mountain view voice 11.20.2009 - section 1

By Kelsey Mesher

Monday morning was the start of just another day at El Camino Hospital in

Mountain View. Patients rested qui-etly in their rooms, nurses admin-istered drugs and bustled through the hallways. The emergency room took on patients — 27 surgeries were scheduled for the day. Though business carried on as usual, there was one major differ-ence about the hospital’s opera-tions: They were all taking place in El Camino’s brand new, $470 million facility, after a meticulously planned patient and ER move from the old facility on Sunday morn-ing. After years of planning, the new El Camino Hospital is now open. “This is literally the first full day of operations,” said Ken Graham, chief executive officer, on Monday morning to a room full of hospital staff, administrators and city offi-cials including Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga, council members Mike Kasperzak, Laura Macias and Jac Siegal, city manager Kevin Duggan and county Supervisor Liz Kniss. “What a marked difference,” Abe-Koga said of the new hospital before presenting a certificate from the city. “For the patients and their families, the experience will be a lot more enjoyable and comfortable one.” “It’s just wonderful for the county as a whole,” Kniss said. “The entire county benefits from this kind of superb health care.” Among those recognized for their work on the seven-year project were co-chairs of the activation com-mittee: Ken King, vice president of facilities services and Diana Russell,

RN, chief of clinical operations and nursing operations. “Everything went exactly how it was planned,” Russell said, noting that planning for the actual move into the new facility has been in the works for over a year. In recent months Russell and her team led drills, planned scenarios and imag-ined real-life problems that could occur during the move, in order to prepare for the transition. “I’m feeling great,” Russell told the Voice. She described her last moment in the new, still-empty hospital building at 4 a.m. Sun-

By Daniel DeBolt

According to a national poll, Mountain View and the surrounding

region is the happiest place in the whole country. The Gallup Healthways Well Being Index, which tracks national happiness levels on a daily basis, recent-ly began breaking down the results by congressional district. Ranking at the top is California’s 14th Congressio-nal District, which includes

See HOSPITAL, page 9Art unlocks doors for disabledCLASSES AT CSMA, A VOICE HOLIDAY FUND RECIPIENT,

ADD BRIGHT SPOT IN TREATMENT ROUTINE

By Dana Sherne

When Mike was a child, poor treatment at an institution left him

with a fear of being outside and a hesitation around doors. Now, nearly half a century later, weekly art classes at the Community School of Music and Arts help him overcome these obstacles, said the school’s visual arts direc-tor, Linda Covello. “When he first came here, he hesitated and worried over com-ing in,” she said. “But it didn’t take him long before he was familiar with us. You can see that it broad-ens his world.” Mike attends classes with other disabled adults through CSMA’s five-year-old partnership with Abilities United, a Palo Alto non-profit for children and adults with

developmental disabilities. CSMA’s partnership with Abili-ties United is one way that the school fulfills its mission of “arts for all,” said Evy Schiffman,

director of marketing and com-munication at the Mountain View nonprofit. Schiffman added that a major component of reaching that goal is CSMA’s “Arts in the Schools” pro-gram, which provides music and arts education to 7,500 students in 27 schools throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Every student in the Mountain View Whisman School District, for example, gets his or her arts education through this program. This year, CSMA is one of seven local charitable organiza-tions receiving donations from the Voice’s annual Holiday Fund drive. Contributions from read-ers and local foundations will directly support CSMA’s “Arts in the Schools” program. CSMA also encourages the arts education of autistic youth through a program called “Artis-tic Intelligence.” Now in its sec-ond year, the program serves 48 students who converge on CSMA from Morgan Autism Center, Pacific Autism Center for Educa-tion, and AchieveKids. Covello notes that most of the

New hospital ‘comes alive’

NO HITCHES SUNDAY AS PATIENTS MOVE INTO $470 MILLION FACILITY

GOINGS ON 28 | MARKETPLACE 29 | REAL ESTATE 32 | VIEWPOINT 18 | MOVIES 27 INSIDE

NOVEMBER 20, 2009 VOLUME 17, NO. 46 MountainViewOnline.com650.964.6300INSIDE: HEALTH & FITNESS | PAGE 21

Garden of VeganWEEKEND | P.24

HolidayFund

2009

See CSMA, page 8

MICHELLE LE

Brian plays the marimba with fellow Abilities United students as CSMA teacher Paul Prochaska, left, leads with piano. The group meets once a week in the Reay room.

Poll: You are happy, probably

See HAPPY, page 8

2 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ NOVEMBER 20, 2009

a p r . c o m

R ED EF I N I NG QUA L I T Y S I N C E 19 9 0 R e a d in g b e t w e e n t h e e m o t i o n a l l in e m a ke s t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n f in d in g a h o u s e a n d a h o m e .

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A R O U N D T O W NAsked in Downtown Mountain View. Pictures and interviews by Dana Sherne.

“Not turkey. Something more

special. I like casserole — a big,

hearty, healthy casserole.”

Ellix Wu, Mountain View

“My brussels sprouts and

chestnuts. It’s delicious.

It’s sweet and it’s healthy.”

Caryn Leschen, San Francisco

“Yams with marshmallows.

I love mashed potatoes too.

They’re about a tie.”

Melinda Gaul, Sunnyvale

“My grandma makes this jalapeno

stuffing so it’s spicy. I always get at

least a couple of servings of that.”

Stuart Keith, Mountain View

“I’m a vegetarian.”

Charles Samuels, Mountain View

What is your favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving?

Have a question for Voices Around Town? E-mail it to [email protected] 20, 2009 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ 3

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The City of Mountain View Recreation Division presents…

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BATTERY600 Block West Evelyn Ave., 11/11Central Expy & North Rengstorff Ave., 11/131100 Block Castro St., 11/14

BATTERY ON SCHOOL GROUNDS1000 Block Linda Vista Ave., 11/10

BATTERY ON A POLICE OFFICER600 Block Moorpark Way, 11/10

DRUNK IN PUBLIC500 Block Manila Dr., 11/15

TERRORIST THREATS900 Block Clark Ave., 11/14

OBSCENE/ANNOYING PHONE CALLS2100 Block Leghorn St., 11/11400 Block Dell Ave., 11/11500 Block South Dr., 11/12400 Block Victory Ave., 11/14

VANDALISM500 South Rengstorff Ave., 11/15

DISTURBANCEEastbound West El Camino Real, 11/13Showers Dr., 11/13

DISORDERLY CONDUCT - ALCOHOL600 Block Showers Dr., 11/9Central Expy & North Rengstorff Ave., 11/11

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA1900 Block Hackett Ave., 11/102200 Block California St., 11/11West Middlefield Rd. & Moffett Blvd., 11/13

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA - LESS THAN ONE OUNCELatham St. & Showers Dr., 11/10

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE300 Block West El Camino Real, 11/15Jane Ln. & North Rengstorff Ave., 11/15West Evelyn Ave. & Hope St., 11/15

UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCECastro St. & West El Camino Real, 11/9Evandale Ave., & Leong Dr., 11/10

