the almanac 02.23.2011 - section 1

T H E H O M E T O W N N E W S P A P E R F O R M E N L O P A R K , A T H E R T O N , P O R T O L A V A L L E Y A N D W O O D S I D E

Obama dines in Woodside | Page 3

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Menlo Park man remembers the

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2 The Almanac February 23, 2011

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February 23, 2011 ■ The Almanac ■ 3

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THE ALMANAC (ISSN 1097-3095 and USPS 459370) is published every Wednesday by Embarcadero Media, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6558. Periodicals Postage Paid at Menlo Park, CA and at additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for San Mateo County, The Almanac is delivered free to homes in Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside. Subscriptions for $60 per year or $100 per 2 years are welcome. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Almanac, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6558. Copyright ©2010 by Embarcadero Media, All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

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C A L L I N G O N T H E A L M A N AC

UPFRONT

Obama dines in Woodside with tech elite

President Obama dined in Woodside on Thurs-day night with high-tech

leaders. He arrived around 5:40 p.m. at San Francisco Interna-tional Airport and flew by mili-tary helicopter to Woodside for a dinner at the home of venture capitalist John Doerr. The helicopter landed at Canada College in Woodside, and the president traveled by motorcade to Mr. Doerr’s home. Almanac reporter Miranda Simon captured the scene near Roberts market where about 35 people gathered, waiting to get a glimpse of the president: “I don’t think (I’ll see Presi-dent Obama). They’re prob-ably not going to turn the lights on and roll down the window,” says Sue Bishop. Justin Pretre, 5, looks at a laminated black-and-white poster with pictures of all the presidents of the United States. “He wants to see George Washington and Abraham Lincoln” says Tina Lount, his mother, carrying 3 year-old

Landon on her shoulders. “Why do you like Abraham Lincoln?” she asks Justin. “Because it’s his birthday soon,” he responds. The two toddlers are wear-ing matching green raincoats. Their cheeks are f lushed because of the cold. Ms. Lount points to Presi-dent Obama on the poster. “If you look real cute,” she says, “maybe he’ll wave at you.” Lauren Giurata, 15, says she was getting dinner with her dad when they saw the sher-iff ’s patrols and asked them what was happening. When they heard the president was coming they decided to stick around. Just then, the motorcade comes through: An ambu-lance, two armored vehicles and a few black Escalades. Peo-ple start whispering, “That’s them, that’s them” After the motorcade, Ms. Lount says Justin was disap-pointed he didn’t get to see Obama. “It was only cars,” says Justin. “What did you expect to

see?” asks his mother. “The whole president!” he says, raising his arms. “I think I might have caught a glimpse of him,” says Mia Ferrari and excused herself immediately: “I have to Face-book this!”

Guest list Here is list of those invited to dine with Mr. Obama (many are residents of Atherton or Woodside): John Doerr, part-ner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers; Carol Bartz, president and CEO, Yahoo; John Cham-bers, CEO and chairman, Cisco Systems; Dick Costolo, CEO, Twitter; Larry Ellison, co-founder and CEO, Oracle; Reed Hastings, CEO, NetF-lix; John Hennessy, president, Stanford University; Steve Jobs, chairman and CEO, Apple; Art Levinson, chairman and former CEO, Genentech; Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO, Google; Steve Westly, manag-ing partner and founder, The Westly Group; Mark Zucker-berg, founder, president, and CEO, Facebook.

Photo by Miranda Simon/The Almanac

Almanac reporter Miranda Simon got this nighttime photo of President Obama waving from the back seat of a Chevy Suburban on his way to a dinner with high-tech executives in Woodside on Thursday night. The photo was taken on Woodside Road right in front of Roberts market.

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CITY OF MENLO PARKLEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC HEARING

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF MENLO PARKAND THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MENLO PARK

CONSIDERATION OF A PROPERTY CONVEYANCE AGREEMENT WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF MENLO PARK FOR THE CONVEYANCE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 777, 785, 787, 791, 801, 811, AND 821 HAMILTON AVENUE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Community Development Agency of the City of Menlo Park (the “Agency”) and the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of Menlo Park will hold a joint public hear-ing on March 1, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. (or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard) in the City Council Chambers located at 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, California. The hearing is being conducted in compli-ance with the requirements of Section 33433 of the California Health and Safety Code. The hearing may be continued from time to time until completed. Any person desiring the opportunity to be heard will be afforded an opportunity to do so.

The Agency owns an approximately two acre site commonly known as 777, 785, 787, 791, 801, 811, and 821 Hamilton Avenue in the City of Menlo Park (the “Property”). In furtherance of the Las Pulgas Community Development Plan and the goal of increasing Menlo Park’s supply of quality affordable housing, the Agency desires to convey the Property to the Housing Authority of the City of Menlo Park (the “Housing Authority”) for the future development of a mixed-use development potentially consisting of for-sale housing units, including affordable housing, commercial and retail space, and related on-site and off-site improvements (the “Proposed Development”).

To implement the Proposed Development on the Property, the Agency proposes to enter into a Property Conveyance Agreement (the “Agreement”) with the Housing Authority providing for the sale of the Property by the Agency to the Housing Authority, and to establish the process for the Housing Authority to determine the development scope of the Proposed Development, including the number of affordable housing units, and select a third-party developer to develop the Proposed Development. The purpose of this hearing is to consider approval of the Agreement and the disposition of the Property to the Housing Authority. The Agreement does not commit the City Council to grant any land use approval necessary for the development of the Proposed Development.

Pursuant to Section 15004(b)(2)(A) of the Guidelines for the implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), the Agreement is exempt from the requirements of CEQA because the future use of the Property for the Proposed Development is conditioned upon CEQA compliance.

Any and all persons having any objections to the proposed Agreement, to the sale to the Housing Authority of the Property, or who deny the regularity of this proceeding or wish to speak on any issue raised by the Agreement may appear at the hearing and will be afforded an opportunity to state their objections.

If any person desires to challenge in court the approval and execution of the proposed Agreement, the contemplated sale of the Property to the Housing Authority, or any proceedings in connection therewith, they may be limited to raising only those issues that they or someone else raised at the hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Agency or the City Council at, or prior to, the hearing. Written correspondence on this matter may be addressed to the Agency and City Council, c/o of the City Clerk of the City of Menlo Park, at the address set forth below.

As required by Section 33433 of the California Health and Safety Code, copies of the Agreement and a summary of the proposed transaction set forth in the Agreement are available at the offices of the City Clerk of the City of Menlo Park, 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, California, 94025, for public inspection and copying at a cost not to exceed the cost of duplication. Further information regarding this hearing may be obtained by contacting the City’s Housing Division at (650) 330-6724.

DATED: February 9, 2011 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF MENLO PARK

_______________/s/_____________________ Margaret S. Roberts, Agency Secretary

DATES OF PUBLICATION: February 15 and 22, 2011

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By Sue DremannEmbarcadero Media

The “field of dreams” the family of slain East Palo Alto police Officer Richard May

has hoped to build in the city since his death on Jan. 7, 2006, can move forward, the East Palo Alto City Council decided Feb. 8. The field, located at Bay Road near St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, would be a memorial to Officer May, said his stepfather, Frank Merrill of Atherton. The family wanted to build a

safe, state-of-the-art playing field to provide a healthy outlet for youths so they wouldn’t engage in crime and end up like Mr. May’s killer, Alberto Alvarez, Mr. Merrill said. Mr. Alvarez, 23, was a drug dealer and former gang member who was convicted of first-degree murder on Dec. 22, 2009. He shot Officer May while trying to run away, after the officer stopped to question him about a fight at a nearby taqueria.

By Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

The wooden-framed Jack-ling house on Mountain Home Road in Woodside

succumbed to the metal jaws of a demolition excavator on Monday, Feb. 14. By Wednesday, there was little left but a pile of splintered timbers. With the demolition permit issued on Feb. 7, Apple Inc. chief executive Steve Jobs, who owns the house, had not been expected to wait much longer to start the destruction, Town Manager Susan George told The Almanac. It has been a rather longish haul for Mr. Jobs, who bought the house in 1984 and has been trying since 2001 to tear it down and replace it with a modern home. Copper baron Daniel Jackling built the rambling summer home in 1926 and over the years it had acquired many historic-preservation-minded friends who appealed to Mr. Jobs with one proposal after another to save the house as an important piece of Woodside history. The preservation group Uphold Our Heritage, in a dogged search for a savior, proposed restoring the house, moving it, and moving sig-nificant parts of it. Through his attorney Howard Ellman, Mr. Jobs would respond with offers to cooperate but agreement remained elusive. Uphold sued Mr. Jobs and in

2004 won a ruling preventing demolition. Mr. Jobs appealed and lost, but then modified his demolition plans to address the issues noted in the 2004 deci-sion. In March 2010, he won a judgment that cleared the way for a demolition permit. In the end, the town salvaged several of the mansion’s his-torically significant elements, including a 50-foot flagpole, a copper mailbox, roof tiles, an organ, woodwork, fireplace mantles, light fixtures and moldings. The town of Woodside has the right of first refusal of these artifacts, followed by the San Mateo County Historical Association and the George Washington Smith collection at the art museum of the Uni-versity of California at Santa Barbara. Mr. Smith designed the house. The town also has an exten-sive photographic record of the house, as required by the condi-tions of the demolition permit.

Moving the house Woodside residents Jason and Magalli Yoho offered early in 2010 to dismantle the house and move it to 215 Lindenbrook Road, a journey of about two miles. It was “a really great propos-al” in which the Yohos would have paid “a very large part of the relocation and restoration costs,” Uphold attorney Doug-las Carstens told the Almanac at the time.

The Yohos would have lived in the house and opened it to the public once a year, Uphold spokeswoman Clotilde Luce said in an e-mail. “Naturally,” she added, she expected Mr. Jobs to “put in something” to help finance the move, but that the Yohos “were going to cover almost everything.” Had Mr. Jobs agreed to it, she said, it would have solved land-clearing problems and would have prevented adding to area landfills.

The “agreement” between the Yohos and Uphold was never formally presented to the town, Town Manager George said at the time. The proposal’s “many unilateral stipulations” included having the town take financial responsibility for relo-cating the house should the other parties not hold up their ends — a stipulation that likely would have doomed the pro-posal, Ms. George added. Those stipulations were removed in a revised proposal,

Mr. Carstens said. “The town’s involvement,” Ms. George said when asked to comment, “was limited to attempting to process an appli-cation from the Yohos that would have allowed them to prepare their site for the Jack-ling house and (for) moving the house to the site. The applica-tion was never deemed com-plete and the Yohos dropped it after a point, so that was that.”

M E N L O P A R K | A T H E R T O N | W O O D S I D E | P O R T O L A V A L L E Y

February 23, 2011 The Almanac 5

Jackling house settles into dust and debris

Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac.

The pile of splintered wooden framing under this demolition excavator symbolizes the fate of the Jackling house, a 1926 Woodside mansion built by a copper baron and the focus of a decade-long battle that pitted a homeowner’s rights against the community’s historical memory.

See JACKLING, page 8

Sports field to serve as memorial to slain officer

See FIELD, page 9

Silicon Valley report suggests recovery■ But big layoffs, tough choices loom for public sector, report says.

By Chris KenrickEmbarcadero Media

From more jobs to more IPOs, an economic recovery is stirring in Silicon Valley’s

private sector, according to an annual snapshot of the region’s economic and social health. However, with public coffers empty and job losses among pub-lic employees growing, the region faces a bitter reckoning on how many public safety, health and welfare services it can afford. Those were the main conclu-

sions of the 16th annual Silicon Valley Index released Feb. 14 by the nonprofit Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network and the Silicon Valley Community Foun-dation. The Index reports the latest data and trends in economic development, workforce, housing, education, public health, land use, environment, governance and culture throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, as well as in portions of Alameda and Santa Cruz counties. Data in the report was gathered

and analyzed by Collaborative Economics of San Mateo. “Silicon Valley’s economy is making slow but noticeable prog-ress recovering from the major blow delivered by the recession,” Joint Venture CEO Russell Han-cock said Monday, noting upticks in new business establishments, patent registrations and venture-capital activity emanating from the region. But with the loss of 4,200 public jobs — mostly in education and

See INDEX, page 8

By Renee BattiAlmanac News Editor

Proposed garbage rate increases in Atherton ranging from 63 percent

for using the smallest garbage cans available to 98 percent for a 96-gallon are not justifiable — at least not with the limited information the town now has, a united City Council decided on Feb. 16. Rather than approve the rate hikes, the council adopted inter-im City Manager John Dan-ielson’s proposed plan, which includes forming an “action team” to quickly address key questions the town and its resi-dents have about the proposed agreement with Recology, which took over garbage collection services from Allied Waste in January. The vote to delay the rate-hike

decision was 4-0, with Kathy McKeithen absent. The Feb. 16 public hearing on the proposed rate schedule was held in a hall in the town’s park to accommodate the anticipated crowd of residents unhappy with the proposal. They showed up, although the number of them who spoke was likely diminished by the council’s indication early on that it was unwilling to go forward with the increases until its questions were addressed. Residents who did speak not only blasted the proposed rate hike but also complained about poor service, rude employ-ees, details of the garbage and recycling collection program, and Recology’s overall business plan. A number of them complained

about the change in the pickup schedule for recyclables from every other week to weekly, say-ing it is unnecessary, and leads to additional truck traffic and blight on their streets. “We look like a slum,” com-

plained resident Helen Harmon, who noted that because Ather-ton wasn’t built with alleys, the garbage cans and other recep-tacles must be hauled out to the street, where some of them sit for days. “It’s very upsetting to see the garbage cans out on the streets — it looks like a garbage dump day after day.” Mr. Danielson told the Alma-nac after the meeting that he is

putting together the so-called action team of professional col-leagues to collect hard data on how the proposed rates were calculated and other informa-tion needed to create a fair rate schedule. He is seeking outside

help for the project, he said, because of limited staff time available for such a difficult task. “We have to get some outside help —

some real tenacious, analytical types,” he said. “I can’t express enough how complicated these (issues) are.” The team he assembles will look at, among other things, why the rate increases proposed for Atherton are so much higher than increases in other Penin-sula towns served by Recology, and how much of the residents’ monthly bills are going toward

paying off bonds issued for the new transfer station built to serve all jurisdictions belonging to a joint powers authority, the South Bayside Waste Manage-ment Authority, of which Ather-ton is a member. Another key question pertains to the $334,000 outstanding debt the town owes to its for-mer waste collection service, Allied Waste. Mr. Danielson and others at the public hear-ing questioned the debt in light of Allied Waste’s assurances to the town in March 2010 that a 16.9 percent rate increase would be sufficient for the company to cover its costs and make the profit agreed to in its contract with the town. Stressing the importance of working through the issues quickly so that new garbage col-lection rates can be established, Mayor Jim Dobbie said the council is likely to hold a special meeting before its regular March meeting. A

By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

The water fight over pool time at the city’s aquatics centers may dry up in one

week. Team Sheeper and SOLO Aquatics have that long to work out their differences, or the City Council may do it for them. “Both groups can end up losing,” Mayor Rich Cline told representatives from both clubs at the Feb. 15 council meeting. “That’s not where you want to be.” The meeting included a lengthy staff presentation by Cherise Brandell and Katrina Whiteak-er that clarified several issues regarding how the city calculated break-even costs, lane allotments, and profitability. Those issues arose after SOLO sent an e-mail to its members that highlighted what it considered misleading information released by the city. For example, the staff report shows that SOLO, with 45 lane hours allotted at the Bur-gess pools, has more lane time than Team Sheeper’s comparable youth program, the Mavericks, which had 42.5. However, looking at the Mav-ericks website showed the youth program was scheduled for 61 hours a week — not 42.5.

