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Palo Alto Weekly 07.02.2010 - sectiion 2
Section 2 of the July 2, 2010 edition of the Palo Alto Weekly
Palo Alto Downtown association in disarray Page 3 w w w.PaloA ltoOnline.com Social-dance nights draw old-timers and newbies to Palo Alto page 16 GENERAL EXCELLENCE 1ST PLACE Spectrum 12 Title Pages 25 Movies 27 Eating Out 29 Puzzles 47 California Newspaper Publishers Association Arts An evening for Ella Fitzgerald Sports B&B Builders wins Ruth title Home Glorious glass, sublime ceramics Page 22 Page 31 Page 37 PALO ALTO WEEKLY MOONLIGHT RUN & WALK Friday, September 24, 2O1O TIME & PLACE PLEASE NOTE NEW WALK TIME: 5K walk 7:00pm, 10K run 8:15pm, 5K run 8:45pm. Race-night registration 6:15 to 8:00pm at City of Palo Alto Baylands Athletic Center, Embarcadero & Geng Roads (just east of the Embarcadero Exit off Highway 101). Parking -- go to PaloAltoOnline.com to check for specific parking locations. City of Palo Alto Recreation Presents � 26th Annual COURSE 5K and 10K loop courses over Palo Alto Baylands levee, through the marshlands by the light of the Harvest Moon! Course is flat, USAT&F certified (10k run only) on levee and paved roads. Water at all stops. Course map available at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. REGISTRATIONS & ENTRY FEE Pre-registration fee is $25 per entrant (postmarked by September 17, 2010) and includes a long-sleeve t-shirt. Late/race-night registration is $30 and includes a shirt only while supplies last. A scantron card must be filled out at race-night registration. Family package: Children 12 and under run free with a registered parent. A completed entry form for each child must be submitted with adult registration. Please indicate on form and include $15 for an adult small t-shirt. No confirmation of mail-in registration available. Registration also available online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Refunds will not be issued for no-show registrations and t-shirts will not be held. MOONLIGHT SPORTS TEAM/CLUBS: Pre-registration opportunity for organizations of 10 or more runners; contact Amy at (650) 223-6508 or firstname.lastname@example.com. RUN&WALK MINORS: If not pre-registered Minors under 18 MUST bring signed parental/waiver form (below) on race night to participate. In addition scantron card must be completely filled out at race-night registration. DIVISIONS Age divisions: 9 & under; 10-12; 13-19; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69, and 70 & over with separate divisions for male and female runners in each age group. Race timing provided for 5K and 10K runs only; not 5K walk. COMPUTERIZED RESULTS by A Change of Pace Race results will be posted on the Internet at www.PaloAltoOnline.com 10am on 9/27. Registration forms must be filled out completely and correctly for results to be accurate. Race organizers are not responsible for incorrect results caused by incomplete or incorrect registration forms. AWARDS/PRIZES/ENTERTAINMENT Top three finishers in each division. Prize giveaways and refreshments. DJ Alan Waltz. Pre-race warmups by Noxcuses Fitness, Palo Alto PALO ALTO GRAND PRIX Road Race Series -- Moonlight Run, 9/24; Marsh Madness, 10/23; Home Run 11/14, for more information go to www.paloaltogp.org. Stanford BENEFICIARY Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund. A holiday-giving fund to benefit Palo Alto area non-profits and charitable organizations. In April 2010, 43 organizations received a total of $240,000 (from the 2009-2010 Holiday Fund.) MORE INFORMATION Call (650) 463-4920, (650) 326-8210, email email@example.com or go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com. For safety reasons, no dogs allowed on course for the 5K and 10K runs. They are welcome on the 5K walk only. No retractable leashes! Please bring your own clean-up bag. Jogging strollers welcome in the 5K walk or at the back of either run. Flashlights/head lights recommended. First aid service and chiropractic evaluations provided by K. Skinner, R.N., D.C. Sports and Spinal Injury Specialist GOT OLD SHOES? Give them to Meb! We'll be collecting gently worn athletic shoes to go to those in need in war-zones and post-conflict areas. Bring your shoes to the Project Active booth on the baseball diamond and support your sport by giving back. Go to www.GiveMebYourShoes.com for more information about the cause. Register online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com Please make checks payable to: Palo Alto Weekly MOONLIGHT RUN and mail to: Palo Alto Weekly Moonlight Run, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302 ONE ENTRY FORM PER PERSON ON RACE DAY CHECK ONE SEX M LAST NAME ADDRESS CITY (Adult Sizes Only) F AGE (12 & under - include adult t-shirt size and $15) (If you are under 18, please read the instructions above) FIRST NAME APT # STATE S M L XL XXL 5K WALK 7:00 P.M. 10K RUN 8:15 P.M. 5K RUN 8:45 P.M. ZIP T-SHIRT PHONE WAIVER: In consideration of your accepting my entry, intending to be legally bound do hereby for myself, my heirs, executors and administrators, waive, and release any and all rights and claims that I may have against the persons and organizations affiliated with the run and sponsoring agencies, and the assignees for any and all injuries suffered by me while traveling to and from, and while participating in the Moonlight Run, or associated activities September 24, 2010. I further attest that I am physically fit and sufficiently trained for participation in this event. SIGNATURE OF REGISTRANT (parent or guardian if under 18 years of age) must have this on Race Night EMAIL DATE AMOUNT VISA/MASTERCARD NAME ON CARD (PLEASE PRINT) SIGNATURE Page 2 EXP. DATE PHONE AMOUNT Upfront Gary Baum to retire from city service on Oct. 31 by Gennady Sheyner alo Alto City Attorney Gary Baum will retire from government service in October to pursue a career in private practice and spend more time on pro bono work, the city announced Thursday morning. BEST LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE California Newspaper Publishers Association 1ST PLACE Local news, information and analysis Palo Alto city attorney to step down P Baum, who became the city's chief legal adviser in July 2004 and earned nearly $240,000 in 2009, will step down Oct. 31, the city announced. In recent years, Baum has won multiple awards for his pro bono work on behalf of victims of domestic violence. But he has also faced criticism from several members of the City Council, most notably Mayor Pat Burt and Councilman Larry Klein. The city attorney is one of four positions appointed by the council, the others being the city manager, city clerk and city auditor. "I have been honored to serve as Palo Alto's city attorney and am proud of the work that my staff and I have done on behalf of the City over these past six years," Baum stated in an announcement issued Thursday. "My tenure has been an incredible opportunity for me to serve the City and its residents; however, now I'm ready to pursue my interest in tackling municipal law in a different format, either by joining a law firm or starting my own practice." He also said he was "pleased to leave on a high note, knowing that the City Attorney's Office is left in the capable hands of this professional staff." In the announcement, Baum is credited with cutting costs, assembling a capable legal staff and assisting the city in resolving "many legal problems." City Manager James Keene called Baum a "dedicated public servant" (continued on page 9) PUBLIC SAFETY Cities may share dispatchers Officials from Palo Alto, Mountain View and Los Altos to discuss sharing public-safety resources by Gennady Sheyner L Cyclists ride along downtown Palo Alto's University Avenue past Lytton Plaza on Thursday. the roughly 750 merchants in the district between $50 and $500 in annual assessments has no leadership and little accountability. Several downtown merchants said they haven't seen any "business improvements" in downtown in years, and one of the group's own board members told the Weekly that the group no longer represents the interests of local businesspeople. "It's designed to be a bureaucracy, not to represent business people," said Abraham Khalil, owner of A.K. Insurance Services and board member at the Palo Alto Business and Professionals Association, which has a 2010-11 budget of $131,390. "If it doesn't represent business people, it shouldn't exist." Khalil joined the board last year and said he has become disenchanted with how little say board members have in organization decisions. On May 21, four days after the Palo Alto City Council voted to keep the assessment district in place for another year, two members of the board's executive committee ousted the group's president and executive director, Sherry Bijan, who had led the organization since 2006. Khalil said the other nine board members had no input in the decision, which seemed to have been made behind the scenes. (continued on page 6) BUSINESS Downtown merchants' group in disarray Palo Alto Downtown Business & Professionals Association ousts president, vows to hold more downtown events by Gennady Sheyner W hen the Palo Alto City Council established the Downtown Business Improvement District in 2004, city officials envisioned the new assessment district as a tool to nur- ture existing businesses, support new ones and enhance the variety of commerce around University Avenue. Today, the organization that oversees the district and charges ean budget times are prompting Palo Alto to take a fresh look at sharing dispatch services with public-safety departments in surrounding cities, including Los Altos and Mountain View, City Manager James Keene has told the Weekly. But merging fire departments is not an option that is expected to be on the agenda. "We want to talk about whatever opportunities there are for sharing services, but it's safe to say that this is not a meeting to talk about consolidation," Keene said. The same is true relating to the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, he said. Keene said Palo Alto already has multiple facilities that provide regional services, including the city's Animal Shelter and the Regional Water Quality Treatment Plant near the baylands. In the next few weeks, Keene is scheduled to meet with city managers of Mountain View and Los Altos to talk about other cost-sharing opportunities, particularly those relating to public safety. Dispatch services could provide one such opportunity, Keene said. Palo Alto already has mutual-aid agreements with surrounding cities, and police and fire departments around the region have made an effort to use compatible communications technology. "What we've done already in the region is to start to move to a standardized technological platform among the different public-safety (continued on page 9) Veronica Weber Page 3 PUBLISHER William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor Carol Blitzer, Associate Editor Keith Peters, Sports Editor Tyler Hanley, ExpressTM and Online Editor Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Chris Kenrick, Gennady Sheyner, Staff Writers Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant Veronica Weber, Staff Photographer Dale Bentson, Colin Becht, Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Renata Polt, Jeanie Forte Smith, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Contributors Katia Savchuk, Carolyn Copeland, Robin Migdol, Piyawan Rungsuk, Ryan Deto, Editorial Interns DESIGN Shannon Corey, Design Director Raul Perez, Assistant Design Director Linda Atilano, Diane Haas, Scott Peterson, Paul Llewellyn, Senior Designers Gary Vennarucci, Designer PRODUCTION Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager Dorothy Hassett, Samantha Mejia, Blanca Yoc, Sales & Production Coordinators ADVERTISING Walter Kupiec, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Judie Block, Esmeralda Flores, Janice Hoogner, Gary Whitman, Display Advertising Sales Neil Fine, Rosemary Lewkowitz, Real Estate Advertising Sales David Cirner, Irene Schwartz, Inside Advertising Sales Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst. Diane Martin, Real Estate Advertising Assistants Alicia Santillan, Classified Administrative Asst. LUNCH $ coupon with 3 or more people 3 DINNER $ with 3 or more people coupon 6 BIRTHDAYS 1 FREE MEAL With 5 or more people SPECIAL PARTIES AND WORKING LUNCHES $ 99 2 items + soup 6 Mon-Thur 11:00am-9:30pm; Fri-Sat 11:00am-10:00pm; Sun 11am-9:30pm 895 Villa St, Mountain View (650) 965-1198 EXPRESS, ONLINE AND VIDEO SERVICES Rachel Palmer, Online Operations Coordinator BUSINESS Penelope Ng, Payroll & Benefits Manager Elena Dineva, Mary McDonald, Cathy Stringari, Susie Ochoa, Doris Taylor, Business Associates ADMINISTRATION Amy Renalds, Assistant to the Publisher & Promotions Director Janice Covolo, Receptionist Ruben Espinoza, Courier EMBARCADERO PUBLISHING CO. William S. Johnson, President Michael I. Naar, Vice President & CFO Walter Kupiec, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Frank A. Bravo, Director, Information Technology & Webmaster Connie Jo Cotton, Major Accounts Sales Manager Bob Lampkin, Director, Circulation & Mailing Services Alicia Santillan, Circulation Assistants Chris Planessi, Chip Poedjosoedarmo, Computer System Associates The Palo Alto Weekly (ISSN 0199-1159) is published every Friday by Embarcadero Publishing Co., 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306, (650) 326-8210. Periodicals postage paid at Palo Alto, CA and additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for Santa Clara County. The Palo Alto Weekly is delivered free to homes in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, East Palo Alto, to faculty and staff households on the Stanford campus and to portions of Los Altos Hills. If you are not currently receiving the paper, you may request free delivery by calling 326-8210. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302. Copyright �2010 by Embarcadero Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Printed by SFOP, Redwood City. The Palo Alto Weekly is available on the Internet via Palo Alto Online at: www.PaloAltoOnline.com Our e-mail addresses are: email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com. Missed delivery or start/stop your paper? Call 650 326-8210, or e-mail circulation@paweekly. com. You may also subscribe online at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Subscriptions are $60/yr. Support your local newspaper by becoming a paid subscriber. $60 per year. $100 for two years. Name: _________________________________ Address: _______________________________ City/Zip: _______________________________ Mail to: Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610. Palo Alto CA 94302 SUBSCRIBE! Page 4 `` Upscale Classic Buffet Villa 8 Upfront 450 CAMBRIDGE AVE, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 (650) 326-8210 QUOTE OF THE WEEK `` If it doesn't represent business people, it shouldn't exist. --Abraham Khalil, owner of A.K. Insurance Services, regarding the Palo Alto Business and Professionals Association. See story on page 3. WAGE LABOR ... The Palo Alto City Council is, in its own view, an underpaid bunch. Members receive $7,200 a year to read thick bundles of weekly staff reports, pass budgets and set the city's policies. By Councilwoman Karen Holman's estimation, the salary translates to about $3.47 an hour. With that in mind, they defeated a proposal by the council's Finance Committee to trim the council salaries by 10 percent. Councilman Greg Schmid, who opposed the pay cut as chair of the Finance Committee, said Monday he was taking his cue from another civic leader -- President George Washington. One of Washington's greatest decisions during the Revolutionary War, Schmid said, was to recruit and retain a professional army to oppose the British oppressors. Washington defied calls to rely on volunteers, recognizing that the nation needed to provide financial incentives to its soldiers. "You don't want soldiers who come out on one glorious day at Bunker Hill," Schmid said. "You need them seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. By paying them something, you create incentive." ANIMAL HOUSES ... In what Mayor Pat Burt called a "ruff" decision, the council decided Monday night to scrap an earlier proposal to raise fees for animal adoptions. The city's proposed budget included a recommendation to charge between $120 and $150 for adoption of dogs and cats, depending on age and animal type. But after hearing from Councilwoman Karen Holman and Councilman Greg Scharff, the council unanimously voted to keep the current $100 fees for all animals unchanged. Holman said the animal population is very important to Palo Alto residents, and that she opposed any proposal that would make animal adoption more burdensome. BY THE BOOK ... It's been a dizzying few months for Palo Alto's bookworms, with libraries opening and closing seemingly every week and hours and services in constant flux. For those who lost track, here's a recap: The Downtown Library has recently closed for major renova- Around Town tions, as has the Mitchell Park Library. The Cubberley Community Center now includes a temporary library, which opened this week to replace the Mitchell Park branch. The Main Library will temporarily close next year, also for bond-funded reconstruction. The College Terrace Library has been closed since last summer but is scheduled to reopen in the fall. Meanwhile, the branches that are still open will have shorter hours starting July 12. Main, Mitchell (at its new Cubberley location) and the Children's Library will open at noon because of budget constraints. Not all news is bleak, however. The group Friends of the Palo Alto Library (FOPAL) has just approved two grants totaling $300,000 to support the library system. A $100,000 grant to the Palo Alto Library Foundation will help buy furniture and equipment for the libraries undergoing renovations, and a $200,000 grant to the library system will fund new programs and expand the book collection. FOPAL President Jim Schmidt announced these grants at the City Council's meeting Monday night, at which time he also expressed concern about the council's decision to cut $115,000 from the libraries' collection budget. "The purpose of Friends' activities has been to enhance the libraries, especially the collections," Schmidt told the council. "Increasingly, as I watched the numbers, including your $115,000 reduction in the library-materials budget for the upcoming fiscal year, I wondered whether the Friends' contributions are in fact enhancing or rather replacing." CHILI TIME ... Palo Alto will continue its favorite Independence Day tradition this Sunday when more than 20 teams compete in the 29th annual Chili Cook-off. City Manager James Keene said the categories this year would include "corporate chili," "open chili" and "vegetarian chili." The free event is sponsored by the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation, the Palo Alto Weekly, Palo Alto Online, Piazza's Fine Foods and KDOW 1220 AM. The event will kick off at noon at Mitchell Park, 600 East Meadow Drive. Upfront CITY HALL Is Your Teen Ready To Drive? FREE CLASSROOM TRAINING Try our Online Driver's Course for ONLY $29.99 (Must present ad for this offer. Expires July 30, 2010) Palo Alto adopts `leaner' budget for 2011 Council votes to eliminate 58 positions but scraps plan to split sidewalk-repair costs by Gennady Sheyner June and July In-Class Schedule Day 1 6/14/10 6/21/10 7/12/10 7/26/10 Day 2 6/15/10 6/22/10 7/13/10 7/27/10 Day 3 6/16/10 6/23/10 7/14/10 7/28/10 Day 4 6/17/10 6/24/10 7/15/10 7/29/10 T he City of Palo Alto is eliminating dozens of staff positions but preserving most of its existing programs and services under a $139 million budget the City Council unanimously passed Monday night. The adopted budget for fiscal year 2011, which began July 1, eliminates 58 positions throughout the city's workforce and increases fees for everything from Children's Theatre tickets to pet spay and neutering. But the council voted to scrap some of the most controversial cuts that City Manager James Keene had proposed: eliminating funding for school-crossing guards, the Police Department's fraud-investigation unit and the five-officer traffic-enforcement team. Council members also dropped another highly unpopular proposal -- to shift half the cost of the city's sidewalk-repair program to residents. The move would have saved the city about $299,000. But the council agreed the proposal is too convoluted and that the administrative burdens would be too high. The council also rejected a revenue-generating idea: entrance fees for Foothills Park, Pearson-Arastradero Preserve and the Baylands. The council split over a recommendation from its Finance Committee to cut council members' own salaries by 10 percent. The move would have been largely symbolic, saving the city about $7,000. Each council member draws a $7,200 annual salary. "I think it's important to make a statement, however symbolic it is, to our city employees and to our citizens that the council also is going to come up and take a small cut," Councilman Larry Klein said. But Councilman Greg Schmid opposed the salary cut and said the city needs to provide incentives if it wants to attract the best candidates. After a lengthy debate, the council voted 4-5 to reject the proposal, with Klein, Mayor Pat Burt and Councilmen Yiaway Yeh and Sid Espinosa supporting the cut. The council unanimously supported major planning studies, however: a $90,000 study of the Caltrain Corridor in Palo Alto; and a $30,000 study of El Camino Real design guidelines in south Palo Alto. The budget eliminates maintenance and administrative positions citywide. Maintenance of several local parks would be contracted out, as would the city's printing and mailing services. The Police Department would lose one member of its traffic team and the crime analyst responsible for collecting demographic data at traffic stops. The Library Department would also lose a few positions, forcing library hours to be shortened. The Fire Department would lose a hazardous-materials specialist. "We will be a leaner organization," Keene said. A longer version of this article is posted at www. PaloAltoOnline.com. Stanford Driving School ( To register online, please visit our website at: www.StanfordDrivingSchool.com YOUTH Look inside today's insert for savings! Two local graduates head to service academies Gunn's Grace Hamilton, Menlo's Kevin Flaherty took different paths to military choice by Chris Kenrick G race Hamilton reported Monday to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Kevin Flaherty began his "plebe summer" Thursday