NARCOTICS POSSESSION400 Block Foxborough Dr., 11/10West El Camino Real & El Monte Ave., 11/10

NARCOTICS POSSESSION400 Block Foxborough Dr., 11/10500 Block West Middlefield Rd., 11/15

KIDNAPPING1500 Block West Middlefield Rd., 11/14

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE/PERSON/VEHICLE400 Block Moffett Blvd., 11/9400 Block North Shoreline Blvd., 11/9500 Block Escuela Ave., 11/12

100 Block Castro St., 11/13600 Block Castro St., 11/13200 Block Showers Dr., 11/131900 Block Crisanto Ave., 11/13California St. & South Rengstorff Ave., 11/13Nob Hill Foods, 11/14Safeway- North Shoreline Blvd., 11/141800 Block California St., 11/15

FALSE REPORT TO POLICE100 Block San Antonio Cir., 11/9

COMMERCIAL BURGLARLY2200 Mora Dr., 11/15

RESIST OR INTERFERE WITH OFFICER900 Block North Shoreline Blvd., 11/10West Middlefield Rd. & Moffett Blvd., 11/14

INDECENT EXPOSURE100 Block Farley St., 11/12

PETTY THEFT300 Block Showers Dr., 11/9100 Block Sierra Vista Ave., 11/9500 Block Showers Dr., 11/10300 Block Showers Dr., 11/102500 Block California St., 11/10600 Block San Antonio Rd., 11/111400 Block California St., 11/12900 Block Marilyn Dr., 11/12Kohls, 11/14400 Block San Antonio Rd., 11/15900 Sierra Vista Ave., 11/15400 Block San Antonio Rd., 11/15

GRAND THEFT1000 Block Space Park Way, 11/102700 Block West El Camino Real, 11/111900 Block Rock St., 11/111 Block East Middlefield Rd., 11/11600 Block National Ave., 11/112600 Block Fayette Dr., 11/12800 Block East El Camino Real, 11/131600 Amphitheater Pkwy., 11/15

MISSING PERSON: JUVENILE1400 Ernestine Ln., 11/15

IDENTITY THEFT500 Block Palo Alto Ave., 11/10

POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY1900 Block West El Camino Real, 11/11California St. & View St., 11/14

THEFT BY FRAUD600 Block Showers Dr., 11/12

DEFRAUDING AN INNKEEPER100 Block Castro St., 11/13

POSSESSION OF SWITCHBLADEWest Middlefield Rd. & Moffett Blvd., 11/11

P O L I C E L O G

The Mountain View Voice is published every Friday by Embarcadero Publishing Co. 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto CA 94306 (650) 964-6300. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at Palo Alto, CA and additional mailing offices. The Mountain View Voice is mailed free to homes and apartments in Mountain View. Subscription rate of $60 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mountain View Voice, 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306.

NOTICE OF RECORD OF DECISIONINSTALLATION RESTORATION SITE 25

FORMER NAVAL AIR STATIONMOFFET FIELD, CA

The Department of the Navy (Navy) announces the availability of the Record of Decision(ROD) for Installation Restoration Site 25 at former Naval Air Station (NAS) MoffettField. The ROD was signed by the Navy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board in November 2009.

Former NAS Moffett Field is located 35 miles south of San Francisco and 10 miles

north of San Jose. It was an active military base until it was closed in 1994. Former

NAS Moffett Field is currently owned and occupied by the National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA).

Site 25 is located in the northeastern corner of former NAS Moffett Field and includes

the Eastern Diked Marsh and the stormwater retention pond. Stormwater from for-

mer NAS Moffett Field flows into Site 25. Contaminants transported in stormwater

have deposited in sediment and pose a risk to animals at the site. The remedy selected

to address contaminated sediment is presented in the ROD and includes excava-

tion, treatment, off-site disposal, and focused restoration of wetland excavations.

The remedy was one of several alternatives evaluated and presented to the public

for review and was selected as the remedy for Site 25 after comments were received

from the public. When this remedy is complete, Site 25 will be available for unlim-

ited use and unrestricted exposure.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONThe Site 25 ROD and other site documents are available for public review on the

Navy website, www.bracpmo.navy.mil, and at the following locations. For more infor-

mation about the Site 25 ROD, please contact Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)

Environmental Coordinator ATTN: Ms. Kathryn Stewart, 1 Avenue of the Palms, Suite

161, San Francisco, CA 94130-1807 (415) 743-4715.

Information Repository

Mountain View Public Library

585 Franklin Street

Mountain View, CA 94041

(650) 903-6337

http://www.mountainview.gov/

city_hall/library/default.asp

Administrative Record

NAVFAC, Southwest Administrative

Records Coordinator

ATTN: Diane Silva

937 N. Harbor Drive,

Building 1, 3rd Floor

San Diego, CA 92132

(619) 532-3676

November 2009

A Guide to the Spiritual Community

To include your Church in InspirationsPlease call Blanca Yoc at 650-326-8210 ext. 6596

or e-mail [email protected]

Los AltosLutheranChurchELCA

Pastor David K. BondeOutreach Pastor Gary Berkland9:00 am Worship

10:30 am EducationNursery Care Provided

Alpha Courses

650-948-3012460 S. El Monte Ave., Los Altos

www.losaltoslutheran.org

MOUNTAIN VIEW CENTRAL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST

Saturday Services, Worship 10:50 a.m. Sabbath School, 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday Study Groups, 10:00 a.m. 1425 Springer Rd., Mtn. View Office Hours 9-1 Tues - Fri

650-967-2189

Los Altos Union Presbyterian Church

858 University Ave 650-948-4361

WWW.UNIONPC.ORGTurn East on University

off El Monte Ave.

between I-280 and Foothill Expwy

8:00 am Worship and buffet breakfast

9:30 am Worship and buffet breakfast

9:30 am Sunday school adults and children

11:00 am Worship in the Sanctuary,

Club Sunday for Children, Nursery

We Invite You to Learn and Worship with Us.

1667 Miramonte (Cuesta at Miramonte) 650.968.4473

www.fpcmv.org

FPCMV welcomes our new Pastor Timothy R. Boyer.

Biblically based Sermons and Worship Service 10:30 AM.

C O R R E C T I O N

Last week’s story about Mountain View writers participating in NaNoWriMo incorrectly stated that East West Bookstore’s next “write-in” is Wednesday, Nov. 23. The correct date is Monday, Nov. 23.

