the almanac 10.17.2012 - section 1

WWW.THEALMANACONLINE .COMO C T O B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 2 | VOL . 48 NO. 7

Farmers’ market debuts (again) in Skylonda | Section 2

Five candidates compete for two seats on City CouncilPage 5

2 The Almanac TheAlmanacOnline.com October 17, 2012

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October 17, 2012 TheAlmanacOnline.com The Almanac 3

UPFRONT

By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

A tumultuous chapter in Atherton’s history may be drawing to a close

with the announcement that the council has finally agreed on a new city manager. The contract to hire 45-year-old George Rod-ericks, the former city manager in Belvedere in Marin County, goes before the council on Wednesday, Oct. 17. He’ll be one of two new faces joining upper management. Under the contract, Mr. Rodericks would be paid $160,000 a year along with a cellphone allowance of $100 a month. He would receive $2,500 monthly to help with living expenses until he relocates to Atherton or until June 30, 2013. That’s on top of living rent-free in a home owned by the town on Watkins Avenue. As for time off, the contract provides for 80 hours of vacation for the first two years, increasing in 40-hour increments up to 160 after seven years of service. Sick leave at eight hours per month, plus administrative leave of 40 hours per year, is also included. Retirement benefits fall under CalPERS. Mr. Rodericks counts more than 20 years in municipal gov-ernment, most recently serving for seven years as city man-ager in Belvedere. He resigned in June for personal reasons, according to the Pacific Sun. He received six months’ pay after stepping down from the $182,700-a-year position. His background includes working as an assistant city manager, ana-lyst, code enforcement officer and planner. Perhaps of imme-diate importance to Atherton, he oversaw construction of two town center projects. “Coming from a similar town, with similar services and approaches, I know I can hit the ground running,” Mr. Rodericks said in a press release issued Oct. 12. “Having attended several

Council meetings as an observ-er, I am well aware of the major initiatives and of the Town’s operations. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to interface with many of the Town’s staff, so the transition should be quick and smooth.” According to the release, he holds a bachelor’s degree in municipal management from

Central State University in Oklahoma, a master’s degree in public administration from Cal State-Long Beach, and a jurist doctorate from the Concord University School of Law. Mr. Rodericks was selected from a pool of 100 candidates. “We took a bit longer to make a decision than was originally

planned, but we believe we found the right candidate, with the right skills and the right fit for the Town,” said Mayor Bill Widmer in the town’s announce-ment. “We are confident George will be able to maintain the improvements the Town has experienced in both service qual-ity and fiscal management. We are pleased with our selection and thankful for the fine job Interim City Manager Theresa DellaSanta has done for us these last nine months.” Ms. DellaSanta stepped in after John Danielson, also an interim city manager, left in

January. The mayor, Ms. Della-Santa and Councilwoman Kathy McKeithen oversaw the search for a permanent replacement by Bob Murray & Associates. The search firm narrowed the field of candidates from 58 to seven, and the ad-hoc committee then chose three, who were inter-viewed by the full council in July. The town opted to expand the

search after the council failed to agree on a can-didate.

New finance director Joining Mr. Roder-icks as a new employee is Atherton’s finance director, Robert Barron III. He arrives from the city of Millbrae, where he was financial services manager. Mr. Barron, who began his Atherton job Oct. 9, has experience as an assistant city manager and finance director in

the California cities of Huron and Coalinga, said Ms. Della-Santa, who appointed him. Before his seven years of gov-ernment service, he worked in the private sector as a senior assistant controller and senior accountant, she said. Mr. Barron has bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from the Univer-sity of Notre Dame. He succeeds interim finance director Debra Auker, who was hired in December. Approximately 40 people applied for the permanent finance director job. The town narrowed the list to six, Ms. DellaSanta said, and in August, they were interviewed by a panel made up of Atherton Public Works Director Mike Kashi-wagi, Interim Finance Director Debra Auker, and San Carlos Assistant City Manager Brian Moura. That panel chose three candidates to continue. Ms. DellaSanta, Police Chief Ed Flint, and Mayor Widmer interviewed the top three can-didates before the position was offered to Mr. Barron.

Renee Batti contributed to this report.

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Atherton names new city manager

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

Town also names a new finance director.

Michelle Le/The Almanac

George Rodericks, left, named Atherton’s new city manager, has spent more than 20 years in municpal government. New Finance Director Robert Barron III was financial services manager of Millbrae.


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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

By Sandy Brundage Almanac Staff Writer

With the passage of the downtown/El Camino Real specific plan and

the arrival of Facebook, the next city council faces an era of change in Menlo Park — an era marked by opportunity, as well as tough choices due to the loss of millions of dollars in state funding. Five residents think they’re the right people to help guide the city through those choices and oppor-tunities. They are competing for two seats on the five-member council. The winners will be elected to four-year terms.

Dave Bragg “Honest, hard-working, driv-en,” said Dave Bragg when asked to describe himself in three words. He’s a Marine combat veteran turned firefighter whose cam-paign slogan also boils down to three words — “Born to serve.” His top issues: implement-ing the specific plan, restoring vibrancy and attracting business to Menlo Park. As the owner of a construction company, Mr. Bragg spoke from personal experience when observing that property owners remain con-fused about what’s allowed under the new rules installed by the specific plan. And the permit process in Menlo Park — that’s another area crying out for renova-tion, he said. Speaking from a builder’s perspective, Mr. Bragg shared stories of clients afraid to apply for permits because of the expenses racked up by the city’s drawn-out, ambiguous process. He’s advocating for a stream-lined process with a clear-cut checklist, and if the city wants to mandate green building features, great. “When you try to convince clients to spend more to go green, they say, ‘money’s green too.’ If it’s law, that’s easier to do.” Affordable housing is on the minds of many voters as the city works to wrench its housing plan into compliance with state law. “It’s not a matter of opinion; it’s something we have to do,” Mr. Bragg said. “A lot of folks in west Menlo Park don’t want affordable housing with them. ... I got asked, do you want it next to the duck pond in Sharon

Heights or in Belle Haven?” He noted that Belle Haven seems less resistant to the idea. As a firefighter, Mr. Bragg might be expected to feel strong-ly about pension reform. And he does. “It needs to happen. But it needs to be negotiated. We could have done better for the city than Measure L if it had been negotiated,” for example, with a greater employee contri-bution, he said. Mr. Bragg is a newcomer to city politics. “I’m not a drawn-out talker,” he said with a grin when asked what quality he hopes to bring to the council.

Catherine Carlton Catherine Carlton’s personal snapshot: “Good listener, tena-cious, smart. Caring, resilient.” Rounding out Ms. Carlton’s list of top issues for the city: the blight of El Camino Real, fiscal responsibility, and creat-ing a better reputation as a city that “wants business to come; Menlo Park has a reputation as ‘difficult.’” Concern for the infrastructure of emergency response ties into that. Without redundant systems in place, “we’re not as well-prepared as we could be,” she said.

The current race to update the city’s housing plan came about because of a lack of proactive steps by the council, according to Ms. Carlton. She said an argument might be made for adding housing afford-able by newly divorced parents, seniors and teachers. The Parks and Recreation commissioner doesn’t favor converting parks to housing or adding sites near gas pipelines or potential areas of liquefaction, but thought “infill seems like an intelligent way to go for some of it” along with counting secondary, also known as granny, units. She’s eager to see what hap-pens with pension reform on the state level. “The elephant in the room is police and fire. I am so in love with the safety of Menlo Park, and would never do anything to jeopardize police response.” Adding more non-sworn personnel rather than sworn officers might be one way to enlarge the police force while controlling costs, Ms. Carlton suggested. She said she hopes the next council has the where-withal to address issues without leaving that to ballot measures like Measure L. Unions figure large in the

political landscape of pension reform, of course, and as the daughter of a teacher, Ms. Car-lton emphasized her empathy and respect for what they do. But one comment during a recent meeting with a union lingered in her memory. “They did say one thing that really stuck with me. That if you said you were going to vote ‘X’, and didn’t, they would give you a call. They let you know without any doubt that they expected you to haul the line. Fair enough, but I lost sleep thinking over it. ... Integrity is important, and I’d hate to sign a statement saying I would always vote ‘X’. I can’t promise that.”