at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. But the two recent high school graduates, from Los Altos Hills and Atherton respectively, couldn't be more different in the paths they took to their commissions in the nation's elite military schools. For Flaherty, who graduated last month from Menlo School, following his father and brother into the U.S. Marine Corps has been a lifelong goal. "I always sort of knew I wanted to go into the military," said Flaherty, whose grandfathers also served -- one in the U.S. Army, the other in the U.S. Navy. For Hamilton, who was a swimmer at Gunn High School, the choice was anything but planned. "It was not a lifelong dream or interest or anything like that," said her father, Tim Hamilton, a software executive. As an active West Point cadet, Grace Hamilton herself was not available for an interview. Like many of her fellow swimmers, Hamilton received a recruiting letter from Army swim coach Mickey Wender during her junior year at Gunn, her father said. Later, she visited the West Point campus. "I expected her to come back and say, `That's not for me,'" her father said. "But she came back and said: `I'm going. That's where I'm going.' "We said: `Grace, that's really hard to get into. You should have a Plan B,' but -- flash forward -- she didn't apply anywhere else. Her Plan B was West Point Prep School," a separate institution that prepares students for the U.S. Military Academy. This week Hamilton and his wife, Lynn, accompanied their only daughter, the oldest of their four children, to West Point. "They put us in a gymnasium at 6:30 a.m. with 40 cadets and their families at a time, gave a little speech and said, `You have 90 seconds to say goodbye to your kid,'" Hamilton said. "Twelve hours later, at 6:30, there was a parade and Always great PLUS NC Club Card Specials S A F E WAY C L U B Tim Hamilton U.S. Army Reserve Captain Rob McMahon presents Grace Hamilton her appointment to West Point at the Gunn High School Awards Ceremony on June 7. oath ceremony where they take an oath of service to the Constitution. "They marched across the parade ground, and we could see Grace in the distance, in uniform, marching, saluting. It was unbelievable, amazing. They turned them into soldiers in one day." The Hamiltons won't be able to see Grace -- or contact her, except by mail -- until the end of basic training Aug. 14, when they plan to visit. Flaherty, an Eagle Scout, honor student and varsity football player at Menlo, was to report Thursday to the academy for the two-month summer program. Late Wednesday afternoon he appeared relaxed, in blazer and necktie, in his Atherton home. His older brother Brian, who is about to enter his fourth year at Annapolis, also was home on break. Flaherty said he was unstressed by last-minute packing because all the necessary gear would be issued to him once he arrived at the Naval Academy. Unlike Hamilton, Flaherty did apply to other col(continued on page 8) The Bowman program builds confidence, creativity and academic excellence. www.bowmanschool.org Page 5 Upfront Downtown (continued from page 3) The majority of board members declined to speak to the Weekly about the organization's future or its leadership change, an unusual position for a group governed by the Brown Act. (The Brown Act is a state law that ensures the openness of government-related meetings.) They referred all questions to the board chair, Anne Senti-Willis, an attorney at the downtown firm Thoits, Love, Hershberger & McLean. She did not respond to repeated requests for an interview, save to send a brief e-mail. Officially, at least, Bijan was asked to step down because of philosophical differences over ways to revitalize downtown. Senti-Willis and Deborah Pappas, the group's vice chair who works at Borel Bank, told Bijan the board wants to "take things in a different direction," according to a letter Bijan sent to the City Council, announcing her forced resignation. Senti-Willis specifically told Bijan that she wanted the group to become more "events-driven," said Bijan, who was earning $66,000 a year. Board member Jeff Selzer, general manager at Palo Alto Bicycles, said he "had no say" in the leader- Now Open Heather Moore Jewelry Cole Haan Shoes and Handbags Lilly Pulitzer Eliza B. Sandals Havaianas Rainbow Jack Rogers Sandals 1060 Evelyn Street Menlo Park, CA 650-328-5425 2008 Donald Pliner Shoes and Handbags 49 sq miles bags MZ Wallace bags Toms Longchamp Merrell Footwear Gentle Souls Tretorn Bernardo Footwear Please Visit us at: 1060 Evelyn St Menlo Park 650-328-KICK www.kicksmenlopark.com Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun: 11am-4pm DEBORAH'S PALM D E B O R A H S P A L M . O R G HEALTH & FITNESS FAIR Saturday, July 24: 10 am to 2pm Local professionals will speak and give demos on the following: -- Motivation & Fitness -- Self-Defense for Women -- Posture & Balance -- Health & Wellness Coaching -- Bone Health & Injury Prevention -- Mental Wellness & Support The event is free, open to the public, and is provided as a service to our community. Please join us! july highlightsclass: Join Lenka for an exercise Boot Camp, 5 & 10k training, Weight Training, Flexibility/Yoga... Valerie: "Eat to Live" Cooking Classes Janada: Women's Wellness Series New This month: Floral Design class and the Oasis Support Group. For a complete list of our classes visit: deborahspalm.org 555 Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto 650 473-0664 ship change. Stacey Yates, owner of SkinSpirit and the third member of the executive committee, said she "had not been as involved in the past six months as I would've liked to be" and declined to discuss the group's future. Her claim of non-involvement seems plausible for board members. On Feb. 24, only three out of 13 members were present at the start of the meeting and two came in later, according to the group's minutes. At more recent meetings, at least half the board was absent, the minutes indicate. Even Palo Alto's liaisons to the business group were out of the loop when it came to Bijan's ouster. Steve Emslie, Palo Alto's deputy city manager, who heads the city's new Office of Economic Development, said he hadn't heard anything about the leadership change until it was announced publicly in late May. Councilman Greg Scharff, the council's liaison to the business association, said he learned about it from Bijan's public announcement. In response to inquiries, SentiWillis directed the Weekly to a twoparagraph posting on the group's website announcing that Bijan has "stepped down." She said in the e-mail that the group plans to advertise for a new executive director on its website this week, but did not specify how long she expects the search to take place. "We plan to complete the hiring process as soon as we can," SentiWillis wrote. The high level of secrecy may be considered unusual for a committee whose goals for the current year include "create visibility within the business community," according to its annual report. In fact, Santish Sandadi, owner of Hyderabad House, told the Weekly that he hasn't received a visit from anyone in the group in years. He's stopped paying his assessed dues and so have most of his neighbors, he said. "Most of the money is used to pay the salary of a person whom I haven't seen in two years," Sandadi said. Chris Oh, who owns Han Korean & More on University Avenue, said he hasn't seen any recent improvements around University Avenue, which in his opinion lags behind Mountain View's Castro Street. "There's been no business improvement here," Oh said. Both Oh and Sandadi said holding more downtown events could attract more people and aid local businesses, but other business proprietors were more skeptical. Alaina Mu�oz, store manager at Chico's, said events tend to kill the store's business, though she said she enjoys the city's annual Art and Wine Festival. Maureen Brylkos, store manager at Restoration Hardware, said events tend to bring "a lot of lookers but not too many shoppers." But Michael Godfrey, a salesperson at Restoration Hardware, sees a brighter side: Events bring in people who otherwise wouldn't visit University. Even when they don't buy anything, at times they leave the store with a catalogue. These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com/news or click on "News" in the left, green column. Online This Week Police ready for `maximum enforcement' weekend Bay Area law enforcement agencies will be stepping up their patrols and cracking down on drunk drivers to keep the roadways safe this Fourth of July weekend. (Posted July 1 at 8:46 a.m.) Crash leaves seat-belted pair hanging upside down A small car rear-ended at the Oregon Expressway southbound onramp onto U.S. Highway 101 flipped over shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday, leaving both occupants hanging upside down by their seatbelts. (Posted June 30 at 9 p.m.) Police warn residents of airline-voucher scam Palo Alto police are warning residents about an ongoing, nationwide Internet scam involving the sale of counterfeit or fraudulently purchased airline vouchers. (Posted June 30 at 2:34 p.m.) EPA parolee program shelved -- for now An East Palo Alto program that has helped hundreds of state prison parolees transition back to life in the community shut its doors Wednesday -- but only temporarily, if administrators have their way. (Posted June 30 at 8:38 a.m.) Ham radio operators to help out on July 4 The Palo Alto Fire Department is calling on ham radio operators to help watch over fire-sensitive areas around the city during the Fourth of July holiday. The operators will be on alert during the evening, when the threat of fires sparked by fireworks is at its height. (Posted June 29 at 4:34 p.m.) Mountain lion spotted Friday near Woodside A mountain lion was spotted Friday night (June 25) in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County near Woodside, according to the Office of Emergency Services. (Posted June 29 at 8:35 a.m.) New cameras will aid in prosecuting assaults Prosecutors of sexual-assault crimes in Santa Clara County will have additional help with their cases, thanks to the donation of two new state-of-the-art cameras, county officials announced last Thursday. (Posted June 28 at 2:15 p.m.) 3.5-magnitude quake hits 3 miles west of SF A 3.5-magnitude earthquake hit at 7:47 a.m. Monday about 3 miles off the San Francisco coast, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The quake was about 8 miles deep and barely felt on land, although it was felt by some area residents. (Posted June 28 at 8:04 a.m.) Skyline motorcycle crash kills East Palo Alto man The victim of a fatal motorcycle crash on southbound state Highway 35, Skyline Boulevard, Saturday afternoon has been identified as 38year-old Hillary James Simmons of East Palo Alto. (Posted June 27 at 9:01 a.m.) Arne Duncan tells Foothill grads `to be shape-shifters' Foothill College graduates will need to be "shape shifters" to thrive in the global economy of the 21st century, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told the graduates Friday (June 25) at the college's 50th commencement ceremony. (Posted June 26 at 7:13 a.m.) Judge: No bail for murder suspect Zumot Bulos Zumot, the Palo Alto hookah-shop owner who police said killed his girlfriend and set their shared cottage on fire last October, will remain in jail without bail during his pretrial hearings, Santa Clara County Judge David Cena ruled Friday morning (June 25). (Posted June 25 at 2:25 p.m.) Emslie said the benefits of events could depend on the activity and the type of business. Events with food vendors, for instance, could take away patrons from local restaurants. But businesses that don't sell food could benefit from the increased exposure, he said. "In general, events are important to building a community, promoting downtown and getting people to visit businesses," Emslie said. "But it depends on how the events are made." Bijan did not elaborate on why the board chose to shift its focus to more events, but she told the Weekly she was worried for downtown's future. "I'm deeply concerned at the moment about the stability of the business district," Bijan said. Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com. Page 6 Upfront News Digest City workers accept benefit cuts in Palo Alto Palo Alto's largest labor union has agreed to a one-year contract with the city and vowed to seek a more collaborative tone in future labor negotiations, the union's chair told the City Council Monday night. By ratifying the contract, the Service Employees International Union, Local 521, has essentially accepted the conditions that the city imposed on it last October after months of negotiations. Though the new contract would have very little bearing on the salaries and benefits of its members, it signifies the union's acceptance of the dismal economic climate and its new spirit of collaboration with the city, said Brian Ward, who in February replaced Lynne Krug as chair of Local 521. Ward said 94 percent of the union members who voted a week ago Thursday supported ratifying the contract, which would take effect July 1. The changes include reduced pensions for newly hired workers, elimination of two floating holidays and a new requirement that employees make contributions toward their health care. The health care provision, which under the imposed terms would have kicked in July 1, will now be delayed until Jan. 1, 2011, Human Resources Director Russ Carlsen said. He said the council is scheduled to consider the contract Aug. 2. -- Gennady Sheyner PUBLIC NOTICE FORMER NAVAL AIR STATION MOFFETT FIELD Restoration Advisory Board Meeting The next regular meeting of the Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) for former Naval Air Station (NAS) Moffett Field will be held on: Thursday, July 8, 2010, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at: Mountain View Senior Center Social Hall 266 Escuela Avenue Mountain View, CA 94040-1813 The RAB reviews and comments on plans and activities about the ongoing environmental studies and restoration activities underway at Moffett Field. Regular RAB meetings are open to the public and the Navy encourages your involvement. To review documents on Moffett Field environmental restoration projects, please visit the information repository located at the Mountain View Public Library, 585 Franklin St., Mountain View, CA 94041, (650) 903-6337. For more information, contact Ms. Kathy Stewart, Navy Base Realignment and Closure Environmental Coordinator at (415) 743-4715 or email@example.com. Visit the Navy's website: http://www.bracpmo.navy.mil/basepage.aspx?baseid=52&state=California&name=moffett City of Palo Alto to study Caltrain corridor As Palo Alto braces for the impacts of the proposed high-speed rail system, city officials are preparing to take a fresh, detailed look at the city's Caltrain Corridor. The City Council this week approved $90,000 for the first phase of a study of the corridor, which under the current proposal would be shared by Caltrain and the high-speed-rail system. "With a project of this magnitude, we really need to supply studies that make it possible for us to clarify our positions and to move forward on this massive project," Councilwoman Gail Price said at the Monday night council meeting. According to a scope of work, the project would include establishing a new community task force composed of nine to 15 members, including residents, property owners, businesses and school officials. The study "is intended to generate a community vision for land use, transportation and urban design opportunities along the corridor, particularly in response to improvements to fixed rail services along the Caltrain tracks in Palo Alto." The city plans to split the study into three phases. The first one would focus on the community's vision, the second on land-use opportunities around the goal and the third on implementing strategies for corridor development into the city's Comprehensive Plan. The full council is scheduled to finalize the scope of the study at its July 12 meeting. -- Gennady Sheyner East Palo Alto cautious as Mehserle verdict looms Youth leaders and the East Palo Alto Police Department are preparing to calm any upset and potential reaction by the city's youth if former BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle is acquitted for killing Oscar Grant. City and youth leaders don't anticipate widespread violence in East Palo Alto, police and youth-group leaders said. But pain is running deep in the racially diverse community over what some see as a pattern of excessive police force against minority youth in general. Agencies are working with youth and police are preparing for whether to respond locally or regionally, if needed. "We do not expect anything to happen, but we always prepare for the worst," police Chief Ronald Davis said. The department has enlisted San Mateo County Sheriff's officers and has updated civil-unrest training among its officers, he said. One or two teams of officers will be added to keep the force staffed at a higher level after the verdict, he said. In regular meetings with youth throughout the community, Davis said he has not picked up anything to indicate there would be unrest. But he is not discounting the anger and frustration that some people feel toward the system, he said. Mehserle's lawyer, Michael Rains, has admitted that Mehserle shot and killed Grant, a 22-year-old Hayward man, at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland shortly after 2 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2009, after he and other officers responded to a report that there was a fight on a train. But Rains claims the shooting was an accident and that Mehserle, who is free on $3 million bail, meant to use his Taser stun gun on Grant. Closing arguments in Mehserle's trial took place on Thursday. -- Sue Dremann Want to get news briefs e-mailed to you every weekday? Sign up for Express, our new daily e-edition. Go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com to sign up. ICA Page 7 Meadow Wing & Focused Care Upfront a tradition of caring PALO ALTO COMMONS offers a comprehensive program for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and dementia in our Meadow Wing. Here, residents enjoy daily walks on beautiful garden paths and a full program of activities to engage mind, body and spirit. For residents in the later stages of Alzheimer's disease, our Focused Care Program provides for all of the resident's unique needs. Here, families are assured that their loved one will get the best care in the most appropriate environment now and in the future as needs may change. Kevin Flaherty holds up a U.S. Naval Academy T-shirt outside his Atherton home Tuesday, two days before he was to report in Annapolis, Md. Military school (continued from page 5) Call today... 650-494-0760 24 Hour On-site Licensed Nurse Services 4075 El Camino Way, Palo Alto, CA 94306 650-494-0760 www.paloaltocommons.com License #435200706 INTERIOR DESIGN IS AN ART FORM. LET US HELP YOU CREATE YOUR MASTERPIECE. RKI Interior Design is a full service firm with a dedicated office, resource library, and staff to handle any project: Residential, Commercial or Hospitality. We collaborate with architects and builders to provide clients with individual and creative design solutions for new home construction and remodeling projects. The RKI team strives to create living and working environments within a range of styles suited to the client. leges -- 10 of them, in fact -- but, once he heard he would be commissioned, the decision was made. "There wasn't really any debate in my mind," he said. He's given plenty of thought to the military service commitment -- and likely deployment to war zones -- that will come after his four years of college, he said. "Iraq or Afghanistan -- that's one of the things you have to think about when you're applying because you will do that upon graduation," he said. "I consider myself ready for it, or I will be in four years." The academy carries a minimum requirement, following graduation, of five years of active duty, plus an additional four years in the reserves, he said. Hamilton said he thought his daughter, in her initial visit to West Point, was drawn by the notion of serving others. "Part of what she fell in love with was the idea of service, and to do something bigger than going to one of the UCs and to grad school," he said. "That really appealed to her. She saw the pride that those people have in what they're doing and that kind of higher calling of service, and she just really latched onto that." Regarding his military choice -- not the norm at Menlo School -- Flaherty said he got respectful curiosity from his friends, who are going on to such places as Southern Methodist University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan or Brigham Young University. "Everyone was supportive," he said. "There were a lot of questions. There's sort of a mystery gray area around the academies." Flaherty and Hamilton were two of 16 Peninsula residents nominated to the service academies by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto. Of the 16, six were chosen by the academies. "I receive many requests each year, and we take great care in choosing nominees. The young men and women who have been appointed will make our district and our country proud," Eshoo said. Staff Writer Chris Kenrick can be e-mailed at firstname.lastname@example.com. STATE FARM � YOUR FOREIGN DRIVER'S LICENSE For Auto Insurance.* Feel free to stop by my office Feel free to stop by my office or call me for more information. or call me for more Jeri Fink, Agent information. 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In the event of any difference in interpretation, the English language version will control. 