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The Almanac 03.14.2012 - Section 1
Section 1 of the March 14.2012 edition of the Almanac
Golfer, 12, aces two of nine holes. Page 3 T H E H O M E TOW N N E W S PA P E R F O R M E N L O PA R K , AT H E RTO N , P O RTO L A VA L L E Y A N D WO O D S I D E MARCH 14, 2012 | VO L . 4 7 N O. 2 9 W W W. T H E A L M A N AC O N L I N E . C O M One more step toward ` Bill Mohr shines light on Haiti's role in saving Jewish refugees, including him, during World War II Section 2 Exclusive Hidden Valley W 140 Farm Road, Woodside elcome to this contemporary masterpiece, in exclusive Hidden Valley. Interior details include incorporates a one bedroom, one bath guest house. approximately 3.68 acres guest house with 1 bedroom and 1 bath and home office with built-in cabinetry and fireplace OFFERED AT $7,495,000 VIRTUAL TOUR AT WWW.140FARM.COM #1 Agent, Menlo Park � El Camino Office, 2011 Ranked #53 Nationally by The Wall Street Journal, 2011 Over $1.4 Billion in Sales WWW.HUGHCORNISH.COM Providing A Network of Reputable Home-Improvement Professionals 650.566.5353 firstname.lastname@example.com DRE# 00912143 This information was supplied by Seller and/or other sources. Broker believes this information to be correct but has not verified this information and assumes no legal responsibility for its accuracy. Buyers should investigate these issues to their own satisfaction. Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. If your home is currently listed for sale, this is not a solicitation of that listing. 2 The Almanac March 14, 2012 UPF RONT Seafood Dinners from $595 to $995 Clam Chowder - Seafood Salads Our Award Winning Fish & Chips Prepared from the finest Alaskan halibut. Restaurant: Mon-Sat 11-8:30 pm, Fri `til 9 pm; Market: Mon - Sat 9-7 pm NOW OPEN SUNDAYS Market: 10-5 pm; Restaurant:11-7 pm Try our new Grilled Seafood Specials Naomi Lee, 12, has been playing golf since she was 4. Golfer, 12, aces two of nine holes By Jane Knoerle Almanac Lifestyles Editor I t's been quite a month for Naomi Lee of Menlo Park. Named player of the year in the Bay Area by U.S. Kids Golf on Feb. 26, the 12-year-old just six days later shot two holes in one in the same round of nine holes at the Peter Hay Golf Course at Pebble Beach. This makes three aces for Naomi, who shot her first hole-in-one at age 10. Her dad, Doug Lee, quotes Golf Digest on the odds of a golfer making two holesin-one in one round: 1 in 67 million. During the March 3 round, Naomi scored aces on holes 3 and 6, using a 9-iron on hole 3 (82 yards) and a gap wedge on hole 6 (64 yards). "The first one was to an elevated green and I could only see the pin. I thought I hit it over the green," says Naomi. "But the group in front of us clapped and said you got a hole-in-one -- it spun back into the hole." "I pured the second shot. It bounced twice and into the hole." ("Pure" is a shot struck perfectly on the center of gravity of the club, her father says.) "I wuz like this is the awesomest day of my life," she a 4 handicap and competed in junior golf tournaments himself. Naomi practices at Stanford Golf Course, Mariner's Point Golf Center in Foster City, and the Olympic Club in San Francisco, where her father is a member. She competes in 9, 18, 36 and 54 hole tourna`I wuz like this is ments all over Northern California, playing fullthe awesomest length courses from the women's tees. day of my life,' Naomi's she says in a text. onlyGolf isn't She is a interest. classical pianist and says in a text. straight-A student at La Naomi was playing Pebble Entrada Middle School, Beach with her brother, Jack- reports her proud dad. She son, 9, also a competitive is also on a swim team and golfer. likes to run track and text Playing golf (with plas- her friends. tic clubs) since she was 4, Does this seventh-grader Naomi competed in her first want to be a professional tournament at age 7. golfer some day? "That'd be A top golfer in her age pretty cool, but I really want bracket, she will take part in to be a surgeon because I the Teen World Champion- love science and to use my ship for U.S. Kids at Pine- hands," she says. hurst in North Carolina in "I like golf because it's fun July. and hard. And I get to visit She was taught by her beautiful places and play in father, Doug Lee, who has the sun," she says. A 2020 W. El Camino Real, Mtn. View (650) 938-2020 Specializing in the Cuisine of Puebla. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 2801 Middlefield Road, Redwood City (650) 369-5250 9am-5:30pm Mon. - Sat. Coffee roasting & fine teas, espresso bar, retail & wholesale. CALLING ON THE ALMANAC Newsroom: Newsroom fax: Advertising: Advertising fax: Classified ads: 223-6525 223-7525 854-2626 854-3650 854-0858 E-mail news, information, obituaries and photos (with captions) to: firstname.lastname@example.com E-mail letters to the editor to: firstname.lastname@example.com THE ALMANAC (ISSN 1097-3095 and USPS 459370) is published every Wednesday by Embarcadero Media, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 940256558. Periodicals Postage Paid at Menlo Park, CA and at additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for San Mateo County, The Almanac is delivered free to homes in Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside. Subscriptions for $60 per year or $100 per 2 years are welcome. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Almanac, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6558. Copyright �2012 by Embarcadero Media, All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. To request free delivery, or stop delivery, of The Almanac in zip code 94025, 94027, 94028 and the Woodside portion of 94062, call 854-2626. March 14, 2012 The Almanac 3 FREE SEMINAR! "Eighth Annual" Special Needs Trusts The corner stone of Estate Planning for People with Disabilities Co-sponsors include: Professional Fiduciaries Assn. of California Morgan Autism Center Friends of Children with Special Needs' Pacific Autism Center for Education (PACE) Parents Helping Parents (PHP) Brian Injury Connection (BIC) Older Adults Care Management Support for Families of Children with Disabilities Thursday, March 29 2-4pm or 6-8pm Crowne Plaza Caba�a 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto S E AT I N G I S L I M I T E D ! Michael Gilfix, Esq. Gilfix & La Poll Associates LLP To register, call 650-493-8070 or 650-971-7292 or register online at www.gilfix.com 4 The Almanac March 14, 2012 M E N L O P A R K | A T H E R T O N | W O O D S I D E | P O R T O L A V A L L E Y Almanac photo by Michelle Le Coroner staff and police investigate the scene of a Caltrain collision in Menlo Park on March 9 that killed Eric Salvatierra, 39. PayPal exec killed by train on Menlo Park tracks By Gennady Sheyner and Sandy Brundage Embarcadero Media T he man struck by a train in Menlo Park on Friday was Eric Salvatierra, a 39-yearold Palo Alto resident, according to the San Mateo County Coroner's Office. A married father of three young daughters, Mr. Salvatierra worked at PayPal as vice president for customer advocacy and operational excellence. He had also served as vice president and CFO at Skype, which like PayPal is owned by eBay. His 14 years at the three companies included working as eBay's first vice president for site management and fraud prevention, according to eBay CEO John Donahoe. He volunteered on the board of directors for Peninsula Bridge, a nonprofit dedicated to creating academic opportunities for students from low-income communities, and with other nonprofits. Mr. Salvatierra lived in Palo Alto with his wife, Meredith Ackley, whom he met as a camp counselor in college. The couple had three children, aged 3, 8 and 10, according to an email sent by Mr. Donahoe to eBay employees. The email praised Mr. Salvatierra, one of the company's longestserving employees. Mr. Donahoe said his "tireless and passionate commitment to every task and his loyalty to the company were a hallmark of Eric's tenure at eBay." He wrote that Mr. Salvatierra's many gifts included an "ability to bring out the best in all of us and compel his colleagues to be better employees and better people". Saying that Mr. Salvatierra was a unique and special colleague who was loved and admired by all, Mr. Donahoe wrote: "For all of us who had the privilege of knowing and working with Eric, we will remem- Eric Salvatierra, 39, was the father of three young daughters. ber and miss his wit, intelligence, and joy of life both professionally and personally. Our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with Meredith and the girls. Our hearts go out to them for the sudden loss of such a beloved, valued and respected husband, father, friend and colleague." The Friday collision occurred at about 9:30 a.m. on the tracks near Ravenswood Avenue, according to Caltrain. People at the scene commented that Mr. Salvatierra had been seen with a silver road bike and helmet. Describing the scene, an agency representative said that the speed of the train at the time of collision was irrelevant because of its massive weight. In his email, the eBay CEO wrote that Mr. Salvatierra had suffered a "debilitating mental illness" that prompted him to take a leave of absence last year. It also noted that in recent months the couple found support through the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a national nonprofit that provides education on mentalhealth issues, and that the family is now receiving grief counseling from KARA, a Palo Alto-based organization. Funeral services have not yet been announced; the widow has asked that support go to both KARA and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, as two organizations that work to abolish the stigma of mental illness. Mr. Donahoe said the company would make contribu- tions to the organizations in Mr. Salvatierra's memory. The San Mateo County coroner will make the final determination of the cause of death, and investigators continue to piece together what happened. This was the fourth death on the railroad's right-of-way this year, according to Caltrain. Last year there were 16 fatalities. "No matter what the circumstances, it is always regrettable when a life is lost," said Caltrain spokeswoman Tasha Bartholomew in an email. "Caltrain reminds everyone to be safe around train tracks. Caltrain also would like to thank our passengers for their patience as we deal with these sad incidents." Over the years, Caltrain has installed no trespassing signs and signs listing a crisis hotline number every 500 feet along the 55-mile railroad to try to reduce deaths. A March 14, 2012 The Almanac 5 Portola Valley | Woodside Open 6:30 am - 8:00 pm daily Sale Dates: Mar. 14, 15, 16, 17 N E W S 4420 Alpine Road | Portola Valley | 650.851.1711 1 3015 Woodside Road | Woodside 650.851.1511 301 Visit us anytime at www.robertsmarket.com FRESH PRODUCE PR STRAWBERRIES ORGANIC LEAF LETTUCE BRISKET DRISCOLL $ 99 lb RED, GREEN & ROMAINE 3 99� lb ST. PA PATRICK'S D DAY! CAB CABBAGE 39� lb TENDER ea BLUE LAKE BEANS 99 6 � lb Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac Deputy city clerk Theresa DellaSanta has taken over as Atherton's interim city manager. MEAT AND SEAFOOD ON SALE GROCERY 4 TRI-TIP $ 98 7 EYE OF ROUND $ 98 4 lb lb $ 98 ROBERTS FRESH CORNED BEEF HONEY MUSTARD GLAZED Interim manager has her hands full By Renee Batti Almanac News Editor C CORNED BEEF $ 98 lb ATH ERTO N T GUIN GUINNESS DRAUGHT KERRYG KERRYGOLD PUR GOLD PURE RE IRISH B BUTTER 8 OZ. OZ Z. $ 1 14 OZ. - PLUS CALIF. REDEEM VALUE $ 39 2 WHITE CASTLE CHEESEBURGER 6 COUNT 1 49 $ 69 $ 99 3 NEWMAN'S OWN MINT $ 69 CR�ME COOKIES 8 OZ. 1 CAT CORA'S EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 17 OZ. 9 DELI DEPARTMENT Celebrate St. Patrick C with Carrots and Potatoes just $7.99 lb. Made fresh in our kitchens! We also have lots of "Green" Treats! a m S n Cream Pie e WINE AND SPIRITS These Zinfandels offer rich, hearty, spicy flavors that satisfy your taste buds, yet are easy on your wallet. Light a fire and enjoy one of these delicious wine bargains. Winter Zins 2010 Sobon Estate Old Vines, Amador County 2010 Hobo "Dry Creek Valley," Sonoma County 2009 Quivira, Dry Creek Valley Reg. $10.99 ........... Sale Reg. $16.99 ........ Sale Reg. $19.99 ........ Sale Reg. $21.99 ........ Sale $8.99 Brambly blackberry fruits with lots of spice and pepper. This is Sobon's finest "Old Vines" effort to date! 14.9%ABV $14.99 $16.99 $17.99 This is the epitome of fine "Dry Creek Valley" Zinfandel with rich, complex loamy/mineral complexity. A great value! Gorgeous, fresh, juicy, lively red fruits with a stony/spice finish. 92 points from Wine Advocate, and for once I agree! 