the almanac 04.27.2011 - section 1

T H E H O M E T O W N N E W S P A P E R F O R M E N L O P A R K , A T H E R T O N , P O R T O L A V A L L E Y A N D W O O D S I D E

Spring Real Estate in this issue

WWW.THEALMANACONLINE .COMA P R I L 2 7 , 2 0 1 1 | VOL . 46 NO. 35

Menlo Park woman, seriously injured in a truck accident, is featured in a new documentary film – Section 2

A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E A L M A N A C A N D P A L O A L T O W E E K L Y

2011

Riding the rebounding wavePAGE 6

Double trouble or easy entry?PAGE 18

Not so extreme makeoverPAGE 33

Smoothing a rough processPAGE 40

Howtragedy transformed a life

2 The Almanac April 27, 2011

a p r . c o m

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APR COUNTIES | Santa Clara | San Mateo | San Francisco | Marin | Sonoma | Alameda | Contra Costa | Monterey | Santa Cruz

April 27, 2011 The Almanac 3

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C A L L I N G O N T H E A L M A N AC

UPFRONT

A long but satisfying MondayPortola Valley’s Ruth Anne Bortz runs Boston Marathon at age 80

By Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

There are mileposts you pass that, while due mainly to genes and luck, you may be justi-fied in claiming some credit for, like turning

80 years old. Then there are mileposts for which the reverse is true and you can claim most of the credit: like turning 80 and completing the 26 miles and 385 yards of the prestigious Boston marathon. Ruth Anne Bortz of Portola Valley has both mileposts under her belt. She celebrated her 80th birthday in October and on Monday, April 18, completed the Boston race. With a projected time of seven hours and 41 minutes, she came in sec-ond out of two women in the 80-plus age group, first place having gone to a nun named Madonna Buder, also known as the Iron Nun. “She’s a great runner,” said Ms. Bortz, who herself took first place awards in Boston when she was 60 (with 10 women in her group) and 70 (with three women in the group). At the ages of 53 and 55, Ms. Bortz completed the annual Western States race, a 100-mile run through the Colorado wilderness, she said. To prepare for the 2011 Boston race, she ran 50 miles a week on Portola Valley roads and trails, including eight 20-mile days, she said. “I love this town,” she said. “I run a lot on Windy Hill and on the trails.” Running, at her age, is walking rapidly. She car-ries a transistor radio tuned to KGO and for the last hour of her practices, she sings to herself, she said. While Ms. Bortz’ has a medal for finishing Bos-ton this year, her official time is not known; her slow pace put her behind the workers in the rear of the pack who were collecting the electron-ic timing mats that lay across the roads. “We just can’t keep the roads open,” a spokes-man for the Boston Athletic Association said in a phone interview. “It’s very noble of her to take on the event but at some point, we have to open the roads to the public.” “I’m not the runner that I used to be,” Ms. Bortz told the Almanac, noting that she had surgery four years ago that left her with a partially metal knee. “I proved that you can have half a knee and still run a marathon,” she said. Her husband, Dr. Walter Bortz, has also run the Boston marathon but accompanied his wife this year as a support team. He rented a car and met her at six points along the course with M&Ms, peanuts and “a big smile,” she said. “I did it last year, so she had to chase me this year,” Mr. Bortz told the Almanac. The couples’ four children have all run mara-

thons, Ms. Bortz said, including their daughter Danna Breen, a resident and a member of the town’s Architecture & Site Control Commission.

Of their nine grandchil-dren, one has completed a marathon, Ms. Bortz said. “The other eight will run marathons because we are offering them quite a large reward,” she added. “I didn’t want them to wait until they’re 50.”

A late start Ms. Bortz started running at age 48 after com-ing home from a hard trek in Nepal, she said. She has raced in Dublin, Australia, Honolulu and Greece. She’s run eight times in Boston, the nation’s oldest marathon. Some marathoners run for the accomplish-ment of finishing the race. “I run to win,” Ms. Bortz said. “It’s kind of fun when you’re older.” Asked why she began running marathons, she replied that she wanted to stay out of a rocking chair. “I’ve always been an athlete,” she added. She said she ran the Bay-to-Breakers race in San Francisco once years ago, but that short races can be boring. The reward for her 20-mile practice runs: runner’s high. “When you’re supposed to be tired, I’m not tired,” she said. “I’m excited. I’m hyperac-tive. I want to do stuff.” A

Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac

Ruth Anne Bortz wears her Boston marathon medal at her Portola Valley home.

To prepare for the Boston race, she ran 50 miles a week on

Portola Valley roads and trails.


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Community activist tells of night of terror■ City refuses to release 911 call.By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

A Saturday drive for Chi-nese takeout turned into a terrifying night in Menlo

Park, said Vicki Smothers. Ms. Smothers, who co-found-ed a treatment program for addicts and was inducted in 2003 into the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame for com-munity service, described the ordeal. While driving along Ring-wood Avenue around 8 p.m. on April 9, a dark SUV, possibly a Ford Expedition, started tailgat-ing her car, she said. The vehicles stopped alongside each other at a light on Ravenswood Avenue and Laurel Avenue. The other driver shouted racial epithets at

Ms. Smothers, who is African American. The tirade continued, she said, even after the light changed. “I was thinking, oh, let his light change, I’m going straight, he’s turning. But he pulled out of the turn lane to cut my car off,” Ms. Smothers said. He mixed obscenities with threats to kill her. When she again tried to drive away, the SUV blocked her car a second time — sideways, keeping the license plate out of sight. A Caucasian man got out brandishing a stick or club as he walked toward Ms. Smothers. “I said, ‘aw, shut up’ when he said, ‘I’m going to lynch you, you black ****, and that really set him off,” she said. Ms. Smothers found her cellphone dead when she tried to call 911. A woman riding in the SUV

kept her gaze fixed straightfor-ward as cars drove around the shouting man. Ms. Smothers drove in reverse down the street until finally, her assailant got back in his car, made a U-turn, and turned right on Laurel Avenue. She drove to Su Hong restau-rant on El Camino Real. By that time her cellphone had picked up enough of a charge to call 911. But when Sgt. Bob Simpson of the Menlo Park Police Depart-ment arrived at the restaurant, the night took another turn for the worse. “Before I was able to say five words, he said, ‘So you came here first to order your dinner? I just find it kind of funny that you would come in here and order dinner if it was such a high impact incident,”” she said.

She asked for an apology for being treated like she had done something wrong. When none was forthcoming, Ms. Smothers went to the police department to speak to the watch commander. That night it was Sgt. Simpson, so she returned the next day to talk to Sgt. Matthew Ortega instead. Sgt. Simpson did not respond to requests for comment from the Almanac. Ms. Smothers, 60, co-founded East Palo Alto’s Free At Last, a treatment program for addicts. People working within the recovery community tend to be familiar with police procedures, so when Ms. Smothers wonders whether the man who harassed her was in law enforcement, it sounds like a credible question. “His mannerisms. The way he stopped me, the way he was

blocking me. The way he got out of the car holding the object,” created that impression, she said. “He had on a dark blue shirt, with something yellow, like an emblem. The way he cursed at me, the way he got out of the car, it was like he could get away with this. Most people wouldn’t do that in the middle of a busy street.” He stood about 6 feet tall, and was muscular, clean shaven, and had close-cropped brownish hair, according to her recollec-tion.

911 call The Almanac ran into a stonewall after requesting a copy of the 911 call. Calls are not automatically exempt from disclosure under the California

Spring Down meadow to remain open spaceBy Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

There are changes ahead for the six-acre grass meadow and pond that sits along the

southern side of the Portola Valley Town Center, but the changes will be modest. On April 13, the Town Council reached a consensus — Mayor Ted Driscoll was absent — to accept recommendations of the

21-person Ad-Hoc Spring Down Master Plan Committee, a group of residents and town officials who met four times in 2010 to discuss the future of the meadow, which was already designated as open space. The discussion was not without argument. There were propos-als for a skate park or space for a pick-up baseball game, but that remained a minority view,

according to a staff report. “It very much emerged that a consensus wanted to keep it in an open state (though the minor-ity’s views) were definitely con-sidered,” committee liaison and Councilwoman Ann Wengert said in response to questions from Councilman Steve Toben. For Phase 1, the report rec-

Menlo Park contemplates high-speed rail along the Caltrain corridorBy Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

The sound of approaching high-speed rail just got louder in Menlo Park,

after three Bay Area legislators announced their support for running the trains along the Caltrain corridor. After Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Menlo Park, Sen. Joe Simi-tian, D-Palo Alto, and Assem-blyman Rich Gordon, D-Menlo Park, issued a joint statement on April 18, the project’s advocates and detractors mulled over what it all meant. Mr. Gordon said that this vision of high-speed rail wouldn’t be much different from Caltrain’s baby bullet trains. “You do need to electrify the line; electrification is the future of Caltrain anyway,” he noted, explaining that this would require overhead wires. “If you have an electrified third rail, you have to completely separate the tracks — you can’t have cars going over the tracks, can’t have people going over the tracks. So you’d have to install the overhead wires.” He also thought that adding a third track at a few locations,

to allow the trains to pass their slower counterparts, would help. Mr. Gordon disagreed that all crossings would need grade separations, an expensive prop-osition. “Obviously for safety, the more the better, but in many ways, those are community by community decisions. San Bruno, just recently embarked on a project to do a major grade separation. The city really want-ed that to happen, it was part of their long-range plan. But there are other communities where people would not want that to happen.” Electrification would also lead to quieter trains, although fed-eral law still requires sounding a horn at any at-grade crossings, he said.