9-2009 Page 8 Upfront Dispatchers (continued from page 3) agencies so that everyone is on the same frequencies and (using) the same technology," Keene said. Palo Alto has long been planning to build a new public-safety building that would replace the city's undersized and seismically unsound police headquarters. But the economic downturn, which ushered in several years of budget gaps, has forced the city to set aside the plan and consider other options. With the public-safety-building project on hold, Keene said he decided to reach out to Mountain View and Los Altos to discuss opportunities for sharing resources. Over the past month, the topic of changing Palo Alto's model for delivering public-safety services emerged during hearings on the city's 2011 budget, which the City Council adopted Monday night. Retired Fire Chief Nick Marinaro, whose last day on the job was Tuesday, told the council's Finance Committee at a May meeting that the city could save money by eliminating his position and having a Public Safety Director oversee both the fire and police departments. Marinaro did not recommend that, however. On June 25, Keene named Police Chief Dennis Burns as the city's interim fire chief, an appointment that effectively makes Burns the city's public-safety director. Keene specified that the city does not intend to merge the two departments and said Burns would only remain in this position until the city finds a new fire chief. In a separate process, the city is also hiring a consultant to evaluate council has "full confidence in our city attorney" and called him "one of the best around." But other council members at times have expressed their displeasure with his legal advice. On Monday, several council members said they were disappointed with Baum's report on the city's proposal to split sidewalk repair costs with the residents. The council ultimately scrapped the proposal. At a recent meeting, Klein refused to abstain from a routine vote on agenda order despite Baum's advice that he do so (one of the items on the agenda related to Stanford University, where Klein's wife is an employee). Klein, Burt and Councilman Greg Scharff also advocated cutting one of the legal secretaries in the City Attorney's Office, a proposal Baum resisted over a series of meetings. The proposed cut was ultimately rejected by the full council. Baum's next performance evaluation was scheduled for July 27. Baum has received wide recognition for his pro bono work on behalf of domestic-violence victims. He staffing levels in the Fire Department. This study is being done against a backdrop of the firefighters' union local pushing an initiative for the November election that would freeze closure of fire stations or reduction of personnel without a citywide vote. Assistant City Manager Pamela Antil told the Weekly that the consultant's study is scheduled for a fall release. The study is expected to take a look at possible efficiencies, including examining the department's existing mutual-aid agreements with other jurisdictions. But the study is not exploring the possibility of merging Palo Alto's Fire Department with those in other cities, she said. "We like having our own Fire Department." Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com. received the Pro Bono Attorney of the Year award from the Santa Clara County Bar Association in 2007 and the Access to Justice Award from the Pro Bono Project in 2009. According to the city's announcement, Baum's retirement from the city will "afford him the opportunity to spend more time on pro bono legal work." Klein, as chair of the council's Council Appointed Officers (CAO) committee, said the full council will likely consider hiring a consulting firm for the city attorney search on July 12 or July 19. A list of semi-finalists would then be presented to the council, which would select two or three finalists for interviews and background checks. Klein said he doubted a new attorney could be named by Baum's Oct. 31 retirement date, but he expects one could be named soon after, possibly in November and almost certainly by the end of the year. Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be e-mailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com. good fun stuff that just happens to be green Kids' toys made from recycled plastic Folding portable speakers $ 5Off Now Open with purchase of $25 or more. Expires 7/31/10 TM City attorney (continued from page 3) and said the city's leadership "wishes him the best in the next phase of his career." Burt said of Baum: "Gary has been committed to minimizing legal risks to the City, and he is regarded highly by his peers." In recent years Baum has helped Palo Alto form the five-city Peninsula Cities Consortium, a coalition that regularly meets to discuss strategies for dealing with the proposed highspeed-rail program. The coalition also includes Menlo Park, Atherton, Belmont and Burlingame. In October, when the city was facing a possible workers' strike, Baum succeeded in having 87 workers designated as "essential employees," a designation that would have barred them from striking had the strike occurred. In March 2009, after a resident criticized Baum during a public hearing, then-Mayor Peter Drekmeier responded by saying the 158 University Ave (at High St.), Palo Alto www.livegreene.com - email@example.com (650) 331-0700 C U S T O M S O L U T I O N S F O R E V E R Y S T Y L E A N D E V E R Y B U D G E T How To Clinics WITH T IST PRICE HIS CO UPON SOME RESTR IC TIONS EXPIR APP ES 7-3 1-2010 LY OFF L 25% Sign up on our website to reserve your seat O U R P E N I N S U L A S H O W R O O M S H A V E C O N S O L I D AT E D. V I S I T U S AT O U R N E W LY E X PA N D E D A N D R E N O V AT E D C A M P B E L L S H O W R O O M . T H E B AY A R E A ' S L A R G E S T ! CAMPBELL SHOWROOM 1 1 9 0 D E L L AV E N U E 408.370.1041 F O R M E R LY E U R O D E S I G N W W W. VA L E T C U S T O M . C O M H O M E O F F I C E S M E D I A W A L L B E D S C L O S E T S C E N T E R S G A R A G E S Page 9 Want pain free feet? Take control of foot pain now! 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Planning & Transportation Commission (June 30) Stanford Hospital: The commission discussed the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Stanford University Medical Center hospital-expansion project. The commission focused on the chapters of the DEIR relating to noise, geology, soil and utilities. Action: None To learn more visit the website: www.newmomscircle.com or contact us at: firstname.lastname@example.com 408-802-8212 Architectural Review Board (July 1) City Council (July 1) Stanford Hospital: The board held a preliminary review for the design of the proposed School of Medicine building, which is part of the Stanford University Medical Center expansion. Action: None L U C I L E PA C K A R D C H I L D R E N ' S H O S P I TA L High-Speed Rail Committee: The committee discussed the proposed Caltrain Corridor study, which would be performed as part of the city's Comprehensive Plan amendment. The commission also discussed pending legislation pertaining to the high-speed-rail project. Action: None Public Agenda A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week Your Child's Health University Lucile Packard Children's Hospital offers classes and seminars designed to foster good health and enhance the lives of parents and children. HEART TO HEART SEMINAR ON GROWING UP Informative, humorous and lively discussions between parents and their pre-teens on puberty, the opposite sex and growing up. Girls attend these two-part sessions with their moms and boys attend with their dads. - For Boys: Wednesdays, August 11 & 18: 6:30 � 8:30 pm - For Girls: Wednesdays, August 25 & September 1: 6:30 � 8:30 pm CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE ... The committee plans to discuss an increase in the city's refuse rate and fiscal year 2010 reappropriations. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 6, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD ... The board plans to hold a study session and then a public hearing on the Stanford University Medical Center facility renewal and replacement project. The meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 7, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ... The commission plans to continue its review of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Stanford University Medical Center expansion project. The discussion will focus on the Alternatives chapter of the report. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 7, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION ... The commission plans to discuss co-sponsoring Community Law Night, hear an update on the commission's Diversity and Inclusion Project, and set a "priority of needs" for the 2011-12 Human Services Resources Allocation Process. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 8, in the Council Conference Room at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. MOTHER-BABY MORNINGS LPCH offers a group forum for new mothers with infants 0-6 months of age. Our group provides support and camaraderie for new parents while promoting confidence and well-being. - Tuesday mornings, 10:00 � 11:30 am COMFORT TECHNIQUES FOR LABOR For couples who have already completed Childbirth Prep, this class provides additional tools and practice for relaxation, breathing and comfort measures for labor. - Saturday, August 14: 1:30 � 3:00 pm Caregiver Conference Saturday, August 21 8:30 am - 2:30 pm Avenidas presents the 7th Annual NEWBORN CARE 101 This interactive program teaches the specifics of newborn care including bathing, swaddling, soothing and more. Infant doll models are used to allow for hands-on practice. - Saturday, August 28: 9:00 am � 12:00 pm & 12:30 � 3:30 pm 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. Learn how to: Deal with family dynamics Cope with a loved one's dementia Create order out of clutter Care for yourself to avoid burnout Discover forgiveness L U 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 C A L L TO D AY TO S I G N U P F O R C L A S S E S ( 6 5 0 ) 72 3 - 4 6 0 0 Page 10 Register at Avenidas.org or (650) 289-5445. Where age is just a number Pulse Palo Alto June 22-28 Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Theft related Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Credit card forgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Shoplifting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Theft undefined. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle related Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Suspended license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . .4 Vehicle accident/property damage. . . . .5 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Miscellaneous Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Indecent exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Psych. subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Warrants/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Foothill-De Anza Community College District NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Please take notice that on Monday, August 2, 2010 at 6 p.m., in the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board Room, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, California 94022, the District's Board of Trustees will conduct a public hearing. The Foothill-De Anza Community College Board of Trustees will consider adopting a resolution proposing to establish a Special Tax to be submitted for voter approval on November 2, 2010, in an amount not to exceed $69 per year (estimated annual collection of $6,900,000) for up to 6 years for a variety of educational programs, including maintaining math, science, writing and other core academic courses that prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges and universities; preserving job training programs that prepare students for careers in technology, engineering, nursing, paramedics, and science; keeping community college libraries open and maintaining library services; maintaining programs that provide equal access to classes for students with disabilities; providing affordable course offerings to meet growing student demand; and attracting and retaining qualified instructors and support staff. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Linda Thor, Chancellor at the address shown above or at 650949-6100. A weekly compendium of vital statistics California Regional Water Quality Control Board San Francisco Bay Region 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1400, Oakland, California 94612 http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay PUBLIC NOTICE REGIONAL WATER BOARD BEGINS THIRD FIVE-YEAR REVIEW OF CLEANUP AT THE COE SUPERFUND SITE 640 Page Mill Road Palo Alto, Santa Clara County The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region (Regional Water Board) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have begun the third five-year review of cleanup actions undertaken at the COE Superfund site (Site) in Palo Alto. The review will evaluate whether the cleanup actions for the Site remain protective of human health and the environment. FIVE-YEAR REVIEW PROCESS When the cleanup remedies leave some waste in place or the remedy will take longer than five years to complete, the Superfund law requires an evaluation of the protectiveness of remedial systems every five years, until the Site has been cleaned up sufficiently to allow unrestricted access. The purpose of the five-year review is to understand how the constructed remedy is operating and to measure the progress towards achieving the Site's cleanup standards. The Regional Water Board will look at the movement and/or breakdown of the Site's remaining contaminants, the operation of groundwater treatment systems, the application and monitoring of the deed restriction, and changes in scientific knowledge about site contaminants and exposure pathways. The Regional Water Board project manager will talk with company representatives, other regulatory authorities, and interested members of the public. The review will be completed by September 30, 2011. CLEANUP PLAN To achieve Site cleanup, Hewlett-Packard was required to implement the following remedies: 1) Soil vapor extraction and treatment 2) Groundwater extraction and treatment 3) Deed restriction prohibiting the use of contaminated groundwater for any use 4) Long-term groundwater monitoring COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT The Regional Water Board is always interested in hearing from the public. If you have any issues or concerns about the COE cleanup plan, and particularly if you have direct knowledge regarding the operation or implementation of the remedy, the Regional Water Board would like to talk with you. Please contact the project manager at the number below. Also contact the project manager if you would like to be included in our mailing list and receive future fact sheets. FOR MORE INFORMATION For a copy of the report and other Site documents, please visit the Regional Water Board's website at: https://geotracker. waterboards.ca.gov/search.asp. Enter the unique Case/Global ID number for this Site which is 43S00051. Then click on "Report", and then on "Site Maps/Documents." You may also review the five-year review report and other Site documents at the Regional Water Board offices at 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1400, Oakland, CA 94612 - phone (510) 622-2300. CONTACT INFORMATION Menlo Park June 24-28 Violence related Assault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Robbery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Theft related Attempted burglary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Cancelled case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Domestic disturbance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Possible fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle related Auto recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Driving w/ suspended license . . . . . . . . .5 Driving without license . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Vehicle accident/no injury. . . . . . . . . . . .2 Abandoned vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Tow request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Alcohol or drug related Drug activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Drunken driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Miscellaneous Coroner case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Juvenile disturbance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Mental evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Probation violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Pursuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Solicitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .2 Warrant arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 NOTICE OF A SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING of the Palo Alto Planning & Transportation Commision Please be advised the Planning and Transportation Commission (P&TC) shall conduct a special meeting at 6:00 PM, Wednesday, July 14, 2010 in the Civic Center, Council Chambers, 1st Floor, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Any interested persons may appear and be heard on these items. Staff reports for agendized items are available via the City's main website at www.cityofpaloalto.org. and also at the Planning Department Front Desk, 5th Floor, City Hall, after 2:00 PM on the Friday preceding the meeting date. Copies will be made available at the Development Center should City Hall be closed on the 9/80 Friday. NEW BUSINESS. Public Hearing: 1. Comprehensive Plan Update: Study session to discuss sustainability topics that will guide preparation of sustainability goals, policies, and programs for inclusion within the draft Comprehensive Plan update. Questions. Any questions regarding the above applications, please contact the Planning Department at (650) 329-2440. The files relating to these items are available for inspection weekdays between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This public meeting is televised live on Government Access Channel 26. ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations to access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn more about the City's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), please contact the City's ADA Coordinator at 650.329.2550 (voice) or by e-mailing email@example.com. *** Curtis Williams, Director of Planning and Community Environment Atherton June 24-30 Theft related Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle related Parking/driving violation . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Suspicious vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Vehicle accident/no injury. . . . . . . . . . . .4 Vehicle code violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Miscellaneous Animal call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Be on the lookout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Building/perimeter/area check . . . . . . . 10 Citizen assist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Construction complaint . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Construction site checks . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Disturbing noise/fights . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Fire call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Foot patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Fraudulent/fictitious use of . . . . . . . . . . .2 Hang up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Medical aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Outside assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Public intoxication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . .9 Answers to this week's puzzles, which can be found on page 47 2 7 9 1 5 4 8 6 3 3 1 6 8 2 9 5 7 4 8 5 4 7 6 3 9 2 1 1 8 7 3 9 5 6 4 2 9 4 5 6 7 2 1 3 8 6 2 3 4 8 1 7 9 5 5 3 2 9 1 6 4 8 7 4 6 8 5 3 7 2 1 9 7 9 1 2 4 8 3 5 6 Fresh news delivered daily Sign up today www.PaloAltoOnline.com For additional information: contact Regional Water Board project manager Roger Papler at (510) 622-2435, or rpapler@ waterboards.ca.gov. (continued on page 14) Page 11 Editorial City attorney retirement is a new opportunity City Attorney Gary Baum's announced retirement offers City Council members an opportunity for a fresh, more proactive approach to city legal matters T he announcement that City Attorney Gary Baum will retire Oct. 31 after six years heading Palo Alto's legal department provides the City Council a solid opportunity to examine the role of both the office and the new attorney. Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions Accept Stanford's gift Editor, Congratulations to Gennady Sheyner on his in-depth reporting on Stanford Hospital and Children's Hospital's proposals for expansion -- an expansion clearly needed. (A caveat: I went to Stanford and I worked at Stanford. I've also had surgery performed a couple of times at Stanford Hospital. It must have worked; I'm nearly 91 and feel great). Palo Alto would not be here without Stanford. Having the University and its medical facilities here make Palo Alto one of the best places to live in Northern California. People worry about growing traffic. People want to live here; the result is traffic. Folks, you're forgetting that Stanford is going to pay all costs for the proposed expansion. Cool it, and accept the gift offer from the university. Harry Press Escobita Avenue Palo Alto Baum, while personally liked, has been the subject of frequent public criticism from some council members for a general lack of initiative in helping city officials find ways to accomplish goals. Instead, his pattern has been a tightly conservative "safe" approach of listing reasons why something couldn't be done, according to critics on the council. "Proactive" is a term used for what officials might look for in a new attorney. In addition, Baum has been criticized for his advice on things as significant as a city plan to charge sidewalk repairs to homeowners -- in which he failed to advise the council that such an action might violate state Proposition 218 provisions requiring voter approval. Some council members were frustrated by his report listing reasons the city should not respond to a Google offer to create a "fiber to the premises" communications network for a community that met specific qualifications. Palo Alto's application is still pending at Google. Perhaps the biggest recent concern was the drafting of the Business License Tax proposal that went down to a sound voter defeat last November. The proposal was widely criticized, including by the Weekly, for being too complicated, confusing and bureaucratic. Baum deserves credit for some cost-cutting in his office. He also is admired for his pro-bono work on behalf of victims of domestic violence, for which he has received two major awards in recent years. The search for a new city attorney will start with selection by fall of a "headhunter" firm to identify qualified applicants, from which the council will select two or three finalists for interviews. Whether finalists' names are made public will be a council decision, although Councilman Larry Klein, chair of the Council Appointed Officers committee, favors that -- and we agree. He expects a new attorney to be named by the end of the year. We expect the council to focus on a new attorney's ability to be more proactive and anticipate legal issues involved in matters before the city, or initiatives of the city. Is bigger better? Editor, Bureaucracies tend to be growing organisms interested in self-preservation and perpetuation, if not relentless expansion. Of course, I'm not an authority on what Stanford needs, what its neighbors need and what the public needs from Stanford. I don't doubt that Stanford is a great resource. However, I have read that, while Stanford goes into plenty of detail about its proposed project, the actual purpose is never defined. It seems reasonable to know and evaluate reasons why more land, space, buildings, parking and traffic lanes are needed. My impression is that Stanford already owns quite a bit of land, and I assume it is private property wherein it can do its will within zoning laws. Also, there are said to be economies of scale -- ideal sizes of various things for optimal functionality. Bigger is not always better. I hope the planners involved are keeping in mind this idea of optimal size with regard to the purpose(s) served. It sounds like what they're aiming for is a clinical, teaching, research and development city. As such, it will require all the services and infrastructure that a city requires. I, for one, hope the city it resembles isn't Los Angeles. Pamela D. Kimball Everett Avenue Palo Alto berley campus to Foothill College. He explains why a satellite Foothill College campus at Cubberley would be a bonus for Palo Alto in terms of added classes for high school, college and older adults. He has decided college-level classes are more important than youth-oriented education like pre-school, after school care, kids dance classes and a tutoring center. He feels strongly that college-level classes are more important than dance studios, artists studios and a Chinese reading room. He has decided that college-level classes should be the top priority in our city at this time. Well, that's his opinion. I disagree with his priorities. Cubberley embodies all that Palo Alto stands for in terms of cultural diversity, passion for the arts and community involvement. The 8-acre side of Cubberley that's at stake is the side of campus with all the classrooms, currently chock-full of the kinds of enrichment opportunities we are so proud of in Palo Alto. To cap it off, when the city needed a temporary location for the Mitchell Park library, they needed to look no farther than Cubberley for that space. Once the property is sold, it's gone forever. I think Mr. Bacchetti's background on the Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees has skewed his perception of the current situation at Cubberley. I hope he will take the time to walk the hallways of Cubberley, peek inside the dance studios, listen to the symphonies practicing on the weekends, visit one of the resident artists, duck into one of the preschool play areas, and see how vibrant a place Cubberley actually is. College-level classes are not the only education that's needed in this town. And furthermore, Paly and Gunn already have a broad selection of college-level classes available to students. Finally, in a March 19 article about Cubberley, it was noted that Foothill was in discussions with Moffett Field as a potential site for another campus. It's large acreage and its proximity to 101 and lightrail make it a much more ideal location for the campus. Lisa Steinback Creekside Drive Palo Alto YOUR TURN The Palo Alto Weekly encourages comments on our coverage or on issues of local interest. What do you think? What qualities should Palo Alto look for in a new city attorney? Submit letters to the editor of up to 250 words to firstname.lastname@example.com. Include your name, address and daytime phone number so we can reach you. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, objectionable content, libel and factual errors known to us. Anonymous letters will generally not be accepted. You can also participate in our popular interactive online forum, Town Square, at our community website at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Read blogs, discuss issues, ask questions or express opinions with you neighbors any time, day or night. Submitting a letter to the editor or guest opinion constitutes a granting of permission to the Palo Alto Weekly and Embarcadero Publishing Co. to also publish it online, including in our online archives and as a post on Town Square. For more information contact Editor Jay Thorwaldson or Online Editor Tyler Hanley at email@example.com or 650-326-8210. Big hike in Palo Alto refuse-pickup rates due alo Alto residents and businesses face a big increase in refusepickup and dump fees in the next year to make up for a $6.3 million revenue shortfall in the city's refuse-collection operations, attributed mostly to the economy and to the city's "green" efforts being more effective than expected. P Virtually every resident and business in town will face rate hikes of between 10 percent and 25 percent on monthly bills that are already high compared to other area cities. Some City Council Finance Committee members said last week they were surprised by news of the shortfall, especially not being told that the state requires that a $6.1 million reserve fund be maintained to pay for closure of the city dump within the next two to four years -- meaning the funds are unavailable to soften rate increases. The city's Public Works Department did issue a report last April 6 that informed the committee there would be a multimillion-dollar shortfall without some added revenues. But it didn't mention the state restriction on the reserve funds. (See staff report: CMR 195.10 on www.CityofPaloAlto.org.) It is ironic that as City Manager James Keene, staff and committee were struggling to close a $7.3 million gap in the city's General Fund budget that a shortfall of nearly the same magnitude was overshadowed and virtually unnoticed in the separate "Enterprise Fund" that encompasses refuse operations. But the irony won't mean much to residents and businesses when they start receiving higher bills -- some still rankle from a 17 percent increase in June 2009 due to the shift to GreenWaste and increased costs of preparing to close the landfill. Page 12 Cubberley's future? Editor, In Ray Bacchetti's Guest Opinion in the June 25 issue, he lays out his argument for selling half of the Cub- Check out Town Square! Hundreds of local topics are being discussed by local residents on Town Square, a reader forum sponsored by the Weekly on our community website at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Post your own comments, ask questions, read the Editor's blog or just stay up on what people are talking about around town! Board of Contributors: Life as a Scouting mom: more than casseroles and sewing on merit badges O by Nancy McGaraghan ne sum mer, many years ago, our oldest son, Neil, then 12, packed his backpack for a week at Camp Oljato, the Boy Scout camp high in the Sierras. As he stood there in full uniform, his backpack in place, his 2-year-old brother Michael stood looking at him in awe. It was a Kodak moment and I love the photo we have that brings it all back to mind. This year, the Pacific Skyline Council of the Boy Scouts of America is celebrating 100 years of Scouting nationally. Having shepherded our four sons through the ranks all the way to Eagle Scout, we feel like we have chalked up almost 100 years of Scouting ourselves. "Be prepared," the Scout slogan, is a family joke, mostly because I am usually under-prepared while my husband is generally prepared for any possibility -- no doubt a throwback to his Scouting days. When raising our boys we welcomed any help we could get. Scouting fit the bill. It advertised good fun, healthy activities and best of all it was run by dads. We moms played back-up crew -- an easy trade-off for me. Some years earlier, I had hung up my Cub Scout leader's whistle in failure when one meeting ended with a child falling out of a tree in my backyard and breaking his arm. My husband, Pat, himself an Eagle Scout, assured me Boy Scouts was different and he was eager to have our kids get involved. Thanks to Pat, our kids had lots of good years in Scouting. Along the way, the national organization of Scouting has weathered and survived controversies such as its position on gays and religion. In our experience, the local troop leaders were sensitive to these issues and did not raise them to exclude or embarrass any Scout. To the contrary, Scouting let kids be kids and feel good about themselves. Rough edges and dirt under their fingernails were part of the deal. In fact, they were so dirty when they returned from camping trips that their clothes were left in the garage, along with all the gear. And there was the outdoors itself. Growing up in Portland, Ore., where on a clear day Mt. Hood reigns over the downtown skyline and beckons all city dwellers, I know that any time in the outdoors is the perfect antidote to city life, social pressure and busy schedules. Any organization that made camping its main activity had my vote. Scouting lets kids experience the outdoors and find a home there to which ours have returned often. Last year, as the Scouting centennial neared, I asked our now-grown kids what was most important to them about those years. They came back with pages of reflections. First was their deep and lasting love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it. But there was more. "It was empowering to be out there, far out there, on our own two feet and with all our supplies on our backs, and to feel at least moderately proficient with a compass, some matches, some First Aid training," one recounted. One son built a play structure for a preschool in East Palo Alto for his Eagle Project. He used the experience as the basis for his college-admissions essay. He is one of many Eagle Scouts who still list that rank on their resumes. An unexpected benefit of Scouting was the camaraderie. Scouting was a whole new world. Our kids remembered that it gave them a chance to be with a new set of friends. It was a chance to be un-cool and away from the pressures of school. Being in a thousand-yearold grove of redwoods allows pretense to slip away and a sense of awe slip in. And dads got to have some together time with sons in their own element and outside of the competition of sports. It was also a chance for dads to dig caves in the snow for snow camping. This was fun? Must be a guy thing. The secret to Scouting's success was the fun. Our boys discovered the thrill of boot skiing at 10,000 feet on a 50-mile hike, and the craziness of a dozen people swinging on a rope swing at the same time. They learned that Lil Smokies are one of nature's perfect foods, and that when planning a menu you should first check if the area in which you will be camping allows open flames. They learned that you should not rub poison oak on your face to prove that you are not allergic to it. (We have the picture to prove it. Until now, I had no idea how he got it.) They learned that "it felt good" to help with community-service projects, such as the massive sandbagging effort one particularly rainy year when San Francisquito Creek overflowed. I learned to sew on a half dozen merit badges onto sashes on the way to a Court of Honor while balancing a casserole on my lap. Today, my boys admit that sewing ought to be the first merit badge earned -- not one would ask someone else to sew so much as a button back on a shirt. They also make better casseroles than I do. Their discoveries helped create bonds that in some cases would last a lifetime. As one son put it, "Really, how could you ever break a bond shared by friends who had to go out in public in those uniforms?" There were other, more serious lessons. One time two of the dads (my husband was one), ran the last few miles of a 50-miler because one of the Scouts gashed his shin on a tree root and needed medical attention. Other Scouts and dads applied emergency First Aid. If it had not been clear to the boys before, they learned then that they were in good hands. They were with adults on whom they could depend, and have fun with. "I know it had a huge impact on us to know that there were adults in our lives (and not just our own parents, but a community of parents) who had high but manageable expectations for us, and who encouraged us to have high but manageable expectations for ourselves," one son added. Scouting was a lot more than slogans or those silly uniforms or whipping up casseroles and sewing on merit badges. It was a chance for kids to be part of something bigger than themselves and learn that what they give is always less than what they get back. Scouting is there for the kids. And to me that's worth celebrating. Nancy McGaraghan is a member of the Weekly's Board of Contributors. She can be e-mailed at firstname.lastname@example.com. Streetwise What is your favorite hobby and why? Interviews by Piyawan Rungsuk. Photographs by Kimihiro Hoshino. Asked on California Avenue and Town and Country shopping center. Laura Baca Receptionist Hamilton Avenue, Menlo Park "Sitting in a secret garden with flowers and stuff. I don't know what this place is called, so I call it my secret garden. It's just peaceful. I feel good." Inga Lindau Retiree Peter Coutts Circle, Stanford "Learning from flowers, I have them on my patio. When you get a bit older, you think differently. You think more about what is meaningful in life." Katie Stanley Student Escondido, Stanford "I like to play ultimate Frisbee. It's really fun. Also it can be competitive." Design engineer Cowper Street, Palo Alto "I play tennis. Healthy body, healthy mind. I enjoy the one-on-one. I like people I play with. Nice people play tennis." Richard Randlett Bill Young Airline employee Bair Island Road, Redwood City "Travel. I can't stay put in one place. I have to keep moving." Page 13 Transitions Births, marriages and deaths Nguyen-Baty Marriages Suong T. Nguyen and Paul S. Baty were married June 26 at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church by the Reverend Karl Miller, who was assisted by Pastor Frank VanderZwan. The bride is the daughter of Nghia Van Nguyen and Hoa Thi Tran of San Jose. She is counsel at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. She graduated from Harvard Law School in 1995 with a Juris Doctor degree and Franklin & Marshall College in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. The groom is the son of Donald Paul Baty and Emilia Salveron Baty of Desert Hot Springs, Calif. He is a manager, enterprise products, at eHealth, Inc. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and computer science. The couple will live in Menlo Park. Carmela Romano Deaths Carmela Romano, 92, a resident of Palo Alto, died June 9. She was born in Kinney, Minn., and grew up in a large Italian-American family. As a young woman, she moved to Astoria, N.Y., where she met and married her husband Dan Romano. In the 1940s, she and her husband moved to Somerset, N.J., where they built their own home. Several of her siblings and their families followed them to Somerset and built homes of their own in the same neighborhood. She lived in Somerset for approximately 40 years before she and Dan moved to Mountain View, Calif., to be close to their son and his family. She was a generous and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend, loved ones recall. She was a wonderful cook who loved to share her delicious homemade Italian food with one and all and her artistic abil- ities were evident in the many sewn, knitted and crocheted gifts that she made for her family and friends, they said. She loved children and encouraged them to develop their talents and attain their greatest potential. She will be fondly remembered for her boundless energy and great passion for life. She is survived by her brother, Angelo Petose of Somerset, N.J., her son John Romano and her daughterin-law Susan Romano of Palo Alto; one granddaughter; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends around the world. Her family would like to express their deepest gratitude to her devoted caregiver Emali Malohi and her extended family, who provided care to Carmela for eight years, and to Dr. Francis Koch, her physician for 25 years. A funeral mass was at St. Matthias Church in Somerset, N.J. Interment followed at St. Peter's Cemetery in New Brunswick, N.J. Commitment To Excellence Pulse (continued from page 11) Suspicious person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Town ordinance violation . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Traffic details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Tree down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Trespassing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Vandalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Vehicle/traffic/hazard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Welfare check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 VIOLENT CRIMES Palo Alto Unlisted block Nelson Court, 6/22, 2:05 a.m.; domestic violence/battery. Unlisted block Bryant Court, 6/25, 9:42 a.m.; domestic violence/battery. Unlisted block Villa Real, 6/25, 10:45 a.m.; domestic violence/violating court order. 600 block E. Meadow Drive, 6/25, 12:09 a.m.; domestic violence/violating court order. 101 El Camino Real, 6/25, 3:12 p.m.; battery. Unlisted block Towle Way, 6/26, 12:57 a.m.; domestic violence/battery. 400 block Emerson Street, 6/27, 1:30 a.m.; battery. 200 block Hamilton Avenue, 6/27, 10:01 p.m.; battery. 900 block Van Auken Court, 6/28, 5:53 p.m.; domestic violence/battery. Beloved wife of William J o s e p h Connor for 67 years. Loving Mom to Brian Connor(Laurel Trask),Brent Connor and Cathleen Claire C o n n o r (J a y Smolik). Doting Grandma to Dina, Max and Evan Connor and Bill and Holly Smolik, passed away peacefully on June 24th 2010 at age 90. Born to William and June Ferguson, Betsy grew up in So. California. There she met Bill and they enjoyed many days together at Santa Monica beach. They married in 1942 and traveled around the country during Bill's Air Corp Cadet training for Page 14 WWII. In 1953 they moved to No. California where Betsy raised her family. She volunteered in the community, schools, and Stanford Hospital and she was the Girl Scout Leader for troop 1702 in the 1960's. She loved her neighbors and friends and was always there to lend a helping hand or a good laugh. She was outdoorsy and athletic and loved to snow ski, water ski, play tennis and golf. She enjoyed entertaining the many visitors at the family cabin in Tahoe. She was an excellent seamstress and creative dynamo with quite an artistic flair. She and Bill enjoyed many years of travel. Betsy was loved by many and will be missed by all. Good natured and witty until the end she and Bill always said, "laughter is the best medicine and key to a long and healthy life." In Lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Betsy's name to the charity of your choice. 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People's Choice Voting Ends Awards Ceremony Blues at Eleven Final Set Sponsored by Pa lo Alto Page 15 Cover Story photos by Veronica Weber story by Katia Savchuk gym into rhythm-filled hubs. Some attendees want to learn something new; some are oldtimers. All are there to dance in a friendly atmosphere. After one or two decades, the events have become community institutions. "We do not emphasize steps or styles or figures; we emphasize making a connection with your dance partner," said Gamble, who used to be a competitive ballroom dancer but missed the social aspects of dance. Some regulars from his group participated in Waltz Weekend at Stanford last weekend, and many will attend a Bastille Day ball in Palo Alto on July 9. "Many people consider it to be their social club," Gamble said. When not waltzing, Gamble has swung by contra dance parties, also held at the First United Methodist Church, O n a typical Friday night, Scott Gamble puts on jeans and a Tshirt -- and goes waltzing. The computer programmer is a regular at the Friday Night Waltz, a weekly event he co-founded nine years ago that draws up to 200 participants. Whether in eveningwear or dressed down, dancers of all ages and abilities get pointers from pros during two-hour classes. Then they let loose to a DJ spinning waltz, polka and tango music. Social-dance nights in Palo Alto attract hundreds of enthusiasts each week and transform church halls and even an old high school on alternate Saturdays. Events always feature a local or visiting live band playing tunes that range from bluegrass to mazurkas, while a caller instructs dancers to "swing your partner" or "do-si-do." "It's good exercise, but mostly it's the music and the interaction with the other people," explained Diane Zingle, who has helped run the dance for 13 years. "We've got a community that's going around it." She started dancing contra, an upbeat American folk dance done in long lines of couples, as a college student 38 years ago. Her future husband was a classmate and also danced contra, but they only met at a reunion 20 years later. He is one of the main callers at the biweekly parties, which usually host around 60 people. Dancers of a different persuasion converge at Cubberley Community Center on Friday (continued on page 20) Social-dance nights draw old-timers and newbies to Palo Alto Summer Young spins his partner, Kristie Karlof, during a contra-dance night at the First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto. Page 16 Cover Story Left, dancers Cris Reeser and Dave Hill make eye contact during a contra-dance night at the First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto. Right, Roger Sorakubo two-steps with partner Rosemarie Robinson at one of Cubberley Community Center's Friday night dances. Above, Diane Matthews twirls in white cowboy boots while contra dancing. Above, contra dancers swirl and twirl their partners at First United Methodist Church. Left, Anna Strong dances the tango at Stanford's Roble Gym during the Waltz Ball. Right, fiddler Eden MacAdam-Somer of the band Notorious performs live at a recent contra dance. On the cover: Andrew Reid and Laura Nowell dance last Saturday in Stanford University's Roble Gym during Waltz Weekend. Page 17 serving the Bay Area for 30 years "Best Of" Winner for over 18 years www.prolificoven.com Ten-Time Winner: Best Travel Agency Thank You! In this year's Best Of Palo Alto we applaud Hollywood, the cinema and everything we love about our local A-listers. 