Carolyn Clarke “Kind, passionate, smart, in tune with the community,” was Carolyn Clarke’s self-portrait. Her top three issues: Traffic, affordable housing and finding new revenue streams. “I know people think of affordable hous-ing as the projects, but that’s not what it is. This is housing for working people, for local fami-lies,” she said. Ms. Clarke, a housing commis-sioner, has also been serving on the steering committee charged with identifying sites to rezone

to increase Menlo Park’s housing capacity in compliance with state law. That includes setting aside sites and incentives for develop-ers to build affordable housing. “Getting the buy-in is going to be a challenge, but I’m optimis-tic.” She analyzed sites based on what type of population would be served, such as seniors, and which are close to transit. It has been about 25 years since a Belle Haven resident last served on the council. As a resident of that neighborhood, Ms. Clarke would like to see that change. “I’d like to see east and west (Menlo Park) get to know each other more,” she said. “I also want to see Belle Haven become self-sufficient” by supporting services such as a credit union, retail, small business owner seminars, and the long-awaited (and still on the city’s drawing board) police substation. Rais-ing the quality of education for the neighborhood’s students to match that of those in the Menlo Park City School District is another area of focus. Ms. Clarke voted against Mea-sure L, the Menlo Park pension-reform initiative that passed by

The faces of changeTwo of five candidates for Menlo Park City Council may help usher in a new era for the city

Local News O C TO B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 2

Continued on page 8

Dave BraggAge: 34Occupation: Firefighter with the Menlo Park Fire Protection District and business ownerExperience: U.S. Marine Corps; safety officer on Little League board; youth sports coach; co-chair, Menlo Fire Toy and Food Drive; Rebuilding Together Peninsula volunteerEducation: Emergency medical technician; firefighter certification through College of San Mateo and Santa Barbara City CollegeWebsite: www.davebragg.com

Catherine CarltonAge: 45Occupation: BusinesswomanExperience: Parks and Recreation Commission; Sharon Heights Homeowners Association; board member, Vista Center for the Blind and Junior League; South Bay Coalition Against Human Trafficking; Menlo Park AYSO; Girl Scouts troop leader; master composterEducation: B.A. in communications, Tulane University; MBA, Cass Business School, LondonWebsite: carltonformenlopark.com

Carolyn ClarkeAge: 57Occupation: Accountant and small business ownerExperience: Housing Commission; Housing Element Steering Committee; founder, Belle Haven Community Foundation; Menlo Park Las Pulgas Committee; Habitat for Humanity volunteer; co-founder, School of Wisdom and Knowledge (Palo Alto charter school)Education: B.S. in business administration, San Francisco State University; CPAWebsite: clarke4unity.com

Kelly FergussonAge: 50Occupation: Clean energy executive for local government market at SiemensExperience: Menlo Park City Council since 2004; board member, Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency; high speed rail subcommittee; business development subcommittee; public safety, transportation, environmental quality and public works commissions for League of California Cities; Peninsula Volunteers advisory councilEducation: B.S. in applied earth science, M.S. and Ph.D. in civil engineering, all from Stanford UniversityWebsite: www.kellyforcouncil.org

Ray MuellerAge: 38Occupation: AttorneyExperience: Transportation Commission; San Mateo County Domestic Violence Collaborative; Santa Cruz Avenue Downtown Block Party committee; board member, Las Lomitas Education Foundation; Santa Cruz Avenue Neighborhood Group organizerEducation: B.S. in bio-resource sciences, UC Berkeley; J.D., UC HastingsWebsite: muellerformenlopark.com


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Lately it’s taking almost an hour to drive from one end of Menlo Park to the other

along a two-mile stretch of El Camino Real during commute hours. Drivers sit staring at green lights and motionless traffic, wondering what’s going on. Now they know. Caltrans has yet to finish repairing the damage from an Oct. 1 mis-hap. A work crew accidentally severed the electrical lines that feed into the traffic light system at the intersection of El Camino Real and Santa Cruz Avenue, according to Chip Taylor, the city’s public works director. He told the Almanac that while the lights are now working, the communications line that allows for synchronization of signals along the corridor remains bro-ken. The repairs won’t be fin-ished for another two to three

weeks, Mr. Taylor said. Or longer, according to Cal-trans. Spokeswoman Gidget Navarro said the control loops, which handle communications, are routinely damaged during the grinding that takes place during a paving project, according to the agency’s engineers. “This is the procedure in any paving job,” she said. “After they do grind-ing, they’ll pave and then do the loops and striping simultaneous-

ly sometime next month, probably mid-November.” There are 16 control loops for each side of the street. Repairs

require more specialized equip-ment and time than the traf-fic signal lines, Ms. Navarro said. Right now the signals are on a timer; without functional loops, the lights can’t adjust “on demand” to the amount of traf-fic — a situation leading to the snarled intersections now enjoyed by drivers in Menlo Park.

Menlo Park traffic jam expected to last weeks

Caltrans repairs won’t finish until mid-November.

A car’s owner was surprised to see someone else rummaging through the vehicle on Thursday night, Oct. 11. A scuffle ensued, followed by a manhunt capped off by an arrest. Shortly after 9 p.m., the victim confronted the suspect and got shoved to the ground as the man fled. Minutes later Menlo Park police officer Brad Schuler spot-

ted someone fitting the suspect’s description. Police delivered Gary Darnell, a 26-year-old resident of East Palo Alto, to county jail after discovering in his possession a controlled substance as well as numerous items allegedly stolen from other cars parked along the 300 block of Oak Court in Menlo Park.

Alleged car burglar busted in Menlo


N E W S

For answers to any questions you may have on real estate, you may e-mail me at [email protected] or call 462-1111, Alain Pinel Realtors. I also offer a free market analysis of your property.

Q. Dear Gloria, there have been several hang-ups causing delay on the closing of our home. Why can’t escrow closing be predicted more accurately? — Mary

A. Dear Mary, From the relatively calm manner in which you ask the ques-tion, it would appear that you don’t have several other closings dependent upon your closing. I have had escrows where there were five moving trucks at five different properties waiting for one of the five escrows to close! Problems do arise at the last moment and they need to be dealt with in a satisfactory manner before both parties witll give the escrow officer the go-ahead to close. It could be one of several things. The seller may have agreed to have something repaired prior to close and didn’t do it, which

is only discovered on the walk thru. More commonly, the lender gets delayed either because the appraiser was backed up or the buyer didn’t furnish neces-sary documentation. And there may be lien-holders who are discovered at the last minute and not sufficient funds to cover. Most of the escrow officers in this area will go the extra mile for a realtor they have a working relationship with. I have people who have worked on week-ends to get problems solved and the escrow closed. I even had one who worked with me up until the wee hours to get an escrow closed on New Years Eve before the tax laws changed!

Always deal with an experienced agent who will ride herd on the numer-ous details for a successful and timely close.

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DELUSION

By Dave BoyceAlmanac staff writer

A Daly City Catholic hos-pital is spending big to influence San Mateo

County voters on Measure A, a half-cent increase to the sales tax that would generate about $60 million in annual revenues for 10 years for county govern-ment. The money would go toward public health and safety, and care for the poor and elderly, proponents say. The campaign raised $991,000 as of Sept. 30, according to finance reports. The biggest donor: $887,000 from the Los Altos-based Daughters of Char-ity of St. Vincent de Paul, which manages the Seton Medical Cen-ter. The total includes $50,200 in non-monetary contributions of consultant work and staff time. Asked about Seton’s public health profile, Supervisor Don Horsley said the hospital cares for 40 percent of the county’s state MediCal patients, many from the north part of the county where the need is great. Seton also runs the only emer-gency room and skilled nursing facility on the Coastside. Nation-al healthcare reform is expected to increase the public health burden in San Mateo County by about 50,000 people, Mr. Horsley said. If the hospital closed, the county would inherit an obliga-tion of $30 million and $50 mil-lion to replace its sub-acote care services alone, he said. “They’re losing money so we want to make sure that Seton Hospital continues to be viable,” he said. “If Seton were to close ... it would be devastating to our

health plan.” Because Measure A revenues would go to the county’s general fund, passage needs just a simple majority of 50 percent plus one, a county spokesman said. Other major donors to the campaign: $100,000 from the Sacramento-based Califor-nia State Council of Service Employees Issues Committee,

and $5,000 from Labor Orga-nization Local No. 467, in Bur-lingame. All gifts went to the “Coalition to Protect Critical San Mateo County Services for Children, Families and Seniors, Yes on Measure A,” based in San Rafael.

Making do The county’s expenses for MediCal care exceed state reim-bursements, Mr. Horsley said. The county recently cut annual expenses by $9 million by out-sourcing management of a long-term care facility in Burlingame to a provider who rehired the 200 county workers, he said. (Some 500 other employees have left county government since 2008 and have not been replaced, he added.) Measure A’s opponents — including libertarians and the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Asso-ciation — argue that the super-

visors cut county staff and services rather than employee compensation, which is the real issue, they say, and “out of control.” And, they add, sales tax increases fall hardest on the poor. The county, they argue, should tighten its belt like every-one else. County Manager John Malt-bie notes in his budget mes-sage that compensation is the “single largest expense item in the budget.” Employees haven’t had cost-of-living increases for four years, he said. Tax revenues “were essentially flat,” an unsus-tainable situation, he added. Salaries and benefits have to be consistent with revenues and with comparable jobs in the community, he said. Will campaign literature be a factor? The flier for Measure A lists services that it would pay for but not what is being sought: a half-cent increase in the sales tax for 10 years. Asked to explain, campaign spokes-man Fred Muir said the ballot language “makes it pretty clear what this measure is. It’s a sales tax.” The media isn’t talking about county obligations, he said. “Those are the things voters need to know about,” he said. “There’s an art and a science to communicating in a cam-paign.” Asked about the flier’s omis-sions, Mr. Horsley essentially agreed with Mr. Muir. “I would say that the voter handbook is pretty clear. I have a lot of con-fidence in the average voter and I think they pretty much know it’s a funding measure.” A

Candidates for local state Senate and Assembly races have been invited to participate in an election forum from 7 to 9:30 p.m Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the Menlo Park City Council Chambers at 701 Laurel St. in the Civic Center. Running for the Senate Dis-trict 13 seat are Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, and Sally Lieber, a former Assembly member. Assembly candidates in Dis-trict 24 are incumbent Assem-blyman Rich Gordon, D-Menlo Park, and challenger Chengzhi “George” Yang, a Republican from Menlo Park. Both districts include Menlo Park, Woodside, Atherton and Portola Valley. These legislative

districts are new and represent the work of the California Citi-zens Redistricting Commission, which voters mandated in 2008 to take redistricting out of the hands of politicians. The League of Women Vot-ers of South San Mateo County is hosting the forum. For more information or transportation assistance, contact Ellen Hope at [email protected] or 839-8647.