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■ CITY COUNCIL UPDATES

■ COMMUNITY

■ FEATURES

MOUNTAIN VIEWVOICE

NOVEMBER 20, 2009 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ 5

Is BMX park idea

DOA?COUNCIL DEADLOCKS

ON BIKE COURSE, APPROVES DOWNTOWN

OFFICE BUILDINGBy Daniel DeBolt

Tuesday’s council meeting began straightforwardly — with the approval of a

new four-story office building on Evelyn Avenue — and ended surprisingly, with a deadlocked vote on building a new BMX park in Mountain View. The subject of a BMX park was not on the agenda, but was brought up at the end of Tues-day night’s meeting by Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga. Facing pos-sible legal and safety problems, the city in August demolished an informal BMX track along Stevens Creek at Central Avenue that locals had been building and maintaining for at least 20 years. Abe-Koga wanted the Parks and Recreation Commission to study whether the city should build its own BMX park to replace it, probably on a 1.25-acre site that stretches along North Road just east of the city’s dog park at Shoreline. She didn’t expect what happened next: The council deadlocked 3-3, with member Tom Means absent, halting the idea in its tracks. “I was kind of surprised they didn’t even want the PRC to look at it,” which would cost noth-ing, Abe-Koga said. She added that the idea could always come back to the council if there was enough interest from the com-munity. Since 2001, the city has had on-again, off-again interest in building its own BMX park. Such a project would cost about $400,000 an acre and $70,000 a year to maintain, according to a Sept. 17 report from parks section manager Jack Smith. The need for the city to retain an engineer and a landscape architect are among the require-ments that “dramatically change the scope” of the project, which

Kniss: County officials ‘angry’

over vaccine distribution

By Kelsey Mesher

Supervisor Liz Kniss bemoaned the small number of doses of the

H1N1 vaccine in Santa Clara County and called their slow distribution “political” during a community forum on the disease last week at the Moun-tain View Senior Center. “This has been a very trying time for us, with H1N1,” Kniss said, adding that she and other county officials have been “angry, upset and outraged” at the plodding distribution of the vaccine. Kniss, who is president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and represents Mountain View, hosted the forum on Thursday evening to inform the public on the pandemic and ways county health officials are working to stop it. Because the county has been so vocal about the shortage, she said, officials finally got a response from the state. Two weeks ago the county had received only 8,800 doses of H1N1 vaccine, far less than the 200,000-dose shipment they were expecting. But as of Thursday night, Kniss said, there had been 147,000 doses delivered to Santa Clara Coun-ty. “There really hasn’t been a whole lot of consistency or coordination to this,” she said, adding that the county is “well aware” of the uneven distribu-tion of vaccine among states. Kniss said the first ship-ments of vaccine from the state went to Kaiser, because it was determined on the state level that the provider could reach a large population quickly. Other health providers, as well as the county health department itself, were forced to wait for new shipments, noted county health officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib. How-ever, he said, the county has now received nearly 150,000 doses and “There will be more vaccine coming.” V

By Kelsey Mesher

Taking a tour of KFJC’s facil-ities, it’s not hard to believe that the local college radio

station has been around for awhile. The station seems almost molded to the insides of a brick building on the Foothill Col-lege campus. Layers of posters, stickers and a wide assortment of random paraphernalia are plastered to its walls — souvenirs from decades past that mark the station’s evolution. Over the years, KFJC, which broadcasts at 89.7 FM, has gar-nered awards and earned national press. The most recent milestone: celebrating its 50th anniversary on Oct. 20.

Bob Ballou, KFJC designer and the first voice ever to go on-air under its name, helped celebrate by giving an on-air interview about the first days of the station, back when it broadcast from the old Foothill campus in Mountain View. “(We) focus on the under-ground music scene, or perhaps stuff you’re not going to hear oth-er places,” said Eric Johnson, the station’s general manager, whose on-air alias is Grawer. Johnson has worked for KFJC since the early 1990s. The station plays anything, from ambient to punk, so long as it’s obscure and, according to Johnson, “not designed to be a billboard hit.” The staff of around

80 students and volunteers adds dozens of songs each week to the station’s already robust collection of music; faculty adviser Doc Pezel estimates they have over 65,000 albums or collections of some sort. As he put, “If you started listen-ing now, you would be very old by the time you were done listen-ing.” Though the station has been around since the 1950s, Johnson said it took on its current under-ground flavor about 30 years ago. He recalled a 1978 uprising at the station, an event described in true KFJC style on the station’s Web site: “On October 4,” it reads, “five student managers at KFJC voted to overthrow the general man-ager in reaction to his aggressive emphasis on tight formatting, fol-lowing mainstream radio indus-try practice. The mutineers take control of KFJC, waving high the banner of Punk.” “That kind of shaped what the station is today,” Johnson said. Since the overthrow, KFJC has provided Bay Area listeners with off-the-beaten-path broad-casts, featuring little or unknown bands — some of which made it big later, like REM, Sonic Youth and Nirvana.

‘Waving high the banner of Punk’KFJC, FOOTHILL COLLEGE’S STUDENT-RUN RADIO STATION, CELEBRATES ITS 50TH YEAR

See KJFC, page 7 See COUNCIL, page 13

MICHELLE LE

Doc Pezel has been the faculty advisor for 30 years at KJFC, Foothill College’s radio station.

MICHELLE LE

DJ Leticia Domingo spins records during her show “Groove Therapy.”

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Custom Interiors From Concept To Creation

By Kelsey Mesher

A 27-year-old Mountain View woman was wakened at gun-point early Saturday morn-

ing after a man entered her apart-ment through a bedroom window, then forced her to drive to a bank and remove cash, police say. Police are classifying the crime as a robbery and kidnapping. It occurred at about 1:40 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 in the Meadowood apartment complex at 1555 Middlefield Road. “She had the window closed and then instead of locking it with the main lock she had it secured” with a screw lock, said police spokesper-son Liz Wylie, adding, “That’s how he got in.” Wylie said the suspect did not let the victim look at his face, and she

was not able to describe his appear-ance or even say whether he was wearing a mask. “He was just very adamant about her not looking at him and stay-ing behind her in the car, staying behind her while they walked,” Wylie said. The victim could only describe the suspect as a man of medium height and build. He used a small handgun. According to police, after the rob-ber made the woman drive to the bank and withdraw an undisclosed amount of cash, he told her to drive them back to her home. But the woman balked, telling the robber he already had what he wanted. “He had his money and he fully agreed,” Wylie said. The woman pulled over her car and the robber exited and fled on foot.

The woman drove directly to the Mountain View Police Department to report the crime. “She was very, very cooperative,” Wylie said. “She drove straight here, which was smart.” Police are looking into whether this case is related to another Mountain View home invasion robbery which occurred in late Sep-tember, as well as a similar incident in Palo Alto. Wylie said that at this point, the only similarities seem to be that the victims were young women living alone. “We don’t know for sure, but there are many differences between these” cases, she said. For example, in the previous cases there were sexual threats involved, and in Sat-urday’s case there was no threat of sexual assault. Wylie said the incident is a scary reminder to all to lock doors and windows properly and to be vigi-lant, even in a generally safe com-munity like Mountain View. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Kevin Solomon at (650) 903-6356 or the main MVPD number at (650) 903-6344. Callers may be anonymous. V


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Police hunt for armed man in kidnap-robberyWOMAN AWOKEN IN HER MIDDLEFIELD ROAD APARTMENT,

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Rapist gets 25 to life for Terra Bella attack

