP requested. Call 650-289-5400. Free. “Future Perfect” 2-3:30pm, Senior Planet@Avenidas. RSVP required. Email rsvp@seniorplanetaveindas.org, free
Nov 14
Nov 25
Read Aloud 2st Century Playwrights begins, Tuesdays, 2-4pm, 11/12-12/17, Avenidas@450 Bryant. Call 650-289-5400, $120/$130
Nov 13
Bottle Art class begins Thursdays, 11/14-12/12, Avenidas@450 Bryant. Call 650-289-5400. $40/$50 + materials Social Bridge every Friday, 1-4pm, Avenidas@450 Bryant. Call 650-289-5400 for more info. Drop-in, free.
Nov 18
Nov 7
Nov 19
Classical Chinese Mah Jong every Monday, 1-4pm, Avenidas@459 Bryant. Call Sylvia 650-327-6216. Free.
Nov 26
Nov 15
Current Events 1:30-3pm – every Wednesday, Avenidas@450 ÀÞ> Ì° /ÀÞ Þ ÕÀ wÀÃÌ iiÌ } vÀiit > Èxä 289-5400 for more info. Avenidas Village Coffee Chat 2pm, Avenidas@450 Bryant. Space is limited. RSVP required. Call 650-289-5405. Free.
Calendar of Events
Presentation: “Year-End Tax Planning” 2-3:30pm, Avenidas@459 Bryant. RSVP requested. Call 650-289-5400. Free. Avenidas Village Coffee Chat 2pm, Avenidas@450 Bryant. Space is limited. RSVP required. Call 650-289-5405. Free.
Avenidas Walkers 10am – every Tuesday. Call 650-387-5256 for trailhead info or to schedule. Free
Nov 27
Mindfulness Meditation every Wednesday, 2-3pm, Avenidas@450 Bryant. Drop-in, free.
Nov 28
Avenidas closed. Happy Thanksgiving
Nov 29
Avenidas closed.
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 27
Home&Real Estate
OPEN HOME GUIDE 40 Also online at PaloAltoOnline.com
A weekly guide to home, garden and real estate news
Home Front
COVER CROPS ... Learn about the benefits of cover crops, including stopping soil erosion and suppressing weeds, at a free UC Master Gardeners workshop on Saturday, Nov. 2, 10-11 a.m., at their Palo Alto Demonstration Garden. Fall and winter offers a good opportunity to use cover crops to nourish your garden. The workshop will cover how to prepare the beds and which crops are best to use. The Palo Alto Demonstration Garden is located at Eleanor Pardee Park, 851 Center Drive, Palo Alto. For more information, call 408-282-3105 or visit mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/ events. REUSE ZONE ... It might be an overstatement to say that the city of Palo Alto’s Reuse Zone proves that one person’s trash is another’s treasure, but this area at the city’s Household Hazardous Waste Station does offer an opportunity to make us of items that others have dropped off. The newly updated Reuse Zone, which celebrates its opening on Thursday, Nov. 7, 10-10:30 a.m., features items such as unused motor oil and gently used household cleaners and paints that you can take home for free. The city screens all items available. The Household Hazardous Waste Station is located at 2501 Embarcadero Way, Palo Alto. For more information, call 650-4965910 or visit cityofpaloalto.org and search “reuse zone”. Q
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 editor@ paweekly.com. Deadline is one week before publication.
There are more real estate features online. Go to PaloAltoOnline.com/ real_estate.
by Heather Zimmerman
F
or many years, Rosalind Creasy kept up a unique garden-to-table tradition with the children in her Los Altos neighborhood. With the kids’ help, Creasy would plant winter wheat in her front-yard garden, harvest it and bake it into bread. “Kids would come over and plant the wheat. Then they’d come back on the Fourth of July; they’d come that morning, early, harvest the wheat, thresh it on the driveway and put it on a wheelbarrow,” she said. After her gardener used a leaf blower to blow away the chaff, Creasy would place the wheat in a grain-grinder attachment on her kitchen mixer, make flour and then bake the bread, all with an assist from little hands. “The children would bring the warm bread to the neighborhood,” she said. “It was like a sacrament. We ended up with this amazing connection with bread. We’ve grown the wheat and produced the bread,” she said. Creasy, a renowned author, photographer and pioneer in edible landscaping, emphasizes the point that our culture has lost touch with our food. The intense flavors and bright colors that come with a home garden, particularly with heirloom varieties, can help re-create that connection, she said. When kids are helping tend the garden, the possibilities for connection — and fun — are pretty much limitless. Hidden Villa farm in Los Altos Hills is exploring those possibilities with a rare chance to hear Creasy speak on Nov. 3. The community farm is hosting a free “Gardening With Kids” class with Creasy. Though the topic focuses on sparking children’s imaginations in the garden, the class is for grown-ups only. The class at Hidden Villa came about through its homesteading program. “That is how Ros met one of our farmers and just had a connection. Then we saw her incredible garden and wanted to do everything we could to share her skills,” said Jessica DuVal, director of communications for Hidden Villa. Hidden Villa offers a variety of classes geared for young families,
Page 28 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
and Creasy has a long connection to the community farm, starting about 30 years ago, she said, when farmers at Hidden Villa planted a rainbow demonstration garden for her. For this class, even those with not-so-green-thumbs shouldn’t fear: It doesn’t take a project on the scale or skill level of making homegrown wheat into bread to pique children’s interest in gardening — and to use a garden to encourage a child in their unique interests. Though for beginners especially, Creasy recommended planting herbs because they’re easy to grow, they’re edible, and they have a variety of scents that children can explore. “I call them edible plants with training wheels,” she said. Creasy was a groundbreaker in championing planting an edible garden in the front yard, rather than a lawn, in the early 1980s. “I had a front-yard garden in Los Altos, which at the time was considered heretical. I took out the lawn and put in a vegetable garden. It was a magnet for neighborhood children who kept wanting to come in and see what was going on,” Creasy said. Gardening with the many young visitors to her front yard taught Creasy that letting the children guide the process was often the most effective way for them to experience the garden. If an interesting bug appeared during a planned activity, for instance, the activity might suddenly be set aside for an exploration of what bugs could be found in the yard. “I realized that I couldn’t have any rules — gardening is caught, not taught,” Creasy said, noting
Letting children explore a garden at their own pace and in their own way speaks to Creasy’s philosophy that “gardening is caught, not taught.” that in her own upbringing, her father had given her a vegetable garden at age 5 and encouraged her to plant what she wanted where she wanted. To draw children into a fun experience in the garden, if you can, base it on their individual interests, Creasy said. The best plants to use, she said, are simply “ones that they like.” “Are they really artistic? Put in different colors of poppies and learn the color spectrum. If they’re more the scientist type, or interested in bugs, (we could talk about) ‘what flowers are we going to put in to attract the bugs?’” she said. In the spring, it could be fun to grow a garden of natural Easter egg dyes using various colors of beets. In fact, Creasy emphasized the importance use of color — something she finds sadly lacking in the current Silicon Valley aesthetic right now. “There are just a hundred things you can do. You have to get out of this strait jacket that ‘it’s got to be a little plot,’”she said. What you
Courtesy of Rosalind Creasy
READ MORE ONLINE
PaloAltoOnline.com
Renowned author Rosalind Creasy discusses how to help kids catch the gardening bug
Courtesy of Rosalind Creasy
DOCUMENT SHREDDING ... Clear out some clutter and safely dispose of personal documents at a shredding event at the Sunnyvale Materials Recovery and Transfer (SMaRT) Station on Saturday, Nov. 2, 8 a.m. to noon. The city of Sunnyvale’s SMaRT Station and its partners, the cities of Palo Alto and Mountain View, offer this free event periodically to help deter identity theft. You must be a resident of Palo Alto, Mountain View or Sunnyvale to participate. The SMaRT Station is located at 301 Carl Road, Sunnyvale. For more information, call 408-752-8530 or visit cityofpaloalto.org.