Balderdash? Transportation commissioner and anti-high-speed-rail advo-cate Martin Engel called the April 18 announcement “bal-derdash.” He said that Caltrain electrification is code for high-speed rail, even though there’s no funding yet to build the proj-

See RAIL, page 8See SPRING, page 8

See SMOTHERS, page 8

By Renee BattiAlmanac News Editor

William B. Conners wasted no time before climbing into his new

saddle — a seat on the Atherton City Council dais — after the council unanimously confirmed his appointment as the new town attorney. In a closed-session meeting just before the regular April 20 council meeting, the coun-

cil approved a contract with Mr. Conners, a Pebble Beach resident and former Monterey city attorney, to provide legal services. Mr. Conners then took his seat between Councilwoman Kathy McKeithen and Interim City Manager John Danielson for the regular meeting. Among the public attendees in the audience that night, seated in the front row, was the new assistant town attorney, Jennifer Conners Larson — Mr. Con-

ners’ daughter, who is an attor-ney specializing in litigation. Under terms of the town’s contract with Mr. Conners, the new attorney will be paid a fixed monthly retainer of $9,800, which will cover fees for his standard services and for “other members of his legal team” in delivering agreed-upon services. Those include attendance at City Council and Planning Commis-sion meetings, and meetings of “other bodies as requested”; weekly office hours in Town Hall; preparation of ordinanc-es, resolutions and other legal documents; and preparation of legal opinions requested by the town. The contract notes that the new attorney “expects that vir-tually all costs he expects to incur in providing legal services to the town will be included in his retainer.” But if additional services outside of those agreed to in the retainer are required, he will be paid $175 an hour to provide them. Mr. Conners’ first perfor-mance evaluation will take place six months after his hiring, under terms of the contract, and every year thereafter. Monterey’s assistant city attor-ney for 10 years before holding the top attorney’s post for that city for about 15 years, Mr. Conners was one of three top candidates recommended for the post by a town citizen advi-sory committee and an ad-hoc committee made up of council members Elizabeth Lewis and Jerry Carlson. The other two finalists were larger law firms. Mr. Conners has been the sole practitioner in his firm, William B. Conners Municipal Law Con-sultant, for the last six years. In an earlier interview with the Almanac, he said he was able to offer his services to Atherton for a lower cost than competing applicants could. “I can do the job expertly, but not as expensively as a large firm,” he said. “I don’t have to pay junior attorneys. ... It’s much more efficient doing the work myself — it eliminates a whole lot of middle men.” Mr. Conners replaces Wynne Furth of the Burke Williams and Sorensen law firm, which also applied for the position. When Ms. Furth was hired by the town in February 2009, she worked for McDonough Holland & Allen, with offices in Sacra-mento and Oakland. When that firm announced last year that it was closing, the council decided to use the opportunity to bid for legal services, employing Ms. Furth on a month-by-month contract since last summer. A

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Conners takes over as Atherton attorney

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By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

When City Manager Glen Rojas announced his intention to retire in

July, Menlo Park faced a dilemma. Voters passed Measure L, a pension reform initiative, in November, but the changes won’t take effect for at least another six months, until the contract with a union represent-ing city employees expires in October. If the city hires a new manager from outside Menlo Park before the measure takes effect, that hire would fall under the current pension policy with higher benefits. The council will consider its options during its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 26. Mr. Rojas offered to stay on for another six months under a contract that would pay the same $18,369 monthly salary he makes now, but saves the city an estimated $4,700 per month in benefit costs, according to the staff report. He would also earn no vacation or sick leave hours. Personnel director Glen Kramer confirmed that Mr.

Rojas would receive both his pension and a monthly salary — as does Mr. Kramer, who retired Dec. 29 before returning as a contractor on Jan. 3 and who makes $68.40 per hour on top of his $10,877 monthly pension. Retired employees are limited by CalPERS to working 960 hours per year as contractors. Other options include select-ing a manager from within the city ranks, which would save the most money, based on the staff report, or recruiting from outside Menlo Park. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in council chambers at the Civic Center, 701 Laurel St. in Menlo Park

Go fly a kite Bedwell Bayfront Park hosts its annual Kite Day this Sunday, May 1. Bring a kite or buy one at the park, where volunteers will be on hand to help assemble the kits. The kites take to the sky from 12 to 3 p.m. The park sits at the intersection of Bayfront

Expressway and Marsh Road, east of U.S. 101.

Elder financial abuse case goes to trial A Menlo Park woman charged with using an 81-year-old rela-tive’s credit card to rack up $13,000 in bills, which she then allegedly intercepted to cover up the theft, went to trial on Mon-day, April 25. Mary Patricia Stuart, 52, is out of custody on $15,000 bond, according to the San Mateo County district attorney’s office. Prosecutors expect the trial to last five days. While out on bail, Ms. Stuart was arrested along with her brother Eric in Palo Alto on Aug. 29 for allegedly assaulting and robbing an employee at Hotel California. The brother and sis-ter were known to the 45-year-old worker, and had an ongoing dispute regarding financial mat-ters, according to Palo Alto police. The Stuarts reportedly forced their way past a door secured with a safety chain, then swiped a cell phone and keys. A

By Miranda SimonSpecial to the Almanac

Betsy Halaby, program director of Art in Action and an Atherton resident,

was named 2011 San Mateo County Arts Educator of the Year for Arts Education Development, said Art in Action spokesperson Torben Gronning. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors issued a resolu-tion March 1 commending Ms. Halaby for her contribution to arts education in the county’s schools. Ms. Halaby joined Art in Action in 1987, five years after it was founded. AIA is a Menlo Park-based nonprofit that pro-motes visual arts education in schools, provides art curricu-lums, and trains local school teachers.

According to Mr. Gronning, Ms. Halaby has trained more than 10,000 teachers and par-ent volunteers in K-8 education. In turn, she has helped provide more than 23,000 local students with an art program each year, Mr. Gronning said. Ms. Halaby also supervises the annual Art in Action Summer Art Show in San Mateo County public libraries and helps county schools with their annual spring art shows. “Many teachers and parent volunteers ascribe their teaching success to Betsy’s outstanding, knowledgeable, and friendly teaching of art history, art con-cepts, and art projects,” said Judy Sleeth, executive director of Art in Action.

$100,000 grant for Meals on Wheels Peninsula Volunteers Inc. has received an annual $100,000 grant from the Sequoia Health-care District to help with the delivery of Meals on Wheels to homebound older adults. Meals on Wheels delivers a hot meal a day five days a week, providing a nutritious, well-balanced meal, as well as face-to-face contact with a delivery person. A total of $1.5 million in grants has been awarded this year to 27 non-healthcare agen-cies by the Sequoia Healthcare District as part of its Caring Community Grant program, said hospital spokesperson Bart Charlow.

Project Read Project Read-Menlo Park announces spring training dates for adults who wish to volunteer as tutors. Session 1 takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10; session 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 14; and session 3, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 14. Volunteers must attend all three sessions. No experience is necessary to volunteer, f lexible hours may be arranged, and Project Read pro-vides all necessary materials. Visit projectreadmenlopark.org for more information. A


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For answers to any questions you may have on real estate, you may e-mail me at [email protected] or call 462-1111, Alain Pinel Realtors. I also offer a free market analysis of your property. www.MonicaCorman.com

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City’s dilemma: how to replace Rojas

Halaby named arts educator of the year

Trucker in bike fatality seeks indemnity

BRIEFS

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Truck driver Gabriel Vera and his employer are seeking indem-nity from San Mateo County in connection with a lawsuit brought against Mr. Vera by rela-tives of Los Altos Hills bicyclist Lauren Ward. Ms. Ward died in a Nov. 4, 2010, collision with Mr. Vera’s tractor trailer at the intersection of Alpine Road and Interstate 280. The county’s risk management

division is recommending that the Board of Supervisors deny the claims at its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 26. Mr. Vera and his employer, Castroville demolition contrac-tor Randazzo Enterprises Inc., allege that the intersection is dangerous and caused the death of Ms. Ward. The California Highway Patrol determined that Mr. Vera was not at fault.


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Public Records Act, and cities such as Mountain View and Palo Alto release calls on a case-by-case basis, as does San Mateo County, but Menlo Park flatly refused. We have a policy of not releas-ing 911 calls, City Attorney Bill McClure said on behalf of the police department. The city then refused to allow Ms. Smothers to listen to her own call, with Mr. McClure calling it inappropriate “in light of the City’s position regarding non-disclosure of the record-ing.” They also refused to identify

the dispatcher who handled the call. The Almanac discovered that in 2002, the city did release a call despite its policy — as a cour-tesy, according to the couple involved. The couple, who asked that their names be withheld for fear of repercussions, had an unfortunate encounter with police after a dispatcher mis-takenly labeled their call as a domestic violence situation. The woman said attorney Dan Siegel played the tape and gave them a recording, which they later handed to Mark Martel, a law-yer representing David McBay in a lawsuit for police brutality. Jim Ewert, an attorney for the California Newspapers Pub-lishers Association, said Ms.

