the almanac 10.26.2011 - section 1

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ATHERTON council votes 3-2 for library in park, but the issue is not settled yet. Page 5

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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 ©2011 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 A C

UPFRONT

Memorial Sunday for former principal

Michele Daschbach Fast, sports enthusiast

William Noel Car-rico, who served as an administrator and

teacher in the Las Lomitas Ele-mentary School District for 25 years, died Sept. 27 at the Eastern Montana Veteran Home in Glen-dive, Montana. He was 90. A celebration of his life will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Sun-day, Oct. 30, at the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum, 570 East Remington Drive, in Sunnyvale. Mr. Carrico came to the Las Lomitas Elementary School District in 1956 as a fifth-grade teacher at Ladera School. He worked in all four of the district schools and acted as principal at La Loma School for the 14 years the school was open. He also served as principal at Ladera School. He directed classroom work in remedial math and science and also served as district director of maintenance for six years and, later, director of curriculum. In 1981, he received a Continuing Service Award for recognition of outstanding service and youth by the California Congress of Par-

ents, Teachers and Students. In retire-ment, Mr. Car-rico had a shop in his backyard where he spent hours with his children and grandchildren teaching them how to run power tools, how to fix their cars, how to use a slide rule, and take care of the many dogs that came into their lives, say family members. William Carrico was born in Sidney, Montana. He grew up in Glendive and attended Dawson County High School, where he met his future wife, Lucille. He served in World War II at Fort Winfield Scott in San Francisco in the Coast Artillery and, later, at the Fort Sherman Canal Zone in Panama as a staff sergeant. Returning home to Montana, he married Lucille Carlson in 1946. Mr. Carrico graduated from the University of Minnesota

with a degree in horticulture and received a bachelor of sci-ence degree in education from Eastern Montana College. He received a master’s degree in education from San Jose State University. His first teaching job was in a two-room country school in the Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District in 1950. He was a teacher and principal for grades one to six, and also the janitor. The Carricos later moved to Sunnyvale, where they lived for more than 40 years. After Ms. Carrico died, he returned to his hometown of Glendive, where he enjoyed spending time with old friends and family. In 2006 he married Mary Lou Jones. Survivors include his children, William N. Carrico Jr., Thomas Mark Carrico, and Mary Kay Carrico Davis; and seven grand-children. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lucille Vir-ginia Carlson Carrico, and son, Raymond Scott Carrico. Donations may be made to Montana State University at Bozeman. A

William Carrico

Michele Daschbach Fast, the youngest daugh-ter of the well-known

Daschbach family of Atherton, died Oct. 12. She died in a shooting rampage that took eight lives in a beauty salon in Seal Beach, a community in Orange County. She was 47. Services were held Oct. 22 at the Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park. Ms. Fast attended St. Ray-mond School in Menlo Park and graduated from Sacred Heart Preparatory in Ather-ton. In her youth and through-out high school she played tennis competitively for the Menlo Circus Club and Sacred Heart. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara, where she met her future husband, Patrick

Fast. Mr. Fast ’s career in the aviation indus-try ultimately led them to Seal Beach, where they lived and raised their three children for the past 16 years. As an adult, Ms. Fast played tennis recreationally and was an enthusiastic swimmer. She was a life-long San Francisco Giants fan and a dedicated supporter of all the teams on which her children competed, say family members. She also took pride in the scholastic and athletic success of her many nieces and nephews, they say.

Ms. Fast is survived by her husband of 24 years, Patrick Fast of Seal Beach; children, Patrick, 20, a senior at UC Berkeley, Lau-ra, 18, a freshman at UCLA, and Lisa, l6, a junior at Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos; her parents, Howard and Lenore Dasch-bach of Atherton; sisters

LeeLee Cusenza of Pleasanton, and Lisa Fuerst and Laura Pitchford, both of Atherton; and brothers Rooney of Sunset Beach and Mark of Atherton. Donations may be made to Ms. Fast’s favorite charity, smiletrain.org. Visit tinyurl.org/Michele-111 to see the Michele Dasch-bach Fast Memorial Charity Fund page. A

Michele Daschbach Fast

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OBITUARIES

By Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

Roadside fuel stations are coming to Portola Val-ley. They stand about

the height of a parking meter and have the aura of a gasoline pump, which is appropriate since the electric cars that pull up to them will have to stay for while. And when they leave, it will usually be with the equiva-lent of a full tank. Brandi de Garmeaux, the town’s environmental programs coordinator, is recommending that the town collect $2 an hour for using one of the four electric-vehicle charging stations to be installed at Town Center at 765 Portola Road within the next 60 days and at no cost to the town. The Town Council originally committed to four charging stations when it applied for green building certification for the new library, Town Hall and

community hall complex. The U.S. Green Building Association gave the town a platinum award in 2008, its highest recognition. Having stations installed “is a chance for the town to become part of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure and for the council to show its con-tinued support for greenhouse gas emissions reductions,” Ms. de Garmeaux wrote in staff report. Over the last year, at least five Portola Valley households have installed charging stations at home, Ms. de Garmeaux said in a phone interview. The California Energy Com-mission is kicking in a grant of $15,000 to install the stations in Portola Valley, said Michael Jones, director of the western region for Coulomb Technolo-gies Inc., a Campbell-based

start-up that manufactures the stations in South San Jose. The council approved a plan to put two stations behind the library near the creek and two at the southern end of the parking lot in front of the Historic School-house. A Department of Energy grant will, through December 2013, pay Portola Valley’s subscrip-tions of $230 per station per year to connect the stations in a network with others in the Bay Area, including in San Fran-cisco, San Jose, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto and Redwood City, Mr. Jones said.

Networked stations Drivers of electric cars, when they’re running low on elec-trons, will be immersed in a mesh of factors, including: ■ Charge availability. Drivers will need maps to find the near-

By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

The latest council appoint-ments came wrapped in an agreement to not allow

Facebook to pressure subcom-mittee members during nego-tiations over how the social net-working company can develop its new Menlo Park headquar-ters. Mayor Rich Cline and Vice Mayor Kirsten Keith were elect-ed by the council at its Oct. 18 meeting to serve on the subcom-mittee, which is meant to serve as a liaison between the council and the negotiating team, with-out the subcommittee members doing any actual negotiating themselves. The negotiating team is made up of the Menlo Park city manager and other city staff. Before the selection, the mayor

commented that he was worried about subcommittee members being “buttered up” with good-ies from Facebook, such as lunch with the company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. He said the subcommittee should be “fully invested, but not targeted” as there was already enough pres-sure from Facebook. While City Attorney Bill McClure cautioned that the council couldn’t prohibit indi-vidual council members from holding private meetings with project applicants, he acknowl-edged that the members them-selves could agree not to do so. “By council members having direct interactions with people on the other side of the table,

City Council acts to avoid pressure from Facebook

By Barbara WoodSpecial to the Almanac

A topic that’s typically as traditional as the flag and apple pie has split

the town of Atherton and its City Council — a new library. In a meeting Oct. 19 that was standing room only, the council decided by a 3-2 vote to choose town-owned Holbrook-Palmer Park as the “preferred site” for a new library. The council cham-bers were packed to capacity with chairs, and other rooms in the building were filled with those who came too late to grab a chair and listened in via speakers. Before voting for the park as the probable site for the new library, and perhaps indicating the depth of confusion and split opinions this issue has caused, the council took another action that had been requested by those who want the town to

get more information before deciding on a library site. Council members voted unanimously to request a spe-cial meeting to discuss con-ducting a master plan study of town facilities and buildings. Petitions bearing at least 300 signatures asking for the mas-ter plan were presented to the council at the start of the meet-ing by former council member Didi Fisher. Signatures on the petition included those of five former mayors of Atherton: Didi and John Fisher, Jim Janz, Chris Cobey and Mal-colm Dudley, according to Ms. Fisher. “A good master plan would, I hope, lead us to a town discus-sion,” she said. The petition requested a study include sizing and location of all town facilities, includ-ing administration, finance, building, public works, police and library, before making any

decisions to move the library to Holbrook- Palmer Park. Under town rules a special meeting must be set if request-ed by a petition bearing 100 signatures. The council asked for the meeting to take place within two weeks. Mayor James Dobbie, Vice

Mayor Bill Widmer and Coun-cilwoman Kathy McKeithen, who was on the task force that recommended the park site for the library, voted for the park site. Council members Eliza-beth Lewis and Jerry Carlson voted against it. The vote also asked for a master plan for

the park and stated that the size of the new library must be approved by the City Council. The council was acting on the recommendation of the Ather-ton Library Building Steering Committee, a group that has

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


Atherton council votes 3-2 for library in park■ But the council wants to discuss a master plan for all town facilities before committing.

