Sec 1 - The Almanac

NURSING HOME fined $100,000 for
Atherton woman’s death. Page 5
YOU DECIDE.
VOTE
2008
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T H E H O M E TOW N N E W S PA P E R F O R M E N L O PA R K , AT H E RTO N , P O RTO L A VA L L E Y A N D WO O D S I D E
JUNE 11, 2008
w w w. T h e A l m a n a c O n l i n e . c o m | VO L . 4 3 N O. 4 1
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2 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
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2007
Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac
Home again
A Little Leaguer dusts off home plate after a game at the brand new baseball field in Portola Valley Town
Center. The ball field opened in mid-May without ceremony more than two years after the old field closed.
A ceremonial first pitch may come at the grand opening of the Town Center complex in the fall.
Menlo Park
Election 2008
■ Nursing home nailed with $100,000 fine
after Atherton woman’s death. Page 5
■ City facing a projected $1.01 million
deficit heading into the fiscal year that
starts July 1. Page 10
■ Jim Dobbie says “straight talk”
won Atherton council race. Page 8
■ Measure O falls short of two-thirds support.
Page 8
1060 Evelyn Street
et
A
Menlo Park, CA
650-328-5425
He
Moather
Jew ore
elry
!
Schools
Portola Valley
■ Council may issue final ruling on
dugout tree this week. Page 10
■ New principal chosen for Corte Madera School.
Page 15
Community
Woodside
■ Welding sparks may have started fire
that destroyed carport, cars. Page 6
■ Menlo Park author illuminates parallels
between Gold Rush and Cold War, and their
impact on California. Cover, Section 2
■ Veteran, volunteer Mike Salome dies. Page 7
Also Inside
On the cover
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7, 17
Police Calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Woodside High School graduates fling their
caps skyward following the school’s 49th annual
commencement ceremony on June 6. Photo by
Veronica Weber. See lists of local public high
school graduates beginning on Page 12
CALLING ON THE ALMANAC
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THE ALMANAC (ISSN 1097-3095 and USPS 459370) is
published every Wednesday by Embarcadero Publishing
Co., 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 940254455. Periodicals Postage Paid at Menlo Park, CA and at
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free to homes in Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Almanac, P.O.
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without permission is strictly prohibited.
June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 3
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4 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
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Short
takes
Save the date
For those with longdeferred dreams of being
a June bride — or groom
— San Mateo County’s wedding chapel is now taking
reservations for same-sex
marriage ceremonies beginning June 17.
The chapel, which is
located on the first floor of
the County Clerk’s Office
at 555 County Center in
Redwood City, holds up to
25 people, can be reserved
for a 25-minute ceremony
and rents for $35. Marriage
licenses cost $78, and the
ceremonies can be viewed
over the Internet by farflung friends.
Warren Slocum, the
county recorder, said in a
press release that he expects
to expand the wedding
chapel’s hours to accommodate the demand. Call
363-4500, ext. 6063.
My wife is leaving
That’s the tongue-in-cheek
subject line of an e-mail
sent by Las Lomitas School
District Superintendent Eric
Hartwig announcing that his
wife, Woodside elementary
teacher Debbie Hartwig, will
decamp for Paris next year.
Ms. Hartwig is retiring
after 25 years of teaching at
Woodside elementary. She
got an offer she couldn’t
refuse to spend a year teaching seventh grade at the
American School of Paris.
The Hartwigs are Francophiles who already have a
pied-a-terre in Paris.
“It’s a great new adventure
for her, and instead of visiting Paris during her different
breaks, she’ll come home to
visit me,” Mr. Hartwig said.
M
E N L O
P
A R K
|
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T H E R T O N
|
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O O D S I D E
|
P
O R T O L A
V
A L L E Y
Nursing home nailed with $100,000 fine
■ Atherton woman died due to injuries suffered at facility,
says state. Nursing home is appealing the charges.
By Rory Brown
Almanac Staff Writer
D
uring her 10-month stay at Atherton
Healthcare nursing home in Menlo
Park last year, 51-year-old Atherton
resident Debra Nickel fell 14 times, including
a late-November fall in which she sustained
traumatic brain injuries, according to a California Department of Public Health report.
She died several days later, the report said.
Now, state officials have determined that the
nursing home staff is at fault for Ms. Nickel’s
death, and have hit the Menlo Park facility
with a $100,000 fine and the most severe citation possible.
The facility was fined a smaller amount
earlier this year following an investigation into
the October death of a Menlo Park man.
The Department of Public Health
announced its decision on June 5, claiming
Atherton Healthcare staff was inattentive
in caring for Ms. Nickel, who suffered from
Huntington’s chorea disease and was prone
to falls. The facility was hit with an “AA”
citation — the most severe citation under
state standards.
“The facility failed to identify and continuously assess, evaluate and update the resident’s
needs and plan of care to prevent further falls
and injuries,” according to the report.
Nana Cocachvili, executive director of
Atherton Healthcare, located at 1275 Crane
St., said the nursing home is appealing the
decision, and that Ms. Nickel’s falls were
“unavoidable,” due to the nature of her
condition.
Huntington’s chorea disease is a neurological condition that causes uncontrolled
movements and emotional disturbance,
according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Web site.
“The patient didn’t allow help, and she
couldn’t control her own behavior,” Ms.
Cocachvili said.
Ms. Nickel died Dec. 1, a week after an
Atherton Healthcare staff member noticed
a “deep lacerated wound” on the patient’s
head while combing her hair, likely from an
“unwitnessed fall,” according to the Department of Public Health report. The staff member informed a nursing home physician, who
stated that Ms. Nickel “does not need to be
sent out for stitches because scalp wounds heal
easily,” the report says.
The staff member notified a second physician, who recommended Ms. Nickel be
taken to the emergency room, where she was
admitted three hours later with high blood
pressure and a heart rate of 128 beats per
minute, the report says.
The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office
See NURSING, page 6
Having fun, wish
you were here
Sarah Vitale, left, and Allison
Silverman work on this year’s mural
at Hillview Middle School in Menlo
Park late last month. Images of
postcards from around the world
adorn the music room wall, thanks to
the students’ artistic efforts.
Photo by Veronica Weber/The Almanac
Taylor goes global
It’s a small world for Menlo Park resident Taylor Francis, 16, who’s bringing his
message on global warming
to Shanghai and Beijing.
Taylor trained under former Vice President Al Gore
at The Climate Project, a
Nashville-nonprofit. He’s
spoken at Woodside Elementary School, the Woodside
Priory and Menlo School.
He will be in China
through June 15, speaking
to high school and college students, as well as
business, government and
non-governmental organizations, said Alex Carey, a
Climate Project spokesman.
Supes OK 20-year plan for
Huddart, Wunderlich parks
■ Disputes with Woodside settled, but failure of
Measure O may delay some improvements.
By Marion Softky
Almanac Staff Writer
A
fter four long years of contentious meetings, hearings, workshops and focus
groups, San Mateo County now
has a master plan for Huddart
and Wunderlich parks that will
preserve their resources and guide
their use for the next 20 years.
On June 3, the Board of Super-
visors unanimously approved
the master plan and the environmental impact report for the
two hillside parks that rise from
Woodside to Skyline.
The meeting was unusually
upbeat, since the remaining disagreements with Woodside have
been resolved in the six weeks
since a more contentious board
meeting in April.
“It went very well,” Woodside
Town Manager Susan George told
the Almanac. “Since April 22, we
worked long and hard to work out
a really good set of compromises.
At the end of the day, we’re in 100
percent agreement.”
The compromises would reduce
access to lower Huddart Park
through the gate to narrow Greer
Road; allow horses to continue
to ford West Union Creek until a
new pedestrian/equestrian bridge
is built; monitor and mitigate
increased traffic due to new
facilities in Huddart; and enter a
maintenance agreement for 500
feet of Greer Road.
Improvements called for in the
new master plan may come much
more slowly than hoped because of
the failure of Measure O, the park
sales tax on the June ballot. “We
won’t be able to implement several
projects,” said park planner Sam
Herzberg. “Now we’ll have to seek
private funds and grants.”
The major project that’s closest to fruition is the restoration
of the historic Folger Stables at
Wunderlich Park and reconfiguring the driveway and parking
lot, Mr. Herzberg noted. Supporters are well along in fundraising. “That will probably be
the next step,” he said.
Meanwhile the county is already
taking steps to reduce fire hazards
in the forest parks, Mr. Herzberg
See PARKS, page 8
June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 5
N E W S
Welding sparks may have started
fire that destroyed carport, cars
By Dave Boyce
Almanac Staff Writer
S
800 Menlo Avenue, #101
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Dr. Kathleen Tavarez has been named an
Invisalign Elite Premier Provider, recognizing
650-329-9600
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Your Child’s Health University
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital offers classes, seminars and resources
designed to foster good health and enhance the lives of parents and children.
parks from a welding torch
may have started a fire that
caused between $80,000 and
$100,000 in damages and consumed a carport, a deck and two
vehicles on Saturday, June 7, at
700 Glencrag Way in Woodside.
The definitive cause of the fire
is still under investigation by
the Woodside Fire Protection
District, Battalion Chief Don
Romero told The Almanac.
The only injury involved a
minor burn on a firefighter’s
arm, and that was treated at
the scene, Battalion Chief Dan
Ghiroso said.
A resident of the two-story
single-family house called 911
at 5:28 p.m., and the fire was out
by 5:54 p.m., Mr. Romero said.
While it was technically a twoalarm fire involving 62 firefighters and 22 vehicles, including 10
fire engines, two ladder trucks
and a water truck, the second
This family-based, behavioral and educational weight management program promotes
healthy eating and exercise habits for overweight children and their families. More than
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INFANT AND CHILD CPR
Parents and other childcare providers will learn the techniques of infant and child CPR
and how to avoid choking hazards. Mannequins are used to provide hands-on training.
- Monday, July 7
NURSING
continued from page 5
confirmed Ms. Nickel died Dec.
1 of swelling of the brain and
brain hemorrhages caused by
blunt trauma. The coroner’s office
noted that Ms. Nickel was 51 years
old, not 48, as the Department of
Public Health and other media
outlets have reported.
CHILDBIRTH CLASS BY THE SEA
Take a childbirth preparation class in a unique, retreat-like setting at the Ritz-Carlton
Hotel in Half Moon Bay. This course includes breakfast and lunch for two at the
hotel, as well as participation in breastfeeding and cesarean birth classes.
- Sunday, July 27
SAFELY HOME CAR SEAT FITTING PROGRAM
Did you know that 80% of car seats are set up incorrectly? A certified technician at
Packard Children’s can ensure that your child’s car seat or booster is properly installed.
The service, aided by Kohl’s, is free and available Monday through Saturday. Call (650)
736-2981 to make an appointment.
Call (650) 723-4600 or visit www.lpch.org to register or obtain more
information on the times, locations and fees for these and other courses.
LU C I L E PA C K A R D
C H I L D R E N’S
H O S P I T A L
TO
SIGN
6 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
Ms. Cocachvili said Atherton
Healthcare has appealed that
decision too, and she argued the
blame should lie on the transportation provider whose employee
was supervising the patient when
he fell, not the nursing home.
“That incident should not be
connected to us as a facility,”
Ms. Cocachvili said. “We didn’t
do anything wrong.”
“Vastly improved”
Another death
TODAY
Bay City News Service
contributed to this report.
Nursing home fined
PEDIATRIC WEIGHT CONTROL PROGRAM
CALL
alarm had more to do with the
fire’s potential to spread to the
surrounding vegetation, Mr.
Romero said.
The relative absence of vegetation around the buildings
— known as the defensible
space — was “pretty good,” Mr.
Romero said.
An airborne ember from the
fire in the carport probably
started a small secondary grass
fire, he said.
The fire trucks did have to
snake their way into the site via
a roadway that had “a very sharp
turn and was fairly narrow, Mr.
Romero said, but added: “We
did manage to get in there and
put the fire out fairly quickly.”
The two long-time residents
of the home have been displaced
because the fire district had to
shut off the gas and electricity
to the house, Mr. Ghiroso said.
UP
FOR
CLASSES
(650)
723-4600
The citation linked to Ms.
Nickel’s death isn’t the only
Department of Public Health
claim Atherton Healthcare is
currently fighting.
In April, the state hit the nursing home with a $20,000 fine
and citation following an investigation into the Oct. 28 death
of a 79-year-old man who fell
backwards off a wheelchair lift
while being transported to an
off-site medical appointment.
The patient, Menlo Park resident Charles Ladeau, suffered
major head trauma when he
tried to stand up while being
lifted into a van, and died shortly after the fall, according to
reports filed at the Department
of Health Services San Mateo
County office in Daly City.
The incident exposed the fact
that Atherton Healthcare was outsourcing the driving of patients to
off-site appointments through a
private company without a formal
contract, and without “written
standards how transportation
services should be provided,”
according to the reports.
Tippy Irwin, executive director of Ombudsman Services of
San Mateo County, a group that
supervises and investigates the
treatment of seniors, said she
doesn’t know who is to blame
for recent incidents at Atherton
Healthcare, but noted the facility has “vastly improved” from
its days as Menlo Park Place
Health Care Center under different ownership in 2005.
“What happened recently was
an absolutely horrible incident,”
Ms. Irwin said of Ms. Nickel’s
death. “But that place had plunged
to the depths of poor quality. Is it
perfect now? No, it has problems.
But it has improved under the
new ownership.”
In 2005, the facility changed
ownership and was known as
Canaan Healthcare. The current owners took over in early
2007 and the name switched to
Atherton Healthcare.