Smothers is legally entitled to the recording, just as state law requires disclosure of witness statements and case reports to all parties in a case unless doing so harms another victim, a wit-ness, or the investigation. Mr. McClure cited none of those exceptions in denying the request. “This creates even more frus-tration because it highlights the fact that they can pick and choose whether to release the tape and to whom,” Mr. Ewert said. “They are misusing the exemption which was designed to protect the integrity of the investigation, subsequent inves-tigations, and witnesses to secrete information. It is just nefarious.” A

SMOTHERS continued from page 5

ommended a perimeter trail, a “rustic” perimeter fence and some changes to vegetation at a cost of about $30,000, Public Works Director Howard Young told the council. The trail-building will begin before July 1, he said. A bench or two is not out of the question. The 2010-11 budget allocat-ed $75,000 for the project, Mr. Young said. With Phase 2 expected to cost $79,000, addi-tional money could be set aside in the coming budget year, he said. Phase 2 involves hiring a biol-ogist to look for endangered spe-cies. If none are found, the town would then hire a hydrologist to change the eight-foot-deep, manmade, oxygen-starved, debris-strewn and possibly dan-gerous pond into something

natural, seasonal, shallower and perhaps welcoming to amphib-ians and insects. “The pond could be the crown jewel,” said committee member Gary Nielsen. As is true now, the water would be deoxygenated, hav-ing nowhere to go, but animals could use it, it wouldn’t be more than a couple of feet deep and it would dry out in the summer, Mr. Young said in an interview. “We don’t believe we’re going to find endangered species there,” he added. “We’re pretty sure of that.” Such a finding would complicate matters and add about $20,000 to the cost, Mr. Young said. The town would have to engage the federal Department of Fish and Wild-life and the Army Corps of Engineers, and the council would have to weigh the extra time and expense of getting per-mits. A

SPRING continued from page 5

ect along the Caltrain corridor. “To a significant degree, that’s what they are doing in the Cen-tral Valley with available fund-ing; marking their territory. What they intend to build won’t be high-speed rail usable. They excuse that by saying that it’s merely the first step,” Mr. Engel said. “What is planned currently for the Central Valley is the construction of a rail cor-ridor, presumably two tracks, although even that’s not entirely clear,” Mr. Engel continued. “What they won’t build is the entire high-speed rail capacity, which includes electrification, signaling, and positive train control. What does this mean? They prefer to use all the avail-able dollars on laying as much track as possible. Never mind if it’s not high-speed-rail usable. That, they say, will come later.” The trio of legislators sent out a second statement later in the week to address the misconcep-tion that they were suggesting high-speed rail should stop in San Jose, then force riders to transfer to Caltrain. “There would be no transfers. The idea is to upgrade the Caltrain cor-ridor so that high-speed trains can run on the same tracks,” the statement said. “High-speed trains would run northbound and southbound all the way between San Francisco and Los Angeles, as required by Prop 1A.” But at least one transporta-tion commissioner thinks that should be a fallback position. Ray Mueller, who compared a high-speed rail train to a “hori-

zontal rocket,” said he’s also concerned about the feasibility of running the trains through residential areas, and the volume of trains necessary in an inte-grated system. “History tells us accidents will happen in any transportation system. We need to remain cognizant of that fact in planning,” he said. “I am not saying it can’t be done, but we should remain cautious about not trying to force square pegs through round holes.” Mr. Mueller, along with Men-lo Park Mayor Rich Cline, expressed happiness that the legislators took a stand against elevated tracks on the Penin-sula.

Friends in high places Since the legislators firmly rejected any high-speed rail design that included elevated tracks along the Peninsula, how much will that count with the California High Speed Rail Authority? According to Mr. Gordon, although they can’t tell the authority what to do, of the three legislators that made the announcement, Ms. Eshoo is well placed in Congress, while Mr. Simitian and himself chair the budget committees that oversee the budget of high-speed rail. “That probably gives us some capacity to be listened to,” he said. “I certainly hope that the authority is listening to the pub-lic and to the elected officials. Continuing to think about and pursue elevated rails in com-munities that don’t want them really is a fool’s errand.” Rail authority CEO Roelof van Ark was unavailable for com-ment, as was Caltrain’s CEO, Michael Scanlon. A

RAIL continued from page 5

Woodside’s May Day Parade

grand marshals Kara Ireland D’Ambrosio,

left, and Beth Dameron, stand

behind members of the royal court

in their off-duty garb. From left, they are Queen

Morgan Helfand, Prince Justin

Pretre, Princess Nina Pasquesi,

King Hunter Foster, Princess Catherine

Pittman, and Prince Ryan Goldberg.Photo by Michelle Le/

The Almanac

The 89th May Day parade through downtown Wood-side is set for Saturday, May 7, following a fun run and a pancake breakfast at the Woodside Village Church. After the parade, there will be a Maypole dance and an announcement of the town’s Citizen of the Year award. Activities begin at 7:30 a.m. with the fun run, which starts at the public library and ends a little more than two circuitous miles later at the Woodside Village Church, where the Rotary Club of Woodside-Portola Valley will hold its breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Woodside Road and Albion Avenue, just west of Wood-side Elementary School, 3195 Woodside Road. The traditional route is both straight and straightforward: a procession that starts at

the elementary school and proceeds east for a quarter of a mile to the corner of Woodside and Canada roads, at which point everyone turns around and conducts another quarter-mile parade back to the school. The members of the kinder-garten Royal Court this year are Hunter Foster as king, Morgan Helfand as queen, Ryan Goldberg and Justin Pretre as princes, and Nina Pasquesi and Catherine Pitt-man as princesses. After the parade, everyone is encouraged to adjourn to the outdoor amphitheater behind the school for the third-grad-ers Maypole dance, which will be followed by the ceremony announcing the citizen of the year. A barbecue, carnival games, and crafts will be ongoing at the school through the

early afternoon. Tickets are available at the event or in advance through the elemen-tary school.

Woodside High

The Woodside High School Alumni Association is taking part in the Woodside May Day parade on May 7. Alums inter-ested in walking in the 10 a.m. parade, should meet at 9 a.m. in the Woodside Elementary School parking lot. Look for the orange alumni banner. After the parade, alums are invited to meet near the Woodside Elementary School’s new gym for a social gathering and picnic. Food and drinks may be purchased at the festi-val. Email [email protected] or call 365-9419 to get more information from Becky Preimesberger.

Woodside May Day Parade set for May 7


N E W S

Caltrain to keep all trains running, for now

Photo by Pete Zivkov, Menlo School

Celebrating diversityMenlo School students Jessica, left, and Monica Juan display their Ojo de Dios (God’s Eye) craft at the Spanish-Speaking Countries booth at the school’s first International Fair. The ornaments are made by wrapping colored yarn around sticks to look like an eye. Held on March 12, the fair included performances, booths and food. It was held to celebrate and learn about different cultures and nationalities represented by students. According to an online survey, the student body consists of more than 70 nationalities, and some 47 languages are spoken.

By Gennady SheynerEmbarcadero Media

Caltrain will keep all of its 86 weekday trains run-ning in the next fiscal year,

though riders will have to shell out a little extra for tickets and parking, the agency’s board of directors decided April 21. The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which oversees the cash-strapped transit agency, voted 5-3 to adopt a budget plan that depends largely on one-time revenues to balance the books in fiscal year 2012. The approved plan also assumes the agency will close its projected $3.5 million budget deficit through a contri-bution from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), a regional planning agency. Though the final details of the deal are still being negotiated, the money would likely be trans-ferred from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s allocation for Caltrain’s capital budget to its annual operat-ing budget, Caltrain staff said. Caltrain CEO Michael Scan-lon called the deal a “one-year patch” and said the money could come from a vehicle-replacement budget, which is already under-funded. “It’s a complicated deal,” Mr. Scanlon told the board. “It’s close to done. There’s been good, posi-tive spirit that has characterized the talks between the partners

and the MTC.” Under the plan, train fare would go up by 25 cents, while the daily parking costs would rise from $3 to $4 starting July 1. The cost of the monthly parking pass would go up from $30 to $40. Members of the public and the board majority hailed the plan as a victory, however temporary, in the agency’s ongoing budget crisis. Caltrain staff had previ-ously proposed reducing service to 76, or possibly even 48, trains, suspending weekend service at some stations (including Cali-fornia Avenue in Palo Alto) and

closing other stations altogether. These proposals drew heated opposition from the public, with riders, business owners and city officials packing into recent pub-lic hearings to urge the agency to keep its service levels intact. The board agreed to adopt the staff proposal to keep all 86 trains running and to keep sta-tions open and weekend service intact. But members also warned that most of the fixes in the pro-posal are only good for the next fiscal year and that the agency still faces the monumental task of getting permanent, dedicated funding. This is the third year that the Caltrain board has declared a fiscal emergency. “The reality is that we have to be in this together during these

two years to come up with a solution because we could be back here with something far more serious than what we’re talking about now,” said Director Adrienne Tissier, who made the motion to accept the new budget plan. Director Liz Kniss said she was “amazed” that the agency was able to come up with a plan this quickly and called the pro-posal “very satisfying.” Director Ken Yeager agreed, though he acknowledged that the long-term problem is far from solved. “I think we all sensed the mes-sage that this is a service that we’d like to maintain as much as we could,” Mr. Yeager said. “Even though we got the little train up the hill this time, there’s a lot of clouds.” Board Vice Chair Omar Ahmad, who along with Chair Sean Elsbernd and Director Jose Cisneros opposed the resolution, called the proposal a “one-time spending plan” that is “not a solution” to the agency’s finan-cial struggles. He proposed an amendment that, barring a new funding source, would have established a 48-weekday-train model as the “sustainable” ser-vice model for the agency. His amendment failed, with only Mr. Elsbernd and Mr. Cisneros supporting it. “I absolutely guarantee with the budget we’re about to adopt, we’ll be here in January or Febru-ary declaring a fiscal emergency,” Mr. Elsbernd said. “The under-belly of this system is complete-ly corroded.” A

Caltrain warns of deep budget troubles ahead.

Paul Thomson directsYale film festival Paul Thomson of Woodside was program director of Yale Univer-sity’s third annual Environmental Film Festival, which took place from March 28 to April 3, the uni-versity announced. Mr. Thomson is pursuing a mas-ter’s degree in environmental sci-ence at Yale’s School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. His inter-ests lie in large carnivore conserva-tion and working to popularize conservation through media. Mr. Thomson is also a director of Ewaso Lions (EwasoLions.org), a lion research and conservation project in northern Kenya, where he has been working for the last few years. He said he regularly returns to Woodside to visit his family and eat sandwiches at Roberts Market. “We had a record number of submissions and our lineup is the best we’ve ever had,” Mr. Thom-son said of the film festival. “The films cover crucial topics from waste to light pollution to envi-ronmental terrorism. And it’s not all doom and gloom — we have some fun films, too.”

