Palo Alto Weekly December 13, 2019 by Palo Alto Weekly

Palo Alto

Vol. XL, Number 10

December 13, 2019

City wants to fix commission system Page 5

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

‘ A Pride

and

’ Prejudice premiere

Donate to the HOLIDAY FUND page 8

Musical Jane Austen adaptation debuts with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Page 18

Transitions 15 Eating Out 21 Movies 23 Sports 26 Puzzles 27 Q News Middle school math proposal aims to help lower achievers Page 5 Q Spectrum Op-ed: Tired of all the ‘virtue signaling’? Page 16 Q Home Unusual holiday tree captures beauty of Filoli’s gardens

Page 24

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A new hospital for more healing.

Page 2 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 3

Page 4 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Upfront

Local news, information and analysis

Commission system up for an overhaul City Council cites inconsistencies in how boards operate, lack of clear guidance on removing members by Gennady Sheyner

iting widespread confusion about the roles and rules of local commissions, the Palo Alto City Council agreed on Monday to explore a series of reforms to the longstanding commission system. The council agreed by a 5-2

vote to launch the reform effort, which will be guided by council members Tom DuBois and Alison Cormack, and which is scheduled to be completed by February. Council members Liz Kniss and Greg Tanaka both dissented, even as they agreed that

the commission system would benefit from some changes. Kniss broke away from her colleagues because she wanted the council’s Policy and Services Committee — rather than the two-member ad hoc committee — to lead the effort. The committee currently includes Kniss, Councilwoman Lydia Kou and Tanaka, though it will likely see its membership change next year, when the new mayor issues

committee assignments. Kniss noted that Policy and Services, as a standing committee, holds its meeting in public, while an ad hoc committee isn’t bound by the same transparency rules. “I’m troubled that it won’t be out in public, whereas Policy and Services is,” Kniss said. Tanaka for his part argued that the city should consider a much broader overhaul to the commission system, including a revamp

of how the city appoints commissioners. He argued that the city should delegate more work to its boards and commissions. Rather than having the same arguments repeated at commission and council hearings, he recommended having some land-use items go on the council’s “consent calendar” after a commission reviews it, obviating the need for a (continued on page 12)

EDUCATION

New math plan meets with praise, concern District hopes changes will place students in geometry during freshman year by Elena Kadvany

P Magali Gauthier

Darian Huiltron-Riverra, a senior at East Palo Alto Academy, delivers a practice closing statement to her debate coach, Kwodwo Moore, during a coaching session on campus after school on Nov. 18.

HOLIDAY FUND

Through the art of debate, students find their voice High schoolers take on an activity many fear: public speaking

ules Thomas has always been confident in his public speaking skills, but nerves got the best of him when he first entered the world of debate. During his freshman year of high school, he was intimidated by the sight of people speed talking through their points and felt challenged when he faced

by Jamey Padojino rebuttal arguments from the opposing team. At his first tournament, he was stumped by a question and ended up losing the match. The loss was enough to make him stop participating with the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League for a while. With his mother’s encouragement, he

improved his skills by watching a video of himself in a debate round and then felt motivated to return. On the night before a debate tournament last school year, he was up from 2-5 a.m. reading as many articles as he could on the topic of selling guns to Afghanistan and Iran to drill key ideas

in his head. He was thrilled when he and his partner were assigned to argue against the issue and shocked when his team was named the winner. “Are you sure?” he recalled asking the judge. His partner quickly told him (continued on page 9)

alo Alto Board of Education members and some parents were largely enthused about district leadership’s plan to overhaul middle school mathematics over the next several years, while other parents pushed back against what one described as a “watering down” of math instruction. In response to low-income and minority students’ declining test scores on the state’s Smarter Balanced exam, particularly in math by the end of eighth grade, district administrators and middle school principals worked over the last two months to design a middle school math program that will better serve a broader swath of students. Their plan — which does not require action by the school board, as it shifts content rather than adds courses or core materials, Superintendent Don Austin noted on Tuesday — advocates for standards-based learning over the traditional grading system. It also pushes for mixed-ability classes rather than laned ones in which students are segregated into higher and lower levels. The district plans to revise sixth- through eighth-grade math classes to move at a faster pace, covering four years of standards in three years. Ultimately, the district hopes the changes will provide a path for all middle schoolers to take (continued on page 10)

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 5

Upfront

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Page 6 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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.

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There is no war. —Don Austin, Palo Alto school district superintendent, on a plan to overhaul middle school mathematics. See story on page 5.

Around Town

RULES OF THE GAME ... Palo Alto City Council meetings are awash in procedural jargon (Care for a “friendly amendment” with your “substitute motion?”) and unusual practices (for example, the only council members who can speak to “consent calendar” items are those who vote no). The council’s Policy and Services Committee is charged with reviewing these rules every year, though that hasn’t actually happened since 2013. Even then, the committee’s proposed changes were never formally adopted. Now, the council is renewing its push to clean up and modernize its handbook of policies and procedures. On Tuesday night, the committee went over the 49-page manual and recommended exploring a series of changes, including policies on the sequence of the consent calendar (Should the dissenting council members be allowed to talk before the vote or only after, as under current practice?), the amount of time members of the public should be allowed to speak and the city’s policies for having council members call into meetings. While the committee unanimously approved most of the minor changes proposed by city staff, some had some disagreements about the telephoning policy, with Greg Tanaka supporting giving council members more latitude in participating from afar and Lydia Kou suggesting that council members should be physically present at meetings whenever possible. Tanaka noted that some council members have jobs that require them to travel. Kou countered that council members should be aware of the time commitment they will need to make when they run for council. Chairwoman Liz Kniss, meanwhile, took issue with a relatively recent phenomenon — council members who craft long motions emailed to the city clerk before the meeting. The practice, Kniss argued, runs counter to the idea that council members should hear from the public before making decisions. HOW TO AVOID THE GRINCH ... With the holiday shopping season now in full swing, the Palo Alto Police Department has relaunched its “Lock It or Lose It!” campaign, which aims to prevent community members and visitors from becoming targets of car and home burglaries. If not, they face the risk of losing their items. The effort also

seeks to deter package thefts from porches. As the campaign’s name implies, the public is advised to lock their doors and side yard gates and keep their valuables under watch or out of plain view. Residents should also roll up their windows. While some opt to hide their property in a car trunk, the Police Department said some burglars will try to push the trunk release and check for items. Burglars could also be on the lookout for shoppers who choose to store their bags with merchandise in their car. This year, the city has seen more vehicles than homes burglarized. As of Nov. 30, the city has seen 816 car burglaries, where thieves break into a locked car; 139 thefts from autos, where people enter an unlocked car; and 70 residential burglaries, where a person enters an empty home that is either locked or unlocked. Find more theft prevention tips, at bit.ly/PackageTheftTips.

ARTISTIC TRIUMPH ... ... Five high school students from Palo Alto are among the hundreds of 2020 YoungArts winners, the National YoungArts Foundation announced on Nov. 26. The honorees, all 15-18 years old, were deemed the best young artists in their respective discipline and selected from panels of artists specific to their chosen artform. Palo Alto High School was represented on the list through ballerina Alina Taratorin, guitarist Conor Padmanabhan and violoncellist Davis You. Gunn High School received two mentions through design artist Shannon Lin and pianist Ethan Yuen. A total 686 individuals were recognized across 40 states in the visual, literary and performing arts. They are eligible for cash prizes of up to $10,000 and a chance to partake in National YoungArts Week, an intensive, weeklong program featuring master classes, workshops and opportunities to find mentorship from leading artists. “This group of emerging talent represents the inspiring potential of the next generation of artists. We look forward to welcoming them to the YoungArts community of leading artists and are thrilled to support their work from this early stage and throughout their careers,” Sarah Arison, chairwoman of the foundation’s board of trustees, said in a statement. Q

Upfront COMMUNITY

Online This Week

Churches offer a space to deal with sadness during the holidays

These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAlto Online.com/news.

An antidote to relentless seasonal cheer, Blue Christmas services are for anyone who may not be feeling so joyful

Woman hides, steals items from closed store

by Lloyd Lee

Man arrested for stabbing co-worker A man suspected of stabbing his co-worker with a knife during a confrontation on Wednesday afternoon at Rubrik, a cloud data management company in Palo Alto, has been booked into jail, police said in a press release. (Posted Dec. 11, 3:11 p.m.)

Traffic woes likely to drive priorities As the Palo Alto City Council sets its eyes on 2020, members are preparing for another year in which the city’s transportation problems top their list of official priorities. (Posted Dec. 11, 9:56 a.m.)

Forty-foot elm falls onto roadway A 40-foot-tall Chinese elm tree on the 3800 block of Middlefield Road in Palo Alto collapsed in the roadway early Tuesday morning, blocking northbound lanes, according to city urban forester Walter Passmore. (Posted Dec. 10, 9:55 a.m.)

Sammy Dallal

or Maija Cruz, Christmas always involved boxes of ornaments, garlands, nativity scenes and lights hauled out of storage and into her mom’s living room the Friday after Thanksgiving. “She pulled out all the stops,” Cruz, 33, said of her single mom, Sheila, who loved to remind her which ornaments came from which family member. But those traditions fell apart as Cruz, who was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, settled in the Midpeninsula after graduating from Stanford University, starting a new job and marrying her husband in 2015. Sheila witnessed her only child start a new life without her, over 2,000 miles away, and that created a rift between her and her daughter. “We became somewhat estranged, and it really changed the holiday experience for me because Christmas was this binding time,” Cruz said. For the first time, in 2013, Cruz didn’t go back to Milwaukee to be surrounded by family and the comfort of their traditions. Things were different and Cruz felt isolated during the normally spirited holidays. Then she found an event called Blue Christmas. Also known as the Longest Night or Longest Sleep, Blue Christmas is a church service for people like Cruz who can’t feign the joy that’s expected every year for the holidays, whether it’s due to familial discord, loss of a family member, divorce, illness, unemployment or even a national or global issue that may be causing personal anxiety. And this year, University Lutheran Church, Palo Alto Vineyard Church and Highway Palo Alto Community in Christ are offering their own space in which to quietly reflect, grieve or mourn during the holidays. “(Blue Christmas) creates space to embrace what’s important about Christmas, but you don’t have to be all happy and joyful about it,” said Susan Van Riesen, lead pastor of Vineyard Church. “It gives you the freedom to really be authentically where you’re at in your life while acknowledging the holidays.” After attending University Lutheran’s service last year, Van Riesen was inspired to host a similar event through Vineyard Church for the first time at Mitchell Park Community Center. The purpose is similar, but each church will have its own interpretation of Blue Christmas and method of creating a space for reflection and remembrance.

A woman who allegedly snuck into the Coach store at Stanford Shopping Center through a restricted entrance, hid until after closing time and stole nearly $4,000 worth of merchandise was arrested early Monday morning, police said Wednesday. (Posted Dec. 11, 8:39 p.m.)