Drawing courtesy Atherton Library Building Steering Committee

A drawing of the proposed site for a new Atherton library in Holbrook-Palmer Park, with a conceptual version of a one-story 9,800-square-foot building that could be placed there.

See LIBRARY, page 8

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N E W S

Trash collecting: Another round of hikes in AthertonBy Barbara WoodSpecial to the Almanac

It’s one of those good news, bad news situations. The good news: Trash and recycling rates prob-

ably won’t be going up as much in Atherton as had been feared. The bad news? Rates that already went up in July will go up again, with the total of the two increases meaning many Atherton residents’ garbage bills will have doubled in a little more than six months. It seems the town had for sev-eral years charged its residents less for garbage ser-vice than the actual cost. The undercharges left the town with an overdue bill to Allied Waste for $337,000. The town has known for some time that rates would have to increase dramatically. But a public outcry last year kept the council from increasing rates as much as was needed to fix the problem. Rates went up an average of 45 per-cent in July and residents started paying for any green-waste cans after the first two. Previously, the green-waste cans were free. At its Oct. 19 meeting, the council heard a report on the issue from Councilman Bill Widmer, who had researched the rates with Council-man Jerry Carlson and Interim City Manager John Danielson. Mr. Widmer said notices were sent to all customers with the “worst case scenario” the highest

increase that would be needed to pay back Allied Waste and pay for higher costs under the current Recology contract. But part of the money owed to Allied should come from the town’s general funds, not custom-ers, he said. That’s because not too many years ago the town charged too much for garbage pickups for a few years and got some money back from Allied. That money, Mr. Widmer said, should go back

to Allied. T h e rates will be set by the coun-cil at its next meeting, on Nov. 19, after a

public hearing. The proposed rates are: ■ 20-gallon can, $29, a 45 per-cent increase. ■ 32-gallon can, $57, a 30 per-cent increase. ■ 64-gallon can, $115, a 39 per-cent increase. ■ 96-gallon can, $170, a 36 per-cent increase. ■ Green-waste carts: first two free (as now); $10 each for third and fourth carts; and $15 each for five carts or more. Customers (but only the person responsible for paying the bill) can file a written protest against the rate increases and deliver or mail them to Town Hall by Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. or during the City Council meeting. If more than half of cus-tomers protest, the council is not allowed to approve the proposed rates. A

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N E W S

Anthony Andrighetto, 21, killed in crash

Focus group seeks moms, women, seniors Peninsula Volunteers Inc. is collaborating with myKindreds.com to create a web application designed to help build friend-ships between people at all stages of life, according to a press release. They are holding two free focus groups for mothers, women, and seniors to preview the application on Wednes-day, Oct. 26, at Peninsula Volunteers Little House at 800 Middle Ave. in Menlo Park. The mothers and women focus group runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m., while the seniors group runs from 2 to 4 p.m. Contact [email protected] to participate.

Mountain lion forum Mountain lion experts from the San Mateo County Sheriff ’s Office, the Califor-nia Department of Fish and Game, and the University of California-Santa Cruz will speak at a “Living with Wild-life” forum on Thursday, Oct. 27, in Los Altos Hills. Sponsored by the Los Altos Hills Open Space Committee, the forum starts at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at the town hall at 26379 Fremont Road in Los Altos Hills. Seating is limited. Email [email protected] or call Nancy Couperus at 941-4808 to RSVP.

Film: Something Ventured Kepler’s Books will screen “Something Ventured: Risk, Reward, and the Original Ven-ture Capitalists” on Wednes-day, Oct. 26. Directed by Emmy-award-winning filmmakers, the documentary traces the start-up history of the venture capitalists who helped created Apple, Atari, and Intel from the 1950s. A question-and-answer session will follow the screening. The doors open a half hour before the film starts at 7 p.m. at the bookstore at 1010 El Camino Real in Menlo Park. Tickets are $12 in advance and $16 at the door. Go to keplers.com for more information.

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. www.MonicaCorman.com

Repairs Done During the Escrow Period

REAL ESTATE Q&Aby Monica Corman

Dear Monica: I am in contract to buy a house and the seller is responsible to have a sewer line replaced before escrow closes, which is in a few days. The work is almost completely finished but there is one more minor hurdle to pass before final approval is obtained. Should I allow the closing to happen even if the work is not finished?

Jeff B.

Dear Jeff: There are a few dif-ferent ways to handle this situa-tion without delaying the close of escrow. A secure way for you the buyer to do this would be to have up to 150% of the amount of the

bill held in escrow, have the title company pay the bill, and then release any excess amounts back to the sellers when the work is finished. Or, if you want to be sure the work is done before you close, you can delay the closing until all it is completed. Or, if you trust the seller to pay the bill outside of escrow, you can allow this to happen. The risk to you is that if the seller doesn’t pay the bill, the contractor doing the work will likely put a lien on the property, which you now own, so it will be your responsibility to pay it. You can decide which option fits your needs best.

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Anthony C. Andrighetto grew up a Woodside kid in a Portola Valley neighbor-

hood — Woodside’s Family Farm/Hidden Valley is surrounded by Portola Valley — went to school in Menlo Park and Mountain View, and played sports wherever he went, including Little League, Pop Warner and most recently intramurally at the University of Arizona. Anthony had recently discov-ered that he liked coaching, his father Steven Andrighetto said. On his way back from coaching student basketball at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic School in Tucson on Wednesday, Oct. 19, someone made a left turn in front of the Jeep he was driving and he died as a result of the collision. He was 21. His roommate and Delta Chi fraternity brother Sam Schmid, his passenger in the Jeep, is hos-pitalized in a coma, Mr. Andri-ghetto said. “They were good boys,” he said. “It was a horrible accident.” Three other people were injured in an accident that ultimately involved five vehicles, but none of the other injuries were as serious, according to a report from the Tucson Police Department. “The (university’s) Interfrater-nity Council is deeply saddened at the loss of Anthony and wishes to offer our deepest sympathies to the members of Delta Chi, family and friends of those affected by this tragedy,” Michael Colletti, the council’s president, said in a story in the university’s newspaper, the Arizona Daily Wildcat. Mr. Andrighetto spoke with the Almanac in a telephone interview on Monday, Oct. 24, just ahead of an 11 a.m. funeral for his son at

St. Raymond Catholic Church on Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park. “He was a terrific athlete,” Mr. Andrighetto said. Anthony played Little League baseball and foot-ball with the Pop Warner (Menlo-Atherton Vikings) program, as well as at Raymond Catholic School and St. Francis (Catholic) High School in Mountain View, his father said. As a senior and track and field

athlete at St. Francis in 2009, he ran with the 400-yard-relay team that won its way into the state championship, where St. Francis placed fourth, his father said. “He was a small guy, but he was a really spectacular athlete,” he father said. “He knew he had to work hard because he was so small. That was kind of his MO.” After making a touchdown in football, Anthony typically would not engage in antics at the goal-posts but head back to his team, his dad said.