David Ramadanoffpresents

Tickets:

Gen Admission $20

Seniors (60+) $16

Youth $5

This ad sponsored

by Ginny Kavanaugh

and Joe Kavanaugh

of Coldwell Banker,

Portola Valley. Visit

them at

www.kavanaugh.com

Beethoven Egmont Overture

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5, Hans Boepple, piano

Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major

Saturday, April 30 at 8:00 pm Valley Presbyterian Church 945 Portola Rd., Portola Valley (Reception follows)

Sunday, May 1 at 2:30 pm Los Altos United Methodist Church 655 Magdalena at Foothill Expressway, Los Altos(Reception at intermission)

Master Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra’s

Spring ConcertWith

Hans Boepple


G U I D E T O 2 0 1 1 S U M M E R C A M P S F O R K I D S

Athletics

Athletic Fitness – “Train with the Best” Menlo ParkRiekes Summer Camps — A world of opportunity and fun-fi lled learning. Ages 9-18. Strength & condition-ing, speed & agility, sport specifi c training, skills development, professional coaches, pre & post evals, lead-ing edge methods, latest equipment. Sessions run from June through August.www.riekes.org 650-364-2509

Bay Area Equestrian Center WoodsideAt Wunderlich County Park Stables. Kids 8-15 have outdoor fun joining BAEC for horse camps. Camps focus on caring for and riding horses so come ready to ride and have fun learning good horse care.www.bayareaequestrian.net 650-446-1414

California Riding Academy’s Camp Jumps For Joy! Menlo ParkJoin us this summer for fantastic and fun fi lled week with our beautiful horses and ponies! Each day Camp-ers have riding instruction, learn horse care, create fun crafts and play with our kids’ jump course. During the week we learn beginning vaulting, visit our Full Surgical Vet Clinic, and meet our miniature horses. Voted the best horse camp by discerning young campers. Choose English, Western or Cowboy/Cowgirl. Register and pay online at: www.californiaridingacademy.com 650-740-2261

Camp Jones Gulch La HondaJoin the fun this summer! Camp Jones Gulch off ers friendship and growth to kids ages 6-16. Enjoy our Tra-ditional Camp or Mini, Horse, Surfi ng, Leadership and Travel Camps. One- and two-week sessions. Limited fi nancial assistance available.www.campjonesgulch.org 415-848-1200

Champion Tennis Camps AthertonCTC programs provide an enjoyable way for your child to begin learning the game of tennis or to continue developing existing skills. Our approach is to create lots of fun with positive feedback and reinforcement in a nurturing tennis environment. Building self-esteem and confi dence through enjoyment on the ten-nis court is a wonderful gift a child can keep forever! Super Juniors Program, ages 4 - 6. Juniors Program, ages 7 - 14.www.alanmargot-tennis.net 650-400-0464

Creighton School of Wrestling Summer Camp Palo Alto Learn to wrestle and train with champions including our national champion guest clinicians. We off er ses-sions appropriate for athletes of all skill levels from beginner to Elite (Ages 6 to 18). Camp runs for 3 sessions from June 20 to July 9. *** NEW Option for youths — “All-Day Camp” — Includes morning wrestling and afternoon activities ** www.CreightonSchoolofWrestling.com 650-219-6383

Don Shaw’s Volleyball Training Academy SunnyvaleJoin former Stanford University Men’s and Women’s head coach, Hall of Famer and 4-time NCAA Champion Don Shaw this summer at our camp for HS GIRL’s July 13th, 14th & 15th and for HS BOY’s July 18th, 19th & 20th. This camp gives players, who have the desire, the chance to improve their skills and learn proven techniques that will help them become more consistent and enhance their chances to play at a higher level.www.mvvclub.com 408-329-0488

Earl Hansen Football Camp Palo AltoLearn the fundamentals of football with Earl Hansen, Palo Alto High School and State Champion coach. This is a non-contact camp where kids develop fundamental skills with proven drills and techniques. Full practices in the mornings with 7 on 7 games in the afternoon. July 11 to 15 @ Palo Alto High School. Ages 10 to14. Lunch provided daily. www.earlhansenfootballcamp.com 650-269-7793

Jefunira Camp Palo AltoCelebrating our 20th year of Jefunira Camp summer fun in 2011! Come join us for some good old fashion summer fun! Our combination of an exceptional college aged staff and innovative, inclusive programming will create a memorable summer experience for your child. Programming for children ages 4-13. Pre and post camp care off ered. www.jefuniracamp.com 650-291-2888

Kim Grant Tennis Academy Summer Camps Palo Alto/Menlo Park/ Redwood CityFun 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, fi tness, 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

Matt Lottich Life Skills Basketball Camp Woodside/ Redwood CityMLLS off ers high-level, high-energy basketball instruction for ages 6-16. This summer we celebrate the 8th year!! With two to three “leagues” in each session, young beginners to advanced elite players get to learn fundamental skills, advanced footwork and valuable life lessons from an unparalleled staff of Pro and Col-legiate level players. Camps at Woodside Elementary and Sequoia High School. Early bird, multi-session, and group discounts available.www.mllscamp.com 1-888-537-3223

Nike Tennis Camps at Stanford University StanfordCome join the fun this summer and get better! Dick Gould’s 42nd Annual Stanford Tennis School off ers day camps for both junior and adults, June 11-16. Weekly junior overnight and extended day camps off ered June 19-Aug 12 for boys & girls ages 9-18 and run by Head Men’s Coach John Whitlinger and Head Women’s Coach Lele Forood. There is a camp option for everyone! www.USSportsCamps.com/tennis 1-800-NIKE CAMP (645-3226)

Spring Down Camp Equestrian Center Portola ValleySpring Down camp teaches basic to advanced horsemanship skills. All ages 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

Stanford Water Polo Camps StanfordAges 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 off er fundamental skill work, position work, scrimmages and games.https://stanfordwaterpolocamps.com 650-725-9016

Summer at Saint Francis Mountain ViewSports & Activity Camp (ages 6-12): This all sports camp provides group instruction in a variety of fi eld, 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. www.sfhs.com/summer 650-968-1213 ext. 446

Summer at Saint Francis Mountain ViewAdvanced Sports Camps (5th-9th grades): We off er a wide selection of advanced sports camps designed to provide players with the opportunity to improve both their skill and knowledge of a specifi c sport. Each camp is run by a Head Varsity Coach at Saint Francis, and is staff ed by members of the coaching staff .www.sfhs.com/summer 650-968-1213 ext. 446

Team Esface Elite Basketball Skills Clinics Woodside/ Redwood CitySpring Training (April-May). High-energy, high-level basketball training for ages 6-16. Use your off season as a time to develop your basketball skills and IQ with the unparalleled coaching staff of Team Esface. Learn the fundamentals of the game, off ensive attack moves and advanced footwork through dynamic drills and competitions led by young, positive coaches including former Division 1 athletes. April and May. Two days per week. Sibling and group discounts available. More information and

sign up at: www.teamesface.com 1-888-537-3223

YMCA of Silicon Valley PeninsulaSay 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 fi eldtrips, swimming and out-door adventures. Accredited by the American Camp Association. Financial assistance available.www.ymcasv.org/summercamp 408-351-6400

Academics

Delphi Academy Santa ClaraHave your best summer ever at Delphi Academy’s summer camp! Ages 5-13. Full Day Camp. Morning aca-demics with experienced teachers, afternoon activities, day trips, camping trips, swimming, sports, crafts, activities, and a lot of fun!www.bestsummerever.org 408-260-2300

Harker Summer Programs San JoseK-12 off erings 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. Swim, Tennis and Soccer also off ered. www.summer.harker.org 408-553-0537

iD Tech Camps - Summer Tech Fun! StanfordAges 7-17 create video games, iPhone apps, C++/Java programs, websites and more. Weeklong, day and overnight programs held at Stanford, UC Berkeley, Santa Clara, UCLA and others. Also special Teen pro-grams held at Stanford in gaming, programming and visual arts. Free year-round learning! Save with code CAU22L.www.internalDrive.com 1-888-709-TECH (8324)

iD Teen Academies StanfordTeens spend two weeks immersed in the dynamic world of video game creation at iD Gaming Academy, computer science/application development at iD Programming Academy or photography/fi lmmaking at iD Visual Arts Academy. Overnight programs held at Stanford, Harvard, MIT and others. Week-long pro-grams for ages 7-17 also available. Free year-round learning! Save w/code CAU22T.www.iDTeenAcademies.com 1-888-709-TECH (8324)

ISTP Language Immersion Palo AltoInternational School of the Peninsula camps off ered in French, Chinese, Spanish or ESL for students in Nursery through Middle School. Three 2-week sessions, each with diff erent theme. Students are grouped according to both grade level and language profi ciency.www.istp.org 650-251-8519

Mid-Peninsula High School Summer Program Menlo ParkMid-Peninsula High School off ers a series of classes and electives designed to keep students engaged in learn-ing. Classes Monday-Thursday and limited to 15 students. Every Thursday there’s a BBQ lunch. The Science and Art classes will have weekly fi eld trips.www.mid-pen.com 650-321-1991 ext. 110

Summer at Saint Francis Mountain ViewSummer 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 ext. 446

SuperCamp Stanford/San Jose/BerkeleySuperCamp is the summer enrichment program that parents and kids love! Now in our 30th year and with over 56,000 graduates worldwide, we’ll give your son or daughter the skills, added confi dence, motiva-tion and character direction to fl ourish. Junior Forum, incoming 6th-8th graders; Senior Forum, incoming 9th-12th graders. Located at Stanford, San Jose State, UC Berkeley and 6 other prestigious schools nation-wide.

www.supercamp.com 800-285-3276

Synapse School & Wizbots Menlo ParkCutting-edge, imaginative, accelerated, integrated, and hands-on academic summer enrichment courses with independent in-depth and project-based morning and afternoon weeklong programs for children ages 4-12: Young Explorers, Thinking Math, Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions, Nature Connections, Girls’ & Soccer Robotics, and more! www.summerinnovation.com 650-866-5824

TechKnowHow Computer & LEGO Camps Palo Alto/Menlo Park/SunnyvaleFun and enriching technology classes for students, ages 5-14! Courses include LEGO and K’NEX Projects with Motors, 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 650-474-0400