Fine-tuning the numbers Why the difference? It turns out the city, using data pro-

vided by Team Sheeper, averaged the number of hours Mavericks actually uses each week versus the maximum it could use. But the program, which owner Tim Sheeper says has grown by 35 per-cent, could expand, while SOLO is limited to the number of hours it can rent. Ms. Brandell said that’s the crux of the challenge with SOLO and Mavericks. “Since the pool is currently at 100 percent capac-ity, giving more time to any one group inevitably takes away from other uses. Both SOLO and Sheeper have a future vision to expand,” she said. Those other uses include lap swimming for those who just want to swim, instead of partici-pating in a competitive club. The new contract states that Team Sheeper would pay $3,000 a month to lease the Burgess pools, a $6.8-million public facil-ity; be responsible for all operat-ing costs; and operate the Belle Haven pools for at least three months a year. According to Community Services Director Cherise Brandell’s analysis, that would save the city approxi-mately $90,000 a year. SOLO would get a regular late afternoon practice time five days a week at a discounted rate of $6 per hour. SOLO would also get an equal share of bulletin board space to advertise its programs. During the summer, however, the SOLO program would be

scheduled only at Belle Haven.

Suggested changes On Feb. 3, the Parks and Rec-reation Commission suggested amending the lease, which is still under negotiation, to include: a five-year lease instead of 10 years, with an automatic five-year extension if everything is going well; financial and operational reviews each winter instead of

June, so the review takes place before the busiest swim season; annual presentations from the aquatics users group regard-ing customer satisfaction; and reserving the right to control 10 percent to 20 percent of pool programming if needed. The council appeared to agree with those suggestions, and also asked staff to consider raising rates for non-residents;

currently swimmers from out-side Menlo Park pay only $5 more to use the pools. The contract returns to the council for approval on March 1 at the earliest. Both Mr. Sheeper and Steve Zanolli, president of SOLO’s board of directors, said that the two groups were closer than ever to working out their com-peting demands. A

6 ■ The Almanac ■ February 23, 2011

N E W S

Atherton says no to garbage rate hike – for now

Menlo Park Mayor Rich Cline to swim clubs: Play nice■ Council to vote on pool contract in one week.

Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac

Fins used by SOLO Aquatics at the Burgess pools in the Menlo Park Civic Center.

‘We look like a slum,’ complained Atherton resident Helen Harmon.


N E W S

For answers to any questions you may have on real estate, you may e-mail me at gdarke@apr.

com or call 462-1111, Alain Pinel Realtors. I also offer a free market analysis of your property.

What’s wrong with this house?

Q: I saw a house that I really like and it’s been on the market for over a month, while other homes in the neighborhood are selling within days. Is there some-thing wrong with this house? The inspection reports look good for a home of this age.

Robin S, Redwood City

A: Every once in a while, a good property will “fall through the cracks”. Maybe the day that it was introduced to the realtors, it was rainy or there was a lot of houses to see that day or if it’s Washington’s birthday or something else that takes people out of town- all of these factors make a difference. As the saying goes, you have one chance to make a good first impression. If the house wasn’t pristine the first time

around, people won’t come back to see it and it doesn’t get sold right away. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there is anything wrong with the house; it does happen. Your realtor should do a CMA for you, just as the listing agent did when the house was priced for the market. Even if it looks like it is priced in the range it should be, it will at this point in time probably not generate strong offers so this may be a good opportunity for you to get a good buy. However, there are agents who will price a listing too high and just let it sit on the market. If that is the case, you probably want to move on to something else. Sellers who have priced their homes way out of the range will rarely be someone you want to deal with.

REAL ESTATE Q&Aby Gloria Darke

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Menlo Park fire displaces 14 veterans

Photo by Veronica Weber/Embarcadero Media

Firefighters work on extinguishing a two-alarm blaze on Bay Road in Menlo Park on Feb. 14.

By Janna BrancoliniBay City News Service

Fourteen veterans were dis-placed from a group home in Menlo Park on Feb. 14

in a two-alarm fire that forced some to jump from second-story windows, Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said. Flames blocked the only stair-case in the home, located at 1208 Bay Road, but no injuries were reported, he said. “This was a very difficult fire,” he said. “We’re very fortunate nobody was killed or injured, especially with people jumping out of windows.” One of the veterans told inves-tigators he accidentally started

the fire in the kitchen, Chief Schapelhouman said. He then quickly helped other people leave the board-and-care facil-ity. Residents jumped from win-dows or were assisted by neigh-bors and others leaving the building, and they were all evacuated before the firefighters arrived. The fire was reported at the 5,000-square-foot home at about 4:40 p.m. and controlled about 35 minutes later, he said. The sprawling house, which was destroyed in the fire, had only one staircase despite its maze of 11 bedrooms. The fire spread to both floors and had burned through the stairs and

the second-story floor. “We’re lucky nobody fell through,” Chief Schapelhou-man said. “You can’t see that in the smoke typically.” Crews stayed at the scene all night and resumed investiga-tions the next morning. The 14 veterans have been relocated. Forty-one fire personnel responded, including eight engines, two trucks and six chief officers, Chief Schapelhouman said.

Editor’s note: Authorities origi-nally said the group home was in East Palo Alto but later said it was just across the border in Menlo Park.

Menlo talk: How to defend yourself against identity theft

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Nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year, and spend thousands of dollars trying to rebuild their credit reports and clear their names off fake debts, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The Menlo Park Library will host a free presentation on how to protect your identity on Saturday, March 5. Kai Deering, an expert on iden-tity theft and executive director of Prepaid Legal Services, will lead the discussion, which starts at 11 a.m. in the library at 800 Alma St. Free van service to the program is available for Menlo Park seniors and people with disabilities. Call 330-2512 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

Troop 206 holds pancake breakfast Menlo Park/Atherton Boy Scout Troop 206 will once again serve

pancakes, sausages and fruit at their annual breakfast on Sat-urday, March 5. The breakfast runs from 8 a.m. to noon at Trinity Church parish hall, 330 Ravenswood Ave. in Menlo Park. If you’re a Cub Scout in uniform, breakfast is free; otherwise adults pay $5 and children, 10 and younger, pay $2.

Chamber gathers for breakfast meeting Combine breakfast with an annual update on the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Feb. 24. Mayor Rich Cline will discuss Menlo Park projects and priorities. Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. in the Menlo Park Presbyterian

Church social hall at 700B Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park. E-mail [email protected] or call 325-2818 to RSVP. Seating is limited, so reservations are required.

No council meeting Because everyone needs a day off after a three-day weekend, the Menlo Park City Council will not meet on Feb. 22. The council won’t convene again until Tuesday, March 1.

BRIEFS


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The proposal might have advanced via an unsolicited offer of mediation by a program within the state appellate court in connec-tion with Uphold’s appeal of Judge Weiner’s decision. The Yohos pro-posal could have been on the table, Mr. Carstens said. Uphold agreed to participate, he said. As for Mr. Jobs’ response, his attorney How-ard Ellman had no comment.