2009 Cedarville Vineyards "Estate Bottled" El Dorado A party in a bottle. Packed with spicy fruit and creamy, cedary oak. Bold and dramatic. heresa DellaSanta has been demonstrating her skills as set criteria for evaluating them late a juggler over the past seven last week. weeks, keeping many balls in the air The town has already received as she oversees the town of Ather- a number of resumes from city ton's general business as interim manager applicants, Ms. Delcity manager while keeping an eye laSanta said. Although a councilon the town's city clerk duties. approved timeline for the process The permanent deputy city clerk, includes naming the new manager Ms. DellaSanta moved quickly to by mid-May, it's likely the person broaden her on-the-job focus when won't be in place until early June the City Council in late January or later, she said. appointed her to her new position The town has interim managers after John Danielson, who served in other key positions -- a situaas interim manager for one year, tion Mr. Widmer, when he became unexpectedly left mayor in Decemthe post. ber, said he wants Ms. DellaSanta, `We have a busy two addressed sooner 30, had no city rather than later. months ahead.' management expeAt this point, the INTERIM CITY MANAGER rience before her finance department THERESA DELLASANTA appointment, and has an interim manhas just completed ager whose contract work for her bachelor's degree expires in May; the police chief is in public administration -- her an interim appointment, and his diploma is expected in July -- contract is up in July; and the public from Phoenix University, which works director is temporary, with a offers online courses. contract that expires in July. But her prior three years of expeMs. DellaSanta said that, as interrience in Town Hall as Atherton's im city manager, she could move only city clerk (although she's "dep- ahead and recruit permanent staff uty" city clerk, the town has no full- in those positions, "but I would like fledged clerk) has familiarized her to respect the person who comes on with day-to-day operations of the board" as the permanent manager, town as well as with the other key allowing that person to make his or players in Atherton's governance, her own choices for key positions, including council members. she added. Key duties she's been focusing on As for Interim Finance Director include helping with the search for Debra Auker's May 9 stop date, will a permanent city manager, which Ms. DellaSanta extend the contract the town has been without since the until the permanent manager is October 2010 resignation of Jerry hired, or hire a permanent finance Gruber. The council authorized director? That's up to the council, hiring a recruitment firm, and Ms. DellaSanta said. "If the council proposals from a number of firms wants me to move ahead, I have no came in by the March 8 deadline. problem with that." Ms. DellaSanta and a subcomWhile she is focusing on other mittee of the council -- Mayor tasks, Ms. DellaSanta has arranged Bill Widmer and Councilwoman for staff working for the town's Kathy McKeithen -- were schedSee INTERIM MANAGER, page 16 uled to review the proposals and 6 The Almanac March 14, 2012 N E W S Fire may displace family for a year Second blaze in wall initially undetected by thermal cameras. R EAL E STATE Q&A by Monica Corman Keep the Tub? Dear Monica: We are considering remodeling the two bathrooms in our 60+ year old house. One bathroom has a shower and the other a tub but without the tile surround to include a shower. We haven't used the tub since our daughter was a toddler. I am considering taking out the tub and putting in a second shower as tubs are so slippery when one is standing. However, I am concerned as to how that might affect the price and/or ease of selling our house many years down the road. Would we be wiser to keep the tub, which is in excellent condition, and just include plumbing and tiling for a shower? Anne W. Dear Anne: I usually advise that one should serve one's own needs and preferences first. However, it would be advisable to have at least one tub in a house because there are many times a shower is not a functional way to bathe. You may have guests and grandchildren who need a tub and not a shower. Most children take baths until they are 8-10. And you would be surprised how many adults like to take baths. You can upgrade the area around the tub with new tile and plumbing. But if I were you, I would keep the tub. By Sandy Brundage Almanac Staff Writer T he fire that ravaged a Willow Road home on March 6 may leave a Menlo Park family homeless for up to 12 months, according to the fire district. Chief Harold Schapelhouman said the working theory is that the blaze started outside, then spread through a roof vent into the attic before destroying a bedroom and bathroom. Although firefighters thought the one-alarm incident was over and left by 3 p.m., flames were burning inside a wall between two bathrooms. They returned to the scene about 46 minutes later after a salvage crew spotted smoke. The chief said that thermal cameras had surprisingly not detected the second fire earlier, and thought that structural changes made inside the wall as a result of a recent remodel of the home may have somehow blocked the heat signature. Two firefighters remained at the home overnight to check hourly for other outbreaks. He estimated total damages at $310,000 -- and counting. "I suspect the numbers will get bigger rather than smaller," Chief Schapelhouman said. No one was injured, but the family of four, along with two visiting grandparents, now faces the difficult task of finding longterm shelter and replacing necessities lost in the fire. Neighbors reported hearing a For answers to any questions you may have on real estate, you may e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 462-1111, Alain Pinel Realtors. I also offer a free market analysis of your property. www.MonicaCorman.com Almanac photo by Sandy Brundage The fire occurred on Willow Road between Middlefield Road and Alma Street. "boom" shortly before 11 a.m. and seeing flames leap from a front corner of the home. Firefighters arrived on the scene about two minutes after the 911 call. They found themselves facing a fire that could potentially devastate the house next door, the chief said, which was roofed with "highly flammable" wood shingles. He encourages homeowners to look at other options for roof materials. The house will be tagged as uninhabitable by the building department and PG&E will pull its meter to ensure that no one attempts to live in the home until it's repaired, according to the chief. District investigators and insurance representatives should meet to compare findings within the next few days, he said. A CHARMING COTTAGES OF PALO ALTO Twenty-first annual house tour FRIDAY, MARCH 30 & SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 2011 11:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. To buy tax-deductible tickets online -- go to www.charmingcottages.org. $30.00 through March 22, $35.00 afterwards. Tickets may be used either day. Sponsored by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club, a non-profit organization, to benefit the scholarship program for students of Mills College from San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties Blue Garden Cafe opens at Allied Arts By Jane Knoerle Almanac Lifestyles Editor I t's a little early for the agapanthus, asters, salvia and hydrangeas to bloom in the Blue Garden at Allied Arts, but the Blue Garden Cafe is now open in the historic Menlo Park complex. Blue Garden Cafe replaces Primavera Cafe, which closed the first of the year. The new cafe is operated by JW Catering of Cupertino. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and is now serving lunch on the enclosed terrace overlooking the garden. Beverages and pastries will be available in the morning and afternoon. No luncheon reservations are required. When the weather warms, there will be service in the Blue Garden itself, with bistro tables surrounding a splashing fountain. The opening menu includes a selection of salads and sandwiches, including a chicken salad sandwich and a hamburger. Grilled fish of the day and hot pasta dishes are also featured. Dessert choices include berries with sweetened yogurt and flourless chocolate cake with berry compote. Having lunch at Allied Arts is a tradition that dates back to the 1930s, shortly after the European-style crafts guild was constructed in 1929. For many years, the restaurant was operated by volunteer members of the Palo Alto Auxiliary to Children's Hospital. Generations of local residents fondly remember Christmas teas, "Bunny lunches," bridal showers, and birthday parties that have taken place there. The Blue Garden Cafe is part of JW Catering, which will also provide the meals for weddings, conferences and other special events that take place at Allied Arts Guild. Allied Arts is located at 75 Arbor Road in Menlo Park. It is owned and operated by the Allied Arts Auxiliary, formerly the Woodside-Atherton Auxiliary to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. For more information, call 322-2405. A Media Sponsor: Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Online Good for Business. Good for You. Good for the Community. March 14, 2012 The Almanac 7 N E W S Istanbul's growth inspired career of new commissioner By Dave Boyce Almanac Staff Writer WOODSIDE A ydan Kutay brings an unusual background to the Woodside Planning Commission, where she is the newest member. She grew up in Istanbul, and has a degree in urban planning from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara. Urban planning was attractive as an undergraduate major, she says, because of major changes going on in her native country in the 1970s. Mechanized agriculture had driven rural migrants into squatter camps in and around the major Turkish cities, resulting in chaotic living conditions. Ms. Kutay remembers how the city of her birth reacted to the squatters and the pressures of modernity: "with concrete blocks of high rises, international hotel chains, offices (and) condominium developments," she says in an email With no municipal codes and no general plan, Istanbul became a victim of uncontrolled development, she said. Woodside The Woodside Town Council appointed her to the Planning Commission in a unanimous vote Feb. 28. The commission advises the council on zoning issues and approves conditional use permits and variances. Ms. Kutay lives on Hardwick Road in the Woodside Hills neighborhood with her two dogs, a German shepherd and a mixed breed; her two children are in graduate school and college, respectively, she said in an interview. After she came to the United States in 1982, she obtained a master's degree in public policy and a doctorate in economics and public policy analysis, both from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. As an economist and professor of economics and public policy, she has had teaching positions at Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Southern California, according to the application she submitted for the commission seat. She came to California in 1992. Ms. Kutay, 49, told the council that she taught as an adjunct professor at Stanford University, and that she is currently a consulting analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco. A long-distance runner, she said she has run three half-marathons in San Francisco and plans to run the full city marathon in July. Among the civic-minded activities on her application are concerns for animals, the homeless and promotion of the fine arts. In an email, she said she founded the ACE Project, a San Franciscobased nonprofit with a goal of "collecting and disseminating research information on integrating new technologies to the economic system" to promote economic growth not based on consumption, to educate the public about climate change, and to create electronic global communities with the goal Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac Aydan Kutay brings a degree in urban planning and a career in public policy analysis to her new position on the Planning Commission in Woodside. of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Her reasons for serving on the Planning Commission? "To be able to do civic service for Woodside and have a role in the future development of the town," she wrote. "I find it very exciting and fulfilling to be able to interact with the residents of the town and with community leaders." Protecting Woodside's rural character will be a priority, she told the council. That character prompted her to move to Woodside after six years in Menlo Park, where she had been a board member for a planned unit development, she wrote. Her house is a work of sustainability in progress. While it now has lawns in front and back, she said she plans to dig up the grass and plant native drought-tolerant plants. She also intends to apply for recognition of her property as a Backyard Habitat, a town initiative that recognizes properties welcoming to native animals and plants. "I want to set an example for the neighborhood," she said. Her own take Asked if she had ever built a house from scratch, Ms. Kutay said she had not but that remodeling her 4,000-square-foot home did require a site development permit, indicating a major undertaking with Town Hall. The outlook was grim, she said her neighbors told her. "Woodside is a very hard town to remodel and build in and I would have a lot of trouble trying to build what I want," Ms. Kutay said she was told. "Actually it was a very positive and learning process that I went through," she said. "A lot of people don't see it that way. They see it as interference." Regulation is a dirty word in some circles. Asked about what makes a good regulation, Ms. Kutay replied: "Regulations are there so