Permissive left turns Tucson traffic intersections are notable for allowing “unpro-tected” left turns when a straight-ahead red light turns green, Mr. Andrighetto said. When that green light then turns red, a left green arrow typically lights up to allow protected left turns, he said. “Only in Tucson,” Mr. Andri-ghetto said, adding that it’s a com-mon topic among parents with kids at the University of Arizona. “We all talk about those signals,” he said. The accident began, according

to witness accounts to Tucson police, with a van making a left turn into the right-of-way of the Jeep driven by Mr. Andrighetto, with Mr. Schmid as the passen-ger. After colliding with the van, the Jeep left the ground, struck a pole and came to rest on its side. Excessive speed does not appear to have been a factor, police said, adding that an investigation will be looking into the influence of drugs or alcohol. Such factors are highly unlikely to have had a role in this accident, Mr. Andrighetto said. Anthony’s major at Arizona was business/agriculture, his father said. Anthony had twice worked part-time for his dad at his South San Francisco wholesale produce business and there was talk of him joining that business, his father said. But Anthony had begun to look at coaching. “He started opening his eyes and saying, ‘I really enjoy doing this,’” his dad said. With his father, Anthony Andri-ghetto is survived by his mother Donna of Woodside; brothers Vincent of New York City, Marco at Pepperdine University, and Dante, also at the University of Arizona; and his sister Mary at Corte Madera Middle School, his father said. In lieu of flowers, the family requests all donations be sent using the following information in order to create the Anthony Andrighetto Gift Fund: Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, PO BOX 770001, Cincinnati OH 45277-0053, Checks should be made payable to Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund. In the memo section, write Account 1041092, Anthony Andrighetto. If you send checks via overnight delivery, please mail checks to Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, 100 Crosby Parkway, Mail zone KC1D-FCS, Covington KY 41015-9325. A

■ Woodside resident was in college in Arizona.

‘He was a terrific athlete.’STEVEN ANDRIGHETTO, HIS FATHER

you in essence potentially emas-culate the power of the negoti-ating team and the authority,” Mr. McClure noted, creating a possible “divide and conquer” scenario.

Open meetings? The council agreed to limit the subcommittee members’ access to Facebook employees. So far so good, as far as limiting controversy. But after the meeting, debate surfaced over whether the sub-committee’s meetings with the negotiating team would legally require public notice under the Brown Act. Open government advocate Peter Carpenter said yes; City Attorney Bill McClure said no. The key issue is whether those meetings constitute a meeting of a legislative body. Mr. Carpenter said that if the

meetings recurred, that equals a legislative body that is then sub-ject to public notice requirements and that he would take action against the city if those meetings weren’t open to the public. The city attorney countered that it’s not a legislative body because there only two appointed mem-bers, regardless of who those members meet with. According to the Brown Act, an advisory committee made up of less than a majority of council members is not a legislative body— unless it has a fixed meeting schedule and “continuing subject matter juris-diction,” which seems to be Mr. Carpenter’s point. “This arrangement has all of the ingredients necessary to bring the entire process to a screeching halt after months and months of what might otherwise be productive negotiations. The Council would be wise to just trust its negotiators and then to conduct its discussions of

any proposed arrangement in a public session,” Mr. Carpenter fired back in an email. Earlier this year Facebook signed a 15-year leaseback agree-ment for the 1-million-square-foot, 11-building campus at 1601 Willow Road that used to house Sun and Oracle employ-ees. Facebook also bought two nearby lots on Constitution Drive, linked to the 57-acre Sun campus by a pedestrian tunnel under the Bayfront Expressway. That gives Facebook the grow-ing room to triple the number of employees to 6,100. Facebook now hopes to get the city’s permission to have more than the currently allowed 3,600 employees on site in exchange for limiting the number of vehicular trips to the campus per day to 15,000. Public benefit will be part of the negotiation, as would criteria for future proj-ects, including infrastructure improvements. A


N E W S

Atherton council votes 3-2 for library in park

spent the past two years draw-ing up a plan for replacing the town’s current library, located near the Town Center in an 82-year-old, 4,790-square-foot building that does not meet cur-rent seismic safety standards. The town has about $5.6 million in a fund that must be spent on the library, and that fund is expected to grow to $8.3 million by 2015. The two council members who voted against choosing the park as the library site echoed many of the speakers who asked the council to do two things: survey town residents about their preferred site and work on a master plan. “The most rational thing to do is to slow things down here,” said Councilman Carlson. “I think the town survey is ... a means of getting a sense of the community. I think there’s more information we need to have in order to make an intelligent decision.” Said Councilwoman Lewis: “We need a master plan to look at all of the city projects in town. I’m so sorry that this has become a divisive part of the town process. It’s prudent to be conservative and diligent here.” But the other council mem-bers disagreed, especially Ms.

McKeithen. “This library committee has done its homework. It’s done its outreach,” she said, referring to a series of public meetings that were held on the library plans. “What more could we have done, go door-to-door?” Vice Mayor Widmer said he had some concerns about the proposed size of a new library building, but favors locating it in the park. “I feel personally that the library in the park is a good suggestion ... not only for the Atherton of today but the Atherton of tomorrow.” The process, he said, has not been perfect. “Mistakes were made.” However, he said, more time would not help. “I have tried very, very hard to find a win-win situation here,” he said. “We can’t stick our head in the ground.” Mayor Dobbie said moving the library from its current location to the park would have many advantages. “A park site would move the library away from the train and possibly high-speed rail,” he said. A library in the park could be energy-efficient, and could help pay some park maintenance costs. “The old library building would immediately provide much needed space for town administrative offices,” he said. “It could be absolutely a beauti-ful building.” A

LIBRARYcontinued from page 5

Almanac photo by Michelle Le

School celebrates life of teacher Fehmeen Khan comforts her daughter Emma during a talk about Fehmeen’s late husband Jason Picetti at a celebration of his life on Saturday, Oct. 22, at La Entrada Middle School in Menlo Park, where he taught. He died Oct. 13 at age 42 after a long illness. More photos and information are online at AlmanacNews.com.

Council acts to avoid Facebook pressureFACEBOOK continued from page 5

est charging stations, whether they’re in use, when one will become available and what the rates are. ■ Electricity supply. On a hot day in a peak demand period, a station operator may raise the rate or offer a partial charge, or a discount for waiting until later when the demand is not so great. ■ User demand. As the num-ber of all-electric vehicles grows, demand will be mobile, not fixed. Charging stations may have to be “smart” to keep operators informed, and may have to act in concert to protect the grid from an overload in an area. All of this requires software, serv-ers and a network infrastructure supported by subscriptions, the prices of which will be determined by market forces, Mr. Jones said. The town will have to take over subscription payments from the DOE in January 2014. The pay-ments do not cover maintenance, but the charging stations are sup-

posed to be maintenance-free for 10 years, Mr. Jones said. When the time comes, market forces will determine whether there is a viable business in maintaining these devices, he added. The manufacturer of the charg-ing stations, Coulomb Technolo-gies, is about four years old, is pri-vately held, and is operating some 4,000 to 5,000 charging stations in 14 countries, Mr. Jones said. “We’re doing pretty good,” he said when asked. “From techno-logical and market positions, we’re probably a leader.” A

CHARGE continued from page 5

Just in time for coming cold and dreary winter days, The Mix frozen yogurt shop at 3536 Alameda de las Pulgas in West Menlo Park is opening a hot chocolate bar in the shop on Sat-urday, Oct. 29. The Mix, owned by Jamie Schein and Susannah Albright of Menlo Park, will feature chocolate from TCHO chocolate in peppermint, hazelnut, malt,

and mocha hot chocolates with whipped cream and toppings. A kids’ version of the drinks will be made with milder Ghirardelli chocolate. Throughout the winter, The Mix will also feature Belgian waff les, individually-brewed Verve coffee, and baked goodies from Butterscotch Bakery. On opening day for the hot chocolate bar on Oct. 29, The

Mix will serve free samples of its winter offerings throughout the afternoon.