Moving parts of the house Gordon Smythe, a Palo Alto venture capitalist and a fan of homes designed by George Wash-ington Smith, offered in 2009 to salvage parts of the house and use them in a new house at an unde-termined site in California. That three-way agreement included the town and was contingent upon Uphold ending litigation, which

did not happen in time. Uphold attorney Carstens noted that while it was true that Uphold did not drop its litigation, neither did Mr. Jobs sign the agreement. Mr. Carstens wondered why Mr. Jobs did not offer to consider the Yohos’ proposal in lieu of Mr. Smythe’s. Commenting on the Smythe proposal to re-use parts of the house, Uphold spokeswoman Luce said: “Smith was an artist, this is a work of very sophisticated architecture. If you smash a Fab-erge egg and pick up some pieces, what have you ‘saved’?” In a biography on the website architect.com, Mr. Smith is cited as “one of that rare breed of archi-tects who was able to produce buildings that were both subservi-ent to their environment and at the same time able to project strong, beautiful forms into the landscape.” A

Jackling house settles into dust and debrisJACKLING continued from page 5


It was a dark and stormy nightA media van drives up Manzanita Way in Woodside while other reporters wait to get a glimpse of President Obama’s motorcade in Woodside on Thursday night, Feb. 17. See photo and story on Page 3.

city government — and people such as the police chief of Half Moon Bay cutting back to part-time schedules, the public sector faces a looming crisis. “You’re going to see huge layoffs of staff and massive reductions in public services,” Silicon Valley Community Founda-tion CEO Emmett Car-son predicted at Mon-day’s press conference. “The question isn’t how to avoid that. The question is, ‘Are we hav-ing the broader adult discussion about what kind of community we’d like?’” Federal economic-stimulus funds, which cushioned the blow of public layoffs last year, have run out, Mr. Carson said. And supposed silver bullets such as reforming public-employ-ee pension costs — comprising 10.6 percent of city-government expenditures and 7 percent at the county level — won’t begin to solve the problem, he said. Mr. Hancock and Mr. Carson said their groups later this week will offer up a “third path” to new governmental efficiencies through agency consolidation, shared services and cross-juris-dictional collaboration. “We’ll propose this as a path Silicon Valley really needs to con-sider,” Mr. Hancock said. Currently, the largest single category of county spending is in public safety at 33 percent, fol-

lowed by public assistance at 27 percent, Mr. Carson said. “We’ll have to look at a multi-plicity of approaches for the new normal, have the tough discus-sions about, ‘Is it the youngest people we want to protect, or the oldest folks? Where do we really want to protect the environment — is it the water or the air?’ “We’re going to have to make

hard choices because we no longer have the revenue streams for the world we used to have.” In the private sector, Silicon Valley added 12,300 new jobs over the past year, Mr. Hancock said. Unemployment in the valley, at 9.8 percent, is out of the double digits and compares to a similar national unemployment rate and a 12.3 percent California rate. The region had a net gain of 20,200 new business establish-ments in the past year, he said. “Entrepreneurship is alive and well. In a difficult economy, people are still coming to Silicon Valley to start new companies.” After two years of falling, the region’s household income has stabilized at an average of $79,999, with a median of $86,000 a year, he said. Venture-capital investment in

the region is up 5 percent and in certain sectors, such as informa-tion technology and telecommu-nications, by much more. Patents emanating from the region grew by 9 percent, out-stripping the national growth of 6 percent, he said. And IPOs in Silicon Valley rebounded to 11 last year — 6 percent of the nation’s total in a

region with just 1 per-cent of its population, Mr. Hancock said. But some social indicators, such as health-insurance and food-stamp participa-tion, were troubling, he said. The percentage of Silicon Valley resi-

dents with no health insurance rose from 14 percent to 18 percent, and those receiving food stamps grew from 2.6 percent to 4 per-cent. Mr. Carson noted the stark dichotomy between the local haves and the have-nots. “On one hand we have Google giving 10 percent across-the-board raises ... and at the same time our unemployment contin-ues to hover around 10 percent ... and one in 10 people gets (public assistance),” he said. “Everything’s wonderful here and there’s a hiring war going on if you’re in tech and you can write app code. The sky’s the limit. Yet there’s this other half ... that lives in a very different world. “Where do these people come together to even have a discus-sion?” A

Silicon Valley report suggests recovery

There is a stark dichotomy between the local haves and the have-nots, noted Silicon Valley Community Foundation

CEO Emmett Carson.

INDEX continued from page 5

Beechwood School teacher honored for work in music and dramatics Emilee Getter, a music and drama teacher at Beechwood School in Menlo Park, has been named by the San Mateo County Arts Commission as “Art Teacher of the Year for Stage and Theater,” Beechwood principal David Laur-ance has announced. The award includes a cash prize and a donation to an arts orga-nization of the winner’s choice. Ms. Getter will receive the award March 1 at the county Board of Supervisors meeting in Redwood City. Beechwood, located at 50 Ter-minal Ave., is a private, K-8, low-tuition school for families from East Palo Alto and the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park. “Serving these neighborhoods for the past 25 years, the school has a long-standing tradition of pro-viding a broad-based education, including Mrs. Getter’s Music and Drama program,” Mr. Laur-ance said in an e-mail.

She has been teach-ing music and drama at Beech-wood for nine years. Every oth-er year, a f u l l - s c a l e m u s i c a l is produced. “Choreography, set-design, acting, singing and costumes are all part of this massive undertaking in which about one-third of the students participate,” Mr. Laurance said. Last year’s production of “Aladdin, Jr.” played to packed houses and was a highlight of the school year, he said. In addi-tion, Ms. Getter puts on smaller scale productions for each grade level, K-5, each year. Visit beechwoodschool.org or call 327-5052 for more informa-tion about Beechwood School.

Emilee Getter

Woodland students give to Second Harvest Students in Cypress House, one of four houses at Wood-land School in Portola Valley, were winners in a year-end food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank, donating 986 pounds of food from 52 stu-dents in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school includes four houses: Cypress, Maple, Oak and Pine. As a long-stand-ing tradition, each student is

assigned to one of the houses, where they take part in ath-letic, academic and teamwork competitions. Each quarter, one house plans a local or global service project. The entire school collected 3,249 pounds of canned food and other non-perishables, and donated $2,000 to Sec-ond Harvest Food Bank, says school spokesman Anita Grossman.


The Menlo Park City School District and the city will each chip in $120,000 to add

a new traffic light at the intersection of Santa Cruz Avenue and Elder Avenue, and take away a pedestrian signal in front of Hillview Middle School at that intersection. The lighted, in-pavement pedestrian signal will shift to the corner of Santa Cruz Avenue and Olive Street.