Maija Cruz sits with her dog, Oly, next to the Christmas tree she set up in her apartment in Mountain View. During Cruz’s childhood in Wisconsin, the holiday was a huge family event, but then she and her mother became somewhat estranged. Now, Cruz is slowly starting to get back into the holiday spirit in part thanks to the Blue Christmas service at University Lutheran Church in Palo Alto, which she’s attended since 2013. At University Lutheran Church, inside a dimly lit sanctuary with candles and blue lights, stations with different activities — such as origami, drawing, writing or poetry reading — will be set up for people to freely visit. Time will also be reserved for singing what Rev. Gregory Schaeffer, pastor of University Lutheran, calls “paperless songs” — music that is easy for people to follow along with and won’t require them to know the lyrics. “It’s not like a Christmas Eve service where everything is bright and gold,” Schaeffer said. “It’s a little more sheltering or enveloping.” For Vineyard Church, hosting at Mitchell Park Community Center will not only provide people on the other side of town another option for a Blue Christmas service but also a more familiar space that’s not a church. Van Riesen also said their service will invite people to be prayed for by members of Vineyard Church’s prayer ministry. In addition, to make the space more comfortable and open to everyone, the church won’t be asking visitors to attend their ministry in the future, which is customary for typical services. “Even though our church is putting it on, I want it to be not necessarily about our church or for our church,” Van Riesen said. “This, more than anything else we do, is very much for the community.” Vineyard Church and University Lutheran Church will give people the option to share what they’re grieving about or whatever is on their minds during the service in order to provide a more cathartic experience.

At Highway church, people will have the option to speak with others or a pastor after the hour-long service. Cruz has attended University Lutheran’s service for the past six years, slowly allowing herself to create and accept new holiday traditions: catching a screening of Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Stanford Theatre, setting up a small birch tree inside her Mountain View home that reminds her of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and attending Blue Christmas. “I have new traditions now. I have new habits each year, and now Blue Christmas is just on my calendar,” she said. “Even though I’m in a better place now, it’s still nice to take a moment to give yourself permission to still mourn the loss of what used to be.” Q Editorial Assistant Lloyd Lee can be emailed at llee@ paweekly.com.

City to ban sales of vaping products Palo Alto’s campaign against vaping heated up Monday night, when the City Council agreed to ban the sales and distribution of electronic cigarettes at local stores. (Posted Dec. 10, 12:30 a.m.)

CityView A round-up

of Palo Alto government action this week

City Council (Dec. 9)

Commissions: The council supported having an ad hoc committee explore additional guidelines for the city’s boards and commissions. Yes: Cormack, DuBois, Filseth, Fine, Kou No: Kniss, Tanaka Vaping: The council approved a proposal from council members DuBois and Kou to adopt an ordinance banning sale and distribution of vaping products. Yes: Unanimous

Council Policies and Services Committee (Dec. 10)

Procedures: The committee discussed potential changes to various items in the Council Procedures and Policy Handbook, including policies for telephonic participation at meetings and the sequence for addressing consent calendar items. It approved most of the proposed changes and forwarded a few to the full council for consideration. Yes: Unanimous Priorities: The committee discussed the council’s annual priority-setting process and agreed that the priorities for 2020 should be more concrete and actionable. Yes: Unanimous

Parks and Recreation Commission (Dec. 10)

Recreation: The commission heard updates about the city’s aquatics program and the recently renovated municipal golf course, Baylands Golf Links Action: None Cubberley: The commission heard an update about the planning process for the redevelopment of Cubberley Community Center. Action: None

Board of Education (Dec. 10)

IF YOU’RE GOING

Palo Alto Vineyard Church will host Blue Christmas on Dec. 18, 7 p.m. in the El Palo Alto Room of Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Highway Palo Alto Community in Christ will hold The Longest Night on Dec. 18, 7 p.m. at High Way Palo Alto Community in Christ, 3373 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. University Lutheran Church will host Blue Christmas on Dec. 20, 7 p.m. at University Lutheran Church, 1611 Stanford Ave., Palo Alto.

Middle school math: The board heard a report on a revision of the district’s middle school mathematics program. Action: None Election of officers: The board voted Todd Collins as president and Shounak Dharap as vice president for 2020. Yes: Unanimous First interim budget: The board waived its two meeting rule and approved the district’s first interim budget report. Yes: Unanimous High school fields: The board waived its two meeting rule and authorized staff to seek bids for the replacement of synthetic turf football fields at Gunn and Palo Alto high schools and Paly’s lacrosse field. Yes: Unanimous

Planning and Transportation Commission (Dec. 11)

470 Olive Ave.: The commission recommended approving a staff recommendation for amortization of an non-conforming office use at a residentially-zoned property at 470 Olive Ave. Yes: Alcheck, Lauing, Riggs, Roohparvar, Templeton, Waldfogel No: Summa

Historic Resources Board (Dec. 12)

840 Kipling St.: The board approved proposed additions and modifications to a residence at 840 Kipling St. Yes: Bower, Corey, Kohler, Shepherd, Wimmer Absent: Makinen Recused: Bernstein

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 7

Support our Kids with a gift to the Holiday Fund Last Year’s Grant Recipients 49ers Academy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Able Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Ada’s Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Adolescent Counseling Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Aim High for High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 All Students Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000 Art in Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Art of Yoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Bayshore Christian Ministries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Big Brothers Big Sisters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Buena Vista Homework Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 CASSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. . . . . . . . $10,000 Downtown Streets Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 DreamCatchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000 East Palo Alto Academy Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 East Palo Alto Charter School (EPACS). . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 East Palo Alto Kids Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 East Palo Alto Tennis & Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 Environmental Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Family Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Fit Kids Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Foundation for a College Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Friends of Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Get Involved Palo Alto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Hidden Villa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Jasper Ridge Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Kara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 KIPP Valiant Community Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,000 La Comida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Live in Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Marine Science Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Music in the Schools Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 New Creation Home Ministries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 New Voices for Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,000 Palo Alto Art Center Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Palo Alto Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Palo Alto Music Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Peninsula HealthCare Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Peninsula Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Project WeHOPE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000 Ravenswood Education Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Rebuilding Together Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Silicon Valley Urban Debate League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 St. Elizabeth Seton School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 St. Francis of Assisi Youth Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 TheatreWorks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 YMCA East Palo Alto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 YMCA Ross Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Youth Community Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000 Youth Speaks Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,000

Child Care Facility Improvement Grants Friends of Preschool Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Grace Lutheran Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 The Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Palo Alto Community Child Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 Palo Alto Friends Nursery School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Parents Nursery School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000

ach year the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund raises money to support programs serving families and children in the Palo Alto area. Since the Weekly and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation cover all the administrative costs, every dollar raised goes directly to support community programs through grants to non-profit organizations. And with the generous support of matching grants from local foundations, including the Packard, Hewlett, Peery and Arrillaga foundations, your taxdeductible gift will be doubled in size. A donation of $100 turns into $200 with the foundation matching gifts. Whether as an individual, a business or in honor of someone else, help us reach our goal of $400,000 by making a generous contribution to the Holiday Fund. With your generosity, we can give a major boost to the programs in our community helping kids and families.

Give to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund and your donation is doubled. You give to non-profit groups that work right here in our community. It’s a great way to ensure that your charitable donations are working at home.

As of December 9, 204 donors have contributed $159,846 to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund. 14 Anonymous...................................$22,500

New Donors Ellmann Family................................................... 100 Jan Thomson & Roy Levin.................................. 250 Mike & Cathie Foster ...................................... 1,000 Chuck & Jean Thompson .................................. 100 Amado Padilla ................................................... 250 Donald & Diethild Price...................................... 100 Luca & Mary Caﬁero...............................................* Don & Bonnie Miller .......................................... 100 Patti Yanklowitz & Mark Krasnow ..........................* Robert & Barbara Simpson .....................................* Barbara & Charles Stevens......................................* Nancy & David Kalkbrenner....................................* Marcia & Michael Katz ...................................... 200 Stewart & Carol-Anne Hansen .......................... 100 Merrill & Lee Newman....................................... 250 Rich & Pat Douglas ............................................ 100 Aryela Zulman ................................................... 100 Nancy Wong & Robert Lipshutz ........................ 200

Kate Godfrey & Rob Colley.....................................* Guy & Janet DiJulio.................................................* Ellen Lillington.................................................... 400 Mahlon & Carol Hubenthal ............................... 250 Nina & Norman Kulgein .................................... 250 Harry & Susan Hartzell ..........................................50 Marc Igler & Jennifer Cray ................................. 100 James W. & Nancy E. Baer ................................. 200 Ron & Melanie Wilensky ................................... 300 Tom & Darlene McCalmont............................... 500 Cynthia Costell .................................................. 100 Elizabeth Bechtel ............................................... 100 Bonnie Packer & Robert Raymakers .................. 100 Michael Patrick .................................................. 200 Sandy Liu ........................................................... 100 Dena Goldberg .................................................. 500 Romola Georgia .....................................................* Roger Warnke ................................................... 300 Rick & Eileen Brooks .......................................... 500 James Taylor & Meri Gruber .............................. 100 Wendy Max ..........................................................50 David & Virginia Pollard ..................................... 150

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

Credit Card (MC, VISA, or AMEX)

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

__________________________________________Expires _______/_______

T I wish to contribute anonymously.

Phone _________________________________________________________

T Please withhold the amount of my contribution. Signature ______________________________________________________ I wish to designate my contribution as follows: (select one)

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

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_____________________________________________________________ (Name of person)

Non-profits: Grant application & guidelines at www.PaloAltoOnline.com/holiday_fund Application deadline: January 10, 2020

Page 8 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Please make checks payable to: Silicon Valley Community Foundation

01 – Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund c/o Silicon Valley Community Foundation P.O. Box 45389 San Francisco, CA 94145 The Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund is a donor advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization. A contribution to this fund allows your donation to be tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

CLICK AND GIVE

Donate online at siliconvalleycf.org/ s paw-holiday-fund

In Memory Of Betty Meltzer .......................................... 25 Mary Alyce Pearson .................................. * Kathy Riskin Graham ................................ * Jack Sutorius ......................................... 500 Dr. Elliot W. Eisner ................................. 200 August L. King .......................................... * Brett Remmel & Mark Remmel............. 100

In Honor Of Logan Marsh & Gabby Perez ................ 250 Marilyn Sutorius.................................... 500 Joe Simitian............................................... *

Previously Published

In Memory Of Kathy Morris......................................... * Ray Bacchetti .................................... 250 Phillip Zschokke .................................. 50 Robert Spinrad ..................................... * Alissa Riper Picker ............................. 250 Duncan Matteson ............................. 500 Nate Rosenberg ................................ 200 Don & Marie Snow ........................... 100 Bob Kirkwood ...................................... * Leonard Ely ....................................... 500 Ruth & Chet Johnson ........................... * Nancy & Bob Lobdell ............................ * Pam Grady ....................................... 350 Barbara E. Schwartz.............................. * Ryan Kamita ......................................... * Boyd Paulson ........................................ * Thomas W. & Louise L. Phinney ............ * Leo & Sylvia Breidenbach ...................... * Bob Donald .......................................... * Fr. John Fitzpatrick C.S.Sp. .................... * David W. Mitchell ............................. 400 Ted Linden ........................................ 200 Lee Domenik ........................................ * Alan & Tracy ......................................... * Er-Ying & Yen-Chen Yen ................... 250

Debate

Businesses & Organizations Peery Foundation ........................ 10,000 Arrillaga Foundation ................... 10,000 Alta Mesa Cemetery & Funeral Home............................. 2,000 Killiney Kopitiam............................... 250

* Donor did not want to publish the amount of the gift.