Supes debate on Oct. 22

Candidates for the 4th Dis-trict Board of Supervisors seat have been invited to an election debate on Monday, Oct. 22,

organized by North Fair Oaks neighbors, said David Bui, one of the organizers. Candidates Shelly Masur and Warren Slocum are in a run-off election for the four-year seat. The debate will run from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Fair Oaks Commu-nity Center at 2600 Middlefield Road Following two-minute open-ing statements, the candidates will be questioned by a modera-tor and will have 90 seconds to answer. There will be a 30-sec-ond rebuttal and two-minute closing statements. Eight questions will be pre-pared, followed by three ques-tions from the audience that have been screened by the mod-erator, Mr. Bui said.

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72 percent. She supports pension reform, she said, but thought putting it in the hands of the vot-ers was a mistake because voters don’t have as much information as the council does, and in the meantime no one knows how state reform efforts will play out on the local level. “Pension reform needed to happen, but I had a problem with the process.”

Kelly Fergusson Asked to describe herself in three words, incumbent Kelly Fergusson said, “Disciplined, hard-working, accessible, friendly, analytic, both sides of the brain.” She ticked off land-use plan-ning, service levels and the quality of schools and neighbor-hoods as the city’s top issues. Ms. Fergusson touted her advanced degrees from Stanford as rel-evant to figuring out the city’s future. “There’s unfinished business, we still have land-use issues to sort out.” Affordable housing is one of those issues. “I think workforce housing is important,” she said. “Working families want to live near their jobs. We all do.” That housing could reduce traffic congestion, but must be bal-anced with increased demand

on local schools, according to Ms. Fergusson. The current housing element update is driven by state mandate, a situation that doesn’t appear to sit well with the councilwoman. She listed public safety — police and fire services — as a higher priority. “I’m here to serve the residents, not the state.” Determination to win a third term, despite a lack of endorse-ment from any current coun-cil member, underlined Ms. Fergusson’s responses. She declared herself willing to do whatever it takes. When asked about the Brown Act violation that led to her resignation as mayor in 2010, Ms. Fergusson responded: “I’m glad it’s over and the issue is behind us. I’m pleased the dis-trict attorney found there was no wrongdoing and the city properly handled the cure.” City Attorney Bill McClure had confirmed the violation, a serial solicitation of votes from two council colleagues conducted outside the pub-lic’s knowledge. Rescinding the original vote, which named Ms. Fergusson mayor, provided a sufficient civil remedy, accord-ing to a statement from the district attorney.

Ray Mueller “Family, dedicated, energetic, investigative,” was Ray Mueller’s brief self-portrait. “Creative.” An attorney, Mr. Mueller demonstrated a willingness to research issues during his time on the Transportation Com-

mission, and that remained in evidence during the Almanac interview — he was the only candidate to bring his home-work, in the form of documents and binders for reference, to the meeting. His top-three issues: Increas-ing revenue and the long-term financial health of the city; housing; and the environment. “We do need affordable hous-ing. I like to call it ‘economic diversity’,” he said. “It makes a community healthy.” Ideally that would be located in pock-ets all over the city, near transit centers. Now about that revenue: Mr. Mueller said his research shows that start-up businesses leave Menlo Park on the cusp of producing money for the city because the planning pro-cess leaves them unsure as to whether they’ll get a use permit upon expansion. The city’s seen a 41 percent drop in revenue over five years, according to

that analysis. The solution? Streamline the permit process, and revital-ize the M2 business districts on the city’s east side. “I’m not Pollyannaish. This is going to be a political discussion and it’s going to be energetic, and that’s fine,” Mr. Mueller said. “I’ve been banging this drum for two years.” Bring in the contract planners, if there’s insufficient staff. Spend the political capi-tal. Mine the city’s proximity to Stanford University and venture capitalists to create a diversified economic engine that doesn’t put all its eggs in the Facebook basket, he said. Like Ms. Carlton, he’d like to see where the state ends up with pension reform “so we know where we are.” Mr. Mueller said he’s “not anti-union, not at all, but the system is unsustainable. It’s not all the union’s fault” given that jurisdictions took unwise steps with employee compensation. A


N E W S

Menlo Park’s City Council will soon take a look at the pro-posed update to the city’s hous-ing plan. The city has no choice about adding enough high-density housing zones to accommodate space for 1,000 units as part of a lawsuit settlement in May over its non-compliance with state law. While the city is not required to actually build the units, the settlement dictates that it must provide incentives for developers to do so. State law requires cities to assess and plan to meet their

fair share of regional housing needs, which includes afford-able housing, every seven years. Menlo Park hasn’t met the state requirements since 1992, but now has only until Oct. 31 to send a draft update to the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Go to tinyurl.com/MP-hous-ing to peruse the proposed update. The council will hold its review at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the council chambers at the Civic Center at 701 Laurel St.


He may not have the longest list of endorse-ments, but so far fire-

fighter Dave Bragg has the most generous donors of the five candidates running for Menlo Park City Council. According to reports filed Oct. 8, he’s raised $11,277 in con-tributions. The California Pro-fessional Firefighters Political Action Committee helped out by donating $1,000 for printing services. The rest of the field:■ Catherine Carlton: $10,930 plus a $5,000 loan from her-self. “I am asking everyone, really, to donate. Friends, fam-ily, random strangers I just met at the Farmers’ Market,” she said.

■ Kelly Fergusson: $9,976 plus a $5,000 loan from herself. How much is she willing to invest in her third run for council? “$30,000, potentially more if I need to respond to negative campaigning.” ■ Ray Muel-ler: $6,304, plus a $2,700 loan from himself. “When I started to run, I was told I needed $30,000. I don’t think that’s true,” Mr. Mueller said. He set some limits — no more than $500 from any single donor, and no funds from employee unions, although he would accept their endorsement.■ Carolyn Clarke: $2,230. The seven donors listed on her report include former mayor Steve Schmidt, who has endorsed her,

Other highlights Developer David Bohannon

is not playing favorites; he donated $500 to each candi-date. The California Real Estate Political Action Committee gave $500 to Mr. Mueller and $1,000 to Ms. Carlton. They share other donors — for-mer councilman John Boyle ($200); former councilwoman Lee Duboc ($100); downtown property owner Nancy Coupe-rus ($50); and developer Kim LeMieux ($250). Ms. Fergusson showed more donations from those out-side Menlo Park than the other candidates. Burlingame councilwoman Cathryn Bay-lock gave $100; Novato coun-cilwoman Madeline Kellner donated $50. Residents of Palo Alto, Oakland, Los Altos and East Palo Alto added to the geographic diversity.

First round of campaign finance reports

Housing plan public hearings

continued from page 5

Menlo council race

P A I D O B I T U A R Y

With saddened hearts, we announce the pass-ing of Minnette Deloach Tittle, a cherished wife and adored mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who passed away in her sleep on September 30, 2012, in Atherton, California. She was born in Marshall, Texas, on October 15, 1927, to Arthur and Minnie Deloach. She attended East End School in Marshall, Texas, where she was a Princess of the May Fete and met her husband to be. She attended Marshall High School and the University of Ar-kansas before her marriage to her high school sweetheart, Y.A. Tittle.

Minnette is survived by her husband, Y.A., to whom she was married for 64 years. She is also survived by her daughter, Dianne Tittle de Laet of Menlo Park, her sons, Patrick Allen Tittle and John Handley Tittle, as well as her seven grandchildren: Elisa, Michael Christian, Laura, Mera, Luke, Kelly and Jack, and her 4 great-grandchildren: Ayla, Taj, Huck and Baby Ben. She was predeceased by her firstborn son, Mi-chael Deloach Tittle, and her brother, Arthur Deloach.

As a young mother, Minnette served as a community-volunteer, working both with young children and with veterans at the Veter-ans Hospital in Menlo Park, California, while

supporting her husband’s career as a profes-sional football player as his number 1 fan and critic, before his career in the San Francisco Bay Area took the family to New York City, New York. In later years, she gave rein to her own passion for art and travel, served on the board of Folk Art International, the advisory board of The Arete Fund, and collected both American

and Primitive Folk Art. An avid sportswoman in her own right, Minnette enjoyed tennis, golf and running into her late sixties, and in spite of illness, persevered into her eighties with sleepovers and scary stories for her great-grand-children and shopping trips for one and all of her loved ones.