Creasy has written numerous books on gardening and cooking, among them this introduction to organic gardening for children.
plant doesn’t have to be traditional varieties. All tomatoes aren’t red, and all radishes aren’t pink, Creasy noted — choose the colors that appeal most to a child: maybe an orange tomato or a purple radish. One way to get children interested in the garden might be serving them lavender-colored mashed potatoes made of blue potatoes, or a stir fry made from sprouts, and asking kids if they’d like to grow them. Especially because children “want rewards faster,” as Creasy put it, sprouts and radishes, which grow quickly, will provide more instant gratification. Planting a tree that bears their favorite fruit will take much longer, but will also reap a satisfying reward, especially when a child understands that it is their special tree. “There’s such joy to be had in the garden that people just don’t explore. My whole message is ‘lighten up,’” Creasy said. “The garden is this wonderful magical place. You have to let it happen.” Q Home & Real Estate Editor Heather Zimmerman can be emailed at hzimmerman@ paweekly.com.
If you’re interested Gardening With Kids takes place Nov. 3, 6-7 p.m., at Hidden Villa, 26870 Moody Road, Los Altos Hills. Creasy will also present a “Kitchen Herb Garden” class Nov. 24, 6-7 p.m. at Hidden Villa. Classes are free but registration is required. Register at hiddenvilla.org.
Have you found your place in the world? We’ve made it our mission to help you get there. Compass – a real estate company with a purpose.
compass
compass.com
Compass is the brand name used for services provided by one or more of the Compass group of subsidiary companies. Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01079009.
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 29
Page 30 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Listed By
Sherry & Christy Open Sunday 1:30 - 4:30pm
515 Jefferson Drive
Palo Alto Rare Opportunity on a 12,500Âą sf Lot
S
Prime North Palo Alto
Beautifully maintained 4 bd/3 ba home nestled on a coveted tree-lined street near Duveneck Elementary
Private, expansive 12,496Âą sf lot QRW LQ D Ă RRG ]RQH features pool, inviting patio, mature fruit and citrus trees 6SDFLRXV VLQJOH OHYHO Ă RRU SODQ VSDQV a VI
Flowing, open interiors offer generously sized formal & casual rooms opening to the backyard setting Large master suite with vaulted ceilings +DUGZRRG Ă RRUV WKURXJKRXW Detached two-car garage with abundant storage
2য়HUHG DW www.515Jefferson.com
Sherry Bucolo
650.207.9909
sbucolo@compass.com | DRE #00613242
Christy Giuliacci
650.380.5989
christyg@compass.com | DRE #01506761 www.PaloAltoOnline.com â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ November 1, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 31
OPEN HOUSE SAT/SUN 1:30 - 4:30 PM
3999 MIDDLEFIELD ROAD, PALO ALTO
Offered at $1,895,000
This charming three-bedroom cottage in South Palo Alto, with lovely curb appeal and a cozy front porch, has a spacious living room with fireplace, a wonderful sun-lit dining room with large windows and door to a pergola-covered patio, hardwood floors, new lush front and rear lawns, and an attached garage. The home of 1097 sq. ft. is nestled on a 6009 sq.ft. lot and conveniently located close to Mitchell Park with its wonderful Library, Community Center, and Magical Bridge Playground. Excellent Schools: Fair Meadow Elementary, JLS Middle, and Gunn High.
This information was supplied by third party sources. Sales Associate believes this information is correct but has QRW YHULÜHG WKLV LQIRUPDWLRQ DQG DVVXPHV QR OHJDO UHVSRQVLELOLW\ IRU LWV DFFXUDF\ %X\HU VKRXOG YHULI\ DFFXUDF\ DQG 7KLV LQIRUPDWLRQ ZDV VXSSOLHG E\ WKLUG SDUW\ VRXUFHV 6DOHV $VVRFLDWH EHOLHYHV WKLV LQIRUPDWLRQ LV FRUUHFW EXW KDV QRW YHULÜHG WKLV LQIRUPDWLRQ LQYHVWLJDWH WR %X\HUoV RZQ VDWLVIDFWLRQ DQG DVVXPHV QR OHJDO UHVSRQVLELOLW\ IRU LWV DFFXUDF\ %X\HU VKRXOG YHULI\ DFFXUDF\ DQG LQYHVWLJDWH WR %X\HUoV RZQ VDWLVIDFWLRQ
BRIAN CHANCELLOR (650) 303-5511 brianc@serenogroup.com brianchancellor.com DRE# 01174998 Page 32 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 33
Page 34 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
10584 White Fir Court, Cupertino $988,000 | 914 sq ft | 2 bed 2 bath
OPEN HOUSE Sat & Sun 11/2 & 11/3 1:30-4:30 pm
Juliana Lee 650.857.1000 DRE #00851314
5 Agents tried to sell this beautiful home in Palo Alto, but failed.
Juliana Lee represented the seller and sold this beautiful home in Palo Alto.
Then ...
SOLD (over $5M)
SOLD (via agent Juliana Lee Team)
BOUGHT (via agent Juliana Lee Team)
SELL YOUR HOME + BUY YOUR NEW HOME + MOVE DIRECTLY FROM OLD HOME TO NEW HOME You can do it.
LEARN HOW: JulianaLe.com/seminar: (English: 11/16 1pm-3pm. Mandarin: 11/23 1pm3pm www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 35
#"!
â&#x20AC;¢ Four bedrooms â&#x20AC;¢ Two bathrooms â&#x20AC;¢ private master suite â&#x20AC;¢ Large living room with: â&#x20AC;¢ wood burning fireplace â&#x20AC;¢ dedicated dining area â&#x20AC;¢ Expansive, light-filled eat-in kitchen â&#x20AC;¢ Separate family room featuring: â&#x20AC;¢ extensive built-in shelving â&#x20AC;¢ wood burning fireplace â&#x20AC;¢ Gleaming hardwood floors
â&#x20AC;¢ Large lot boasting: â&#x20AC;¢ private backyard â&#x20AC;¢ very spacious side yards â&#x20AC;¢ Desirable location with easy access to: â&#x20AC;¢ the Magical Playground â&#x20AC;¢ Mitchell Park Library â&#x20AC;¢ schools and parks â&#x20AC;¢ shopping, restaurants and transportation â&#x20AC;¢ Oversized two car garage â&#x20AC;¢ Home size: 1,914 square feet (approx.) â&#x20AC;¢ Lot size: 9,653 square feet (approx.)