Local family gives $100,000 to Holiday Fund

to be quiet and accept the result. “I felt that victory,” he said in an interview with the Weekly. “I felt like the hard work that I put into (it is) the reason why I won.” Thomas, a 16-year-old homeschooled junior, is one of nearly 30 students in East Palo Alto involved with the debate league, which partners with the East Palo Alto Academy, Oxford Academy and College Track (where Thomas attends weekly practices). The nonprofit debate league received a $5,000 grant this year from the Palo Alto Weekly Fund to help pay for the league’s head coaches, the weeklong Summer Debate Institute (at which students practiced their public speaking skills with the San Francisco cast of “Hamilton”) and tournamentrelated expenses. Some debate programs revolve around the goal of winning tournaments, but for this debate league, it’s all about what the students gain from the activity, said Mecca Billings, the nonprofit’s director of development. The Holiday Fund also has supported the league’s mentoring program, through which students visit local companies and meet professionals who tell them how debate has impacted their careers, Billings said. A bulk of the students’ time is spent on research, debates against one another and mental preparation to enter a tournament with help from their head coach, Kwodwo Moore. “I’m not very different than the students. I try not to put myself above them,” said Moore, who first became involved in debate eight years ago while he was a student at Emeryville High School. “Public speaking ... helps to build character and strength and a sense of self in the people who do it.” Moore used his enthusiasm for debate during a recent Monday afternoon inside an East Palo Alto Academy classroom to motivate five students, most of whom are freshmen.

In Honor Of Principal Iris Wong ................................ * Normal L. Frazee, 100 years young ... 400 Lucas Milam ..................................... 100

HOLIDAY FUND

(continued from page 5)

Donation will be used to double those of other contributors

Palo Alto family has made a $100,000 donation to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund in hopes of inspiring other donors to join them in supporting local programs for kids and families. The gift is from a family foundation that wishes to remain anonymous and that has made similar gifts for each of the last eight years. This year’s repeat donation will be used to match the contributions of other donors with the aim of encouraging additional giving from readers of the Weekly. “This generous Palo Alto family believes strongly in the mission of the Holiday Fund and the efficiency with which we are able to assist many local nonprofits,” Palo Alto Weekly publisher Bill Johnson said. Since the Weekly and Silicon Valley Community Foundation absorb all the costs of the program, every dollar that is donated is distributed without any

Drew Altizer Photography/Courtesy SVUDL

Roger V. Smith ...................................... 300 Art & Peggy Stauffer............................. 500 Steven Feinberg .................................5,000 William Reller .....................................1,000 Jan & Freddy Gabus.............................. 250 Marc & Margaret Cohen ...................... 100 Micki & Bob Cardelli ................................. * Pat Burt & Sally Bemus ......................... 250 Judy & Tony Kramer.................................. * Larry Baer & Stephanie Klein .................... * Jerry & Donna Silverberg ...................... 100 Betty Gerard ............................................. * Boyce & Peggy Nute ................................. * J. Platt & S. Murphy .............................. 600 Ellen & Mike Turbow ............................ 200 Kroyman Family .................................... 250 Don Barr & Debra Satz ......................... 100 Debby Roth........................................... 200 John & Florine Galen ................................ * Barbara Allen ........................................ 100 Sue Kemp ............................................. 250 Ellen & Tom Ehrlich ............................... 500 Leif & Sharon Erickson .......................... 250 Sally & Craig Nordlund ......................... 500 George & Betsy Young ............................. * Peter S. Stern ........................................ 250 Nancy & Joe Huber ............................... 100 Susan & Doug Woodman ........................ * Wendy Sinton ........................................... * Penny & Greg Gallo .............................. 500 Elaine & Eric Hahn .............................1,000 Judith Appleby...................................... 200 Judy Ousterhout ....................................... * Philip Hanawalt & Graciela Spivak .....1,000 Dorothy Saxe ........................................ 100 Gwen Luce & Family............................. 100 Bruce Campbell ........................................ * Bill Johnson & Terri Lobdell ................1,000 Janice Ulevich........................................ 100 M. D. Savoie ......................................... 250 Julie Jerome .............................................. * Michael Kieschnick ............................1,000 Joan Jack............................................... 100 Ron Wolf .............................................. 200 Gordon Chamberlain............................ 300 Daniel Cox ............................................ 200 Michael & Gwen Havern ...................5,000 Susie Richardson & Hal Luft ...................... * Felicia Levy ............................................ 100 Page & Ferrell Sanders .......................... 100 Diana Diamond .................................... 100 Carolyn Brennan ....................................... * Charles A. Smith ....................................... * Richard A. Baumgartner & Elizabeth M. Salzer ............................... 450 Rita Vrhel .............................................. 200 Hans & Judith Steiner ........................... 100 Roy & Carol Blitzer .................................... * Braff Family ........................................... 500 Xiaofan Lin.............................................. 50 Teresa Roberts....................................1,000 Richard Alexander..............................1,000 Peter Beller............................................ 250 Yang Chu.............................................. 250 Dennis Clark ........................................... 75

David Thom .......................................... 200 Shirley Reiter ......................................... 300 Scott & Jan Kliner ................................. 500 Leo & Marlys Keoshian ......................... 100 Peter Kidder & Lynn Johnson................ 200 Chris Logan .......................................... 100 Joanne Koltnow ................................... 200 Tom & Patricia Sanders ............................. * John Tang & Jean Hsia .............................. * Eugene & Mabel Dong ......................... 200 John & Mary Schaefer .......................... 100 Sheryl & Tony Klein ................................... * Karen & Steve Ross ................................... * Kaaren & John Antoun ......................1,500 Dr. & Mrs. Frederic J. Kahn ................... 250 Andy & Eva Dobrov ................................ 50 Linda & Steve Boxer .................................. * Jerry & Bobbie Wagger ............................. * Brigid Barton & Rob Robinson .............. 200 Ralph R. Wheeler .................................. 300 Stephen Levy ........................................ 500 Bonnie Berg .............................................. * Marion Lewenstein ............................... 500 Carol Jorgenson.................................... 300 Lucy Berman ......................................2,500 Christina Kenrick ...............................1,000 Mary Lemmon .................................15,000 Weil Family ........................................1,000 Hal & Carol Louchheim............................. * Charles S. & Anne Williams .................. 150 Ted & Ginny Chu ...................................... * Ann & Don Rothblatt............................ 500 Martha Shirk ......................................1,000 Jody Maxmin ............................................ * Adele & Donald Langendorf................. 200 Gwen Barry............................................... * Diane Moore............................................. * Richard Johnsson ...............................5,000 Phil Fernandez & Daniel Sternbergh ......... * Albert Russell ........................................ 250 Catherine Crystal Foster ....................... 500 Andrea Smith........................................ 100 John Pavkovich ..................................... 400 Thomas Rindﬂeisch................................... *

Upfront

Jules Thomas, 16, of East Palo Alto, competes in a debate at “Words to the Wise,” a fundraiser for the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League, at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto on Sept. 19.

After fueling up on snacks, the teens prepared for a tournament at Santa Clara University by reviewing the three areas competitors need to cover within a policy debate: identifying the harms, describing the barriers around the issue and proving their plan is solvent. They then dove into a debate in which they argued in support of a resolution composed by Moore: “The United States federal government should tell landlords in East Palo Alto not to charge more than $2,000 a month in rent to anyone.” Each student hesitated as they stepped up to the front of the classroom and carefully delivered their arguments, often looking down at their notes as the timer ticked away. “The problem is the rent is too expensive,” freshman Aaliyah Johnson said. “We should try helping (homeless) people because we obviously care about the people of EPA,” said Diana Torres, a fellow freshman. “Our main focus should be the people in East Palo Alto who have been here for years and are struggling so much,” senior Darian Huiltron-Riverra said. After each speech, Moore crossexamined the students, who found themselves having to construct a response on the spot. Following the debate, Moore deconstructed their ideas, giving the students a glimpse of the importance of taking notes to track their opponents’ points. Telling a judge how he or she should think

overhead or expenses deducted. In a statement accompanying the donation, the donors stressed their desire to support local causes. “We grew up in Palo Alto and have always appreciated the extraordinary services provided by the city, the schools and the many community-based organizations. We want to support these efforts, and the Holiday Fund is a superb way to do that,” the family said. Over the last 24 years, the Holiday Fund has raised and distributed more than $7 million to local nonprofits. The Holiday Fund program has enjoyed ongoing support from the Packard and Hewlett foundations, the Peery and Arrillaga foundations and several other family foundations. The annual Palo Alto Weekly Moonlight Run, which has grown to become one of Palo Alto’s largest community events, raises money for the Holiday Fund. Q —Palo Alto Weekly staff about an issue could work out in their favor, he added. “Think about it like a game where you go point for point. ... That’s how you win rounds.” Thomas, now in his third year with the debate league, said he has tried to get more students interested in the program, but many say they don’t consider the activity the “coolest” thing to do. “Some of my peers say, ‘Why are you doing this? This is for white people,’” said Thomas, who is African American. “And I have to remind them (that) I can learn it too.” He said he has seen more people of color learn debate recently with a goal of using their public speaking skills in the real world. “Debate is for everybody ... no matter who you are, no matter what you are,” he said. Now considered an experienced debater, Thomas, who joined the league with a strong interest in politics, has guided and related to other students who are working through their struggles as novice debaters. “Don’t worry; just work hard,” he’s told his younger peers. “Do what you need to do. Learn the negative and positive about the situation or topic and you’ll be alright.” Q More information about the impact of the Holiday Fund, including stories about funded nonprofit agencies and instructions for donating online, can be found on page 8 of this newspaper and at PaloAltoOnline.com/holidayfund. Digital Editor Jamey Padojino can be emailed at jpadojino@ paweekly.com.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 9

Upfront

Math (continued from page 5)

geometry during their freshman year of high school. Math instruction has been a contentious topic in Palo Alto Unified for years, particularly when bitter “math wars” erupted in 2009 over the district’s adoption of a controversial textbook, Everyday Math, for the elementary schools. “Math evokes emotions, sometimes disproportionate to other things that also matter in the world,” Austin told the board on Tuesday evening. “Math discussions are sometimes categorized as ‘wars.’ There is no war. Our outcomes were simply not what we would expect for PAUSD, and we are making revisions. “That is a good practice,” he continued. “It’s not radical, reckless or worthy of a fight.” The district plans to change sixth-grade math in the 2020-21 school year and then modify the seventh- and eighth-grade curriculum in the following two years. The aim is to promote higher expectations in math, Austin said, particularly among those in the “middle” as well as lower lanes. He expects to see more minority and low-income students enroll in advanced math in high school in several years, “opening doors for post-secondary options currently closed for

many of the students most in need of our best efforts.” Many public comments at Tuesday’s board meeting focused on laning. A staff report on the math redesign cites research that suggests laning limits both high- and low-achieving students and creates “separate and unequal educational experiences.” Some parents questioned the benefit of mixed-ability classes and worried that teachers will struggle to support students of different abilities within the same class. (Teachers will start to receive professional development this year to prepare for the changes.) Parent Matt McClain suggested that more homogenous classes for seventh- and eighth-graders will mean a “serious watering down” of content and asked for more opportunities for accelerated placement. Several parents asked the district to provide more clear and well-communicated information around placement exams for skipping math classes. But Kobi Johnsson, a student at Palo Alto High School, spoke to the detriments of laning. Laning “seeps into your social life” and spurs comparisons among students in high school, said Johnsson, who recounted that as an unmotivated sixth-grader, he narrowly missed being placed in a lower math level. “It makes people in the lower lanes feel that they are ‘less than’

... and that they aren’t able to participate at the higher levels,” Johnsson said. Parent Michelle Higgins, who is supportive of the math redesign, argued that laning drives unhealthy competition among both students and parents, which results in well-resourced families seeking outside tutoring to bolster their students’ achievement. “We know that teaching to the test is bad. In Palo Alto, we have an added and equally troubling practice: teaching to the tutored. That tutoring is largely focused on acceleration rather than remediation,” she said. “The widespread use of tutoring, especially tutoring for acceleration that starts now in the earliest years and intensifies to the point where it is almost a requirement for higher lanes in high school, drives the pace of teaching in the secondary years.” Board member Ken Dauber, however, said that attention on laning is misplaced. More significant, he said, is the district’s expectation that all students be at least in algebra by eighth grade. “Some students will find themselves in seventh-grade algebra and eighth-grade geometry because that’s where they should be ... and others will be in a different place,” he said. Board members asked staff to provide more concrete details on how they plan to support struggling students, including those

An evening with

Dr. COrnel WesT Please join Dr. Cornel West to discuss democracy, race, and justice. The evening will also include a question and answer session with Foothill College students.