The city will spend an addi-tional $15,000 for staff time and $35,000 to create a right-hand turn lane from Elder Avenue to Santa Cruz Avenue. First things first, though. At the request of the City Council at its Feb. 15 meeting, Menlo Park will also spend $1,000 to create a “keep clear” zone in front of Atkinson Lane, a residential street that intersects Santa Cruz Avenue about a block from the school. During the meeting, three

Atkinson Lane residents expressed concern about traffic problems worsening if the city installs the traffic signal, saying

it’s already hard to pull in and out of their driveways. “I do know that if we want to get into our driveway on Atkin-son we’re stopping all the traf-fic behind us and we can’t go, because the cars are in front of our street,” Anny Levin told the council. “Traffic is much more dangerous at that particular inter-section than where it is now (on Seymour Lane).” The residents asked the city to postpone the changes until

it knows whether there truly is a problem with the current arrangement. Data provided by the Menlo Park police department shows five accidents occurred at intersections around Hillview Middle School during the past two years. Three happened at the juncture of Santa Cruz Avenue and Olive Street, while Elder Avenue and Atkinson Lane had one each where those streets joined Santa Cruz Avenue. Engineering services manager Chip Taylor told the council exist-ing traffic issues would already benefit, and that waiting could make the problems worse. “The

student population is going to slowly increase over the next four to five years,” he said. “It takes time to get a signal in place, so if you wait until you see the problem, it could be six to eight months before you can get the signal installed.” The school district would like to see the changes made sooner rather than later since it plans to use bond money to pay for its half of the costs, Mr. Taylor said, and hopes to have construction start by May 2012. The council unanimously approved the changes, as well as creating a “keep clear” zone as soon as possible. A


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The proposed playing field is not without its critics. Council mem-bers split 3 to 2 in favor of granting a building permit, and former mayor Sharifa Wilson has said the council is not following proper protocol because it has not conducted an environmental study of the poten-tial impacts of the field. Councilman A. Peter Evans, who voted against the permit, said he was against strangers coming into the city to build the field. Mr. May was an employee who did not have any allegiance to the city, Mr. Evans said at the meeting.

Councilman David Woods, who also voted against the permit, said he had the opposite view of Mr. May but felt the study of potential impacts should be done prior to granting the permit. Mayor Carlos Romero, Vice Mayor Laura Martinez and Councilman Ruben Abrica voted in favor of the permit. Tami McMillan, Mr. May’s sister and also a resident of Ather-ton, said the family was thrilled with the decision. “I think this will be a great thing and a sense of pride for young athletes of every sport in East Palo Alto. I can’t even be more ecstatic than I am,” she said.

Ms. Wilson, who is president of the Ravenswood City School District board, said Thursday that she wanted to be clear that her opposition had nothing to do with her connection with Ravenswood, past or present. But she was speak-ing in her capacity as a homeowner who lives a half block from the field site. “I’m disappointed the council did not make its priority safety and concern for the quality of life of residents,” she said. The project is bigger than she expected and goes beyond the scope of just the kids, she said. “Everyone could accept a soc-cer field for the kids — I was not

against a soccer field. But now it’s much, much larger. Kids could bike and walk to a soccer field, but an adult rugby field has other impacts,” she said. “Whenever there’s a project, (the council) is obligated to do a nega-tive declaration to evaluate if there is a need for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). They did absolutely nothing. “They decided it’s already an existing use. But my contention is it never had 60-foot lights or was open until 9:30. Those things would trigger the need for an EIR,” she said. In the past, Ms. Wilson has threatened lawsuits if a study was not done. On Thursday she said she is giving herself time to reflect.

Ms. McMillan said field propo-nents don’t want to do anything that would upset residents. Get-ting the permit was key to getting donations, some of which can be used to fund the study. “That’s been the tightrope all along,” she said. The impact study would be done prior to any groundbreak-ing, she said. When the council voted affir-matively, Ms. McMillan said the contentiousness of the meeting disappeared. “I was almost numb. I thought I would be mad at Evans. But when I saw how many youth came out and how many speakers were in favor of the field, I thought, ‘Let’s just move forward and make this happen.’” A

FIELD continued from page 5

Sports field serves as memorial to officer

City wants to stop traffic at Santa Cruz and Elder avenues


City and school officials want to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Santa Cruz and Elder avenues.

■ $291,000 in traffic signal changes coming to intersection near school.


N E W S

Atherton hires efficiency experts to scrutinize operations

FBI is also looking at DA’s office, sources say


Two consulting firms have been hired to review the town of Atherton’s police,

building, and public works departments to analyze their operations and suggest ways to improve the quality and effective-ness of the services they provide residents. The Atherton City Council on Feb. 16 voted 4-0, with Kathy McKeithen absent, to autho-

rize agreements with the firms to conduct the “organizational effectiveness and efficiency” studies, which were recommend-ed by interim City Manager John Danielson. The review of police services, the Communications Center, and related services by the firm PMC will cost a maximum of $25,000, according to Mr. Dan-ielson. Interwest Consulting will review the building and public works departments and related

services at a cost capped at $48,000, Mr. Danielson said in a staff report. The money, which was not budgeted for the current fis-cal year, would come from cost savings from other areas of the budget, particularly from sal-ary savings in the city manager’s office, he said. Mr. Danielson said the reviews are critical to his being able to live up to the commitment he made when he was hired — to

“turn over every rock” to ensure the public’s money is being spent as efficiently as possible. As part of his contract agree-ment, Mr. Danielson will not apply for the permanent city manager position. Instead, one of his key roles as interim man-ager — a job he began Jan. 3 — is to help the town address its dire financial situation. Atherton is facing a structural budgetary deficit of about $1 million that the council, staff, and a citizen advisory committee have been struggling to whittle down. Although the reviews will

be an additional draw on an already tight budget, the coun-cil appeared confident that the money will be wisely spent. The town “will end up with recom-mendations that will signifi-cantly (improve) our budget,” Mayor Jim Dobbie said. Councilwoman Elizabeth Lew-is endorsed the reviews as “an excellent approach” to address-ing the town’s financial woes, and Councilman Jerry Carlson noted that the process should help Mr. Danielson with his mis-sion “to get our house in finan-cial order.” ACITY OF MENLO PARK

LEGAL NOTICEPUBLIC HEARING

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF MENLO PARKAND THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MENLO PARK

CONSIDERATION OF A PROPERTY CONVEYANCE AGREEMENT WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF MENLO PARK FOR THE CONVEYANCE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 777, 785, 787, 791, 801, 811, AND 821 HAMILTON AVENUE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Community Development Agency of the City of Menlo Park (the “Agency”) and the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of Menlo Park will hold a joint public hear-ing on March 1, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. (or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard) in the City Council Chambers located at 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, California. The hearing is being conducted in compli-ance with the requirements of Section 33433 of the California Health and Safety Code. The hearing may be continued from time to time until completed. Any person desiring the opportunity to be heard will be afforded an opportunity to do so.

The Agency owns an approximately two acre site commonly known as 777, 785, 787, 791, 801, 811, and 821 Hamilton Avenue in the City of Menlo Park (the “Property”). In furtherance of the Las Pulgas Community Development Plan and the goal of increasing Menlo Park’s supply of quality affordable housing, the Agency desires to convey the Property to the Housing Authority of the City of Menlo Park (the “Housing Authority”) for the future development of a mixed-use development potentially consisting of for-sale housing units, including affordable housing, commercial and retail space, and related on-site and off-site improvements (the “Proposed Development”).

To implement the Proposed Development on the Property, the Agency proposes to enter into a Property Conveyance Agreement (the “Agreement”) with the Housing Authority providing for the sale of the Property by the Agency to the Housing Authority, and to establish the process for the Housing Authority to determine the development scope of the Proposed Development, including the number of affordable housing units, and select a third-party developer to develop the Proposed Development. The purpose of this hearing is to consider approval of the Agreement and the disposition of the Property to the Housing Authority. The Agreement does not commit the City Council to grant any land use approval necessary for the development of the Proposed Development.

Pursuant to Section 15004(b)(2)(A) of the Guidelines for the implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), the Agreement is exempt from the requirements of CEQA because the future use of the Property for the Proposed Development is conditioned upon CEQA compliance.