Ms. Irwin said that several
years ago, she was sending as
many as six Ombudsman representatives a day to inspect the
facility. Now she sends one
inspector a week, she said.
A
C O M M U N I T Y
R EAL E STATE Q&A
by Monica Corman
Menlo Park resident, veteran,
volunteer Mike Salome dies
By Dave Boyce
Almanac Staff Writer
M
enlo Park resident Mike
Salome is no longer
feeling cramps in his
toes, a reminder of a bout with
frostbite in 1944. The Nazis had
given him and his fellow prisoners of war only thin socks and
wooden shoes to wear during the
winter at a camp in Germany.
Michael J. Salome died May 22
at Stanford Hospital at the age of
84. A devoted volunteer who had
given tens of thousands of hours
to helping fellow war veterans,
he had suffered a stroke recently,
his wife Lee said.
Mr. Salome’s wartime experiences fit a classic storyline for a
World War II soldier. He entered
France as a 19-year-old Army
infantryman at Omaha Beach
three days after the Normandy
invasion; he fought machinegun battles in the hedgerows
in the Normandy countryside,
where the Germans were dug in
and waiting; he crossed France
in 27 days with Patton’s 3rd
Army; and he was captured
while in a foxhole outside the
French town of Metz, he told the
Almanac in 2001.
For him, as the saying goes, the
war was over, but the hardships
were not. He was hauled off to
the town of Limburg in western
Germany to dig for bodies in
bombed out buildings, then
stuffed into a small boxcar with
75 other prisoners for a five-day,
500-mile trip north to Stalag
2A outside Neubrandenburg.
The boxcar had no facilities and
strafing by American war planes
was a constant worry, he said.
At the camp, where he spent
nine months, they worked seven
days a week unloading coal from
railroad cars. Their guards were
German soldiers in their 70s,
he said. Mr. Salome said he
escaped the camp on foot with
seven other men as the war in
Europe was winding down.
They returned to the United
States in the summer of 1945.
Mr. Salome was discharged
honorably, but continued his
work for and with veterans
throughout his life. Two focuses
for him: prisoners of war and
soldiers missing in action.
He recently received an award
from the Department of Veterans Affairs in recognition of his
more than 35,000 hours of volunteer work at the VA hospitals
in Menlo Park and Palo Alto.
Homelessness, drug and alcohol
abuse and post traumatic stress
were common afflictions that he
found there, he said.
Mr. Salome had a career in real
estate and was seldom without a
pipe or a patriotic hat, relatives
Butler Construction receives
Family Friendly Award
W.L. Butler Construction of
Redwood City, founded by Bill
Butler of Woodside, received the
Family Friend Employer Award
at the annual sixth annual Dads
Count Fatherhood Breakfast held
last month at the Westin San
Francisco Airport Hotel.
The event was sponsored by
the Fatherhood Collaborative of
San Mateo County.
Company president Frank York
received the award on behalf of
W.L. Butler Construction, Inc.
In a written statement, CEO
Bill Butler, the father of three,
said: “We’re a very family-oriented
company, and I don’t use that term
lightly. When we welcome you to
our family, we also welcome your
entire family, literally. Several of our
tenured team members are blood
relatives and we offer internship
programs to help grow the next
generation of the Butler family.”
The company abides by all
parent-friendly laws detailed
in the Work and Families Act,
Calling all school board candidates;
informational meeting set for June 10
A candidate information
night for the upcoming election for the Menlo Park City
School District board is set for
7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, in
the district board room at 181
Encinal Ave., Atherton.
Those interested in running
for the two seats up for election in November are invited
to attend.
Board members Laura Rich
and Jeff Child are set to discuss the district and the role
Photo courtesy of Libera Salome
Mike Salome, in a recent
photograph.
said. He loved going to Las Vegas
and working in his garden.
He is survived by his wife of
60 years, Libera; daughter Jean
Szarlacki of Milpitas; son Robert
of Louisville; four grandchildren;
and four great-grandchildren.
“He had a very beautiful
memorial service at the (Menlo
Park) VA hospital in the chapel,”
his wife told the Almanac.
The family prefers that donations in lieu of flowers be made
in memory of Michael J. Salome
to the VA Palo Alto Hospital,
attention Volunteers Services
Fund, 3801 Miranda Avenue,
Palo Alto, CA 94304.
A
according to a company spokesperson. An onsite manager is
available to assist employees
with managing their benefits.
The company supports many
organizations that focus on
families, including the Boys and
Girls Club, Family Giving Tree,
Job Train (formerly O.I.C.W.),
Little League, Shelter Network,
Second Harvest Food Drive, and
Rebuilding Together.
The Fatherhood Collaborative
provides a forum to address and
support the importance of men
and fathers taking an active role
in the well-being of children and
families, according to the organization’s Web site.
of board members, and answer
questions.
The candidate filing period
opens July 14 and runs through
Aug. 8, the deadline for filing
candidate documents with the
county Registration and Elections Division. For information about the meeting, call
the district office at 321-7184.
Being Realistic in this Market
Q: I have read that sales of
single family homes are down
in the Mid-Peninsula. What are
my chances of selling my home
in this market?
A: The number of sales during
the first months of this year is
down considerably from the
same period in 2007. This is due
to many factors ranging from
problems in the financial markets
to uncertainty among buyers as
to which direction the market is
headed. Many are very hesitant to
buy until they know whether the
market is going to see a significant
decline or not. The national real
estate news has been negative for a
long time and this has an effect on
behavior in our market as well.
The best advice for sellers is
to be very realistic about your
property, particularly if it is in the
low to mid-level price range. This
segment has been most affected by
the tightening of credit. Price your
property very realistically if you
are serious about selling. Avoid
choosing the highest list price
because buyers will be hesitant to
act. Fix things that need repair;
buyers like to know that sellers have
not deferred maintenance. There is
still good activity in our market
and if you price and prepare your
property well, it will sell.
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.
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June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 7
N E W S
Dobbie says ‘straight talk’
won Atherton council race
By Andrea Gemmet
Almanac Staff Writer
J
im Dobbie credits his straightforward manner for his success
in the race for an Atherton City
Council seat in the June 3 special
election. Although there are some
votes remaining to be tallied, he
was leading his competitor for the
seat, Elizabeth Lewis, by 59 percent
to 41 percent, late last week.
The special election was held to
fill the remaining two years left
on Alan Carlson’s third term. Mr.
Carlson moved out of Atherton in
December and resigned his seat.
“I ran what I consider to be an
honest, straight-talking race. I
didn’t pretend to be anything I
wasn’t,” Mr. Dobbie, 77, told the
Almanac.
Mr. Dobbie also pointed to
strong support throughout the
town, particularly in neighborhoods west of El Camino Real.
“I won every precinct, at least by
the numbers I’ve seen,” he said.
The fact that
Mr. Dobbie hails
from the Lindenwood neighborhood, east
of Middlefield
Road, became a
campaign issue.
Jim Dobbie
Ms. Lewis’ supporters, including former council member Carlson, have charged that the Lindenwood Homes Association has
too much influence over Atherton
town government.
“I want to squash this idea that
Lindenwood is trying to take over
the town,” Mr. Dobbie said. “I
don’t think that’s the case, or people
wouldn’t have voted for me.”
As of Friday afternoon, June 6,
the county reported 943 votes cast
for Mr. Dobbie, and 647 votes for
Ms. Lewis.
Although the San Mateo
County Elections Office doesn’t
expect to complete counting
votes until later this week, the
★
ELECT ON
★ 0
★ 8
★2 0
outcome of Atherton’s election
is unlikely to change. Throughout the vote count, the results
have shown a roughly 60-40
split in favor of Mr. Dobbie.
Campaign spending
The council race didn’t come
cheap. Campaign spending
exceeded a combined total of
$40,000, with Ms. Lewis reporting
expenditures of almost $25,000,
and Mr. Dobbie spending more
than $16,000.
Mr. Dobbie reported receiving
$4,000 in late campaign contributions after May 17. A $2,000 donation was made by Roy Demmon,
a retired Atherton resident, and
$1,000 each was donated by Robert
C. Wilson, retired, and Eric Roberts, a self-employed art dealer.
Ms. Lewis reported two late
contributions, of $1,000 each,
from David Dollinger, an Atherton resident and developer, and
Brion Applegate, founder of Spectrum Equity Investors.
A
Red light cameras go live June 10
■ Early numbers suggest system could be a big
money maker for the city.
By Rory Brown
Almanac Staff Writer
I
f the early data is any indicator, Menlo Park’s new
red-light photo enforcement
program could add a lot of
money to the city’s coffers once
the system starts ticketing drivers on June 10.
In a trial run of the system,
194 drivers were caught running
red lights while turning left on
to Willow Road from Bayfront
Expressway from May 6 to June
4, according to Diel Hutchins,
a program manager with the
Menlo Park Police Department.
The intersection is the first to
be equipped with still-image and
video cameras that catch drivers
who run red lights, allowing
the police department to mail
tickets, as well as photos of each
alleged violation, to drivers.
Since May 6, the city has
been mailing warnings to drivers caught by the cameras, but
starting 12:01 a.m. June 10, the
department will start mailing
tickets of at least $378 to redlight runners.
Big revenues ahead?
If the trial period is a sign of
things to come, money generated by the cameras could easily
exceed the $100,000 of revenue
the system was projected to
bring in for the fiscal year that
starts July 1.
For every $378 red-light ticket,
the city receives $150, Ms.
Hutchins said.
If 194 red-light violators are
ticketed each month through
the system, the city would collect about $273,000 annually.
That total takes into account
the monthly per-camera fee of
$6,350 the city has agreed to
pay Los Angeles-based Redflex
Traffic Systems to install and
monitor the cameras.
And more cameras are on the
way.
Ms. Hutchins said two cameras — one for each direction of
El Camino Real at Ravenswood
Avenue — should be up and
running in coming months.
Cameras will also be installed
on El Camino Real at Valparaiso
Avenue, and on Sand Hill Road
at the entrance to the Stanford
Linear Accelerator Center.
Improving safety
Menlo Park Police Sgt. Sharon Kaufman, echoing remarks
made by City Council members
and city officials when the
red-light photo program was
unanimously approved in 2006,
stressed that the cameras are
intended to increase safety, not
to boost revenues.
She said putting cameras at
8 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
■ MEN L O PARK
frequently traveled intersections
will make drivers think twice
before running red lights.
“I’ve seen some very serious
ugly crashes there,” Sgt. Kaufman said of the Willow Road/
Bayfront Expressway intersection. “As much as people would
probably prefer to see live officers at these intersections, it’s
not logistically possible.”
Pulitzer Prize-winning author
and journalist David Halberstam
was killed in a three-car accident
at the Willow Road/Bayfront
Expressway intersection last year.
Sgt. Kaufman said it’s likely
that only 60 to 75 percent of redlight runners will actually
receive tickets, as the camera
system won’t be able to identify
some drivers. As drivers get used
to the cameras, the number of
tickets and revenue for the city
will drop, she predicted.
A
Measure O falls short
of two-thirds support
Measure O, the county-wide
proposal to increase the sales tax
by one-eighth cent to benefit parks
and recreation programs, fell short
Tuesday of the two-thirds voter
approval it needed for passage
As of Thursday morning, the
yes vote count was 44,864 or 60
percent of the vote, and the no
vote was 29,596 or 40 percent.
“It’s just very difficult to make
the two-thirds threshold,” said
Julia Bott, executive director
of the San Mateo County Parks
and Recreation Foundation,
who led the campaign.
The campaign raised $500,000
and recruited lots of volunteers.
“The volunteers were stellar,”
Ms. Bott said on election night.
“We had so many people working so hard.”
Supes OK parks plan
PARKS
continued from page 5
said. It’s controlling vegetation,
removing hazardous trees, and
improving drainage. “We’re doing
this right now,” he said.
The most controversial aspect
to the master plan — the proposal
to route a bike trail from the valley to Skyline through Huddart
Park — was withdrawn after
a couple of Parks Commission
meetings in 2006 that drew 400
people, 79 speakers, and more
than 300 letters.
A new committee is working on
a countywide trails master plan.
Woodside compromises
There has been a “dramatic
reduction in traffic on Greer
Road” since the county locked
the gate at the end of that road
in late April, admitted Woodside
attorney and Greer Road resident
Robert Susk, who has been leading the fight to curb park traffic
on the narrow road.
In a letter, Mr. Susk commended
Parks Director David Holland and
his staff for their attention to the
problems of their neighbors. He
also noted the entrance is still used
Blood center sounds
urgent call for donations
The Stanford Blood Center
put out an urgent call for type
O negative blood donors last
week after a heart surgery
patient used the center’s entire
O negative inventory.
The surgery “just wiped us
out, and we’re now struggling to
Ms. Bott hopes the volunteers
will stay involved in helping
parks. “The need hasn’t gone
away,” she said. “We still have to
figure out ways to support our
local parks.”
The estimated $16 million a
year that would have been raised
if the tax had passed could have
been used for after-school and
summer programs for kids and
teens; overdue maintenance and
upgrades to trails, recreation
areas, and park facilities; repairing and upgrading playgrounds
and playing fields; and preserving natural open space.
The money would have been
spent on county parks but also
would have been divided among
the county’s 20 cities and three
special districts.
get back on our feet,” said blood
center spokesperson Michele
Hyndman.
Ms. Hyndman said the center
has exhausted the list of its regular type O negative blood donors,
“and we’re looking for people in
the community to step up and
by garbage trucks, service vehicles
and employees. “The institutional
use of Greer Road as a ‘short-cut’
is an unwelcome and unwarranted
misuse of this road,” he wrote.