Friday, January 17 6:30 PM Smithwick Theatre Purchase tickets at

foothill.edu/speakers Proceeds will beneﬁt Foothill College service leadership and equity scholarships.

Page 10 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

who start sixth grade already behind in math, and how the plan overall will be evaluated. Austin emphasized that Tuesday was the first of several meetings on middle school math and that the plan will likely require changes up to and even after it’s implemented. Dauber encouraged community members to not see the meeting as a high-stakes “win-lose moment but the first in a long conversation about how we’re going to do middle school math.” He and newly elected board President Todd Collins praised staff for breaking with historical district practice of making

big changes, which typically involves forming a large committee to study an issue over many months with uneven success when it comes to implementation. Instead, a targeted group of staff took a quick, deep dive into an issue and are prepared to “fail fast” and adjust if needed along the way, Collins said. “That’s a very large change in our practice and it really bodes well not just for this but how we do things generally and our ability to make positive change down the road,” Dauber said. Q Staff Writer Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@ paweekly.com.

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IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY CALL 911 www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 11

Upfront

Commission (continued from page 5)

council discussion. “We have people who have more time than we do and perhaps more expertise than we do,” Tanaka said. Tanaka’s most radical proposal pertained to appointments. Rather than having the whole council vote on each commission appointment, he recommended having every council member appoint a commissioner who reflects his or her views. Such a system would allow council members to feel like they can trust their boards and commissioners to represent their views. “Or if they’re not representing our views, we get rid of them,” said Tanaka, who served on the Planning and Transportation Commission before getting elected to the council in 2016. While the council didn’t endorse Tanaka’s proposals, members generally agreed on a range of broad topics that the ad hoc committee should evaluate. Ad hoc committees will be one topic for exploration. Currently, some commissions make frequent use of ad hoc committees (the Parks and Recreation Commission has taken the maximalist approach with committees devoted to topics such as dog parks, pickleball

courts and access to Foothills Park). Other commissions don’t use ad hoc committees at all. Council members and residents pinpointed other problems with the commission system, including confusion over whether the advisory bodies are allowed to create their own subcommittees and concerns about a lack of a clear process for removing a commissioner. Numerous residents have expressed concerns about the actions of Michael Alcheck, vice chair of the Planning and Transportation Commission, who in 2015 did not recuse himself from public hearings on making changes to numerous provisions to the city’s zoning code, which included a provision on carports. He did not disclose that he had received permits for two carports nine months before the meeting, based on the prior code — carports that he would later convert to garages at his two properties in the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood despite the city’s determination that garage conversion would be illegal. The city later granted the permits for the garages after Alcheck’s attorney submitted a letter demanding approval. (Alcheck has declined to speak publicly about the case but previously noted that the city attorney had told him that his participation in the public hearing did not constitute a conflict of interest.)

Page 12 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

While Mayor Eric Filseth and Councilman Tom DuBois have raised concerns in the past about Alcheck’s behavior, particularly during their re-election campaigns last year, council members refrained from directly mentioning Alcheck’s case. Kniss alluded to it, however, when she brought up recent calls by residents for Alcheck’s removal from the planning commission.

‘In all the time I’ve been watching this, we really haven’t paid enough attention to this.’ —Alison Cormack, Palo Alto city councilwoman “How do you get rid of someone on the commission who you don’t like or who doesn’t align with you?” she asked, noting that the city currently has such a situation. “If we were to vote to remove someone from the commission, what are the rights of the person who would perhaps be removed?” Filseth and Cormack both stressed the reform effort is “not about any one particular individual” but rather about the need to make broader changes to the city’s policies on boards

and commissions. Even so, they generally agreed that the city should establish a clear process for removing commissioners. Local law clearly empowers the council to remove commissioners, but it does not establish a process for doing so. While Kniss strongly opposed empowering an ad hoc committee to work on this topic, Filseth argued that sending it through the regular city process would take a very long time. The council’s policies empower a mayor to establish ad hoc committees. “There was a compelling need to move more quickly on it,” Filseth said. Cormack presented a list of areas for the city to tackle when it comes to boards and commissions. This includes creating guidelines for ad hoc committees; considering the roles of council liaisons (currently, some council members attend all or most meetings of the commission they are assigned to, while others don’t go to any); and appropriate behavior for commissioners in dealing with their colleagues and with staff. She also said the very first task of the committee will be to interview current and former board members and commissioners to gain a better understanding of what their work is like. “In all the time I’ve been watching this, we really haven’t paid enough attention to this,”

said Cormack, who regularly attends commission meetings. Vice Mayor Adrian Fine pointed to wide discrepancies between how much support various commissions receive from staff and how council members manage their liaison assignments with commissions. He also said the city should adopt a statement spelling out the city’s goals for boards and commissions. For City Manager Ed Shikada, the biggest issue was what he called “inherent friction between staff and commissioners,” which he attributed to a lack of clarity on how issues are raised by commissioners and brought to the council. City staff, he said, is often “caught in the middle” over whether to do the work that commissioners request, recognizing that it is generally the council — and not its advisory bodies — that assign work to city employees. “A number of commissioners have identified issues that they want to tackle and, in some cases, have undertaken some work without real indication of whether this is a topic that the council is interested in taking on. ... It’s an issue that’s come up unfortunately fairly frequently,” he said. Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 13

Public Notices 995 Fictitious Name Statement 24 HOUR FRIENDLY HOME CARE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN660995 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: 24 Hour Friendly Home Care, located at 530 Showers Dr., Ste. 7, #422, Mountain View, CA 94040, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Individual. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): LONGOMOELOTO TUKITOA 6 Newell Ct. Palo Alto, CA 94303 Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above. This statement was filed with the County ClerkRecorder of Santa Clara County on November 27, 2019. (PAW Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27, 2019) THE BECOMING LAB FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN660988 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: The Becoming Lab, located at 783 Kendall Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Individual. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): LIZ COHEN 783 Kendall Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94306 Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above. This statement was filed with the County ClerkRecorder of Santa Clara County on November 26, 2019. (PAW Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27, 2019)

997 All Other Legals NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Trustee Sale No. : 00000008564593 Title Order No.: 1129797 FHA/VA/PMI No.: ATTENTION RECORDER: THE FOLLOWING REFERENCE TO AN ATTACHED SUMMARY APPLIES ONLY TO COPIES PROVIDED TO THE TRUSTOR, NOT TO THIS RECORDED ORIGINAL NOTICE. NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT ATTACHED. YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 08/09/2013. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. BARRETT DAFFIN FRAPPIER TREDER and WEISS, LLP, as duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust Recorded on 08/19/2013 as Instrument No. 22355449 of official records in the office of the County Recorder of SANTA CLARA County, State of CALIFORNIA. EXECUTED BY: FELIX Q. ORAMAS JR AND REINA A. ORAMAS, HUSBAND AND WIFE AS COMMUNITY PROPERTY WITH RIGHT OF SURVIVORSHIP, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK/CASH EQUIVALENT or other form of payment authorized by California Civil Code 2924h(b), (payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States). DATE OF SALE: 01/08/2020 TIME OF SALE: 9:00 AM PLACE OF SALE: Santa Clara County Superior Courthouse, 191 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95113, At the Gated North Market Street Entrance. STREET ADDRESS and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 10240 WEST LOYOLA DRIVE, LOS ALTOS HILLS, CALIFORNIA 94024 APN#: 331-17-071/ 331-17-052 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s), advances, under the terms of said Deed of Trust, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is $1,786,391.11. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default

and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call 800-2802832 for information regarding the trustee’s sale or visit this Internet Web site www.auction. com for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case 00000008564593. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. FOR TRUSTEE SALE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: AUCTION.COM 800-280-2832 www. auction.com BARRETT DAFFIN FRAPPIER TREDER and WEISS, LLP as Trustee 3990 E. Concours Street, Suite 350 Ontario, CA 91764 (866) 795-1852 Dated: 11/15/2019 BARRETT DAFFIN FRAPPIER TREDER and WEISS, LLP IS ACTING AS A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. A-4710762 11/29/2019, 12/06/2019, 12/13/2019 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE TS No.: S.477028 APN: 003-56-068 Title Order No.: 190714458-CA-VOI NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT ATTACHED. YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 6/19/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashier’s check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state will be held by the duly appointed trustee as shown below, of all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by the trustee in the hereinafter described property under and pursuant to a Deed of Trust described below. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale. Trustor: DRAGAN V. PODLESNIK AND MARTA D. SAVIC, HUSBAND AND WIFE, AS COMMUNITY PROPERTY Duly Appointed Trustee: PROBER AND RAPHAEL, ALC Recorded 6/25/2007 as Instrument No. 19481661 in book N/A, page N/A of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Santa Clara County, California, Date of Sale: 1/22/2020 at 9:00 AM Place of Sale: Santa Clara County Superior Courthouse, 191 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95113, At the Gated North Market Street Entrance Amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $2,116,223.99 Street Address or other common designation of real property: 1885 GUINDA STREET PALO ALTO, California 94303 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address or other common designation, if any, shown above. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending

Page 14 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (800) 280-2832 or visit this Internet Web site www. auction.com, using the file number assigned to this case S.477-028. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. Date: 12/4/2019 PROBER AND RAPHAEL, ALC 20750 Ventura Blvd. #100 Woodland Hills, California 91364 Sale Line: (800) 280-2832 Rita Terzyan, Trustee Sale Technician A-4712417 12/13/2019, 12/20/2019, 12/27/2019 NOTICE OF INTENDED TRANSFER OF RETAIL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE UNDER SECTIONS 24073 AND 24074, CALIFORNIA BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE Licensee(s) Name(s): DAVID D KING INC. Premises Address(es) To Which The Licenses(s) Has/Have Been Issued: 4256 EL CAMINO REAL, PALO ALTO CA 94306 Licensee’s Mailing Address: 314 JACKSON ST., SUNNYVALE, CA 94085 Applicant(s) Name(s): ARIES II LLC Mailing Address of Applicant: 1478 NAVARRO DR., SUNNYVALE CA 94087 Kind of License Intended To Be Transferred: TYPE 47 ON-SALE BEER & WINE EATING PLACE LICENSE NUMBER: 480625 Escrow Holder/Guarantor Name: UGM ASSOCIATES Escrow Holder/Guarantor Address: 739 WASHINGTON STREET STE 300, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108 Total consideration to be paid for business and license; including inventory, whether actual cost, estimated cost, or a not-to-exceed amount): CHECK(S)… $72,500.00 TOTAL AMOUNT $72,500.00 The parties agree that the consideration for the transfer of the business and the license(s) is to be paid only after the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has approved the proposed transfer. The parties also agree and herein direct the above-named escrow holder to make payment of distribution within a reasonable time after the completion of the transfer of the license as provided in Section 24074 of the California Business and Professions Code. Date signed: 11/12/19 S/ DAVID D KING, President DAVID D KING INC. Licensee(s)/Transferor(s) Date signed: 10/31/2019 S/ JIANHUA SHI, LLC Manager ARIES II LLC Applicant(s)/Transferee(s) 12/13/19 CNS-3320669# PALO ALTO WEEKLY NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF BULK SALE AND OF INTENTION TO TRANSFER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE(S) (U.C.C. 6105 et seq. and B & P 24073 et seq.) Escrow No. 20191028 Notice is hereby given that a bulk sale of assets and a transfer of alcoholic beverage license(s) is about to be made. The name(s) and business address(es) of the Seller(s)/Licensee(s) are: DAVID D KING INC., 4256 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306 Doing Business as: SU HONG EATERY All other business name(s) and address(es) used by the Seller(s)/Licensee(s) within the past three years, as stated by the Seller(s)/ Licensee(s), is/are: None

The name(s) and address(es) of the Buyer(s)/ Applicant(s) are: ARIES II LLC, 1478 Navarro Dr., Sunnyvale, CA 94087 The assets being sold are generally described as: Goodwill, furniture, fixtures and equipment, and ABC license and is/are located at: 4256 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306 The type of license(s) and license no(s) to be transferred is/are: 47-480625 On-Sale General Eating Place and are now issued for the premises located at: Same The bulk sale and transfer of alcoholic beverage license(s) is/are intended to be consummated at the office of UGM Associates, 739 Washington St., Ste 300, San Francisco, CA 94108 and the anticipated date of sale/transfer is 1/6/2020. The purchase price or consideration in connection with the sale of the business and transfer of the license, is the sum of $72,500.00, including inventory, estimated at $0.00, which consists of the following: ABC License... $35,000.00 Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment... $37,500.00 It has been agreed between the Seller(s)/ Licensee(s) and the intended Buyer/ Applicant(s), as required by Sec. 24073 of the Business and Professions Code, that the consideration for the transfer of the business and license is to be paid only after the transfer has been approved by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Dated: 11/12/19 DAVID D KING INC., a California Corporation S/ DAVID D KING, President Seller(s)/Licensee(s) Dated: 10/31/19 ARIES II LLC, a California Limited Liability Company S/ JIANHUA SHI, LLC Manager Buyer(s)/Applicant(s) 12/13/19 CNS-3320666# PALO ALTO WEEKLY AMENDED NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: NICK KLUZNICK aka RONALD P. KLUZNICK Case No.: 19PR187318 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of NICK KLUZNICK, aka RONALD P. KLUZNICK. A Petition for Probate has been filed by: Public Administrator of the County of Santa Clara in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA CLARA. The Petition for Probate requests that: Public Administrator of the County of Santa Clara be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A HEARING on the petition will be held on January 3, 2020 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: Mark A. Gonzalez, Lead Deputy County Counsel 373 West Julian Street, Suite 300 San Jose, CA 95110 (408) 758-4200 (PAW Dec. 13, 20, 27, 2019)

Upfront

Public Agenda A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week CITY COUNCIL ... The council plans to meet in a closed session to consider potential exposure to litigation pertaining to a complaint filed by Yuki Matsuura; appoint applicants to the Historic Resources Board, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Planning and Transportation Commission; hold a study session with the Library Advisory Commission; consider amending objective standards for wireless communication facilities and approve a tentative map for 4115 El Camino Real. The closed session will begin at 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. The rest of meeting will follow immediately after the closed session. COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE ... The committee plans to discuss a proposed revenue measure for the November 2020 ballot. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17, in the Community Meeting Room at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD ... The board plans to discuss a proposal to demolish a four-unit building and to construct three detached homes at 702 Clara Drive; consider outstanding issues pertaining to previously approved automobile dealerships at 1700 and 1730 Embarcadero Road; and consider a request for three new bus stops at 3380 Coyote Hill Road; 3223 Hanover St.; and 1501 Page Mill Road. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. CITY/SCHOOL LIAISON COMMITTEE ... The committee plans to meet at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. The agenda was not available by press deadline. PUBLIC ARTS COMMISSION ... The commission plans to approve funding for Code:ART2 and discuss the accessibility of public artwork in private developments. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. BOARD POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE ... The school board’s policy review tentatively plans to discuss policies on district and school websites, grades/evaluation of student achievement, board committees, temporary athletic coaches and professional standards, among others. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, at the district office, 25 Churchill Ave., Room A.

LET’S DISCUSS: Read the latest local news headlines and talk about the issues at Town Square at PaloAltoOnline.com

Transitions Carroll Howell Harrington

Carroll Howell Harrington, longtime environmentalist and 50-year Palo Alto resident, died on Nov. 21 in Capitola following a cardiac arrest. She was 84 years old. Harrington was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and raised in Taos, New Mexico. She was the valedictorian of her local high school and then attended Colorado College, majoring in sociology. After college, she moved to California where she got her first job as a secretary for lifestyle publication Sunset magazine. She was also the first public i n for mat ion officer for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District during the early 1970s, worked with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in the 1980s on community health programs and conferences, and ran her own graphic design business. But even while working, she was a dedicated environmentalist for nearly five decades. In 1970, she published a popular handbook, “If You Want to Save Your Environment...Start At Home!” She also worked with educators and local artists to raise awareness for climate change. Before moving to Capitola in 2013, she dedicated a lot of time to the Palo Alto community. She sat on the boards of the Palo Alto Community Fund and Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, receiving the latter’s Athena Award in 1993, and volunteered for many local political campaigns. Predeceased by her brother, Jerry Howell, and ex-husband, Howard Wilson Harrington, she is survived by her son, Jim Harrington of Redwood City; daughter-in-law, Richelle Harrington of Redwood City; daughter, Beth Colehower of Capitola; ex-son-inlaw, Andrew Colehower of Capitola; and three granddaughters. A memorial will be held on Dec. 19, 1 p.m. at the Seascape Resort, 1 Seascape Resort Drive, Aptos. Memorial contributions can be made to the Downtown Streets Team, Palo Alto Community Fund and the Tim Brach Foundation.

Nancy Bloomer Deussen Pianist, composer and music educator Nancy Bloomer Deussen died on Nov. 16 after experiencing a cardiac arrest. She was 88 years old. Born Feb. 1, 1931, in New York City, she studied music composition at the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music, where she received a bachelor’s degree in composition.

Afterwards, she came to California to receive her master’s degree in music education at the University of Southern California. In 1966, she moved to Palo Alto, where she would later spearhead the first San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the National Association of Comp oser s, USA. She was also very active in the National League of American Pen Women and the Fortnightly Music Club. As a skilled, self-professed “vintage pianist,” she was the recipient of many awards, including the Bay Area Composer’s Symposium Performance Award for her orchestral piece, “Reflections on the Hudson”; the Peninsula

Community Foundation grant; the Arts Council Silicon Valley grant; and the First Prize Winner of the Mu Phi Epsilon Original Composition Contest for “Woodwind Quintet,” among others. She raised three children mostly as a single mother. In 1982, she married Gary Deussen. Beyond music and parenting, she was passionate about gemology and collecting and making jewelry. Predeceased by her son, Christopher John Webster, this past March, she is survived by her husband, Gary Deussen of Mountain View; her two daughters, Jennifer Bloomer DeGuzman and Elizabeth Bloomer McComb of Rocklin; and four grandchildren. A Celebration of Life ceremony will be held on Dec. 21, 2 p.m. at The Unity Church Palo Alto, 3391 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.

Shirley Yin Chang

November 21, 1936 - March 2, 2019 Beloved wife, sister, mother, and grandmother, Shirley Yin Chang passed away in her sleep on March 2, 2019, in Shanghai, China. She was 82 years old. Born on November 21, 1936, in Nanking, then the capital of China, she was originally from Hubei province. Her early years were marred by war, first by the invasion of China by the Japanese, which lasted from 1937 to 1945, and then by the civil war with the Communists, which lasted until 1949. A 2-star general in the Nationalist army, her father was captured by the Communists at the end of the Civil War and sent to a laogai for over 20 years in the far western Xinjiang province. She and her younger sister Betty escaped to Taiwan in 1949 with their grandfather, a 3-star general in the Nationalist army and National Assembly member. After graduating from Taipei Girl’s Normal School in 1957, she became an elementary school teacher. On October 10, 1959, she married a young army officer, Major Jack Nan Chang, who later became a diplomat assigned to the Republic of China on Taiwan’s San Francisco, California consulate as Vice Consul and later to the Boston, Massachusetts consulate as Consul. They started a family in Taipei, raising two boys before relocating when her husband was assigned to the consulates in the USA. Both boys earned undergraduate EECS degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and engineering masters degrees from Stanford University, eventually working many decades in Silicon Valley. As a Christian attending church in America and in China, she made many friends. She also enjoyed traveling the world with her husband. Friends, relatives and family will always remember her smiles, kindness and love. A resident of Atherton, California, for about 10 years before moving to Shanghai in 2006, she is survived by her husband Jack, her sons Peter and Benjamin and their children, her younger sister Betty in America, and her younger brother Dixon and two other younger sisters, Zhuying and Gaolan, in China. Her lasting resting place is at Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo, California. PAID

OBITUARY

Mark Andsworth O’Leary Longtime Palo Alto resident Mark Andsworth O’Leary died following a brief illness on Nov. 24 at the Stanford Hospital. He was 94. Born Oct. 28, 1925, in Olympia, Washington, he was raised among a large extended family that included 19 first cousins. In 1943, he enrolled at Stanford University and completed one quarter before he entered the military during World War II. After completing basic training in Missouri, he was based in Brazil with a military intelligence unit that acted as a communications hub. After

the war, he returned to Stanford to receive his bachelor’s degree in economics. Later, he became an investment banker for the Harris Trust and Savings Bank and was appointed vice president and head of its San Francisco office. In 1950, he married Carol Ann Conron and raised two children, Matthew and Timothy O’Leary. During his active retirement, he was a business manager for the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos and followed youth sports events for many years. He also received the Life Master rank in bridge. He is survived by his sons, Matthew O’Leary of St. Charles and Timothy O’Leary of Palo Alto; daughters-in-law, Victoria Jo O’Leary of St. Charles and Kathlene O’Leary of Palo Alto; and four grandchildren. Q