that we protect our environment, we don't destroy our environment, we don't build these eyesores on properties. In the short term, it may look like a pain in the neck, but in the long term, regulations are good. Public rights are just as important" as private rights, she said. Ms. Kutay said she feels fortunate to be joining the Planning Commission at the same time that the town updated its general plan to include sustainable development as a priority. A Green initiatives: Will Menlo Park join plastic bag ban? The Menlo Park City Council hits the books for a study session on Tuesday, March 13, with a focus on green initiatives. Topics include whether to set a community-wide greenhouse gas reduction target, and whether to join San Mateo County in an environmental impact report meant to evaluate a proposed ordinance prohibiting singleuse plastic bags by retailers and charging a fee for using paper bags. The Town Council in Woodside voted 5-2 in February to support the countywide initiative. Finally, a potential ban on styrofoam takeout containers is also up for debate. After the study session con8 cludes, regular business on the council's agenda encompasses further efforts to restructure in the wake of the state's dissolution of the redevelopment agency, continuing examination of next year's budget, and comments on East Palo Alto's planned 835unit Ravenswood/Four Corners housing development. Menlo Park staff found the project's draft environmental impact report deficient in several areas such as traffic impact and using outdated data. The study session begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at the Civic Center at 701 Laurel St., followed by the regular meeting at 7 p.m. B RIEFS Dogs die from eating poisonous mushroom All dog owners know that if a dog realizes something can fit inside its mouth, it's only a matter of seconds before the item goes down the gullet. If that item is a mushroom, the results can be tragic. According to Menlo Park residents, five local dogs have already died this year from eating poisonous fungi. A local dog trainer, Donnasue Jacobi, reminds owners that mushrooms have an expansive underground system that dogs can dig up. "We haven't had much rain, but if you've got lots of oak trees, the compost that's made from falling leaves is a perfect place for these things to get growing," she wrote in an email after a client's miniature pinscher died. She recommends checking yards and other outdoor areas daily. Go to tinyurl.com/6t8vmp9 for examples and photos of poisonous vegetation. You can also pick up a portable photo card of the plants at Holbrook- Palmer Park in Atherton on Monday nights from March 19 through May 7 between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., or at the Pet Place (777 Santa Cruz Ave.) and Bow Wow Meow (654 Santa Cruz Ave.) in Menlo Park. Chamber awards At its annual breakfast meet- ing on March 2, the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce took a few moments to recognize two members with awards, much to the surprise of the recipients. Oscar Baile, a chocolatier with a master's degree in civil engineering, accepted the award for Landru Chocolates. Although the company is based in Newark, it participates in Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce events such as block parties. Mr. Baile said the store is thinking about opening a Los Angeles location. The second award went to Charles Chapman, the dining coordinator of Left Bank. Chamber representatives thanked him for always including the organization when planning the restaurant's annual budget, and participating in Chamber activities throughout the year. The Almanac March 14, 2012 N E W S Menlo Park looks at robotic garages Transportation Commission considers how to fit more cars in less space. Open to the public: Shop our healthful food marketplace and save By Sandy Brundage Almanac Staff Writer 20% Off your entire purchase* *Expires 3/30/2012 Menlo Park location only lying cars are still a daydream, but garages that can park your earthbound car for you are not, and one company wants to bring that futuristic vision to Menlo Park. The Transportation Commission on Wednesday, March 14, will listen to a presentation by Unitronics, a company that specializes in automated parking. Instead of relying on humans to park their cars, an automated garage uses computers to move the cars into slots via lifts, conveyors, and moving pallets. By placing the vehicles almost bumper to bumper, and eliminating the need for ramps or driving lanes, the system can pack in almost three times as many cars as a traditional garage. Frank DeFoe, regional vice president for Unitronics, said the company received a $2.6 million contract last year to build and maintain a 200space system for the city of West Hollywood on a 150-foot by 80-foot lot. He estimated the cost of an automated stall at around $25,000, compared to about $40,000 for a conventional parking space. For a 400-space garage in Menlo Park, the ongoing costs of operating the system are lower than for a traditional garage because of minimal ventilation and lighting needs, and reduced insurance, according to Mr. DeFoe. Robots aren't perfect, but he described Unitronics systems as 99.6 percent error free on average. In 2008 the company took over an automated garage in Hoboken, New Jersey, after the city had a contract dispute with the previous operator, whose glitches dropped cars and, at one time, trapped vehicles inside the garage for 26 hours. Mr. DeFoe said that Unitronics overhauled the soft- F Low Carb, Low Sugar, Gluten Free 713 Oak Grove Ave, Menlo Park 650.323.5483 MSCO and Viva La Musica Present an all Brahms Concert Image courtesy of Unitronics A rendering of a 200-space automated garage under construction by Unitronics in West Hollywood. Brahms Tragic Overture A German Requiem, MSCO, Viva La Musica, and soloists Aimee Puentes and Peter Tuff Tickets: Brahms ware and mechanics after it took over. Transportation commissioner Ray Mueller said he's looking forward to the presentation. "New automated parking structure technology is touted as an innovative way to preserve, protect, and reclaim open space for community gathering areas and parks in urban environments," he said in an email. "Obviously, it can also be used to support an increase in density in areas where the parking supply, and space for a traditional garage, is otherwise limited." He added that whether such a system suits Menlo Park depends on many factors. "Determining whether automated parking structure technology is right for Menlo Park should include community feedback as to proposed garage locations, and a careful examination of other factors, including garage installation fees, minimum parking supply implementation, maintenance costs, driver parking fees, parking wait time, vehicle delivery time, and aesthetics." Parking, as demonstrated by the public hearings on the downtown/El Camino Real specific plan, remains a hot button issue for the city: Does Menlo Park need parking garages? If so, where and who will foot the bill? Some think the automated system is worth considering. Nancy Couperus of the Menlo Park Downtown Alliance, an association of downtown business and property owners, said that while the group has taken no formal position, its members want to learn more since an automated garage may fit more vehicles into a smaller space than traditional structures, and could be less expensive, depending on ongoing maintenance costs. "If in the future it's necessary to build a parking structure in the downtown area, we think that an automated structure ought to be considered," she said. The Transportation Commission meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at the Civic Center at 701 Laurel St. A Gen Admission Seniors (60+) Youth $20 $16 $5 Saturday, March 17 at 8:00 pm Valley Presbyterian Church 945 Portola Road, Portola Valley Free reception follows concert Sunday, March 18 at 2:30 pm Los Altos United Methodist Church 655 Magdalena (at Foothill) Los Altos Free reception at intermission This ad sponsored by Ginny Kavanaugh and Joe Kavanaugh of Coldwell Banker, Portola Valley. Visit them at www.thekavanaughs.com Serving the community for over 22 years Drill to test emergency distribution of medicine How long would it take county agencies and volunteers to distribute medicine after a largescale emergency? On Thursday, March 15, San Mateo County will run a drill from 9 a.m. to noon to find out. The "Silver Dragon VI" emergency exercise will test how long it takes teams to distribute earthquake safety brochures to 15,000 homes to simulate how quickly medicine could be delivered after an emergency. The drill also evaluates how fast the county can receive and distribute supplies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stockpile, which aims to deliver medications to any state within 12 hours if needed after an event severe enough to deplete local provisions. Participating agencies include the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, the San Mateo Medical Center, and the Red Cross. Are you getting the service you deserve? We answer our phones. Charlie Porter Farmers Agency � License # 0773991 671-A Oak Grove Ave Menlo Park 650-327-1313 email@example.com March 14, 2012 The Almanac 9 A community health education series from Stanford Hospital & Clinics After Disease Claims Lungs, A New Life Begins With Care Center's Expert Help Eight years after Jennifer Julian began to feel a bit short of breath, she sat in an exam room at Stanford Hospital & Clinics and listened to her doctor tell her that her right lung was failing and her left soon to follow. At just 48 years old, she would need a transplant to live to see her next birthday. "My head was spinning," Julian said. For years, Julian had known that her lungs were stiffening, altered by a reaction to something in the environment from a condition called chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Medications and close monitoring had kept her going, even allowed her to scuba dive, ski, golf and visit one of her favorite places, a family-owned cabin in Montana at 7,000 feet. Bit by bit, however, as the lining of her lungs scarred and prevented oxygen from passing through, each breath Julian drew grew shallower and she developed a cough that wouldn't go away. The summer before she found herself in that exam room, she'd gone to that cabin in Montana and the altitude was too much. "I had a really, really tough time. It was horrible and I thought, `I'm never going to see this place again.'" Then came that conversation with her doctor and the beginning of a journey toward a new life with new lungs. Julian's vibrance and enthusiasm makes her a glowing example of reclaimed health supported by expert medical care at the Stanford Center for Advanced Lung Disease. that most basic of body functions. With each breath in and each breath out, oxygen and carbon dioxide pass through the delicate filtering system of the lungs. "The lung is the only organ in our body that's exposed to the environment 24 hours a day. The rest of the organs in the body, except the skin, are protected in some way. It's a physiologically very complex organ," said Glenn Rosen, MD, director of the Center's Interstitial Lung Disease program, who became Julian's doctor. For many lung diseases, the only cure is new lungs. "You want to delay that as long as you can," Rosen said. "You don't want to do it too early because it's a big operation and lungs can be rejected. But we don't want to wait too long, until the patient is too weak. There's a balance. We're constantly assessing. We have a caring, empathetic team that works to create a comprehensive, individualized treat"When I was first told that I needed to get a double lung transplant, I didn't ment plan. We also work know that that existed," said Jennifer Julian. "As I went through the process of trying to understand more, I didn't know if I was going to live or not. You face closely with referring the reality of death." physicians--that's critical because we're not the primary care doctors for a lot of our patients." come away from the clinic, whether they've received positive or negative news, feeling like a multidisciplinary group of experts has given their case a thorough review and addressed all possible treatment options." Watching each patient carefully, with different points of view, is essential. "Everybody plays a role--it is very much a team "The last thing I said to the team approach," said Susan Jacobs, who along was, `I have the utmost confidence with another nurse coordinator, Virginia in you guys,' and I'll see you on the Adi , coordinates evaluations for about 30 flip side.'" new patients each month and follows over 300. "People are searching for information," � Jennifer Julian, patient, Jacobs said, "to confirm a diagnosis or to Stanford Hospital & Clinics find out their diagnosis. They always want to know how serious it is, how quickly it's With Julian, as she does with other pagoing to progress and what their treatment tients, Jacobs is very honest. "I always tell options are." them I can't really know what it's like in their position, but I've done this a long time More than anything else, Jacobs said, the Stanford team wants their patients "to Norbert