Any and all persons having any objections to the proposed Agreement, to the sale to the Housing Authority of the Property, or who deny the regularity of this proceeding or wish to speak on any issue raised by the Agreement may appear at the hearing and will be afforded an opportunity to state their objections.

If any person desires to challenge in court the approval and execution of the proposed Agreement, the contemplated sale of the Property to the Housing Authority, or any proceedings in connection therewith, they may be limited to raising only those issues that they or someone else raised at the hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Agency or the City Council at, or prior to, the hearing. Written correspondence on this matter may be addressed to the Agency and City Council, c/o of the City Clerk of the City of Menlo Park, at the address set forth below.

As required by Section 33433 of the California Health and Safety Code, copies of the Agreement and a summary of the proposed transaction set forth in the Agreement are available at the offices of the City Clerk of the City of Menlo Park, 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, California, 94025, for public inspection and copying at a cost not to exceed the cost of duplication. Further information regarding this hearing may be obtained by contacting the City’s Housing Division at (650) 330-6724.

DATED: February 9, 2011 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF MENLO PARK

_______________/s/_____________________ Margaret S. Roberts, Agency Secretary

DATES OF PUBLICATION: February 15 and 22, 2011


A source recently inter-viewed by the FBI has revealed that the appar-

ent investigation by the federal agency isn’t limited to the town of Atherton, but includes the San Mateo County District Attor-ney’s Office as well. Since late January, the FBI has been interviewing Atherton res-idents and others about matters involving the town of Atherton, according to several sources. But after the Almanac report-ed the apparent investigation, another reliable source con-tacted the newspaper to talk about being interviewed by two FBI agents. That source said the federal law enforcement agency is seeking people who have information about pos-sible misconduct, or who have witnessed possible misconduct, by the District Attorney’s Office. The source spoke on condition of anonymity. County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe wasn’t buying the allegation that his office is being investigated. “This whole FBI thing has been manufac-tured ... there’s no FBI investiga-tion, in my belief,” he said. “There certainly has been nobody (who contacted) us, and that’s a standard procedure the FBI would follow.” Noting that interviewing someone doesn’t constitute an investigation, he added: “There’s nothing to investigate involving us. What would it be? ... There’s been some pretty unfair cover-age of the District Attorney’s Office and the men and women who work hard in it.” ... There’ve been some misconceptions put out there that have damaged the reputation of the office.”

Atherton resident Peter Car-penter acknowledged playing a role in the amatter, but noted that it was only as “the switch-board” helping to connect sev-eral people with the federal agency. Several people who felt they had evidence of wrongdoing came to him for advice, he said, and because he has a number of contacts within federal agencies, he was able to help. “My role was simply to identify an appropri-ate FBI person to whom that person could speak.” Former finance director John Johns, who successfully sued the town for wrongful termination and currently has a complaint filed against the police depart-ment, said he was interviewed about his experiences with the town of Atherton in late January by an agent in the San Francisco office of the FBI. And an Ather-ton resident who did not wish to be identified acknowledged that he, too, had been interviewed about his experiences. Julianne Sohn, a spokeswom-an with the San Francisco office of the FBI, said that as a matter of policy she could not confirm or deny that an investigation is taking place. Mayor Jim Dobbie said he knows nothing about an FBI investigation of town matters, nor does anyone he has spoken to. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not happening,” he added. Councilwoman Kathy McKei-then, who has publicly criticized the town for not hiring neu-tral outside investigators when public officials are accused of possible wrongdoing, could not be reached for comment. In the past year, three council mem-bers have been subjects of inter-

See FBI, page 12


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Here’s your opportunity to participate in an important clinical research study to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of an investigational long-acting FSH drug (SCH 900962) for ovarian stimulation in women undergoing In-Vitro Fertilization.

Lynn Westphal, MD Annaliese Cabrera Reyes, MA

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For more information, please contact Annaliese Cabrera Reyes at [email protected], or call (650) 723-9514.

For more information regarding questions, concerns, or complaints about research, research related injury, and questions about the rights of research participants, please



When an organizer from the Service Employees International Union

Local 521(SEIU) sent an e-mail to the Menlo Park City Council asking to meet with each council member individually “to discuss various concerns and issues affecting all concerned par-ties,” the obvious question was whether the council members would agree. “I won’t be and imagine no one else will either,” said Mayor Rich Cline. “I have met with them before one on one and did not see any issue with it, but given where we are in the negotiations,

I cannot see it happening.” The organizer, Lee Alvis, directed all questions to the union’s communications direc-tor, Khanah Weinberg. She told the Almanac that as an orga-nizer new to the area, Mr. Alvis wanted to personally introduce himself to each council mem-ber. Councilman Peter Ohtaki, drawing upon his experience with negotiations as a member of the governing board of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, said he’d be willing to meet, but only after the SEIU negotiator and his team met with the city manager. “There’s a time and place where it’s appropriate, where it

wouldn’t distract from the for-mal negotiation process,” Mr. Ohtaki said. “It’s inappropriate to meet with them until they’ve met with the city manager. And certainly you do not want to talk about negotiation topics.” He said that such meetings provide an opportunity to get to know the personalities of the bargaining team, as long as the conversation avoided any issue under negotiation. Council members Kelly Fer-gusson and Andy Cohen didn’t respond to the Almanac before deadline. Last May, the council imposed pension benefit limitations on SEIU employees that raised the retirement age for new non-police city employees from 55 to 60, and decreased pension benefits from a maximum of

four-fifths of annual salary to three-fifths. The changes take effect only if the city negotiates the same deal with the city’s middle man-agement employees when their contract expires this year. The union, along with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employ-ees (AFSCME), threatened to sue the city again now that Measure L, which set similar pension limitations but also requires a public vote to raise benefits, passed in the Novem-ber elections with 72 percent voter approval. But now SEIU wants to return to the bargaining table. The council created a labor negotia-tion subcommittee in December, composed of Mayor Cline and Vice Mayor Keith, to increase the transparency of the city’s bargaining process. “The best course is as much

transparency as possible,” Vice Mayor Keith said regarding SEIU’s request for individual meetings. “The council should discuss this issue at our next meeting in March, when the labor subcommittee reports to the council, and formulate a consensus on this.” A

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Menlo union just wants to say hi

February is American Heart Month and the perfect time to make sure you’re on a healthy

track. At the Stanford Congestive Heart Failure & Cardiomyopathy Clinic, we offer innovative

treatment options based on years of pioneering research.

Taking care of your heart condition with the right care today can make a difference. Make

an appointment to meet with our team of heart specialists and establish the right treatment

plan for you.

TAKECARE of your heart.

Learn more about your heart health: stanfordhospital.org/heartmonth

■ SEIU organizer asks to meet with individual council members.

This information is from the Atherton and Menlo Park police departments and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Under the law, people charged with offenses are considered innocent until convicted.

MENLO PARK

Commercial burglary report: Loss estimated at $3,800 in break-in and theft of two laptop computers, Etagen Corp. at 186 Constitution Drive, Feb. 11.Residential burglary reports:

■ Losses estimated at $3,350 in break-in and theft of large screen TV, video games and controllers, and laptop computer, 1200 block of Carlton Ave., Feb. 12.■ Losses of $1,878 in break-in and theft of video game players, suitcase, two pairs of jeans, two shirts, and video camera, 1200 block of Sevier Ave., Feb. 16.Grand theft report: Loss of $566 in theft of jogging stroller and diaper bag, 300 block of Sharon Park Drive, Feb. 11.Auto burglary report: Window smashed with loss estimated at $250 after attempt to steal stereo that netted only faceplate, 1900 block of Euclid Ave., Feb. 11.Stolen vehicle report: Arrest of Ira Earls Jr. 36, on charges connected to theft of Silver 2004 Lincoln Aviator, Hamilton Ave. and Hazel St., Feb. 16.