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 15

Editorial The rush to ban vaping Already illegal to sell to kids, Palo Alto will develop a ban on selling vaping products — to adults

esponding to the growing alarm over the health effects of electronic cigarettes and their rapidly increasing popularity among teens, a unanimous City Council this week directed the preparation of an ordinance to completely prohibit the sale of all vaping products in Palo Alto. The proposed prohibition, which will return to the council for approval once drafted by the city attorney’s office, would apply to minors and adults alike. If enacted, no store or business in Palo Alto would be able to lawfully sell e-cigarettes or other vaping products even though other cities and online sites make them readily available. While this proposal is rooted in good intentions, it is an example of pure symbolism — some would say virtue signaling — rather than rational and effective problem-solving. Local elected officials need to stay in their lane and focus on supporting statewide efforts, not adopt local measures that are certain to achieve very little and create unrealistic enforcement burdens. The proposed ban, approved in concept by a unanimous vote of the council, will be modeled after another symbolic ordinance approved last month by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors that will prohibit the sale of vaping products and flavored cigarettes starting in July 2020 in unincorporated county lands. The county ordinance will have almost no actual impact since there are few businesses located in rural, unincorporated county lands. Instead, county officials hope its law will assist cities to adopt similar measures using the county ordinance as a model, just as Palo Alto is doing. While the exact health effects of vaping are not yet fully understood, a nationwide scare over black market vaping products that have dangerous contaminants has sparked strong warnings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health organizations. The CDC has reported that, as of the end of November, there were more than 2,300 cases of lung injury and 48 deaths nationwide due to victims vaping nicotine and cannabis products. The Food and Drug Administration declared a year ago that teenage e-cigarette use had reached “an epidemic proportion.” Local school leaders and youth-serving nonprofits have similarly sounded an alarm over the increasing amount of teen vaping, including among middle school kids. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order in September directing the state Department of Public Health to launch a $20-million statewide digital and social media public awareness campaign to educate youth, young adults and parents about the health risks of vaping. He also signed a bill by state Senator Jerry Hill that will impose stricter age-verification requirements for tobacco products sold online or by mail. Newsom is pursuing a much smarter strategy for addressing this problem than our council and other cities that are seeking to control teen behavior through piecemeal new laws. Laws already prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under 18 and online sales to those under age 21. Why do we expect youth in our community to be any more deterred from buying e-cigarettes and vaping products by prohibiting their sale to adults in Palo Alto? Those teens who wish to drink alcohol, smoke marijuana or tobacco can easily obtain it even though none can be legally sold to them. The ease of buying vaping products online, which is where many kids will turn, makes the enforcement and health risks greater due to the unreliability of the source, something that the CDC is particularly concerned about. We do not disagree that youth vaping has overnight become a public health problem and needs increased government regulation at the state level. But the most effective answer will be a comprehensive education campaign to equip young people with the facts about the risks of consuming nicotine and the dangers of contaminated cannabis and other vaping products. Education efforts were part of the council’s direction to the city staff earlier this week, as was advocating for state legislation to further restrict access of minors to vaping products. But passing an ordinance making the sale of vaping products to adults illegal in Palo Alto is not the way to influence teen social norms. The availability of e-cigarettes has helped many adults give up smoking tobacco and the city has no business creating an isolated prohibition for the sale to adults. If Palo Alto leaders want to do more than feel good about taking action on a serious problem, they would consider advocating for a state ban on the possession and use of vaping products by those under 18 (or 21). In the meantime, our efforts at the local level should be focused on education and enforcement of the existing laws prohibiting the sale to minors, not symbolic measures. Q Page 16 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions

A cheaper solution Editor, The cost of undercutting or overlaying the Churchill/Caltrain line is stupendous. There is no reason not to simply place concrete barriers across Churchill but keep pedestrian and bicycle access for crossing. And with Palo Alto High School in the immediate vicinity, permitting student access is crucial. Ultimately, the city might wish to build a real crossover, but if placing inexpensive concrete barricades work, why spend the money? James Thurber Snow Street, Mountain View

Bye OSH, hello Ace Editor, I was one of those who grieved the loss of Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH). In desperation, I even wrote to Home Depot to plead that they consider saving OSH. Fry’s Electronics is another store I miss, though it’s open until January 2020. One similarity between OSH and Fry’s was the huge selection of hardware. Fry’s carried electronics hardware and a massive selection of components. Where else could one browse the aisles and find everything needed to create a computer from scratch? OSH also carried a large selection of alternative hardware supplies and offered solution-seeking customers a place to find everything needed to complete their home projects. I was afraid stores like Fry’s and OSH could never be resurrected and it saddened me. But Ace gave us a second chance. I couldn’t have been happier to see the sign, “Ace Coming Soon,” at the former OSH site. I am also grateful to Ace for retaining the same model, inventory and some of the OSH staff. For the sake of those who value a tactile reality over an online virtual experience, I hope Ace will be supported. One friend’s comment summarizes this best: “I hope Ace will be supported by the community as a valuable and increasingly rare, retail resource.” Alice Sakamoto Simon Lane, Los Altos Hills

Renters representation Editor, Despite making up nearly half of the Palo Alto population, renters currently have no representation on the city’s Planning and Transportation Commission. The exclusion of tenants from this important appointed body is deeply

concerning, particularly given that tenants suffer the brunt of negative consequences from Palo Alto’s poor land use decisions. Local housing scarcity has created a profound sense of precarity for renting families. About 40% of Palo Alto renters are currently burdened by housing costs, paying over 30% of their income to rent. These cost-burdened households often struggle to afford other necessities, including food and medical care. Renter households additionally struggle with housing instability due to insurmountable rent increases and conversion of occupied rental homes to for-sale or non-residential uses. Unstably housed renters who acutely feel the pain of our housing crisis should be consulted as Palo Alto plans the future of our community. However, such voices are frequently missing or diminished in local politics. Renters are typically absent or easily dismissed at public meetings, where attendees are more likely to be older, white, male homeowners. Furthermore, tenants also tend to have shorter tenures in Palo Alto due to high likelihood of economic displacement. Consequently, renters tend to lack sufficient political capital to obtain

election or appointment to local government roles. As we consider future commission appointments, I encourage the City Council to actively seek to add greater diversity in order to make better decisions for all Palo Alto residents. Women, people of color and young people are over-represented among renters but under-represented in our local democratic processes. To make progress toward a more just and equitable community, renters need a seat at the table and on the dais. Kelsey Banes Bryant Street, Palo Alto

SHARE YOUR OPINION Submit letters to the editor of up to 300 words to letters@paweekly.com. Submit guest opinions of 950 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.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? The Palo Alto Weekly encourages comments on our coverage or on issues of local interest.

What’s your take on “virtue signaling”? 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

Tired of all the virtue signaling? by Sherry Listgarten

hat is it about environmentalists, or just your eco-friendly neighbors, that so many people love to hate? Think: drivers of EVs and hybrids, cyclists, vegans, people who compost, and so on. Does even a small part of your brain murmur “Yuck, those preachy, self-satisfied poseurs”? Q: How do electric car owners drive? A: One hand on the wheel, the other patting themselves on the back. The sentiment is so commonplace that a new term, “virtue signaling,” has been coined. The Brit who popularized the phrase, a writer named James Bartholomew, says that it describes “the way in which many people say or write things to indicate that they are virtuous. ... One of the crucial aspects of virtue signaling is that it does not require actually doing anything virtuous.” Two psychologists writing in the New York Times characterize it as “feigned righteousness intended to make the speaker appear superior by condemning others.” Wikipedia succinctly defines it as “the conspicuous expression of moral values.” Local examples of the phrase abound, including in this newspaper’s online forum, Town Square. Here is a sampling of the comments.

About cyclists: “You sound like a very affluent Palo Altan that likes to virtue signal by bicycling and condemning the avarice of your somewhat less affluent neighbors who need a car and still have to work for a living.” About Tesla drivers: “I agree that Climate Change as a priority is both a distraction and a feel good item for those impressed by virtue signaling. ... Virtue signaling is the top priority for most Palo Altans. The town is becoming overrun by Teslas.” About Caltrain riders: “For the younger set, wanting to virtuesignal green, Caltrain is just a fashion accessory.” About recyclers: “I wonder what it is that drives Palo Altans to engage in such constant and extreme virtue signaling. ‘Zero waste’ is a myth. As long as we live abundant lives we will always generate more waste.” About Palo Alto’s City Council: “The problem is is that they are ... always virtue signaling and spewing drivel about greenhouse gases and whatnot. This method can’t possibly help the environment. No matter how many laws they come up with, it won’t stop climate change.” About the Cool Block initiative: “That being said, as an exercise in yodeling our moral superiority without actually doing anything beneficial, while wasting

taxpayer money and creating much-needed opportunities for graft, it sounds like a winner. And when it comes to pointless virtuesignaling, the comrades of Palo Alto yield to no one.” The term is used to disparage more than environmental actions. A cursory look on Town Square found it applied to people saving the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park, renaming schools, complaining about police behavior, and advocating for the homeless, gun control or minimum wage. It was even used against Stanford, with the claim that the general-use-permit campaign “essentially amounts to virtue signaling aimed at convincing the outside world how good the university is.” The thing is, I get it. Who likes to be preached to? Who likes to be judged? And yet, as a blogger on environmental issues for PaloAltoOnline.com, I believe it is important for us to develop inclusive and positive attitudes to being environmentally friendly. It’s difficult enough to engage on climate change without worrying about embracing or evading claims of moral superiority. We need to find a way to collectively welcome changes that reduce emissions and help us to adapt to the changing climate. In my view, these labels of virtue signaling are lazy, cynical and (at best) unproductive jabs at those who may be taking genuinely motivated if imperfect steps to improve a situation. Can it possibly be true that unless you are driving a gas-powered car to get around town, you are intentionally flaunting your eco-credentials? Or could it be that the “virtue signaling” taunt says

more about the accuser than the accused? What makes this shaming particularly problematic is that it can negate the otherwise effective social norms that would positively influence others. As someone commented: “All the virtuous people doing the right thing simply creates a backlash against “political correctness”. Fear of appearing judgmental can be a powerful disincentive. Says yet another commenter: “I typically don’t mention it [the efficiency work I’ve done on my house] because the global impact is minimal and I don’t want to engage in virtue signaling.” Argh. You should not feel embarrassed to share that you drive an EV, enjoy eating veggie burgers, turn down your thermostat in the winter, or bike to work! Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis writes in the December issue of The Atlantic: “Cynicism is cowardice. ... Cynicism fosters a distrust of reality. It is nothing less than a form of surrender. It provokes a suspicion that hidden malign forces are at play. It instills a sense of victimhood. It may be psychically gratifying in the moment, but it solves nothing.” Consider that people being derided as virtue signalers may be aiming, in however small a way, to improve our future. Their actions may not be perfect, or even adequate, but what they are doing is a start. Rather than deride their efforts, use your energy instead to take it upon yourself to lead by example. Q Sherry Listgarten writes the “New Shade of Green” climate blog for Embarcadero Media. She can be reached at sherry@newshadeofgreen.com.

Streetwise

What are your thoughts on the ban of vape products? Asked at Mitchell Park Library in Palo Alto. Question, interviews and photographs by Jonathan Guillen.

Dan Wexler

Mark Higgins

Marnie Goar

Susan Phinneysilver

Tomas Cibrian

Entrepreneur Virginia Street, Berkeley “I’m supportive of the ban until there is the right regulation; it’s a good temporary solution.”

Merchant Mariner Louis Road, Palo Alto “It’s more of a reactionary policy and likely won’t have a big impact on kids who aren’t physically going into stores to buy it.”

Retired Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Waverley Street, Palo Alto “It’s sending a message to those big companies that we won’t stand for putting kids in danger and hopefully get them to stop marketing to children.”

Philanthropist Roosevelt Circle, Palo Alto “I definitely think vaping is a huge public health emergency, but I have mixed feelings about banning it altogether since kids are already getting them through other means and (it) only affects adults.”