MELCHOR PAREDES ASSAULTED MOUNTAIN VIEW WOMAN IN 2007

By Kelsey Mesher

A San Jose man was sentenced last week to 25 years to life in prison for the 2007 rape

of a young woman on Terra Bella Avenue. Melchor Paredes, 38, pleaded no contest last month to the rape, in addition to burglary and possession of a deadly weapon. His sentence was handed down on Thursday, Nov. 12. On Aug. 2, 2007, Paredes hid outside the victim’s home in the 900 block of Terra Bella Avenue, wearing dark clothing and a ski mask. According to police reports, Paredes confronted the then-22-year-old woman as she was leaving for work shortly after 7 a.m. He threatened her with a knife and forced her back inside her apart-ment, where he bound her with duct tape and raped her. Paredes, who had been work-ing for a local construction com-pany and using the alias “Ramon Jayardes,” reportedly moved to Georgia after committing the

crime. He moved back to the area in December 2008, and began working for the same construction company. In January, police received a tip from the victim’s husband, who was a coworker of Paredes’ and knew him as “Ramon.” Police began investigating Paredes, and three weeks after receiving the tip-off managed to collect physical evidence from him. Reportedly he was pulled over in a routine traffic stop, and police collected a thumb print and DNA sample to confirm his identity, because he was driving without a license. The County Crime Lab con-firmed in mid-February that the physical evidence matched evidence collected at the time of the rape. On Tuesday, Feb. 17, police sought out Paredes at his work. After attempting to hide in the attic, he was taken into custody. Paredes reportedly told police he knew the victim, and had dated her for two months. V

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Every varsity team since 2001 has earned the

CCS Scholastic Team Award (3.0 GPA or Higher).

Foothill chief: College faces ‘unprecedented cuts’By Kelsey Mesher

Community colleges have not been immune to the state’s slashes to educational fund-

ing, said Foothill College president Judy Miner in a talk to Mountain View community leaders last week — these days, in fact, even tenured faculty face the ax. In her presentation, given dur-ing a Thursday, Nov. 12 Challenge Team meeting, Miner said that July 1, 2010 will mark a two-year period of shrinking staff size and “unprecedented cuts” to the col-lege’s budget. Its administrative staff will be down 14 percent since July 2008, she said. Classified staff will be down 9 percent, and faculty down 6 percent. This March, she said, district officials will have to notify tenured faculty of looming layoffs. “We can no longer support the number of programs and services which we have been able to offer,” Miner said to the group, which includes local school officials, city representatives, members of the Mountain View Police Department

and others. Italian and German language classes are already absent from the college, she said. French is being phased out. “We have had some carry-over dollars,” Miner said, explaining that this money has allowed staff-ers to stay through the end of this year. Moving forward, however, administrators are making “stra-tegic” decisions about how they will balance their budget and plan programming for students. “In spite of all these challenges, we continue to do good work for the community,” she said. Educators are “expanding where they can,” especially in programs that are of greatest need: basic skills, workforce development and transferring stu-dents to four-year schools. Recent projects at the college include working with local middle school students in intensive math programming over the summer, overseeing the construction of a new science and technology build-ing to open in 2012, and searching for the district’s next chancellor. V

“Those were bands that were unknown, and KFJC was one of the first places that played their music,” Johnson said.

Hits and hijinks Over the years, KFJC has held events as eclectic and bizarre as its play lists. In August 1983, the station played 823 versions of the Richard Berrie hit “Louie Louie.” The songwriter himself performed live on the air to promote what they called the “Maximum Louie Louie” mara-thon, which ran for more than 63 hours and garnered attention from the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets. One student hosted a show where instead of reviewing films, he rated laundromats, giving them between one and four “suds.” He was even-tually invited to speak to a large laundry organization. “It was amazing what he was able to do with a very stupid idea,” Pezel said. Today, KFJC has DJs working 24 hours a day. Some are students, oth-ers are just interested in music. “What drew me in from being just a listener,” said 32-year-old DJ Leticia Domingo, “was I knew that KFJC had an amazing library and that all the DJs didn’t just play music and not talk about it. ... They were knowledgeable and that enticed me.”

“I can learn about any music genre, any record label, and there are other people who are amazing resources for that information,” she said. Domingo, whose on-air name is MSTIZA, hosts her own show, Groove Therapy, on Mondays from 2 to 6 p.m., and also volunteers as the station’s publicity director.

True commitment Beyond student and volunteer power, KFJC operations are also made possible by Pezel’s longtime commitment. “I am the radio department,” joked Pezel, who has served as adviser for the station for about three decades. “The station is definitely much more involved and interested in what it does,” Pezel said, adding that volunteers and students only ben-efit from the work they do rather than receiving compensation. Another unique feature is that “all of its music is hand-picked by human beings,” he said, setting KFJC apart from mainstream sta-tions which often use computer programs to create play lists. KFJC has signed a contract for another 50 years. Pezel says that at some point during the next half century the station will surely switch to HD radio — though he noted that HD has been “just around the corner since the ‘80s.” The station is run almost entirely on listener contributions. To donate to KFJC, hear netcasts or for other information, visit www.kfjc.org. V

KFJC Continued from page 5


students spend their education in intimate, one-on-one settings iso-lated from the rest of the commu-nity. They love coming to CSMA because it gets them into a group setting, she said. Covello recalls one student’s reac-tion to his weekly classes: “We go from being in a really small space to being in these really big spaces where we can paint and work with clay and interact,” said Jordan, a 19-year-old enrolled in the Morgan Autism Center. Like Mike, the special needs students come away from arts and music classes with more than artis-tic skills. The students, separated into higher and lower functioning groups, work with aides to learn art and music skills. For Covello, teaching these students is a unique experience because of the pride they feel in even the simplest expressions of creativity. “They have a kind of innocence

and excitement about making art,” she said. Mary Holmes, music director at CSMA, at first was concerned about the effectiveness of the pro-gram because the teachers are not trained as music therapists. But the classes have exceeded her expecta-tions, she said: Students who were previously disengaged now are participating and talking. “It’s about learning social skills and encountering a peer from another agency that you don’t see every day,” said executive direc-tor Jeffry Walker. Walker’s office features artwork by a student from Abilities United — a painting resembling an abstract interpreta-tion of sheet music. Like Walker, Holmes also has a keepsake of her work with the stu-dents: a note from Wanda, an autistic adult. It begins, “I send you a very happy late Halloween and early Thanksgiving hug! I’m really enjoying giving you this card because I like you a lot as my staff and friends! You are great ones and I care about you a lot!” V

MICHELLE LE

Autistic student Cesar plays the marimba to “Jingle Bells” during Bill Liberatore’s class held at CSMA. Students in his class are from Pacific Autism Center for Education.

CSMA Continued from page 1

How to GiveYour gift helps children and others in need

Contributions to the Holiday Fund

will be matched dollar for dollar, to the

extent possible, and will go directly to the

nonprofi t agencies that serve Mountain

View residents. Last year, Voice readers

contributed more than $40,000, which

with matching grants, provided more than

$10,000 to each agency

No administrative costs are deducted

from the gifts, which are tax-deductible

as permitted by law. All donations will be

shared equally with the seven recipient

agencies listed here.