Midtown Realty, Inc. â&#x20AC;¢ 2775 Middlefield Road â&#x20AC;¢ Phone: 650.321.1596 â&#x20AC;¢ www.midtownpaloalto.com Listing Agent: Tim Foy CalBRE# 00849721 Cell: 650.387.5078 tim@midtownpaloalto.com
OFFERED AT $2,695,000
OPEN SATURDAY 11/2 & SUNDAY 11/3 FROM 1:30-4:30PM Page 36 â&#x20AC;¢ November 1, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;¢ www.PaloAltoOnline.com
REALTORS
KEEP YOUR CLIENTS HAPPY AND PROTECTED
Your Realtor & You REALTORSÂŽ Share Tips to Prepare for Public Safety Power Shutoffs According to PG&E, the effects of climate change are making Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wildfire season longer and more intense, threatening homes and people's lives. In order to prevent tragedies like the deadly Camp Fire, the company plans to continue to proactively shut off electrical power to households during days of strong winds and extreme fire danger. "These shutoffs can happen any time of day or night as weather conditions change, so it is important to prepare as much as you can and have an emergency plan," says Alan Barbic, president of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORSÂŽ (SILVAR). Below are steps recommended by PG&E, SILVAR and other sources, to help homeowners prepare before a shutoff occurs: Q Create a safety plan for your family,
including pets. This includes emergency contact information and an emergency supply kit with enough water and nonperishable food to last your family for a week. Q When there is no power, Wi-Fi and other
devices that rely on electricity to function won't work, so keep mobile phones and other devices charged. Better yet, have an external battery charger that can charge your phone and other devices. Q Have a battery-operated radio so you can
listen for news updates. Q Have several flashlights available and store
extra batteries for your flashlights and portable radio. Q Keep cash on hand, preferably in small
bills, since ATMs and credit card machines may not function during an outage. Q Keep your gas tank always at least half full
since pumps at gas stations may not be operable. Q If your garage door does not have a battery
backup, learn how to manually open it. Q If you live in a unit that has elevators or
PRDS VS. CAR Free class and lunch for Realtors
11/5/19 Tuesday ~11:30 am-12:30 pm Brewer, Offord & Pedersen Law OfwVi
electronic key card access, talk with your building manager about how they will deal with a possible outage. Q During a power shut-off your refrigerator
will keep food cold for about four hours and a full freezer will keep its temperature for about two days if they are kept closed. Use coolers with ice or freeze water in plastic containers to keep food cold. Q If you rely on electric or battery-dependent
medical technologies such as breathing machines, a power wheelchair or scooter, and home oxygen or dialysis, make sure you have a plan in place for an extended power outage. **** Information provided in this column is presented by the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORSÂŽ. Send questions to Rose Meily at rmeily@silvar.org.
JLee Realty 4260 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Visit:
julianalee.com/agent-class Stunning Modern Masterpiece 3421 Orinda Street, Palo Alto Open House Sat., 11/02 & Sun., 11/03 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Excellent opportunity to purchase a turn key, newly updated bright & airy 3 bedroom, 2 full bath, 1 attached car garage home in the heart of Silicon Valley. Nestled within a beautifully landscaped front yard & fenced in private-tree lined, serene backyard with gorgeous Japanese maple trees. The upstairs master bedroom has an adjoining roof top deck. This charming home provides comfortable indoor-outdoor living with a paved covered patio. Conveniently located near Boulware Park, Palo Alto Square, California Ave shops, business, Cal Train Station, Margueriteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free Stanford shuttle, with easy access to 101/280. Award-winning Palo Alto Schools (Barron Park Elementary, Ellen Fletcher Middle, Gunn High School) subject to availability )HDWXUHV RI WKLV ÂżQH KRPH â&#x20AC;˘ Beautiful new bathrooms â&#x20AC;˘ Newly painted interior & exterior Â&#x2021; 1HZ HQJLQHHUHG KDUGZRRG Ă&#x20AC;RRUV â&#x20AC;˘ Granite kitchen countertop with new stainless-steel appliances, garbage disposal â&#x20AC;˘ Garage with shelves and new washer & dryer Â&#x2021; 1HZ LQGRRU /(' OLJKW Âż[WXUHV
PALO ALTO
â&#x20AC;˘ New light switches with Screwless Snap-On Decora Wall Plate â&#x20AC;˘ Double pane windows, Ductless cool/heating system â&#x20AC;˘ Low maintenance landscaping with low voltage lights. Â&#x2021; /RW VL]H VT IW Â&#x2021; +RPH VT IW â&#x20AC;˘ Property owned by listing agent as rental property never resided at property Jon Anderson Offered at $1,989,000 Realtor (650) 630-2147 JonsRealty@gmail.com www.JonsRealty.com www.PaloAltoOnline.com â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ November 1, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 37
SILICO N VALLE Y H O M ES
Cowper St, Palo Alto Offered at $27,800,000 Michael Dreyfus · 650.485.3476 Lic. #01121795 Noelle Queen · 650.427.9211 Lic. #01917593
51 Crescent Dr, Palo Alto Offered at $16,800,000 Gloria Young · 650.380.9918 Lic. #01895672 John Young · 650.862.2122 Lic. #02036387
2951 Bryant St, Palo Alto Offered at $4,950,000 Susan Tanner · 650.255.7372 Lic. #01736865
685 Lowell Ave, Palo Alto Offered at $4,795,000 Chris Iverson · 650.450.0450 Lic. #01708130
129 Lowell Ave, Palo Alto Offered at $4,249,000 Gloria Young · 650.380.9918 Lic. #01895672 John Young · 650.862.2122 Lic. #02036387
555 Byron St #303, Palo Alto Offered at $2,550,000 Lucy Berman · 650.208.8824 Lic. #01413627
623 Woodland Ave, Menlo Park Offered at $2,995,000 Annette Smith · 650.766.9429 Lic. #01180954
1280 Sharon Park Dr #27, Menlo Park Offered at $1,468,000 Omar Kinaan · 650.776.2828 Lic. #01723115
133 Burns Ave, Atherton Offered at $5,250,000 Omar Kinaan · 650.776.2828 Lic. #01723115
Portola Valley Offered at $12,000,000 Lisa Keith · 650.703.8644 Lic. #00882247 Michael Dreyfus · 650.485.3476 Lic. #01121795
177 Ramoso Rd, Portola Valley Offered at $6,500,000 Alex Bouja · 408.489.0025 Lic. # 01744054
240 Glenwood Ave, Woodside Offered at $2,400,000 Chris Iverson · 650.450.0450 Lic. #01708130
People have looked to Sotheby’s to discover the best in life for more than 250 years. Ask your Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty agent about opportunities around the world or around the corner. Palo Alto Office 728 Emerson St 650.644.3474
Menlo Park Office 640 Oak Grove Ave 650.847.1141
Bridgehampton, New York Property ID: CNX8BL sir.com
Los Altos Office 195 S. San Antonio Rd 650.941.4300
Woodside Office 2989 Woodside Rd 650.851.6600
Los Gatos Office 663 Blossom Hill Rd 408.358.2800
Other Offices BELV EDERE-TIBU RO N · BERKELE Y · DA NVILLE · L A FAY E T T E · MILL VA LLE Y · M O NTCL AIR NAPA · N OVATO · OA KL AND · ROS S VA LLE Y · SA N R A FA EL · SAUSALITO · STINSO N BE ACH Each office is independently owned and operated.