Student at San Francisco State University Verbena Street, East Palo Alto “It’s a good idea because, before, vaping was normalized and thought of as less harmful. With the ban, it will make it harder for kids especially to access.”

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 17

Arts & Entertainment A weekly guide to music, theater, art, culture, books and more, edited by Karla Kane

A‘Pride’

premiere to be proud of Charming Jane Austen musical debuts with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley by Karla Kane

THEATER REVIEW Mattison), the second daughter of an upper-class country family. Her siblings include saintly, shy eldest sister Jane (Sharon Rietkerk), droll Mary (Melissa Wolfklain), and vapid little sisters Kitty (Chanel Tilghman) and Lydia (Tara Kostmayer). Their parents are the overbearing Mrs. Bennet (Heather Orth) and Mr. Bennet (Christopher Vettel), who, as a member of the landed gentry, does not have to work but rather earns an income from his estate. However, because the estate is entailed, it may not be inherited by his daughters but rather pass to the closest male relative, leaving the ladies rather in the lurch. Furthermore, Mrs. Bennet comes from meager(ish) middle-class ties, meaning the family is somewhat lacking in high-level social connections (still, to modern American eyes, they seem quite fancy). Because of their awkward situation, Mrs. Bennet is desperate to make successful marriage matches for her daughters as soon as possible. Though she’s portrayed as a comic, kooky character, her obsession does make sense when one realizes

Kevin Berne

riter/composer Paul Gordon has a penchant for creating musical adaptations of classic works of literature (“Emma,” Jane Eyre,” “Sense and Sensibility” and “Daddy Long Legs,” to name a few). He also has a productive history with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, so it only makes sense that his new musical version of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is making its world premiere with the Tony-winning local company, having been a part of its New Works Festival back in 2018. It’s the 70th world premiere in the venerable company’s history. Let me admit here (avert your eyes, any of my former English teachers) that I have never yet read Austen’ “Pride and Prejudice.” However, so beloved is the 1813 British novel of manners that I felt going into the play that I’d absorbed enough through pop-culture osmosis to feel at least a little familiar with the basics of the plot. Now having seen it, I’d say TheatreWorks’ new musical, deftly directed by Robert Kelley, should prove pleasing to both fervent fans of the novel and newcomers alike. The story concerns “headstrong” Lizzie Bennet (Mary

Shy Mr. Bingley (Travis Leland) courts eldest Bennet sister Jane (Sharon Rietkerk) in “Pride and Prejudice,” presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.

Kevin Berne

Lizzie Bennet (Mary Mattison) and Caroline Bingley (Monique Hafen Adams) go on a walk as Mr. Darcy (Justin Mortelliti) reflects on his sudden feelings for Lizzie. Page 18 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

how little financial power women have in this world. Mrs. Bennet sees wealthy, mild-mannered new neighbor Mr. Bingley (Travis Leland) as the perfect match for Jane. Accompanying him is his catty sister Caroline (Monique Hafen Adams) and his somewhat grumpy best friend, Mr. Darcy (Justin Mortelliti), who’s even more rich and eligible than Bingley, if only his manners were more pleasant. When outspoken Lizzie meets high-and-mighty Darcy, sparks fly, and it’s their tumultuous courtship that’s at the heart of the show. Gordon’s book and songs do a good job of honoring Austen’s humor, fizzy way with words and keen social insights. In a 2018 interview, Gordon told me that he enjoys writing from source material about “strong women” and that shines through with his Lizzie. As embodied by Mattison, she’s a refreshingly modern heroine who stands up for herself and her imperfect, maddening but loving family, and is unwilling to settle for less than she deserves in life. Gordon also said he finds Darcy’s character arc to be the most compelling, as he must allow himself to be vulnerable for perhaps the first

time. That, too, shines through, as Darcy’s songs were my favorite of the bunch, with driving pop-rock flavors and rhythms and a fantastic performance by Mortelliti, whose voice is reminiscent of a 1960s British pop star. The two leads boast good chemistry and comic timing. Other cast standouts include Rietkerk as Jane, with a voice that’s all sweetness; Brian Herndon as the hilariously odious Mr. Collins, the clergyman who’ll inherit the Bennets’ estate; Lucinda Hitchcock Cone as his snobby patron Lady Catherine De Bourgh; Leland, whose tongue-tied, gentle Bingley is able to express his passionate inner thoughts thanks to Gordon’s fine songwriting; and Wolfklain, whose underappreciated Mary introduces settings and scenes in a deadpan, eye-rolling style that on opening night drew audience laughter each and every time (as did Adams’ very funny, Valley Girl-ish delivery of Caroline’s letters). Joe Ragey’s scenic design, full of greenery, candlelight and oil paintings, is beautiful, as are costumes by Fumiko Bielefeldt, who puts a slightly modern twist on classic Regency period designs. “Pride and Prejudice,” Gordon said, “is sort of a silly story in

many ways, about some foolish people,” but also “this incredible reflection of society and how we see ourselves.” Lizzie and Darcy prove to be a love story worth swooning for and their genteel, articulate world one in which audiences are more than happy to spend some time. Bigger Austen devotees than I will no doubt have their own informed thoughts, favorite moments and/ or quibbles on this musical adaptation. I say, as a warm-hearted, witty, production it stands on its own merits. A premiere to be proud of, surely. Q Arts & Entertainment Editor Karla Kane can be emailed at kkane@paweekly.com. About the cover: Mary (Melissa WolfKlain), Lizzie (Mary Mattison), Mrs. Bennet (Heather Orth), Kitty (Chanel Tilghman) and Lydia (Tara Kostmayer) read a letter in “Pride and Prejudice,” presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Photo by Kevin Berne. What: “Pride and Prejudice.” Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. When: Through Jan. 4. Tickets: $30-$100. Info: theatreworks.org.

Arts & Entertainment

Are you Madame Bovary? Pear production tempers classic tragedy with postmodern wit

THEATER REVIEW for its Bay Area premiere at the Pear Theatre, where she has also performed. “You/Emma” is copresented by BootStrap Theatre Foundation, where Pardo’s mother, Sharmon Hilfinger, is founder and executive director. This wellcrafted drama, which unfortunately has a short run, continues Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Pear in Mountain View. Redd, who won Best Solo Performance for “You/Emma” at New York’s Innovative Theater Awards last year, carries the onewoman show from the moment she enters, wearing a T-shirt with the words “Don’t Try to Make Me Smile.” She could have brought the message home by sporting a khaki-colored jacket emblazoned with “I Really Don’t Care. Do U?” but that would have been too obvious. Besides, it would have been tough to top a hooded jacket with a corset and hoopskirt when Redd transforms into Emma. Yet Redd as You/Emma manages to make the transitions seem almost effortless. Sometimes we shake our heads in disbelief at the character’s naiveté, but we empathize. “If this were now, you would be diagnosed with bipolar disorder and put on medication,” she says, accompanied by chuckles of recognition from the audience. “You/Emma” is a natural fit for the intimate Pear Theatre, where Redd, director Devin Brain and other creators of the New York show reprise their roles. The setting, designed by Bruno-Pierre Houle, appears simple at first glance, with two large overhead boxes, two video screens, a headless mannequin and a floor covered with golden leaves. But video

projections by Kate Eminger and lighting and stellar sound effects by Jessica Greenberg transform this one-woman show into a multimedia production, with clips from “Gone With the Wind” and other films as well as TV’s “Project Runway.” While we may laugh at the clips, we can’t help but notice that romantic delusions are hardly dated. “If it were now,” a phrase the character frequently utters, you might be “getting sexy in the back seat” instead of in a carriage or getting educated in a college instead of a convent, but some things don’t change all that much. Flaubert himself, played onscreen by Redd with a moustache, offers his two cents, delivering key passages from the novel as well as his letters. Unfortunately, perhaps because of uneven sound quality at the initial performance, Flaubert’s words are sometimes muffled and the floppy moustache makes lipreading problematic. Unlike Flaubert, the other supporting characters in this onewoman drama are largely voiceless. With costume designer Christina Renee Polhemus’ simple accessories, the headless mannequin transforms into the men who pass through Emma’s life. With a nondescript brown sweater, he becomes the dull Dr. Bovary. With a flamboyant vest, he’s the roué Rodolphe, Emma’s first lover who breaks her heart. Then a long brown scarf turns him into the studious Léon, who, like Rodolphe, also loses interest. With her lovers gone and all possibilities of escape dissipating amid her mounting debts, Emma, like myriad tragic heroines

Correction

The Nov. 29 article “Marking the ‘marvels and mysteries’ of winter” included an incorrect address for Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra’s Dec. 15 concert. The correct address is Haymarket Theatre, Palo Alto High School, 50 Embarcadero Road. The Weekly regrets the error. To request a clarification or correction, contact Editor Jocelyn Dong at jdong@ paweekly.com, 650-326-8210 or P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto 94302. Q

What: “You/Emma.” Where: Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View. When: Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. through Dec. 15. Cost: $35, with senior and student discounts. Info: Go to thepear.org or phone 650-254-1148.

GreenWaste of Palo Alto is closed on Christmas (December 25) and New Year’s Day (January 1). If your regular collection day falls on or after one of these holidays, your collection day will be moved to the next day for the rest of the week. Regular collection schedules will resume the following week.

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Questions? Contact GreenWaste of Palo Alto at (650) 650) 493-4894 • pacustomerservice@greenwaste.com pacustom rservice@gree waste.com

— Anna Karenina, Hedda Gabler, Cleopatra — sees no way out. The actress’s tears become our tears, and we leave the theater seeing ourselves as Emma. Ambitious and more complicated

than it looks, “You/Emma” is entertaining as well as thought-provoking. Q Freelance writer Janet Silver Ghent can be emailed at ghentwriter@gmail.com.

Earthwise presents DEC

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DEC

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Elvin Bishop Mitch Woods featuring Maria Muldaur

blues

Charlie Musselwhite Valerie Troutt featuring Howard Wiley MC Lars

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JAN

Johnny A guitarist

Mitchell Park Community Center $25

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Mitchell Park Community Center $20

DECEMBER MONDAY

Valerie Redd portrays “You/Emma” at the Pear Theatre.