Mr. Herzberg reported that closing the gate significantly reduced
traffic on Greer Road from cars,
motorcycles, and packs of bicyclists who swept through.
Now pedestrians, bicyclists and
equestrians can pass through one
at a time, but cars and motorcycles are blocked. The county
will probably establish a keypad
control on the gate, he said.
The county also accommodated
the horse riders who like to cross
West Union Creek on their way
out of Huddart Park onto trails
in Woodside. It agreed that horses
could continue to walk across the
creek as long as there is no bridge
they can use — or unless a state
agency rules they cannot.
The only bridge now is for
pedestrians, but it may fail and
needs to be replaced. The county
is willing to replace it with a
bridge for both pedestrians and
horses when necessary and if
money can be found.
This would have been a good
project for Measure O funds, Mr.
Herzberg grumbled.
A
donate” to ride out the crisis.
The blood center is also below
minimum inventory in types O
positive, A negative, A positive,
B negative and AB negative.
Donors should call 650-7237831 or 888-723-7831 to make
an appointment, find out hours
of operation and get directions.
For more information or
to schedule an appointment
online, go to http://bloodcenter.
stanford.edu
N E W S
Jim Lewis threatens libel lawsuit
against city, Councilwoman Fergusson
By Rory Brown
Almanac Staff Writer
F
or the past year, Palo Alto
resident Jim Lewis has
become one of Menlo Park’s
most persistent volunteers, attending countless public meetings,
trying to organize city events, and
bombarding the City Council with
e-mails and speeches regarding
what he likes about the city, and
how to make it better.
He’s proving equally persistent
in efforts to get retribution for
what he says were libelous actions
on the part of Councilwoman
Kelly Fergusson.
On March 7, Mr. Lewis and
his attorney, Carleton Briggs,
filed a claim against Ms. Fergusson and the city for more than
$10,000. The claim says a Sept. 16
■ MENLO PAR K
e-mail sent to Mr. Lewis by Ms.
Fergusson exposed the Palo Alto
resident to “hatred, contempt,
ridicule and obloquy.”
Mr. Lewis identifies himself as
a Menlo Park business owner, but
he refused to disclose the name of
his business to The Almanac.
In the e-mail, Ms. Fergusson
(who was mayor at the time)
expressed reservations about sitting next to Mr. Lewis at a breakfast he organized to welcome
incoming city manager Glen
Rojas. Ms. Fergusson questioned
whether the public was properly
notified of the event, and whether
Mr. Lewis was misrepresenting
himself as a council member.
“I am concerned that that the
City Council, and myself as the
council’s representative, and possibly even the city manager, will
be subject to awkward misrepresentations,” Ms. Fergusson wrote
in the e-mail.
The city did not act on Mr. Lewis’ claim, rejecting it by default.
That means Mr. Lewis has until
December 5 to determine if he
wants to file a lawsuit — something he said he will do if a settlement isn’t reached by that date.
“Settlement is always an
option,” Mr. Lewis said. “But if
settlement fails, I definitely plan
to take it to court.”
Mr. Briggs said he had no further comment on the claim. Ms.
Fergusson and City Attorney Bill
McClure could not be reached
before The Almanac’s deadline to
comment on this story.
CHRONOMAT
A
Downtown block parties are back
By Rory Brown
Almanac Staff Writer
T
he Menlo Park downtown block parties will
return this summer, and
the events have been scheduled
for three Wednesday evenings:
June 25, Aug. 6 and Aug. 20.
Similar to last year’s parties,
the city will close the downtown
portion of Santa Cruz Avenue to
traffic, stores will extend their
hours, restaurants will offer
outside dining, and local music
groups will perform for several
hours in the downtown area.
All three block parties are
scheduled for 6 to 9:30 p.m.,
and will coincide with the city’s
“Music in the Park” concert series
at Fremont Park.
This year, the city is inviting local
nonprofits to set up informational
booths at the event.
There is no charge for nonprofits to take part in the block
party, but participants must be
registered 501(c)(3) organizations and have a significant
presence in Menlo Park.
Nonprofits wishing to participate
■ MENLO WAT CH
can register by going to the Menlo
Park Chamber of Commerce Web
site at MenloParkChamber.com,
and click on the “Downtown Block
Party” link on the home page.
manager of juvenile mediation
programs for the San Mateo
County Superior Court.
The event is scheduled for 7 to
10 p.m. in the council chambers
at the Civic Center, between Laurel and Alma streets.
Recycle electronics
Gangs forum
Local gangs, and how to keep
teenagers from joining them,
will be the topic of a forum
organized by Menlo Park Mayor Andy Cohen scheduled for
Wednesday, June 11.
The forum is the second in the
mayor’s “Healthy Communities”
speaker series — an effort to get
Menlo Park and other cities to
work together to tackle regional
issues. The series kicked off May
28 with a forum dedicated to
homelessness.
The panel of speakers for the
June 11 event includes Cmdr.
Lacey Burt and Sgt. Eric Cowans from the Menlo Park Police
Department; Boys and Girls Club
Executive Director Peter Fortenbaugh; and David Cherniss, the
San Mateo County residents can
drop off old computers, televisions,
batteries, cell phones, and other
electronic equipment for recycling
at Tyco Electronics’ Menlo Park
campus on Saturday, June 21.
Residents can drop off the
equipment from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
at the main entrance to the Tyco
campus, at 300 Constitution
Drive, near the intersection of
Bayfront Expressway and Chilco
Street. There is no fee.
Other items that can be recycled
include stereos, printers, copiers,
microwaves, and compact fluorescent bulbs and tubes.
Stoves, refrigerators and washing
machines will not be accepted.
For more information, call the
South Bayside Waste Management Authority at 802-3500.
Jim Gorman Swim School
Private swimming & diving lessons
A
(Semi-Private lessons available if pre-grouped)
Reporting crimes with computer
now available in Menlo Park
Crime reporting is moving
online in Menlo Park.
For victims of a nonviolent
crime such as theft, vehicle burglary or vandalism with no suspect information, the Menlo Park
Police Department has a form
to fill out on the Web at www.
menloparkpolice.com. The link
is located on the bottom right.
The online report is optional,
an alternative to having an officer
write the report at the police station or at the scene of the crime,
Menlo Park Police Sgt. Sharon
Kaufman said in a statement.
Other crimes that can be
reported online include lost
property, identity theft, hit-andrun, harassing phone calls and
vehicle tampering.
The form takes a few minutes
to fill in and can be canceled at
any point before clicking on a
link to submit it.
There are situations for which
this form should not be used:
■ Emergencies. In an emergency in which persons or property are in jeopardy, call 911.
■ Freeway incidents. Call the
California Highway Patrol.
■ Crimes that happen outside
Menlo Park city limits. Call the
appropriate law enforcement
agency.
■ Crimes in which the victim
can provide information on a
suspect. Call the Menlo Park
police at 330-6317.
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June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 9
N E W S
Next fiscal year: Deficit or no deficit?
By Rory Brown
Almanac Staff Writer
O
n paper, Menlo Park is facing a projected $1.01 million deficit heading into
the fiscal year that starts July 1.
What do City Council members
think about the projected deficit?
For the most part, they don’t
believe it exists.
At their June 3 meeting, council
members discussed the proposed
2008-09 fiscal year budget, which
projects the city will spend about
$38.24 million in the upcoming fiscal year and collect about
$37.23 million in revenues.
Although the city is projected to
fall $1.01 million short of covering
its costs, the city’s past budgets
have outperformed expectations,
and a majority of council members said it’s safe to assume the
upcoming fiscal year should be
no different.
■ MENLO PARK
“If [historical] trends continue,
we will not have this sizeable
budget deficit when all is said
and done,” said Councilman
Heyward Robinson.
The council did not take action
on the budget, as final approval
of the 200-page document is
scheduled for June 17. But most
council members gave nods
of approval to City Manager
Glen Rojas’ recommendations
of avoiding any drastic budget
cuts, and keeping the current 1
percent tax on all utility bills.
Over spending?
Councilman John Boyle was the
lone council member to take issue
with the budgeting approach,
stating the city is “tempting fate”
by taking on full list of projects
when facing a projected deficit.
He noted that the city’s spending is expected to increase by
about 6 percent from the previous
fiscal year, and revenues are projected to grow by just 1.5 percent.
“This is not going to get us to
a long-term sustainable budget,”
Mr. Boyle said. “I don’t think we
need to spend all the money we’re
planning on spending.”
Councilman Richard Cline said
projects that may prove costly
today, such as the El Camino Real
visioning effort, should provide
an economic boost to the city in
coming years.
Councilwoman Kelly Fergusson
urged city staff to complete the
long-awaited fee study that could
show the city how to make city
programs more cost-effective.
Employee costs
Absent from the council meeting were past council members
Lee Duboc and Mickie Winkler,
who sent a widely distributed
e-mail on May 31 stressing that
the city should be wary of growing personnel costs.
Ms. Duboc said she’s trying to
increase public awareness about
rising employee and benefit costs
facing Menlo Park and other Peninsula cities, and is yet to go directly
to council members in an effort to
be as “apolitical as possible.”
“I’m not trying to be critical of
city staff, and I’m not saying they’re
doing a bad job,” Ms. Duboc said.
“I’m looking at this strictly from
an economic stability standpoint.
... This issue cuts across political
lines in our city, and it’s something
we need to address.”
Ms. Duboc noted that she’ll be
sending regular e-mails out
about the issue of rising city
employee costs. Ms. Winkler,
who was recently named to the
San Mateo County Civil Grand
Jury, won’t be taking part in the
effort, she said.
PV council may
decide on tree’s
fate this week
A Town Council decision is
likely this week to decide the fate
of the hollowed-out oak tree that
leans over the home-team dugout
at Ford Field in Portola Valley.
The council meets at 8 p.m.
on Wednesday, June 11, in the
Historic Schoolhouse. The dugout has been closed since early
April after six arborists agreed
independently that the tree was
in danger of falling. The town
would be liable for any injuries.
Also on the agenda: a first look
at the budget for the fiscal year
that begins July 1, and revisiting
the noise ordinance as it applies
to construction activities by
property owners, particularly
on weekends.
A
Atherton: special
budget meeting
Birt
TRADITIO- NS
You are Invited to a Birthday Celebration!
Budget talk and nothing but
— that’s the agenda for a special
Atherton City Council meeting
set for Wednesday, June 11, in the
council chambers, located at 94
Ashfield Road.
Council members will discuss
the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, and
may even vote to adopt it. If they
don’t adopt a budget at the special
meeting, it will be added to the
regular monthly meeting agenda
on June 18.
The agenda includes public
hearings on the budget, and on
setting the levy for the annual
parcel tax.
Information is available online
at www.ci.atherton.c.a.us by
clicking on “Agendas, minutes,
reports” and then choosing the
City Council agenda for June 11.
Where: Traditions,
850 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park
What: Birthday Cake & Special Savings in the tent
(Thurs, Fri, Sat (June 5, 6, 7)
When: June 5 – 14
and… everything in the store at our Celebration
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Traditions… making homes beautiful since 1985.
10 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
Woodside council
reviews budget
The budget for the new
fiscal year that starts July 1
will be a primary topic for
the Woodside Town Council meeting scheduled for
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 10,
in Independence Hall.
The council meeting
begins with an interview of
Mary Brasher, a candidate
for the Planning Commission; and Jack Helfand and
Leo J. Kusber, candidates
for the Architectural and
Site Review Board.
GRAND OPENING – NEW HOMES
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of every description. The eateries and
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shopping at Stanford Shopping Center.
A football game or live performance at
the University. Top-performing schools
and a great commute location too.
Come see the fun side of upscale —
at Echelon.
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Pricing effective as of publication deadline. Rendering is artist’s conception. Map not to scale.
YourNewPeninsulaHome.com
SHH 139 Menlo Park Almanac 10x13_v9.indd 1
June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 11
5/27/08 10:47:42 AM
C
L A S S
O F
2 0 0 8
Photo by Veronica Weber/The Almanac
MOV I N’ ON
› GOODBYE
Menlo-Atherton
High School
graduates wait in
the school’s gym
for the start of the
commencement
ceremony on
June 5.
T
he annual adieu at MenloAtherton High School fell
this year on Thursday, June
5, when some 339 seniors
assembled at around 4 p.m.
on the school’s football field
for the beginning of the end of
their high school journey.
A contingent of Marines
marched in with the flag,
senior Betsy Burch led the
Pledge of Allegiance, and the
air rang with the tones of the
national anthem sung by the
school choir under the direction of Patrick Maier.
The official welcome was
given by seniors Tara Galvez
and Victoria Phan.
The program included
speeches by six seniors:
Stephanie Lee talked about
“The Things We Carry”;
Jenny Fried spoke of “My
Friend, Voltaire”; Philip
Arcuni looked to the future
with “Face Forward”; Bo and
Margho Dunahoo-Kirsch
gave their views on the topic
12 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
M - A , SAYS CLASS O F 20 0 8
of “Becoming Us”; and Tara
Galvez proposed an interpretation of the “MenloAtherton Legacy.”
Principal Matthew Zito
spoke and presented the class
to Olivia Martinez, a trustee
with the Sequoia Union High
School District, and Ed LaVigne, an assistant superintendent with the district.
Names read aloud were
matched with diplomas and
handshakes were exchanged.
Then, with mortarboard tassels adjusted to reflect the
seniors’ new status as alumni,
the event drew to a close.