Page 38 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
®
Let DeLeon Team Showcase Your Home to Tens of Thousands of International Buyers
LPS Shanghai 2019 Luxury Property Showcase
SMART Investment & International Property Expo Nov 23-24, Hong Kong
Dec 6-8, Shanghai
Michael Repka and the DeLeon Team presenting Silicon Valley properties at the 2018 LPS event in Shanghai
Michael Repka, DeLeon Realty CEO, on a recent business trip to Hong Kong over Labor Day weekend 2019
Despite of many misconceptions, overseas Chinese buyers still comprise a large part of the buying pool for homes in Silicon Valley. In order to reach more of these buyers, DeLeon Realty CEO Michael Repka and Listing Manager Audrey Sun will again be hosting our annual participation booth at the prestigious Luxury Property Showcase (LPS) in Shanghai from December 6-8, 2019, as well as the Hong Kong Smart Expo from November 23-24, 2019. List your home with DeLeon Team by 11/15/2019 to receive maximum exposure to tens of thousands of Chinese buyers at these elite events!
Michael Repka, Managing Broker, DRE #01854880 650.900.7000 | michael@deleonrealty.com www.deleonrealty.com | DRE #01903224
List with Us Before
SMART Home Expo
LPS Shanghai
15
23-24
6-8
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
DeLeon Realty, Inc. REDEFINING TH E REAL ES TATE EXPERIENCE www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 39
OPEN HOMES ATHERTON
58 Northgate Sun 2-4 Compass 87 Patricia Dr Sun 2-4 Coldwell Banker 40 Selby Ln Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 Coldwell Banker 248 Greenoaks Dr Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 Compass 1 Holbrook Ln Sun 2-4 Compass
LEGEND: CONDO (C), TOWNHOME (T).
$3,495,000 4 BD/3.5 BA 465-5971 $10,795,000 5 BD/6.5 BA 566-5353 $5,800,000 5 BD/4 BA 855-9700 $7,650,000 6 BD/4.5 BA 465-6210 $4,849,000 6 BD/5.5 BA 743-0734
CUPERTINO
10584 White Fir Ct (C) Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 JLee Realty
EAST PALO ALTO 2772 Georgetown St Sat 1-4 Coldwell Banker
LOS ALTOS
1070 Mercedes Av #20 Sun 2-4 Sereno Group Realtors 487 Tyndall St #5 (C) Sun 1:30-4:30 DeLeon Realty 1065 Highlands Cir Sat/Sun 1-4 Sereno Group Realtors 1265 Thurston Av Sat/Sun 1-4 Sereno Group Realtors 465 Knoll Dr Sun 1:30-4:30 Sereno Group Realtors 1855 Esberg Rd Sun 2-4 Sereno Group Realtors
LOS ALTOS HILLS 26880 Ortega Dr Sat/Sun 1-4 Sereno Group Realtors
$988,000 2 BD/2 BA 857-1000
$879,000 3 BD/1 BA 704-3064
$975,000 2 BD/2 BA 434-2755 $998,000 2 BD/1 BA 900-7000 $2,249,000 3 BD/2 BA 388-0029 $3,798,000 4 BD/3.5 BA 388-0029 $5,999,000 5 BD/5.5 BA 465-7628 $5,286,000 6 BD/6 BA 947-2992
$4,248,000 3 BD/2.5 BA 207-0226
11564 Arroyo Oaks Dr $4,995,000 Sun 2-4 4 BD/4.5 BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 450-0450 10600 Chardonnay Ln $3,988,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 4 BD/3.5 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 26540 Conejo Ct $4,288,000 Sat/Sun 1-4 4 BD/3.5 BA Sereno Group Realtors (408) 621-1878 27760 Edgerton Rd $4,995,000 Sun 2-4 4 BD/6+2 H BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 917-2433 26600 Elena Rd $3,998,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 4 BD/3.5 BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 823-3292 10776 Mora Dr $3,788,000 Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 4 BD/2 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 27500 La Vida Real $49,990,000 By Appointment 5 BD/7+5 Half BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 26724 Palo Hills Dr $4,995,000 Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 5 BD/3.5 BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 722-1065 25850 Westwind Way $6,488,000 Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 5 BD/4.5 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 25621 Vinedo Ln $11,988,000 Sat 1:30-4:30 6 BD/8+3 Half BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000
MENLO PARK
675 Sharon Park Dr #320 (C) Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker 770 15th Av Sun 1:30-4:30 DeLeon Realty 816 Arnold Way Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 Coldwell Banker 180 Forest Ln Sun 2-4 Compass 707 Kingsley Av Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 DeLeon Realty 415 Lemon St Sat 1:30-4:30 Coldwell Banker
HAS YOUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE BEEN CANCELLED, OR INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY? We specialize in high-value, high-fire risk homeowners insurance.