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PALO ALTO'S BEST BOUTIQUE AL O TO W E E KL PA L Y BEST OF 2009 439 California Ave, BEST OF HALL OF FAME 2010 1st Year Hall of Fame � 2010 � 2012 Michaela's - Best Florist Watercourse Way - Best Massage Palo Alto Creamery Fountain and Grill Best Place to Dine with Kids REI - Best Sporting Goods and Apparel St. Michael's Alley - Best Romantic Restaurant Evvia - Best Restaurant to Splurge Charleston Cleaners - Best Dry Cleaner Adobe Animal Hospital - Best Veterinarian Applewood Pizza - Best Pizza Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels - Best Bagels Rick's Ice Cream - Best Ice Cream Caf� Borrone - Best Solo Dining Palo Alto Sol - Best Mexican Restaurant C ICAN EST MEXI VOTE US BFUSION & FULL BAR LIVE MUSIC THURS, FRI & SAT 301 State Street, Los Altos 650.559.5871 www.FiestaVallarta.com 2nd Year Hall of Fame - 2009-2011 Best Lingerie Wear Best Men's Apparel Best New Retail Business Best Nursery/Garden Supply Best Pet Store Best Pharmacy/Drug Store Best Shoe Store Best Sporting Goods and Apparel Best Stationery Store Best Toy Store Best Women's Apparel La Belle Day Spa - Best Manicure Pedicure IKEA - Best Furniture Store he Shop Around he Corner "A burger, beer and a ball game--yeah, baby!" 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A RT G A L L E RY C O F F E E H O U S E nline at nline.com 2010 Sun-Mon 7am - 5pm Tues-Sat 7am - 11pm 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park 650.327.0830 www.CafeBorrone.com Minerals Fossils Fine Art Jewelry WE INVITE YOU TO EXPERIENCE EQUINOX AND OUR 360 APPROACH TO WELLNESS Mention PA Weekly "Best Of" Awards and receive FREE personal training session. Since 1987 440 Portage Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 650.319.1700 www.equinox.com Open Daily Page 19 Cover Story www.mominabox.net The "I Care" package you'll want to send off with your new or returning college student GOT WRINKLES? The Aesthetics Research Center is participating in a research study for crow's feet and forehead lines. Looking for women, age 30-70, with slight to deep wrinkles. The Aesthetics Research Center Please Contact Stephanie for more information: 800.442.0989 or firstname.lastname@example.com amp Connec tion C For more information about these camps, see our online directory of camps at PaloAltoOnline.com/biz/summercamps To advertise in a weekly directory, contact 650-326-8210 G U I D E TO 2010 S U M M E R C A M P S F O R K I D S Sports Camps Glenoaks Stables' Horse Camp Portola Valley Giddy up your summer at Glenoaks Stables' horse camp. A full day of equestrian fun includes supervised riding, horsemanship, vaulting, pony games and arts & crafts. 5 one-week sessions. All skill levels welcome, ages 6+. www.glenoaksequestriancenter.com/summercamps.htm 650 854 4955 Stiffer joints make it painful to move, run or play. Try Cosequin�, the #1 Vet recommended joint supplement. Cosequin� plays an important role in maintaining optimal joint function. Healthy cartilage is crucial for proper joint mobility. Cosequin helps support cartilage production and protect existing cartilage from breakdown. Cosequin allows your pet to enjoy their everyday activities. Stepping out (continued from page 16) - Cosequin� Available at - 20% OFF next visit (Please Bring This Ad) Expires 12/15/2010 Wellness Services include: Heartworm/Tick Disease Testing Flea Control Vaccinations Year-round Parasite Prevention Dentistry & Oral Surgery Surgical Services Spay & Neuter Fecal Parasite Exams Microchipping Geriatric Pet Care Health Certificates For Travel AlpineVetOnline.com (650) 969-8555 Top, dancers happily twirl at the Waltz Ball, part of Waltz Weekend, an annual event, at Stanford University. Above, Cubberley Community Center's Friday Night Dance series offers lessons and open dances. Dr. Rebecca McClellan D.V.M. Page 20 Dr. Tyler Long D.V.M. nights for social ballroom dancing. Cha cha, foxtrot and nightclub two-step are among the 14 styles that rotate on consecutive weeks. Around 200 novice and experienced dancers refine their moves in onehour lessons and show them off on a 12,000-foot dance floor flooded with colored lights. Robin Rebello, a trained ballroom dancer who has been running the weekly event for 26 years, still cannot get enough. "It's just a lot of fun," she said. "You're moving to music, and human beings -- that's their thing. Something happens to you emotionally or spiritually." Editorial Intern Katia Savchuk can be e-mailed at ksavchuk@ paweekly.com. SPRING INTO SUMMER! 2009 Zumba Pilates Yoga Combat Cardio Step Boxing Kettlebells Personal Training Spin! Free Weights TRX Suspension And Much More! CELEBRATE YOUR INDEPENDANCE GET THE MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK TEAK 30% OFF UMBRELLAS 30% OFF SUNBRELLA CUSHIONS 20% OFF DOG BOY WILLIE NFS MASSAGE NOW AVAILABLE Voted `Best On The Peninsula " and "Dealer Of The Year" S.F. 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Call a Star One Credit Union Student Choice Program Representative at (800) 741-2893 De Anza Blvd & Homestead Rd Cupertino 10991 N De Anza Blvd El Camino Real & Ventura Ave Palo Alto 3903 El Camino Real Blossom Hill Rd & Almaden Expwy San Jose 1090 Blossom Hill Rd Stevens Creek Blvd & S. Winchester Opening by Fall 2010 San Jose 3136 Stevens Creek Blvd Sunnyvale 1080 Enterprise Way, Ste 150 Enterprise Way & 11th Ave " J o i n U s ! M e m b e r s h i p i s o p e n t o i n d i v i d u a l s w h o l i v e , w o r k , o r a t t e n d s c h o o l i n S a n t a C l a r a C o u n t y. " Page 21 Arts & Entertainment A weekly guide to music, theater, art, movies and more, edited by Rebecca Wallace An evening for Veronica Weber Top: Holly Smolik pictured in front of an acoustic panel at Dinkelspiel Auditorium. Above: Palo Alto bassist Seward McCain. by Rebecca Wallace -ow do you pay proper homage to a beyond-words legend? If you're the Stanford Jazz Festival, you salute the late iconic singer Ella Fitzgerald with a tribute concert. And you assemble a seasoned cast of players: musicians including vocalists Mary Stallings, who sang with the Count Basie band; and Kenny Washington, who'll bring along his four-octave range and speedy scatting. Palo Alto bassist Seward McCain, a longtime Stanford Jazz faculty member, is also on the bill for the July 11 concert, along with saxophonist Noel Jewkes, trumpeter Erik Jekabson, pianist Larry Dunlap and drummer Leon Joyce. Fitzgerald has long been praised for her tone, phrasing and influential interpretations of the American Songbook, as well as for her skillful scat singing. "She's the queen," McCain said simply. She also gained attention at an early age. She was just a teenager when she won an amateur-night award at New York's Apollo Theater and joined Chick Webb's big band, and 21 when she made her breakout 1938 recording of "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." It's fitting that the July 11 concert will also feature two young singers, Laila Smith and Holly Smolik. Smolik, 17, is a local; she's a Ladera resident who recently graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School, where she sang with Frank Moura's acclaimed jazz band. When Smolik learned she'd been chosen for the Ella Fitzgerald tribute concert, she was ecstatic. (Her exact words: "Mom! I got a gig!") There's some apprehension, too. Last week, as Smolik sat in the audience at Stanford's Dinkelspiel Auditorium, she reflected on Ella Fitzgerald, on listening to her recordings, watching a biography about her life, writing a paper on her. "I feel so bad, because I won't be able to do her justice," Smolik said, swinging a shiny shoe she was wearing with a properly retro dress. "No one can ever H Stanford Jazz musicians salute a legend with a July 11 concert Joel Simon Carl Van Vechten Page 22 get to her level, I don't think." Smolik has a good ally in practicing for the concert: her brother Bill, a trumpeter who first introduced her to jazz. "He was 14 when I was 5, so I've known Frank (Moura) since then," she said. She went on to take jazz lessons at middle school and attend jazz camp at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for five years. One of her favorite camp teachers was the singer/pianist Dena DeRose: "In one day, she taught me how to transcribe and transpose music." Like her brother, Smolik thinks jazz is "much better than any kind of music." It's hard work. Much of it is live. And there's a sense of teamwork in harmonizing and improvising with other people, she noted. Smolik added: "Jazz is the easiest for me to sing. Pop is belty. I have that jazz, smoky-ish, smooth sound." Occasionally she'll stretch high up into the head voice. At a recent performance of "Every Day I Have the Blues," she hit what she called a "kidney note." She laughed. "I think I hurt myself." Regarding the July 11 concert, Smolik is thinking about singing "Angel Eyes," and perhaps "Honeysuckle Rose" or "Black Coffee." As for bassist Seward McCain, he's preparing for the concert in part by listening to his large collection of Ella recordings and getting inspired. Also a composer, McCain is a longtime performing and touring musician whose resume includes recording "Peanuts" soundtracks with pianist/composer Vince Guaraldi. "I always wanted to work with Ella, and she passed away before I got a chance," McCain said in a phone interview. He did get to see her perform live a few times, including a show at the Venetian Room in San Francisco not long before her death in 1996. "That was a privilege." McCain said he's not yet sure what will be on the July 11 concert program, but added: "I will always be prepared if anyone is going to do `Mac the Knife.'" For Smolik, the Ella Fitzgerald concert is also a fine kick-off to a year intended to focus on the arts. She plans to take at least a year off before college to pursue music, acting and comedy. Later this summer, she'll be in the Palo Alto Children's Theatre's production of the musical "Barnum," and she just might audition for "American Idol." In keeping with the digital age, she's also building an online portfolio of performance videos at youtube.com/hollysmolik, and hoping for hits and attention. "YouTube gets you out there," she said. "Justin Bieber got discovered on YouTube." Then she lets out a world-weary laugh, one that's all ready for singing in smoky clubs. "I don't know why they picked a man with a four-year-old voice." What: "Ella Fitzgerald: America's First Lady of Song," a concert presented by the Stanford Jazz Festival Where: Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University When: 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 11 Cost: $32 general, $18 for students Info: Go to stanfordjazz.org or call 650-725-2787. Alisa Clancy of KCSM will also give a pre-concert talk at 1:30 p.m.; admission is free with a concert ticket. PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL CIVIC CENTER, 250 HAMILTON AVENUE BROADCAST LIVE ON KZSU, FM 90.1 CABLECAST LIVE ON GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL 26 (TENTATIVE) AGENDA -- COUNCIL CHAMBERS DUE TO THE JULY 4 HOLIDAY, THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MONDAY, JULY 5, 2010 HAS BEEN CANCELLED STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING The Finance Committee Meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 7:00 PM regarding: 1) FY 2010 Reappropriations and 2) Refuse Rate Analysis and Funding Strategies Visit Our Friendly and Professional Staff Corporations, Living Trusts, Promissory Notes, Deeds, Power of Attorney, Divorce Karen and Kyle 230 S. California Ave., Suite 103, Palo Alto 94306 Phone: 650-324-3800 Email: email@example.com Santa Clara County LDA #114 � Expires 7/11 www.ThePaloAltoBlackandWhiteBall.org Media Sponsors: Paralegal and Notary Services PALO ALTO FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC FESTIVAL This Sunday: Fireworks, Anyone? Rev. Sally Brown, preaching An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ july 10 & 11, 2010 10am to 5pm palo alto art center embarcadero and newell 180 prestigious clay & glass artists members gallery demonstrations free admission valet parking 650-329-2366 acga.net A resource for special events and ongoing religious services. To inquire about or make space reservations for Inspirations, please contact Blanca Yoc at 326-8210 x6596 or email email@example.com INSPIRATIONS Page 23 Arts & Entertainment is unshakable in her conviction that drastic actions are not only justified, but morally imperative. Despite her reservations, Marion joins Jean and her co-conspirators on a 3 a.m. raid, and her home becomes a refuge for young eco-felons and, briefly, a rescued piglet. The former are played by John Beamer and Adrienne Walters; the latter, by a nonchalant pink and black newcomer named, appropriately, Pearblossom. Beamer's performance is passionate and would probably be funny if not for the sluggish pace of the dialogue. Of all the cast, Walters seems most comfortable with the sort of verbal jostling that Bock's writing seeks to capture, and a few of her exchanges with Griffith have the snap of spontaneous speech. Rounding out the cast are Roberta Morris and Vic Prosak as Marion's sister and brother-in-law, respectively. Prosak's character is a surly lout, motivated by seething anger at god-knows-what, and Morris, as his wife, has the horrid task of playing a woman who is too spineless to tell him off. Bock hints that there's more to their relationship than a sad clich�, but he never delivers on it, and their subplot ultimately goes nowhere. It's possible that the show will tighten up over the course of its run and the actors' delivery will become more natural. As it stands now, the gaps in the dialogue prevent us from being caught up in the scenes' momentum, giving us time to recognize the script's shortcomings -- specifically, a thin plot, a clumsily delivered climax, and an unsuccessful attempt to graft a symbol (the titular chair) onto a story about anti-pig-farm activism. In the end, one suspects that Bock isn't all that interested in the evils of factory farming, per se. He devotes virtually no time to educating his audience on the issue, let alone to winning converts. Jean and her cohorts rattle off a few breathless, inchoate words about sewage spilling everywhere and pigs living in crowded pens, but that's the extent of it. The audience's philosophical complicity is more or less assumed. For Bock, the pig story is merely a means to an end, just as foxes and grapes were for Aesop. It's a construct that leads us to the author's moral -- a moral that he spells out for us in terms barely more subtle than in one of Aesop's fables. In short: "Complacency is bad; action is good." And in the universe of this play, it doesn't matter if that action is violent, illegal, or utterly ineffectual. Why? Because that darn Shaker chair wants us to get up and do something, even if it's something that the nonviolent Shakers would have found abhorrent. What: "The Shaker Chair," presented by Pear Avenue Theatre Where: Pear Avenue Theatre, 1220 Pear Ave., Unit K, Mountain View When: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through July 10, plus 2 p.m. performances on July 10 & 11. Cost: Tickets are $25 for Friday and Saturday evenings and $20 for all other performances, with discounts for students and seniors. Info: Call the box office at 650-2541148 or go to www.thepear.org. Ray Renati From left, Carolyn Ford Compton, Beverley Griffith and Roberta Morris in "The Shaker Chair." Get up, stand up " THE PERFECT SUMMER MOVIE ! " Bill Zwecker, FOX-TV `The Shaker Chair' could be a call to action, but it needs more pep by Kevin Kirby n Adam Bock's one-act play "The Shaker Chair," a middleTHEATER REVIEW aged woman becomes involved with a group of animal-rights activists engaged in a pitched battle manner, with each actor politely against a local pig farm. As pre- waiting his or her turn before "insented by the Pear Avenue Theatre terrupting," it makes the characters in Mountain View, this ostensibly seem anything but spontaneously thoughtful play clocks in at rough- real. With the Pear's production, ly an hour and a quarter -- shorter we are painfully aware that we are than your typical summer cineplex watching actors perform a minutely blockbuster. Sadly, one can't help scripted fiction. It's not that director Ann Kuchins but feel that this would be a bethas assembled a batch of bad actors; ter show if its running time were she just needs to help them pick up shorter still. This is not to say that the script is the pace. Timing aside, most of the too long. In fact, the arrow-straight cast give credible performances. Carolyn Ford Compton plays plot could use a bit of fleshing out. Marion, a middle-aged woman Rather, the Pear's production is undermined by performances that who has just purchased a narrow, are almost without exception ener- straight-backed, Shaker-style chair, gized, focused and accurate, but far apparently as part of her search for deeper spiritual meaning. Throughtoo slow. Crisp pacing is important to out the play, Marion does quite a bit any show, but it is especially cru- of talking about the Shakers: their cial in this case due to the nature dedication to simplicity, to cleanliof Bock's dialogue. Bock is fond ness, to rooting out sloth. The unof half-formed thoughts, one-word comfortable chair, she speculates, interjections, incomplete sentences was their way of reminding us we and characters who talk over one should be on our feet, doing someanother. In reviewing a previous thing useful. But the catalyst that finally gets production of "The Shaker Chair," Marion out of that chair (and into the Louisville Courier-Journal described it thus: "(Bock's) dialogue is the very messy world) is her friend naturalistic, peppered with stops and Jean, played with verve by Beverley starts ... that make his stage charac- Griffith. Jean is a guerilla warrior in the battle against factory farmters appear spontaneously real." Unfortunately, when this sort of ing. Incensed by the cruelty and dialogue is presented in a plodding environmental degradation that she has witnessed at the pig farm, she I COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH RELATIVITY MEDIA A HAPPY MADISON PRODUCTION A FILM BY DENNIS DUGAN "GROWN UPS" MUSIC SALMA HAYEK MARIA BELLO MAYA RUDOLPH SUPERVISION BY MICHAELWRITTENBECK BROOKS ARTHUR KEVIN GRADY MUSIC RUPERT GREGSON-WILLIAMS DIL BY EXECUTIVE PRODUCED PRODUCERS BARRY BERNARDI TIM HERLIHY ALLEN COVERT STEVE KOREN BY ADAM SANDLER & FRED WOLF BY ADAM SANDLER JACK GIARRAPUTO DIRECTED BY DENNIS DUGAN CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES Page 24 Book Section Talk HOMETOWN `HERO' ... Bestselling Menlo Park writer Bruce Henderson will discuss his novel "Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War" July 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Kepler's, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. "Hero" is the harrowing true story of U.S. Navy pilot Dieter Dengler's escape from a P.O.W. camp in Vietnam in 1966. The tale was made famous by the 2006 Werner Herzog film "Rescue Dawn" starring Christian Bale (as Dengler). Author Bruce Henderson is a former newspaper and magazine writer. He currently teaches nonfiction writing at Stanford University and lives in Menlo Park. AUTHOR, AUTHOR ... Upcoming authors at Keplers, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, include: Dora Calott Wang, M.D., "The Kitchen Shrink: A Psychiatrist's Reflections on Healing in a Changing World" (July 6, 7:30 p.m.); Tatjana Soli, "The Lotus Eaters" (July 7, 7:30 p.m.); Belle Yang, "Forget Sorrow" (July 8, 7:30 p.m.); William Powers, "Hamlet's Blackberry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age" (July 13, 7:30 p.m.); Susan Moon, "This is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts on Aging with Humor and Dignity" (July 14, 7:30 p.m.); Allegra Goodman, "The Cookbook Collector" (July 15, 7:30 p.m.); Ayelet Waldman, "Red Hook Road" (July 16, 7:30 p.m.); Justin Cronin, "The Passage: A Novel" (July 20, 7:30 p.m.); Ally Carter, "Only the Good Spy Young" (July 22, 6 p.m.); Jeffrey Ma, "The House Advantage: Playing the Odds to Win Big in Business" (July 22, 7:30 p.m.); Maggie Stiefvater, "Linger" (July 23, 7 p.m.); David Carnoy, "Knife Music" (July 27, 7:30 p.m.); Stefanie Syman, "The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America" (July 28, 7:30 p.m.); Adrienne McDonnell, "The Doctor and the Diva" (Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m.); and Laura Fraser, "All Over the Map" (Aug. 5, 7:30 p.m.). Information: Go to www.keplers.com. MORE TALKS ... Upcoming authors at Books Inc. at Town & Country Village in Palo Alto include Alan Eagle, "William's Magic Football" (July 15, 7 p.m.); Abraham Verghese, "Cutting for Stone" (July 20, 7 p.m.); and Lisa Gardner, "Live to Tell" (July 28, 7 p.m.); Information: Go to www. booksinc.net. Title Pages A monthly section on local books and authors, edited by Tyler Hanley REMEMBERING `Mark Twain Anthology' rife with insight, inspiration by Jennifer Deitz "The Mark Twain Anthology: Great Writers on His Life and Works," edited by Shelley Fisher Fishkin; Library of America; 492 pp.; $35 ith 2010 marking the centennial of Mark Twain's death, editor Shelley Fisher Fishkin has put together a fascinating and diverse anthology of essays and remembrances by an international cast of writers paying tribute to one of the best known and loved American authors of all time in "The Mark Twain Anthology: Great Writers on His Life and Works." Samuel Clemens, writing under the pen name of Mark Twain, was a brilliant humorist and satirist whose novels "Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" have become classics in the literary canon. For decades now, Twain's writings have been required reading in schools around the country and have become time-honored favorites of readers both young and old. Twain also landed famously in the center of the book-banning controversy due to a vocal minority who argued that the public, particularly children, should not be exposed to the "coarse language" Twain used (mostly coming from his characters who spoke in a Southern dialect and made frequent use of the "N word") and demanded that Huck Finn be removed from public-library shelves and classrooms. The collected voices included in this anthology offer a welcome reminder of what an immense talent Twain was as a writer and what a truly remarkable influence he has had not only on the landscape of American fiction, but internationally as well. Fishkin, who is a professor of English and the Director of the American Studies Program at Stanford University, is a highly regarded expert on Twain and his writing, having authored or edited 33 books on the man and his works, in addition to producing the Broadway play of Mark Twain's "Is He Dead?" Her own mastery of her subject is well in evidence in the finely crafted introductions to each essay, which provide a brief context and history for the writer's own career and how their particular relationship to Twain evolved. What will likely most