Wise, passionate, generous, and “fierce” loving, Minnette was re-membered at a private, family ser-vice at Alta Mesa Funeral Home

on October 5, 2012, for a life rich in family and friends, and marked by a spirit of adventure and respect for the differences in culture, the oneness of people, as she travelled to more than 100 countries of the world with her boyfriend from grammar school days.

Donations be made in her memory, to The Arete Fund, a 501(c)3 an educational fund, and sent to 1030 Cambridge Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025 or donate online at www.aretefund.net.

Minnette Deloach TittleOctober 15, 1927 – September 30, 2012


Tax increases, although a time-honored way to generate more money for

government, often face a stiff fight for approval by residents tired of watching more and more money vanish from their wallets. San Mateo County saw two proposed increases fail in June. But come Nov. 6, Menlo Park’s Measure K may prove an exception. Measure K would raise the hotel tax to 12 percent (from the current 10 percent) effec-tive Jan. 1 if approved by a simple majority of voters. Otherwise known as the tran-sient occupancy tax (TOT),

the new rate would match that of neighbors Redwood City, East Palo Alto and Palo Alto and generate approximately $600,000 in revenue for Menlo Park annually. That would help make up for at least some of the $1.2 million annual loss triggered by the state dissolv-ing the city’s redevelopment agency (RDA). And according to the candi-dates running for Menlo Park City Council — local hotel owners are now OK with that, despite the defeat of a similar measure in June brought by the county. The current council unanimously voted to place

the proposed increase on the ballot. “This past year has been a difficult one for Menlo Park. Although the city has worked hard to reduce expenditure budgets and revenues are show-ing signs of recovery, the dis-

solution of the RDA ... is a severe blow to the city’s efforts towards a sustainable bud-get for the long-term,” Mayor Kirsten Keith said, presenting the argument for Measure K in

a video produced by the Mid-Peninsula Community Media Center. The revenue will help maintain city services such as police services and infrastruc-ture maintenance, she argued, describing the measure as a “market adjustment” to bring Menlo Park in line with other Peninsula cities. The rebuttal argument was authored not by a coalition of hotel owners, but by the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association. The rebuttal questions whether the money would actually go to services. “The thinking of the average politician goes like this: I want to spend someone else’s money for this or that. Whom can I get it from?” asked Executive Director Elizabeth Brierly, in a video produced the Mid-Peninsula Community Media

Center. “Well, it’s not fair to target one type of service — hotels.” She outlined poten-tial consequences that include reduced business at local estab-lishments; loss of a competitive edge in a tough economy; and a trickle-down effect. “Your favorite takeout may count on business from these convention visitors. Your hairdresser’s hus-band may be a desk clerk. Real people, really impacted,” Ms. Brierly said. The city disputes that in its rebuttal. “Occupancy rates are close to 80 percent for Menlo Park and Palo Alto. Palo Alto already charges a 12 percent hotel tax,” it noted. According to the city, the competitive edge lies in the quality of services rather than a tax that visitors don’t pay attention to when choosing hotels. A

Measure K would hike hotel tax


N E W S

The Mix, a frozen yogurt “treat-ery” located at 3536 Alameda de las Pulgas in West Menlo Park, is closing Friday, Oct. 19. As a last day special, the store will serve medium yogurts in Mix mugs (while they last) as memorabilia. Owners Jamie Schein and Susannah Albright opened their frozen yogurt shop in 2010. Both women were Menlo Park resi-dents, active in local schools and the community. Ms. Albright moved to Florida in August. An e-mail from the partners to The Almanac says: “Time has flown by and, as is typical in our fast-paced community, a lot

has changed. ... As we evaluated the options for our partner-ship going forward we received a business offer that we have decided to accept.” The women did not divulge information about the new business, but said it was not another yogurt shop. In the June 2 , 2010, issue of The Almanac, the article “Fro-zen yogurt face-off” raised the question: “Is this town is big enough for four yogurt stores?” Now there are three: Wildberry at 325 Sharon Park Drive, Miyo Yogurt at 842 Santa Cruz Ave., and Yogurt Stop at 401 El Camino Real.

The Mix closes in Menlo Park

ELECTION 2012

Menlo Park council seeks to increase tax

to 12 percent.

On Oct. 23, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will vote on whether to adopt a reus-able bag ordinance. If approved, the ordinance can then be adopted by 24 participating cities such as Menlo Park. The City Council is expected to vote on the ban in January, according to staff. The ban targets single-use bags, except those used by restaurants and for produce, and would implement a 10-cent fee for paper bags until Dec. 31, 2014, and then hike the fee to 25 cents per paper bag. The first of two informational meetings about the ordinance starts at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17, in the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center at 701 Laurel St. Another will be held in December.

Willow Road/101 interchange project

As if there’s not enough civic activities this week, the California Department of Transportation and the county will host a scoping meeting Wednes-day, Oct. 17. Caltrans, in partnership with the county, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, proposes to reconstruct the U.S. 101 and Willow Road interchange. The redesign aims to “address deficiencies impacting motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians by elimi-nating traffic weaves and providing adequate

space for vehicles to stack on freeway off-ramps,” according to the agency. The scoping meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Menlo Park Senior Center at 100 Terminal Ave.

Free to good home: cats and kittens

The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA is now waiving adoption fees for cats and kittens. Previously the fees ranged from $50 to $95. The shelter spays or neuters all cats prior to adoption, vaccinates, screens health and behavior, and adds microchips. The shelter currently has close to 80 cats and kittens looking for homes, with more held at the Coyote Point intake facility. “Our goal is to get a few hundred cats and kittens into new, permanent loving homes by Christmas,” said spokesperson Scott Delucchi. “We will gladly trade adoption fees for those homes.” Go to phs-spca.org to download an adoption application and see a sampling of available cats. The new adoption center is at 1450 Rollins Road in Burlingame. It is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends.

By Jane KnoerleAlmanac Lifestyles Editor

At age 10, Helen Horangic of Menlo Park is “a tireless and passionate advocate

for neglected and needy animals of all kinds,” says her mom. Helen, a fifth grader at Phillips Brooks School, lives in Menlo Park with her parents, Caroline Hubbard and Basil Horangic, and an older sister and brother. Because she is still too young to volunteer with any local animal rescue agencies (you have to be 13), she decided to launch “Hel-en’s Hope for Homeless Animals” and raise funds for the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA in Bur-

lingame. Helen’s goal was to raise $500 for the shelter and to acquire as many items as she could from their published wish list. She sent out an e-mail to family, friends, and members of the community ask-ing for donations of money or supplies. In addition to the online campaign, she prepared fliers and solicited donations door to door. It worked. She surpassed her $500 goal, raising $1,595 in cash donations, as well as many

supplies needed at the Burl-ingame facility. She will present her check and supplies to the Peninsula Humane Society on Sunday, Oct. 28. She will also receive a private, behind-the-scenes tour of the society’s Tom and Annette Lantos Center for Compassion, where all adopt-able animals are housed. What caused a 10-year-old to become an animal advocate at such an early age? It’s likely she was inspired by her aunt, Linda Lloyd, who is with a dog rescue organization in Canada, says her mom. “Whatever her future holds, I know Helen wants to be involved with animals.” A

Wednesday: Meeting on plastic bag ban

Fifth-grader raises funds for homeless animals

BRIEFS

Helen Horangic and Charlie

The online guide to Menlo Park businesses

Visit ShopMenloPark.com today


Susan Harvell’s daughter, Claire, can’t list specific moments when her mother, a longtime human resources executive in her early 50s, seemed to be off her game. “It wasn’t anything drastic,” she said. “She could tell you a million stories about when I was 3 years old, but if I told her I was going to do something, she’d ask me five minutes later if I was going to do something.”

Many of her friends’ mothers were about the same age, she said, “and they would tell me, ‘My mom asked me the same thing 5,000 times.’ That’s why I didn’t think anything was too different.”

Harvell’s husband, Dave Baker, became concerned when he saw that his highly intelligent wife wasn’t just asking him the kind of computer questions that all non-technical folks ask; instead, she was posing questions about content. Her emotions around her work had altered, too. “She’d been a very confident, capable individual and she was becoming more anxious and upset and worried,” he said. “It started to become obvious that some-thing was changing.”

Baker was like many people who notice such differences, and begin to look for answers, especially as advancing age be-gins to interfere with the dozens of daily tasks once youthfully taken for granted. In the United States, more than 40 mil-lion people are over 65 years old; another 80 million are age 45-64. Of all the diseases related to age, dementia may be the most feared—a condition that at-tacks the core of all those qualities that distinguish one person from another and erodes those memories that bind togeth-er families and friends.

Dementia can take many forms; Al-zheimer’s disease is the most often diagnosed variety and its toll is rapidly rising. The Alzheimer’s Association es-timated that in 2011 5.4 million Amer-icans—about one in eight of those 65 or older—were living with its consequences. Researchers have yet to understand what triggers the imbalance in brain chemistry that degrades its normal func-tion, shrinking its overall size, and de-positing tangles and plaques that block the millions of daily neuronal interac-tions. Progress has been made, however, in diagnosing the disease. Until recently, physicians were left only autopsy for de-finitive diagnosis. Now, at facilities like Stanford Hospital & Clinics’ Center for Memory Disorders, where Harvell was advised to seek care, patients have new options that, in combination with tradi-tional tests, provide a much earlier sense of direction.