This year, the following agencies will be supported by the Holiday Fund:

■ PARTNERS FOR NEW GENERATIONSTrains volunteer mentors who work with local

youth in education and community programs.

■ THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AWARENESS COUNCILServes Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos

Hills and seven school districts. Offers school-

based programs to protect students from high-

risk behaviors, such as drug and alcohol abuse.

■ MOUNTAIN VIEW ROTACARE CLINICProvides uninsured community residents with

medical care and medications, and is frequent-

ly the last resort for this under-served clientele.

■ DAY WORKER CENTER OF MOUNTAIN VIEWProvides a secure place for workers and

employers to negotiate wages. Serves 50 or

more workers per day with job-matching,

English lessons and guidance.

■ THE SUPPORT NETWORK FOR BATTERED WOMENOperates a 24-hour bilingual hotline, a

safe shelter for women and their children,

and offers counseling and other services for

families facing this problem.

■ COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND ARTSProvides hands-on arts and music projects

in the elementary classrooms of the

Mountain View-Whisman School District.

Nearly 40 percent of the students are

low-income and 28 percent have limited

English profi ciency.

■ COMMUNITY SERVICES AGENCY OF MOUNTAIN VIEW AND LOS ALTOSAssists working poor families, homeless and

seniors with short-term housing and medical

care and other services.

Name of donor ______________________________________________ Amount $ ____________

Street address ___________________________________________________________________

City _______________________________________________ State _____ Zip _______________

❏ I wish to contribute anonymously. ❏ Don’t publish the amount of my contribution.

❏ I wish to designate my contribution as follows:

❏ In honor of: ❏ In memory of: ________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

TO DONATE ONLINE GO TO: http://www.siliconvalleycf.org/giving-mvv.html

PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: THE HOLIDAY FUNDEnclose this coupon and send to: The Voice Holiday Fund

The Mountain View Voice, P.O. Box 405,Mountain View, CA 94042

By Credit Card: ❏ Visa or ❏ MasterCard No. ______________________________________

Exp. Date ________________________________________________________

Signature ________________________________________________________

HolidayFund

2009

Mountain View, much of Silicon Valley and the Santa Cruz Moun-tains. “Of 435 districts in the country, people in Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s district apparently feel hap-pier than in any other district in the country,” said city manager Kevin Duggan. “I think it’s great.” He added, “It’s good that people feel good about their circumstances in such trying times.” The city of Sunnyvale has pounced on the Gallup poll results, and now claims to be “the happiest place in America” in a press release on its Web site. The accolade comes from TV personality “Dr. Oz,” who for his Nov. 9 show contrasted Sunnyvale to the city of Hazard in Kentucky, which is in the least happy congressional district in the

country, according the poll. The 14th congressional dis-trict stretches from Sunnyvale through Mountain View and Palo Alto to parts of Redwood City, Belmont and San Carlos to the north. It also stretches to the coast to cover Half Moon Bay, Ben Lomond, Scotts Valley and other less densely populated areas in Santa Cruz County. Gallup says the survey sample represents 98 percent of the adult population, including households that have begun using cell phones instead of landlines. On a daily basis, about 1,000 people are asked dozens of questions about every-thing from job satisfaction to how often a person laughs. The poll’s results by district are available at www.ahiphiwire.org/wellbeing. A map of the 14th district is available on Eshoo’s Web site, www.eshoo.house.gov. V

HAPPY Continued from page 1

day morning before the move began, when the halls were deserted and all was quiet. “It was fun to see it come alive,” she said. The old El Camino emergency room was closed down at 6 a.m., with the new ER opening at 6:01. The first patient arrived minutes later, administrators said, and the first ambulance followed shortly after. The ER saw 138 patients Sun-day. Meanwhile, 119 patients were transferred from the old hospital building to the new one in a choreo-graphed routine involving numer-ous volunteers and staff mem-bers wearing color-coded T-shirts. Starting at 7 a.m., the patients were wheeled in their beds at two minute intervals through a hallway con-necting the two buildings. By 11:15 that morning, 30 minutes ahead of schedule, all were situated in their new rooms. As of Monday morning, Russell said, the hospital was a little more than half full, but she added that by Monday evening the number of people would “increase dramati-cally.” “The communication was so great yesterday,” said Tammy Ham,

speaking from her daughter’s bed-side in the new hospital facility. Emma Ham, 5, had her appendix removed in the old hospital build-ing on Saturday. “They seemed very organized.” Ham said they were informed after their daughter’s surgery about the transition to the new building, and that she was the first pediatric patient to move. (For a photo of Emma being transported to the new facility, see page 21.) “She’s been very down and in pain,” added her father, Brian, “and after the move she was a whole new person.” The Hams said Emma

received “princess” treatment from the hospital staff. Emma said her favorite part of the new room was the shower, though her parents said she’s already been through several of the movies available on the private room’s flat screen television. The Hams said they were impressed with the details that went into the design, especially for families visiting or staying over with loved ones. Amenities include com-fortable bedside seating and private rooms; 85 percent of the rooms in the new hospital are private. “It makes a huge difference as far

as your privacy factor, and com-fort,” Brian Ham said. People in the hospital are already dealing with a difficult situation, he said, and having a roommate is “an added situation” he was happy to avoid. The new facility was constructed in order to comply with updated safety standards passed in 1994. El Camino Hospital is one of the first in the Bay Area to meet the new seismic safety standards. El Camino was referenced in Popular Science magazine’s Decem-ber 2009 issue as “the most techno-logically advanced hospital in the world.” V


HOSPITAL Continued from page 1

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Developer selected for NASA Research ParkBy Daniel DeBolt

TMG Partners and “The Related Companies” have been selected to be master

developers of a unique $1 billion research park at Moffett Field in a partnership with NASA Ames and local universities. The 3 million-square-foot proj-ect includes nearly 2,000 homes, a million square feet of commercial space and 600,000 square feet of academic space, according to conceptual plans, which put an emphasis on environmentally sustainable design. The developers say that work-ing with universities and NASA Ames attracted them to project, which could be seen as risky in the current market. The developers are betting that the economy will rebound in three to five years, said William Berry, president of Uni-versity Associates-Silicon Valley. “A new community integrat-ing the commercial, science and residential components with technology companies of Silicon Valley can be found nowhere else,” said Michael Covarrubias, chairman and CEO of TMG, in a press release. City manager Kevin Duggan noted that the city has always been

supportive of the project, which sits outside of city limits on federal land. He likened the project to the Stanford Research Park, which helped shape Silicon Valley. “In the long run it will have a similar effect,” Duggan said. “We can’t take our unique position in the world for granted. The whole concept is trying to create synergy and collaboration with private corporations, researchers and world-famous and world-re-nowned educational institutions, which we think is great.” A year ago, University Associ-ates-Silicon Valley, LLC (UA-SV) signed a 95-year ground lease with owner NASA Ames for the 77-acre site, located on the south-western corner of Moffett Field. The Foothill-De Anza College District and UC Santa Cruz joined to create UA-SV with the intention of creating a major Silicon Valley college campus at Ames. Santa Clara University and Carnegie Melon Uni-versity have also written letters indicating that they intend to partner in the development. UA-SV has until 2013 to begin construction of the project under the lease,

Berry said. TMG and The Related Compa-nies were both vetted financially, along with four other interested developers, by UA-SV. Berry said he is confident that the develop-ment firms could provide the best available financial backing for the project, adding that the reputation of the master developers “demon-strates the considerable attractive-ness of this project, even in a tough economy.” An environmental impact state-ment approved in 2002 for the NASA Research Park calls for a maximum of 2.9 million square feet, including 1,930 housing units, 600,000 square feet of academic space, 300,000 square feet of industrial space and 100,000 square feet of training and confer-ence space. V

COURTESY IMAGE

Nasa Research Park rendering.