surprise readers who have not studied Twain as exhaustively as Fishkin has is the sheer breadth of influence Twain had on both his contemporaries Great American novelist the W Steve Castillo Shelley Fisher Fishkin, an English professor and the Director of the American Studies Program at Stanford University, has authored or edited 33 books on Mark Twain and his works. and on future generations -- influences spanning an incredibly diverse group of novelists, visual artists, playwrights, actors, philosophers, humorists and political activists, including Rudyard Kipling, Gore Vidal, Friedrich Nietzsche, George Orwell, T.S. Eliot, Jose Marti and John Cocteau. Writers Toni Morrison, Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison, whose novels are now considered classics and are widely admired for their depictions of racism against African-Americans and racial and ethnic identity in America, all point to ways in which reading Twain's work at various points in their development as writers served alternately to comfort, disturb and inspire them. So much so that -- as Fishkin notes in her introduction to writer, critic and commentator David Bradley's essay -- Bradley surprised audiences at a 1985 speech in Hartford, Conn., by going against the grain of the generally understood definition of "black" literature as being necessarily written by black authors, to argue that "Huckleberry Finn is a black novel." Bradley further suggested that while Samuel Clemens, the man, was white, his alter ego of Mark Twain was black and the vehicle by which the writer was able to access ideas Clemens, the man, could not have expressed. In Bradley's essay, originally published as the 1996 introduction for "How to Tell a Story and Other Essays," he describes how as a young boy reading Huck Finn he was able to find first in the protagonist -- and later in the quality of Twain's approach to writing itself -- an inspiration to shake off the religious propriety of his upbringing that had stifled his creativity and to embrace the life of a writer. Norman Mailer, the novelist and Pulitzer Prize-winning master of "new journalism" who often pooled in with the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Hunter S. Thomas as "man's-man" author and celebrity, was also a fan of Twain's. Mailer's is a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek essay entitled "Huck Finn, Alive at 100," about going back to read Twain and imagining how this book would be reviewed if it were the debut novel of a present-day author. Very likely, Mailer says, Twain would be accused of having "stolen" Hemingway's style, and by way of proof, excerpts a paragraph from Huck Finn describing the river and the landscape with a diction and style that has come to be so closely (continued on next page) Items for Book Talk may be sent to Associate Editor Carol Blitzer, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 93202 or e-mailed to email@example.com by the last Friday of the month. Page 25 International School of the Peninsula SENIORS HEALTH SPECIALIST Are you a senior, or do you have an elder parent and are concerned about their health? Contact a Certified Fitness Trainer experienced in working with seniors. Training that focuses on: 1. Strength: increase bone density and keep weight and blood sugar in check 2. Balance: help prevent falls 3. Stretching: freedom of movement 4. Endurance: aid breathing and heart functions fu Title Pages Mark Twain (continued from previous page) Offering Mandarin Chinese, French & Spanish Nursery - 8th grade NEW CULTURAL CLASSES THIS FALL! Enroll Now! Classes Begin mid-Sept. (650) 251-8519 www.istp.org/languageclasses Palo Alto, CA Personal Fitness Training by Brian Doyle Call 650-235-6494 www d AUTO CHARITY WWW.ABLEAUTOCHARITY.COM STANFORD JAZZ FESTIVAL TICKETS ON SALE NOW! www.stanfordjazz.org Box Office: 650.725.ARTS (2787) 1-877-977-9577 OR DONATE YOUR VEHICLE 408-370-1054 FAST F R E E PICK-UP SAT. 7/10: TUCK & PATTI 39TH SEASON June 25 � August 7, 2010 Thi sS atu rda y! SAT. 7/3: DR. LONNIE SMITH TRIO FRI. 7/9: FRED HERSCH: JOBIM & MORE SUN. 7/11: ELLA FITZGERALD AMERICA'S FIRST LADY OF SONG 07/02 The Music of Billy Strayhorn 07/03 Early Bird Jazz for Kids: Jim Nadel & Friends 07/03 Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio 07/09 Fred Hersch: Jobim and More 07/10 Early Bird Latin Jazz for Kids: John Santos Sextet 07/10 Tuck & Patti 07/11 Ella Fitzgerald: America's First Lady of Song 07/16 Mose Allison Trio 07/17 Claudia Villela Band 07/18 John Santos Sextet 07/19 Khalil Shaheed & the Mo'Rockin Project 07/20 Gerald Clayton Trio 07/21 Kristen Strom Quintet 07/22 The Music of Dave Brubeck presented by Victor Lin 07/24 Giants of Jazz: Charles McPherson, Junior Mance, and Tootie Heath 07/25 Ruth Davies' Blues Night with Special Guest Keb' Mo' 07/26 Dena DeRose Trio 07/27 Junior Mance Trio 07/28 100 Years of Django with Julian Lage, Victor Lin & Jorge Roeder 07/29 Visions: The Stevie Wonder Songbook 07/31 Rebecca Martin featuring Larry Grenadier, Steve Cardenas & Larry Goldings 08/01 Dave Douglas Quintet Plus 08/02 George Cables Trio 08/03 Nicholas Payton with the Taylor Eigsti Trio 08/04 Joshua Redman Trio 08/06 SJW All-Star Jam Session 08/07 Taylor Eigsti Group featuring Becca Stevens defined as "Hemingway-esque" that it is startling to realize it was actually Twain who came up with it first. There is also a delightful short essay by Chuck Jones that includes a spot-on pencil sketch of Twain with characteristically wild hair, an exaggerated moustache and a halo. In the essay excerpted from "Chuck Amuck," Jones tells of how as a little boy reading Twain's description of a coyote as a "long, slim, sick and sorry-looking skeleton, with a gray wolf-skin stretched over it," he felt an instant kinship to the idea of this hungry, friendless, out-of-luck creature wandering directionless if only so as to avoid lying around "doing nothing but adding to the burdens of his parents." The image of the coyote in Jones' head as a child was ultimately the inspiration for his iconic cartoon character Wile E. Coyote, whose futile pursuit of the Road Runner entertained morning cartoon viewers for decades to come. There are many other unexpected arguments and tributes as well. Progressive feminist writer Ericka Jong, whose novel "Fear of Flying" caused waves in the 1960s with its candid depiction of female sexuality, argues intriguingly that Twain's excursion into pornography and scatology in one of his lesser-known works, "1601," seems in hindsight a crucial exercise in liberation, freeing the writer to address in Huck Finn the even more deeply submerged conflicts in the American psyche regarding slavery, racism and oppression. Elsewhere in the anthology, author Kurt Vonnegut, best known for his book "Slaughterhouse-Five," credits Twain (along with French writer Jules Verne) as having founded the science-fiction genre in using time travel as part of the motif for his book "Connecticut Yankee." And Cuban writer and political leader Jose Marti, who died fighting for democracy and independence in his own country, describes Twain as one of the rare writers who worked as a "miner" rather than a "gilder" in rooting out and shining light on human failings and hypocrisies, and who used his pen as a "lance" to deftly criticize the injustice brought about by the "new aristocracy" that Marti perceived as having taken root in the United States near the turn of the 20th century. But perhaps one of the most illuminating and memorable of all the essays in this anthology is one that focuses less on the impact of Twain's writing than on the character of the man, Samuel Clemens, himself. Helen Keller writes in her essay "Our Mark Twain" of finding in Clemens a loyal friend, confidant, inspiration and mentor. Clemens was instrumental in making it possible for Keller to attend Radcliffe College, where -- according to Fishkin's introduction -- she became "the first deaf and blind person in the world to earn a bachelor of arts degree." Keller admires and appreciates Clemens for never letting her disabilities become an obstacle in their relationship. He read aloud to her from his works while she read his lips with her fingers, and despite her lack of sight, insisted on showing her all of the rooms in his favorite old house, and once took her on a walk deep into the countryside on which they got so badly lost in the "uncharted wilderness" that they had to be rescued from the wrong side of a raging river. As Keller writes, "He never embarrassed me by saying how terrible it is not to see, or how dull life must be always lived in the dark. He wove about my dark walls romance and adventure, which made me feel happy and important. Once when Peter Dunne, the irrepressible Mr. Dooley, exclaimed: `God, how dull it must be for her, every day the same and every night the same as the day,' he said, `You're damned wrong there; blindness is an exciting business, I tell you; if you don't believe it, get up some dark night on the wrong side of your bed when the house is on fire and try to find the door.'" Elsewhere in the essay Keller concludes, "He made me laugh and feel thoroughly happy by telling some good stories ... I have forgotten a great deal more than I remember, but I shall never forget how tender he was." Many of his readers would likely say the same. Freelance writer Jennifer Deitz can be reached at deitzjen@gmail. com. Looking for something to do? Check out the Weekly's Community Calendar for the Midpeninsula. Instantly find out what events are going on in your city! Go to www.PaloAltoOnline .com/calendar ORDER TICKETS www.stanfordjazz.org Page 26 Movies OPENINGS The Twilight Saga: Eclipse 1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) Not unlike a TV sitcom, in which maintaining the status quo is job one, "The Twilight Saga" is a film series not big on plot momentum from one episode to the next. "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" has almost the same plot as the previous installment, "New Moon." As before, peeved redheaded vampire Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard, taking over for Rachelle Lefevre) lurks out of sight, plotting the revenge murder of waifish human Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). As before, Bella frets over this threat to her life, but frets far more about her love triangle with vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). And most egregiously, "Eclipse" sends audiences out with the same ending as the previous installment, having advanced Bella's marital plans not a whit. Despite this fundamental puzzlement, "Eclipse" is the most bearable (by which I mean least boring) of the three "Twilight Saga" films based on the runaway-hit youngadult novels by Stephenie Meyer. I strongly suspect fans will go gaga for "Eclipse," which dutifully stokes the romantic embers between Bella and soul-mate Edward, escalates the confusion Bella feels regarding loveprofessing Jacob, and more than ever keeps Lautner in a state of undress (about 75 percent of his performance is shirtless). Surely some unwilling males of the species will grudgingly accompany their dates to "Eclipse," and director David Slade ("Hard Candy") keeps them in mind with a pseudo-Narnian storyline of interspecies battle training in the woods. Anticipating an army of trouble-making vampires from Seattle, the Forks, Washington vamps and the native Quileute tribe of werewolves form an uneasy alliance to practice their butt-kicking -- make that jugular-biting. With more success than his forebears, Slade calibrates the balance of moony romance to CGI-enhanced action (with a dash of monster mythology). "Decisions, decisions," sez drywitted bloodsucker Jane (Dakota Fanning), one of the Volturi overlords who police vamp activity. The two words sum up the sole theme of "Eclipse," which matches "New Moon"'s "Romeo and Juliet" allusions with a film-opening reading of Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice." The symbolism is bleedin' obvious to anyone paying attention: coldas-ice Edward or fever-warm Jacob? The film doesn't much succeed in convincing us that there's any doubt in Bella's mind, but the scripting, acting and direction show enough micro-improvements to make the prolonged mooning and smoldering seem a bit more substantial and even, for a fleeting moment, fun Noah Ringer makes an engaging debut in "The Last Airbender." (Jacob's not-quite double entendre to Edward, "Face it: I'm hotter than you"). The life choices of "Eclipse," aligned as they are with Bella's graduation anxieties, neatly reflect the angst of transitioning tweens and teens. Sure, most of them aren't considering becoming a vampire to spend an eternal married life with their (puppy) loves, but the principle applies to college selection, the custody conflicts of divorce and the like. Plot or no, increasingly picturesque photography, amped-up action, borrowed poetry, and age-old romance have "The Twilight Saga" on its surest footing yet -- that is, until the youngsters grow up and realize "True Blood" tells the same story so much better. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some sensuality. Two hours, four minutes. -- Peter Canavese cized for whitewashing the main characters, who are brown-skinned in the television series, but he should be chastised for directing such terrible performances. Awkward and wooden, Peltz and Rathbone deliver stilted dialogue and their few attempts at humor fall flat. Noah Ringer, in an engaging debut, fares better as Aang, the lone avatar capable of restoring balance to the war-torn planet. Frozen for a century and freed by Katara's waterbending, the young boy must lead the struggle to fend off the Fire Nation's militaristic attempt to conquer the Air, Water and Earth nations. Only he has the capability to "bend" or manipulate all four elements and restore harmony. But Aang never finished his training. An Air nomad accomplished in his native airbending, Aang ran from the monks who identified him as the Chosen One and the responsibility that came with being the most recent incarnation of the avatar. The Fire Nation is formidable. Under the ruthless rule of Fire Lord Ozai (Cliff Curtis of "Live Free or Die Hard"), Commander Zhao (Aasif Mandvi in an over-the-top, wide-eyed performance) sets out to capture Aang before Ozai's estranged son, Prince Zuko (Dev Patel of "Slumdog Millionaire"), can do so and reclaim his father's respect. The prince's hotheaded temperament is offset by the wisdom of his Uncle Iroh (Shaun Toub of "Iron Man" steals the movie), whose falling out with his brother goes unexplained. Aang, Katara and Sokka dash here and there to visit the various tribes on the back of Appa, the last of the flying bisons. Aang's meditation sessions provide some backstory and guidance from the spirit world, and only his character becomes fully realized. But just when you truly worry about Aang's welfare, Zhao reminds his troops that killing the avatar would be futile, as he would just be reincarnated. The tension level falls. And the Dragon Spirit instructed the avatar not to hurt others, so there goes what's left of the conflict that should drive the narrative. The hero can't be harmed, nor can he do any. The plight of the Northern Water Tribe, faceless and one-dimensional (including Seychelle Gabriel as the zombie-like Princess Yue), hardly stirs one's emotions. What should be the most exciting act of the movie becomes a protracted action scene dressed up with martial arts and visual effects. M. Night Shyamalan will have to do a better job of crafting a screenplay, casting and directing actors, and shooting in 3-D rather than greenlighting a conversion -- and perhaps tapping into his sixth sense -- to be successful with future projects. Rated: PG for violence and not recommended for young children. 1 hour, 43 minutes. -- Susan Tavernetti Cyrus (Aquarius) John (John C. Reilly) is "borderline desperate," he says. A more accurate description would be "totally desperate." Divorced for seven years, the central character of "Cyrus" can't seem to find a woman to replace his ex and still close friend Jamie (Cath- erine Keener, queen of indies such as "Please Give"), who is about to marry someone else. Then John reluctantly accompanies Jamie and her fiance to a party, where, drunk and rowdy, he amazingly hooks up with Molly (Marisa Tomei) -- beautiful, loving and complete with baggage. The baggage is her obese 21-yearold son Cyrus (Jonah Hill of "Superbad," "Get Him to the Greek"), who still lives with her. Sure, Cyrus is delighted to meet John and happy to "have a new dad." So he says. But his relationship with Molly is unusual, at the least, and Cyrus starts subtly to sabotage John's relationship with her. Jay and Mark Duplass ("The Puffy Chair") co-wrote and co-directed this comedy, which, despite an obviously low budget -- or maybe because of it -- is poignant and true to life, starting with John C. Reilly's shlumpy appearance. The dialogue rings true all the time, and the situations avoid melodrama or forced crises. The tension between John and Cyrus is sharply developed. Where have John's white Adidas sneakers gone after the first time he spends the night at Molly and Cyrus's? (continued on next page) "THE BEST `TWILIGHT' MOVIE SO FAR!" � ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY � ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY " � Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV � Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV . EXHILARATING!" "ONE OF THE SUMMER'S BEST FILMS." � Jake Hamilton, FOX-TV � Jake Hamilton, FOX-TV "EPIC! MORE ACTION, MORE ROMANCE, MORE SUSPENSE." � Maria Salas, TERRA TV � Maria Salas, TERRA TV The Last Airbender 1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) Writerdirector M. Night Shyamalan's element-bending of the popular Nickelodeon animated television series isn't for the better. Although his big-screen adaptation of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" stays true to the premise of the anime-style cartoon created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, an entire season's worth of character development and plot can't be shoehorned into one movie's relatively short running time. Kungfu fight scenes featuring fireballs, swirling earth and jets of water -- coming at you courtesy of a poor 3-D conversion -- grow as tedious as some of the miscast actors. The epic fantasy opens with siblings Katara (Nicola Peltz of "Deck the Halls") and Sokka (Jackson Rathbone of the "Twilight" saga) searching for food and stumbling upon something trapped beneath the icy surface of their sub-zero world. Shyamalan ("Lady in the Water," "The Happening") has been criti- EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS "THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE" A TEMPLE HILL PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH MAVERICK/IMPRINT AND SUNSWEPT ENTERTAINMENT BY KRISTEN STEWART ROBERT PATTINSON TAYLOR LAUTNER BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD BILLY BURKE AND DAKOTA FANNINGONMUSIC HOWARD SHORE BASED BY MARTY BOWEN GREG MOORADIAN MARK MORGAN GUY OSEARY PRODUCED WYCK GODFREY KAREN ROSENFELT THE NOVEL "ECLIPSE" BY STEPHENIE MEYER SCREENPLAY DIRECTED BY DAVID SLADE BY MELISSA ROSENBERG www.eclipsethemovie.com IN THEATERS AND MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes, Text Message ECLIPSE and Your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549) CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES NOW PLAYING Page 27 Movies (continued from previous page) Discover the PALO ALTO ART CENTER 1313 Newell Road FRENCH FILM CLUB OF PALO ALTO at SAVE THE DATE The Club is closed for Summer Break, July and August. Our doors will reopen on Friday September 3rd at 6 pm for a Labor Day weekend full of flavors from Provence. Our fall and winter schedule will be published online at our website on AUGUST 1ST. Stay tuned! Reserve more and reserve your seat at: www.frenchfilmclubofpaloalto.org Established in 1977, the French Film Club is an independent non-profit Organization, open to the public. and co-sponsored by the Palo Alto Art Center. For full program and discounted tickets go to our website. Call 650-400-3496 for details. We wonder how long it's going to take John to discover that Cyrus is a creep and a liar, despite his apparent candor. Cyrus discusses his mother's sex life with her new lover. That alone is squirm-worthy. What's oddly unreal is that nobody Fri, Sat & Sun Only: Restrepo 2:15, 4:45, 7:20, 9:40 7/2-7/4 Mon & Tues Only: 7/5-7/6 Weds Only 7/7: Thurs ONLY 7/8: I Am Love 1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10:00 Restrepo 2:15, 4:45, 7:20 I Am Love 1:45, 4:30, 7:15 Restrepo 2:15, 4:45, 7:20 I Am Lover 1:45 Restrepo 2:15, 4:45, 7:20 I Am Love 7:15 -- not Molly, not John, not Jamie, whom John consults about the Big Life Questions -- ever even mentions therapy, despite Cyrus's night terrors and anxiety attacks or his peculiar bond with his mother. Hey, it's the 21st century, not the 19th. Also annoying is some of the cinematography, by Jas Shelton, who likes to make sudden little zooms whenever there's a closeup. We're looking at Marisa Tomei's face, and then we're looking at her a few inches closer up. But it would take more than that to wreck a charming movie, with performances that are flawlessly true-to-life. Rated R for some sexual material and language. One hour, 32 minutes. -- Renata Polt MOVIE TIMES Movie times for the Century 16 and Century 20 theaters are for Friday through Tuesday only unless otherwise noted. The A-Team (PG-13) Century 16: 11:30 a.m.; 2:10, 5, 7:45 & 10:30 p.m. 1/2 Century 20: 11:40 a.m.; 2:30, 5:15, 7:55 & 10:45 p.m. Cloudy with a Century 16: Wed. at 10 a.m. Chance of Meatballs (PG) (Not Reviewed) Coco Chanel and Guild Theatre: 1:30, 4:15, 7 & 9:45 p.m. Igor Stravinsky (R) 1/2 Cyrus (R) Get Him to the Greek (R) 1/2 Aquarius Theatre: 2:45, 5, 7:30 & 9:45 p.m. Sat.-Mon. also at 12:30 p.m. Century 20: 7:35 & 10:10 p.m. Grown Ups (PG-13) Century 16: 11:05 a.m.; 12:10, 1:35, 2:45, 4:05, 5:20, 6:35, (Not Reviewed) 7:50, 9:20 & 10:15 p.m. Century 20: 11:45 a.m.; 12:35, 2:20, 3:10, 4:50, 5:40, 7:20, 8:10, 9:50 & 10:40 p.m. I Am Love (R) (Not Reviewed) Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (R) 1/2 The Karate Kid (2010) (PG) Palo Alto Square: Fri.-Tue. at 1:45, 4:30 & 7:15 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at 10 p.m. Wed. at 1:45 p.m. only. Thu. at 7:15 p.m. only. Aquarius Theatre: 2:15, 4:30, 7 & 9:15 p.m. Sat.