Graduates:
A: Gabriela Acuna, Marjorie
Adams, Elanor Vaolele
Afuhaamango, Siosiua Afungia,
Matthew Aguilar, Anna Shea
Alter, Daniel E. Alvarez,
Rosa Elia Alvarez, Jammo D
Amanuel, Gregory Andrews,
Philip M. Arcuni, Sally Carina
Arriaga, Jaime Arroyo, Johana
Atrizco, Christian Ayala
B: Lee Bader, Nina Dumont
Baron, William Conrad Bassett,
William Taylor Bauer, Nicolas
Beowulf Bellamy, Stephanie
Benavides, Sarah Hoy Black,
Ana Laura Blanco, Alexis Anne
Bley, Matthew Mark Bogott,
Patricia Adele Bortolazzo,
Matthew Christopher Boyle,
Richard Douglas Branning, Ben
Frank Brian IV, Alexandra
Lee Brody , Elizabeth Mullaugh
Burch, Taylor Russell Burwell,
Roberto Bustos, Joseph Casto
Abundo Buttram
C: Julia Megan Cabral,
Deisy Anacari Cabrera,
Callie Jane Cain, Christopher
Alex Calvarese, Shelly Marie
Camarillo, Maria Selene
Castellanos, Alejandra Susana
Castillo, Nubia Jasmine
Cazares, Catherine Izabel Cea,
Jaime Franshesca Cea, Silvia
Karen Ceballos, Paola Celis,
Karina Chacon, George Joseph
Chahrouri, Eric Chen, Michael
Chen, Nicholas Lowrey Chladek,
John Epstein Christie, Ray Swift
Cleverly, Oscar Jean Pierre
Coaquira Castro , Carolyn Rose
Bobier Coates, Marina Colocho,
Laura Contreras, Christopher
James Cornelius, Isabel Correa,
Rigo Jesus Correa, Brook
Alexandra Costello
D: Corinna M Dal Colletto,
Christian D. De Jesus Sanchez,
Lionel De La Torre, Alexander
Degtiar, Andrew Ongkeko del
Calvo, Elise Angele Delagnes,
Nicolas I. Diaz, Stephen Scott
DiSibio, Sebastian Doerner,
Katherine Cecilia Doniger, Scott
Doolin, Nicholas Dove, Roman
Doyonnas, Megan Danielle
Dunn, Bowen West Dunnahoo
Kirsch, Margho Eve Dunnahoo
Kirsch
E - F: Suzanne Eldredge,
Melissa Marie Eldridge, Larissa
Anna Epstein, Everett Walter
Estkowski, Agustin Alonso
Estrada, Macario Eusebio Jr.,
Anna Elizabeth Rogers Faris,
Jenna Jaquelyn Fejervary,
Jessica Lynn Feldman, Bernard
Yang Feng, Allison Leigh Fero,
Fernando Fierro Gutierrez,
Kevin M. Flaherty, Jose
Antonio Flores, Nicholas
Robert Fogel, Kelsey Olson
Fowle, Emily Lauren Freeman,
Jenny Fried, Daniel Santos
Fuentes, Decca Livia Fulton,
Terrence Wier Fundakowski
G: Heidi Jean Galbraith,
John Jacob Patrick Gallen,
Tara Christine Galvez, Sergio
Garcia, Jose Manuel Garcia
Juarez, Dillon Aaron Garibaldi,
Matthieu Nicolas Garlock,
Sarah Kathryn Getchell, Kirk
D. Gharda, Adrian Gomez,
Stephanie Gomez, Cynthia
Citlaly Gonz·lez, Diana
Gonzalez, Madelyn Jasmine
Gonzalez Dubon, Frederick T.
Gray, Noah Justin Greenberg,
Alexandra Greene-Deutsch,
Mark Johnson Gregory, Nicole
Danielle Gregory, Aaron Groom,
Elaina Gross, Peter H. Gruber,
Rogelio Guardado, Josue
Gutierrez, Jasmin Guzman, Luis
Pastor Guzman
H: Andrew Hagman, Caroline
A. Halaby, Megan Rene Haley,
Faysal M. Hamawy, Erica La’
See M-A HIGH SCHOOL, next page
C
› GRADUATIO N
LAU NCH ES
W OODSIDE H IGH ’S CLASS O F 20 0 8
T
he turf at Woodside High
School’s football field is artificial, but the emotion was real
from the seniors gathered on the
field to receive their diplomas on
Friday morning, June 6.
Michael Fisher, president of the
class of 2008, opened the ceremonies with the official welcome.
The program included speeches by three seniors: Priscilla Taufoou attempted to capture the
moment with her talk, “We Made
It”; Megan Fisher looked ahead
with “Changing the Future”; and
Jennifer Black spoke about “The
Power to be Incredible.”
The gathering then heard the
speech “The Hour of Passing”
through the voices of 12 Woodside High valedictorians.
The senior gift this year establishes a scholarship fund for
the following three graduating
classes aimed at students with
“a strong involvement with the
school, academic excellence and
extracurricular activities.”
Principal David Reilly spoke
and helped hand out diplomas
with Gordon Lewin, a trustee of
the Sequoia Union High School
District; Francisca Miranda, an
assistant superintendent for the
district; and Linda Common,
Mr. Reilly’s predecessor as principal and now a special education
administrator for the district.
At the end, the class president
led the class in the tassel switch
and the formal end of their days
as high school students.
Graduates
A: Paulina Danielle Bugayong
Abaya, Kevin Matthew Abbott, Omar
Abonce, Afelda Kristy Aguilera,
Nicolas Andres Alas, Miguel A.
Alcantara, Rachel Berta Alexander,
Marie Ann Alftin, Haley Yadira
See WOODSIDE HIGH, page 14
L A S S
O F
2 0 0 8
›
SUMMIT PREP
GRADUATION IS
A FAMILY AFFAIR
ummit Preparatory Charter High School graduates
S
its second class of seniors at 6
p.m. Friday, June 13, at Carrington Hall on the campus
of Sequoia High School in
Redwood City.
The celebration gets under
way with a lunch for students,
parents and faculty.
Principal Todd Dickson will
give brief remarks during the
ceremony. Students will be
heard from as narrators of a
filmed photo montage showing the graduates in scenes
from childhood on up to their
experiences in high school,
Mr. Dickson said.
Of the 94 seniors set to
graduate this year, 22 live in
Menlo Park, five in Woodside, four in Portola Valley
and one in Atherton, according to the school.
Graduates
A - C: Christopher Aden, Tarabel
Alvarez, MonDana Bathai, Caleb
Beckett, Brett Beekley, Samuel
Bertken, Anthony Bigler, Victor
Bilbao, Alexandra Bradley, Benjamin
Brown, Antonio Carapia, Jason
Caria, Isaias Castro, Jorge Cortes,
Francis Cruz
Photo by Veronica Weber/The Almanac
Diploma in hand, a Woodside High School graduate scans the crowd in the stands on June 6.
M-A HIGH SCHOOL
continued from previous page
Porche Hayes, Christopher Matthew
Healy, Jasmine Araceli Herrera,
Jeffrey Jerome Hester, Aaron W.
Heuckroth, David Hiltbrand, Julie
H. Ho, Kevin David Hobson, Melissa
Hobson, Sean Michael Holtzman,
Johann M. Holvick-Thomas, Matthew
Hubbell
I - K: Jose Luis Ibarra, Raul Ibarra,
Emily Gale Jacobson, Isabelle Paige
James, Samuel Jenkins, C. Richard
Walker Jones, Elena Kadvany,
Gregory S. Kalin, Janine Kaufer,
Allison L. Kelley, Ariane Juliette
Khalfa, Kelsey Kienitz, Matthew
Craig King, Andrew Klein, Alp
Kutlu, Jason Kwok
L: Jonathan Lagan, Kevin Lane,
Aloisia Eve’evakifaite Langi,
Alexander James Lattin, Viliami
Latu, Alecha Shirrelle Lax, Megan
St. Clair Lazar, Alexander Joy
Leanse, Stephanie Patricia Lee,
Daniel Wolf Lees, Fred F. Liang,
Katie Joanna Loma , David Lopez,
Francisco J. Lopez, Jose Lopez
Sanchez, Bradley C. Lovegren,
Benjamin P. Lowe, Elaina Marie Luke
M: Emelio Madriaga, Lindsy
Maldonado, John A. Margolis,
Michael Arthur Masket, Malakai
Fuaimaile Mataele, Paula Mataele,
Troy A. McCabe, Brendan P.
McGrath, William McIntyre,
Marleachia Shankail McJunkins,
Arielle McKee, Emily McPherson,
Molly McRae, Rachel Mein, Maria
Mellin, Julie Menninger, Joncarmen
Vashio Mergenthaler, Robert Andrew
Merk, Chloe Anne Moffett, Litani
W. Moimoi, Matthew Mojica, Megan
Daphne Mongird, James Hutchins
Moragne, Nancy Elizabeth Morales,
Emmanuel Moreno, Madeline Morey,
Rachel Jean Leiani Morris, Mateen
Mortazavi, Matthew Scott Mosher,
Ana Karen Mota, Roarke Murdock,
Robin B. Murphy, Nicole A. Myoraku
N - O: Mitchell Nahmias, Reenal
Narayan, Arjun T.S. Narsinghia,
Emma Neville, Matthew Meyer Nixon,
Stedman O’Brian Tigner, Kimberly
Annette O’Donnell, Pedro Garcia
Ochoa, Robert Olvera, Marcos
Orejel, Josselyn Orellana, Gregory
Oremland, Elizabeth Olmstead
Osborn, Zahra Survi Osorio
P: Zachariah Pahulu, Karen
Palafox, Cesar Paramo Garica,
Ashley Kathleen Parish, Floriane
Parmentier, Maria E. Patino Corona,
James Hamilton Peck, Giancarlo
Perez, Danika Maia Perman, John
Maclean Peters, Erin S. Peterson,
Victoria Phan, Isaiah Phillips,
Flora Jr. Maria-i-Makulata Piponi,
Timothy Kleczewski Ploeger,
Alexandre Nicolas Popp, Joseph
Prado, Jessica Radhika Prasad
R: Raymond Joseph Rael, Sheraj
Ragoobeer, Dara Rahimzadeh, Evelia
Ramirez, Sally Frances Ramirez,
Brizeida Carolina Ramos Torres,
Janne Rapakko, Austin Donald
Raub, Jonathan Rendon, Patricia
Reyna, Michelle Marguerite Rich,
Jenna Rieben, Julia Rose Robinson,
Sean Spencer Robinson, Adilia
Rodriguez, Julia Veronica Rodriguez,
Karen Rodriguez, Lisette Rodriguez,
Michael Angelo Rodriguez, Yulyana
Rodriguez, Ana Iris Rubio, Marlies
Cornelia Tomayo Ruck, Marbin Ruiz
S: Vanessa Sagrero, Nicholas
James Salem, Freddy Salto, Alida
Benjamin Santos, Aaron B Sarfaty,
Jon Schectman, Caitlin Borg
Schlisserman, Alyssa Marie Schooler,
Jennifer Sepulveda, Emma Sharer,
Tatiana A. Sheikhrezai, Erica
Marie Shepard, Katharine Burns
Sherwin, Susana Siordia, Alison
Margo Smaalders, Lauren Renee
Smith, William Roland Smith, Scott
Christopher Somersett, Christopher
Sorenson, Benjamin Sorlie, Kendall
R. Stacey, Michael Stanzler, Antony
Staples, Scott Gregory Sterling,
Michael Stosz, Michael Tadich Suhr,
Scott Michael Superko, Ross Jackson
Sylvester
T: Shelia Malek Tabrizi, AnuAnu
Tameifuna, Ericka Tapia , Kendra
Thomas, Marcus Alan Thompson,
Tate Thurston, Veronica Torres,
Christhyan Jazmin Tovar, Laura
Tovar, Emma Frances TownsendMerino, Jake Benjamin Hall Toy
U - V: Juan U. Vaca, Raymond
Maurice Vainikolo, Samuela Tuitupou
Vakameilalo Jr., Jose Antonio
Valencia Lopez, Mayra Valencia,
Sarah Vallarino, Bernard N.
Vallerga, Erika Valverde, Francisco
Vargas, Miriam A. Vargas, Angelo
Roberto Vargas Reyes, Stephanie
Velazquez, Ashley Vella, Pieter
VerHaar, Beatrice Von Guggenberg,
Kasey McGovern Vosburg, Marc
Richard Vujovich
W - Z:
Marika Walter, Alexandra
Warner, Zoen C. Warran, Carson
Y. Weiss, Scott Charles Wertz,
Zoe West, Luisa Westley, Madeline
Elizabeth Wheeler, Jamal Wilkins,
Ce mone Williams, Danyell WilliamBuford , Drew Waymon Richard
Winn, Andrew T. Winters, Erik A.