von der Groeben "All of these diseases are interconnected. With the center, we can share resources. We have a critical mass of doctors, nurses, dieticians and social workers who can closely follow our patients." � David Weill, MD, director, Stanford Center for Advanced Lung Disease The lining of the lung, the interstitial space, is particularly remarkable, Rosen said. "It needs to be very thin so that air can pass quickly from the air sacs into the blood. Disease's like Ms. Julian's inflame and scar the space so you can't get enough oxygen in or carbon dioxide out. Once that scar tissue appears, it can't be dissolved." Unfortunately, science has not yet learned how to heal the lung from those most common lung diseases like emphysema, cystic fibrosis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. There are more than 100 chronic lung disorders in the interstitial lung disease group. "We are looking at finding ways to repair the lung with stem cells," Rosen said. "We're at the early stages of that and we're learning more about the specific cells in the lung that are at risk." Bringing all Stanford's lung specialists together in one working group was a means to enhance collaboration for care that is best when multidisciplinary, said David Weill, MD, director of Stanford's lung transplant program and now also director of the new center. "All of these diseases are interconnected. With the center, we can share resources. We have a critical mass of doctors, nurses, dieticians and social workers who can closely follow our patients." Covering all the angles Once damaged, no repair The recently established center is one of a small handful of treatment locations in the US to offer special experience and knowledge in diseases and disorders that can impede Norbert von der Groeben As Julian's disease progressed, an oxygen tank became her constant companion. With each passing month, she could do less and needed more oxygen. Since her transplant, Julian has few restrictions on what she can do. She flies, and golfs, bikes, scuba dives and hikes. 10 Not until two days after her double lung transplant, as she walked with the help of a therapist, sipping air with shallow b when Julian felt something different. "It was one of the deepest breaths I'd taken in two years and it was incredible," she lessons, something she'd wanted to do since childhood. The Almanac March 14, 2012 special feature The Lung: From Illness to Transplant Interstitial lung diseases can be unpredictable. Their symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Symptoms can include shortness of breath, fatigue and weakness, dry cough, labored breathing, chest discomfort, fatigue and weakness. What causes such illnesses remains under study. Environment, however, can play a major role. Family history, radiation and some medications can also contribute. Diagnosis may include pulmonary function tests, bronchoscopy, blood tests, X-rays or CT scans. Treatment choices can be influenced by age, overall health, extent of the disease and tolerance of medication. According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, about 1,800 lung transplants took place in the US in 2010. Stanford Hospital performs between 50 and 60 lung transplants annually, which places it in the top 10 for lung transplant volume. Of the 30 heart-lung transplants in the US, eight were done at Stanford. The average waiting time for a lung transplant at Stanford is between 45-90 days; the national average is nine months. Potential donors must be 18. Registration is available online at https://www. donatelifecalifornia.org/register/, or when renewing or obtaining a California Drivers License or California ID card. There are no disqualifying age or health condition requirements to register. For more information about the Center for Advanced Lung Disease, call 650.736.5400 or visit stanfordhospital.org/lungtransplant Join us at http://stanfordhospital.org/socialmedia. Watch the new Stanford Hospital Health Notes television show on Comcast: channel 28 on Mondays at 8:30 p.m., Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. and Fridays at 8:30 a.m.; channel 30 Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. It can also be viewed at www.youtube.com/stanfordhospital. and I do understand their needs. I want to educate them and give them a sense of control and to let them know we will be there to support them." "When I was first told that I needed to get a double lung transplant, I didn't know that that existed," Julian said. "As I went through the process of trying to understand more, I didn't know if I was going to live or not. You face the reality of death. You really do ask yourself, `Is Stanford going to get me in time?'" Moving towards a new life Support was what Julian needed to convince Stanford that she would be a good candidate for a transplant. Apart from her lung condition, she was healthy but overweight. She needed to lose at least 35 pounds, a difficult challenge considering the limits on her ability to exercise. Jacobs directed her to a pulmonary rehabilitation therapy program for people with chronic lung problems. In that program, Julian learned to control shortness of breath during exercise and followed an exercise routine. With the help of a nutritionist, she followed a special diet. She lost 47 pounds and was put on the list. The disease progressed and an oxygen tank became her constant companion. With each passing month, she could do less and needed more oxygen. "I couldn't do the simplest Julian has made her first solo flight, but has a ways to go before she'll earn her pilot's license from federal officials � there are few transplant patients who've been granted approval, but Weill and Rosen are on her side. things--laundry, preparing meals. I would walk to the bathroom and it would take me 20 minutes to recoup." Her partner, Gail Strzepa watched her slowly fade away. Friends pitched in. "We had an incredible circle of friends who cooked meals, watched the dogs, called her, sent her cards, relieved me. Everybody was willing to help," she said. Finally, the call came. Strzepa, who'd packed a bag, forgot it. later, as she walked with the help of a therapist, sipping air with shallow breaths as she had for years, that there came a deeper breath. "It was one of the deepest breaths I'd taken in two years and it was incredible. I was crying and the therapist said,' What happened?' She's looking at all my tubes, and I said, `Yes! I just took my first breath!" great example of someone who is passionate about wanting to enjoy her life. She's a real fighter." She also spends a good portion of her time coaching other lung disease and transplant patients at support group meetings and individually. "I'm honored to be able to do that," she said. And she begins each day with a few moments focused on that gift that gave her a second chance at a future. She's written a letter of thanks that's been sent to her donor's family and hopes one day to give them the gold medal she won at the Transplant Games. "Before the transplant we'd just kind of go through life, but after the transplant, it's appreciating every single day waking up going, `Oh my god, it's a beautiful day. Thank god I'm alive. Thank you, donor family," Strzepa said. "The donor family made that very difficult choice to give life to others. They are the real heroes." "A lot of people don't get second chances," said Julian. "I did." Always in mind Another three months would pass before she really began to regain her strength. But, with permission from her doctors, she was skiing by January, just six months after her transplant. She had to wait a year to go scuba diving again, but that happened, too. She went back to golfing and brought home a gold medal in that sport from the Transplant Games competition. She got back on her bike. "I did everything I did before and something I'd always wanted to do--I'm learning to fly." She has a ways to go before she'll earn her pilot's license from federal officials--there are few transplant patients who've been granted approval, but Weill and Rosen are on her side. "Jen has a unique attitude," said Rosen. "She looks at setbacks as challenges, tries new things and lives life to the fullest. She's a Norbert von der Groeben Norbert von der Groeben "A lot of people don't get second chances. I did." � Jennifer Julian, patient, Stanford Hospital & Clinics "It was a long night," she said. As they wheeled Julian into the operating room, she had a smile on her face. "The last thing I said to the team was, `I have the utmost confidence in you guys,' and I'll see you on the flip side.'" When she woke up after the surgery, she still had a breathing tube in her throat and couldn't feel any change. Not until two days Kelly O'Dea, Julian's flying instructor, is another admirer of what Julian's doctor, Glenn Rosen, calls Julian's unique attitude. "She looks at setbacks as challenges, tries new things and lives life to the fullest. She's a great example of someone who is passionate about wanting to enjoy her life. " breaths as she had for years, did there come that moment e said. With her second chance at life, she began flying photos: Norbert von der Groeben Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. It is currently ranked No. 17 on the U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Hospitals" list and No. 1 in the San Jose Metropolitan area. Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. The Stanford University Medical Center is comprised of three world renowned institutions: Stanford Hospital & Clinics, the Stanford University School of Medicine, the oldest medical school in the Western United States, and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, an adjacent pediatric teaching hospital providing general acute and tertiary care. For more information, visit http://stanfordhospital.org/. March 14, 2012 The Almanac 11 N E W S Mark Welton, MD, MHCM Professor and Chief, Colon and Rectal Surgery Photo by Michael Blesius Crane lifts new palm tree into position at Roberts Market in Woodside. New palm tree planted at Roberts Market There's a new tropical palm tree in front of Roberts Market at the corner of Woodside and Mountain Home roads in Woodside. Two trucks visited the corner on Monday, Feb. 20, one to transport the new tree and the other equipped with a crane to lift it into position. The old tree died in the fall of 2011 after being there for at least 83 years, and its death "caused a bit of an uproar," market spokeswoman Christine Roberts said in an email. Roizen joins Draper Fisher Jurvetson George Fisher, MD, PhD Associate Professor, Oncology Director, Cancer Clinical Trials Early Detection. Advanced Care. Colon cancer screening can provide you with peace of mind or lifesaving prevention and early detection. Stanford specialists offer the latest in screening techniques and prevention strategies. In the event that cancer is detected, Stanford's dedicated team of cancer specialists offers the personalized and expert care that you deserve. The Menlo Park venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson recently announced that Heidi Roizen has joined the firm as a venture partner. A Stanford graduate, Ms. Roizen co-founded T/Maker Company and went on to executive positions with Apple Computer, Mobius Venture Capital, and other technology companies. Draper Fisher Jurvetson invests in mobile communications, the Internet, health care, and clean energy. The company's Courtesy, Draper Fisher Jurvetson website lists Skype and Tesla Heidi Roizen as two of the businesses it has backed. For information call, 650.736.5555 or visit stanfordhospital.org/colonhealth 12 Support The Almanac's print and online coverage of our community. Join today: SupportLocalJournalism.org/Almanac The Almanac March 14, 2012 N E W S Local woman seeks high, high office cal affiliations. As the organization puts it: "Pick a president, not a party." oodside resident and "Any person constitutionally and documentary filmmaker professionally qualified to serve as Michealene Risley has president may seek the Americans a June deadline. She needs at least Elect nomination as long as he or 50,000 people -- 5,000 in each of she agrees to reach across the politi10 states -- to make a secure mouse cal space and pick a running mate click at the Americans Elect website from another party," the statement to indicate their backing for her says. national candidacy in the NovemNot all Americans Elect candiber election. dates will be playing on the same Ms. Risley is running for presi- field, however. Mr. Roemer, as a dent of the United States, and so far, former governor, has the advanshe is in a top tier. Americans Elect tage of having been seeded. The is a grass-roots, nonpartisan, non- list of seeded candidates includes profit organization now engaged in every member of Congress, all 50 qualifying for space on the ballots governors, former governors, the in all 50 states come election day. mayors of the 100 largest U.S. citThe group needs 2.9 million sig- ies, chief executives of corporations natures and had nearly 2 million, with 1,000 or more employees, and according to a recent count. "We presidents of American universities are certified in many states already with 4,000 or more students. and are waiting on certification Unseeded candidates like Mr. in several othKotlikoff and ers," the group Ms. Risley says. "We are need 50,000 `I looked at my kids and I well on our backers to be realized that I can't leave (the considered way." The webat the concountry as it is) for them.' site lists three vention, but MICHEALENE RISLEY tiers of candiMr. Roemer dates: seeded, needs just drafted and declared. Among the 10,000, 1,000 in each of 10 states. 