Deadline to apply for ‘Rebuilding Together’ Oct. 31 is the deadline for homeowners and community centers to apply for free renova-tion and repair assistance from Rebuilding Together Peninsula, which mobilizes about 3,000 volunteers each April to help community centers and strug-

gling homeowners. Some 50 to 60 homes and 20 to 30 community centers in San Mateo County and in northern Santa Clara County benefit each year from the work of the volun-teers and corporate sponsors. To qualify for assistance, hom-eowners need to meet certain income qualifications. To receive an application, call Rebuilding Together Peninsula at 366-6597, ext. 226. Visit RebuildingTogetherPenin-sula.org for more information.

Mix to open hot chocolate bar

Members of the Menlo-Ather-ton Vikings, a local Pop Warner football program, will parade their skills before an expanded audience on Friday night, Oct. 28. Viking Mitey Mites (7-9 year olds) will engage the Redwood

City Junior 49ers during half-time of the Menlo-Atherton varsity game with Sacred Heart Prep. It will be the first opportunity for many local residents to wit-ness the surprising skills of the Viking youngsters, all under 90

pounds, said Jim Gallagher of the Vikings Boosters. With the Pop Warner regular season approaching an end, three Viking teams have assured them-selves a position in the Peninsula Conference playoffs. The Viking Junior Midgets, PeeWees and Junior PeeWees have all quali-fied for postseason play.


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OPEN HOUSE for Prospective Students and Families

Saturday, November 12th, 2011 at 10 a.m.Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 at 7 p.m.Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 at 10 a.m.For information and to R.S.V.P. contact Admissions at 650.851.8223

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■ Woodell says he would never pull up signs.By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

Who will be elected to the Menlo Park Fire Protec-tion District (MPFPD)

Board of Directors is not a ques-tion keeping most people awake at night, but some are taking it very, very seriously. So seriously that campaign signs for Virginia Chang Kiraly seem to be vanishing. The Republican community activist is running for one of two seats open this year in the district that serves Atherton and East Palo Alto, nearby unin-corporated areas, as well as Menlo Park. As the Alma-nac first reported, Chuck Bernstein had posted her sign in his yard. But when the candidate asked him why she couldn’t see the sign any longer, he discovered on Oct. 18 that it had been tossed into the bushes. Lying to the right of it? A sleek, black Samsung cell phone emblazoned with “Google.” As he studied the phone, he said, two incoming messages that mentioned “Woodell” scrolled by in the upper corner of the screen. He wondered if that meant John Woodell, the husband of Vice Mayor Kirsten Keith, since the couple lives several houses down the street. Mr. Woodell and Ms. Keith endorsed fellow Democrat Rob Silano in his bid for election to the Menlo Park fire board, and had his sign in their yard. Mr. Woodell is president of Menlo Democrats, described on its website (menlo-dems.org) as a Democratic Club of Southern San Mateo County. “I have no way of knowing that it IS his phone,” Mr. Bernstein told the Almanac, but called the circumstantial evidence interest-ing since whoever dropped the phone in the bushes on his prop-erty “couldn’t be just walking by casually.” Worried he might be accused of stealing it, Mr. Bernstein turned

the hot potato of a phone over to the police. “I wish it didn’t happen to me,” Mr. Bernstein said. “Why did it have to be my house?”

Not me It took five days, but Mr. Wood-ell eventually surfaced with a few terse comments in response to multiple inquiries from the Almanac about whether he’d lost his phone, and if it somehow may have landed in Mr. Bernstein’s bushes.

In an email to the Almanac on Oct. 22, Mr. Woodell said: “That sign was in the bushes many hours before I lost my phone. I don’t know exactly how or where some other person came into possession of my property, and identified the device as belonging to me, but I know when.” Disavowing all responsibility for pulling up Virginia Chang Kiraly’s campaign sign, he wrote in an email, “I would never do such a thing.” He didn’t clarify how he knew when the sign went missing versus when he’d lost his phone beyond saying that the sign “was seen (and possibly reported) missing ‘long’ before my phone was lost.” Asked why the delay before responding to the press, Mr. Woodell replied, “I did not respond, because this was a ridic-ulous accusation.” Spokesperson Nicole Acker said police determined it wasn’t an enforceable crime since the sign was neither taken nor damaged — just relocated. Eventually inves-tigators decided no crime had occurred and returned the phone to its owner, she said. The case didn’t appear in the daily crime log released by police on Oct. 19, according to Ms.

Acker, because officers weren’t sure how to classify it. She said it should have been included in the log as an informational case, and had advised that in the future, cases be listed in the log even if they weren’t sure of the premise. For her part, Ms. Chang Kiraly said this isn’t the only case of a sign gone astray. “I’ve noticed that some of my signs have been missing on major streets, such as Valparaiso, near my home. Unfor-tunately, that’s par for the course in elections.” In an email, she said she hopes that people understand and real-ize that signs are considered cam-paign literature and cost money.

“People should also realize that tres-passing on private property is illegal. Most important, since I am a strong believer in the First

Amendment, I hope people will respect others’ right to voice their opinion on issues and/or candi-dates. “

Signs of support Mr. Woodell challenged claims that he doesn’t also support Ms. Chang Kiraly. He said he tells peo-ple he supports both candidates. “When they ask me, I tell them to vote for Silano and Kiraly.” However, the candidate in ques-tion disagreed. “If they’re not publicly endorsing me, and they’re not, how can they say they’re sup-porting me?” Ms. Chang Kiraly said, referring to Mr. Woodell and his wife, who both endorsed Mr. Silano instead. Calling the whole thing “odd,” she said her support-ers report fending off encourage-ment from the couple to back Mr. Silano. “Sounds like she doesn’t want my support, which is not the same. You should ask a more objective source,” Mr. Woodell said. While she’d prefer to see the focus return to issues facing the fire district, such as pension sus-tainability and school safety, Ms. Chang Kiraly would also like her campaign literature to stay put. “I’ve only got a hundred signs!” she said. A

Asked why the delay before responding to the press, John Woodell replied, ‘I did not respond,

because this was a ridiculous accusation.’

E L E C T O N2 0 11

Fire board campaign sign goes missing, and so does cell phone

Vikings to play at M-A halftime


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PLANNING COMMISSION

November 2, 2011

7:30 PM

PUBLIC HEARING

5 Mike Knych VARI2010-0002/0003/0004/0005 512 Maple Way Planner: Sage Schaan

Review of a request for a one year extension of four variances that were granted on September 1, 2010. The four variances include the following: 1) Expand a balcony into the side setback; 2) Install a new water line backflow preventer in the rear setback; 3) Construct eaves/covered entry in the front and side setbacks, and; 4) Maintain one parking space when four parking spaces are required.

6. Andreas & Brigitte Wendker APPL2011-0006 1460 Portola Road Planner: Deborah Dory

Review of an appeal of the Planning Director’s decision to count a riding arena as Paved Area in accor-dance with WMC 153.056.

All application materials are available for public review at the Woodside Planning and Building Counter, Woodside Town Hall, weekdays from 8:00 – 10:00 AM and 1:00 – 3:00 PM, or by appointment. For more information, contact the Woodside Planning and Building Department at (650) 851-6790.