Holiday Waste Service Schedule SUNDAY

Bruno-Pierre House

by Janet Silver Ghent magine you’re Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert’s tragic heroine. You’re trapped in a boring marriage in a small town. Your only escape is through romantic novels, love affairs, shopping, redecorating and the occasional ball. When your fantasies crumble like a dried wedding bouquet, “It’s like the day after the ball every day.” Then, what are your options? “You/Emma,” an imaginative adaptation of “Madame Bovary” written by Palo Alto native Paz Pardo in collaboration with actress Valerie Redd, riffs on 19th-century French romanticism, bringing it into the present with contemporary parallels. By masterfully delivering the message in the second person, Pardo and Redd invite audiences to see themselves in a classic tragedy tempered with comic relief. The bovine Dr. Bovary is captured by a chorus of moos. Letters and unpaid bills cascade from overhead boxes. And Emma Bovary, believing she’s about to elope with a no-good lover, is instead battered by a barrage of apricots that accompanies his farewell note. Meanwhile, video montages of Hollywood sex goddesses like Marilyn Monroe, each with their own disillusionments, show that love is not forever, despite Doris Day’s wistful rendition of “When I Fall in Love.” In case you’re missing the point, the video of Judy Garland’s carefree “I Don’t Care” is particularly poignant. Described by the authors as “a postmodern fever dream of Madame Bovary,” in which a 19thcentury woman collides with her future counterparts, “You/Emma” held its world premiere last year at New York’s IRT Theatre. Pardo, who graduated from Castilleja High School and Stanford University, brings the play home

FEB

Mitchell Park Community Center $20

Marta Sanchez and Roman Filiu Marco Diaz and Melecio Magdaluyo piano duos

Patricia Barber pianist, singer songwriter

For more information: (650) 305-0701 or eventbrite.com www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 19

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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 • December 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com 707 Santa13,Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park | (650) 327-6608 | www.theorientalcarpet.com

Local experts spill about their favorite natural wines Photo by Sammy Dallal

Server John Traesche opens a chardonnay from Austrian winemaker Christina Netzl at Salvaje, a natural wine bar in Palo Alto.

by Elena Kadvany

isa Robins is glad that more customers are coming into Vin Vino Wine in Palo Alto asking for natural wine — sort of. She’s glad because any curiosity about wine, no matter the category, is a good thing. She’s chagrined, however, when those customers can’t quite explain what they mean by “natural” wine, or if they’re attached to its most restrictive definition. Natural wine has become a cultural phenomenon of sorts, propelled from the fringes of wine geekery into the mainstream. Its popularity has sparked a flurry of wine bar openings across the country, including locally, endless explainers and thought pieces and heated debate about what natural wine actually means. “To me, the idea of natural wine has become a little bit dogmatic and it imagines this world where either you make these zero intervention, very handmade wines, or you’re an evil corporate entity, and what gets dismissed in that kind of dichotomy is every wine we sell,” she said. “We like to place a much bigger emphasis on, how is that wine grown? How is it made and how much energy is in it when you taste it?” Loosely defined, natural wine grapes are farmed organically with minimal intervention and no (or very few) additives — though as Robins pointed out, there are numerous exceptions, from organic wines that are not certified as organic to small, thoughtful producers that add some sulfites to their wines to enable them to be shipped across the world. Vin Vino Wine is one of several places to taste and explore the nuances of “natural” wine on the Peninsula. Read on for Robins and five other owners’ picks for bottles they’re excited about. For a longer version of this story, go to PaloAltoOnline.com/arts. Lisa Robins, Vin Vino Wine, Palo Alto 2018 Siciliane Bianco ‘Calaiancu,’ Mortellito (90% grillo/10% catarratto), $26 Mortellito is a small, organic producer in the Southeast corner of Sicily. This wine is positively

oceanic; it’s briny, fresh and slightly savory. A small amount of skin contact gives it a deep golden hue, though I wouldn’t classify it as an “orange” wine. The texture is quite fresh, but also has a hint of roundness. The nose gives up lush, ripe lemon with floral notes. I would drink it as an aperitif or with any light fish or shellfish dish. It’s a wonderful, vibrant, offbeat white. Zu Tarazi, BottleShop, Redwood City It’s hard to label a wine as natural wine since I don’t believe there is a clear definition. This movement started in the ‘60s in Beaujolais with an approach of no additives in the wine. We think of natural wines as fruit that’s sustainably farmed, no manipulating, little to no sulfites, a kind of hands-off approach. There is a cool, youthful evolution of winemakers that’s been going on in California, and one that I am particularly excited about is James Jelks of Florez Wines from Santa Cruz. He’s been on his own since 2017 and is making some

beautiful wines. One wine that I find to be fire is his recent California heritage field blend ($63). It’s a blend of zinfandel, mourvedre, carignan, alicante bouschet, petite sirah and black muscat from a vineyard planted in the 1920s in Santa Clara Valley. While working for another winery he would pass this 0.6 acre on his way to work and decided to approach the vineyard owner to see if he can utilize this historic fruit. These are the stories that get us geeked about wine at BottleShop, and now we get to enjoy the finished product of this labor of love. Kasim Syed, Salvaje, Palo Alto 2018 Pipeño Portezuelo, $45 I am really enjoying the Pipeño wines from Louis-Antoine Luyt out of Chile. The red and the white are equally tasty but I find myself going to the white more often. It’s organically farmed, hand-picked and fermented on native yeast, like all the wines we pour. It is unfiltered and cloudy in the glass. It’s fun to drink and has many tropical

flavors going on, like lychee. It goes great with anything, from spicy Asian or Indian food, and is also tasty with pizza. Pavel Sirotin, Bevri, Palo Alto Dakishvili Family Vineyard Cuvee, $80 This full-bodied amber dry wine is a blend of three Georgian endemic grape varieties: rkatsiteli, mtsvane and kisi, grown in the Dakishvili family estate vineyards of the village Kondoli, on the right bank of the Alazani river in the Kakheti region. This wine was fermented and matured in qvevri according to the UNESCO-recognized Georgian traditional wine production method. The wine offers complexity of dried white and yellow fruits complemented with roasted almonds and sweet spices. Rocco Scordella, Vino Enoteca, Palo Alto 2016 Palazzo Tronconi ‘Lauterie’ syrah, $89 (This wine) is organic and (undergoes) biodynamic cultivation, non-filtration or clarification over

15 months of aging in a used French tonneaux (an oak barrel). Dark ruby color with intense staining and deep tearing. On the nose you have an interesting balance of chocolate, vanilla, dark cherry and black pepper with a little hint of dried plums. A classic full-body syrah wine perfect for polpette (meatballs), game meats and grilled meats. I found very interesting how a wine with no controlled temperature, spontaneous fermentation and indigenous yeast could reach such a great balance. Guillaume Bienaime, Zola, Palo Alto 2017 “Grandma’s Garagiste” cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah blend, $70 I’m super excited to be serving and supporting an up-and-coming winemaker’s truly garage wine. Juicy plum and blueberries come out of the glass, nicely balanced with black pepper and hints of licorice. We love it with our 30-day aged rib-eye (steak) that we’ve been serving as a special lately. Q

Celebrate Christmas Together

FIRST PALO ALTO UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

DEC 24, Christmas Eve 5 PM Family Service 11 PM Candlelight Service DEC 25, Christmas Day 2 PM Tongan language service with First Tongan UMC 625 Hamilton Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94301 www.FirstPaloAlto.com (650) 323-6167

CHRISTMAS EVE

4pm Family Service with Carols & Pageant 8:30pm Prelude - Early Wind-Brass Music Featuring - The Whole Noyse 9pm Candlelight Service with Choir

CHRISTMAS DAY 10am

Eucharist with Carols

All Are Welcome

ALL SAINT’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 555 WAVERLEY STREET, PALO ALTO WWW.ASAINTS.ORG

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 21

Here come the Holidays

Shady Lane Holly Yashi

Best selection of Holly Yashi jewelry in the Bay Area!

the art of

giving Unique Gifts Calendars Photo Frames

Holiday Sale NOW through December 24th!

Create YOUR Holiday at UArt!

Custom Framing Ready-Made Frames Pastels Cards & Toys Journals Sketchbooks Canvas & Brushes

Voted Best for 10 years ~ Gifts • Jewelry • Boutique

Sharon Heights Shopping Center • Next to Starbucks

Oils & Acrylics

UArt Redwood City 2500 El Camino Real 650-328-3500

Watercolors and more!

325 Sharon Park Drive at Sand Hill Road

shadylanegallery.com • 650-321-1099

red, white & blue tags

Also in Sacramento

)OHJHOV COME VISIT OUR SHOWROOM FOR SAVINGS ON ALL FLOOR ITEMS!

Page 22 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

UniversityArt.com

Movies

Answers to this week’s puzzles, which can be found on page 27.

MOVIES NOW SHOWING

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PG) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Black Christmas (PG-13) Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Century 16: Fri. - Sun.

Dark Waters (PG-13) Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Palo Alto Square: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. En Brazos De Un Asesino (R) Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Century 16: Fri. - Sun.

The Four Feathers (1939) (Not Rated)

Stanford Theatre: Friday

Frozen II (PG) +++ Century 16: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. The Good Liar (R) ++1/2

Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

JoJo Rabbit (PG-13) Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Palo Alto Square: Fri. - Sun. Joker (R) ++1/2

Aquarius Theatre: Fri. - Sun.

Marriage Story (R)

Century 16: Fri. - Sun.

Parasite (R) +++1/2 Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Stanford Theatre: Sat. & Sun.

Playing with Fire (PG)

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

Playmobil: The Movie (PG) Queen & Slim (R)

Century 16: Fri. - Sun.

Venky Mama (Not Rated)

Century 16: Fri. - Sun.

Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Stanford Theatre: Friday

Richard Jewell (R) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun.

Palo Alto Square: Fri. - Sun.

Honey Boy (R)

Century 16: Fri. - Sun.

Mardaani 2 (Not Rated)

The Rains Came (1939) (Not Rated)

Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Harriet (PG-13)

Knives Out (PG-13) +++1/2 Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun.

The Old Maid (1939) (Not Rated)

Century 16: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun.

Ford V Ferrari (PG-13) Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Jumanji: The Next Level (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun.

Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Century 16: Fri. - Sun.

The Women (1939) (Not Rated)

Stanford Theatre: Sat. & 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

Here come the Holidays CELEBRATE THE SEASON AT LA COMIDA

Enjoy festive food and entertainment at 3 special luncheons

THURSDAY, DEC 19: to raise a glass to the Holidays MONDAY, DEC 30: to celebrate Hanukkah TUESDAY, DEC 31:

to ring in the New Year

SERVICE AT TWO LOCATIONS:

STEVENSON HOUSE: Hours: 11:15 am - 12:45 pm, 2 seatings. Doors open at 11:15 am MASONIC CENTER: Hours: 11:45 am - 12:30 pm. Doors open at 11:15 am. LOCATIONS:

Stevenson House 455 East Charleston Rd., Palo Alto Masonic Center 461 Florence Street, Palo Alto FOR RESERVATIONS AND MENU INFORMATION, CALL 322-3742

Give the gift of an Avenidas membership this holiday and watch your parents smile!

Free movies and popcorn Discounts on classes, such as: Fitness Wine tasting Creative arts Member newsletter Discounts on wellness services, such as: Massage Nail care Acupuncture Free entrance to all Avenidas Chinese Community Center events Discounts at Redwood Café

$3 suggested contribution for seniors

www.lacomida.org

Avenidas@450 Bryant | (650) 289-5400 | www.avenidas.org

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 23

Home&Real Estate

OPEN HOME GUIDE 25 Also online at PaloAltoOnline.com

A weekly guide to home, garden and real estate news

Home Front

WINTER GLASS SALE ... Palo Alto High School is hosting a winter glass sale featuring unique blown glass ornaments and other holiday-inspired items as well as functional glass pieces created at the school. The event will be held from 3-6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 13, and from 11-4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, in the school’s Tower Building, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto. Proceeds benefit the school’s Fiery Arts program. For more information, go to bit.ly/ PALYwinterglasssale. HAWTHORNS HABITAT RESTORATION ... Pitch in to help Grassroots Ecology restore habitat at Hawthorns, a Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Preserve, on Sunday, Dec. 15, 1-3 p.m. and learn about the unique ecosystem at this preserve, which can currently only be visited with a docent. Volunteers will help remove invasive, non-native plants, particularly French broom. Come prepared for hilly terrain. Meet at Triangle Park, corner of Alpine and Portola roads, Portola Valley. The event takes place rain or shine. Register at grassrootsecology. org/volunteer. Q