Looking for answers“My job is to try and figure out first if there’s anything we can fix right away,” said Geoffrey Kerchner, MD, PhD, a behavioral neurologist who became Har-vell’s doctor. “When a patient comes to me with a complaint about memory, my approach is like that of any physician—I have to understand what medicines they’re on, what surgeries they’ve had, what their thyroid function or vitamin B12 levels are—to try to discover what the cause could be.”

Harvell’s tests included an MRI to look for signs of a stroke or other brain injury. All came back with no obvious cause for her cognitive struggles. The next step, Kerchner said, was objective

neuropsychological as-sessment, a set of tests that solve the dilemma for many who wonder if their memory lapses are something to worry about.

The hospital’s neuropsy-chology service, where Harvell was evaluated, does assessments on adults and children. It is focused on the cog-nitive and behavioral effects of conditions including head injury, cerebrovascular dis-ease, multiple sclerosis, dementia, brain tumor, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and attention deficit/hyperactivity. Its expertise is essential in the diagnostic process.

Harvell “is vibrant and car-ries on a lively conversation,” Kerchner said, “and it’s difficult in the course of a routine medical appointment to see that there’s anything the matter.”

“When we look at behavior and the brain, we find there’s a complex inner relationship,” said Stanford neuropsychologist Gayle Deutsch, PhD. “A lot of our behaviors become automatic over our lifetime, but when we break them apart, there is a great deal of complexity.” Deutsch began the process of teasing apart the compo-nents of cognition to ascertain where Harvell’s problems truly began. That ter-ritory includes intellectual and executive function, language skills, visual-spatial abilities, attention, memory, motor skills and mood. Deutsch begins with a set of tests that take into account a full range of demographic information used to dis-tinguish those changes that emerge with normal aging and those linked to neuro-degenerative conditions.

The tests themselves are designed to evaluate, in the most straightforward way, how the mind is working. Just read-ing out loud, for example, won’t show much. “Pronouncing words is something that is less sensitive to age-related cogni-tive decline,” Deutsch said. A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, however, is a de-cline in the brain’s ability to retain new information, so the tests Deutsch admin-isters challenge how long someone can remember a list of words or reproduce a set of shapes, or follow directions. As Deutsch moves to test executive func-tion, she will engage a patient’s family and friends for their observations. “Our tests are good at measuring conceptual reasoning and problem solving,” she said, “but it’s also important to look at everyday behavior. Are people showing social skills appropriate for their age?

Sometimes people with different kinds of dementia may seem to be less careful about reading social cues. Or they may become apathetic and show no interest in activities. That can’t always be mea-sured in a standardized test.”

What the data showedGoing through a full evaluation is really the only way to pinpoint what’s going on, Deutsch said. “You can have a quick as-sessment in a doctor’s office—and that’s good, but it’s not as sensitive as the whole battery of tests you get in a neu-ropsychological evaluation. And having that knowledge puts you and your fam-ily in the right direction to get the right treatment.”

While the tests Deutsch conducts allow very specific measurements of brain dys-function, standard brain imaging doesn’t show the atrophy classic to dementia until middle to late stages of the disease. But two new tests are now available that analyze levels of two proteins in the body associated with Alzheimer’s disease—amyloid beta and tau. “The cerebral spinal fluid test is an example of a new test that actually looks for abnormalities that are caused by the disease itself,” Kerchner said, “so it can provide positive evidence of the disease.” A second test, just approved by the FDA, uses radioactive particles that seek out and mark amyloid plaques in the brain. Those two tests, he said, are so sen-sitive to Alzheimer’s that for select patients they may re-duce the need for other tests.

Finally came the moment when, as Harvell remembers it, Kerchner “got nose to nose

A community health education series from Stanford Hospital & Clinics

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When Fading Memory Raises Questions,Neuropsychology Can Point To Answers

“ You can have a quick assessment in a doctor’s office—and that’s good, but it’s not as sensitive as the whole battery of tests you get in a neuropsychological evaluation.”

– Stanford neuropsychologist Gayle Deutsch, PhD

Norbert von der G

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Susan Harvell’sseemed to be oyou a million sdo something,

Susan Harvell “is vibrant and carries on a lively conversation,” said her doctor, Stanford behavioral neurobiologist Geoffrey Kerchner, MD, PhD, “and it’s difficult in the course of a routine medical appointment to see that there’s anything the matter.”

“She’d been a very confident, capable individual and she was becoming more anxious and upset and worried,” said Harvell’s husband, Dave Baker. “It started to become obvious that something was changing.”


“I know there’s a lot more in our future around this, too,” Baker said. “Every day we just get up and do the best we can, and where we end up is in somebody else’s hands.” Baker was diag-nosed with heart failure several years ago, and his condition has been stabilized. “There were some advances in therapies and I’m still around,” he said. “We’re really hoping the same thing can happen for Susan’s disease—and that at least we can help

get there for all the people who have Al-zheimer’s as well.”

special feature

Norbert von der G

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Norbert von der G

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Could You Have Alzheimer’s Disease?

Stanford Hospital & Clinics is dedicated to providing leading edge and coordinated care to each and every patient. It is internationally renowned for expertise in areas such as cancer treatment, neuroscience, surgery, cardiovascular medicine and organ transplant, as well as for translating medical breakthroughs into patient care. Throughout its history, Stanford has been at the forefront of discovery and innovation, as researchers and clinicians work together to improve health on a global level. Stanford Hospital & Clinics: Healing humanity through science and compassion, one patient at a time. For more information, visit www.stanfordhospital.org.

with me, got very serious and told me I wouldn’t be working anymore,” that she had early onset Alzheimer’s. She was 53. “He was very thorough about outlining the tests they’d done and what each test meant and how he came to his conclu-sion that she had Alzheimer’s,” Baker said. “There wasn’t a lot of doubt when he said it.”

“I was upset at first,” Harvell said. “I was surprised. I was in denial. I thought the whole party was over—work and everything. I can’t work. I can’t drive. It was like everything was going past me. It’s hard.”

Baker said, “The day we got the diag-nosis we came home and Susan’s sister and brother-in-law had come to visit and we didn’t know whether to tell them or not. We were kind of just sitting there in shock, and I think for a number of months there was this shock, and this mourning. We did a lot of crying and mourning and a lot of being upset. We’ve moved through that now and we’re just looking for the positive sides, for how we can help other people going through this disease, how Susan can help with research and how we can just enjoy our-selves in our day.”

Kerchner agrees with others in the memory disorder care community that within a decade biomarker tests, such as the ones that show elevated levels of Alzheimer’s particular chemistry, will likely become part of standard screening tests, as colonoscopies are now part of every 50-year-old’s health exams. Until then, the current combination of physi-cal and neuropsychological exams will remain the best and most critically im-portant avenue to diagnosis, especially “with the rising prevalence of concern,” Kerchner said. “We get more and more referrals from people with mild symp-toms who are worried—the husband who

Worrying about Alzheimer’s is something more and more of us are doing. Age-related cognitive decline happens to most of us: As we get older, we might forget why we went into the kitchen or the name of a character in a movie. That’s normal. Some of us might do that more than others, but typically, that’s about as far as our forgetfulness goes. Here are some basics about Alzheimer’s and dementia to consider:

Alzheimer’s affects short-term memory most dramatically. Asking the same question over and over again is a hallmark of that loss of function.

Brain scans might show some physical changes indicative of Alzheimer’s, but cognitive tests are the only way to objectively measure functional changes.

Memory loss is often accompanied by a loss of executive function: the ability to plan a task and then complete it. Losing the ability to call things by their names is another indicator.

Changes in personality also emerge. Someone once very calm and steady may become irritable, sad, anxious, impulsive or apathetic.

What Else Might Cause Cognitive Impairment? Medications, on their own or in combination, may produce dementia-like

symptoms. These symptoms can appear suddenly or over time.

Thyroid imbalance, hypoglycemia, too much sodium or calcium, dehydration and nutritional deficiencies can also trigger changes in cognition and emotional state.

Brain tumors and bleeding between the brain and its lining can interfere with brain function; so can lack of oxygen to the brain, originating with heart and lung problems. Other health issues, including smoke or carbon inhalation or coma, can have an impact on brain function.

What Tests Can Help Physical exam, including blood and organ function tests, along with a complete

medical history, is helpful in ruling out a treatable medical condition.

MRI, CT and PET scans provide more detail; an EEG (electroencephalogram) tracks electrical activity in the brain through electrodes attached to the scalp. Spinal fluid may also be tested.

Neuropsychological and psychiatric evaluation complete the picture.

For more information, call 650.723.6469 or visit stanfordhospital.org/memoryclinic

Join the Stanford Hospital & Clinics team at the Oct. 20 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. For more information visit stanfordhospital.org/events

keeps losing his cell phone, for instance. Your scores could mean you’re completely within the norm for your age. Or, it could mean that you started out life being very smart, so the testing can be insensitive as to whether it’s a decline for you. In that case, having those tests done can be extremely valuable as a baseline.”