PORTOLA VALLEY

Fraud report: Unauthorized use of credit card, 100 block of Hayfields Road, Feb. 9.

LADERA

Residential burglary report: Unknown loss in break-in and theft of computer equipment and two bottles of coins, 600 block of La Mesa Drive, Feb. 16.Theft report: Losses estimated at $3.96 in theft of can of Coke from refrigerated display case and three bags of Doritos from outdoor kiosk, 200 block of La Cuesta Drive, Feb. 11.

POLICE CALLS

nal reviews conducted by the city attorney after complaints were made about their actions. Atherton resident Jon Buck-heit is suing the town, three police officers, Councilman Jerry Carlson and the county in federal court over the han-dling of his 2008 arrest during a domestic violence incident. He and Mr. Johns, the former finance director, have accused the police department of falsi-fication of police reports and other misconduct. The building department has had its share of complaints as well. Mr. Johns’ audit of that department shortly before he was fired turned up question-able practices and possible mis-conduct. He also challenged expenditures by the police department he said were not proper. A

FBIcontinued from page 10

Submitted by Linda Hubbard of Trinity Church.

A new feature-length doc-umentary about climate change solutions, “Carbon

Nation,” is having its Bay Area debut at Trinity Church in Menlo Park at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28. The event is free and open to the public. The film’s director, Peter Byck, will answer questions via Skype after the screening. Mr. Byck characterizes the film as an optimistic discovery of what people are already doing. “In our travels, we filmed Bay Area radicals, utility CEOs, airlines execs and wonky econo-mists,” he said. “They all agree that using as little energy as pos-sible and making clean energy are important goals, whether for solutions to climate change, national or energy security, or public health. “I wanted to make a big-tent film where folks of all political stripes could find common ground.” The film shows entrepreneurs, visionaries, scientists, and every-day people, all working toward solutions. “Trinity is committed to envi-ronmental stewardship,” says parishioner Nancy Grove, who heads the church’s EDEN (Every

Day Eco-Network) commis-sion. “When we learned that the filmmakers were making the documentary available to interested groups in advance of theater showings, we jumped at the chance.” “Carbon Nation” officially opened in New York on Feb. 11. It will be shown commercially at the Landmark Opera Plaza Cinema in San Francisco for a week begin-ning March 11. Trinity Church is located at 330 Ravenswood Ave. in Menlo Park.

The 2011 Menlo-Atherton High School Fashion Show will takes place Saturday,

March 5, in the performing arts center on campus. The show, which will be staged three times (at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.). is a “professionally choreographed, high-energy production and the cornerstone of the fundraising efforts for the PTA,” says show spokesperson Trish Gump. Starring members of the senior class, the show has been a tradi-tion at M-A for over 35 years. The performing arts center’s sound, acoustics and lighting technology make it an ideal venue for this lively, multi-media production, Ms. Gump says. Additional seating to accommodate a larger audi-ence and a runway coming off the stage for the models will be added this year. This year’s theme, “Not Anoth-er High School Fashion Show,” celebrates modern high-school culture with music, dance, set designs, and, of course, fashion. Kim Selby, local fashion show

choreographer and mother of a participating senior, will direct more than 200 students model-ing clothes from Alys Grace, Banana Republic, Betsy Johnson, Cassis, Gap, Gitane, Helm of Sun Valley, Ladera Longboards, Leaf and Petal, Men’s Wearhouse, Milana C., Nike, The North Face, Nouvelle Bridal, PacSun, Patrick James, Peacebank, Pick-led, Pink and Harmony, Romi, Selix, Skateworks, Tommy Baha-ma and Vans. Nona Ybarra, owner of Cap-tivating Dance, will direct the dance numbers led by members of the M-A Dance Team. Set design and art direc-tion is by Jill Smith, who cre-ated the artwork for last year’s “M-Ain Street” Fashion Show. Jill is co-chairing the event with Karen Armstrong and Suzanne Amato. Noreen Caruthers and Yumi Kelly are chairing the luncheon that takes place before the first show. The lunch will be catered by Jill Elevitch, owner of Mod-ernTaste, and will feature a

parade of fashion starring chil-dren of M-A faculty. The “mini-models” will wear fashions provided by Baby Gap and Tassels in Los Gatos. Tickets for the lunch are $75 and include premiere seating for the 1 p.m.

show. Winners from a donation draw-ing will be announced prior to the evening show. Winners need not be present to win. The show is open to the public and is an opportunity for people

who don’t regularly visit the campus to experience M-A and its students. Ticket prices start at $15 for youth and students. Visit mabearspta.org for more information and tickets. A


C O M M U N I T Y

Camp ConnectionS U M M E R 2 0 1 1

ATTENTION PARENTS!

T H E A L M A NAC O N L I N E . C O M

Find the camps for your kids this summer in our

newspapers and peninsula

websites.

We have all the camps you could

possibly want!

Also, pick up a copy of

the Camp Connection

magazine at family-oriented

retailers on the Peninsula.

Camp ConnectionA special publication produced by the Palo Alto Weekly,

The Almanac and Mountain View Voice

Summer 2011

G U I D E T O 2 0 1 1 S U M M E R C A M P S F O R K I D S

M-A Fashion Show promises high energySubmitted by Trish Gump, an M-A Fashion Show volunteer.

Scene from the 2010 Menlo-Atherton High School Fashion Show.

Trinity Church to screen climate-change documentary

Rain shuts Guild theater in Menlo Fans hoping to sing along with the “Rocky Horror Pic-ture Show” at Menlo Park’s Guild Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 19, will instead have to go to Palo Alto. General Manager Rachael W o r d h o u s e - D y k e m a announced that rain and water damage forced the theater, located at 949 El Camino Real, to close until further notice, although staff hopes to reopen on Feb. 25.


Saltworks bad for schools, roads, downtown

Editor: I was very disappointed to hear that the Saltworks develop-ment project isn’t being opposed by the Redwood City Council. (Saltworks is a proposal by Minnesota company Cargill for a new city of 30,000 people built on the bay near Woodside Road.) There are so many rea-sons not to build this thing, it’s hard to choose. For one, it will only amplify our current infrastructure issues. For example, Saltworks proposes locations for four new elementary schools and a middle school, but no high school. With our existing high schools already reaching capacity, this project could lead to overcrowding, in addi-tion to the costs of building

and supporting at least five new schools. There will only be two to three roads going in and out of the development, one of which would be a new overpass

directly over the heads of cur-rent Redwood City residents. Saltworks could also stymie the development of downtown Redwood City, where we’ve already spent $50 million. Let’s

create better housing down-town, so that Redwood City can really thrive. More sprawl is not the answer.

Emily J. SchnipperRedwood City

Total contributions to the Almanac’s Holiday Fund were $138,678 this year, up slightly from 2009 and a solid show of support from Almanac readers, who contributed $95,785 despite the recession that continues to grip the region. Perhaps reflecting the economic trend, the number of donors slipped this year to 184 from over 200 last year, although total contributions were up, helped by a larger gift from the Rotary Club of Menlo Park. The funds will be dispersed equally to 10 local nonprofit agencies that feed the hungry and house the homeless, as well as provide assistance in many other ways. Each agency will receive a $13,867.81 check from the Sili-

con Valley Community Foundation, to be used to fulfill their mission. The Holiday Fund, in its 18th year, continues to receive generous dona-tions from the Hewlett, Packard

and Rotary Club of Menlo Park foundations, which together contributed $42,893 this year. Assistance from the Silicon Valley Community Founda-tion makes it possible for every dollar contributed to the Holiday Fund to be passed directly to the nonprofit agencies. No fees or other charges are taken out by the Almanac or the foundation. Here are the nonprofit agencies that will receive checks for $13,867.81 this year:

Boys & Girls Clubs of the PeninsulaProvides after-school academic support and enrichment activities for 1,000 youth each day, ages 6 to 18. Operates clubhouses in Menlo Park’s Belle Haven neighborhood, East Palo Alto and Redwood City, and after-school programs at schools in these communities designed to extend the learning day and supplement the school’s curriculum.