Wolters, Matthew Wong, Ji Xia, Eric
Yen, Kristin Ann Youngberg, Tyler
Wayne Zammit, Jazmin Zamora
D - H: Colin Reid Dennis, Mark
Dreschke, David Eastman, Gabriel
Erdozaincy, Brett Ernst, Oscar
Escobedo, Sydney Fergason, Perla
Flores, Austin Fosnes, Evan Geller,
Brian Gluss, Raul Gonzalez, Kevin
Hernandez, Brian Hodgins, Lindsey
Hom, Susan Hood, Christopher
Huang, Alex Hussinger
I - M: Pamela Imperiale-Hagerman,
Charles Kenny, William Kielty,
Amelia Klear, Justin Kou, Molly
Landeen, Philip Lehrer, Benjamin
Levin, Martina Lo, Nicholas Lo,
Luis Madrigal, Morgan Maich, Jade
Maniscalco, Manuel Martinez, Edwin
Mercado, Maxwell Mical, Alexandra
Marie Miller, Benjamin Milman,
Danielle Moneypenny, Jonathan
Ward Mules
N - S: George Nery, Laura Ogle,
Jannet Orozco, Emma PelegriO’Day, Tatiana Perez, Luis Posada,
Cameron Potratz, Natalie ReidLopez, Christian Rodriguez, Kinneret
Rogers, Nicolas Romano, Alexander
Rubino, Kaya Saldajeno, Jesus
Sanchez, Tyler Schoening, Allison
Sheridan, Margaret Shimer-John,
Zachary Shpizner
T - Z: Blaine Talberth, Michael
Tang, Jonathan Thomas, Elizabeth
Upton, Michael Urban, Geraldin
Valdez, Melissa Valdivias, Harrison
Vale, Daniel Valencia, Corey James
Vixie, Anandini Wadera, Kevin
Waylonis, Samuel Weber, Victoria
Weber, Dean Wenstrand, Callan
West, Blair Williams, Spencer
Wittmeyer, Adam Wohlsen, Tyler
Wood, Vitaly Zaytsev, Jimmy Zuniga,
Adam Zwicker
June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 13
PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN’S EYES
The Vision Council of America reports that
nearly half of American parents do not regularly
provide their children with sunglasses that
protect their eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV)
rays. Consequently, they could be setting up
their children for potential vision problems later
in life, such as sunburned corneas, cancer of the
eyelid, cataracts, and macular degeneration.
Children’s eyes are more susceptible because
their lenses do not block as much UV as adult
lenses do. Children also tend to spend more time
outdoors than adults, and most UV eye damage
is due to cumulative exposure. If parents go to
great lengths to protect their children’s skin
from the sun’s damaging rays, they should
afford their eyes the same protection.
The sun can damage your eyes just like it can
damage your skin. Children need sunglasses
with UV ray protection because they spend
more time outdoors than adults and are
particularly susceptible to eye diseases from
UV radiation. At MENLO OPTICAL, we offer a
wide selection of sunglasses with 100 percent
UV ray protection. Call us at 322-2900, or visit
us at 1166 University Drive, on the corner of
Oak Grove Avenue and University Drive.
P.S. Both UVA and UVB can contribute to
cataracts, which affect more than half of all
Americans by age 80.
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.
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
BID PROPOSALS SOUGHT FOR
SAN FRANCISQUITO CREEK
BONDE WEIR FISH PASSAGE IMPROVEMENT
The City of Menlo Park invites qualified contractors to
submit sealed bid proposals for the construction of the
City’s SAN FRANCISQUITO CREEK BONDE WEIR FISH
PASSAGE IMPROVEMENT project. Work required as part
of this project consists of, in general, installation of adult
and juvenile fish passages over an existing weir structure,
regrading, and replanting of the creek banks in the affected
areas. Performance of this work requires a valid California
Contractor’s License Class A. Project documents and
copies of the prevailing rate of wages can be obtained
from the Menlo Park Engineering Division, located in the
Administrative Building at 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park,
CA, 94025. Sealed bid proposals will be received at the
Engineering Division office until 2 p.m. on TUESDAY, July 1,
2008, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
Published in THE ALMANAC on June 11, 18, 25, 2008.
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Bid Proposals Sought for
STREET RESURFACING PROJECT
2007-08
The City of Menlo Park invites qualified contractors to
submit sealed bid proposals for the construction of the City’s
OAK AVENUE TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECT BETWEEN OAK
KNOLL LANE AND SAND HILL ROAD. Work required as
part of this project consists of, in general, installation of new
asphalt concrete speed tables, pavement marking, tyregrip
crosswalk material, and concrete handicap ramp, all as shown
on the plans and described in the specifications. Performance
of this work requires a valid California Contractor’s License
Class A or Class C-12. Project documents and copies of the
prevailing rate of wages can be obtained from the Menlo Park
Engineering Division, located in the Administration Building at
701 Laurel St. Sealed bid proposals will be received at the
Engineering Division office until 2 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, June
25, 2008, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
Additional information can be obtained from the City’s website:
www.menlopark.org/cip
Published in THE ALMANAC on June 11, 18, 2008.
14 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
C
L A S S
O F
2 0 0 8
WOODSIDE HIGH
continued from page 13
Alvarado, Edgar Gabriel Arias,
Favian Arredondo, Umberto Arroyo,
Nicole M. Artale, Edgar Joel Arteaga,
Nancy Arzate, Michelle Catherine
Aubert
B: Elvira Isabel Baizabal, Shelby
Danielle Baldini, Terrance Hermel
Baldwin II, Courtney Marie Ballagh,
Paul Barbosa, Rafael S. Barragan,
Mayra Alejandra Barriga, Gustavo
Barron, Scott D. Barrow, Anja
Elizabeth Becker, Shane Beecher,
Alicia Stacey Beekman, Michael Bell,
Harry Benson, Jessica Ann Bernal,
Gabriel Aaron Beyrouti, John R.
Biche, Jennifer Elise Black, Monica
Lauren Boardman, Judith A. Bohl,
Agustin Bonilla, John Michael Bordy,
Jessie Julian Burgueno
C: Lucero Maria Calleja, Alexander
James Camacho, Betsabe Camarena,
Jose Fernando Campos, Kiara
L. Cano, Orlando Cardona, Jr.,
Ryan Carey, Courtney Elizabeth
Carlomagno, Jessica Pilar Caruzo,
Alexandra Whitney Cassandro, Irvin
Alexander Castillo, Karina Celaya,
Abel Chavez, Jerry Chen, Emma K.
Clizbe, Tyler S. Clizbe, Julia Louise
Cohn, Rochelle Monique Conley,
Daniel Colin Constantz, Zaira Yael
Contreras, Carlos A. Corea, David
Brian Cornell, Lluvia S. Coronel,
Melissa Nicole Costello, Joseph Mansell
Cronin, Melissa Cruz, Guillermo
A. Cuellar, Briana Monique Pintor
Cuevas, Miguel Angel Cuevas, Elyssa
Cumming, Ricardo Curincita
D: Michael A. Dallara, Robert
Lee Davinroy, Stephanie Elizabeth
Davos, Christopher R. De Sousa,
Jaspreet Dehar, Katrina Yukiko
Dene, Cameron J. DeOliviera, Melissa
Varela Diaz, Yiana Nicole Dimmitt,
Zachary Thomas Dolezal, Brienna
Lynn Drennen
E - F: Nicole Angeline Edelman,
Kyle R. Elliot, Samuel Erazo, Antonio
Espinoza, Vince Mikhael Castro
Estacio, Christopher Charles Eyre,
Joseph Austin Falore, Curtis William
Fay, Marco M. Ferrieri, Megan
Kathleen Fisher, Michael James
Fisher, Sean Patrick Fisher, Rebecca
Olivia Flores, Alissa Nina Fraone,
Andrew James Freeman, Morgan
Lorene Freeman, Olivia June Sara
Frischer, Derrick Myles Funes
G: Casey Joseph Gallagher, Paul
C. Gammer, Aldo Gabriel Garcia,
Angelica Isabel Garcia, Carolina
Garcia, Nancy G. Garcia, Andriana
Heather Gasparini, Lisa Marie
Gellerman, Justin Aaron Gilmore,
Jenine Karisa Giusto, Dean McCoy
Goble, Ana Karen Gomez, John Joseph
Gonzalez, Jonathan Granados, Ethan
Gregory Greene, Noelle A. Guess,
Tatiana Lucero Guillen, Alma Daisy
Gutierrez, Priscila Guzman
H: Gregory Stephen Hahn, Trevor
Hanson, David Harland, Jordan
Robert Harris, Jose R. Haya, Shakara
B. Haynes, Kevin C. Heard, David G.
Herb, Denisse Herrera, Ryan James
Heywood, Kristen Marie Hipsher,
Debben Michele Hoffer, Faviola Huerta
I - K: Noreen Alicia Ioapo, Lizet A.
Jeronimo, Delilah Nicole Jimenez,
Jesse R. Jimenez, Bernadete Gayle
Johansson, Cierra Johnson, Sean
Michael Johnson, Jamice Maxine
Jordan, Alicia Violeta Juarez Crow,
Photo by Veronica Weber/The Almanac
M-A student Austin Raub, on his way to collect his diploma, carefully
adjusts his mortarboard with its elaborate Lego scene.
Radhika K. Kaushal, Patrick Steven
Kelley, Riley Ann Kelley, Daniel
D. Kit, Kealani Mizue Kitaura,
Alexandra Michelle Kolb, Ashley
Nicole Kravitz, Stephanie Rene
Krebsbach, Samell Kumar
L: Anthony Michael Lahlouh, Emily
Sara Lakritz, Jonathan Tyler Lam,
Katie Melanie Lam, Danielle Kathryn
Lane, Amelia Lillian LaTorre, Yasmin
Ledezma, Jennifer Lee, Shannon
Alexandra Levante, Tracy Elizabeth
Levante, Claire Lindeman, Jenna
Marie Lindley, Andrew C. Lopez,
Briceyda Yadira Lopez, Jairo Lopez,
Leonardo Lopez, Sophia Alexandra
Lopez, William H. Lopez, Robert
Louis Losey, Kenia Yazmin Loza
M: Jamie C. Maciel, Magdalena
Maldonado, Blake A. Manders,
Tucker Harry Marshall, Alejandra
Maria Martinez, Betsy Martinez,
Vanessa M. Martinez, Matthew Paul
Matteucci, Dana Nicole Matthews,
Allison Elizabeth McElwee, Joshua
T. McGuirk, Daniel J. McKenna,
Karla Medina, Sean James Medina,
Johnny Mejia, Bianca Stephanie
Mendoza, Enrique Mendoza, Julio
Cesar Mendoza, Sofia Mendoza,
Yuriana A. Mendoza, Stephanie
Merlo, Aimee Augusta Mesenburg,
Jamie Mae Mesenburg, Zachary Allan
Micheletti, Helen Elizabeth Milne,
Janet Miranda, Jeffrey William Mize,
Claudia Michelle Montanez, Ruth
Montero Cruz, Erik Montoya, Luis
Fernando Mora, Baryuth E. Moran,
Michelle Ann Moreno, Edgar E.
Murillo, Stacey Jean Myers
N - O: Meghan Nicole Naaf,
Kalolaine Telila Sina Naufahu,
Ashley Nicole Nelson, Gregory James
Kojiro Nelson, Kelly A. Nelson, Lyly
Thuy Nguyen, Tevis Warren Nichols,
Diego Solorio Ochoa, Alexis Olguin,
Jesus Olivares, Kristina Marie Olsen,
Melanie Yayoi Ono, Jose Ernesto
Orellana, Kristian Nichole Ortiz,
Christian J. Oseguera, Irma Oseguera
P - Q: Kaory Pacheco, Jaime M.
Parker-Campbell, Heidi Anne Parodi,
Kristina A. Pataki, Colin Patrick
Patino, Taylor Kenji Patrick, Justin
William Paxton, Michael J. Pedersen,
Janet Peña, Martin Peña, Jose Carlos
Pereda, Carlos Julian Perez, Carissa
M. Perla, Dayton Elizabeth Pickering,
Jennifer Ruth Pilakowski, Mario
Pineda, Sandibel Piñon, Ricardo
Alfredo Pixcar, Steven C. Purcell,
Ryan Michael Quirk
R: Emily T. Rago, Megan Rose
Ramies, Randolph Paul Rhodes,
II, Miriah T. Rios, Denisse Rivas,
Elaine Rivera, Elizabeth Giselle
Robles, Rebecca Cecilia Robles,
Jessica Rocha, Enrique Rodriguez,
Eduardo Rodriguez, Jr., Mary Ann
Rojas, Marcus Johnson Rooney,
Estefany Andreina Rosales Vela,
Katherine Raquel Rosas, Erica Marie
Roselli, Paolo Neil Rozo, Stephanie
Juliet Ruane
S: Jesus Salas, Miguel Sanchez, Diana
de la Luz Santiago, Kelsey Santos,
Jessica Andrea Schulman, Michael
Philip Scroggins, Mario R. Segura,
Irma A. Serrano, Abigail Leann
Sevudredre, Gabriella Rose Shamuel,
Aaron Charles Shepard, Katherine
Shoomiloff, Dana Scott Shroyer, Erich
Lowe Smith, William Smith, Amanda
Joy Smithson, Rosa Elena Solorzano,
Marcos M. Soria, Renee Marie Stanley,
Holley Tasha Stuart, Meghan Marie
Styles, Guillermo Suarez, William
Harry Swenson
T: Daissy Tabares, Miguel Tapia,
Uriel Tapia, Priscilla Seauti
Taufoou, Martin Davis Taylor, Kate
Marita Taylor-Keeling, Monetta
Oniese Thompson, Anthony Dashon
Thornton, Spencer L. Thurlow, Nicole
S. Tomita, Amanda Lizette Torres,
Lorena Torres, Edgar T. Trujillo,
Jeffrey J. Turner
U - Z: Kayla Ann Ulrich, Vincent
Van Vlasselaer, David Vargas, Isamar
Anais Vasquez-Naranjo, Daisy J.
Vazquez, Joanna Ezel Vazquez,
Melissa Vazquez, Angel G. Vela,
Jeremy Ryan Venable, Christopher
Venegas, Albert Vi, Erick Viera,
Teresa Villalobos, Carlos Alfonso
Villegas, Kurtis J. Waldschmidt,
Quinn Alexandra Washburn, Violet
Aleta Watt, Rebecca June Wells,
Lloyd Grant Whitcraft, Joshua
Darrell White, Corey Steele Williams,
Alexandra Elizabeth Wise, Emily
Katherine Wohlford, Dariya A.