Call us at 650.815.7068 Frank Hughes Your Local Agent | CA License #0G64028
$695,000 1 BD/1 BA 207-8444 $1,875,000 3 BD/2.5 BA 900-7000 $1,895,000 3 BD/1.5 BA 400-5039 $2,488,000 3 BD/2.5 BA 743-0734 $2,588,000 3 BD/3 BA 900-7000 $3,595,000 3 BD/3 BA 743-7702
Today’s news, sports & hot picks
The local news you care about is one click away. Receive information on what’s happening in your community by email every day. Sign up today at PaloAltoOnline.com/ express
Page 40 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
1105 Rosefield Way $3,585,000 Sat/Sun 1-4 3 BD/3 BA Coldwell Banker 207-8444 2323 Sharon Rd $1,549,000 Sun 2-4 3 BD/2.5 BA Compass 415-300-7122 623 Woodland Av $2,995,000 Sat/Sun 2-4 3 BD/3 BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 766-9429 1155 Merrill St #203 (C) $1,688,000 Sat 1:30-4:30 3 BD/2 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 710 Sand Hill Cir (T) $1,949,000 Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 3 BD/2.5 BA Compass 814-0478 485 Arbor Rd Call for price Sat 2-4/Sun 1-4 4 BD/3 BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 400-6364 1745 Bay Laurel Dr $5,295,000 Sun 1-4 4 BD/3.5 BA Coldwell Banker 465-4663 723 College Av $3,749,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 4 BD/2.5 BA Compass 862-3266 725 Evergreen St $3,800,000 Sat 1:30-4 4 BD/2.5 BA Compass 888-4898 16 Nancy Way $3,125,000 Sun 1-4 4 BD/2 BA Compass 862-3266 401 Oak Ct $3,195,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 4 BD/3 BA Compass 862-3266 630 San Benito Av $1,898,000 Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 4 BD/2.5 BA Compass 483-5532 40 Willow Rd $3,195,000 Sat 1-4 4 BD/3 BA Sereno Group Realtors 898-7246 1111 Woodland Av $2,595,000 Sun 1-4 4 BD/3 BA Compass 380-0085 1700 Bay Laurel Dr $5,895,000 Sun 2-4 5 BD/2.5 BA Compass 465-5971 3 Helen Pl $4,750,000 Sat 2-4 5 BD/3.5 BA Compass 400-8424 565 Olive St $3,988,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 5 BD/3 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 765 Cotton St $6,788,000 Sat 1:30-4:30 6 BD/4.5 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 1131 Hobart St $5,998,000 Sat/Sun 2-4 6 BD/6.5 BA Compass 799-3130 1224 Lemon Av $4,550,000 Sun 2-4 6 BD/4.5 BA Sereno Group Realtors 269-2766
555 Byron St #303 (C) $2,550,000 Sun 2-4 3 BD/3 BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 208-8821 2951 Bryant St $4,950,000 Sun 2-4 4 BD/4.5 BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 690-1379 270 Channing Av $3,995,000 Sun 2-4 4 BD/2.5 BA Coldwell Banker 400-8076 886 Chimalus Dr $2,988,000 Sat/Sun 1-5 4 BD/3.5 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 515 Jefferson Dr $4,995,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 4 BD/3 BA Compass 380-5989 685 Lowell Av $4,795,000 Sun 2-4 4 BD/2.5 BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 889-0889 1460 Middlefield Rd $3,300,000 Sat 2-4 4 BD/2 BA Coldwell Banker 464-4598 471 Pepper Av $3,198,000 Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 4 BD/3.5 BA Compass 245-4490 435 Santa Rita Av $11,000,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 4 BD/3.5 BA Zane MacGregor 520-6290 369 Churchill Av $39,988,000 By Appointment 5 BD/7+3 Half BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 4051 El Cerrito Rd $5,495,000 Sat 1:30-4:30 5 BD/5.5 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 741 Homer Av $6,550,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 5 BD/5.5 BA Compass 906-8008 1483 Kings Ln $4,295,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 5 BD/3 BA Sereno Group Realtors 303-5511 2388 Louis Rd $3,988,000 Sat 1:30-4:30 5 BD/4 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 2350 Tass St $4,498,000 Sat 1:30-4:30 5 BD/4.5 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 2001 Webster St $9,980,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 5 BD/5 BA Keller Williams Realty 269-7538 593 Glenbrook Dr $4,598,000 Sat 2-4/Sun 1:30-4:30 6 BD/4 BA Compass 464-608 142 Kellogg Av $4,988,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 6 BD/5 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 1436 Harker St $5,500,000 Sat/Sun 2-4 7 BD/5.5 BA Intero 400-4208
MOUNTAIN VIEW
PORTOLA VALLEY
725 Mariposa Av #205 (C) Sat/Sun 2-4 Coldwell Banker 263 Monroe Dr Sun 2-4 Sereno Group Realtors 505 Cypress Point Dr (C) Sat/Sun 1-4 Intero 2110 Stanford Av Sat/Sun 1-5 Intero
PALO ALTO
181 Addison Av Sun 1-4 Compass 138 Coleridge Av Sun 1:30-4:30 DeLeon Realty 124 Ferne Av Sun 2-4 Compass 224 N. California Av Sun 1:30-4:30 Zane MacGregor 820 Altaire Walk Sat 1:30-4:30 Sereno Group Realtors 2102 Old Page Mill Rd Sun 1:30-4:30 Coldwell Banker 3421 Orinda St Sat/Sun 1-4 Keller Williams Realty 650 Santa Rita Av Sun 1:30-4:30 DeLeon Realty 734 Seneca St Sun 11-1 Compass
$749,000 1 BD/1.5 BA 776-1581 $2,250,000 2 BD/1 BA 208-3841 $799,000 2 BD/1 BA 619-2737 $1,358,000 3 BD/2 BA 248-6069 $4,750,000 2 BD/2 BA 380-0085 $2,488,000 2 BD/2 BA 900-7000 $1,200,000 2 BD/2 BA 380-0220 $1,988,000 2 BD/1.5 BA 520-6290 $1,598,000 3 BD/2.5 BA 898-7246 $3,095,000 3 BD/3 BA 207-1555 $1,989,000 3 BD/2 BA 630-2147 $4,988,000 3 BD/3.5 BA 900-7000 $8,749,000 3 BD/3 BA 400-8424
110 Corte Madera Rd Sat/Sun 2-4 Coldwell Banker 180 Willowbrook Dr Sun 1:30-4:30 Coldwell Banker 286 Willowbrook Dr Sat 1:30-4:30 DeLeon Realty
WOODSIDE
$2,395,000 3 BD/2 BA 400-8076 $3,600,000 4 BD/2.5 BA 566-5353 $3,988,000 5 BD/4 BA 900-7000
14471 La Honda Rd $899,980 Sat/Sun 1-4 2 BD/1 BA Compass 642-1422 8 Blakewood Way $1,795,000 Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30 3 BD/2 BA Coldwell Banker 415-806-8230 240 Glenwood Av $2,400,000 Sun 2-4 3 BD/2 BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 868-2902 103 Hillside Dr $2,400,000 Sun 2-4 3 BD/3 BA Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 400-7409 1942 Kings Mountain Rd $2,395,000 Sun 1-4 3 BD/2.5 BA Compass 740-2970 370 Mountain Home Ct $17,988,000 By Appointment 3+1 BD/5.5 BA DeLeon Realty 900-7000 518 Patrol Rd $3,295,000 Sun 1-4 4 BD/2.5 BA Compass 740-2970 205 Eleanor Dr $5,495,000 Sat/Sun 1-4 5 BD/4 BA Compass 740-2970 320 Family Farm Rd $5,850,000 Sun 1:30-4:30 5 BD/3 BA Compass 207-7105
Sports Shorts
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS … The Palo Alto girls volleyball team completed a perfect season in the SCVAL De Anza Division with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-12 win at Mountain View on Tuesday night. Palo Alto (20-6, 12-0) advances to the CCS playoffs. The Vikings will likely play Saturday. Peninsula Athletic League champion Menlo-Atherton is also likely headed for the Open Division. The Bears completed Bay Division play with a 25-12, 25-14, 2518 victory over host San Mateo on Tuesday. Natalie Grover recorded 11 kills on .500 hitting to go with four, a pair of blocks and six digs. Senior Olivia Lang added eight kills on .500 hitting while Marit Hoyem had six kills on .385 hitting and four blocks.