20 declared candidates, Ms. Risley, These thresholds are meant to with 190 backers, was running deter those who seek to disrupt the third (at publication time) behind process, the candidate guidebook former Louisiana governor Charles says. "Buddy" Roemer who has 965, About 300 seeded candidates and Boston University economics have sufficient support to have Professor Laurence J. Kotlikoff with been drafted. Unlike Mr. Roemer, 223. most of these candidates have not Exactly who will be on the ticket declared that they're running for is a matter for delegates -- mem- Americans Elect. bers of the public -- who, in assoLeading this list is Texas Conciation with the group's legal team, gressman Ron Paul with 4,095 will have an online convention clicks, followed by former Utah in June, according to a candidate governor Jon Huntsman with 2,042 guidebook. and independent Senator Bernie Go to www.AmericansElect.org Sanders of Vermont, who with to sign up as a delegate. 1,430 clicks is about 200 ahead of One notable rule: the ticket must President Barack Obama. have candidates of different politiAlmanac Staff Writer By Dave Boyce A mission W Asked how she came to this high ambition, Ms. Risley said in an interview that she was going over her resume last summer and the question "What's next?" occurred to her. "Someone sent me a link (to Americans Elect) and I was captivated," she said. "I looked at my kids and I realized that I can't leave (the country as it is) for them." Ms. Risley is the mother of three school-age boys and the author of two documentary films, one of which was nominated for an Academy Award. Her concerns in running for president center on money in politics. She said she wants publicly funded elections, air time donated by media networks, and private money out of politics. She said she is deeply concerned about the 2010 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, allowing unlimited campaign spending by interest groups on behalf of candidates. "We've never been here as a country before," she said. "If we don't get a handle on these issues, we're not going to see a country that we recognize anymore." Why not run for the Senate? "Once you get in the system, you have to play the game," she said. "I'm not interested. I want to break the game." It's not that the politicians don't have great ideas, but that they lack the courage to act on them, she said. She is at work on a platform that she said she would gladly hand off to a nominee, but writing the platform "makes you want to scream," she said. A Michealene Risley of Woodside is running for president of the United States. "If we don't get a handle on these issues," she says, "we're not going to see a country that we recognize anymore." +1 415 503 3413 email@example.com A pair of George I walnut armchairs first quarter 18th century $4,000 - 6,000 Mayors deliver meals to homebound Eight local mayors and officials will take part in "Mayors for Meals Day" on Wednesday, March 21, by delivering meals to homebound seniors as part of the Peninsula Volunteers' Meals on Wheels program. The mayors include William Widmer of Atherton, Kirsten Keith of Menlo Park, Maryann Moise Derwin of Portola Valley BI RT H S Menlo Park Kathleen and Isaac Fehrenbach, a daughter, Feb. 17, Sequoia Hospital. Heather Wright and Robert Nicholson, a daughter, Feb. 20, Sequoia and David Tanner of Woodside. "Mayors for Meals Day" is part of the March for Meals national campaign to raise awareness of senior hunger and encourage community action. Peninsula Volunteers Inc. delivers 150,000 meals locally to seniors every year, half of them through Meals on Wheels, a spokesperson said. Hospital. Alexa Leon-Prado and Michael Goedde, a son, Feb. 21, Sequoia Hospital. Lianne Ong and Salmon Sim, a daughter, March 1, Sequoia Hospital. Lisa and Mark Mitchell, a son, March 6, Sequoia Hospital. �2012 Bonhams Auctioneers Corp. All rights reserved. Bond No. 57bsbes3248 March 14, 2012 The Almanac 13 N E W S M-A students learn firsthand about World War II By JoAnne Goldberg Special to the Almanac hen Valerie Caveney, who teaches honors English classes at Menlo-Atherton High School, assigns a book to her freshmen students, she likes to invite someone to speak to them about the topic from life experiences. Recently, Ms. Caveney assigned the book "Night," Elie Wiesel's story about his experience with his father in the Nazi Germany concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald in 1944 and 1945, at the height of the Holocaust and toward the end of World War II. Because my mother, Palo Alto resident Margot Goldberg, has a complementary story to Elie Wiesel's, I asked if she would be interested in speaking to the class. She was, and Valerie was W About the author: JoAnne Goldberg is a resident of Menlo Park, the mother of a ninth-grade student in Valerie Caveney's honors English class at Menlo-Atherton High School, and the daughter of the speaker, Margot Goldberg. thrilled to have her. When my mother was around the same age as the M-A freshmen, she left her family in Germany, boarding a train for England. She was one of 10,000 Jewish children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland who were saved from the Nazi concentration camps by a program called the Kindertransport. "When we said goodbye in 1939, my parents told me that we would be reunited after the war," Ms. Goldberg told the M-A class. "Did you see them again?" asked a student. "No," she responded. Although she initially managed to correspond with her parents, once the war started, messages were limited to 25 words or less and transmitted via the Red Cross. Soon, even those terse messages stopped arriving. After the war, Margot learned that her parents, along with dozens of relatives, had perished in the camps. Only her older brother, who had already been sent to school in England, had survived. Ms. Goldberg told the students that she had not visited a camp or read the book, describing Mr. Wiesel's story as too painfully close to her own experiences. But she was able to recount her memories of Kristallnacht, the "night of broken glass" in November 1938 that included mass violence against Jews along with the destruction of hundreds of Jewish homes, synagogues, and cemeteries. The Nazis broke into her family's home at 3 a.m., smashing her parents' glasses, china, and furniture, and taking her father, a leader in the community, to prison. Amidst the day-to-day cruelty and humiliation inflicted on the Jews, some neighbors defied the Nazis and tried to help her family. A few shopkeepers, despite the "no Jews allowed" signs they were forced to display, would slip out the back and hand her and her brother treats in a paper bag. When asked why her family did not leave, Ms. Goldberg said that her family had lived in Germany for generations, and could not imagine that the situation would remain dire. "'This can't last. This will blow over,' they said." By the time they understood the enormity of the Nazi policies, it was too late to escape. Questions from the M-A students evoked stories of wartime Britain, where Ms. Goldberg spent her teen years: the rationing, the deprivation, and the nightly air raid sirens. After a while, Ms. Goldberg said, people became so inured to the sirens that they did not bother to leave their beds for bomb shelters. She was living in a small English Midlands town that was not a Nazi target, but houses were sometimes destroyed by bombers dumping their extra warheads after attacks on nearby cities. A private girls' school was sponsoring her, and she was shuffled from home to home before settling with one family whose daughter Marjory remains her best friend. Ms. Caveney's students were captivated by the descriptions Margot Goldberg speaks to M-A students about 1930s Germany and wartime Britain. of a pre-Internet, pre-television world. "We all carried gas masks, everywhere," said Ms. Goldberg, noting that the masks included a compartment for K-rations, or snacks that she and Marjory would devour at the first opportunity. "I was always hungry." After the war, the U.S. Army was recruiting German-English translators, and Ms. Goldberg signed on. Spending a year and a half working for Army intelligence in Berlin, she learned about the United States, developed great admiration for Americans, and became determined to immigrate here. In 1951, she became a citizen. "When we learned about the Holocaust in school, it seemed so distant and so surreal," said one student after the presentation. "Seeing and talking to someone who actually lived through it was a great experience." Another commented: "I know it might have been difficult to talk about those bad times, but the stories showed me what it was actually like to be there." Ms. Goldberg, who has spoken to students in German high schools on several occasions, said: "it's important that this tragic time never be forgotten." A Protecting your eyes with UV-blocking sunglass lenses is the single most important step you can take to prevent cataracts. Several studies have shown that people who live at high altitudes (where more UV light reaches the eyes) and who spend a lot of time in the sun develop cataracts earlier than others. Foremost among these studies is the Chesapeake Bay Waterman study, in which the eyes of men harvesting oysters from boats were compared with those of men who shucked SHIELDING YOUR EYES FROM THE SUN oysters in the shade. As expected, the eyes of the boatmen developed cataracts earlier than the shuckers' eyes. The recommendation is to wear sunglasses that block UV rays and to wear a widebrimmed hat whenever going outside. The sun can damage your eyes just like it can damage your skin. Whether you're walking outdoors, driving, or attending an outdoor event, protect your eyes by wearing glasses with UV ray protection. You will find a wide variety of sunglasses at MENLO OPTICAL. Many of our sunglass frames can have prescription sunglass lenses made for them. Please call us at 322-3900 if you have questions about eyewear, or bring your prescription to us at 1166 University Drive, on the corner of Oak Grove Avenue and University Drive. P.S. Because UV rays reflect off the surface of water and other objects to indirectly reach the eyes, even the shade of an umbrella or a tree does not offer enough protection. Mark Schmidt is an American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners Certified Optician licensed by the Medical Board of California. He can be easily reached at Menlo Optical, 1166 University Drive, Menlo Park. 650322-3900. 14 The Almanac March 14, 2012 N E W S Women's Hall of Fame honorees named A school superintendent, a youth-symphony director, and one of the first women to be ordained an Episcopal priest are among the women named to the 2012 San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame. The eight women will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22, at the South San Francisco Conference Center. The honorees are: Jeanine Asche of Half Moon Bay, a leader in youth literacy; Lynn Eastman Bowdish of Daly City, one of the first women ordained as an Episcopal priest; Maria Meza De La Vega of East Palo Alto, superintendent of the Ravenswood School District; Jeri Fujimoto of Belmont, who spearheaded development of the San Carlos Youth Center; Karen Musegaas Larson of El Granada, teacher and site administrator for the RotaCare Coastside Clinic; and Sara Salsbury of Palo Alto, founder and executive director of the Peninsula Youth Orchestra. Young Women of Excellence Two high school students will be honored. They are Seema Chaudhry of Redwood City and Karen Chee of Foster City. Seema is a senior at Sequoia High School who helps stu- dents resolve conflicts and coordinates school service events through the Sequoia Key Club. Karen, a junior at San Mateo High School, is serving her third term as class president. She is a leader in both her school and the community. The Commission on the Status of Women established the Women's Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1992, a second category, Young Women of Excellence, was added to the Women's Hall of Fame. Support The Almanac's coverage of our community. Memberships begin at only 17� per day Join today: SupportLocalJournalism.org mp Connec tion Ca Athletics Summer at Saint Francis Bald Eagle Camps Mountain View Bald Eagle Camps is the only camp Approved by the nationally recognized Positive Coaching Alliance, teaching their principles to every camper through our Certified Coaches. We offer 3 uniquely FUN Summer Camps, each of which exude our encouraging team culture: Non-Traditional Sports Camp(1st-8th), Basketball Camp(3rd8th), and Leadership Camp(7th-8th only). Come experience our positive atmosphere, great coaching, unique structure, inspiring life message and 5-STAR service. Bald Eagle Camps is guaranteed