Wright, Kristen Louise Wright, Oscar
I. Yniguez, Ronald Yu, Denis Yugov,
Mayra Georgina Zamora, Rawan
Zantout, Erik Zarazua, Jason G.
Zaru, Frederik Zavala Lombera,
Andrea L. Zepeda
›
Eighth-grade grads
spotlighted in future
issues of the Almanac
S C H O O L S
Low Cost Divorce/Living Trust
New principal
named for
Corte Madera
Jensen
Hauser
DOCUMENT PREPARATION SERVICE
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CUSTOM UPHOLSTERING
Swiss Craftsmanship Since 1950
98 5th Ave. • (650) 365-5027 • Redwood City
By Marjorie Mader
Almanac Staff Writer
T
he search for a new principal of Portola Valley’s
Corte Madera School
ended with the June 4 appointment of Carol Piraino, principal
for nine years of Palo Alto’s Walter Hayes School, a K-5 school.
She will succeed Principal Joel
Willen, who is retiring June 30
after four years at the helm of Portola Valley’s middle school and a
42-year career in education.
Her appointment was approved
by a 4-0 vote, with Trustee Don
Collat abstaining during the
special June 4 board meeting.
The new principal’s annual
compensation, including salary
and benefits, is $160,000. She
begins her new job on July 1.
Ms. Piraino told the Walter
Hayes faculty of her decision to
leave the school last Wednesday
before going on to a Giants game
with the school’s fifth-graders.
While at Walter Hayes, Ms.
Piraino established a school-wide
character education/social-emotional learning program called
“Hayes’ Way,” said Ms. Campbell.
Ms. Piraino also partnered with
Denise Clark Pope, lecturer at
the Stanford University School of
Education, to create an elementary school model for Stanford’s
SOS: Stressed Out Students Project, geared to students in high and
middle schools.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Piraino taught in the Ravenswood
City Elementary School District.
One of her main responsibilities
as vice principal at Cesar Chavez
Academy from 1995 to 1999 was
to create a middle school within
the K-8 school.
Ms. Piraino is well-versed in
the educational needs of students from a wide variety of ages
and backgrounds, the superintendent said, and has played a
leadership role in the Palo Alto
district in both language arts
and the math network.
Ms. Piraino graduated from
the University of Colorado,
Boulder, and majored in psychology. She earned a multiple
subject credential at California
State University at Dominquez
Hills in Southern California and
a master’s degree in administration at San Jose State University.
Currently, she is working on a
doctoral degree, specializing
in educational leadership and
change, at Fielding Graduate
University in Santa Barbara.
A Palo Alto resident, Ms.
Piraino spent the Sunday before
her final interview bicycling
through Portola Valley.
A
Kyle & Koko
We The People®
650-324-3800
We the People is a registered trademark. Stores are owned/operated by franchisees who are not
lawyers, cannot represent customers; select legal forms, or give advice on rights or laws. Services are
provided at customers’ request and are not a substitute for advice of a lawyer. Prices do not include court costs.
“We gutted our kitchen and put it in Dan’s capable hands!
What a gorgeous showpiece we now have! Dan was able
to utilize our space; he showed us a better flow than the
old we previously had and Dan had innovative ideas that
make us love our “Architectural Digest” quality kitchen.
Our cabinets are beautifully made and everyone who sees
our kitchen is in awe at the transformation. It pays to use a
professional – and Dan is the consummate professional.”
When A Little Help is
All You Need
• Peace of Mind
• Dignity
• Independence
Cherie Colon
Ready to be One of Our
Next Happy Clients?
Call Us Today!
650.325.2060
www.DanenbergDesigns.com
1155 Crane Street, Menlo Park
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Nutritious Meals
Light Housekeeping
Transportation & Errands
Companionship
Medication Reminders
Hourly & 24-Hour Care
Bonded and Insured
Child Care / Nanny Services also available
Homewatch CareGivers
408 395-4676
www.homewatchcaregivers.com
w
1340 S. De Anza Boulevard, San Jose, CA 95129
MENLO PARK FIRE
PROTECTION DISTRICT
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTING THE
BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008/2009
Waterbabies
Parent-Child Swim Classes
For children 3-30 months of age
9:30 & 11:00 AM Monday through Friday
9:30, 10:00 & 10:30 AM Saturdays
Warm clean pool
Jim Gorman Swim School
854-6699
Extension 100
NOTICE IS GIVEN pursuant to California Health and Safety
Code §13893 as follows:
1. The District Board of Menlo Park Fire Protection District
Proposed Budget for Fiscal year 2008-2009. Copies of the
Proposed Budget are available for examination by interested
persons during regular business hours at the District’s Office, 300
Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California.
2. The District Board will conduct a public hearing at the regularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday June 17, 2008 beginning at 7:00 PM in the classroom at Station One, 300 Middlefield
Road, Menlo Park, California to consider adoption of the fiscal
year 2008-2009 budget. The purpose of the Public Hearing will
be to hear any person regarding any item in the budget or regarding the adoption of other items.
3. The public hearing conducted on Tuesday June 17, 2008
may be continued from time to time at the discretion of the District
Board.
Published in THE ALMANAC on June 11, 2008.
June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 15
The Portola Valley Schools Foundation wishes to thank these Realtors for
their generous support of the Portola Valley Schools through
the course of the 2007-2008 School Year.
$1000 and Higher – Honor Roll
Dean Asborno
Alain Pinel
Celeste Henzel
Coldwell Banker
Ginny Kavanaugh
Coldwell Banker
Joe Kavanaugh
Coldwell Banker
Lisa Keith
Red Hawk Real Estate
Paul Skrabo
Cashin Company
$500 - $999 - Contributor
Steven Lessard
Coldwell Banker
Jim McCahon
Coldwell Banker
Eloise Pollock
Coldwell Banker
$200-$499 – Patron
Scott Barnum
Coldwell Banker
Sue Crawford
Coldwell Banker
John Bartlett
Coldwell Banker
Janis Grube
Coldwell Banker
Lovinda Beal
Coldwell Banker
Enayat Boroumand
Coldwell Banker
Maureen Hamner
Coldwell Banker
Judy Byrnes
Coldwell Banker
Jean & Chris Isaacson
Coldwell Banker
Hugh Cornish
Coldwell Banker
Molly Westrate
Coldwell Banker
UNDERWRITTEN BY:
BILL LEWIS
MARY GEBHARDT
CASHIN COMPANY
DAVE HOBSON
WENDY MCPHERSON
ALAIN PINEL REALTORS
ALAIN PINEL REALTORS
1550 El Camino Real
Menlo Park
650.462.1111
3130 Alpine Road
Ladera Shopping Center
Portola Valley
650.529.2900
COLDWELL BANKER
930 Santa Cruz Ave.
Menlo Park
650.323.7751
COLDWELL BANKER
800 El Camino Real
Menlo Park
650.324.4456
167 So. San Antonio Rd.
Los Altos
650.941.1111
16 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
F O R
T H E
■ OB I T UA R I E S
Joan Bruce
Gifted teacher, world traveler
Memorial services will be held
Friday, June 20, for Joan Bruce,
a gifted teacher who devoted her
40-year career to thousands of
students in the Palo Alto Unified
District and overseas. Ms. Bruce
died June 3 at Stanford University
Hospital after a short illness.
Ms. Bruce moved to The
Sequoias, the Portola Valley
retirement community, after
retiring in 1993.
Services are scheduled for
11 a.m. in Christ Episcopal
Church, 815 Portola Road in
Portola Valley.
Ms. Bruce, who received two
Fulbright exchanges, taught in
a Maori school in New Zealand,
a nursery school in England,
and an Indian reservation in
Arizona. During her career in
the Palo Alto district, she taught
at Ross Road, Walter Hays and
Escondido elementary schools.
She was a mentor to many
students at San Francisco State
University, and also shared her
expertise with colleagues and
younger teachers.
Ms. Bruce helped her students take responsibility for
their own learning and to work
together collaboratively with
others, expanding their interests, according to parents of her
former students.
During summers, Ms. Bruce
as a young woman traveled to
almost every country in the
world including Indonesia, New
Zealand and African countries.
She enjoyed hiking on the
Peninsula, in the Sierra, and in
Washington and Switzerland.
R E C O R D
Ms. Bruce was born Oct. 22,
1928, in Long Beach. She graduated from Occidental College
in 1951 and received a master’s
degree in education from Stanford University in 1965.
Memorial gifts may be sent to
the Trust for Hidden Villa, Joan
Bruce Fund, at Hidden Villa,
26870 Moody Road, Los Altos
Hills, CA 94022.
Patricia Roberts
Founder of the Roberts School
Patricia Wingate Roberts, founder of the Roberts School, a small
preschool and kindergarten in the
Willows neighborhood of Menlo
Park, died at her home in San
Mateo on May 15. She was 89.
In 2001 Ms. Roberts passed
management of the school to
her daughter, Brenda Roberts,
and Elisa Barrett, director for
the previous seven years.
Ms. Roberts was born in Chesterfield, South Carolina. She
earned a bachelor of arts degree
from Lander College in South
Caroline. She married Howard
N. Roberts in 1938.
After her husband died in 1970
and her children were grown,
Ms. Roberts pursued her life-long
dream of opening her own school,
say family members. At age 57,
with a degree in early childhood
development from Canada College, she launched and directed
the Roberts School.
Ms. Roberts is survived by her
daughters, Brenda Roberts and
Sandra Carr, and two grandchildren.
Services for Ms. Roberts were
held May 19 at San Mateo’s
Hope Lutheran Church, followed by a graveside service at
Skylawn Memorial Cemetery.
Expect
more
of us.
Maurice and Pedro are on a team creating a
magnificent robotic waterwheel. It’s a
science project at the Boys & Girls Clubs of
the Peninsula, just one of many fun
enterprises originating from after-school
study and play at the club. Young hands
and minds are guided by staff and volunteers
like Maria Centeno, 16. With club support
Maria overcame huge obstacles in her
own childhood. Now she’s helping other
kids beat the Opportunity Gap that defeats
so many in low-income areas.
Maurice and Pedro? Expect from them
the skills and wills needed to keep Silicon
Valley a wellspring of American progress.
Help us close the gap.
Call 650-646-6128 or visit:
www.bgcp.org.
AA cornucopia
T ASTEofOF
THE P ENINSULA
restaurants and cafes providing
the finest dining from brunch to dessert.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Celia’s Mexican Restaurant
3740 El Camino, Palo Alto (650) 843-0643
1850 El Camino, Menlo Park (650) 321-8227
www.celiasrestaurants.com
Full Bar - Happy Hour Specials; Catering
Vive Sol-Cocina Mexicana
2020 W. El Camino Real, Mtn. View
(650) 938-2020.
Specializing in the Cuisine of Puebla.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Coffee & Tea
Connoisseur Coffee Co.
2801 Middlefield Road, Redwood City
(650) 369-5250 9am-5:30pm Mon. - Sat.
Coffee roasting & fine teas,
espresso bar, retail & wholesale.
Visit! Donate! Volunteer!
This message made possible by Carney Global Ventures
To Advertise in “A Taste of the Peninsula” call The Almanac 650-854-2626.
June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 17
C O M M U N I T Y
Concours d’Elegance slated for June 22
The 42nd annual Palo Alto
Concours d’Elegance will be held
Sunday, June 22, 7 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., at the Stanford University
Sand Hill Athletic Field.
The Concours is sponsored by
the Palo Alto Host Lions Club,
with proceeds going to local
charities and nonprofits, includ-
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Hospital.
Corvettes and Alfa Romeos will
be featured, along with vintage
classic cars, including an AuburnCord-Duesenberg Meet. The 350
cars on the field will include a display of historic race cars, vintage
trailers and fiberglass cars of the
1950s. There will also be a display
of extra-low emission automobiles sponsored by the California
Air Resources Board.
Among local residents showing cars are Joan Peterson of
Menlo Park, who will display
a 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia, Phil
and Cindy White of Atherton
with a 1954 Chevrolet Corvette,
and Larry and Jane Solomon
with a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300
SL Gullwing Coupe.
Car collector Martin Swig will
give a “walk through the classics”
in one segment of the Concours,
during which he will comment on
different cars on display.
Admission is $25. Children 12
and under are admitted free. The
athletic field is located at the corner of Sand Hill Road and Pasteur
Drive on the Stanford University
campus. For more information,
go to www.paconcours.com.
Appraisal Fair June 18
In its own version of “Antique
Roadshow,” Peninsula Volunteers
Imagine the world’s most advanced
robotic surgical device in the hands
of Dr. Dieter Bruno.
Few top surgeons are as familiar with the da Vinci© Surgical System as Dr. Bruno.
This is welcome news for anyone with prostate cancer. Because da Vinci represents
the new “gold standard,” enhancing both the recovery experience as well as the
clinical outcome.
Sequoia Hospital couldn’t be more proud to announce this new technology and our
association with a renowned physician like Dr. Bruno. His philosophy is consistent
with ours as a leading community hospital. “My motivation to help patients is that I
see something in each one of them that reminds me of my own family - we are all
interconnected.” Learn more about the new da Vinci© Surgical System and Sequoia
Hospital by calling us at 650-482-6000. Give yourself or a loved one the very best
care possible.
The da Vinci© Surgical System is being graciously funded
by the Sequoia Hospital Foundation.
Dieter Bruno, M.D.
Urologist
www.SequoiaHospital.org
18 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
■ A RO U ND TOW N
is presenting its first Appraisal Fair
from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, at Little House, 800
Middle Ave. in Menlo Park.
Visitors may bring decorative
arts, Asian arts, paintings, books,
silver and jewelry. As to furniture, don’t bring the writing desk
you inherited from Aunt Millie,
just a photo and one drawer.