ON THE AIR Friday College men’s cross country: Stanford at Pac-12 Championships, 11 a.m., Pac-12 Network College women’s cross country: Stanford at Pac-12 Championships, noon, Pac-12 Network
Sunday College women’s soccer: Arizona at Stanford, noon, Pac-12 Network College women’s volleyball: Oregon at Stanford, 2 p.m., Pac-12 Network College men’s soccer: UCLA at Stanford, 4 p.m., Pac-12 Network
Thursday College men’s soccer: Stanford at Oregon, 4 p.m., Pac-12 Network
READ MORE ONLINE
www.PASportsOnline.com For expanded daily coverage of college and prep sports, visit www.PASportsOnline.com
Sports
Palo Alto ready to hit the court ‘It’s about playing for your friends,’ Gibbs said
Local sports news and schedules, edited by Rick Eymer
said. “They’ll pose a big challenge. I’ve been coaching against (Mountain View coach) Shelley Smith ever since I came back to the SCVAL. He’s familiar with me, I’m familiar with him. The games are always a battle.’’ Paly is coming off a tough 2922 loss to Los Gatos. “After a loss it’s always a challenge,’’ Gifford said. “But we’re not looking back at Los Gatos. We’re talking about Mountain View, talking about what we can do to get better. We need to whittle stuff down and re-establish our identity. When our guys are focused they’re real good. I’ve got to make sure I don’t over-coach them.’’ Sophomore quarterback Danny Peters has had an outstanding season, completing 96 of 151 passes (63.6 percent) for 1,548 yards and 16 touchdowns. He encountered some adversity against Los Gatos, getting intercepted three times. “That screen pass, put that one on me,’’ Gifford said. “Maybe one and a half of those are on him. But he also makes up for it with some awesome throws. He’s in the conversation as one of the top quarterbacks in the league.’’
by Rick Eymer hortly after accepting the girls volleyball coaching position at Palo Alto, veteran coach Chris Crader met with his team and then had a separate meeting with his four seniors. His message was simple. “He told us to see ourselves with the CCS Open Division championship trophy,” senior Rebekah Limb said. “He came in with a lot of confidence about what he knew of the players. He talked about postseason. Coming in with so much confidence helped us be confident.” The Open Division is relatively new to the Central Coast Section, established in 2016 to bring together the eight best teams, regardless of division, to form a super tournament. It’s been a success. Entering its fourth year, the Open Division has become a symbol of prestige, a guaranteed spot in the NorCal playoffs and a path to a possible state final. Every team starts the season wanting to be one of the participants. Last year, Palo Alto became the first public school to win in the Open Division, beating St. Francis in four sets. The Vikings lost to the Lancers the previous season. “He knew a lot about our team,” senior Grace Thayer said. “We didn’t know where he was coming from but we have friends who played for him in club volleyball and heard good things. He calls us ‘Warriors’ a lot, like we’re the Warriors of the league, being the best historically. We had to play like the best team.” Palo Alto, which went undefeated in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, and Peninsula Athletic League champion MenloAtherton meet in the first round of this year’s Open Division, and will play at 3 p.m. Saturday at Palo Alto. The Vikings are seeded third and the Bears are seeded sixth. West Bay Athletic League champion Notre Dame Belmont is also in, along with Menlo School, which tied for second but had a solid second half. WCAL champion Sacred Heart Cathedral is No. 1 seed and will host the Knights at 7 p.m. Saturday. No. 5 Notre Dame travels to No. 4 St. Francis and No. 2 Mitty hosts No. 7 Valley Christian. The common thread among the private schools is the longevity of their coaches. That’s not case at Palo Alto. The seniors, despite winning four league titles, have been led by four different coaches. “It’s a tough deal for the seniors to have four coaches in four years,” Crader said. “I appreciate how they welcomed me. They had a great thing going before I showed up.” Palo Alto appeared in its first CCS championship game in 2000,
(continued on page 43)
(continued on page 42)
S
Karen Ambrose Hickey
CCS CHAMPIONS … Palo Alto’s top five golfers finished among the top 22 and the Vikings won their third Central Coast Section girls golf title with a team score of 370, seven strokes better than second-place Valley Christian at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch on Tuesday. Harker placed third, Menlo School was fifth, Gunn finished eighth and Menlo-Atherton placed 14th. The Warriors held the early lead through nine holes before Paly rallied on the back nine. Vikings’ Sydney Sung was the only player in the field under par with a round of 70, earning medalist honors. Pinewood senior Megan Chou finished in a five-way tie for third with a round of 72. Chou qualified as an individual for Monday’s NorCal Tournament, to be held at El Macero Country Club, near Davis. Palo Alto’s Katherine Sung was eighth overall with a score of 73, Lauren Sung was tied for ninth with a 74, Priya Bakshi was 15th with a score of 75, Bridget O’Keefe was 22nd with a 78 and Marina Mata shot a 78. Menlo’s top golfer was Vikki Xu, who placed in a tie for 22nd with a score of 78. Taylor Baik added an 81, followed by Gianna Inguagaito with an 86 and Sulwen Ma with an 88. Gunn’s top golfer was Athina Chen, who placed 49th overall with a score of 85. Isabelle Yu followed with an 86. Menlo-Atherton also had two players finish in the top half of the 116-player field. Nathalie Benrey shot an 80 and Katie Spivakovsky shot an 88.
CCS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Palo Alto receiver Jamir Shepard caught seven passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns against Los Gatos.
PREP FOOTBALL
Gunn title hopes remain on track Palo Alto, Sacred Heart Prep remain in contention by Glenn Reeves
P
alo Alto, Gunn and Woodside all play their final home game of the season Friday. Menlo-Atherton was also scheduled to do so, but was informed earlier this week that Aragon had decided to forfeit the game. So the Bears are 6-3 and 4-0 in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division heading into their regular-season finale Nov. 8 at The King’s Academy. Here’s a look at Friday’s matchups: Cupertino at Gunn, 7 p.m.: Gunn (7-1, 3-1) beats Cupertino and wins at Homestead the following week the Titans would finish no worse than tied for first place with Saratoga in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division. And in that scenario, by virtue of having defeated Saratoga, Gunn would be regarded as the league champion for Central Coast Section playoff seeding purposes. So the march to a league championship continues with Friday’s Senior Night game. “Our seniors have gone through some ups and downs,’’ Gunn coach Jason Miller said. “Now they get to finish on an upswing
in the changing culture of Gunn football.’’ Cupertino (3-5, 2-2) is led by dual-threat quarterback Demarcus Oandasan, the team leader in rushing. “Cupertino is the most athletic team we’ll have faced as far as team speed,’’ Miller said. “And they have a strong defensive line. They’re coming down from the De Anza (Division), so they’re used to playing a physical brand of football.’’ The Pioneers are not completely out of the El Camino race, just one game behind tri-leaders Gunn, Saratoga and Homestead. “I think they’re going to throw the kitchen sink at us,’’ Miller said. “We have to be prepared for a great effort from Cupertino.’’ Mountain View at Palo Alto, 7 p.m.: This is a big game for Palo Alto, (5-3, 2-2) which finds itself in fourth place in the SCVAL De Anza Division standings. Third-place Mountain View (7-1, 3-1) is having its best season in years, in part thanks to having capitalized on a weak non-league schedule. “This game is huge for us,’’ Palo Alto coach Nelson Gifford
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 41
Sports STANFORD WATER POLO
The best part of the season is now Top-ranked Cardinal looks forward to final weeks Hector Garcia-Molina/Stanford Athletics
by Rick Eymer
T