Woodland School Summer Adventures Portola ValleyFor kindergarten through 8th grade. Off ers academics, sports, fi eld trips and onsite activities. June 27 - July 29www.woodland-school.org 650-854-9065

Write Now! Summer Writing Camps Palo Alto/PleasantonEmerson School of Palo Alto and Hacienda School of Pleasanton open their doors and off er their innova-tive programs: Expository Writing, Creative Writing, Presentation Techniques, and (new!) Media Produc-tion. Call or visit our website for details.www.headsup.org 650-424-1267, 925-485-5750

Please call us at 650.326.8210

for other camp advertising opportunities

For more info see our online camp directory at PaloAltoOnline.com/biz/summercampsCamp Connection

(continued on next page)


N E W S

Woodsideprincipalto resignBy Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

Diana Abbati, principal and superintendent of the Woodside Elementary

School District since mid-2008, has announced plans to take over as superintendent of the Los Gatos Union School District. Ms. Abbati informed the Wood-side school board at a special meeting at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 20, board president Bettina Pike told the Almanac. Her resig-nation is effective June 30. “No career experience before or after will ever compare for the depth of personal and profes-sional regard I have felt in my role as superintendent/principal,” Ms. Abbati said in an April 20 letter to parents. “As I transition, I leave much of my heart with you.” With 2,800 students, one mid-dle school and four elementary schools, the Los Gatos district is considerably larger than Wood-side’s one-school district with 500 students. “Every district has its chal-lenges,” Ms. Pike said. “If anyone was qualified and determined to meet them (at Woodside), Ms. Abbati was.” The resignation was a sur-prise, Ms. Pike said. “I’ll be very sad to see her go,” she added. “She loved our children. She was (usually found) out on the

G U I D E TO 2011 S U M M E R C A M P S F O R K I D S

Arts, Culture, Nature and Other Camps

Bay Area School of Performing Arts- Summer Day Camps 2011 Palo AltoTwo fun and comprehensive programs off ered in 1, 2 or 3 weeks for ages 4 and up touching every aspect of Music,Theater and Dance: Improvisation, Musical Theatre, Play Production and Stage Performance. July 5-July 22 and July 25-August 12 (Full day and Half Day) 9-3pm M-F, Performance each week! 824 San Antonio Rd., Palo Alto www.baperformingarts.com 650-561-4146

Camp Jano India Mountain View/Santa ClaraCelebrate Indian culture, languages, arts, festivals, literature, cuisine, and leaders. Weekly themes are brought to life through related arts, dance, games, projects, stories and theatre in a very unique, exciting, creative, interactive, and structured style. June 13-August 5. Age 5 to 14. www.janoindia.com 650-493-1566

Camp F.U.N. (Friends with Unique Needs) Palo AltoA nurturing environment for kids with challenges to experience the fun of summer camp. Led by therapists at Children’s Health Council. Ages 5-12, full days, Mon-Fri, three sessions. Small groups. Financial aid available.www.chconline.org 650-688-3625

Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) Mountain View50+ creative camps for Gr. K-8! Drawing, Painting, Ceramics, Sculpture, Musical Theater, American Idol Workshop, more! Two-week sessions; full and half-day enrollment. Extended care available. Financial aid off ered. www.arts4all.org 650-917-6800 ext. 0

Creative Arts – “Express Yourself” Menlo ParkRiekes Summer Camps — A world of opportunity and fun-fi lled learning. Ages 9-18. Rock camps, Hip Hop, recording, fi lmmaking, animation, B&W and digital Photography, graphic arts, comic book creation, Photoshop, magazine publishing. Sessions run from June through August. www.riekes.org 650-364-2509

Nature Awareness – “Explore Our Natural World” Menlo ParkRiekes Summer Camps — A world of opportunity and fun-fi lled learning. Ages 6-18 and families. Learn awareness & survival skills, explore Monterey Bay, deep redwoods & coastal marsh. Surf camp. Family Festival. AFCANA Combo Camps combining fi tness, arts & nature. Sessions run from June through August.www.riekes.org 650-364-2509

Continued from previous pageCamp Connection

SUMMER CAMPS 2011

Weekly Camps June 13 – Aug 14

Certifi ed coaches, Structured programs, Fitness and agility

training, Mental toughness, Point play and Tons of FUN!

Mini (3-5yrs)Specialized developmental programs

Beginner Intermediate 1 Intermediate 2

Advanced Elite

Registration opens Feb 1, 2011

650-752-8061Fx: 650-472-9281

www.KimGrantTennis.comBE THE EXCEPTION!

Summer at Saint Francis

freshman experience

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Registration now openfor Jefunira Camp 2011!

See ABBATI, page 17


N E W S

Wunderlich County Park Stables

Woodside, California

Bay Area Equestrian Connection LLCPresents

SUMMER HORSE CAMPS

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ALSO, TEEN SUMMER PROGRAMS HELD AT STANFORD!

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JULY 25-AUGUST 12AGES 4-14Atherton Tennis Centerwww.alanmargot-tennis.net

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Alan Margot since 1978

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725 Portola Rd., Portola Valley(650) 851-1114 www.springdown.com

2011 Horsemanship Camps

50

★ 27 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG ★

April 11-15 April 18-22

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Fire boardimposes termson firefightersBy Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

The firefighters of the Menlo Park Fire Protection Dis-trict will get $350 more

per month for health and welfare benefits, and an additional $400 more per month for post-em-ployment health benefits, but no salary increase, according to terms imposed on the union by the dis-trict board of directors April 19. The board voted 4-1 to impose the offer. Director Peter Carpenter said he thought it was a good deci-sion, but not a great outcome. Director Jack Nelson cast the single dissenting vote. “I’ve never been a fan of either imposing or forcing anything upon people. I think even after two and a half years of negotiations, both parties need to catch their breath and reassess their positions,” Mr. Nelson said. “Both sides need to look at and reflect upon what isn’t working, why isn’t it working, and try to improve upon that.” Negotiations between the board and union first ground to a halt in 2009 after Local 2400 filed a grievance with the state’s Pub-lic Employee Relations Board (PERB) alleging unfair labor practices that included refusing to bargain in good faith, and offer-ing regressive terms that were less than previously agreed upon. Talks broke down again in October 2010 after union rep-resentatives asked to meet with the district’s board members individually. The board declined the request, saying in a response letter that such meetings violated state law. The district sent a letter last November to union leadership say-ing it would double the amount put toward health benefits in hopes of coaxing the union back to the bar-gaining table after the firefighters rejected an offer of $750 per month towards their health plan. Now the PERB case heads to court at the end of May. John Wurdinger, vice president of the Menlo Park Firefighters Asso-ciation, said the union has already amended its PERB complaint as a result of the imposed terms. “Last night the fire board voted on a resolution that amounts to a $450 a month pay cut for some of our members, all the way up to a $350 a month pay increase for oth-ers,” he said, adding that the union continues to wait for a judge’s deci-sion to settle the dispute. Under the previous terms, Mr. Wurdinger explained earlier, a fire-fighter could choose to take the $750 home in cash, an option no longer available. A

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One of the key things Atherton’s public works director Duncan Jones

was striving to do before retir-ing was “make the streets in Atherton the best streets in the county.” Recently, the town of Ather-ton tied with Foster City for the best and most improved streets in San Mateo County, in the estimation of the Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission, he said with more than a hint of pride. And, he added, Foster City’s streets are much newer than Atherton’s. Mr. Jones, 59, spoke of the MTC’s glowing pronouncement a few days after announcing, on April 4, that he will retire at the end of the month from the post he’s held for the last eight years. He had been working for the city of Belmont when he was hired by Atherton in April 2003 to head the department that over-sees the town’s streets, drainage projects, Holbrook-Palmer Park, and related programs. In a press release announcing the retirement, the town cited Mr. Jones’ “tremendous skills,” and wrote: “Mr. Jones played a major role in improving Ather-ton’s pavement condition index to one of the best in San Mateo County. ... He assisted with improvements at Holbrook-Palmer Park to help achieve the vision of the town’s master plan, which included a pedes-trian bridge and trail across the train tacks, a master irrigation system, South Meadow reha-bilitation, Main House fountain relocation, and a water tower lawn.” Mr. Jones successfully wrote many grants that benefited the park and other projects in town. He obtained “Safe Routes to School” grants from Caltrans for projects near Las Lomitas and Sacred Heart schools; and oversaw the installation of a traffic signal at Encinal Avenue and Middlefield Road. In many school-related proj-ects, he worked with multiple jurisdictions, and with parents and other residents, to create routes and infrastructure to bolster safety for kids traveling to and from school, he said. Notable projects he oversaw to completion include the recon-struction of numerous arterial streets, such as Valparaiso and Atherton avenues and Alameda de las Pulgas.

Duncan Quixote? Mr. Jones won high marks

from council members for his work in researching and analysis of the high-speed rail plan for the Pen i n su l a , which the town oppos-es. He was instrumental in drafting and editing letters to the agency overseeing the planned project, which would run the train along the Caltrain line that divides Atherton in two. “If anything that I’ve done would help stop this high-speed rail boondoggle, that would please me,” he said.

Among his concerns about it: “My kids and grandkids will have to pay for it,” he said. His work on behalf of the town regarding the rail plan “felt a little Don Quixote-ish” at times, but he hopes that, in the end, the work will prove to be more than just tilting at windmills. In collecting and analyzing information about the high-speed rail plan, Mr. Jones said he benefited greatly from the “very, very smart people here in Ather-ton who wrote a lot of the stuff we put together in those letters, especially financial (analysis). ... These guys know finances, and they say this dog won’t hunt.” In leaving his post, what advice would he give his yet-to-be-determined successor? He would pass along the advice a former department head gave to him when he came to town, he said. “I’d say how I have avoided


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By Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

The word “Woodside” appears in the name of the high school that

placed highly at the Silicon Valley regional robotics competition, held April 1-3 in San Jose, but for a change it was not Woodside High, normally a powerhouse. Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley took first place with its barn2robotics team, in concert with its allies at Bel-larmine College Preparatory in San Jose and High Tech High, a charter school in San Diego. “This is the first year we’ve won anything,” Priory science teacher and team mentor Bob Bessin told the Almanac. “We’ve been doing it for a long while and never got past the preliminary rounds. The kids really came together this year.”