Troubled apartments get new owner‘HIGH QUALITY’ RENOVATION IN WORKS FOR 291 EVANDALE AVE.

By Daniel DeBolt

In what many hope will be the final chapter of a long drama, Bay West Real-

ty Capital has purchased the 64-unit Summerhill apartment complex at 291 Evandale Ave., with the intention of renovating its vacant, dilapidated buildings and turning them into market-rate rental housing. Project manager Todd Hill said his company closed on the property Nov. 9 after several months of escrow. The deal comes after the city and the neighborhood spent over a year opposing what appeared to be a plan by the pre-vious owner, Sal Teresi, to move tenants into buildings there, even though the structures still required significant work to be safe and comply with city build-ing codes. City officials said Teresi had also run afoul of City Hall by failing to pay $88,000 in plan-ning fees for a failed plan to build 144 condos on the site.

Hill said he didn’t know why Teresi had his lawyer fight with the city for a permit to re-roof the buildings, an issue which took center stage at a City Council meeting last month. The council rejected the permit request, saying there was no proof Teresi would improve the buildings and make them safe. Hill said Teresi’s tiff with the city had nothing to do with his project. “Let’s put the problems in the past and do something good with the project,” Hill said. “Let’s do something good for the neighborhood, for the city, for the environment and build something we’re proud to own. It will be an example of the right thing to do.” Hill said his company plans a “high-end, high-quality renova-tion” which will be well regarded for its environmentally friendly features. For example, he said, LED and fluorescent light-ing will be used throughout, along with “Energy Star”-rated appliances, low-flow plumbing,

drought-tolerant landscaping and low VOC paints. Lisa Matichak, the president of the Wagon Wheel Neigh-borhood Association, said she was pleased with the change in ownership after talking with Hill. Neighbors made their con-cerns clear in June as the City Council rejected a proposal by KDC Communities to renovate the buildings and turn them into affordable housing. Many neighbors say crime has gone down in the neighborhood since the apartment complex became vacant. “We very much care about the neighbors’ concerns,” Hill said. “We are diligently getting educated to address them.” Hill would not say what his company paid for the project, but those familiar with the deal say it was sold for less than half of what Teresi was offered before the recession. V

E-mail Daniel DeBolt at [email protected]

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COURTESY IMAGE

An artist’s rendering of the office building that would replace the Pacific Euro Hotel on Evelyn Avenue just west of Castro Street.

the council hoped to build with $60,000 in funding budgeted in 2007. The report cites the Calabazas BMX park in San Jose as the source of the cost estimate. It also lists safety and legal requirements from the city’s risk manager, Claudia Koob, including a maxi-mum jump height of five feet. As for the loca-tion, city staff-ers prefer the North Road site over the near-by “Crittenden overflow basin,” which was a rec-ommended site years ago. Coun-cil member Mike Kasperzak and others have also suggested that the city use a meadow that is newly accessible thanks to the Stevens Creek Trail extension south of El Camino Real. Council members made no comments explaining the vote, which came at the end of a five-hour meeting. Opposing further study were members Ronit Bry-ant, Laura Macias and Kasper-zak. Members Abe-Koga, Jac Siegel and John Inks were in favor. Means’ position on the subject was unknown as of press time.

Evelyn office OK’d The days are numbered for the Pacific Euro Hotel, which sits on one of two parcels now slated for a new four-story, 63,000-square-foot office building downtown. The City Council unanimous-ly approved the office building

for 871-891 Evelyn Ave., just west of Castro Street at Bryant Street and a stone’s throw from the train station. It is about three times taller than the nearby buildings on the historic 100 block of Castro Street. Council member Jac Siegel said he was not a fan of the building’s modern design, which he said did not fit the downtown area. Other council members com-plained that the developer did not illustrate what the building would look like from the Castro

Street area. But generally, the council was happy to have the development, which they said would allow growing companies located downtown to expand while staying in the area. Developer Daniel Minkoff said the building would be for the high-end office market, and would meet high LEED stan-dards for green design. He noted the use of high quality building materials, such as limestone, which would extend onto the sidewalk. Council member Ronit Bry-ant was not so impressed, saying she had concerns with how the building would affect the “pedes-trian experience” downtown. “I will not be able to support the project without adding some living green” element, such as “a trellis or potted plants,” Bryant said. “Otherwise what we’re putting

downtown is another blank wall.” A motion by Bryant to require some form of planting on the site as determined by the plan-ning department failed in a 3-3 vote, with council member Means absent. That gave way to a compromise from city manager Kevin Duggan: Have the devel-oper voluntarily do whatever is deemed possible for plants around the building, which leaves little room for greenery on the site. Because the city’s downtown

precise plan e n c o u r a g e s ground f loor retail space, the project required a provisional use permit to allow office space on the ground floor. Council mem-bers were unsure

there would be demand for retail on that portion of Evelyn, though the building could be modified to allow it in the future. The building will have one level of underground parking, which allows for 34 spaces. Another 43 spaces of parking required for the project are in a nearby parking garage, which the city pays for through fees from downtown projects which commonly do not supply their own parking. Downtown residents did not show up to oppose the project. In the past, residents of condos at 108 Bryant St. have expressed concerns about Pacific Euro Hotel’s effect on their neighbor-hood. V

E-mail Daniel DeBolt [email protected]

COUNCIL Continued from page 5

Developer Daniel Minkoff said the Evelyn

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When you are shopping for the holidays, remember your community and support your locally owned

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Local merchants know the community and are experts in selecting merchandise that is based on what you like and want. Shop with awareness. In a down economy with many businesses at risk, you are voting with your dollars. If you val-ue a diverse local economy, choose to support these and other independent, locally owned businesses.

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Here are some good reasons to shop at locally owned businesses this holiday season and all year:

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• It makes us unique. There’s no place like the Peninsula! Homegrown businesses are part of what makes us special.

• It creates local jobs. Local businesses are the best at creating higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.