A Menlo-Atherton High School math teacher, who sued the Sequoia Union

High School District on grounds of discrimination, has reached a framework for a settlement with the district, lawyers say. But the terms of the settlement have not been disclosed. In the lawsuit, the teacher, Manuel Delgado, alleges dis-crimination in connection with his disabilities, his His-panic ethnicity, and his qualifications. He also alleges retaliation by school officials and claims damages that include medical expenses and emotional and mental distress. The settlement “has not yet been finalized in writing and the timing of its completion is uncertain,” district Superinten-dent James Lianides said in an email. Attorneys involved in the suit, citing a confidentiality agreement, are not disclosing the terms of the settlement, including payments, if any, to Mr. Delgado. And they may not disclose the terms even after the

settlement is completed. Open government laws with respect to settlements by public agencies might be difficult to apply, one of the attorneys said, because the district was rep-resented by an attorney work-ing for the San Mateo County Schools Insurance Group. David Secrest, an El Grana-da-based attorney who repre-

sented Mr. Delgado, said in an impromptu analysis that claims paid by an insurer may be insu-lated from disclosure. Attorney Jim Ewert of the California Newspaper Publish-ers Association commented in an email that state courts have ruled that confidentiality pro-visions with respect to public agencies are unenforceable and that settlement terms are part of the public record. In any case, Mr. Ewert added, unless the insurance company is named

in the lawsuit, which it is not, its involvement is “legally irrel-evant.” In his October 2010 complaint, filed in San Mateo County Supe-rior Court, Mr. Delgado says he has type 1 diabetes and an anxi-ety disorder. He is qualified only to teach basic algebra and now teaches two such classes at M-A, Mr. Secrest said. Recent school years have been turbulent for Mr. Delgado. In 2008, the administration at M-A

canceled a computer-oriented math class he had long taught, and assigned less cre-dentialed “Caucasian” teachers to the replace-

ment classes, the complaint said. Mr. Delgado was assigned a living-skills class and an English class for students preparing for the high school exit exam, mate-rial he said he was not qualified to teach. In the complaint, he said he asked, in light of his condition, to be assigned to a single classroom located near a restroom, requests that went unanswered. By 2009, Mr. Delgado had obtained a math credential to

reinforce his specialty in busi-ness math, but his assignments included the English classes and three algebra classes, including two for students not adequately prepared for high school work, commonly referred to as “below basic.” The “array of discipline problems” in these classes led two psychiatrists to recommend that Mr. Delgado not teach such students, according to the com-

plaint. “Mr. Delgado is a decent man. He has worked for the district for 15 years. He has an anxiety disorder, properly diagnosed,” Mr. Secrest, his attorney, said in a telephone interview. “He handles (his disorder) very well. He’s a very courageous guy. He just wants to teach.”


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Teacher, district reach settlement framework

Photo by Tim Wilkes

Kyle Larsen of the Skylonda area sails a laser radial sailboat in the San Francisco Bay. A Summit Prep sophomore, he won the California High School Laser Radial Sailing Championship, held in San Francisco Bay on Oct. 1-2. The event is sponsored by the Pacific Coast Interscho-lastic Sailing Association. He plans to travel to Chicago to sail against 17 other sailors from around the U.S. who qualified to vie for the High School National Single Handed Trophy, the Cressy, Oct 28-30.

MORE INFO: SUMCRenewal.org | [email protected] | 24-Hour Construction Hotline: (650) 701-SUMC (7862)

CONSTRUCTION ZONE AHEAD

Eff ective Wednesday, October 19th, Welch Road will become a one-lane, one-way road going West between Quarry Road and Pasteur Drive. Additionally, access to 730, 750 and 770 Welch Road is now via new driveways on Vineyard Lane. Th ese traffi c changes will be in eff ect for two years, after which time Welch Road will return to its original traffi c patterns.

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SCHOOLS

M-A math teacher alleges discrimination and retaliation by school district.

See DELGADO, page 15

By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

The clear winner of the night may have been the World Series, given the

sparse crowd of about 20 people attending the forum for the five candidates running for two open seats on the Menlo Park Fire Protection District board. Hosted by the League of Women Voters on Thursday, Oct. 20, the five fielded seven questions that covered pen-sions, priorities, and problems — or as incumbent Bart Spencer and fellow candidate, business executive Scott Barnum, put it — challenges. The district serves Atherton and East Palo Alto, nearby unincorporated areas, and Menlo Park. While East Palo Alto resident Steve Kennedy focused on the role of the board in evaluating the fire chief ’s perfor-mance, the other con-tenders concentrated on financ-es and communication. Defined contributions instead of defined benefits represented a possible new direction for the district’s pension system, they suggested. Virginia Chang Kiraly, who chaired a civil grand jury that produced a report on pensions that inspired the reform ini-tiative Measure L, noted that her goal was to see employees contribute more and share the increased future pension costs, but that there were many choic-es to put on the table. National security analyst Rob Silano brought up other facets to

consider, such as implementing a mandatory retirement age. And about those challenges — in addition to financial sustain-ability, Ms. Chang Kiraly listed community outreach, while Mr. Barnum raised the issue of how to assign resources given that the majority of service calls were medical rather than fire-related. For that first year in office, Mr. Silano said he wants to bring the fire district into the 21st century by increasing its technological assets, as well as getting pension costs under control.

Mr. Spencer said he would continue to focus on operational efficiency; Mr. Barnum felt his extensive financial background would lend itself to financial planning, as did Ms. Chang Kiraly, who said getting a con-tract approved for the firefight-ers was a huge priority. Asked what is the No. 1 thing he’d work on during a first year in office, Mr. Kennedy promised to not usurp the power of the fire chief and to develop some political capital. When asked whether they understood and supported the 10-point labor negotiation pol-

icy approved by the fire board last year, Mr. Spencer declared it “probably an unfair question since I was on the board when it was voted on.” Mr. Silano said he thought the negotiating should be left to professionals and pointed to the board’s direct involvement in negotiating with the firefighters’ union as a contributing factor to the current contract impasse. The other candidates, with the exception of Mr. Kennedy, who wanted to review the 10 points before offering an opinion, said they thought the policy was sound. Is morale in the district low? All five agreed that it could be better. But solutions proved elusive. “It’s just not a piece of

cake, snap your fingers answer,” said Mr. Bar-num. The others pro-posed improving com-munication at all levels in the hopes of getting the firefighters back to

the negotiating table. The real stumper seemed to be a question about how much taxpayers pay — both in dol-lars and in the percent of the district’s budget — for train-ing and upkeep for teams to deploy on search-and-rescue missions. While no candidate had the numbers, the consensus was that the missions provided invaluable training. Go to tinyurl.com/MPFPD-2011 to view the League of Women Voters information on the election and video of the forum, which the League plans to post soon. A


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Fire board candidates share views at forum

Five candidates seek two seats on the Menlo Park district fire board.

E L E C T O N2 0 11

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By Barbara WoodSpecial to the Almanac

A crowd of nearly 50 peo-ple stopped by Woodside Elementary School on

Oct. 19 to hear from the three candidates for two open spots on the one-school district’s board of directors, but by the end of the two-hour forum, only 20 remained. On the ballot will be incum-bent Ginger Bamford, a commu-nity volunteer and former Wall Street attorney, and two other school parents, Rudy Driscoll, an investor and business consultant and former Menlo Park police officer, and Kevin Johnson, a practicing business attorney with an electrical engineering degree. While the candidates’ views seemed very similar on almost all issues, the questions from the audience pointed out some of the concerns that parents at the school have. Budget issues were the topic of several questions, including how the school will pay for repairs needed for the roofs of several existing buildings. Ms. Bamford said she hopes the district will not have to extend the parcel tax that district voters approved in 2009 and that expires in 2017. “I would hope that we do not need to do extensions in the future and we do not need to ask for more money,” she said. Donations from community members could help with the financial problems, Mr. Driscoll said. “There are opportunities to get more people to step up with donations,” he said, as well as to get more people involved and to “see the needs of the school.” Mr. Johnson pointed out that the parcel tax provides only 6 percent of the district’s budget, but that “if the parcel tax disap-pears, then that 6 percent has to come from somewhere else.” All three candidates brought up the upcoming strategic plan update for the school as an oppor-tunity to set priorities for the school and plan for its future. One of the hot topics in the election has been communication between board members and the community, especially the board’s practice of having only the board president respond to emails sent to any board member. “We can only respond collec-tively,” Ms. Bamford said. Any written communication that comes in to board members is shared and the board president responds by acknowledging the communication, she said. However, she said, in-person discussions are another matter. “I find all of us are extremely receptive to being approached and discussing any school-relat-

ed topic at any time,” she said. Mr. Johnson said he’d try to make changes. “I’d like to see the board be a little more open,” he said. “One of the most important things the board can do is listen-ing.” However, he said, mention-ing the state’s open meetings law, the Brown Act, “it may not be as timely as everyone wants. ... We’re working within constraints here.”