Woodside High won the Imag-ery Award. The regional contests are held under the umbrella of FIRST (For Inspiration and Rec-ognition of Science and Technol-ogy), founded in 1989 by Segway inventor Dean Kamen. With its vic-tory, the Priory qualifies for the national com-petition, to be held April 27-30 in St. Louis. Mr. Bessin is one of three adult team mentors for the team, which has had from 12 to 20 students on any given night in the campus barn that serves as a lab and construction space. Parents and a part-time worker at the Tech Shop in Menlo Park are also on hand. The team this year includes two freshmen and four seniors; the

rest are sophomores and juniors. There are three girls, one of whom is co-president, Mr. Bessin said. Experience with robotics starting in middle school is not uncommon, he added. “We really rely on the gen-

eral knowledge and experience of everyone to bring us togeth-er,” he said. Some are great programmers, some great with

computer aided design, and many are quick studies. “They’re just sponges,” Mr. Bessin said. “They know more about bolts and metal than I do at this point.” Robotics at the Priory is 10 years old. The program’s corner of the barn is equipped with lathes, drill presses, “all kinds of

stuff,” he said. A typical robot consists of sheet metal, aluminum mostly, and components that each team receives but that often need resiz-ing with a machine tool. Dimen-sions and weight limits are very specific to ensure a fair fight. “Lightness is very important,” he said. Also important: lessons that naturally arise out of such an enterprise. The kids learn to work as a team in close quarters, to rely on one another, to meet deadlines and communicate well, Mr. Bessin said. These qualities carry into the competition in the form of “gra-cious professionalism,” a sharing of tools and knowledge and get-ting to know other people and schools. “It really kind of gets them out of their shells, so to speak,” he said. Go to tinyurl.com/PrioryRo-bot to see a contest. The three-robot teams are on the same field

together under remote control and vie to place colored rings on extended posts while blocking the other team’s efforts. Some robots are better at one thing than another. The Priory’s machine was maneuverable and quick and thus focused on pro-tecting its teammates’ machines and interfering with those of the opposition, Mr. Bessin said.

Young team What happened to Woodside High? Many team leaders and designers graduated and the new kids had to work things out for themselves, robotics coach and biology teacher Arlene Kolber said in an interview. “We have a very young team this year,” she said. “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. That tells you one reason why we weren’t up there (winning), and that’s good,” she added. “There’s nothing to learn when everything goes right. Our kids have had that experience and do every year. ... If they fail at something, we let them do it. It’s their robot.” “They were changing the design every few minutes,” she said. “We kicked them in the rear a couple of times. It doesn’t always work.” A

N E W S

Priory wins regional robotics contest

‘The kids really came together this year.’

TEAM MENTOR BOB BESSIN

being embroiled in all this bad press in Atherton. (The key was to) keep my head down and do the job I’m supposed to do.”

What’s ahead? Mr. Jones plans to move to Incline Village, Nevada, once he retires, where he hopes to indulge in the skiing, kayaking, mountain biking and other out-door sports he loves. He also is likely to pursue another longtime interest: writ-ing. “When I started out in school, I wanted to be a creative writer,” he said. His grandmoth-er and aunt are both published novelists, he said, adding that his aunt began writing her series of mystery novels at age 72. Mr. Jones’ pending retirement won’t be the only major change in his life in recent times. Last year, he became a grandfather — twice, with one grandson born in September and the sec-ond in December. A

DUNCAN continued from page 13

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Residential burglary report: Jewelry valued at $26,642 stolen from inside her residence, Wilburn Ave., April 17.

Fraud reports:

■ Unauthorized use of credit card but no financial loss, first block of Ashfield Road, April 15.

■ Unauthorized spending of air miles in connection with unauthorized for-warding of e-mail messages but no financial loss, first block of Winchester Drive, April 15.

■ No financial loss in connection with letter falsely representing Internal Revenue Service and attempt to obtain bank account information, 200 block of Oak Grove Ave., April 21.

Child protective services report: 100 block of El Camino Real, April 20.

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Grand theft report: Purse stolen from unlocked vehicle, 100 block of Olive Hill Lane, April 16.

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POLICE CALLS

See POLICE CALLS, page 17

Next guess, please An Atherton resident who recently happened upon San Mateo County’s protocol on deal-ing with domestic violence had a good laugh before passing a key piece of information along to the Almanac. The resident recalled a per-tinent conclusion by outside investigator Pete Peterson, who reviewed resident Jon Buckheit’s complaint that an Atherton cop had illegally altered the police report detailing Mr. Buckheit’s arrest after a domestic violence incident. Although the Peterson report wasn’t made public, Mr. Buck-heit was given a copy, and told the Almanac that Mr. Peterson claimed in his report that the judge who granted Mr. Buckheit

a declaration of factual innocence in the case “is unfamiliar with how the county’s domestic vio-lence protocol works.” The resident who found the protocol noted that San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Mark Forcum, the judge in question, was a co-author of the protocol.

Coming to a library near you: petting zoo You wouldn’t think libraries and petting zoos belong together. But in Menlo Park, they do, even if the “animals” aren’t warm and fuzzy. The public library plans to let staff cuddle up with e-book readers, according to director Susan Holmer. They’ll get to try out the Nook, Color Nook, Kindle, Kindle DX and iPad for three weeks, which were bought by a state grant that circulates the electronic pets from library to library. Ms. Holmer said that since the library subscribes to e-books, staff needs to be able to show patrons how to download the items.

Erin Wright, who has been a top fundraising official at the Wash-ington International School in Washington, D.C., has been named director of development for Phillips

Brooks School in Menlo Park. Ms. Wright began her fundrais-ing post April 11 at Phillips Brooks, a private school for grades preschool through 5 that is located at 2245 Avy Ave. in Menlo Park. “She is a significant addition to our administrative staff,” said Michael Eanes, head of school at Phillips Brooks. Ms. Wright received a bachelor’s degree in English and French from Georgetown University and mas-ter’s in intercultural communica-tions from the American Univer-sity. “From the moment I set foot on campus, I could sense that PBS is a community that truly lives and breathes its mission in serving each child,” Ms. Wright said in the school’s announcement.


C O M M U N I T Y

Portola Valley plans work on Alpine The stretch of Alpine Road that enters Portola Valley from Ladera is on deck for resurfac-ing, part of the annual road repair program that starts this year on April 25 and contin-ues through June, according to a report from Public Works Director Howard Young. Also scheduled for attention this year are Deer Park Lane, Fre-montia Street, Horseshoe Bend, Meadowood Drive, Saddleback Drive, Sandstone Street and Sun-hill Street, the report said. The road work begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and the road will be open to normal traffic at the

end of the day, albeit on a tempo-rarily rougher and dustier road. Parking restrictions will start two days before construction begins. The work will include grinding worn areas, covering old asphalt with new, sealing pavement, and making new traffic markings, Mr. Young said. The timing between road repair and resurfacing may lag so as to accomplish the work in a cost effective manner. To reach the on-site inspector, Tom Anderson, during the work days, call 831-915-3395. For questions about the proj-ect, call Mr. Young at 851-1700, ext. 200, or send him an email at [email protected].

Wright named development director

Correction In April 20 issue, a story on a traffic plan for the Willows area of Menlo Park had incor-rect information regarding the results of a survey. The story said that of 554 residents who answered an online traffic survey, 80 per-cent said they had no concerns, although 92 percent were wor-ried about speeding. Those figures actually referred to the number of respondents, not the percent.

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Audrey Rust named ‘Woman of the Year’ Assemblyman Rich Gordon of Menlo Park honored Audrey C. Rust, president of Penin-sula Open Space Trust, as the 2011 “Woman of the Year” for the 21st Assembly District on March 21 at the State Capitol in Sacramento. Ms. Rust, a resident of Menlo Park, was recognized for her service at POST, where she has worked to save 53,000 acres of open space out of the total 64,000 acres POST has saved since its founding in 1977. “Without the work of Audrey

Rust, the South Bay and Penin-sula would be a much d i f f e r e n t place,” Mr. G o r d o n said. After 24 years as p r e s i d e n t and executive director, Rust recently announced her plans to retire from POST in July. The Palo Alto-based nonprofit

land trust works in partnership with public agencies and private property owners to save land in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Before coming to POST, Ms. Rust worked with the Sierra Club, Yale University and Stan-ford University. A graduate of the Univer-sity of Connecticut at Storrs, she has served on the boards of numerous local, state and national organizations, pri-marily in the conservation and housing arena.

Photo by Paolo VesciaAudrey Rust

Pitching inStudents at Phillips

Brooks School in Menlo Park deliver first-aid

and school supplies to third-grade students,

who sponsored a recent Japan relief

drive. The students are shipping more than 500 pounds of first-aid and school supplies to Japan. Phillips Brooks is an private coed day school for grades pre-

kindergarten through 5.