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This Holiday Season….. Think. Shop. Buy….Local

The holiday shopping season has arrived. With so many fabulous restaurant choices

around town, the easiest gift for any Mountain View resident to purchase would

certainly be a gift card from their favorite restaurant. We also have some interesting

retail shops tucked away that are just waiting to be explored. Does the person on

your list drink coffee? Assuming the answer is “yes,” we have coffee shops in our

downtown district that are wildly popular. Everyone loves a pound of coffee and a

new mug. Mountain View is also lucky enough to have some excellent bookstores

that are well-known to the entire Bay Area.

As you make your holiday purchases during the next month, please keep in mind

how important it is to shop locally and support our fabulous community. This holiday

shopping season would be a great time to show our support for the local businesses

by keeping your shopping, dining and lodging dollars local

If you’re looking for things to do during the holidays, be sure to check out the www.ILoveMV.org website.

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$9250 Labor SpecialTotal Price For Labor On Standard Couch or ChairPlus the cost of any fabric you select from our complete

line of fabrics. Labor price of $92.50 includes frame,

spring and webbing repair. Additional charge for cushion

fi ller, tufting and channeling. Customer supplied fabric charged at standard labor rate on $50 per yard.

With Upholstery Of Any Couch Or Chair.

Re-upholstery Recycles

Open Daily: M-Th & Sat 11:30-10:00, F 11:30-11:00 & Sun 11:30-9:30(650) 965-BREW 954 Villa St. Mountain View

TIED HOUSE CAFE & BREWERY

South Bay’s Original Microbrewery

2009

Firkin Good Beer, Firkin Good Times$1.00 Half Pint Thursdays are back, every Thursday from 9 til close.

Happy Holidays from


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HOLIDAY FAIRFine Crafts Local Artists December 11, 12, 13, 2009Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10-5

Hoover House (aka “The Girl Scout House”)

1120 Hopkins, Palo Alto

for information: 650-625-1736 or [email protected]

AESTHETICSKIN CARE CENTER

Visit the new business to Mountain View for a Younger Looking You

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Reiki Feldenkrais PodiatryScreenings Health Information Massage

Hypnotherapy AcupunctureHoliday gift certificates available!

For more information, please call (650) 289-5400 or visit www.avenidas.org.

Explore our affordable Health & Wellness options!

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ate yourself at Avenidas!

Mountain View, CA Where Change Begins

And Boost Our Local Economy

SCHOOL DONATION GOAL: $10,000!

Shop Local is a joint initiative between local businesses, the Chamber of Commerce Mountain View and the Mountain View

Education Foundation to raise money for local shools.

Businesses Proudly Participating:

Visit the ilovemv.org Web site, click on the Shop Local

133 E. El Camino Real, Mtn. View

650-988-6800www.playitagainsports-sanjose.com

2520 Wyandotte St #GMtn. View

650-988-0460www.helmings.com

Participating Community Service Memberwww.kmvt15.org

830 E. El Camino Rl., Mtn. Viewwww.littleprodigypreschool.com

650-938-3800

650 Castro St., Mtn. Viewwww.leboulanger.com

SPECTRUM FINE HOMES, INC.Mtn. View

650-960-2449www.SpectrumFineHomes.com

1000 Fremont Ave., Suite 270Los Altos

[email protected]

954 Villa St., Mtn. View650-965-2739

www.tiedhouse.com

2037 Old Middlefi eld WayMtn. View

650-961-0302www.deansautomotive.com

1249 W. El Camino Rl.Mtn. View

650-940-9831www.baskinrobbins.com

t h e s m a r t e r w a ywww.pegpay.com

2526 Leghorn St., Mtn. View650-492-5443

www.autoworks.com

P.O. Box 391557, Mtn. View650-526-3500 x1030www.mvef.org

‘COPS AND GOBBLERS’ SEEKS ASSISTANCE The Mountain View Police Officers’ Association hopes to deliver baskets full of food to hundreds of less fortunate fami-lies around the city this Thanks-giving as a part of its 13-year-old Cops and Gobblers program. The Association, along with community partners like Moun-tain View Kiwanis, Rotary and the Challenge Team, hopes to collect monetary donations and small stuffed animals for the upcom-ing holiday. They will use monies collected to buy food in bulk, in partnership with a local grocer. Organizer Bruce Barsi said they already have the names of over 250 families in need, and are still seeking donations to help meet that commitment. The food, along with a store certificate for a turkey and small toys for children, will be sorted and packaged Sunday, Nov. 22 at 9 a.m. and delivered to families in the area. To volunteer or donate, contact Barsi at (650) 280-0251 or [email protected].

INNVISION PRESENTS TWO PROGRAMS InnVision, an organization that provides shelter and resources for thousands of homeless and at-risk people in the area, has announced two holiday programs to benefit Silicon Valley families in need. The “Holiday Toy & Teen Shoppe” program allows home-less parents to choose gifts and other essentials for their families and children free of charge. To support this, InnVision is asking community members to donate new toys and gifts, winter clothing for adults and children, everyday clothing for children and teens, new undergarments and socks, new toiletry items and gift cards to local drugstores and grocers. For its “Adopt-a-Family” pro-gram, InnVision hopes to fulfill the wishes of 200 families this holiday season. The organization is seeking groups or individuals willing to “adopt” a family with a commitment of purchasing and wrapping gifts on a wish-list ranging from $200 to $500. Cash donations may be sent to InnVision at 974 Willow St., San Jose, 95125. New, unwrapped gift donations for the Holiday Toy and Teen Shoppe may be delivered to Custom Fitness, 650 Castro St., Suite 108, Mountain View, from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. To adopt a family or volunteer, contact Jaynie Neveras at (408) 213-5186 or (408) 292-4286, ext. 1018. For more information, visit www.InnVision.org.

— Kelsey Mesher

H O L I D AY B R I E F S


PublisherTom Gibboney

EditorialManaging Editor Don Frances

Staff Writers Daniel DeBolt, Kelsey Mesher

Intern Dana Sherne

Photographer Michelle Le

Photo Intern James Tensuan

Contributors Dale Bentson, Angela Hey, Sheila Himmel, Jennifer Pence, Monica Schreiber

Design & ProductionDesign Director Raul Perez

Designers Linda Atilano, Laura Don, Gary Vennarucci

Advertising Advertising Representatives Anna Mirsky, Dianna Prather

Real Estate Account Executive Rosemary Lewkowitz

Real Estate Advertising Coordinator Diane Martin

Published every Friday at 450 Cambridge Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 964-6300 fax (650) 964-0294

E-mail news and photos to: [email protected] E-mail letters to: [email protected]

News/Editorial Department (650) 964-6300 fax (650) 964-0294

Display Advertising Sales (650) 964-6300

Classified Advertising Sales

E-mail Classified [email protected]

E-mail Circulation [email protected]

The Voice is published weekly by Embarcadero Publishing Co. and distributed free to residences and businesses in Mountain View. If you are not currently receiving the paper, you may request free delivery by calling 964-6300. Subscriptions for $60

Copyright ©2009 by Embarcadero Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Member, Mountain View Chamber of Commerce

Founding Editor, Kate Wakerly

S TA F F

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.MountainViewOnline.com, and occasionally on the Town Square forum.