Mr. Driscoll said he, too, believes that as a board member he might not be able to respond to all email contacts. “I would love to have (email) ... but I may not be able to respond,” he said. “I think first and foremost that people need to be heard,” he said. “But the board member con-tacted may not be the most appropriate person to answer a question.” He suggested, “If you want an answer right away, go to a board meeting.” A


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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETINGAND

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGCITY OF MENLO PARK

PLANNING COMMISSIONMEETING OF NOVEMBER 7, 2011

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City

of Menlo Park, California, is scheduled to review the following items:

PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS

Use Permit/ Carrie Boesch for Bridgepoint Music/ 657 Oak Grove

Avenue: Request for a use permit to add instrument training rooms for

instruction and private practicing to an existing instrument retail and

repair shop on the ground floor of an existing building in the C-3 (Central

Commercial) zoning district.

Use Permit/Summit Travel Group LLC/825 Santa Cruz Avenue:

Request for a use permit for a travel agency on the ground floor

of an existing commercial building in the C-3 (Central Commercial)

zoning district.

Use Permit/Sand Hill Foods/1140 O’Brien Drive, Suite A: Request

for a use permit for the indoor use and storage of hazardous mate-

rials for the research and development of new ingredients and

food formulations, within an existing building in the M-2 (General

Industrial) zoning district.

Use Permit/Daniel Turrini for Abbott Vascular, Inc./3885 Bohannon

Drive: Request for a use permit for the indoor and outdoor use and stor-

age of hazardous materials associated with a medical device company

that develops and manufactures products to address vascular diseases.

The outdoor use and storage of hazardous materials would be limited

to diesel for the proposed generator, which would be located adjacent to

an existing building in the M-2 (General Industrial) zoning district.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that said Planning Commission

will hold a public hearing on public hearing items in the Council

Chambers of the City of Menlo Park, located at 701 Laurel Street, Menlo

Park, on Monday, November 7, 2011, 7:00 p.m. or as near as possible

thereafter, at which time and place interested persons may appear and

be heard thereon. If you challenge this item in court, you may be limited

to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public

hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered

to the City of Menlo Park at, or prior to, the public hearing.

The project file may be viewed by the public on weekdays between

the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, with alternate Fridays closed, at the

Department of Community Development, 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park.

Please call the Planning Division if there are any questions and/or for

complete agenda information (650) 330-6702.

Si usted necesita más información sobre este proyecto, por favor llame

al 650-330-6702, y pregunte por un asistente que hable español.

DATED: October 20, 2011 Deanna Chow, Senior Planner

PUBLISHED: October 26, 2011 Menlo Park Planning Commission

Visit our Web site for Planning Commission public hearing, agenda, and

staff report information: www.menlopark.org

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The executive recruiting firm of Ralph Andersen & Asso-ciates, based in Rocklin,

California, is the choice of the Por-tola Valley Town Council to locate suitable candidates to take the place of Town Manager Angela Howard, who announced in June that she plans to retire in April 2012. The town received four pro-posals in response to a request issued in July, and a subcommit-

tee of Mayor Ted Driscoll and Councilman John Richards and Ms. Howard interviewed three of them. The council agreed to the subcommittee’s recommendation on Sept. 28. Andersen has “an excellent track record working with small North-ern California cities and towns,” Ms. Howard said. The company has offices in the Southwest, but clients all over the

country. Recent positions filled include a probation officer in San Francisco, a college president in Modesto, and an urban forester in Palo Alto, according to its web-site. The website includes a promi-nent logo stating: “We support green government,” a convergence of priorities with government in Portola Valley, where environmen-tal ethics run high.


N E W S

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

Floy Smith passed away Sunday, October 9, 2011. Floy was a beloved husband, father and grandfather. Floy was born and raised in Enid, Oklahoma. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma as well as a Masters Degree in Nuclear Physics. He was a meteorologist in the Army Air Forces during WW II. Floy was married for 45 years to his first wife Patsy Ruth Smith and raised two sons, Mark and Marty. Floy and Patsy began their life together in Enid before moving to Texas in 1953 and then to Menlo Park, California in 1963. Floy spent many happy years as a physicist and engineer working in the Bay Area for Lockheed and General Electric. After losing Patsy to cancer in 1991, Floy married his second wife, May DeAngelo in 1996. They were married 14 years before May’s passing in 2010. Their marriage was highlighted with travel, family time and the time they had together. Floy is survived by his son Marty, daughter-in-law Kristin, grandsons Jake and Ben and older sister Ernestine Lewis in Glasgow, Kentucky. Floy will always be remembered for his friendly simile, his kind words and gracious acceptance of the world around him. No memorial service is planned at this time.

Floy Wilking SmithSept. 24, 1922-Oct. 9, 2011


Harry M. Beck died in Palo Alto, CA on October 13 after a short illness following surgery. He was 86 years old. Born and raised in Western Pennsylvania, Harry served in the Naval Pilot Training Program and the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He later attended and graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Following his graduation in 1952, he embarked on a 30 year career in commercial banking, eventually settling in Northern California in 1957. He retired in 1980 as Vice President at the Bank of California. An avid golfer, Harry belonged first to the Sharon Heights Golf Club and then for more than 35 years to the California Golf Club. He enjoyed playing notable courses both in the U.S. and abroad, especially Scotland and Australia. Along with reading, he also enjoyed traveling with his wife to many foreign lands and sharing those experiences with friends and family. Harry is survived by Frances, his wife of 47 years, their three surviving children and their spouses, William (Virginia), Robert (Lee Damico), Cynthia (William) Swartz, daughter-in-law Eileen, eleven grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and his treasured dog and constant companion, Trez. He is predeceased by son Mark. Private services have been held. Memorial gifts may be made to the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, 400 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 340, Palo Alto, CA 94301.

Harry McKeever BeckJune 22, 1925 - October 13, 2011

883 Santa Cruz Ave. Menlo Park

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Karen Lewis, 64, a long time resident of Palo Alto, passed away October 5, 2011. She is the eldest of three sisters. God worked through Karen as she touched many lives through her active involvement with such groups as Care Ministry at PBC, Landmark Education and organizing theatre groups.

Her spirit was always vibrant, alive and loving. Children adored her. She was the proud and grateful godmother to both Nicholas Woehrle and Jack Hermann. The Lewis home was their playground.

Karen was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. In 2009, it metastasized. Karen was

surrounded by a diverse community of friends and family who loved and supported her. She is survived by her husband Jim Lewis, her two sons, Anthony and Robert VanFredenberg and sister Diane Prienitz.

Memorial donations may be made to the Peninsula Bible Church, Breast Connection Connect www.bcconnections.org or the charity of your choice.

Karen Anne Lewis

Admissions Open HouseThursday, November 106:30pm

RSVP to 650.854.4545

Preschool to 5th GradeTuition Assistance Available

2245 Avy Avenue - Menlo Park - CAAmanda Perla, Director of Admissions

www.phillipsbrooks.org

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Firm chosen to recruit manager candidates PORTOLA VALLEY

See RECRUIT, next page


N E W S

Re-Elect

BARTSPENCER

Menlo Park Fire Directorbartspencer.com

Committee to Re-Elect Bart Spencer to Menlo Park Fire Board 2011 - FPPC #1340780

David Ramadanoffpresents

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Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm

problem, affecting over 2 million Americans. Without

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quality of life and cause stroke and heart failure

Expert Stanford physician specialists will discuss

the signs and symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation and the

options for evaluation and treatment, which may

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9:30AM – 11:00AM

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To RSVP, email: [email protected]

Please register, seating is limited.