Hollywood cinema artists in spotlight


Six cinema artists who helped create 400 Hollywood films — including classics such as

“North by Northwest,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Ten Com-mandments,” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” — take center stage in the documen-tary, “Something’s Gonna Live,” which will be screened at 7p.m. Saturday, May 7, in the Menlo-Atherton High School Perform-ing Arts Center. The filmmaker, Daniel Raim, will be on hand to answer ques-tions afterward. The event, presented by the Menlo Park Library, is free, but reservations are required. Mr. Raim was nominated for an Oscar for his 2001 documen-tary, “The Man on Lincoln’s Nose.” That film spotlighted the life and work of Mr. Raim’s former film school teacher, Rob-ert F. Boyle, one of iconic film director Alfred Hitchcock’s most successful production designers. Mr. Boyle, whose credits as an art director include Hitch-

cock’s “The Birds” and “North by Northwest,” is one of the six cinema artists featured in “Something’s Gonna Live.” Also spotlighted are art direc-tors Henry Bumstead (“To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Sting”)

and Albert Nozaki (“The War of the Worlds,” “The Ten Com-mandments”); storyboard artist Harold Michelson (“The Gradu-ate,” “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”); and cinematographers Haskell Wexler (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” “Medium Cool”) and Conrad Hall (“In Cold Blood,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”). The film has received high marks from critics, including Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times, for its moving portrayal of the aging men, who reflect on their lives and work in Hol-

lywood. Ten years in the mak-ing, it weaves together vintage footage, snapshots, sketches and interviews with the film artists. In the director’s statement on the film’s website, Mr. Raim says the film “gives voice to the hopes and dreams of these filmmak-ers, at the same time addressing fundamental issues artists face in today’s film industry.” The film’s story inspires admiration not only for the men’s work, but also for the energy and commitment to their work they retained largely until the end of their lives. Five of them have died since their interviews — one, Robert Boyle, died last year at age 100, still teaching at the American Film Institute, where Mr. Raim studied. Haskell Wexler contin-ues to make films at age 88, Mr. Raim says. The event will begin with live jazz by the Jym Marks Quartet. Free wheelchair-accessible van service is available for Menlo Park seniors and people with disabilities. To reserve a spot at the event or for van service, call 330-2512, or email [email protected]. Go to SomethingsGonnaLive.com for more information about the film.

Ten years in the making, the film weaves together

vintage footage, snapshots, sketches and interviews.

Free screening of documentary about six men who mattered in making of classic films


C O M M U N I T Y

campus surrounded by children who really adored her.” Asked about parental involve-ment, Ms. Pike noted that “our parents generally are very suc-cessful, motivated, passionate people. They want the best for their children and the commu-nity,” and, thanks to their wealth, many have the time to signifi-cantly involve themselves in the education of their children. Having that time “can be double edged sword,” Ms. Pike said. “We have to make sure that their passions are channeled in the right direction.” Asked if that aspect of Ms. Abbati’s job weighed on her, Ms. Pike said that if it did, it didn’t show. “I don’t think Diana ever saw it as a burden. She is so well equipped to handle anything that comes up. Los Gatos is lucky to get her.” Ms. Abbati did not respond to a request for comment. Woodside Elementary regu-larly scores in the highest ranks in terms of academic performance statewide. The school, Ms. Pike said, needs a strong and dedi-cated leader in keeping with its

strong and dedicated staff, and Ms. Abbati has made some “great hires” in replacing teachers, most of whom have retired. “I believe we have the deepest bench in terms of the adminis-trative team and teaching staff,” Ms. Pike added. “It’s a loss that she goes but the school is resil-ient and in the best place that it’s been in a long time.”

Finding someone new Ms. Pike said the board would not rule out a national search for a new superintendent, but noted that the district cannot afford to offer to pay for the cost of relo-cation. The district will tap the Wood-

side community for ideas and recommendations. “The future remains very bright. I think we are an incred-ibly attractive district and we’ll find someone who really wants to be with us,” she said. “My sense is that we will probably end up with someone local from a like district.” The district has combined the role of superintendent and prin-cipal in one person for at least the last three people who held the job. Will that hold true this time? “I think that’s something that the board is going to have to discuss,” Ms. Pike said. Parents visiting a school for a matter of concern often want to talk to the person at the top of the hierarchy, which in most schools would be the principal. But at Woodside, with one school and one administrative office, a principal and a super-intendent would be sitting a few doors away from each other if not in adjacent offices. “Being very clear about the separate roles and responsibilities can be a challenge if both people are sitting in the same place,” Ms. Pike said. “It’s difficult not to have a certain amount of redundancy between the two positions.” A

ABBATI continued from page 11

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Ivy Drive, April 19.■ Loss estimated at $40 in break-in and theft of costume jewelry, 100 block of Newbridge St., April 15.Commercial burglary report: Juvenile arrested in attempted theft of three bottles of alcoholic beverages, Drae-gers Market at 1010 University Drive, April 15.Grand theft report: Losses estimated

at $3,655 in theft from unlocked vehicle of duffle bag containing camera, cloth-ing, reading glasses and watch, 1500 block of Mills Court, April 17.Auto burglary reports:

■ Loss estimated at $800 in break-in and theft of laptop computer, 700 block of Stanford Ave., April 19.■ Loss estimated at $400 in break-in and theft of purse, cell phone and clothing, 200 block of Oak Grove Ave., April 16.■ Loss estimated at $165 in break-in and theft of wallet, Campo Bello Court, April 19.

Fraud reports:

■ Loss of $1,300 in unauthorized with-drawal from bank account, 1100 block of Noel Drive, April 20.■ Loss of $319 in identity theft case, 700 block of Coleman Ave., April 19.■ Loss of $100 in unauthorized use of credit card, 1100 block of Windermere Ave., April 15.■ Loss unspecified in connection with six unauthorized charges on victim’s credit card, 200 block of Chester St., April 16.

POLICE CALLScontinued from page 14

Los Gatos Union School DistrictDiana Abbati


Facebook’s opportunity to help out Belle HavenEditor: Facebook is moving into Belle Haven, which has a tre-mendous need for Wi-Fi since many residents cannot afford to pay for their own Internet. I suggest that the city of Menlo Park let Facebook build more than normal, if they agree to provide free Wi-Fi access for Belle Haven. I chair the PTA computer donation program at Menlo-Atherton High School. We give computers to M-A students who can’t afford them. We can give them free computers, and

can hook them up to Wi-Fi 101, but we can’t give them free Internet. It’s getting harder and harder these days to succeed in school without Internet access. Google currently provides

free Wi-Fi for the entire city of Mountain View. Wi-Fi 101, which currently provides free Wi-Fi service to portions of Belle Haven and East Palo Alto, will run out of funding

early this summer, and will disconnect its service, unless Facebook (or someone else) steps in.

The blockbuster suggestion that the proposed high-speed train

system share the Caltrain tracks on the Peninsula should make a

huge difference in how the project is viewed in Menlo Park and

Atherton and other communities up and down the Caltrain corridor.

In a press conference held at the Menlo Park train depot, state Sen.

Joe Simitian, Rep. Anna Eshoo and Assemblyman Rich Gordon

announced last week that the California High-Speed Rail Authority

should back away from building a separate set of tracks between San

Jose and San Francisco and instead

work out a plan for Caltrain and

the high-speed trains to use the

same tracks starting in San Jose.

In their message, which was

strongly supported by Palo Alto City Council members last week, the

legislators said that the state simply cannot afford to add two more rail

lines to the corridor, when the existing two tracks could suffice by rout-

ing high-speed trains around electrified Caltrain equipment, much as

Baby Bullet trains share the rails with local trains today. For example, a

high-speed train could arrive in San Jose for a brief stop before quickly

continuing on to San Francisco with its full load of passengers, who

would not have to change trains.

Sen. Simitian called the plan a “first step in a new conversation”

that intends to create “high-speed rail done right.”

For Menlo Park and Atherton, the plan would mean property

owners along the corridor would no longer have to fear losing their

backyards to make room for the additional tracks and that Menlo

Park’s downtown would not be disrupted by a massive building

project during installation of another two-track system.

One critical factor — whether costly grade separations will be

required to accommodate electrified trains — was not discussed by

the legislators, although Assemblyman Rich Gordon later told the

Almanac that it may be up to individual cities to make that deci-

sion. There are six intersections in Menlo Park and Atherton that

would be candidates for grade separations, unless a street was sim-

ply closed at a grade crossing.

During last week’s announcement, Sen. Simitian noted a series

of critical audits of the rail project by various state agencies and the

Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California,

Berkeley, which found flaws in the rail authority’s business plan,

ridership analysis and revenue projections.

“Frankly, a great many of our constituents are convinced that the

High-Speed Rail Authority has already wandered so far afield that it

is too late for a successful course correction,” Sen. Simitian said in the

statement he authored with Rep. Eshoo and Assemblyman Gordon.

“If high-speed rail isn’t done right” it simply won’t get done at

all, he said.

We applaud the legislators for proposing the two-track solution

and putting pressure on the high-speed rail authority to be more

careful in budgeting and preparing a viable business plan.

But it will take more than pulling back to two tracks on the Peninsula

to make high-speed rail a viable project. The state continues to face a

huge budget deficit and the outlook is for more of the same in the years

ahead. It simply is not prudent to take on billons of dollars in additional

debt to carry passengers to Los Angeles by train when airlines offer the

same service at comparable fares.

This is a project that is now estimated to cost $42.5 billion but which

could far exceed that amount. The outlook for further federal financing

looks even more shaky during a climate of trillion dollar budget reduc-

tions in Washington. And dreams of attracting billions of dollars in

private financing are hardly viable in today’s economy.

Nevertheless, the high-speed rail project was approved by voters in

2008, who also authorized a $9.9 billion bond issue. And so far, no

proposal has appeared that would reverse the course of this initiative.

So funding issues aside, could Menlo Park and Atherton live

with a two-track version of high-speed rail?

The answer depends on whom you ask. Die hard opponents like

Martin Engel, who lives in Menlo Park just a stone’s throw from the

Caltrain tracks, is buying none of it. In his big picture view he sees an

under-funded project that could get its foot in the door by starting out

sharing the Caltrain tracks as it waits for more extensive funding to

build an additional set of tracks dedicated to high-speed rail.

Menlo Park Mayor Rich Cline, who has strongly opposed elevated

tracks, had a lot to like in the announcement. He characterized the

support this way: “Looks like we are more aligned with our state and

federal representatives than we have been for a long time.”

If the project survives the state’s debt crisis, it makes sense for Caltrain

and high-speed rail to share tracks on the Peninsula. And by doing so,

electrification of Caltrain and the necessary grade separations could

be built with high-speed rail funds. But there is a lot more to be done

before any work could commence on the Peninsula rail corridor.