he Stanford men’s water polo team has reached the championship portion of its schedule and it’s got everybody’s attention. The top-ranked Cardinal, which has won its last 10 straight, travels to play defending national champion USC on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s title match. “We feel we’re prepared,” Stanford senior goalie Andrew Chun said. “When we looked at the schedule, we looked at late October, November and thought that’s when the real season starts.” Chun recorded a career-high 18 saves and Stanford, playing for the first time in two weeks, held off a strong challenge from visiting No. 5 Pepperdine to win a nonconference game, 12-11, on Sunday. Pepperdine was coming off a victory over USC, which has won seven of the past 11 national titles. The Trojans were the national runner-ups in the other years. Stanford reached its first NCAA title match since 2008 and has been in four championships since last winning the title in 2002. “We clearly know the next three weeks sets everything up,” Cardinal coach John Vargas said. “It’s an important piece of the season and
we’re focused.” Not that the first 16 games have been a vacation. On the contrary, Stanford (15-1) has worked all year to be ready for what lies ahead. “We knew the end of the season was back-loaded,” Stanford senior Bennett Williams said. “But we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. We’re all looking forward to playing USC.” Last year’s championship game may have particularly galling as the Cardinal let the Trojans open a large lead. Instead of folding, Stanford rallied and got back into the game before losing 14-12. “You always remember the losses,” Williams said. “But it’s a new year and a new team. I watched film of that loss and we look like a different team. We’ve grown so much, matured a lot. We want it more right now. I’ve seen it in practice and it takes a whole year of focusing. It’s about executing at a high level.” Part of that training was playing a series of exhibition games during the Stanford Invitational against Italy’s Pro Rocco, one of the top clubs in the world and against The Olympic Club, based in San Francisco and featuring former AllAmericans and Olympians from
Stanford and California. After USC, the Cardinal also play No. 2 UCLA and No. 8 California before the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament in Berkeley, Nov. 22-24. Chun is another in a long line of All-American goalies that have passed through Stanford. The senior from La Jolla was an All-American in high school and played with the USA Water Polo youth national team. “When you build a team, you start with the goalie and go up the middle with the two-meter defender and the two-meter,” Stanford coach John Vargas said. “I think we’ve done that.” In addition to Chun, reigning Peter J. Cutino Award winner Ben Hallock, regarded as one of the best two-meters in the world and who played with the U.S. in the 2016 Rio Olympics, certainly gives the Cardinal a powerful core. “Even when he’s not scoring he’s generating offense,” Vargas said. “He’s opening things up for other guys.” Pepperdine (17-6), which started Sacred Heart Prep grad JC Marco in the goal, made him work, though Hallock still scored a game-high four goals on six shots.
Volleyball
They’ve worked for this moment, even if they may not know who will coach. Senior Mia Gibbs, who will be attending, and playing for, Dartmouth (along with M-A’s Natalie Grover) in the fall, has talked about the team culture all season and how they believe in themselves and each other and all they need is someone to draw up a game plan. “This is four years in the making,” Gibbs said. “The team culture creates a bond among us to be successful. Sure we want to go as far as we can but it’s not so much about results, it’s more about playing for your friends.” Palo Alto players want to work hard, want to be coached, want to be the best they can be. “We always had the mentality,” senior Ashley Xu said. “I’ve always been impressed with how we knew
what we wanted to do and then went after it. We had high hopes and we also had the work ethic.” Added Gibbs: “We spend time thinking about the team and how we have to be in the moment. It’s the whole team. It’s Hailey (Callan), Hillary (Cheung) and Kylie (Mies), who all do an amazing job of setting for us.” This team has been tested all year, rebounding from two sets down to win five times in its first 12 matches. The Vikings’ six losses have been to teams that have combined to win 78 percent of their matches and each has at least 22 wins. Palo Alto is 14-2 against Central Coast Section teams. And there’s the legacy. Limb had two older sisters (Sarah and most recently Susanna) who also played at Palo Alto and who taught her about working hard and for a common good. “I saw what it meant to my sister and I wanted to fill her shoes,” Limb said. “I had to step up.” “We’ve had our eye on state,” said Thayer, who is hoping to walk on at a Division I program. “But we have to work toward that every day and make sure we have fun with our our teammates. I’ve worked hard just to make the team and I want to add to what the team expects and that’s the best out of us.” Q
(continued from page 41)
against St. Francis. The Vikings went another nine years before reappearing in 2009 against undefeated Mitty that went on to a state championship. Palo Alto broke through, winning state titles in 2010-11 under Dave Winn, who currently coaches at Mountain View. The Vikings appeared in four CCS title matches since 2009 and before they made the Open Division. “As soon as I accepted the job I began thinking about the potential,” said Crader, who has coached seven CCS champions at Menlo and Carlmont. “It would have been a disservice not to talk about the CCS Open Division.” The seniors appreciate it.
Karen Ambrose Hickey
Paly senior Ashley Xu (10) takes a swing as fellow seniors Rebekah Limb (right) and Grace Thayer look on. Page 42 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Andrew Chun earned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week honors after recording a career-high 18 saves in Stanford’s win over Pepperdine. “Pepperdine is having a great season,” Williams said. “They were coming off that big win over USC and have something to prove. They took it to us. It’s something we can learn from.” Marco recorded 13 saves for a .520 save percentage and even stopped a shot from former SHP teammate Larsen Weigle, who settled for an assist as his statistical contribution. “Once we get into a rhythm
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Bella Bachler SACRED HEART PREP WATER POLO The junior recorded 13 goals, 12 assists and 10 steals last week in helping the Gators beat St. Francis and clinch the West Catholic Athletic League title, and to reach the title match of the NorCal Invitational.
Eitan Smolyar GUNN FOOTBALL The senior fullback needed just eight carries to gain 264 yards and score four touchdowns in Gunn’s big win over Lynbrook on Friday night. The Titans are in a first place tie in the SCVAL El Camino Division.
Honorable mention Megan Chou Pinewood golf
Eleanor Facey Sacred Heart Prep water polo
Tevah Gevelber Castilleja cross country
Gabby Lewis Castilleja water polo
Kyra Pretre Menlo cross country
Tricia Zhang About the cover: Palo Alto girls volleyball senior Ashley Xu. Photo by Karen Ambrose Hickey.
we’ll be all right,” Chun said. “Sometimes when you’ve had some time off, you tend to play too quickly or not quickly enough.” The Cardinal never trailed but Pepperdine never let Stanford get comfortable. AJ Rossman scored on a power play with 33 seconds left to put Stanford up 12-10 but the Waves answered 12 seconds later. The Cardinal was able to run out the clock afterward. Q
Menlo tennis
Jake Escobar Woodside water polo
Calvin Katz Menlo cross country
Luke Johnston Sacred Heart Prep water polo
Andrew Mills Woodside water polo
Kamran Murray Menlo cross country
Jaden Richardson Menlo football *Previous winner
Watch video interviews of the Athletes of the Week, go to PASportsOnline.com
Sports
Football (continued from page 41)
Menlo School at Sequoia, 7 p.m.: Both teams have got to feel like a hard-to-come-by win is possible in this game. Menlo (3-5, 1-3) is coming off a 21-10 loss to San Mateo in which it was unable to dig itself out of an early 14-0 hole. “We soon realized how much better San Mateo runs their offense than our scout team does,’’ Menlo coach Josh Bowie said. “We were able to shut them down after the first two drives. Like so often this season we were our own best friend and
South San Francisco at Woodside, 7 p.m. These are two teams going through difficult times. Woodside (1-7, 1-2) has lost 12 of 13 going back to the middle of last season. South San Francisco (0-8, 0-3) is on an 18game losing streak that dates to the final game of the 2017 season. Woodside is coming off a 48-14 loss to Capuchino. “We made it pretty easy for them with poor tackling,’’ Woodside coach Justin Andrews said. “We couldn’t finish plays on offense and missed assignments on defense. It looked like we weren’t ready to play.’’