Finding peaceBeing diagnosed with Alzheimer’s “is a big hit,” Kerchner said, “but by the time a patient has a physician tell them, ‘I think you have Alzheimer’s disease,’ it’s not a mystery to them that something’s going on with their brain. They know it and they’re worried. Having an answer helps a patient understand more about their prognosis and what’s likely to hap-pen in the coming years—and we have a lot of data and understanding about that. I think people achieve a lot of peace of mind in having a name on what they have and in being acknowledged by the medical community.”

“Having a garden and a dog is really healthy if you’re going through some-thing like this,” Harvell said. “I read. I paint. I have things to do. I have great friends. My job right now is to go to Stanford and do what I need to do with Dr. Kerchner, to be there for somebody, to have conversations. It’s good to con-nect with someone else who’s going through what you are so you don’t just feel like, ‘Oh, it’s just me. I’m the purple goose going down the street.’ I want to get it out and talk about it—to be a wav-ing flag for Alzheimer’s and for Stan-ford.”

The garden in particular gives her a sense of purpose and reward. “I see the color every day and I’m like, ‘Life is beautiful.’”

“ Having an answer helps a patient understand more about their prognosis and what’s likely to happen in the coming years—and we have a lot of data and understanding about that.”

– Stanford behavioral neurobiologist Geoffrey Kerchner, MD, PhD

Join us at stanfordhospital.org/socialmedia. Watch the new Stanford Hospital Health Notes television show on Comcast: channel 28 on Mondays at 8:30 p.m., Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. and Fridays at 8:30 a.m.; channel 30 Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. It can also be viewed at www.youtube.com/stanfordhospital.

“I know there’s a lot more in our future around this, too,” said Susan Harvell’s husband, Dave Baker. “Every day we just get up and do the best we can, and where we end up is in somebody else’s hands.”

s daughter, Claire, can’t list specific moments when her mother off her game. “It wasn’t anything drastic,” she said. “She could tell tories about when I was 3 years old, but if I told her I was going to , she’d ask me five minutes later if I was going to do something.”

“Having a garden and a dog is really healthy if you’re going through something like this,” said Susan Harvell. “I read. I paint. I have things to do. I have great friends.”


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The strongest predictor of developing breast cancer is a family history of the disease.

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Ford Fieldoak to becut downBy Dave BoyceAlmanac staff writer

The advancing decay of the oak tree that overlooks and threatens a Little

League dugout at Ford Field is serious enough that the tree will be cut down within 45 days, the Portola Valley Town Council decided on Wednesday, Oct. 10, in a unanimous vote. The council was acting on the advice of the town’s Parks & Recreation and Conservation committees, the Public Works Department, and reports from an arborist and the town’s insurer. The dugout has been closed since April 2008, when the council voted to save the tree pending a pruning and support from a metal brace. The tree reportedly once survived a light-ning strike and earned the name “Resurrection Tree” by some in the community. Somebody should gather acorns and sprout them, said Councilman Ted Driscoll, a leading advocate for the tree in 2008. “Give the children a chance to survive what the father couldn’t,” he added, “or what the mother couldn’t.” Lay the trunk on its side some distance away and let nature take its course with it, suggested former mayor Jon Silver from the audience — an idea that seemed to have a consensus. “In my mind, it’s pretty clear we’ve reached the end of the road for the tree and that’s all I’m going to say,” said Council-woman Ann Wengert. “I’m sad about it, but it’s the right thing to do,” said Mayor Maryann Derwin. “It’s always important to pro-tect our trees,” Public Works Director Howard Young responded. “Fortunately, we have thou-sands,” Mr. Driscoll added. A

Teen gift to PV The Teen Committee in Por-tola Valley, a sponsor of dances during the school year, collected $500 in donations from the dances and gave it to the town’s Open Space Acquisition Fund at the Blues & Barbecue Festival, according to committee chair Sharon Driscoll. Revenues from the festival go to buy and maintain open space in town. The Teen Committee gift was “in remembrance of the late Bill Lane and his wife Jean in honor of their dedication to the town and its open spaces.”


It seemed like a good idea at the time, but not any more: The Menlo Park

City Council voted 5-0 to axe a plan to plant 1,000 native trees and shrubs in Bedwell Bayfront Park despite winning a $350,000 state grant for the project. City staff will attempt to renegotiate with the state to allow the money to go toward planting trees in Belle Haven instead. The Bedwell Bayfront Park plan was approved by a 3-2 vote in 2011, with Andy Cohen and Kirsten Keith dissenting. But in light of recent studies suggesting the former land-fill’s soil isn’t deep enough to support the landscaping, and dissent from the nonprofit

Friends of Bedwell Bayfront Park, the council decided to reconsider. No one spoke in favor of the park plan during public comment at the Oct. 9 coun-cil meeting. The Belle Haven option, however, garnered a show of support. “For many years one of the things we’ve had on our list of civic improvements has been to line the Chilco corridor with trees,” said Matt Henry. The benefits of landscaping along Chilco Street as well as near the railroad tracks would cut noise, dust and liven up the scenery, according to the Belle Haven Neighborhood Associa-tion president. Councilman Rich Cline, who initially voted for the project and declared himself skepti-cal about the possible success

of renegotiating the grant, reversed his position, noting that he thought he didn’t have

a single letter from the com-munity in favor of the plant-ing. Colleague Kelly Fergusson

said she had seen the proposal as “a magnificent opportu-nity to bring natives” to the park, and urged the Friends to come up with a new vision for landscaping. She cautioned that renegotiating “carries no guarantee of success.” Public Works Director Chip Taylor agreed. He pointed out that planting trees in Belle Haven has its own down-sides — namely, increasing maintenance costs for the city and the potential for conf lict

with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which does not want planting done around water pipelines run-ning through the area. Menlo Park will need to pay back $1,300 in reimbursements received from the state, and forfeit recovering approxi-mately $5,000 to $7,000 for staff time already spent on the park proposal, according to Environmental Program Man-ager Rebecca Fotu. A


N E W S

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Menlo Park axes tree plan for Bedwell Bayfront Park

City will seek state funds for Belle Haven trees.

The Portola Valley Theatre Conservatory will present “Dis-tracted,” a play by Lisa Loomer Oct. 19-21 and Oct. 26-28 at Lane Hall Theatre, located on the campus of Valley Presbyte-rian Church, 945 Portola Road in Portola Valley. The story centers on a mother struggling to raise a son with a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The mother finds herself at the center of it all, trying to make it right for everyone, especially her son. She consults doctors, psychi-

atrists, homeopaths and new age healers, agonizing over the right course for her 9-year-old son. Leading roles are played by Mary Moore as Mama, Kevin Kirby as Dad, and Shane Turner as Jessie, their son. Featured roles are played by Juliet Green, Dorian Dunne, Betsy Burdick, Andrew Saier, and Alanna McNaughton. Director is Noelle Goodman-Morris Gibbs. For those interested in dis-cussing the challenges raised by a show, a brief talk-back session with the actors and director will follow each performance. Due to its mature theme, “Dis-tracted” is recommended for sixth-grade students through adults. Visit pvtc-ca.org online or call 851-8282, ext. 105, to purchase. Tickets range from $10 to $40.


N E W S

P A I D O B I T U A R Y

Miriam Roth MacKenzie passed away Oct. 3, 2012, at her home in Menlo Park where she had lived for 62 years.

She was born in San Francisco on Jan. 8, 1917, and lived most of her life on the Peninsula. She was the daughter of Almon E. Roth and Mildred Hayes Roth and the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Hayes of Edenvale, San Jose. She grew up living on the Stanford campus where her father served as Comptroller of the University for 18 years.

She attended Castilleja School in Palo Alto and graduated from Stanford in 1938. There she was president of her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, graduated with Great Distinction and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa National Scholastic Honor Society.

In 1941, she married Alexander Scott Gray MacKenzie who was then in Stanford Medical School. He served for three-and-a-half years in the Navy Medical Corps in World War II, after which he returned to Stanford Hospital for his surgical residency. In 1950, he joined the Palo Alto Clinic and the family established a home in Menlo Park.

Life was never dull in the MacKenzie household and Mrs. MacKenzie lived an extraordinarily busy but very happy life occupied with the raising of her six children and participation in their activities. She also provided a home for two grandpar-ents for 23 years and nine foreign students who came and went. She served as President of the Stanford Mother’s Club (now Par-ent’s Club) and volunteered for auxiliaries to Stanford Children’s Hospital (now Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital).

When her children were grown, she transferred her energies to her garden, creating and maintaining such a beautiful one that it was enjoyed by many. The family’s love of the High Sierra resulted in many wonderful summer experiences in the High Country.

Dr. MacKenzie died in 2000. His wife is survived by her daughter, Alexandra Standing (Douglas) of Sunnyvale; her five sons, David (Helen) of Palo Alto, James (Janet) of Atherton, William of Menlo Park, Duncan (Phyllis) of College Station, Texas, and Donald (Janice) of Newark; eight grandchildren; six great grandchildren and her brother William Roth (Deborah) of Palo Alto.

Private services will be held. The family requests any memo-rial donations be made to the Peninsula Open Space Trust, 222 High St., Palo Alto, CA 94301; or the Roth Auxiliary at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, 725 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304.