-Mon. also at noon. Century 16: 12:50, 4:10, 7:20 & 10:25 p.m. Century 20: 1:05, 4:15, 7:25 & 10:30 p.m. Knight and Day Century 16: Noon, 2:55, 5:30, 8 & 10:30 p.m. Century 20: (Not Rated) 1/2 11:10 a.m.; 12:20, 1:40, 2:55, 4:10, 5:30, 6:55, 8:05, 9:40 & 10:40 p.m. The Last Airbender Century 16: 10:45 a.m.; 12:45, 1:30, 3:30, 4:15, 6:15, 6:50, (Not Rated) 8:45 & 9:45 p.m.; In 3D at 11:45 a.m.; 2:30, 5:25, 7:50 & 10:20 1/2 p.m. Century 20: 11:55 a.m.; 1:15, 2:25, 3:50, 5:05, 6:25, 7:40, 8:55 & 10:15 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at 11:25 p.m. In 3D at 11:15 a.m.; 12:35, 1:50, 3:10, 4:25, 5:45, 7, 8:20, 9:35 & 10:50 p.m. " FUNNY AND UNEXPECTED. THE DUPLASS NAME ON A MOTION PICTURE ' The Metropolitan Century 16: Wed 6:30 p.m. Thu. at 10 a.m. Century 20: Opera: Eugene Wed 6:30 p.m. Thu. at 10 a.m. Palo Alto Square: Wed. at Onedin (Not Rated) 6:30 p.m. Thu. at 1:30 p.m. (Not Reviewed) Restrepo (R) (Not Reviewed) Palo Alto Square: 2:15, 4:45 & 7:20 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at 9:40 p.m. THEY RE BRILLIANT. Sundance Film Festival SXSW Film Festival BAMcinemaFEST Los Angeles Film Festival FoxSearchlight.com CINEMARK CIN�ARTS AT SANTANA ROW AQUARIUS San Jose (800) FANDANGO 983# Page 28 LANDMARK'S Palo Alto (650) 266-9260 " IS REASON FOR ANTICIPATED PLEASURE. The Rocky Horror Guild Theatre: Sat. at midnight. Picture Show (R) (Not Reviewed) Shrek Forever After (PG) 1/2 Toy Story 3 (G) Century 20: 11:25 a.m.; 1:55 & 4:20 p.m. Century 16: 11:40 a.m.; 12:55, 2:25, 3:45, 5:10, 7:55 & 10:35 p.m.; In 3D at 11 a.m.; 1:45, 4:30, 7:15 & 9:55 p.m. Century 20: 11:50 a.m.; 12:50, 2:35, 3:40, 5:20, 6:20, 8:10 & 9:10 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at 10:50 & 11:45 p.m. In 3D at 11 a.m.; 1:45, 4:30, 7:15 & 9:55 p.m. Century 16: 10:40 & 11:30 a.m.; 12:15, 1, 1:40, 2:30, 3:15, 4, 4:40, 5:30, 6:15, 7, 7:40, 8:30, 9:15, 10 & 10:40 p.m. Century 20: 11 & 11:30 a.m.; noon, 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8, 8:30, 9, 9:30, 10 & 10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at 10:55 & 11:30 p.m. and midnight. Century 16: 11:20 a.m.; 1:55, 4:25, 7:10 & 9:40 p.m. The Twlight Saga: Eclipse (PG-13) 1/2 Winter's Bone (R) (Not Reviewed) Skip it Some redeeming qualities A good bet Outstanding Internet address: For show times, plot synopses, theater addresses and trailers and more information about films playing, go to Palo Alto Online at http:// www.PaloAltoOnline.com/ STANFORD THEATRE The Stanford Theatre is at 221 University Ave. in Palo Alto. Go to www.stanfordtheatre.org or call 650-324-3700. You Were Never Lovelier (1942) Fred Astaire plays an American dancer who falls for an Argentine beauty (Rita Hayworth). Friday at 7:30 p.m. Three Little Words (1950) Fred Astaire and Red Skelton play famed songwriting team Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Friday at 5:45 & 9:20 p.m. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe play lounge singers working their way to Paris. Sat.-Tue. at 7:30 p.m. Sat. & Sun. also at 4 p.m. Niagara (1953) As two couples visit Niagara Falls, tension between a husband and wife reaches the level of murder. Sat.-Tue. at 5:45 & 9:15 p.m. The House of Rothschild (1934) The story of the rise of the Rothschild financial empire in 18th-century England. Wed.-Thu. at 7:30 p.m. The Working Man (1933) George Arliss plays the retired head of a shoe company who begins secretly working for the company of his former business rival. Wed.-Thu. at 6 & 9 p.m. Buy 1 entree and get the 2nd one with coupon (Dinner Only) Eating Out RESTAURANT REVIEW 369 Lytton Avenue Downtown Palo Alto 462-5903 Family owned and operated for 15 years The art of the slider Mini burgers get a modern twist at the new SliderBarCafe by Dale F. Bentson ecently, I was driving with a non-foodie friend who inquired what restaurant review I was working on. "SliderBarCafe," I announced. "What's that?" she asked. "You know, sliders -- minihamburgers." She was perplexed as to why anyone would want a reducedsize burger. I said that by SliderBarCafe standards, anything on a miniature bun qualified as a slider: beef, lamb, chicken, sausage, vegetables, even bacon and eggs. She changed the subject. SliderBarCafe is worth seeking out, though, whether you're a foodie or not. It's an updated, quasi-fast-food, breakfast and burger emporium, open since late March in downtown Palo Alto. SliderBar owes its existence to the White Castle fast-food hamburger chain, where the notion of sliders started. The burgers were originally dubbed "slyders" by White Castle in the 1920s. According to urban legend, the term "slyder" referred to its greasy nature that allowed it to slide down the esophagus with ease. SliderBarCafe in Palo Alto is changing those perceptions and has upped the ante considerably. While many bars and grills have added trendy sliders to their menus, they are usually treated as appetizers or bar food. SliderBarCafe, though, has turned sliders into a near gastronomic art form. The beef comes from Niman Ranch, which specializes in antibiotic- and hormone-free, vegetarian-fed animals. There are no deep-fat fryers in the SliderBar kitchen: Onion rings, chicken wings and french fries are ovenbaked. Owner Ashwani Dhawan said: "Even our coffee is organic. We buy from the same roaster that supplies Thomas Keller's French Laundry." Dhawan, who also owns Mantra, the California-Indian fusion restaurant on Palo Alto's Emerson Street, said that with his new venture, he wanted "something simpler, more mainstream ... something with smaller portions. ... I wanted the customer to be able to match hunger with portion size." Yet I over-ordered on my first foray into SliderBar, choosing three American classic sliders and fries ($2.89 for one, $5.49 for two, $7.49 for three). Three was one too many for my appetite but I ate them all anyway. The sliders w w w. j a n t a i n d i a n r e s t a u r a n t . c o m FREE DELIVERY (with min. order) R "THE BEST PIZZA WEST OF NEW YORK" --Ralph Barbieri KNBR 680 (at University Drive) (650) 329-8888 (650) 654-3333 (Next to Pacific Athletic Club) Kimihiro Hoshino 880 Santa Cruz Ave Menlo Park 226 Redwood Shores Pkwy Redwood Shores It's time to vote for your favorite businesses in Palo Alto VOTE ONLINE AT www.PaloAltoOnline.com 2010 DEADLINE JULY 11 Looking for something to do? Check out the Weekly's Community Calendar for the Midpeninsula. Instantly find out what events are going on in your city! Go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com/calendar A selection of sliders. were bigger than the dollhousesized morsels I had imagined. The presentation conjured memories of Arnold's Drive-In on "Happy Days." The pictureperfect burgers -- with shredded lettuce, slices of tomato and onion with a slather of mayo -- sat on an unadorned oblong plate. No disappointment in the flavor, either. The beef was coarser than in lesser grades of hamburger, and there was no greasy slider effect either. Those little guys were for chewing and enjoying. The side of hot oven fries ($1.79) was a generous portion of nongreasy yet crispy strips of sliced potato, thicker than shoestrings and as tasty as any deep-fried potato. Ketchup and garlic sauce were available as condiments. The classic with fries was my favorite combination. On subsequent visits, I tried other options, reluctantly. The vegetarian slider ($2.49) came on a multigrain bun. The patty consisted of garbanzo beans, potatoes, onions, sunflower seeds and bell peppers. Spinach, caramelized onions, bell peppers and a roasted garlic sauce topped the slider. It was a worthy sandwich with loads of flavor. The only drawback was that it was crumbly and deconstructed faster than I could eat it. The Mediterranean slider ($3.69) was a Niman Ranch natural lamb patty that had garlic and ginger mixed into it. The multigrain bun enveloped crumbled blue cheese, olives, artichoke hearts, tomato, red onion and a garlic sauce that sat atop the lamb patty. There was a lot going on in one smallish slider, but the flavors sang. The amped-up chicken slider ($2.99) also had garlic and gingery elements and was topped with avocado, lettuce, tomato and chipotle sauce. While not overly spicy, this was not your average Chicken Little. Another favorite was the plump Italian sausage slider dog ($3.29). The bun was interesting: not quite a hot dog bun or pita bread, but more than a slice of white bread. The wrapper was pocketed and held the spicy sausage, caramelized onions, relish, mayo and ketchup intact. SliderBar makes soups as well; a bowl is $4.49. But you can also get just a little warmer-upper, with a "shot" of soup for 99 cents. One day, mushroom was the soup du jour. The shot was more than a traditional one-and-a-half-ounce jigger; it was several soupspoons' worth, with sliced mushrooms afloat. The soup was tangy and rich. SliderBar offers a kids' menu and a variety of salads in addition to all-day breakfast sliders. The classic American breakfast slider ($1.99) is made up of English muffin, fried egg, bacon and American cheese. Other breakfast options are Mediterranean, California and Italian breakfast sliders. Beverages include a large variety of organic coffees and teas as well as iced coffees, yogurt shakes, Italian sodas and traditional fountain colas. There are 16 wines available by the glass or bottle. Prices range from $2.99 per glass to $39.99 for a bottle of decent French Burgundy. Eight beers are available by the pint or pitcher ($2.99-$9.99). Overall, SliderBarCafe provides a more healthful and sustainable approach to traditional American fast-food fare, a higher quality than chains dare approach. That rates an A-plus in my book. SliderBarCafe 324 University Ave. Palo Alto 650-322-7300 www.sliderbarcafe.com Hours: Sun.-Wed. 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. 7 a.m.midnight. Reservations Credit cards Lot Parking Beer & Wine Takeout Highchairs Wheelchair access Banquet Catering Outdoor seating Noise level: Noisy Bathroom Cleanliness: Good Page 29 MEXICAN The Oaxacan Kitchen 321-8003 Authentic Mexican Restaurant 2323 Birch Street, Palo Alto also visit us at 6 Bay Area Farmer's Markets www.theoaxacankitchen.com of the week DINNER BY THE MOVIES AT SHORELINE'S PIZZA Pizza Chicago 424-9400 4115 El Camino Real, Palo Alto This IS the best pizza in town AMERICAN Armadillo Willy's 941-2922 1031 N. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos Range: $5.00-13.00 Hobee's 856-6124 4224 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Also at Town & Country Village, Palo Alto 327-4111 CHINESE Peking Duck 856-3338 2310 El Camino Real, Palo Alto We also deliver. Su Hong � Menlo Park Dining Phone: 323�6852 To Go: 322�4631 Winner, Palo Alto Weekly "Best Of" 8 years in a row! Spot A Pizza 324-3131 115 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto Voted Best Pizza in Palo Alto www.spotpizza.com Pizzeria Venti POLYNESIAN Trader Vic's 849-9800 4269 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Dinner Mon-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 5-11pm; Sun 4:30 - 9:30pm Available for private luncheons Lounge open nightly Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-6 pm Burmese Green Elephant Gourmet (650) 494-7391 Burmese & Chinese Cuisine 3950 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto (Charleston Shopping Center) Dine-In, Take-Out, Local Delivery-Catering INDIAN Darbar Indian Cuisine 321-6688 129 Lytton, Downtown Palo Alto Lunch Buffet M-F; Open 7 days Janta Indian Restaurant 462-5903 369 Lytton Ave., Downtown Palo Alto Lunch Buffet M-F; Organic Veggies SEAFOOD Cook's Seafood 325-0604 751 El Camino Real, Menlo Park Seafood Dinners from $6.95 to $10.95 Scott's Seafood 323-1555 #1 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto Open 7 days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner Happy Hour 7 days a week 4-7 pm Full Bar, Banquets, Outdoor Seating www.scottsseafoodpa.com CHINESE Chef Chu's (650) 948-2696 1067 N. San Antonio Road on the corner of El Camino, Los Altos 2008 Best Chinese MV Voice & PA Weekly Jing Jing 328-6885 443 Emerson St., Palo Alto Authentic Szechwan, Hunan Food To Go, Delivery www.jingjinggourmet.com Ming's 856-7700 1700 Embarcadero East, Palo Alto www.mings.com New Tung Kee Noodle House 520 Showers Dr., MV in San Antonio Ctr. Voted MV Voice Best `01, `02, `03 & `04 Prices start at $4.75 947-8888 ITALIAN Spalti Ristorante 327-9390 417 California Ave, Palo Alto www.mvpizzeriaventi.com 1390 Pear Ave., Mountain View (650) 254-1120 www.spalti.com Pizzeria Venti 650-254-1120 1390 Pear Ave, Mountain View www.MvPizzeriaVenti.com Fresh, Chef Inspired Italian Food THAI Thaiphoon Restaurant 323-7700 543 Emerson St., Palo Alto Full Bar, Outdoor Seating www.thaiphoonrestaurant.com Best Thai Restaurant in Palo Alto 3 Years in a Row, 2006-2007-2008 JAPANESE & SUSHI Fuki Sushi 494-9383 4119 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Open 7 days a Week STEAKHOUSE Sundance the Steakhouse 321-6798 1921 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2:00pm Dinner: Mon-Thu 5:00-10:00pm Fri-Sat 5:00-10:30pm, Sun 5:00-9:00pm www.sundancethesteakhouse.com MEXICAN Palo Alto Sol 328-8840 408 California Ave, Palo Alto Search a complete listing of local restaurant reviews by location or type of food on PaloAltoOnline.com Page 30 BEST SPORTS COVERAGE California Newspaper Publishers Association 1ST PLACE BABE RUTH Sports Shorts GOLD-MEDAL EFFORT . . . The Palo Alto and Sacred Heart Prep girls' volleyball teams enjoyed great success this season. The Vikings compiled a 33-game winning streak and reached the Central Coast Section Division II semifinals while the Gators went 24-11 and won the section's Division IV championship. Both teams made it to the NorCal semifinals. Members of both teams helped their City Beach 15 Black volleyball squad capture the gold medal in the 15 National Division of the 2010 USA Volleyball Junior National Championships on Tuesday at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno. City Beach went 10-1 while capturing the division championship. Palo Alto High's Shelby Knowles, Jackie Koenig and Caroline Martin were joined by SHP's Sonia Abuel-Saud and Olivia Bertolacci on the winning team. Abuel-Saud was named the division's Most Valuable Player while City Beach's Emily Reed made the all-tournament team. Also playing for City Beach was Drew Edelman from Menlo School and Becky Slattery from Mountain View High. The team is coached by former Stanford volleyball standout Leahi Hall. Seventh-seeded City Beach had to battle from behind in its final six matches after losing the first game in each outing. It won the title with a 23-25, 25-22, 15-13 victory over top-seeded Tejas 15 Kaepa 1 (North Texas). City Beach reached the final match after defeating second-seeded Colorado Jrs 15 Sherri (Rocky Mountain), 20-25, 25-20, 15-9, in the quarterfinal. In the semifinal, City Beach defeated sixth-seeded Black Swamp 15 Orwig (Ohio Valley), 23-25, 25-23, 15-6. TOP PLAYER . . . Stanford sophomore Kenny Diekroeger is spending his summer in Newport, R.I., but it's more of a working vacation than anything else -- one that's turning out to be fairly successful for the Menlo School graduate. Diekroeger was selected as the New England Collegiate Baseball League Co-Player of the Week for the week ending June 27. Playing for the Newport Gulls, Diekroeger had a productive offensive week, batting .480 with 12 hits, four doubles, six RBI, and two stolen bases. Just like batting practice B&B Builders batter Goetz Brothers, 10-1, in city title game by Colin Becht espite the billing as a championship game, B&B Builders turned its Wednesday matchup with Goetz Brothers at Baylands Athletic Center into little more than hitting practice. B&B walloped Goetz Brothers, 10-1, at Baylands Field to take home the title in the Palo Alto Babe Ruth 15U City Tournament. Behind great outings on the mound from Jack Cleasby and Clay Carey and clutch hitting from Isaac Feldstein, B&B cruised to its second victory over Goetz Brothers in the city tournament. "We had good pitching, solid defense, and we were an overall good team that meshed well together," said Feldstein, who knew all along his team had championship potential. B&B finished third in the regular season, but played as a different team in the postseason while never losing a game in the double-elimination tournament and outscoring foes 36-7. "There was really on one difference (between the regular season and the postseason). We had the whole team here," said B&B manager Ed Rea. "We were often missing two or three of our best players, but everyone signed up to really be here during the tournament, and that shows what kind of team this is when everyone's there." After defeating Goetz, 14-4, in a semifinal game shortened by the mercy rule on Monday, B&B once again found its offensive stroke. It D Spencer Allen/Sportsimagewire.com Stanford graduate Lauren Fleshman, overcoming a broken foot that nearly ended her running career, completed her rags-to-riches story last Friday by winning the second national outdoor 5,000-meter title of her career. (continued on page 32) USA TRACK & FIELD LITTLE LEAGUE USA title brings Fleshman's career full circle after injury by Keith Peters N ON THE AIR Saturday Track and field: Nike Prefontaine Classic, 1:30 p.m., NBC READ MORE ONLINE For expanded daily coverage of college and prep sports, please see our new site at www.PASportsOnline.com www.PASportsOnline.com early two years ago, Lauren Fleshman pretty much couldn't run. Just one week ago, Fleshman completed a remarkable comeback by capturing the women's 5,000 meters at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships. Just like the track-and-field oval she runs on, the former Stanford All-American has come full circle. "If you'd have talked to me 12 months ago I was ready to, I don't know, open up a shoe store or something else, maybe move to another state," Fleshman said after winning her second national title in Des Moines, Iowa. "I was very frustrated. I couldn't seem to run more than four weeks without getting injured." A year ago in Eugene, Ore., Fleshman failed to show up on the starting line of the 5000 at the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships. She had been plagued by a series of mechanical problems stemming from a broken navicular bone in her foot. It was an injury that led to other injuries, so the 2006 USA 5K champ scratched from the race as she was unable to compete. Fleshman, then 27, seriously considered retiring. (continued on page 33) M-A stands tall in 11-12 all-star district tourney by Rick Chandler S Spencer Allen/Sportsimagewire.com ome fancy relief pitching by Nick O'Donnell has MenloAtherton's Little League AllStar team on the precipice of greatness in the District 52 11-12-year-old tournament, but he couldn't have done it without the help of a very tall friend. Joe Ellefritz, who himself came on as a defensive replacement in the fourth inning, made a leaping catch at the fence in left field to rob the opposition of a home run in the top of the sixth inning on Wednesday, and teammate Harry Toig delivered a run-scoring double in the botton (continued on page 32) Fleshman exults in her national title at the USA championships. Page 31 Sports Little league (continued from page 31) Keith Peters of the sixth to give M-A a 4-3 win over rival Alpine-West Menlo in a winners'- bracket quarterfinal of the 11-12 year-old tournament. M-A now meets Hillsborough on Monday in the winners'-bracket semifinals. Hillsborough beat San Carlos, 6-5, in Wednesday's other game. In the other winners'-bracket semi on Monday, Half Moon Bay will play San Mateo American. All games are at Ortega School in Pacifica. Time seemed to stand still when Elefritz, the tallest player on the M-A team, made his catch in left; falling back into the plastic netting that serves as the outfield fence and landing on the other side, but hanging on to the ball. The silence was broken by someone in the M-A dugout, who yelled: "He caught it!" For the record, that someone was Toig. "When Joe got back to the dugout, we were all mobbing him," said Toig, whose double in the bottom of the inning drove in O'Donnell, who had walked. "We were so excited. Alpine is our big rival. We're all friends, and a lot of those guys go to the same schools as we do." It's usually Alpine which has had the bragging rights in this rivalry, but not so far this year. It was a Menlo-Atherton team, Mike's Cafe, which won Menlo Park's annual City Championship game over a team from the Alpine/West Menlo league last week. And now it was M-A that has sent Alpine to the losers' bracket (Alpine will play again on Friday). M-A struck for three runs in the first on a run-scoring double by Jack Gray and run-scoring singles by Kyle Bryan and Will Johnson. But Alpine starter John Bird shut the door after that, retiring eight straight and 11 of the next 12 he faced. Meanwhile, Alpine chipped away. Evan Easton drove home a run with a single in the second, Matt Henefarth did the same with a groundout in the third, and Mitch Martella (2-for-3) singled and scored on a throwing error to tie it in the sixth. But it wasn't quite enough. "That was amazing," said O'Donnell of Elefritz's catch. O'Donnell pitched three innings of strong relief, which included getting out of a no-out, two-on jam in the fifth with two strikeouts. "I was scared that the ball was going to drop over for a home run." When Elefritz got back to the dugout after the catch, he patted O'Donnell on the shoulder as if to say, `I had it all the way.' "He saved everything," O'Donnell said. "It feels good. It's really nice to beat your rival." 