worst enemy.’’ Elliot Kinder will make his third start at quarterback as senior Kevin Alarcon has been ruled out for the rest of the season. “We trust Elliot can make the throws we need,’’ Bowie said. “Penalties hurt us against San Mateo. We can’t afford to play behind the sticks.’’ Sequoia (3-5, 0-3), looking for its first PAL Ocean win, will run out of the spread and try to utilize a significant size advantage on the line. “We have to be sound in everything we do,’’ Bowie said. “Every game we’ve been undersized, our 170-pound center outweighed by 80 pounds at the point of attack. But there’s no quit in our guys.’’
Across 1 They may be moved higher to prevent stealing 11 Green beans, e.g. 15 Line from a permissive judge 16 Moving feature of a Jurassic Park pinball machine 17 Skype predecessor 18 Onetime “Fashion Emergency” host 19 Pandora releases 20 Like notation in some high school classes 22 Make equal 23 “Grand Ole Opry Live” channel, once 25 Filing material? 26 Manuscript enclosure, for short 28 Trickster god of African folklore 30 “George of the Jungle” creature 33 Yielded under pressure 35 Lucky Charms bit 37 World’s oldest active endurance car race 41 Saffron-and-rice dish 42 Concert add-on? 43 Patient observers, for short 44 Daughter of Cyrus and mother of Xerxes (hidden in LOS GATOS-SARATOGA) 46 Meal prep boxes 50 Kristen of the upcoming “Wonder Woman 1984” 51 X-___ large 53 Dance-drama of Japan 54 Bars and clubs, say 58 Czech Republic capital, to locals 60 “Largo al factotum,” e.g. 61 Too steep 63 Phrase 64 Like a field for horses, perhaps? 65 City that hosted the Winter Olympics 8 days after Elizabeth II took the throne 66 Sextant forerunners.
AmiCare SERVICES INCORPORATED
Quality and affordable services right at the comfort of your home.
CAREGIVERS AVAILABLE ELDERLY MATTERS Live-In/Hourly/Overnight Experienced, References
CALL FOR A FREE NURSE ASSESSMENT
FREE ASSESSMENT
(650) 526-8810
408-728-2789
“Nothing Is As It Themes”--themeless this time. By Matt Jones
This week’s SUDOKU
Answers on page 21.
Answers on page 21.
Down 1 Musk-making mammals 2 Rachel’s “The Favourite” costar 3 Radio staples 4 “When the Lights Go Down” critic Pauline 5 “___ on Jeopardy” (“Weird Al” Yankovic parody) 6 ‘70s prog rock supergroup, for short 7 Astronomer Kepler 8 Deserter status 9 Greet (the new year) 10 Stays away 11 Rigid 12 “Harry Potter” librarian ___ Pince 13 “…chame la Culpa” singer Lovato
South City has been outscored 123-7 in three PAL Lake games and 400-20 on the season. So this game looks like an opportunity for Woodside to get back in the win column. “We’re definitely not taking any team lightly with our circumstances,’’ Andrews said. “If we have an off night they might come in and steal one. Our run defense was so good most of the game versus Mills and then it was back to the wild, wild west last week. We want to get back to playing sound football again with an emphasis on defense.’’ Q
Marketplace
M-A’s Justin Anderson runs with the football as SHP’s J.P. Primel pursues him.
Bob Dahlberg
Sacred Heart Prep at Burlingame, 7 p.m.: The Gators (62, 3-1) are coming off a big win against The King’s Academy and former coach Pete Lavorato that puts them in second place in the PAL Bay standings. Now they have to get up for a Burlingame team (3-5, 1-3) that is reeling after a 42-0 loss to Menlo-Atherton. Burlingame losing to M-A was not a surprise. The margin of victory was. “Usually in the past they kept it close even when it was a physical mismatch,’’ SHP coach Mark Grieb said. “It doesn’t take away from how tough they are, how hard they compete. We’ve got to be prepared to play against a wellcoached team. In the years I’ve been here I don’t think we’ve ever had a game against Burlingame that wasn’t close. Last year we had a defensive touchdown and a special teams touchdown and other than that didn’t do much. I know record-wise things haven’t gone how Burlingame would like, but they’re a good team.’’ The Gators got a boost in the fourth quarter of the TKA game when standout running back Tevita Moimoi returned to action after sitting out with an injury
incurred against Menlo-Atherton. “I wasn’t planning to put him in at all,’’ Grieb said. “But he said, ‘coach, I feel good.’ Hopefully he’s feeling better this week.’’
14 Boardroom fixture? 21 Basement fixture 24 Athlete who once said “Labels are for filing. Labels are for clothing. Labels are not for people.” 27 Green New Deal concern, for short 29 “___ Life” (Peter Mayle book) 30 “13th” documentarian DuVernay 31 Cross product 32 Unsure syllables 34 Cafe designation 36 Stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway 37 1400, for legionnaires? 38 Record label for acts like Cocteau Twins and Bon Iver (and a year in the reign of Emperor Augustus)
CONTACT BETH
www.sudoku.name
39 “___ a real nowhere man” 40 Nurturing sort 45 Gothic arches 47 Riding with the meter running 48 “I’ve had it up ___!” 49 “___ back, tell a friend” (Eminem lyric) 50 Company that makes the Slip ‘N Slide and Frisbee 52 Earth Day setting 54 Its HQ is in Brussels 55 Mad moods 56 Word in a series of Larsson titles 57 Boba not found in tea 59 First Atlantic hurricane “R” name to be used twice 62 Con con ©2019 Jonesin’ Crosswords (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com)
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 1, 2019 • Page 43
COLDWELL BANKER
Palo Alto | $3,300,000 Welcome to this warm, inviting and light-filled storybook 4br/2ba home in beautiful Professorville. 1,990 sf. and 5,775 sf. lot. Camille Eder 650.464.4598 Camille.Eder@gmail.com CalRE#01394600
Auburn | $625,000 Vintage Oaks custom home with 4br/3ba, hardwood floors and a large backyard. Nicole Spencer 650.537.1245 CalRE#02008447 Laurie Whitton 530.401.5127 CalRE#01811228
YOUR HOME CAN BE A
SUPERSTAR! Don’t miss this chance to showcase your home on the hottest real estate show around. At Home in Northern California is a weekly Coldwell Banker® TV program featuring fabulous local properties for sale. Check it out on Sundays at 4 pm on ABC7. Find out how to shine a spotlight on your home. Contact your local Coldwell Banker office today for details. ColdwellBankerHomes.com
COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. 414911SFSV_07/18 CalRE #01908304. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
Page 44 • November 1, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com