Miriam Roth MacKenzie

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Portola Valley theater groupstages the play, ‘Distracted’

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Submitted by Ted Haynes of the Atherton Tree Committee. Results of the 2012 survey of sudden oak death (SOD) infec-tion, conducted by volunteers throughout the Bay Area, show the disease persists on the Mid-peninsula. Of the trees sampled, infection rates were 15.7 percent in Woodside, 14 percent in Por-tola Valley, and 3.2 percent in Atherton. Visit matteolab.org for more information on the results from the UC Berkeley Forest Pathol-ogy and Mycology lab. Dr. Matteo Garbeletto, head of the lab, will conduct com-munity meetings to present the survey results. For Woodside, Portola Valley, and Emerald Hills, the meeting will be held at the Woodside Town Hall, 2955 Woodside Road in Woodside, at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26. For Atherton and Los Altos, the meeting will be at the Los Altos Town Hall, 26379 Fremont Road in Los Altos, at 6 p.m. Fri-day, Nov. 2. Field meetings to discuss SOD management and demon-strate treatment will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Portola Valley Ranch and at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, at the Oak Grove Picnic Area in Foothills Park, 3300 Page Mill Road in Los Altos Hills. Year-to-year comparisons and interpretation of survey results will require Dr. Garbeletto’s expertise because the specific trees sampled vary from year to year and, in some cases,

residents have removed both infected and uninfected trees. In Atherton for example, three out of 19 trees sampled in 2010 were infected (16 percent infec-tion rate), six out of 41 trees were infected in 2011 (15 percent), and only one of 31 trees was infected in 2012 (3 percent). The pathogen that causes sud-den oak death, Phytophthora ramorum, can infect 107 different plants, including camellias and rhododendrons. Most plants sur-vive but some, especially bay lau-rels, spread the disease to oaks. The annual survey, known as the “SOD Blitz,” focuses on California bay laurels in order to best measure the spread of the disease. Once infection is detected in an oak, it is generally too late to save the tree.


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Sudden oak death persists locally

Free flu shots Free f lu shots will be available from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at the main fire station of the Woodside Fire Protection District at 3111 Wood-side Road in Woodside. Appointments are not nec-essary. Flu shots are recom-mended for people 60 or older and anyone with a long-term health concern, including diseases affect-ing the heart, lungs and kidneys and the immune system. They’re also useful to avoid catching the f lu. Children 6 months or older can be vaccinated. For information on influ-enza and vaccinations, call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 800-232-4636. For infor-mation on the Woodside clinic, call 851-1594.


N E W S

2012

The Portola Valley Town Council is seeking volunteers with a serious and sustained interest in the town’s residential character for positions on two panels central to the life of the town: the Planning Commis-sion and the Architectural & Site Control Commission (ASCC). Both commissions have five members and both advise the Town Council, but on different matters. The Planning Commis-sion concerns itself with policies about land use and develop-

ment, including applications for variances and the hearing of appeals by property owners over decisions made by Town Hall staff as they administer zoning and subdivision ordinances. The Planning Commission’s decisions may be appealed to the Town Council. The ASCC administers the town’s residential design guide-lines and oversees significant new residential and commercial development in town, including major additions and changes of

use. The ASCC, according to its mission statement, is princi-pally responsible for “the visual character of the community, minimizing disturbance to the natural setting and ensuring that improvements are properly related to their site and adjacent uses.” Membership on these com-missions requires a major com-mitment of time, both behind and away from the dais. The terms are for four years and the commissions typically meet

twice a month in the evening, the Planning Commission on the first and third Wednesdays and the ASCC on the second and fourth Mondays. Each commission will have three openings for four-year terms in January. Applicants should send a letter indicat-ing their interest to the Town Council by Friday, Nov. 9. For questions or more information, contact Interim Planning Man-ager Steve Padovan at 851-1700, ext. 212.

Portola Valley seeks volunteers for commission seatsSupport

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Local high school seniors showed their academic talents by being named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. They now have the opportu-nity to compete for some 8,300 Merit Scholarship awards, worth more than $32 million. Winners will be announced in the spring. The semifinalists were among the 1.5 million high school juniors across the country who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test last spring. They scored among the highest entrants in the state. Semifinalists, listed by schools, are:

■ Menlo-Atherton High School:Stephen Chu, Amal Duriseti, Tyler Finn, Meredith Geaghan-Breiner, Casey Kiyo-hara, Nina Lozinski, Ashton MacFarlane, Madeline Napel, Zoe Nuyens, Emilia Reed, Alli-son Silverman, Nicole Wong. ■ Woodside High School: Nicolas Michel. ■ Menlo School: Helena Abbott, Caroline Glazer, Perry Ha, Priya Medberry, Maxwell Parker, Tiny-en Shih, Cameron Walker. ■ Sacred Heart Preparatory: Matthew Denton, John How-ard, Thomas Meaney, Isabelle Thompson, Shannon Toole. ■ Woodside Priory: Khan Lam, Darby Oldham, Emily Tonogi.


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

MENLO PARK

Residential burglary reports:

■ Unknown losses in break-in, using drill, through front window and theft of two laptop computers, mis-cellaneous jewelry and silverware, O’Keefe St., Oct. 9.■ Losses estimated at $100 in break-in by smashing side window and theft of two purses, Carlton Ave., Oct. 5.Auto burglary reports:

■ Estimated losses of $7,785 in break-in by smashing windows of three vehicles and theft of four lap-top computers, Apple iPad, three laptop/messenger bags, computer cables and clothing, Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel at 2825 Sand Hill Road, Oct. 9.■ Unknown loss in unsuccessful attempt to pry open side window, Alma At., Oct. 10.Theft reports:

■ Losses estimated at $925 in theft from purse of wallet valued at $800 containing $125 in cash, 500 block of El Camino Real, Oct. 5.■ Loss estimated at $800 in theft of Apple iPad and iPhone from open office, Constitution Ave., Oct. 7.■ Losses estimated at $450 in theft of locked adult tricycle from front of victim’s apartment, Bay Road, Oct. 8.■ Losses estimated at $300 in theft of unlocked bicycle from driveway, Laurel St., Oct. 5.Vehicle fire report: Arrest made on charges of having lit on fire a 1989 BMW 325i after a domestic dispute with car’s owner, Willow Road, Oct. 10.Fraud reports:

■ Unauthorized online purchases of $17,000 made from victim’s credit card, Mansion Court, Oct. 8.■ Losses estimated at $295 when someone sent two Western Union money transfers for purchase of puppy that was to be flown in over-night, Carlton Ave., Oct. 6.Child Protective Services report: Van Buren Road, Oct. 11.

ATHERTON

Theft report: Unknown losses in theft of over 100 apples and persim-mons picked from trees, Oak Grove Ave., Oct. 7.Elder abuse report: Possible case, Elena Ave., Oct. 7.

POLICE CALLS


Clarke, Mueller for Menlo Park Council

What’s next for Menlo Park? With two council seats open, the direction of the city could change significantly next year, or simply make a mid-course correction.

A diverse field of five candidates includes incumbent Kelly Fer-gusson and newcomers Dave Bragg, Carolyn Clarke, Catherine Carlton and Ray Mueller who are hoping to win one of the two open seats on Nov. 6. All but Mr. Bragg, a firefighter and contractor, are serving on the council or a city commission, a good training ground for future council mem-bers. And all are certainly qualified to serve on the council, making our endorsements a difficult choice. Who among these five could play a leading role in implementing the city’s new downtown plan, making sure that Facebook’s expansion conforms to the city’s guidelines, and that the city’s affordable housing obligations are met? Which of the challengers will work hard to keep employee labor and pension costs in check while negotiating the labor contracts that come up for renewal? Who will support adequate capital improvements for Belle Haven despite the loss of funds when Gov. Jerry Brown took away the redevelopment agency? How these and many other issues are resolved will have a major impact on the look and feel of Menlo Park. In our view, Housing Commissioner Carolyn Clarke and Transportation Commis-sioner will best serve all the citizens of Menlo Park. Ms. Clarke, from Belle Haven, would be the first council member to represent her neighborhood since Billy Ray White some 25 years ago. And Ray Mueller has proven that he cares deeply about the city and will work overtime to advance its prospects. Also, while we appreciate the service of council member Kelly Fergusson, we believe two terms is enough, given her misguided effort to line up votes for mayor — a Brown Act violation — and her changing position on Measure L.

Carolyn Clarke Carolyn Clarke is an accountant who operates her own small business, but also worked for Stanford and the Kaiser Foundation. She is the founder of the Belle Haven Community Foundation and

a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. We believe she could bring a city-wide perspective while on the council, but also speak up for the Belle Haven residents who are simply trying to attract basic services like a bank and grocery store to their neighborhood. She is a strong advocate for affordable housing in the city “for regular working people” and senior citizens who retire and sell their home but want to keep living in Menlo Park. She supports building housing near transit, citing the downtown-El Camino corridor as a good location and serves on the committee that is identifying sites to rezone for additional housing in the city.