to be a highlight of your child's summer. www.baldeaglecamps.com 888-505-2253 G U I D E TO 2012 S U M M E R C A M P S F O R K I D S Write Now! Summer Writing Camps Palo Alto Emerson School of Palo Alto and Hacienda School of Pleasanton open their doors and offer their innovative programs: Expository Writing, Creative Writing, Presentation Techniques, and (new!) Media Production. Call or visit our website for details. Also Pleasanton. www.headsup.org 650-424-1267, 925-485-5750 Arts, Culture and Other Camps Camp Imagineerz Mountain View and Los Altos Building i-can attitudes....In a FUN environment, children discover that when you believe you can, you can! Creating and performing original stories, building/making with recycled materials and lots of outdoor play. Grades 1- 4. Fabulous Early-bird discount up to March 15. See website for details www.imagineerz-learning.com 650-318-5002 Mountain View Advanced Sports Camps (5th-9th grades): We offer a wide selection of advanced sports camps designed to provide players with the opportunity to improve both their skill and knowledge of a specific sport. Each camp is run by a Head Varsity Coach at Saint Francis, and is staffed by members of the coaching staff. www.sfhs.com/summer 650-968-1213 x650 YMCA of Silicon Valley Peninsula Castilleja Summer Day Camp Palo Alto Kim Grant Tennis Academy & Palo Alto/ Summer Camps Menlo Park/Redwood City Fun and Specialized junior camps for Mini (3-5), Beginner, Intermediate 1&2, Advanced and Elite Players. Weekly programs designed by Kim Grant to improve players technique, fitness, agility, mental toughness and all around tennis game. Camps in Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Redwood City. Come make new friends and have tons of FUN!! www.KimGrantTennis.com 650-752-8061 Say hello to summer fun at the YMCA! Choose from enriching day or overnight camps in 35 locations: arts, sports, science, travel, and more. For youth K-10th grade. Includes weekly fieldtrips, swimming and outdoor adventures. Accredited by the American Camp Association. Financial assistance available. www.ymcasv.org/summercamp 408-351-6400 Castilleja Summer Day Camp (grades 2-6, CILT grades 8-9) offers ageappropriate activities including athletics, art, science, computers, writing, crafts, cooking, drama, music classes and field trips. Two and four week sessions available. www.castilleja.org 650-470-7833 Creative Kids Camp Menlo Park Academics GASPA German Summer School Camp Menlo Park Learn German by way of Fairytale! GASPA is taking Summer Camp into the world of fairy tales and everything that comes with it...in German of course! Offering a 4 week program for children ages 3-12. www.gaspa-ca.org 650-520-3646 Children entering Grades 1 to 8 are invited to explore the arts July 16 - 20, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Workshops available in guitar, dance, voice, and songwriting. Put together a musical from start to finish. Performance on Friday night. Register online. www.mppc.org 650-323-8647 Nike Tennis Camps Stanford University Dick Gould's 43rd Annual Stanford Tennis School offers day camps for both juniors a&dults. Weekly junior overnight & extended day camps run by John Whitlinger & Lele Forood. Junior Day Camp run by Brandon Coupe & Frankie Brennan. www.USSportsCamps.com/tennis 1-800-NIKE-CAMP (645-3226) Harker Summer Programs San Jose Community School of Music & Arts (CSMA ) Mountain View Oshman JCC Palo Alto K-12 offerings taught by exceptional, experienced faculty and staff. K-6 morning academics - focusing on math, language arts and science - and full spectrum of afternoon recreation. Grades 6-12 for-credit courses and non-credit enrichment opportunities. Sports programs also offered. www.summer.harker.org 408-553-0537 50+ creative camps for Gr. K-8! Drawing, Painting, Ceramics, Sculpture, Musical Theater, American Idol Workshop, more! Twoweek sessions; full and half-day enrollment. Extended care available. Financial aid offered. www.arts4all.org 650-917-6800 ext. 0 Exciting programs for preschool and grades K-12 include swimming, field trips, crafts and more. Enroll your child in traditional camp, or specialty camps like Pirates, Archery, Runway Project, Kid TV and over 25 others! www.paloaltojcc.org/camps 650-223-8622 iD Tech Camps - Summer Tech Fun! Stanford India Community Center Summer Camps Palo Alto/ Sunnyvale/ Milpitas/Olema Spartans Sports Camp Mountain View Spartans Sports Camp offers multi-sport, week-long sessions for boys and girls in grades 3-5 as well as sport-specific sessions for grades 6-9. There are also strength and conditioning camps for grades 6-12. Camps begin June 11th and run weekly through July 27th at Mountain View High School. The camp is run by MVHS coaches and student-athletes and all proceeds benefit the MVHS Athletic Department. Lunch and extended care are available for your convenience. www. SpartansSportsCamp.com 650-479-5906 Take hobbies further! Ages 7-17 create iPhone apps, video games, movies, and more at weeklong, day and overnight programs held at Stanford and 60+ universities in 27 states.. Also 2-week, Teen-only programs: iD Gaming Academy, iD Programming Academy, and iD visual Arts Academy (filmmaking & photography). www.internalDrive.com 1-888-709-TECH (8324) Join ICC's Cultural Camps which give campers a quick tour of India and its vibrant culture. These camps include arts, crafts, folk dance, bollywood dance, music, yoga, Indian history and geography. Over 10 different camps all through the summer for Grades K-12. To register or for more details visit: www.indiacc.org/camps 408-934-1130 ext. 225 iD Teen Academies Stanford Learn different aspects of video game creation, app development, filmmaking, photography, and more. 2-week programs where ages 13-18 interact with industry professionals to gain competitive edge. iD Gaming Academy, iD Programming Academy, and iD Visual Arts Academy are held at Stanford, and other universities. www.iDTeenAcademies.com 1-888-709-TECH (8324) Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC) Palo Alto Spring Down Equestrian Center Portola Valley Spring Down camp teaches basic to advanced horsemanship skills. Ages 6-99 welcome! Daily informative lecture, riding lesson, supervised hands-on skill practice, safety around horses, tacking/ untacking of own camp horse, and arts/crafts. www.springdown.com 650.851.1114 Mid-Peninsula High School Summer Program Menlo Park Stanford Water Polo Camps Stanford Mid-Peninsula High School offers a series of classes and electives designed to keep students engaged in learning. Class MondayThursday and limited to 15 students. Every Thursday there's a BBQ lunch. The Science and Art classes will have weekly field trips. www.mid-pen.com 650-321-1991 x110 PACCC summer camps offer campers, grades kindergarten to 6th, a wide array of fun opportunities! K-1 Fun for the youngest campers, Nothing But Fun for themed-based weekly sessions, Neighborhood Adventure Fun and Ultimate Adventure Fun for the more active and on-the-go campers! Swimming twice per week, periodic field trips, special visitors and many engaging camp activities, songs and skits round out the fun offerings of PACCC Summer Camps! Registration is online. Open to campers from all communities! Come join the fun in Palo Alto! www.paccc.com 650-493-2361 TechKnowHow Computer Palo Alto/ & LEGO Camps Menlo Park/Sunnyvale Fun and enriching technology classes for students, ages 5-14 Courses include LEGO and K'NEX Projects with Motors, Electronics, NXT Robotics, 3D Modeling, and Game Design. Many locations, including Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Sunnyvale. Half and all day options. Early-bird and multi-session discounts available. www.techknowhowkids.com 650-638-0500 Ages 7 and up. New to the sport or have experience, we have a camp for you. Half day or full day option for boys and girls. All the camps offer fundamental skill work, position work, scrimmages and games. stanfordwaterpolocamps.com 650-725-9016 Summer at Saint Francis Mountain View Summer at Saint Francis Mountain View Summer at Saint Francis provides a broad range of academic and athletic programs for elementary through high school students. It is the goal of every program to make summer vacation enriching and enjoyable! www.sfhs.com/summer 650-968-1213 x446 Sports & Activity Camp (ages 6-12): This all sports camp provides group instruction in a variety of field, water and court games. Saint Francis faculty and students staff the camp, and the focus is always on fun. The program is dedicated to teaching teamwork, sportsmanship and positive self-esteem. After camp care and swim lessons available. www.sfhs.com/summer 650-968-1213 x650 Synapse School & Wizbots Menlo Park Cutting-edge, imaginative, accelerated, integrated, and hands-on academic summer enrichment courses with independent in-depth, project-based morning and afternoon week-long programs for children ages 4-12. Young Explorers, Thinking Math, Leonardo da Vinci's Inventions, Nature Connections, Girls' & Soccer Robotics, and more! synapseschool.org/curriculum/summer 650-866-5824 Theatreworks Summer Camps Palo Alto In these skill-building workshops for grades K-5, students engage in language-based activities, movement, music, and improvisation theatre games. Students present their own original pieces at the end of each two-week camp. www.theatreworks.org/educationcommunity 650-463-7146 March 14, 2012 The Almanac 15 How's the Market... That question can be quickly answered with my one page Executive Summary reports for: Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley and Menlo Park. The market data used is updated every week so you are always getting the most current local housing data available. It's spring, or nearly so, and in Portola Valley that means Earth Day events for March and April, all of which take place at venues at Town Center, located at 765 Portola Road. Here is the lineup: Energy efficiency when the household is asleep is the topic for Tuesday, March 13, at 7 p.m. in the Community Hall. LEDs glowing in the night often mean needless energy use. Elton Sherwin, author of "Addicted to Energy," explains how to reduce plug-in load for significant monthly savings. Outside near the library at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March C O M M U N I T Y Town celebrates being green PORTO L A VA L L EY eports eekly R DED W D JUST A To view the reports, scan the QR code or visit www.PeninsulaSpecialist.com Steven Gray, REALTOR DRE# 01498634 firstname.lastname@example.com 650-743-7702 27, the town will officially inaugurate two recharging stations, each able to recharge two electric vehicles at a time. Broom, an invasive plant, is the subject of the annual "broom pull" starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Historic Schoolhouse. A kids workshop on making art from trash -- Fantastic Trash -- comes to the library at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 29, from the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco. A gardeners workshop by Deva Luna on the wise use of water and native plants happens at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 31, in the Community Hall. Registration required. The uses of beneficial insects, including pest control and keeping bees in the backyard, is the subject of a presentation at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 10, in the Community Hall. Earth Day celebrations begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 28, at the Town Center. A hike leaves from Triangle Park at the corner of Portola and Alpine roads at 2 p.m. Go to www.portolavalley.net for more information. Can technology close achievement gap? By Dave Boyce Almanac Staff Writer EDU C ATI O N Good for Business. Good for You. Good for the Community. rofessionals involved with classroom technology will join in a panel discussion about whether technology can close the academic achievement gap at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at Woodside High School at 199 Churchill Ave. in unincorporated Woodside. The scheduled panelists are: Karen Cator, a former Apple Corp. director and now director of the U.S. Office of Educational Technology. Neeru Khosla, the cofounder and executive director of the Palo Alto-based nonprofit CK-12 Foundation, which focuses on lowering the cost of textbooks. Alan Louie, a partner with Imagine K12, an "incubator P of new high-tech companies focused on K-12 education," according to an event announcement. Principal David Reilly, who has expanded career technical education at Woodside High "in an effort to harness the potential of technology in a comprehensive high school setting," the announcement said. The moderator, Betsy Corcoran, is a former journalist and cofounder of EdSurge, a "team of journalists, educators, and technologists dedicated to accelerating the adoption of education technology," according its website. While the panel appears weighted in favor of classroom technology, Ms. Corcoran, replying to an emailed question as to whether contrarian views would be represented, said: "I will do my best to ask a wide range of questions. Technology is certainly not always the answer. We will also make time for audience Q&A." Charles Schmuck of the Peninsula College Fund, the event's host, added: "I firmly believe that there will be opposing views on this topic and you might be surprised in some cases where (they) come from. As a high school teacher myself, I know that technology is only part of the solution." The event's sponsors are Kepler's Books of Menlo Park and Woodside High School. A Interim manager has a full plate INTERIM MANAGER continued from page 6 independent planner to do some clerical work, such as transcribing meeting minutes, that she had performed as city clerk. She knows, however, that "there are going to be things that are backed up" by the time she returns to her city clerk post. "I'll just deal with them," she said calmly. Ms. DellaSanta said she became adept at on-the-job time management as she worked on her college degree while performing her city clerk's duties. In the fall, she will begin an accelerated master's in public administration program at Golden Gate University, which offers a mix of online and oncampus courses for the degree. 