MODERATED BY:Paul J. Wang, MD, FACC, FHRSProfessor of MedicineDirector, Stanford Arrhythmia Service

ATRIALFIBRILLATION AWARENESS

For more information:

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Using funds allocated in the 2011-12 budget, the recruitment will cost the town $24,500, which includes $19,000 for professional services and $5,500 for expenses, according to a staff report. Next up: the recruiter meets the council at its meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 26, according to a schedule in the staff report. The council plans to have a list of finalists by late February, to negotiate an offer of employment in early March, and to make a choice by mid-March. A

RECRUIT continued from previous page

Teacher suesschool district

The school administration has to juggle its curriculum with a limited number of teachers, and Mr. Delgado is qualified to teach just a single subject, John Shupe, a Burlingame attorney represent-ing the district in the case, said by telephone. “Sometimes they could give Mr. Delgado what he wanted and sometimes they couldn’t.” The lawsuit names as defendants Principal Matthew Zito, vice principals Steve Lippi and Simone Rick-Kennel, math department Chair Gregg Whitnah, and Deb-bie Moore-Washington, an assis-tant superintendent with the district. The defendants would not com-ment on the case, but Susan Vickrey of the Sequoia district’s human resources office said in a telephone interview that Mr. Del-gado is qualified to teach algebra 1, which is typically an eighth-grade class. His credentials “are extremely limiting if you’re talk-ing about teaching high school math,” she said. About 30 percent of Sequoia district students are considered under-prepared, Ms. Vickrey said. “It would be far-fetched to find any teachers who don’t teach below-basic and far-below-basic kids (simply) because they are so much of our population.” Mr. Secrest noted that Mr. Del-gado’s current classes include below-basic students. How is he doing? “He’s hanging in there,” Mr. Secrest said. “It’s barely toler-able.” A

DELGADO continued from page 11

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Thursday: New book on Eisenhower

Photo by Steve StroudJim Newton

Veteran journalist Jim New-ton will discuss his new book, “Eisenhower: The White House Years,” at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, at Kepler’s bookstore, 1010 El Camino Real in Menlo Park. Mr. Newton, whose parents live in Menlo Park, inter-viewed John Eisenhower, the son of President Dwight Eisen-hower, and had access to newly

declassified documents. Mr. Newton began his career as clerk to James Reston at the New York Times. He has worked as a reporter, bureau chief and editor of the Los Angeles Times, where he is the editor-at-large. His biography of Chief Justice Earl Warren, “Justice for All,” was published in 2006.

A friendly rivalry between two neighboring high schools in Atherton is helping hundreds of middle school students in underserved communities on the Peninsula get a leg up in their academics. The Peninsula Bridge Program benefits from the proceeds of the annual Valparaiso Bowl, two football games — junior varsity and varsity — that pit the Sacred Heart Prep Gators against the Menlo School Knights. Both schools have hosted the games their Valparaiso Avenue campuses. The fundraising football match was conceived of nine years ago. That bowl raised about $1,000, according to a Bridge spokesperson. This year that number is expected to be close to $70,000. This year, for the first time, the games will be held at Foot-hill College in Los Altos Hills. The date is Friday, Nov. 11. The JV game will start at 4 p.m. and the varsity game at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 for students and $10 for adults. The Old Pro will be cooking up pulled pork and beef bris-ket sandwiches, hot dogs, and chicken Caesar wraps. Menlo volunteers will be sell-ing baked goods. Gate and con-cession proceeds, plus matching gifts from both schools’ Circles of Champions, will go to the Bridge program. Last summer the nonprofit Bridge program provided 356 students, in grades 5 through 8, with courses at Castilleja, Crystal Springs, Menlo, Sacred Heart, St. Joseph’s, St. Mat-

thew’s and Woodside Priory campuses. The hope is to grow that number to more than 400 students next summer.

— Kate Daly

Lacrosse coach-trainingevent in Menlo Park The Menlo Atherton Youth Lacrosse Club (the “Grizzlies”) is working with US Lacrosse, the national governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse, to bring a one-day lacrosse coach-training event to Menlo Park on Sunday, Nov. 6. “This event will provide local coaches a rare opportunity to learn from some of the most knowledgeable lacrosse coach-ing instructors in the country,” says MJ Davey, founder of the local club. This event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at La Entrada School, 2200 Sharon Road in Menlo Park. The Grizzlies’ mission is to bring the sport of lacrosse to kids in Menlo Park and Ather-ton, said Davey. The club cur-rently fields teams for boys and girls ages 5-13. Visit MenloAthertonLacrosse.com to register for the training or get more information about the local program.


C O M M U N I T Y

Valparaiso Bowl raises money for Peninsula Bridge Program

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ACLU sponsorsscholarship contest The Mid-Peninsula chapter of the ACLU is sponsoring a schol-arship competition with a prize of $600 awarded to the high school student who submits the best essay on: “Electronic com-munications: Its effect on free-dom of speech, rights of privacy and government transparency.” Entries must be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15. The award honors Christiane Cook, who died this year at the age of 91. She was a long-time professor at San Jose State University and an advocate for citizen participation in public life. Visit aclu-midpen.org for more information.


We don’t know if there is any reason to think that a Menlo Park City Council member might be wined and dined by Facebook officials and then offer them

something in return, say a way out of a pesky planning and zoning regulation. We are much more likely to see this type of corporate behavior in Sacramento or Washington, D.C. And so far, at least, we haven’t seen any evidence that the social media giant has attempted to throw its weight around with city officials or anyone else. In fact, just the opposite is

taking place, as evidenced with the recent open house and out-reach to various civic groups and service clubs to visit the company’s remodeled head-

quarters at the former Sun campus on the east side of the city. From all reports, Facebook is taking great pains to become a good corporate citizen as they move more of their Palo Alto workforce into the sprawling, 57-acre Menlo Park campus. We have to keep in mind that “networking” is Facebook’s middle name, and given the instant communications available on the company’s website, there is no reason to believe that its rela-tions with the city will be anything but forthright and trans-parent. Nevertheless, we think it is entirely appropriate for the City Council to do all it can to make sure negotiations between Facebook and the city over regulations that will govern the company’s campus development going forward can proceed without interference from outside parties. Last week a subcommittee (Mayor Rich Cline and Vice

Mayor Kirsten Keith) was appointed that will be the liaison between the council and the city’s negotiating team, which includes Interim City Manager Glen Rojas. Before he was appointed, Mayor Cline said he was concerned that the two subcommittee members could be “buttered up” with perks from Facebook like a lunch with CEO Mark Zuckerberg. City Attorney Bill McClure said that although the subcom-mittee members could voluntarily avoid becoming targets of Facebook largesse, the council could not restrict them from having private individual meetings with company officials. But the council did correctly, in our view, agree to restrict the sub-committee’s access to Facebook employees. The negotiations mean a lot to the city and Facebook, which hopes to gain approval to house more than the 3,600 employees now permitted on the former Sun Microsystems site, in return for limiting the number of vehicle trips to 15,000 a day. Public benefits provided by the company will be another part of the deal as well as rules for future projects, including infrastruc-ture improvements. As it continues to grow, it will be interesting to see how quickly Facebook will want to ramp up its employee count beyond the current build-out limit of 6,100 jobs on its com-bined campuses at the Sun site and the two large Constitution Drive lots across the Bayshore Expressway. But with a reported 800 million users now and the outlook of continued strong growth in other countries, it is easy to see why Facebook undoubtedly considers the current negotiations crucial so that the company can accommodate much more

growth here in the near future.

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

EDITORIALThe opinion of The Almanac

A careful tone for Facebook negotiations

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.

TOWN SQUARE FORUM Post your views on the

Town Square forum at www.TheAlmanacOnline.com

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 BattiLifestyles Editor Jane KnoerleStaff Writers Dave Boyce, Sandy Brundage Senior Correspondents Marion Softky, Marjorie Mader Contributors Barbara Wood, Kate Daly, Katie BlankenbergSpecial Sections Editors Carol Blitzer, Sue Dremann Photographer Michelle Le

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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,

Atherton, Portola Valley,

and Woodside for 44 years.

WHAT’S YOUR VIEW?