TOWN SQUARE FORUM POST your views on the

Town Square forum at www.MountainViewOnline.com

E-MAIL your views to [email protected]. Indicate if it is a letter to be published.

MAIL to: Editor Mountain View Voice, P.O. Box 405 Mountain View, CA 94042-0405

CALL the Viewpoint desk at 964-6300

Last year more Voice readers than ever before shrugged off the sagging economy and dug deep into their pockets, donating more than $40,000 to support seven local nonprofits in the

Voice’s annual Holiday Fund drive. Along with grants from the Hewlett and Packard foundations, as well as the Wakerly Family Foundation, a total of more than $70,000 was raised, giving each nonprofit more than $10,000. This year, we hope to exceed the record of 178 donors to the fund, and also surpass last year’s total donation for each of the nonprofit agencies. With the economy still floundering, there continues to be hundreds, even thousands, of local residents who are having trouble providing the basic needs of food and shelter for their families, or who are suffering from a lack of other important social services. If you are able, please consider making a donation to the Voice Holiday Fund this year. Your contribution will help provide a safety net to those who are down on their luck. These are our neighbors who may have been laid off unexpectedly, or had a catastrophic illness, or suffer from addiction or mental health problems. They deserve our help. The Voice Holiday Fund, now in its seventh year, provides grants to organizations that can offer a temporary home, arrange health care or provide counseling to bring an end to the substance abuse that destroys families and victimizes young children. Last year through the Holiday Fund, the Voice and its foundation partners were able to raise a total of $75,125 for seven local agencies. More than half that contribution, $42,000, was donated by Voice readers. With matching grants of over $33,000, the Holiday Fund was able to provide $10,732 for each of the seven nonprofit agencies. Monies contributed to the Holiday Fund are held by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and will be distributed to the nonprofits in February or early March. No administrative costs or fees are deducted from Holiday Fund gifts, so 100 percent of all donations will be received by the nonprofit agencies.

Here are the organizations that will benefit from this year’s Holiday Fund:

Community Services Agency of Mountain View and Los Altos CSA assists homeless families and seniors with short-term housing, medical care and more. The nonprofit is a cooperative effort of 17 faith communities in Mountain View and Los Altos.

Community Health Awareness Council CHAC serves Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and seven school districts. It offers school-based programs to protect students from high-risk behaviors, such as drug and alcohol abuse.

Mountain View RotaCare Clinic The RotaCare Clinic provides uninsured community residents with medical care and medications and is frequently the last resort for this underserved demographic.

Day Worker Center of Mountain View The Day Worker Center provides a secure place for workers and employers to negotiate wages. It serves 50 or more workers per day with jobs, English lessons and guidance.

Support Network for Battered Women This group operates a 24-hour bilingual hotline and a safe shelter for women and their children. It also offers counseling and other services for families dealing with domestic violence.

Community School of Music and Arts CSMA provides hands-on arts and music projects in the elementary classrooms of the Mountain View Whisman School District. Nearly 40 percent of the students are low-income, and 28 percent have limited English proficiency.

Partners for New Generations Partners for New Generations matches adult volunteers with organizations serving youth in the Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills area.

We hope that this year, as in the past, Voice readers will show their generosity by giving to these worthy causes. To give to the Holiday Fund, simply cut out the coupon provided in the paper each week (this week’s coupon is on page 8) and send it in with your donation. Or donations can be made online by going to www.siliconvalleycf.org/giving-mvv.html.

Holiday Fund helps strapped local agencies

■ EDITORIAL

■ YOUR LETTERS

■ GUEST OPINIONS

E D I T O R I A LT H E O P I N I O N O F T H E V O I C E

G U E S T O P I N I O N

By Shani Kleinhaus & Bob Power

Once numbering in the hun-dreds around the Bay, the western burrowing owl in

Santa Clara County is now down to fewer than 40 nesting pairs. In the past 10 years, as many as 13 of those pairs nested at Mountain View’s Shoreline Park. In 2009, the last three remaining families raised owlets there. Rely-ing on ground squirrel burrows, along with thoughtfully placed man-made nesting chambers, the burrowing owls at Shoreline have delighted park users for the past several decades. But plans now being drawn up

by the city of Mountain View put this animal’s future in doubt. In 2008, city staff presented plans for an athletic field that would use Shoreline Park lands along Garcia Avenue. In July 2009, city staff released a request for proposals for the design of the athletic field, and on Sept. 22 the council approved a $667,300 contract for BAS and Associates to design the facility. The September staff report to the council does not discuss an environmental impact report or analysis of alternatives for this development. The report mentions conversations with “local experts

Save Shoreline’s burrowing owls

CITY MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN ATHLETIC FIELDS OR DISAPPEARING SPECIES

HolidayFund

2009

Continued on next page

and the California Department of Fish and Game to develop an owl mitigation plan,” and describes the option of purchasing off-site miti-gation credits in eastern Alameda County, enhancing foraging habitat within Shoreline, or some combi-nation of the two. The report con-cludes that the “Council does not have to make a decision about owl mitigation strategy for the athletic field project at this time.” City Council decisions for years have benefited burrowing owls; that’s why Shoreline still has a population while Palo Alto’s and Sunnyvale’s owls have disappeared. The current situation, however, is a classic case of good intentions, but less-than-complete information, guiding a series of decisions. It’s time to step back and do the right thing. Of the myriad questions this project and its process bring up, here are a few:

■ Why are the owls an after-thought? ■ Why are we considering the export of our local biological treasures to Alameda County? ■ What happened to the city’s commitment to sustainability and the preservation of biodiver-sity (see Mountain View General Plan, Mountain View 2009 Sus-tainability Report, Shoreline at Mountain View Web site)? ■ In the long run, which would be remembered and appreciated more by residents: another athletic field, or the creation of a burrow-ing owl preserve?

We believe that the City Council is truly interested in informing the public in an open public process

regarding these decisions, and is willing to save the burrowing owls of Shoreline. But somehow the City Council hasn’t been briefed on 1) the nearly extinct level of the local population; 2) The hor-rendously poor track record of off-site mitigation for burrowing owls (it doesn’t work); and 3) the need for a series of burrowing owl preserves along the Bay to ensure the existence of this species as part of our precious ecosystem. So, if the athletic field is a done deal, what do we do about those beautiful owls? Should they be an afterthought? (“Council does not have to make a decision ... at this time.) Or should they be the very first consideration? Burrowing owls are on the brink of extinction in Mountain View and in our county. Here’s an opportunity for the city to have a positive impact. Get beyond “what the law requires” or “what the consultants recommend” and do something memorable, for this generation and the next, that you can all be proud of. Create a bur-

rowing owl preserve at Shoreline. For more information, see www.scvas.org or contact [email protected]. V

Shani Kleinhaus and Bob Power are representatives of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society.


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mountain view voice 11.20.2009 - section 1

Documents

new hospital

camino hospital

new facility

hospital staff

hospital building

day of operations

diana russell

old facility