16 Meanwhile, she's trying to tidy up Town Hall for the permanent manager, she said. "When a person comes to a new house, (that person) wants to have a clean house. Well, I'm cleaning house." That job includes creating a records management policy so the town can reduce the volume of documents it stores. "We're running out of space," Ms. DellaSanta said. She also is working on clarifying policies governing town committees -- which include focuses from transportation and finance to arts and the environment. She said she wants committee meetings staffed by a town employee, which isn't always the case now, but given the small number of staff people, that might be accomplished only by merging committees. She also is working with the city attorney to rewrite parts of the municipal code. "There are so many things that are out of date," she said, giving as an example costly advertising requirements that were written before the availability of email and the Internet. The town is also now in the middle stages of developing a budget for the next fiscal year, which ideally will be at least close to council approval before a permanent manager begins work. "We have a busy two months ahead," Ms. DellaSanta said. "But I'm confident that we can do it." A The Almanac March 14, 2012 N E W S Eight candidates run for supervisor seat By Dave Boyce Almanac Staff Writer hree seats on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors are up for election in June. Ten candidates have officially thrown in their hats, and the eight challengers among them have opted to challenge each other, leaving the two incumbents to run unopposed. District 4 Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson, whose district includes East Palo Alto and much of Menlo Park, is retiring after having reached her three-term limit. The eight candidates competing to succeed her come from city councils, school boards and county government. Incumbent District 5 Supervisor and board President Adrienne Tissier of Daly City is running unopposed for her third term. Incumbent District 1 Supervisor Dave Pine of Burlingame is running unopposed for election to his first full term. Mr. Pine won a special election in May 2011 to complete the 19 months remaining in the third term of Mark Church, who vacated his seat to run for and win the position of chief elections officer and assessor-county clerkrecorder. The challengers for Ms. Jacobs Gibson's seat, in alphabetical order, are: Andy Cohen of the Menlo Park City Council. Kirsten Keith, the mayor of Menlo Park and a councilwoman. Shelly Masur of the Redwood City School Board. Guillermo "Memo" Morantes, a Menlo Park resident and a member of the San Mateo County Board of Education. T Carlos Romero of the East Palo Alto City Council. Ernesto "Ernie" Schmidt of the Redwood City Planning Commission. Warren Slocum, former San Mateo County chief elections officer and assessor-county clerk-recorder. David E. Woods of the East Palo Alto City Council. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the June 5 election, the two contenders with the most votes will oppose each other in a November run-off election, county Elections Manager David Tom told the Almanac. While the June election is a presidential primary, elections for county supervisor are non-partisan. Though supervisors must live in the district they represent, they run county-wide. San Mateo is the only county in the state that does not have district elections. Defenders of San Mateo County's system claim county-wide elections inculcate a broad perspective in the supervisors, but critics say it favors well-financed and well-connected candidates. Voters in 2010 might have had a chance to consider by-district elections, but a 4-1 majority of supervisors, with then-supervisor Rich Gordon dissenting, voted not to put the question on the ballot. County voters had rejected district elections in 1978 and 1980. A citizens committee reviewing the county charter had recommended giving voters another shot at this question in 2010. Photo by Howard Jory A large stone pine tree fell Saturday morning in Sharon Heights. Huge tree falls in Sharon Heights A huge stone pine tree fell at about 6 a.m. Saturday, March 10, at the corner of Sharon Park Drive and Warner Range Avenue in Menlo Park. Luckily, it fell away from the home of owners Daphna Davidson and Jesse Rodin, and no one was injured. Five people were in the house, including a 10-monthold baby. "We were very, very lucky," Ms. Davidson said. The tree blocked traffic for a time, but the streets were cleared later that day. A city arborist told the couple the tree may have fallen because of tension caused by the large limbs. After a truck hit one of the major limbs several months ago, an arborist checked the tree and said it was OK, Ms. Davidson said. "The tree was really beautiful," she said. "It had astonishingly long limbs. Its canopy was huge. It shaded the street and probably two-thirds of our house." -- Jane Knoerle POLICE CALLS This information is from the Atherton and Menlo Park police departments and the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. Under the law, people charged with offenses are considered innocent until convicted. MENLO PARK Residential burglary reports: Losses estimated at $12,700 in forced entry through rear door and theft of Apple iPad and iPod, Cartier watch and costume jewelry, Pope St., March 5. County supervisors receive an annual salary of $117,145.60. A Loss estimated at $300 in theft of copper irrigation piping from condominium roof, Alma St., March 7. Fraud reports: Service for Adele McPartland A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 30, at Our Lady of the Wayside church for Adele McPartland, who died at her home in Portola Valley on March 2. The church is at 930 Portola Road in Portola Valley. Connecticut born, that unique New England "reserve" influenced her life, family members said. She had strong values and principles, and a fierce loyalty to her faith, family and friends, they said. She graduated from nursing school and during hospital rounds met her future husband, Mac. They married and moved to the Bay Area, where he began his practice as an anesthesiologist at the Palo Alto Medical Clinic and Stanford. They built their home 52 years ago in Portola Valley, where she raised her family and became OBITUARY Loss of $2,400 in unauthorized bank transfer, Willow Road, March 2. Loss of $680 in passing of forged check, El Rancho Supermarket at 812 Willow Road, March 6. Child protective services reports: Four reports at police station at 701 Laurel St., March 5 and 6. WOODSIDE Drug sales report: Student released to parent after being captured on school surveillance camera later admitted to selling marijuana, Woodside High School at 199 Churchill Ave., March 2. PORTOLA VALLEY Residential burglary report: Loss estimated at $1,299 in theft of TV from unlocked workout room/garage, Willowbrook Drive, March 8. WEST MENLO PARK Theft reports: involved in the community. She flourished as a librarian, gardener, florist, Ikebana master, and loyal San Francisco Giants fan, the family said. She spent many years working and performing volunteer work at the Portola Valley Library, and was a longstanding parishioner of Our Lady of the Wayside. A great sense of humor and good laugh, a quickened step, and a bit of animation showed her fun character, say family members. She is predeceased by her son Mark, and husband Dr. Francis McPartland. She is survived by her children, Maureen Hardy, Paul, Philip and Jim. The family prefers memorial donations to Our Lady of Wayside church or a favorite charity. Losses estimated at $1,740 in break-in and theft of Apple iPod, cologne, video game console and $1,300 in cash, Market Place, March 7. Auto burglary reports: Loss estimated at $450 in break-in via smashed window and theft of radar detector, O'Keefe St., March 3. Loss estimated at $300 in break-in via smashed window and theft of cell phone, Roble Ave., March 7. Assault report: Victim punched in head by family member in dispute about TV remote control, Hollyburne Ave., March 2. Theft reports: Loss estimated at $600 in theft of power tools from truck tool boxes, Cambridge Ave., March 7. Purse with $50 in cash inside stolen from minivan, Cloud Ave., March 2. Loss of $200 after bank customer left ATM card in machine and someone came along and used it before customer returned to retrieve card, Santa Cruz Ave., March 4. Possible loss of $905 when satellite TV account opened in victim's name, Bellair Way, March 6. ATHERTON Auto burglary report: Window smashed and theft of purse and laptop computer, Encinal Ave., March 2. Loss of $140 when cash fell out of wallet and was picked up and stuffed into pocket by transient to whom victim was about to give $5, Laurel Ave., March 3. March 14, 2012 The Almanac 17 Serving Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, and Woodside for 44 years. Editor & Publisher Tom Gibboney Ideas, thoughts and opinions about local issues from people in our community. Edited by Tom Gibboney. Newsroom Managing Editor Richard Hine News Editor Renee Batti Lifestyles Editor Jane Knoerle Staff Writers Dave Boyce, Sandy Brundage Contributors Marjorie Mader, Barbara Wood, Kate Daly Special Sections Editors Carol Blitzer, Sue Dremann Photographer Michelle Le A good year for Holiday Fund P Design & Production Design Director Raul Perez Designers Linda Atilano, Lili Cao, Shannon Corey, Diane Haas, Paul Llewellyn, Scott Peterson Advertising Vice President Sales and Marketing Tom Zahiralis Display Advertising Sales Adam Carter Real Estate Manager Neal Fine Real Estate and Advertising Coordinator Diane Martin Classified Legal Advertising Alicia Santillan Published every Wednesday at 3525 Alameda De Las Pulgas, Menlo Park, Ca 94025 Newsroom: (650) 223-6525 Newsroom Fax: (650) 223-7525 Advertising: (650) 854-2626 Advertising Fax: (650) 854-3650 Email news and photos with captions to: email@example.com Email letters to: firstname.lastname@example.com The Almanac, established in September 1965, is delivered each week to residents of Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside and adjacent unincorporated areas of southern San Mateo County. The Almanac is qualified by decree of the Superior Court of San Mateo County to publish public notices of a governmental and legal nature, as stated in Decree No. 147530, issued December 21, 1969. Subscriptions are $60 for one year and $100 for two years. erhaps reflecting Silicon Valley's economic resurgence, the Almanac's Holiday Fund posted a sharp increase this year, welcome news for the 10 nonprofit organizations that benefit from the gifts received from readers and local foundations. Total contributions to the fund were up nearly $30,000 from last year, to $167,801. This year 174 Almanac readers donated to the Holiday Fund, which is in its 19th year of providing a helping hand to the organizations who serve the hungry, homeless and others who are down on their luck in our communities. Each of the nonprofits will receive a check for $16,780 at a small ceremony that will be held at the Boys & Girls Club's Menlo Park clubhouse Thursday. In addition to receiving just over EDI TORI AL $103,000 from readers, generous The opinion of The Almanac grants from the Packard, Hewlett and Rotary Club of Menlo Park foundations helped push the total higher. The local Trapp Charitable Fund also pitched in. The Holiday Fund is grateful for the longstanding support of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which processes all the donations and writes the checks to the nonprofits. No fees or other charges are taken out by the Almanac or the foundation, so that every dollar contributed goes directly to the recipient agencies that work in our community. Here are the nonprofits that each will receive a check for $16,780 this week: St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room Serves hundreds of hot meals six days a week in a social and friendly atmosphere to anyone in need. Funded entirely by contributions from the community, St. Anthony's is the largest soup kitchen between San Francisco and San Jose. It offers groceries to take home and distributes clothing to families. Second Harvest Food Bank The largest collector and distributor of food on the Peninsula, Second Harvest Food Bank distributes 40 million or more pounds of food every year. It gathers donations from individuals and businesses and distributes food to more than 231,000 people each month through more than 700 agencies and distribution sites in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Shelter Network Provides housing and comprehensive support to more than 4,600 men, women and children. Its "beyond the bed" approach has assured that 90 percent of those who leave Shelter Network's programs returned to permanent housing in an average of 120 days. Star-Vista Formerly Youth and Family Enrichment Services, Star-Vista provides many programs to help people who struggle with substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health, and relationship and communications issues. Helps strengthen youth, families and individuals to overcome challenges through counseling, education, and residential services. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula Provides after-school academic support and enrichment activities for 1,000 youth each day, ages 6 to 18. Operates clubhouses in Menlo Park's Belle Haven neighborhood, East Palo Alto and Redwood City, and afterschool programs at schools in these communities designed to extend the learning day and supplement the school's curriculum. Project Read-Menlo Park Provides free literacy services to adults in the Menlo Park area. Trained volunteers work one-on-one or in small groups to help adults improve their basic reading, writing and English language skills so they can achieve their goals and function more effectively at home, at work and in the community. In 2007-08, a total of 120 volunteer tutors assisted more than 300 students. Ecumenical Hunger Program Provides emergency food, clothing, household essentials, special children's programs and sometimes financial assistance to families in need, regardless of religious preference, including Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets for more than 1,500 households. Fair Oaks Community Center Provides housing assistance, childcare programs, older adult nutrition, emergency shelter referrals, legal services for low-income tenants and low-cost exercise programs for youth and adults. Ravenswood Family Health Center Provides primary medical care, behavioral health services and preventive health care for all ages at its clinics in Belle Haven and East Palo Alto. It also operates a mobile clinic at school sites. Of the 22,700 registered patients, most are low-income and uninsured. Teen Talk Provides educational programs for youth and adults to help teens make healthful choices that will result in lower rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Its Teen Talk program serves more than 3,500 youth at public school sites in San Mateo County. WHAT'S YOUR VIEW? All views must include a home address and contact phone number. Published letters will also appear on the web site, www.TheAlmanacOnline.com, and occasionally on the Town Square forum. TOWN SQUARE FORUM Post your views on the Town Square forum at www.TheAlmanacOnline.com EMAIL your views to: firstname.lastname@example.com and note this it is a letter to the editor in the subject line. MAIL or deliver to: Editor at the Almanac, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Our Regional Heritage The Chevron gas station buildings in the triangular property across from Roberts Market were a fixture in Woodside until they were torn down in the 1970s when Woodside Road was widened. The triangle was named Alexander Donald Park to honor Woodside's first road commissioner. Woodside History Committee CALL the Viewpoint desk at 223-6507. 18 The Almanac March 14, 2012 V I E W P O I N T Here's what they're saying on Town Square Time to reform Proposition 13 Posted by High Tech Maven, a resident of the Menlo Park, Allied Arts/ Stanford Park neighborhood How ironic that Silicon Valley, the very center of innovation and creativity envied the world over, is saddled with California's outmoded form of taxation that rewards the status quo and punishes originality. Not only does Prop 13 discourage companies from settling or expanding in California -- it makes it harder to attract employees. Who wants to move for a job and double their property tax payment? Who wants to be forced to spend $30,000 a year on private schools for their kids? It's time for Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Apple and other dynamic companies to step forward and say "enough!" Property taxes pay for the services we all (companies and residents) touch every day -- entitlements to a free ride need to be thoughtfully granted. Posted by Debra, a resident of the Menlo Park, Linfield Oaks neighborhood My question is: do any of you criticizing Prop 13 have an alternative to propose? Yes, leave the residential portion the same and revisit the massive tax breaks to commercial landowners that make California inherently unfair for new businesses. Remove the sections of Prop 13 that keep com- Anne Long Sept. 19, 1922-Oct. 5, 2011 Napa, California While surrounded by her family, Anne Plett Long passed away peacefully on Oct. 5, 2011, in Napa, Calif., she was 89. Anne was born in Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1922. As a young girl in 1935, she moved to San Jose with her parents, David and Agatha, and seven siblings. She attended San Jose High School and graduated in 1941. Anne married her high school sweetheart, Don Long, and soon moved to San Diego, Calif., while Don served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. When the war ended, they moved back to the Bay Area, where they owned Long's Quality Foods in Portola Valley. While enjoying success in the grocery business, Anne was busy raising her three wonderful sons. Anne and Don retired to their beloved Santa Cruz Mountains in 1976, where they shared many years entertaining family and friends. Anne will always be remembered as an incredibly beautiful and positive person who had an undeniable impact on those around her. Anne was a true lover of animals and was happiest when she was outside enjoying nature. Anne is survived by her husband of 69 years, Donald Long of Yountville, Calif.; her three sons, Doug Long and his wife Betsy of Gig Harbor, Wash., Bob Long of St. Helena, Calif., and David Long of Napa, Calif. Anne is also survived by seven adoring grandchildren: Melissa (Long) Vilar, Whitney (Long) Patterson, Amy (Long) Stoll, Rob Long, Gretchen (Long) Kim, Anna (Long) Matte and Laura (Long) Bystrowski, and many great grandchildren. In addition, Anne is also survived by her only surviving sibling, her younger sister Tina Mulford of San Jose. Anne was adored my many nieces and nephews with whom she shared very special relationships. Family and friends are invited to join the family in celebrating Anne's life on Saturday, July 28, 2012, at the Long Family Ranch, Long Ranch Road, in St. Helena, Calif., at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Anne's name to the Santa Cruz SPCA -- PO Box 3800, Santa Cruz, CA 95063; or the Napa Humane Society -- Post Office Box 695, Napa, CA 94559. PA I D OBITUARY TOW N S QUARE Our readers online mercial property from being reassessed. Prior to Prop 13, commercial property accounted for 60 percent of property tax income with residential accounting for 40 percent. It has since flip-flopped to 60 percent residential and 40 percent commercial. Where is the inherent fairness in moving the burden over to residential property owners from the largest commercial property landowners in the state? Woodside agrees to plastic bag ban concept The Town Council in Woodside has agreed in principle to join a countywide initiative now in the works that would ban the flimsy "single-use" plastic bags at retail check-out counters. Posted by gunste, a resident of the Portola Valley Ladera neighborhood The plastic bag ban is required because a lot of people are very irresponsible with them. We use them for garbage can liners and recycle to excess. In the absence of plastic bags from stores, which we get when we have more than the reusable can hold, we shall have to buy plastic bags for use in the garbage can. The ban will not discipline irresponsible users who clutter up the environment. in downtown. I guess with a city as huge as Menlo Park, it would be easy to overlook such an item. Perhaps someone should point our mayor to El Camino to bring her up to date on that issue as well. If five years ago the council would have taken the millions of dollars it has spent on outside consultants and instead refurbished the downtown, and had it allowed the beautiful developments to have been completed on El Camino, instead of a broken-down city center, we would have a charming, booming, and fiscally rewarding commercial center. Our City Council has abdicated their responsibilities like a cat runs from water. And the Almanac, with its constant support for the council, has been an unwitting enabler. Sloane Citron Arden Road, Menlo Park L E T T ER S Our readers write Downtown plan a `debacle,' writer says Editor: The Almanac's endorsement of the Menlo Park City Council's handling of our downtown debacle is astonishing. Instead of dealing with this critical situation as they were elected to do, the City Council has kicked the issue down the road for five long years trying to win consensus of 25,000 people, a thought so ludicrous that, if the situation was not so tragic, one could laugh at the very idea. Amazingly, Mayor Kristen Keith has just now discovered the tremendous number of vacancies MEET THE NEW LADERA OAKS! SWIM There's never been a better time to get acquainted with Ladera Oaks and to enjoy the privileges of membership. Take to the water in our warm family pool or adult lap pool. We offer swim instruction for all ages and skill levels, a year-round U.S. Swim Team, a wonderful summer league swim team, and a Master's Program. Enjoy our year round tennis community. Join our strong junior tennis programs, USTA teams and interclubs. Play in the twilight mixers on our lighted courts and keep the fun going with alfresco court side dining under the stars. You can also work out in our state-of-the-art fitness center with a spectacular view. Take a tour. Use the club for 30 days for only $300. If you decide to join, we apply it toward your membership. Don't wait! Call today to schedule your own private tour. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com or call 650.854.3101, ext.1000 Support The Almanac's print and online coverage of our community. Join today: SupportLocalJournalism.org/Almanac 3249 Alpine Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028 www.laderaoaks.com Ladera Oaks is a private club owned by its members. Invitation to membership involves a selection process. March 14, 2012 The Almanac 19 Go to open.apr.com for the Bay Area's only complete online open home guide. Judy BogardTanigami 650.209.1603 Judyand Sheri.com Sheri Hughes 650.209.1608 Judyand Sheri.com PALO ALTO Dramatic views! Spectacular 4bd/3.5ba home features a library plus a European-style wine cellar. Private grounds. $4,950,000 Mary Gilles 650.814.0858 email@example.com MENLO PARK Magnificent 5bd/5ba Georgian home completed in 2006. Media room, wine cellar, exercise room, office. Oak Knoll, Hillview Schools. $3,999,999 Elyse Barca 650.743.0734 email@example.com SAN CARLOS Fabulous views of San Francisco and 3 bridges. 6bd/6.5ba, office, media room, guest wing and cook's kitchen. 6000+/-sf plus 4-car gar. Check it out at www.OneLewisRanchRoad.com. $2,750,000 Sharon & Marcella 650.599.5231 firstname.lastname@example.com LOS ALTOS Hidden jewel, tucked beside a creek has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths plus a separate guest house. Outdoor kitchen and fireplace. $1,955,000 Ellen Ashley 650.888.1886 firstname.lastname@example.com SOLD PORTOLA VALLEY Represented the buyer in the purchase of this serene, one acre view setting on Araphahoe Court in Westridge. $1,795,000 Alan Dunckel 650.543.1074 firstname.lastname@example.com MENLO PARK Beautiful nearly new home in desirable Lindfield Oaks. Four bedrooms, three and one half baths. Impeccably maintained and ready to move in! $1,595,000 Helen Nyborg 650.209.1540 hnyborg@ apr.com Ki Nyborg Monica Corman 650.543.1164 firstname.lastname@example.com MENLO PARK Fabulous opportunity to build one or two houses on a very large 19,758+/-sf lot: 77.45' wide x 255'deep, in award-winning Menlo Park School District. $1,350,000 650.209.1541 knyborg@ apr.com MOUNTAIN VIEW Elegant 4bd/2.5ba townhome features a remodeled kitchen and luxurious MBR with private deck. Attached 2-car garage. $1,190,000 Marybeth Dorst 650.245.8890 email@example.com SOLD REDWOOD CITY Lovely three-bedroom home with den situated in peaceful west-side neighborhood. Represented Buyer. $699,000 Barbara Williams 650.814.0741 email@example.com MOUNTAIN VIEW Spacious 2bd/2ba end-unit condo. Remodeled kitchen, bamboo floors and crown molding. LR with gas-log fireplace. $369,000 PA LO A LTO 6 5 0 . 3 2 3 . 1111 l M E N LO PA R K 6 5 0 . 4 6 2 . 1111 l LO S A LTO S 6 5 0 . 9 4 1. 1111 l W O O D S I D E 6 5 0 . 5 2 9 . 1111 APR COUNTIES l Santa Clara l San Mateo l San Francisco l Marin l Sonoma l Alameda l Contra Costa l Monterey l Santa Cruz 20 The Almanac March 14, 2012