By Janet Davis

Planning takes vision and forethought, not mere reaction. With respect to Alpine Road, San Mateo County has

consistently failed to: ■ Address obvious problems of capacity and drainage; ■ Leverage intersection widening or Stanford’s overuse; ■ Maintain the existing neighborhood path; ■ Insure development provided adequate access/parking; ■ Consider the impact of allowing Stanford to desig-nate it a truck route; ■ Control creekside development causing ero-sion; ■ Maintain bike lanes; ■ Ensure adequate traffic enforcement of illegal parking at Piers Lane ■ Failed to provide safe crossing for kids using the 85 bus line who have to run across Alpine Road when returning from school. Stanford by contrast excels in long-term planning and strategy: ■ The Habitat conservation plan is for 50 years; ■ The General Use Permit (GUP) is multi-year ;

■ Plans exist for faculty housing on Rural Lane and Arastradero. Stanford is also expert at playing one jurisdiction/community against another, or relying on governmental ineptitude. ■ During Menlo Park Council meetings I argued that the city section of the Alpine “Trail” was a road. ■ An obvious prelude to forcing another trail along Stanford Weekend Acres. Stan-ford spokesperson Larry Horton said this was not “Stanford’s intention, but was a mere convenience to allow people to cross the road!” ■ During the zoning change for the Buck Estate I argued for a trail along the fire-road connecting Alpine Road with Sand Hill Road. Stanford promised to consider this during renewal of the Use Permit for the Conference Center. They outwitted the county by applying to renovate a “single family home.” ■ Financing the Portola Valley trail was purely to pressure San Mateo County.

Stanford has ulterior motives. For example, Stanford is committed to “no new commuter trips.” Failure to comply could jeopardize further construction. They are required to build additional bike and pedestrian pathways. Hence the push for a “trail” on Alpine Road and in Los Altos Hills,

and the imminent virtual closing of Junipero Serra. Access to Stanford from the Bayshore Freeway is meager. Access from I-280 via Sand Hill is at capacity despite widening. The obvious short-term, cost-effective option for Stanford is to force widening of Alpine Road. Three things prevent this: creek ero-sion, Bishop Lane Hill, and the Hetch Hetchy pipeline. Two of these barriers would be removed by approving the “trail.” The result would be immediate development of the Alpine corridor, as occurred on Sand Hill. Stanford will spend $11.6 million on a Rec-reation Center and a series of paths/bicycle trails on the SLAC land (go to tinyurl.com/Stanford-193). Why could those trails not be used to fulfill their self-imposed obligations under the GUP? This “trail” cannot be made safe. The sug-gested mitigations will not solve the inher-ent problems even if they could be achieved within the $10 million limit. It would serve no one but Stanford, which would get a green light for further expansion, and avoids com-plying with their self-imposed obligation. It would impose hardship and liabilities on residents plus a reduction in property val-ues, and would subject the county to future expenses. The money should go to Santa Clara and there should be no extension.

Janet Davis lives in Stanford Weekend Acres and is a frequent

contributor on this topic.

Stanford’s strategy on Alpine trail

GUEST OPINION

Woodside Historical Association

Our Regional HeritageThe Peanut Farm was located on Canada Road at the entrance to the Glens subdivision, and was one of Woodside’s most popular “watering holes” until 1989. The “Farm” featured peanut shells thrown on a wooden plank floor, which did not stop dancing at the popular club. The Peanut Farm has since been converted to a private residence.


V I E W P O I N T

By Adina Levin

The Menlo Park Downtown Plan has built on four years of community feedback. Residents wanted to preserve and enhance Menlo Park’s

village character, while filling ugly vacant lots along El Camino. Residents wanted to improve east-west connectivity across the city and make it safer to cross on foot or by bike. The draft plan addressed these goals with wider sidewalks, enhanced crosswalks and improved intersections with sidewalk curb extensions. The curb extensions improve pedestrian safety without reducing safety or convenience for drivers or cyclists by making pedestrians more visible to approaching cars, and reducing the time and distance to cross the street. These improvements would transform El Camino into a bou-levard where residents and visitors want to walk, talk, shop, and enjoy life. People would feel safe walking or biking for short trips to and from downtown, the train station area, grocery stores, and schools. Instead of dividing the city, El Camino would connect it. But during the review process, the clear vision in the original draft got muddied. Much in the plan was improved. The City Council recommendations to include a north-south path through the Stanford property, from Roble to the Middle under-crossing, and from the Middle trail through Cambridge. This would help pedestrians and cyclists travel north and south on El Camino, off the road. For experienced cyclists, the Planning and Bike commissions recommended, and council approved, the option of bike lanes along El Camino, just as Palo Alto and Atherton had done before. Some parts of the plan got worse. Near midnight at a Planning Commission meeting, a commissioner raised an alarm that the curb extensions would block bike lanes. But according to federal design guidelines, curb extensions cannot extend into bike lanes. Another objection to curb extensions was that

they would prevent the widening of El Camino to three lanes in each direction. A recommendation to remove the curb extensions and consider a 6-lane El Camino was unfortunately approved 4-3. This violates key goals of the plan, including maintaining a unique village character and making El Camino safer to cross. A 6-lane highway through the heart of Menlo Park is unsafe, uninviting, and definitely unvillage-like.

Fixing the mistake Fortunately, council members at their Oct. 4 meet-ing expressed that they’d changed their minds after being presented with additional information, and wanted to keep the curb extensions for pedestrian safety. But they didn’t vote on this item because the meeting ran until 1 a.m. The vision for El Camino in the plan is now at odds with the will of a majority of council members. Council should fix this mistake, and now. To fulfill the community’s vision, the council should move forward with the original people-friendly design for El Camino, with wider sidewalks, curb extensions, and bike lanes. A 6-lane El Camino does not leave space for these safety features that residents have long desired.

Adina Levin lives on Fremont Street in Menlo Park.

Make a people-friendly El Camino Real

GUEST OPINION

The First Congregational Church of Palo Alto

United Church of Christ invites you to experience our

Vibrant, Engaging and Arts-based

Every SundayLaunching on October 16!

New 5:00 p.m. Worship

If you are looking for a church...

◆ Where all people are welcome, no matter their gender, race, sexual identity, or abilities,

◆ Where deep questions are valued more than simple answers,

◆ Grounded in tradition but seeking new ways to understand and live out our faith,

◆ With vibrant programs for children, youth, and families,

◆ Where people are committed to serving their community,

◆ Where music and the arts thrive,

Then we hope you will join us!

We also worship every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. with outstanding music and education programs for children and youth.

1985 Louis Road ◆ Palo Alto, CA ◆ 650.856.6662www.fccpa.org

WHAT’S BEHIND THOSE READING GLASSES?

At middle-age, most individuals begin to experience trouble reading print. This age-related condition (presbyopia) rests with the natural loss of the eye lens’ focusing ability. The eye lens must change shape in order to focus. The closer we are to an object, the more the lens must flex to bring the object into focus. However, as we age, the eye lens slowly grows larger and thicker. In addition, the ligaments that connect the lens to the “focusing” (cili-

ary) muscles become slack. Consequently, these ligaments cannot exert sufficient force to make the lens bend into the position needed to see close-up objects. To compound the problem, the lens becomes less flexible. Fortunately, reading glasses provide an effective fix to the problem.

At MENLO OPTICAL, we pride ourselves on providing personalized attention and take the time needed to provide information about the best eyewear for your vision needs and lifestyle. Please bring your eyewear prescrip-tion to 1166 University Drive, on the corner of Oak Grove Avenue and University Drive, where you will find a variety of frames in the latest shapes, sizes, and colors. We provide lightweight lenses that help wearers enjoy clear vision at all distances. Call us at 322-3900 if you have any questions about eyewear.

P.S. Because the ciliary muscles do not weaken appreciably with age, strengthening exercises would not do much to improve close-up read-ing ability.

Mark Schmidt is an American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners Certified Optician licensed by the Medical Board of California. He can be easily reached at Menlo Optical, 1166 University Drive, Menlo Park. 650-322-3900.

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Caltrans

Sketch shows El Camino Real with median, four travel lanes, curb extensions and bike lanes.

the almanac 10.26.2011 - section 1

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