Ecumenical Hunger ProgramProvides emergency food, clothing, household essentials, special children’s programs and sometimes financial assistance to families in need, regard-less of religious preference, including Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets for more than 1,500 households.Ravenswood Family Health Center

Provides primary medical care, behavioral health services and preventive health care for all ages at its clinics in Belle Haven and East Palo Alto. It also operates a mobile clinic at school sites. Of the 22,700 registered patients, most are low-income and uninsured.

St. Anthony’s Padua Dining RoomServes hundreds of hot meals six days a week in a social and friendly

atmosphere to anyone in need. Funded entirely by contributions from the community, St. Anthony’s is the largest soup kitchen between San Francisco and San Jose. It offers groceries to take home and distributes clothing to families.

Second Harvest Food BankThe largest collector and distributor of food on the Peninsula, Second Harvest Food Bank distributed 30 million pounds of food last year. It gathers donations from individuals and businesses and distributes food to some 162,000 people each month through more than 700 agencies and distribution sites in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

Shelter NetworkProvides short-term shelter and transitional housing services to more than 3,700 adults and children each year. Offers programs for families and indi-viduals to become self-sufficient and return to permanent housing.

Youth and Family Enrichment ServicesProvides many programs to help people who struggle with substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health, and relationship and communica-tions issues. Helps strengthen youth, families and individuals to overcome challenges through counseling, education, and residential services.

Project Read-Menlo ParkProvides free literacy services to adults in the Menlo Park area. Trained volunteers work one-on-one or in small groups to help adults improve their basic reading, writing and English language skills so they can achieve their goals and function more effectively at home, at work and in the com-munity. In 2007-08, a total of 120 volunteer tutors assisted more than 300 students.

The Art of Yoga ProjectOffers incarcerated teenage girls a rehabilitation program of yoga and creative arts to instill greater self-awareness, self-respect and self-control. The project serves over 500 girls annually at four local sites, including San Mateo County’s juvenile detention centers.

St. Francis CenterProvides services for families in need with the goal of helping them to live in dignity and become self-supporting community members. The center assists some 2,000 people each month with such services as low-income housing, food and clothing, shower and laundry, counseling, community garden, and education.

Ideas, thoughts and opinions about local issues from people in our community. Edited by Tom Gibboney.

EDITORIALThe opinion of The Almanac

LETTERSOur readers write

Our Regional HeritageColdwell’s General Store at the intersection of Mountain Home and Woodside roads in 1956. The Woodside landmark is now Roberts Market.

A good year for Holiday Fund

All views must include a home address

and contact phone number. Published

letters will also appear on the web site,

www.TheAlmanacOnline.com, and

occasionally on the Town Square forum.

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EMAIL your views to: [email protected] and note this it is a letter to the editor in the subject line.

MAIL or deliver to: Editor at the Almanac, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

CALL the Viewpoint desk at 223-6507.

Editor & PublisherTom Gibboney

EditorialManaging Editor Richard Hine News Editor Renee Batti Lifestyles Editor Jane Knoerle Senior Correspondents Marion Softky, Marjorie Mader Staff Writers Dave Boyce, Sandy BrundageContributors Barbara Wood, Kate Daly, Katie Blankenberg Special Sections Editors Carol Blitzer, Sue Dremann Photographer Michelle LeNews Intern Miranda Simon

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The Almanac, established in September, 1965, is delivered each week to residents of Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside and adjacent unincorporated areas of southern San Mateo County. The Almanac is qualified by decree of the Superior Court of San Mateo County to publish public notices of a governmental and legal nature, as stated in Decree No. 147530, issued November 9, 1969.

Subscriptions are $60 for one year and $100 for two years.

Serving Menlo Park,

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and Woodside for 44 years.

WHAT’S YOUR VIEW?

Audiffred Woodside Collection


V I E W P O I N T

By Patty Mayall

Why are the city of Menlo Park, the San Mateo County Department

of Public Works, and Caltrans wasting money spraying our roadsides with pesticides when they mow anyway? Why are there no on-road notifications posted before, during and after this potentially toxic spraying to warn the public? Why is this issue not being addressed by public health agencies, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program? Thank you for the recent article, “No-spray zone sprayed with pesticide,” which showed that no-spray policies are need-ed instead of no-spray zones. Many people have had similar experience within the La Honda Watershed Area no-spray agree-ment/zone that concerned resi-dents achieved in 2007 with the county’s department of public works. They annually spray the unin-corporated county roads any-time between January and June between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. with no on-road notifications. They spray Roundup Pro, Aquamaster (both Glyphosate formulations), Garlon Ultra 4 (Triclopyr), and Milestone VM (Aminopyralid). The active ingredients are in parentheses, and the chemical manufacturers are not required to list the inert ingredients which have been proven to be more toxic than some of the active ones. This was the basis for a federal lawsuit, along with other federal lawsuits challenging the EPA’s approval of many pesticides, including some of these. The roadside spraying covers open drainage ditches that transport water to creeks, potentially con-taminating watersheds and some residents’ drinking water sources. Photos of water in these ditches when spraying has occurred were

given to the public works d e p a r t -ment and the Board of Supervisors, along with a petition signed by 582 residents r e q u e s t -ing that the r o a d s i d e

spraying stop and supporting a once-a-year mowing schedule. Mowing once a year at the cor-rect time of year has proven to be the most effective practice for weed/road maintenance, while saving the cost of spraying and the greater costs and risks to people and the environment. It has been the practice in many other counties and states for decades. Last year, with direction from the county’s Environmental Quality Committee, the public works department wrote the her-bicide phase-out proposal which was supposed to be voted on by the Supervisors last December, but has been delayed by the public works department until possibly June. This proposal divides unincorporated areas where spraying occurs into 10 areas (eventual no-spray zones), with the phase-out taking 10 years. I’ve requested consolidat-ing areas, or better yet, ending roadside spraying in 2012. Cal-trans sprays local state roads twice a year and a spokesperson said they would stop if the board votes for the proposal, as they did in District 1 (Marin, Del Norte, Sonoma, Humboldt and Men-docino counties). I hope that the Almanac will continue reporting on this important issue and that concerned readers will contact their city, county, and state rep-resentatives to help end roadside spraying.Patty Mayall lives in La Honda.

Why spray pesticides when mowing does the job?

GUEST OPINION

www.Almanacnews.com

Online.

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Go to open.apr.com for the Bay Area’s only complete online open home guide.

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LOS ALTOS $2,298,000Beautifully remodeled home situated on a cul-de-sac, features spacious rooms throughout. 4bd/3baths + 2 half baths.

Johanna Dolan650.450.0659 [email protected]

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MENLO PARK $1,895,000Contemporary elegance in the heart of Central Menlo! Totally remodeled dramatic modern architecture, 4bd/3.5ba with 12.6k sf lot.

PALO ALTO $849,000Like new, beautiful condo with gourmet kitchen and wrap-around yard. Close to restaurants and shops.

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Marcia Newton650.465.9549

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the almanac 02.23.2011 - section 1

Documents

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