10-11 All-Stars Palo Alto National and Alpine/ West Menlo remained alive in the District 52 consolation bracket in San Mateo. Palo Alto National eliminated Palo Alto American with a 13-1 victory. Christian Laurence gave American its own run with a solo homer in the first. PA National bounced back quickly with a run in the first to tie, then took the lead in the third with nine runs. Justin Jull, Griffy Byer and Pete Snodgrass all had two hits for the winners. Tommy Smale got the pitching win for PA National, which next plays on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Alpine/West Menlo stayed alive by rallying from a 12-6 deficit in the bottom of the sixth. Alpine scored three times for a 12-9 game and had the bases loaded when Jack Molumphy hit a grand slam to win the game. Alpine also will play Friday at 5:30 p.m. 9-10 All-Stars Palo Alto National remained unbeaten following a wild 12-8 come-from-behind victory over Menlo-Atherton on Tuesday at Marina Field at the Belmont Sports Complex. Palo Alto next will play Friday against either Hillsborough or San Mateo National (7:30 p.m.), needing a victory to advance to the semifinals. The 9-10s trailed 8-0 before coming to bat in the bottom of the first inning. Palo Alto scraped together four runs in the first two innings, made it an 8-7 game in the fourth and finally pulled ahead for good with five runs in the fifth. After loading the bases in the fifth, Noah Yuen slapped an RBI single to tie the game at 8. When the ball was mishandled in right field, Patrick Welch raced home with the eventual winning run. Jonathan Gottlieb singled in his third run of the game and Ole Erickson followed with his third RBI (a single) of the game. Keith Peters Roy Shadmon (15) and James Foug (3) greet Clay Carey while Clark Schmutz (2) and Chris Rea (5) welcome Jack Cleasby (far right) after Carey and Cleasby scored during a six-run sixth inning. pitchers. "They got groundballs. They kept their pitch count low. They let our defense, which turned out big for us today, just do what they've been doing this whole season." B&B added to its 3-1 lead in the fifth with another run when Cleasby drove in Clark Schmutz. In the sixth, the Goetz wall of defense caved and B&B put the game out of reach with six more runs to nearly end the game at that point. Clark Schmutz singled to score Alec Fishman, beginning a string of four straight singles. Eight straight batters reached base safely as B&B piled on the runs. Andrew Lim singled in a run and Feldstein added two more RBI to his name with another single. Goetz did little to help itself in the inning, committing two errors that led to three unearned runs. Feldstein finished the day 2-for-4 with four RBI. He was one of three B&B players with multi-hit games as Christopher Rea and Lim each recording three singles. Cleasby, Carey and Clark Schmutz each scored twice. "We've just all been hitting well," said Feldstein. Goetz Brothers would have to agree. NOTES: The conclusion of the city tournament marks the beginning of the all-star season. The Palo Alto 13s open play in the District 6 All-Star Tournament on Friday against Bel-Mateo at McKelvey Park in Mountain View at 7:30 p.m. The winner advances to the semifinals on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., while the loser drops into the consolation final on Sunday at noon. The championship game is Monday at 7:30 p.m., with a challenge game (if necessary) scheduled for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. the Palo Alto 14s will open on Monday against Mountain View at the Belmont Sports Complex at 7 p.m. The winner advances to the semifinals on Tuesday at 7 p.m., while the loser falls into the consolation final on July 7 at 7 p.m. The Palo Alto 15s will host District 6 action starting July 7. Palo Alto has a bye and will host the winner of Bel-Mateo and Mt. View on July 8 at 6:30 p.m. CITY OF PALO ALTO NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Palo Alto City Council will hold a public hearing at the regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, July 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. or as near thereafter as possible, in the Council Chambers, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, to Consider Stanford University Medical Center Facilities Renewal and Replacement Project- Meeting to accept comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Stanford University Medical Center Facilities Renewal and Replacement Project, including an overview of the Noise, Geology, Soils & seismicity, Hydrology, Hazardous materials, and Utilities chapters of the DEIR. DONNA J. GRIDER, MMC City Clerk Page 32 Jack Cleasby started for B&B Builders and allowed only four hits in five innings plus the only run by Goetz Brothers. Babe Ruth (continued from page 31) took B&B until the fourth inning to get on the board, but once breaking through, the runs quickly followed. Trailing 1-0, B&B struck for three runs in the fourth when five batters in succession reached base. After Carey walked, Cleasby singled and James Foug reached on an error, Feldstein drove B&B into the lead with a two-run single. Mathias Schmutz followed with another single to score Foug before Goetz pitcher Mikey Diekroeger induced two infield popups to get out of the inning. With the dominant pitching of Cleasby and Carey, those three runs were all B&B needed. Cleasby retired the first seven batters of the game before surrendering his first hit of the game, a double by Michael Fraser. Fraser scored on a groundout by Ryan Vertelney for Goetz's only run of the game. Cleasby pitched five innings, allowing only four hits and no walks to earn the win. He faced just three batters over the minimum. "He was sensational," said Rea. Carey was equally tough in his two innings of work, surrendering just two hits while striking out one. "They really just did their job," said Feldstein, who caught both Sports Track & field (continued from page 31) Spencer Allen/Sportsimagewire.com Fortunately for Fleshman, she didn't. Under the patient coaching of Marc Rowland at the Nike Oregon Track Club in Eugene, Fleshman slowly worked herself back into the form that saw her set a Stanford and Pac-10 records in the 5K in addition to winning an NCAA title in 2003. After graduating, Fleshman competed in two IAAF World Championships and ran a personal best of 14:58.48 in 2008. It was then that Fleshman began suffering her string of injuries, which basically forced her to relearn how to run. "I really just started over," she said. "I didn't have Coach Rowland and the Oregon Track Club, I don't know if I would have made it back. I definitely wouldn't have been national champion this quickly. So I'm just full of gratitude for my situation." Fleshman completed her rags-toriches story last Friday by winning the second U.S. 5,000 title of her career. She crossed the finish line first in 15:27.70. "With 200 to go I was dying," Fleshman said. "I probably wasn't looking so good. I don't want to see the video on that one. At that point, I was just like, `Don't think about anything but the next step. Think about the finish line and I'll do that thing where you wobble and fall over before you get there.'" Fleshman, who first won this event in 2006, and has been ranked in the Top 10 in the U.S. every year from 2002 to 2008, held off runnerup and four-time Big East outdoor champion Molly Huddle (15:30.89) for the win. Olympic and 2009 World Outdoor Championships finalist Jenny Barringer, who won this event last year, finished third in 15:33.33. Fleshman was a 15-time AllAmerican and five time NCAA champion while at Stanford. "This was so sweet," she said. "I mean, I don't know how else to put it. Especially coming into today and the mental side of it that I'm racing against people who haven't had any time off and that can really mess Stanford grad Jill Camarena-Williams tossed an outdoor personal best of 62-9 1/4 to win the national shot put title. with your head. I was sitting around on my sofa and going, `Can I run four miles today?' You spend so many months thinking `I'm on the comeback' and then at one point you just have to go, `You know what, I'm here.'" Fleshman ran most of the way in the pack and did not respond immediately to a big surge by Jen Rhines, a three-time Olympian who threw in a 69-second lap with five laps to go. Rhines managed to build an eightsecond lead with four laps remaining, and it looked like her strategy would pay off with a title. With two laps to go, however, Rhines's lead was down to five seconds. Fleshman was working with Huddle to catch the 2002 USA 10,000m champion and, with 600 meters left in the race decided to go for the win. "It was just knowing that I had enough left to put on a good kick," said Fleshman. "I didn't know if it would be enough to win, but I just got this smirk where I knew I had something left." Fleshman threw down a 67-second last lap to open a gap on Huddle and the race was over. Fleshman's finish was as painful as her return. She said that she had to totally reinvent herself. "I had to first take it day by day, never think more than one day at a time, never get frustrated, try not to think about how good I had been," she said. "It's really all about learning to live in the moment, which is hard to do." Fleshman won a trail run last September in Bend, Ore., then a road 5K last October. She didn't race on the track again until April, when she won the low-key Oregon Relays 5,000 in 15:42.46. That gave her a qualifying mark for nationals. Even after arriving at Drake Stadium before her final race, Fleshman wasn't completely sure she was ready to mix it up with the other contenders. "There was a big part of me which IT P Stanford grad Erica McLain won her second outdoor national championship in the triple jump last week. wasn't sure, but there was this little part of me which felt that I might be able to win it," she said. "And that scared the crap out of me." While her victory in 2006 was satisfying, Fleshman said it had far less meaning. Moreover, the latest one has forced her to perhaps change her summer plans. "I think my wishy washy summer plans have changed," she said. "Now I may have to go to Europe to find some tough races. Europe probably beckons a handful of other former Stanford athletes who enjoyed success at the USA championships. Olympians Erica McLain and Jill Camarena-Williams collected gold medals while Lindsay Allen won a bronze, while Russell Brown, Garrett Heath, Ian Dobson and Sara (Bei) Hall each reached the finals of their respective events. Allen finished third in the women's 3,000 steeplechase in a season best of 9:59.19 on Sunday while Brown was sixth in the 1,500 with a time of 3:52.20 and Heath went 3:52.80, finishing 10th. Stanford sophomore Karynn Dunn took home the Junior National title in the girls' long jump. The 24-year-old McLain, who lives in Menlo Park and still trains under Stanford head coach Edrick Floreal, (continued on page 34) Spencer Allen/Sportsimagewire.com HE SEQUOIA CENTER helps families recover the balance in their lives from the effects of abusing alcohol and other drugs. Our services are offered in a warm and caring environment by trained staff dedicated to helping individuals gain control over their lives. Is your addiction hurting anyone? 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Institute of Transpersonal Psychology 1069 East Meadow Circle, Palo Alto CA 94303 [ph] 650.493.4430 [email] info@.itp.edu First Tuesday of Every Month 7:00 P.M. Open House accredited by the western association of schools and colleges Page 33 Sports Track & field (continued from page 33) July Music Fest town & country Village Town & Country Village Embarcadero Entrance Free concerts under the oak trees. Fun for the whole family! Standards, jazz and big band from a Bay Area legend A Bay Area favorite! Disco and danceable fun Spectacular Motown and classical soul The queen of classic jazz, bebop and blues Feel free to bring lawn chairs, but be sure they are low seating so everyone can enjoy the music. MORE THAN 50 SHOPS, RESTAURANTS & SERVICES 3rd annual Every Wednesday during the MusicFest, Town & Country is accepting gently used musical instruments to benefit Music In Schools Today. Your donations will go to public schools that desperately need them. y TANDCVILLAGE.COM y EL CAMINO REAL & EMBARCADERO ROAD, PALO ALTO recorded her winning mark of 46-6 1/4 (wind-aided) on her first attempt, and then fouled four times. Her final jump of 46-5 1/4 is the best legal mark of the season by an American and matched her personal best. "My goal coming in was definitely American record," McLain said. "It was a little hard, I'm pretty sure my second jump probably was it; maybe a couple jumps in there too where I fouled by a toenail. So I was little upset there at the end. But it's the most courageous performance I think I ever had." McLain won her second USA Outdoor title and set a Drake Stadium record in dominating the competition. She won in 2005, finished second at the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, and finished third in 2007 and 2008. Camarena-Williams, meanwhile, produced her championship throw during the fifth round. "You know, I've been training really well and I knew if I just made a couple tweaks from the first three, I could get a big one and that's what I really focused on in that fifth round one," Camarena-Williams said. "I've been really consistent this outdoor season and just having bigger marks, and I just think really good things are to come in the next few weeks." The six-time defending USA Indoor champion in the event, Camarena-Williams succeeded in winning her second outdoor title, and first since 2006, after finishing second in two of the three previous years. Her winning heave of 62-9 1/4, a personal best outdoors was more than two inches farther than second-place Michelle Carter. Camarena-Williams's all-time best of 63-5 1/2 came indoors this season. That ranks her No. 3 alltime for Americans (indoors). Camarena-Williams made her first Olympic team in the shot put with her third-place finish at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. It was Camarena-Williams's first competition of the 2008 outdoor season and came less than three months after she had back surgery to repair a herniated disc. Dunn won the junior long jump with a mark of 20-4 1/2. She overtook early leader Andrea Geubelle, of Kansas, who went 20-4 1/4 on her first attempt and held that lead through four rounds. Dunn recorded the winning mark on her fifth attempt. "My first jump, I actually ended up with a new personal record for the season, with six meters even," Dunn said. "That wasn't that great, but it kept me in second until the finals. I consistently jumped around six meters." Hall finished ninth in the women's 1,500 with a time of 4:17.87. Olympian Anna Pierce won the race in 4:13.65. Dobson finished eighth in the men's 5,000 with a time of 14:03.53. The USA Outdoor Championships are the third stop of the USATF Outdoor Visa Championship Series, which concludes Saturday with the Nike Prefontaine Classic at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Page 34 Sports Stanford grads Villa, Mendoza still leading their respective USA national teams "There`s no place like home." Redwood City - San Mateo - San Jose B game and we did that," Villa said seconds left in regulation to tie the renda Villa and Jessica Men- after the victory over Russia. "Today game at 12 and send it to a shootdoza have a lot more in com- our defense held." out. Seidemann's goal put the U.S. mon than merely sharing the The game was tied at 8-all in up, 14-13, and after the Aussies tied name "Stanford University" on their fourth period before two quick it again, Silver delivered the game diplomas. goals gave the Americans the lead winner. Both are world-class athletes who for good. In softball, the Canada-U.S. showhave played for Olympic gold med"It was a disappointing first half down was a rematch of last year's als in at least two Olymand we talked world championship title pics, both serve as team about that at contest. captains of their respecthe break," U.S. "It will be a tough tive United States national coach Adam game," said Villa. "They'll teams and both are among Krikorian said. show up to play. We have the oldest players on their "In the second to continue to get better." respective rosters. half we were The American softOn Wednsday, Villa and willing to put in ball team will also have Mendoza also produced the work." its hands full with Japan, some big offensive numStanford sophwhich leads the tournament bers to help the U.S. womomore Annika in pitching. Of course, no en's national water polo Brenda Villa Dries has been Jessica Mendoza one can touch the U.S. in team (Villa) and the U.S. turning some terms of offense. national softball team (Mendoza) heads with her play in the middle. Stanford grad Alissa Haber set win in international competition. "We've had a great legacy of great a tournament record for RBI with Villa scored three goals to lead centers here and it's nice to see her bases-loaded double in the first the Americans to a 12-9 victory over `Anka' come in, she's only 18, and inning of the U.S. victory over the Russia in the final round of pool play fill some big shoes," Villa said. "It's Canadians. Mendoza is the former at the FINA World League Super Fi- nice having her around." record holder. nal in La Jolla. The USA reached Wednesday's Overall Haber has 16 RBI to go Mendoza had three hits and drove match with an exciting 15-14 shoo- with a tournament-leading .650 batin four runs as the U.S. beat Canada, tout victory over Australia on Tues- ting average (down from .715 two 16-1, in the quarterfinals of the ISF day. Stanford grad Lauren (Lolo) days ago), 11 runs and 13 hits. She World Championships in Caracas, Silver put the finishing touches on also leads with seven doubles. Venezuela. the victory by scoring twice, includ"I take pride in my pre-game batVilla was hoping to help again ing the winning goal. ting practice. I get the opportunity to when the U.S. played its quarterfiAmerican goalie Emily Feher hit every type of pitch and that helps nal match with Canada on Thursday, made three saves during the shoot- me get ready to face all types of Mendoza and the U.S. softball team out phase, allowing the U.S. to re- pitchers," Haber said. "My mindset took on Japan in the semifinals of cord the come-from-behind victory. is to no matter what, make contact. the World Championships. "The game flip-flopped back and I try to scout the pitchers before and The USA-Japan softball contest forth right up to the final seconds," get their strengths and weaknesses has been highly anticipated since Feher said. "I got lit up a few times then put a plan together that meshes the beginning of the World Cham- but I was able to pull off a couple of their strengths and weaknesses and pionships. The U.S. holds the World bug stops to help my team win." my own. Then, of course, I always Championship series record at 12-2 Stanford junior Melissa Seidemann try to relax and have fun!" with the last loss during the 2006 also scored a goal in the shootout as There's something else in comsemifinal game. For complete cover- the U.S. rallied after Australia took mon between Villa and Mendoza: age of the ISF World Championship, the lead at 12-11 with 48 seconds re- they are both mentoring prodigies visit USA softball. maining to play in regulation. who also happen to be Stanford "Our goal is to get better every Kami Craig scored with nine products. by Rick Eymer www.matchedcaregivers.com PREFERED DENTAL PRACTICE FOR OVER 50 YEARS! Marisa Walker, Dave McKenna, and Jeuel Espanola 650-321-4544 Page 35 Community Health Education Programs Palo Alto Center 795 El Camino Real Lecture and Workshops 650-853-4873 Your Baby's Doctor Wednesday, July 14, 7 � 9 p.m. Mountain View Center 701 E. El Camino Real Lecture and Workshops 650-934-7373 Nutrition and Training Tips for the Everyday Athlete For Your Health Community Lecture Series Presented by Jaye Camposanto, P.A., and Susan Kirkpatrick, R.D. Wednesday, July 14, 7 � 8 p.m. Living Well Classes 650-853-2960 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Mondays, July 12 � Aug. 30; Tuesdays, July 13 � Aug. 31, 6:30 � 9 p.m. Functional Spine Training First Monday of each month, 5 � 6:30 p.m. What You Need to Know About Warfarin (Coumadin) Wednesday, July 21, 2 � 4 p.m. HMR Weight Management Program 650-404-8260 Free orientation session. Tuesdays, noon � 1 p.m., and Thursdays, 5 � 6:30 p.m. Nutrition and Diabetes Classes 650-853-2961 New Weigh of Life (Pre-assessment required prior to starting class) Palo Alto: Wednesdays starting Sept. 1 for 12 weeks, 6 � 7:15 p.m. Free orientation on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 6 � 7:30 p.m. Redwood City: Thursdays starting Sept. 23 for 12 weeks, 2 � 4:15 p.m. Adult Weight Management Group Thursdays, 5:30 � 7 p.m. Bariatric Pre-Op Class Tuesday, July 13, 4 � 6 p.m. Bariatric Nutrition SMA First Tuesday of each month, 10:30 a.m. � noon Prediabetes First Monday of the month, 9 � 11:30 a.m., and third Wednesday of every other month, 4:30 � 7 p.m. Also in Redwood Shores, fourth Wednesday of every other month, 5:30 � 8 p.m. Living Well with Diabetes Tuesdays, 4:30 � 7 p.m., or Fridays, 9:30 a.m. � noon Heart Smart Class Third and fourth Tuesday of every other month, 5:30 � 8:30 p.m. Healthy Eating Type 2 Diabetes Third Wednesday of every other month, 5:30 � 8:30 p.m. Gestational Diabetes Wednesdays, 2 � 4 p.m. Lifesteps� Weight Management 650-934-7373 Wednesday, July 7, 6 � 7:15 p.m. Living Well Classes 650-934-7373 Supermarket Wise Wednesday, July 7, 6:30 � 8:30 p.m. MindBody Stress Management Monday, July 19, 7 � 9 p.m. Nutrition and Diabetes Classes 650-934-7177 New Weigh of Life: Adult Weight Management Program (Pre-assessment required prior to starting class) Mondays starting Oct. 4 for 12 weeks, 6 � 7:15 p.m. Heart Smart Class Second Tuesday of each month, 3:30 � 5:30 p.m. Diabetes Class (two-part class) Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. � noon and Wednesdays, 2 � 4:30 p.m. Prediabetes Third Thursday of each month, 2 � 4 p.m. Fourth Tuesday of each month, 3 � 5 p.m. Sweet Success Gestational Diabetes Class Wednesdays, 9 a.m. � noon Pregnancy, Breastfeeding & Child Care Classes Preparing for Birth 650-853-2960 Thursdays, July 1 � Aug. 5, 7 � 9:15 p.m. Saturdays, July 10, 17 & 24, 9 a.m. � 1 p.m. Wednesdays, Aug. 4 � Sept. 19 (skip 9/18), 7 � 9:15 p.m. Moving Through Pregnancy Mondays, July 5, 12 & 19, 7 � 9 p.m., 650-853-2960 Breastfeeding: Secrets for Success Saturday, July 31, 10 a.m. � noon, 650-853-2960 Raising Healthy & Happy Eaters! (for parents of children aged 0 � 6) 650-853-2961 Introduction to Solids (ages 0 � 1) Feeding Your Toddler (ages 1 � 3) Feeding Your Preschooler (ages 3 � 6) Offered in Palo Alto and Los Altos, please call for dates. Pregnancy, Breastfeeding and Child Care Classes OB Orientation Thursdays, July 1, 15 & 29, and Wednesday, July 21, 6:30 � 8 p.m. Breastfeeding Your Newborn Monday/Tuesday, July 6, 12 & Aug. 2, 6:30 � 9 p.m. Infant Emergencies and CPR Wednesdays, July 7, 21 & Aug. 4 , 6 � 8:30 p.m. Childbirth Preparation Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays, July 8, 9, 10 & Aug. 5 Feeding Your Toddler Tuesday, July 13, 7 � 9 p.m. Preparing for Baby Tuesday, July 13, 6:30 � 8:30 p.m. What to Expect with Your Newborn Tuesday, July 20, 7 � 8 p.m. Baby Care Thursday, July 29 and Saturday, July 31, 10:30 a.m. � noon. For all, register online or call 650-934-7373. Support Groups Bariatric 650-281-8908 Cancer 650-342-3749 CPAP 650-853-4729 Diabetes 650-224-7872 Drug and Alcohol 650-853-2904 Healing Imagery for Cancer Patients 650-799-5512 Kidney 650-323-2225 Multiple Sclerosis 650-328-0179 Free Appointments 650-934-7373 HICAP Counseling, Advance Health Care Directive Counseling, General Social Services (visits with our social worker) Support Groups 650-934-7373 AWAKE Bariatric Surgery Breastfeeding For a complete list of classes and class fees, lectures and health education resources, visit: pamf.org. Page 36