Ms. Clarke supports pension reform but said she had a problem with process used in passing Measure L. She worries that lower-tier pensions could be cut, she said, although she has no problem if higher pensions are reduced. Pension reform needs to happen, she said, but she believes the City Council is better equipped to make that decision than voters. The Almanac urges voters to support Carolyn

Clarke for City Council.

Ray Mueller Ray Mueller has never been shy about digging into issues con-fronting the city. For example, ever since he began his campaign for the Menlo Park City Council back in May, he has advocated a zoning policy that would bring more companies to the M-2 industrial zone of the east side of the city. He rightfully worries that while many small start-up companies find a home at the Tarleton incubator park off Willow Road, as they grow and need manufacturing space they leave the city for other areas due to uncertainty about winning zoning approval for their projects. As a council member he said he would work to provide incentives for these companies to stay in Menlo Park, which could create good-paying jobs for Belle Haven. Mr. Mueller is a strong supporter of affordable housing, which he says encourages supports economic diversity and makes for a healthy community. He is concerned that at least many of the initial locations chosen were not distributed equally around the city. On pension reform, he favored waiting for further action until he sees more of the state’s plan. Rather than have small jurisdic-tions act on their own, he said he would rather see a more united effort that could produce a long-term solution. The Almanac urges voters to support Ray Mueller for City Council.

Endorsements

DA has conflict on death penaltyEditor: Stephen Wagstaffe, the district attorney of San Mateo County, has sought the death penalty for an individual convicted in 1989 for the horrific crimes of torture, sexual assault and mur-der. Questions can be raised about the ethics or prudence of Mr. Wagstaffe accepting a co-chair position in a coalition seeking to defeat Proposition 34. The sub-stance of this proposition falls squarely within the prosecuto-rial mission of his office. Should not his professional obligation be to “execute” the law, and not attempt to influence its forma-tion and enactment? There is considerable discus-

IDEAS, THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ABOUT LOCAL ISSUES FROM PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. EDITED BY TOM GIBBONEY

Portola Valley Archives

Our Regional HeritageHay is harvested in this undated photo taken at Ormondale Ranch, near today’s Solana and Westridgedrives in Portola Valley. The hay was needed to feed some 200 horses housed on the ranch.

All views must include a home address

and contact phone number. Published

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occasionally on the Town Square forum.

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Town Square forum at www.TheAlmanacOnline.com

EMAIL your views to: [email protected] 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.

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Editor & PublisherTom Gibboney

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Continued on next page

Viewpoint

VOTERGUIDE


sion on both sides of the propo-sition on the financial cost of the death penalty. Mr. Wagstaffe states, “We shouldn’t be decid-ing it (the death penalty) on the money, we should decide whether its right or wrong. ...” He is correct. Rightness or wrongness is a moral issue, and falls in the domain of organized religion, especially those with the evangelical “pro-life” agen-da. This pro-life spectrum spans from birth to “natural death.” Executing an individual can hardly be considered “natural death.” Yet leaders of organized religion have been relatively docile in opposing the death penalty in California. I urge those who believe in the sanctity of life to vote Yes on Proposition 34.

Henry OrganEuclid Avenue, Menlo Park

No need to build expensive county jailEditor: I am chagrined but not sur-prised to learn that San Mateo County public officials are neglecting to consider three

reports that they themselves commissioned regarding solu-tions to their jail overcrowding situation. Most poignant is the July 2011 report by a research group of the U.S. Department of Justice which found that 73 percent of San Mateo County’s jail inmates (700 inmates on any given day) are not convicts, but people

awaiting trial who cannot afford bail. Maybe they have an expla-nation, but San Mateo County public officials need to make clear why spending $100 per day incarcerating non-violent pre-trial individuals is superior to spending 75 cents per day keep-ing them on electronic monitor-ing. Residents deserve an answer to

this question before they spend $155 million on a new jail and $30 million per year to run it.

Kaia Eakin Redwood City

There is income from Atherton parkEditor: There have been a number of statements circulated lately about how Atherton’s Holbrook-Palmer Park could not generate income. A few months ago Steve Tyler, Atherton public works depart-ment superintendent, did an

analysis for the council of a year’s income-producing activities in the park based upon present staffing. After deducting all costs, including depreciation, there would be a surplus of $86,000 available for the town’s treasury. Also, a few individuals have questioned the location of the present library near the railroad tracks in relation to the location proposed in the park. Look at the neighboring cities of Menlo Park and Redwood City, which both have libraries located next to the railroad tracks.

Earl T. NielsenBurns Avenue, Atherton

V I E W P O I N T

Atherton Measure M is a generous offer from the Menlo-Atherton Little League that deserves all of

our support. The Little League submitted a plan to enhance and beautify the baseball field area at Holbrook-Palmer Park. The renovated field will increase the safety of the field for the children who play on it. The current field is in need of upgrading since it has not been properly maintained by the town of Atherton. In addition to reno-vating the Little League field, the proposal includes resurfacing the tennis courts, adding public restrooms, and enhancing the landscaping. The proposal calls for the addition of seating behind the backstop to accommodate the families and friends of the children who attend the games. All of these improvements will be fully funded by private donations. The fields can also be used by children

that play softball, soccer, lacrosse and other activities that require a safe field. The Menlo-Atherton Little League will also take on the responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of the fields so that they are

properly maintained at no cost to the city. We are fortunate to have generous private citizens who want to renovate and upgrade the fields. As someone who oversaw the city approvals, fundraising and construction of the Little League field at the park over a decade ago, I am delighted that the next generation of families is offering to make these badly

needed improvements. Parks are central to any community. They provide families a place to gather, get to know each other, and play outdoors. Recreational youth sports are pillars of the community. Sports teach children valuable life lessons, build friendships, and help

keep them active. Little League baseball is a popular youth sport and thousands of kids in the town of Atherton have partici-pated in our Little League. The baseball field will remain in the same location, the new seats behind the backstop will be understated and architec-turally consistent with existing structures, and there will be no additional seats along the foul lines. The plans are beautiful and an upgrade from the original field instal-lation. The renovation of the fields does not conflict with the outcome of the election for the proposed library. Youth sports can be played at Holbrook-Palmer Park regard-less of whether a library is approved and constructed in the future. Please do not confuse the library issue with your support for youth sports in Atherton. Please vote “yes” on Measure M to support children and families in Atherton.

Jeff Morris is a longtime Little League coach who lives in Atherton.

The present contract with the Atherton police expires in 2013 and the nego-tiations with the Town will begin soon.

A good case can be made that the Teamsters through the APOA (Atherton Police Officers Association) are attempting to buy influence on the Town Council by supporting two can-didates in the upcoming election and trying to intimidate homeowners by sending fliers and telephone calls with lightly disguised threats, warning residents that if they do not vote for Elizabeth Lewis and Cary Wiest their home security and safety may be at risk. In order to try and ensure that their chosen candidates are elected, they have supported these candidates with signs and “robo” calls costing so far, over $3,000. (See the APOA’s Form 460 at the City Manager’s office.) While under the “Citizens United” case, this is presumably legal, a concerned citi-zen would ask if conducting our Town election this way is in the interest of either the candidates or the union. The tactics of the APOA are short-sighted in light of Proposition 32 being on the ballot. Should these candidates be elected they will have a perceived conflict of interest and would ethically recuse themselves from any involve-ment in contract negotiations with the Team-sters. This result is not a good scenario for either the union or the Town. One question in the endorsement question-

naire that the APOA asked all candidates to complete was: “Do you believe in protecting police officers’ retirement plans and health benefits regardless of state and/or city budget deficits?” One might first question the chutzpah of the union in asking such a question, including the phrase “regardless of state and/or city budget deficits.” The answer to this question is suppos-

edly confidential, but is there much doubt as to how these candidates answered? While the tactics of the APOA may be legal they are, in my opinion, unethical and the endorsed candidates have been tainted. These candidates have publicly stressed transparency and ethics. How much hypocritical behavior, even on the local level, does our society now con-done? This Atherton election should be about representing all residents on

many difficult issues and not electing candi-dates who may be perceived to be in the pocket of any one interest group, including the APOA.

Walter Sleeth lives on Catalpa Drive in Atherton.

Editor’s note: Candidate Elizabeth Lewis has posted her answers to the APOA questionnaire

on her website.■ Visit tinyurl.com/Lewis-101 to find a link to

those answers.

Voters urged to back Little League fieldBy Jeff Morris

Atherton police tactics raise questionsBy Walter Sleeth

GUESTOPINION

GUESTOPINION

LETTERSOur readers write

Continued from previous page


Information and all acreage deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

Scott Dancer650.888.8199

[email protected]# 00868362

2969 Woodside Road Woodside, CA 94062

www.scottdancer.com

represented by Scott Dancer

Woodside OFFERED AT $12,000,000

AthertonOFFERED AT $6,950,000

Woodside’s Finest Location OFFERED AT $10,500,000







W. M

AP

LE W

AY

Woodside, approx. 1-acre lot, ready to build OFFERED AT $1,575,000


Woodside, 17.6 acre lot OFFERED AT $1,395,000

Morgan Hill Ranch, 2,300 acres +/-OFFERED AT $26,000,000

Atherton OFFERED AT $3,995,000

PRICE REDUCED

the almanac 10.17.2012 - section 1

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