Bonhams & Butterfields of San
Francisco will make the appraisals
at $10 each, or three items for $25.
Box lunches will be available for
purchase. Proceeds from the event
will benefit Peninsula Volunteers
programs. For more information,
call 326-0665, ext. 238.
Steve Poizner dinner
The South Peninsula Area
Republican Coalition and Palo
Alto Republican Women Federated invite the public to an
evening with Steve Poizner,
California insurance commissioner, on Thursday, June 19, at
Ming’s, 1700 Embarcadero Road
in Palo Alto.
A 5:30 p.m. social hour and
registration will be followed by a
6 p.m. program and dinner at 7.
Cost is $30 for members and $35
for others. Thursday, June 12, is
the deadline for registration. For
reservations, call 917-9125.
A
C O M M U N I T Y
Nativity carnival kicks off
summer season this weekend
By Jane Knoerle
Almanac Lifestyles Editor
I
t’s a sure sign summer is
on its way. Thousands of
visitors are expected in Menlo
Park for the 28th Nativity carnival to be held Friday through
Sunday, June 13, 14 and 15, on
the Nativity school grounds
at the corner of Oak Grove
Avenue and Laurel Street.
The event will feature 12
carnival rides, from “thrills
and chills” for the adventurous to the merry-go-round
for the younger set. There will
also be multiple game booths
and a Saturday night casino.
Dinners featuring tri-tip,
rotisserie chicken and pasta
will be served all three days.
There will be a Father’s Day
brunch from 8 to 11 a.m.
Sunday, featuring mimosas,
orange juice, pancakes and
sausage.
Parish volunteer Patrick
O’Hare says there will also
be a tiki bar “serving the best
margaritas in town.”
Along with the dinners and
pancake breakfast, visitors
can snack on hot dogs on a
stick, nachos, popcorn, cotton
candy, French fries, shaved
ice, lemonade and a variety of
other beverages.
Music will be performed by
a series of bands. The Cocktail
Monkeys open festivities from
6 to 10 p.m. Friday night with
danceable music. Jimmy Legs,
Mike Giramonte, and D-5
will entertain on Saturday.
The Mt. Carmel Dads Band,
folksinger Judy Bayse, and
the Nativity Dadz will play
Sunday afternoon.
The winner of a raffle, with
a grand prize of a 2008 Prius
or $10,000 in cash, will be
announced on Sunday afternoon.
John Conway, original
chairman and co-founder of
the carnival in 1981, is back at
the helm this year serving as
Nativity carnival chairman
for the 19th year.
During the past 28 years, the
carnival has raised more than
$2.5 million for parish projects. For more information, go
to nativitycarnival.org.
TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
765 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028
PLANNING COMMISSION RECRUITMENT
The Town Council is seeking an individual to serve on the Town's Planning Commission to
complete the term of a Planning Commissioner stepping down the end of July 2008. This
will be a three-month position. The term will expire in December 2008 and will be available
for a 4-year term in January 2009. The Town Council will hold interviews tentatively scheduled for September 10, 2008.
The objectives of the Commission are to continually advise the Town Council regarding
the comprehensive planning of the Town and to administer the planning regulations. The
duties and functions include review of the General Plan for development within the Town,
recommend ordinance and resolutions to the Council as necessary to implement the General Plan, supervise the land use within the Town by conducting necessary public hearings
and acting upon applications for: zoning amendments, conditional use permits, variances,
subdivisions, site development permits and building permits.
The Planning Commission consists of 5 members appointed by the Town Council. The
Commission meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month.
If you are interested in serving on the Planning Commission, please submit a letter of interest to the Town Council by Friday, August 29, 2008.
Published in THE ALMANAC on June 11, 18, 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, August 6, 13, 20, 2008.
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June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 19
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Best Auto Repair Shop
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Best Italian Restaurant
Best Japanese Restaurant
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F O R
T H E
R E C O R D
■ PO L I C E C A LLS
This information is from the Atherton and
Menlo Park police departments and the
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Under
the law, people charged with offenses are
considered innocent until convicted.
ATHERTON
Fraud reports:
■ Unauthorized account in victim’s name
opened in Georgia, first block of Shearer
Drive, May 25.
■ Resident told police she won contest and
needed to send money to address in Florida,
first block of Mount Vernon Lane, June 1.
Grand theft report: Two computers and
TV stolen from library, Selby Lane School
at 170 Selby Lane, May 22.
Arson report: Phone books burned in
roadway, first block of Lilac Drive, May 27.
Animal report: Person attacked by same
dog for third time, first block of Fletcher
Drive, May 31.
Residential burglary report: Unauthorized entry of home and guest house, first
block of Tuscaloosa Ave., June 1.
Assault report: Woman and child pushed
off bikes by white male adult jogging by,
intersection of Encinal Ave. and Middlefield Road, June 1.
Stolen vehicle report: White Oldsmobile 88
Royale, 200 block of Atherton Ave., June 4.
MENLO PARK
Residential burglary report: House
broken into, 2300 block of Sharon Oaks
Drive, May 23.
Auto burglary reports:
■ Window smashed and GPS stolen, 400
block of Santa Monica Ave., May 23.
■ Cash of about $100 stolen, 600 block of
Oak Grove Ave., May 26.
■ 200 block of Van Buren, May 28.
■ 1300 block of O’Brien Drive, May 28.
Fraud report:
■ Check fraud, Mi Rancho Supermarket at
812 Willow Road, May 23.
■ Unauthorized use of credit card, Hudson
Shell Station 400 block of El Camino Real,
May 26.
■ Unauthorized credit card charges, 1300
block of Hobart St., May 27.
■ Company check forged, 700 block of
Santa Cruz Ave., May 29.
■ Unauthorized use of credit card, 1000
block of Berkeley Ave., June 3.
Robbery report: Precious gem stones stolen, 1900 block of El Camino Real, June 5.
Assault with deadly weapon reports:
■ Lucrecia Santos, 24, arrested and
booked into jail on charges that include
using shoe as deadly weapon, 600 block
of Pierce Road, May 25.
■ 1300 block of Sevier Ave., June 4.
Stolen vehicle reports:
■ 1988 Ford Mustang, 400 block of Ivy
Drive, June 1.
■ 2000 Ford pickup truck, 1100 block of
Windermere Ave., June 2.
Adult protective services report: 300
block of Ambar Way, June 1.
WOODSIDE
Stolen vehicle report: Vehicle stolen
from Park-n-Ride lot at Woodside Road
and Interstate 280, May 21.
Fraud reports:
■ Resident found unauthorized charge for
$6,600 on credit card for stay at hotel in Australia, 4000 block of Jefferson Ave., May 23.
■ Attempt to make purchases using counterfeit bills, Roberts market at 3015 Woodside Road, June 3.
Theft report: Tools valued at $3,120 stolen from job site,
LADERA
Miscellaneous flavors of ice cream valued
at $225 stolen, 200 block of La Cuesta
Drive, May 25.
Sen. Simitian holding sidewalk
office hours at farmers’ market
Amidst the flowers, fruit and
veggies at the downtown Menlo
Park Farmers’ Market, State Sen.
Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) will
be setting up shop from 10 a.m.
to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 15.
He’s inviting the community to
ask questions, offer comments
about state issues, or just say hi.
“It’s tremendously helpful to
hear firsthand what people are
talking about,” Sen. Simitian
said in a press release.
The farmers’ market is located
in the parking lot between Santa
Cruz and Menlo avenues at
Chestnut Street.
Ex-Atherton cop cops plea
in stolen golf club caper
Former Atherton police officer
Clark Yee has pleaded no contest
to a felony charge of filing a false
police report about stolen golf
clubs he allegedly sold.
Mr. Yee, 29, of Daly City
entered his plea during a San
Mateo County Superior Court
hearing on June 4. His sentence
includes financial restitution
and a 50-day county jail sentence as part of a plea bargain
agreement reached with the San
Mateo County District Attorney’s Office. He also pleaded
no contest to a misdemeanor
burglary charge for entering the
Golf Mart store with the intent
to sell stolen goods.
Mr. Yee allegedly sold 14 golf
clubs to South San Francisco
Golf Mart in exchange for store
credit. The clubs previously had
been reported stolen from a
vehicle at an Atherton residence.
The victim later recognized
his golf clubs for sale at the
store, and reported his discovery to police. Mr. Yee was one
of the Atherton police officers
involved in the investigation.
Mr. Yee claimed he had
unknowingly bought the stolen
clubs from someone named
Omar on Craigslist, but no evidence of such an online transaction was found on his home
computers, said Deputy District
Man who punched teacher
likely headed for prison
Several years in prison are
likely for the man accused of
punching a Woodside High
School teacher last November
after the teacher attempted to
calm him down and discourage
him from yelling obscenities
at passersby near the school’s
baseball field.
Lamarr Edward Timmons, 19,
pleaded “no contest” to felony
assault and inflicting great bodily injury in a plea bargain before
San Mateo County Superior
Court Judge Clifford Cretan on
June 3, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
The plea bargain includes a
maximum sentence of seven
years in prison, Mr. Wagstaffe
said. Sentencing is set for 8:45
a.m. Aug. 1. Mr. Timmons
remains in custody on bail of
$100,000.
His punch knocked out one of
the teacher’s teeth and loosened
another. The teacher, who was
not identified so as to protect his
safety, required about $5,000 in
dental work, including steel pins
Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Mr. Yee resigned from the
Atherton police department
earlier this year, before the
conclusion of a personnel investigation triggered by a citizen
complaint.
Atherton Police Chief Bob Brennan said that Mr. Yee was a police
officer in Palo Alto prior to working in Atherton, and that prior to
the complaint, Mr. Yee had a good
record with the department.
Mr. Yee’s sentence qualifies
him for the sheriff’s work release
program, so it’s likely he will do
community service work rather
than serve time in jail, said Mr.
Wagstaffe.
to stabilize his teeth, according
to a Sheriff’s Office report.
Mr. Timmons punched the
teacher without warning as the
teacher attempted to leave; he
then fled the scene, the report
said. The teacher’s hands were
full with books and a backpack,
so he couldn’t defend himself.
THE ALMANAC
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WOODSIDE COMMUNITY RECREATION PROGRAM
SUMMER SCHEDULE 2008
CLASS
DAY
YOGA FOR EVERYONE
9 Weeks
Bring exercise
9 Weeks - mat and wear
comfortable clothing
9 Weeks
9 Weeks
Mon.
Tues.
Thurs.
Fri.
LOW IMPACT AEROBICS
& JOYFLEX BODY TONING
10 Weeks No class 7/7 & 8/1-8/12
Healthy Back, Cardio,
Inner-Core Strengthening
MUSIC TOGETHER
8 Weeks
Ages 0-4 Years
Creative Classes
For Children
TIME
INSTRUCTOR
LOCATION
FEE
STARTING DATE
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Carla Germano
Independence Hall
Wdse. Village Church Guild Hall
Wdse. Village Church Guild Hall
Independence Hall
$135
$135
$135
$135
June
June
June
June
Mon.
Fri.
7:45 AM - 9:00 AM
7:45 AM - 9:00 AM
Joy Lopez
Independence Hall
Independence Hall
$360
$23 drop in
July 7
July 11
Tues.
Tues.
Tues.
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Sean Mendelson
Wdse. Library
Wdse. Library
Wdse. Library
$145
$145
$145
$45 mat. fee
July
July
July
16
17
19
20
8
8
8
Financial assistance available for children. Visit our Web Site at: www.woodsiderec.com
❃ To
Register or Fax: (650) 851-3534
❃
June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 21
Serving Menlo Park,
Atherton, Portola Valley,
and Woodside for 40 years.
Editor & Publisher
Tom Gibboney
Editorial
Managing Editor Richard Hine
News Editor Renee Batti
Lifestyles Editor Jane Knoerle
Senior Staff Writers
Marion Softky, Marjorie Mader
Staff Writers Andrea Gemmet,
David Boyce, Rory Brown
Contributors Barbara Wood,
Kate Daly, Bill Rayburn, Miles
McMullin, Katie Blankenberg
Special Sections Editors
Carol Blitzer, Sue Dremann
Photographer Veronica Weber
Design & Production
Design Director Raul Perez
Designers Linda Atilano,
Gail Thoreson, Joanne Lee,
Laura Don, Gary Vennarucci
Advertising
Advertising Manager Neal Fine
Display Advertising Sales
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Real Estate Account
Advertising Assistant
Coordinator Nora Cecilia Meléndez
Advertising Services
Receptionists Renee Meil
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& Legal Advertising Bill Rayburn
Published every Wednesday at
3525 Alameda de las Pulgas,
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 854-2626
FAX (650) 854-0677
e-mail news (no photos please) to:
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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
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Voluntary subscriptions are available for delivery
to homes in Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley
and Woodside at $30 per year or $50 for 2 years.
Subscriptions by businesses or residents outside the
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■
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Ideas, thoughts and opinions about
local issues from people in our community. Edited by Tom Gibboney.
Juggling the risk of hillside fires
The communities of Woodside and Portola Valley are talking about
the danger of wildfires, a subject that most residents would like to
forget, especially those who live in an area marked red on a state
map denoting the areas that have vegetation most likely to feed into
a catastrophic wildfire.
But these days it is not possible to brush off the very real fire
danger that threatens homes perched on hillsides amid redwoods,
pine, oak, chaparral and what firefighters call “ladder fuel,” brush
that helps fire take off from the ground and leap into tree canopies.
And awareness of the danger is only heightened by the governor’s
recent declaration that the state is
officially in a drought.
ED ITORI AL
The state fire maps have become
The opinion of The Almanac
a topic of hot discussion in
Portola Valley and Woodside,
which are served by the Woodside Fire Protection District. If a
home’s location is covered by red on a state map, insurance rates
can jump. If the home is demolished for any reason, a new structure
must be built to a much higher, more fire-resistant, standard.
For the Portola Valley Town Council recently, the issue revolved
around what was said to be a “current” state fire map that did not
show any “very high” wildfire risks from vegetation. A different
conclusion was drawn by the town’s own fire-risk consultant, who
concluded that, indeed, several areas of town did rate the “very
high” risk designation. And after a heated discussion April 23,
the council decided not to forward the newer information to the
state. A map showing high risk areas could raise insurance rates for
homes in those areas.
The more dangerous assessment is backed up by the Woodside
fire district, which also believes the danger is much higher in some
locations than indicated by the state map. Fire Marshal Denise Enea
maintains that parts of several neighborhoods, including Woodside
Highlands, Westridge, Alpine Hills and Portola Valley Ranch,
should be labeled very high risk for catastrophic fire, and she has
forwarded her map to the California Department of Forestry and
Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
The discussion of fire maps is very likely to result in all agencies
agreeing that this season — in the midst of a drought and after the
recent destructive fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains — is one of
significantly higher-than-normal fire danger. We believe that likely
conclusion is more than enough reason for the two communities
to get moving now on helping residents build fire resistance in and
around their homes, which is not going to be a popular way to go.
The recent runaway fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains was fueled
by the same mix of vegetation present in many areas of Portola
Valley and Woodside. Wherever possible, residents need to clear
this material away from their homes to create defensible space that
can help firefighters if the neighborhood is under attack by wildfire.
And a campaign must start soon, under the direction of the fire
district, to remove the ladder fuels.
We can understand the hesitancy of the Portola Valley Town
Council to immediately share its consultant’s estimates of higher
fire danger with the state agency whose map may well be used as a
factor in determining insurance rates. But it is already clear that the
council’s strategy backfired, and that state maps will soon begin to
reflect the new, higher danger, fire assessment.
L ETT E RS
Our readers write
Dead oaks near power lines
need to be removed
Editor:
The recent town council
debates about risks associated
with wildland fires appear to
focus intensely on issues of fuel
load and defensible space.
These debates, though wellintended, are missing a critically
important point, which is that
prevention of fires is even more
important than fuel loads and
defensible space. As the recent
Summit fire and last year’s Palo
Alto Foothill’s fire should convincingly demonstrate, there is
no real “fire season” any more
and even fires in relatively “easy
terrain,” like the Palo Alto Foothills, can be difficult or impossible to contain until such time as
weather conditions cooperate.
A new and increasingly dangerous situation exists now:
the large number of oak trees
killed by Sudden Oak Death.
Many of these trees are situated
near overhead power lines and
service drops and when they
fall, they will inevitably hit the
power lines. These trees decay
quickly and as the trunk weak-
22 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
Woodside Library Collection
Our Regional Heritage
Mrs. Henry Bottger and her daughters, Lucy and Edith, at their home at the corner of what is now Kings
Mountain and Greer roads in Woodside in a photograph made in 1868.
ens and eventually fails, the
upper portions are still dry and
extremely flammable. The likely
combination of low humidity,
high offshore winds, and high
temperatures this fall could pres-
ent a “perfect storm” condition,
triggering catastrophic fires in
the foothills — regardless of fuel
load or defensible space.
Local agencies need to pass
emergency ordinances that man-
date the removal within 45 days
of all dead or dying trees that are
close enough to contact power
lines or telephone cables sharing
See LETTERS, next page
V I E W P O I N T
LETTERS
Continued from previous page
poles with power lines. The same
stipulation should apply to trees
on publicly owned rights of way.
Ordinances should also contain
provisions that in the future
diseased trees be removed within
180 days of the leaves turning
brown or are no longer viable.
The responsibility to identify
and notify the owner of the need
to remove a dead tree, even those
not near a power line, should
rest on local police, fire agencies, road maintenance staff, and
building inspection departments
— in short, any public official or
employee who is regularly working along roadways within the
community.
Stanley R. Gage
Old Spanish Trail,
Portola Valley
The hard questions
about high-speed rail
Editor:
I recently rode to Menlo Park
on the train with a Caltrain official and had the opportunity to
ask him a number of questions
about how his agency would cope
if voters approve the high-speed
rail project in November.
I asked him how Caltrain could
co-exist while the high-speed rail
tracks are under construction in
the Caltrain corridor. He replied
that it would be a “challenge,” but
provided no indication as to how
it could be accomplished. I asked
what high-speed rail would do to
property values in Atherton. He
said, “they don’t like us anyway,”
and that’s when he volunteered
that he was the person who made
the decision to drop Atherton
from Caltrain service.
I asked if the high-speed rail
would be built on a tall berm like
the one at Brittan Avenue in San
Carlos, creating the “Great Wall
of California” straight through
the Peninsula. He responded,
“It has to be grade-separated.”
I asked what would happen to
such a train on a high embankment if it came off at 200-plus
miles per hour. His response: “It
won’t go 200 miles per hour.”
This brief interchange left me
with the concern that the real
questions and answers about
high-speed rail have received no
genuine public discussion, and it
left me with the feeling that highspeed rail supporters do not want
this discussion.
It is high time we organized
this discussion so that people
can understand what they will
really be voting for in the fall.
It’s very easy to provide a list of
questions that the high-speed rail
advocates have not addressed or
answered in any way. I’d like to
see the answers.
John Wilson
College Avenue, Menlo Park
Two views of direction for Menlo’s downtown
Vision should support local,
independent businesses
By Clark Kepler
T
his spring the City of
Menlo Park embarked
on a process to develop
a long-term vision and plan
for the El Camino Real and
the downtown areas. I had the
pleasure of serving on the oversight and outreach committee
charged with providing input to
the consultant and staff and to
help engage more community
members.
With the committee’s official
work complete, I attended the
May 19 Planning Commission
workshop where the commission and other community
members reviewed a draft of the
vision plan goals. The workshop
revealed the visioning process
may only be getting started, not
nearing the finish. Many concerned residents who had not
previously participated asked
that the scope of the discussion
be broadened rather than hastily
narrowed to the goals identified
by the consultants.
As a member of the committee, I’ve learned a lot about the
challenges that lay before us as
we have a unique opportunity
to choose the future character
of our town. And, as every
Menlo Park resident knows,
there is dichotomy of opinion
about whether and how to
develop our town.
The discussion revived memories from nearly three years
ago when I closed Kepler’s,
the bookstore my father had
founded a half century earlier,
due to steeply declining sales.
The community united and
almost literally willed us back. I
heard an outpouring of reasons
from hundreds of people as to
why Kepler’s mattered to them.
By far the most common reason centered on Kepler’s being
a locally-owned, independent
bookstore. I heard again and
again, “I didn’t realize that my
shopping at Amazon would put
you out of business. I’ll never do
that again!” I knew that it wasn’t
really going to happen.
Thankfully, however, that’s
not necessary. I knew if the
people who value our presence simply shifted 10 percent
to 20 percent more of their
purchasing to Kepler’s that we
could thrive. Many of Kepler’s
customers had become aware
that they were voting with their
Green ribbon panel wants
walkable, bikeable theme
By Adina Levin
pocketbooks.
As a result of that experience,
everal members of the
two years later I founded the
Menlo Park Green Rib“Hometown Peninsula Indebon Citizens’ Committee
pendent Business Alliance” to attended the May 19 Planning
help the rest of the community Commission review of the draft
tap into that passion and help plan for the El Camino Real
not only Kepler’s, but all our Vision Process. Our framework
independent entrepreneurs. I includes the contention conparticipated in the visioning tained in our November 2007
process in part to speak for Climate Action Report, that the
those local businesses.
community must reduce our
We should recognize that greenhouse gas emissions by at
the community’s support for least 80 percent over the next 40
locally-owned businesses is not years in order to conform with
only because they add “charm scientific and governmental
and character” to Menlo Park recommendations.
— which they do — but also
Transportation sources are
that independents make bet- responsible for nearly 40 perter economic sense. A number cent, or approximately 200,000
of economic impact studies tons per year, of our commuaround the country show that
nity’s emissions. It
locally-owned busiis critical that plans
nesses generate much
for our downtown
greater benefits for the
corridors help reduce
local economy than
these emissions.
do chains and InterThe comnet businesses.
mittee has a vision
This derives from
of a walkable, bikeemploying locals for
able, livable, transitmany higher-skilled
friendly city. It is
and paying positions
a city where many
GUEST
that chains centralresidents live near
OPINION
ize at corporate headwhere they work, or
quarters, donating a
can get to work on
larger portion of sales to local transit. Where people can
groups and events and re-spend- walk or bike for errands, to a
ing profits in the community.
restaurant, or to a class at the
I left the last meeting with a gym. Where kids can walk or
positive sense that the commis- bike safely to school. Where
sion had heard the many con- people who work can easily get
cerns of the public and hopeful here without having to drive. It
that the visioning process might is a place where many residents
be successful in co-creating the and visitors can easily choose
Menlo Park our community not to drive single-occupancy
deserves.
vehicles for many of the necesAnd that we, the residents, of sities and pleasures of life.
Menlo Park are very much a part
This vision dovetails with
of that co-creation. Residents other goals for the city. Many
place a high value on individu- people at the visioning meetality and consider our home- ings spoke of wanting more
grown enterprises as a source of vibrant central areas, with
pride. If we want to preserve and restaurants, cultural activities,
enhance our unique character, and lively, distinctive shops.
we need to get involved, support People spoke of wanting to
our locally owned, independent maintain and increase the
entrepreneurs in word and in community feel of our city.
deed: let the City Council and Lively, human-scaled pedesthe Planning Commission hear trian and bike-friendly busiyour support and shop local. ness and recreation creates
Our one-of-a-kind, indepen- more community feel than
dent businesses are an integral high-speed boulevards. Energy
part of what makes Menlo Park costs are high, and there is a
a great place to live.
very strong case to be made
that energy costs are going to
Clark Kepler operates Kepler’s continue to increase. Making it
Books and Magazines in easier not to drive will help city
downtown Menlo Park. and household budgets, and
S
contribute to our city’s economic vitality in the future.
Here are some elements
from Green Ribbon Committee’s vision:
■ Make it easier and safer
to walk and bike in the downtown, El Camino corridor,
and across the center of town,
with better sidewalks, bike
access, and rail crossings.
■ Integrate pedestrian and
bike routes with businesses.
■ Provide access so people
can walk and bike for practical
purposes or just for recreation.
■ Increase the number of
useful and attractive places
for shopping and recreation
within walking and biking
distance, so residents need to
drive less.
■ Pursue a “park once”
strategy, so people who drive
to central locations can do
more without needing to get
back into their car.
■ Add shuttles to help get
to and from commercial areas
without driving.
■Add transit-oriented
development, to increase
the percent of residents and
employees who can get to
work without driving and live
with less driving.
Clearly, some of the response
to climate change needs to be
made at the national and
global level. Decisions about
overall energy supply, prices
and limits to carbon emissions are made on a larger
scale. However, many of the
critical decisions that affect
our society’s response to climate change are made at the
local level. Local land use and
transportation policies shape
many of the choices we have
as individuals, and can have
a significant impact on the
single largest source of carbon
emissions.
We believe these strategies
are the wisest approach to
respond to climate change.
They also will help improve the
quality of life and economic
vitality of our city.
Adina Levin is co-chair
of the Transit and
Transportation Work
Group of the Green Ribbon
Citizens’ Committee.
She lives on Fremont Street.
June 11, 2008 ■ The Almanac ■ 23
Let Ed Kahl show you
elegant country estates
in their summer splendor.
R
4B
an
m
s
t
f
Cra
WOODSIDE – Enchanting home on one
acre w/beautiful style & use of wood. 4BR,
4.5BA, office, 3 fireplces, formal DR, great
family rm, best kitch, sunny brkfst nook.
Separate spacious 1BR guest house w/fireplace. Pool, spa, gorgeous land & gardens.
$2,495,000.
Excellent PV schools.
WOODSIDE – 335 and 345 Kings Mountain Road – (photos
above and below) side-by-side estates totaling 6.2 level acres
offer a unique opportunity to acquire a 6+ acre estate property
with a private entry across a steelhead creek and inspirational
views of the western hills. The home at 335 (garden shown
above) has 4BR, a spacious LR, formal DR. Outside are pool,
tennis court, & horse barn w/corral. The 4BR 3BA home at 345
(below) has a pool, spa, tennis court, and a large guest cottage.
Both properties are in the heart of Town and the Woodside
Elementary School District. The homes are available separately
or together: 335 KMR at $5,100,000; and 345 KMR at $5,000,000.
Both adjoining estates of approx. 6.2 acres – $10,100,000.
LD
O
S
WOODSIDE – On a private lane off Whiskey Hill
Road, 3+ acres, w/4BR home. asking $6,995,000
LD
O
S
Ed Kahl
(650)
400-2796
www.edkahl.com
[email protected]
PORTOLA VALLEY ESTATE 237 Mapache –
3.3 Acres Family compound in prime Westridge.
4BR main house; 1BR guest hs; 2nd guest house w/
1 BR plus large rec room. Excellent PV Schools.
$5,750,000
Top 1% Coldwell Banker Agents
Over $1 Billion Sold
24 ■ The Almanac ■ June 11, 2008
WOODSIDE LOT – 3.4 Acres on Mt. Home Road.
$5,900,000
LD
O
S
WOODSIDE – Garden estate on 1.5 acres, in the
very heart of Town.
asking $4,495,000