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

EDITORIALThe opinion of The Almanac

LETTERSOur readers write

Sudden switch for high-speed rail

See LETTERS, next page

All views must include a home address and contact phone number. Published letters will also appear on the web site, www.TheAlmanacOnline.com, and occasionally on the Town Square forum.

TOWN SQUARE FORUM POST your views on the

Town Square forum at www.TheAlmanacOnline.com

EMAIL your views to: [email protected] and note this it is a letter to the editor in the subject line.

MAIL or deliver to: Editor at the Almanac, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

CALL the Viewpoint desk at 223-6507.

Editor & PublisherTom Gibboney

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The Almanac, established in September, 1965, is delivered each week to residents of Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside and adjacent unincorporated areas of southern San Mateo County. The Almanac is qualified by decree of the Superior Court of San Mateo County to publish public notices of a governmental and legal nature, as stated in Decree No. 147530, issued November 9, 1969.

Subscriptions are $60 for one year and $100 for two years.

Serving Menlo Park,

Atherton, Portola Valley,

and Woodside for 44 years.

WHAT’S YOUR VIEW?

Our Regional Heritage

From the 1960s until a few years ago, this Chevron station

at the corner of Alpine Road and La Mesa Drive served the

automotive needs of Ladera residents. The station has now

been replaced by a modern building awaiting tenants.

Portola Valley Archives


How about it, Facebook, and Menlo Park planning depart-ment?

Sue Kayton Doris Drive, Menlo Park

Chairman, M-A High PTA computer donation program

Endorsement for Terry NagelEditor: Terry Nagel is the only can-didate running for San Mateo County supervisor who is pro-viding concrete ideas on how to realistically address the county budget deficit. For that reason, she has my support. Terry understands that employ-ee compensation is by far the biggest line item in the county budget. She knows that if we do not address this issue, we will have to cut vital services. Terry recognized five years ago that we needed to address escalating employee compensation because, even then, it was overtaking our ability to pay. As chair of the San Mateo County Council of Cities, Terry brought together union lead-ers and council members to discuss solutions. With her leadership, a compensation task force was cre-ated, which has issued 50 recom-mendations that cities are using today to reign in costs. In Burlingame, where Terry is mayor, they have negotiated signifi-cant savings in the area of employee compensation and, as a result, have remained financially sound. Terry does not favor balancing the budget with tax increases or by spending down our reserve funds. She recommends a common sense approach to save money and protect vital services. Terry Nagel would be the best

addition to the Board of Supervi-sors. I encourage voters to cast their ballot for Terry Nagel.

Matt GrocottCouncil Member, City of San Carlos

Endorsement for Richard HoloberEditor: As a graduate of Skyline College, I greatly appreciate the quality and affordability of higher education offered in our local community colleges. Now we have the opportunity to elect an education leader to the San Mateo County Board of Supervi-sors, community college board president Richard Holober. Richard’s accomplishments in his 13 years on the San Mateo County Community College Board

of Trustees include doubling the number of nurses trained at the colleges to meet our health-care needs; creating a program to retrain laid-off airline workers in the biotech field; and instituting envi-ronmental building standards that save taxpayers millions of dollars in energy costs. I am proud to support Richard Holober for San Mateo County supervisor.

Virginia Medrano Rosales

We can raise money to restore BaylandsEditor: Saltworks developers claim to be saviors of the Baylands: they will restore some of the salt ponds — if we let them pave over 70 percent first. They argue that preservationists couldn’t raise money to buy and

restore Redwood City’s Baylands. Yet many groups have saved land for future generations: ■ After the proposal to develop Bair Island was defeated by voters, the Peninsula Open Space Trust bought the 1,623-acre site (twice the size of the salt ponds) for $15 million. ■ Save the Redwoods League raised $7.5 million to buy 426 acres along the historic Skunk Train route, saving an old-growth forest from logging. ■ Five Silicon Valley land trusts joined forces to preserve 80,000 acres of open space over the next 20 years. They’ve already raised $15 million. Over the past 20 years, every pri-vate, restorable Bay shoreline parcel offered at fair market price has been acquired by land trusts for the ben-efit of residents and wildlife. The Environmental Protection Agency has already reported that multiple parties are interested in purchasing and restoring Redwood City’s Baylands. All we need is for Cargill to be a willing seller and Redwood City’s salt ponds can join this list.

Pat MarriottOakhurst Avenue, Los Altos

Why doesn’t Obama save money like the rest of us?Editor: It’s an interesting conjecture as to just how much President Obama’s campaign appearance that turned Palo Alto into an auxiliary war zone cost the taxpayers. With Air Force One flying across the country, at least four very large helicopters and a couple of smaller ones to haul all the acolytes, and zil-lions of extra police around, I doubt that anyone in the administration will own up to the cost of the trip that, of course, is not billed as a campaign stop. Why can’t he link into the con-ference via video conferencing just as the rest of the high-tech world now does instead of squan-dering our money? When we can’t afford money to pave our roads and we’re looting Medicare to pay for all the votes Obamacare can buy, it’s time to rethink whether we can afford an ultra-liberal as president.

Stan GageOld Spanish Trail,

Portola Valley

V I E W P O I N T

By Nancy Lund

Who would guess that a town that is 45 years old would be home to a school district that began 150 years ago?

Although it is surprising, in April 1861 — the month the Civil War began and when the Pony Express was still in operation — the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors authorized the creation of the Sears-ville School District. The students at that little school moved to a new one on Portola Road in 1894 after the Searsville Dam flooded the area around the school. In 1909, enroll-ment was large enough that a second schoolhouse was built, the one that still stands, and the district’s name was changed to Portola. With the rapidly expanding popu-lation after World War II, the 1894 school was taken down, and the new Portola Valley School rose on its site during the first years of the 1950s. It wasn’t until 1955 that the current name, Portola Valley School District,

came into being. Thus, 2011 is the time for the young town to celebrate the sesquicentennial of its school dis-trict. A committee is already making plans for the weekend of Oct. 1-2. It seems early, but for the news to spread to members of the district’s family that have scattered far and wide, it takes

time. To date, plans are under way for open houses at the schools in the late morning or early afternoon of Oct. 2, followed by a picnic on the Town Center’s fields. Under discussion are possible activities for the evening of Oct. 1. There are several ways for members of the school district family to become involved in the celebration. First, reserve the dates. Alert people you know outside the boundaries of the PV Forum and the Almanac to

sign up for Yahoo group PVSD150 for news. The committee is looking for photos through the years, second- and third-generation fami-lies who’ve attended the schools, and also for

former members of the Corte Madera band for a potential “jam session” at the picnic. A souvenir book is being created, including a timeline and vignettes of important events in the district’s history. The plan is to also include a list of those volunteers who have been recognized for exceptional service. A complete list from 1992 to 2011 exists. Many gaps exist in years before 1992. If you know of people who have been so recognized, please report their names. The most special part of this commemorative book will be the memories of people who have passed through the doors. Students, parents, staff and school board members (past and pres-ent) are encouraged to contribute memories of their days in the schools, from a paragraph to a page in length. It is these memories that will make the book wonderful. Send all information and any questions or comments to [email protected] or call 851-1700x210.

Nancy Lund is Portola Valley town historian.

By Henry Organ

The class action suit against San Mateo County and its “at large” voting system for elect-ing members of the Board

of Supervisors was predicable, but avoidable. A year ago, the Lawyers’ Com-mittee for Civil Rights, which filed the suit this month on behalf of Asian Americans and Latinos in the county, alerted the supervisors of this possibility. The committee is no paper tiger. It has an impressive and respected track record in similar voting rights act cases in California. Even prior to the committee’s alert, in June of 2009, the county’s 2008-09 Civil Grand Jury forewarned supervisors of possible voting rights violations. The Board of Supervisors knew the current “at large” election system has serious voting rights flaws. It should have addressed these issues forthrightly by placing it on the ballot last November. While doing so, the board should have recommended a change to

voting “by district,” and explained why. Without this leadership, asking voters to support a “by district” system would be preordained to failure, as it has in

past ballot efforts. There seems to be a culture among some supervisors, especially former supervisors who appeared before the Charter Review Commit-tee, to preserve a form of political incest using “at large” elections and filling vacancies on the Board of Supervisors by appointment. Irrespec-tive of questions of voting rights violations of communities of color, “at large” elections is not good government. I believe the majority of people in the coun-ty want to provide and maintain voting rights of all its citizens. The Board of Supervisor’s oppor-

tunity to provide this leadership and accountability, unfortunately has now been abdicated to a judicial body. The 2008-2009 Civil Grand Jury did exercise leadership and accountability, for which many will be grateful.

Henry Organ lives in Menlo Park and was a member of the

Charter Review Committee.

After 150 years, Valley school district will celebrate

Supervisors knew suit on elections was coming

LETTERS

Continued from previous page

GUEST OPINION

GUEST OPINION

THIN IS IN!“High index” is a term used to refer to any

number of plastic lens materials that can do the same job as the more common CR-39 plastic material used for the majority of clear prescriptions lenses, only they are lighter and thinner. High-index lenses owe their lower pro-file to the fact that they have a higher refractive index that enables them to bend light more efficiently than materials with a lower refrac-tive index. Because the index of refraction determines lens thickness, high-index lenses

are thinner than materials with a lower index of refraction. As a result, eyeglass wearers with higher prescriptions (in particular) stand to benefit most from high-index lenses’ greater comfort and appearance.

You probably remember people in your life who wore thick eyeglass lenses. Eyewear has changed dramatically over the past decade. Today’s thin, lightweight lenses help people see near, far, and in-between without compro-mising their appearance. Bring your eyewear prescription to MENLO OPTICAL at 1166 University Drive, on the corner of Oak Grove Avenue and University Drive. We carry the lat-est lenses and frames and will help you select the eyewear most flattering to your appearance and suitable to your lifestyle. Call us at 322-3900 if you have questions about eyewear.

P.S. High-index lenses with a refraction index of 1.67 are about 50% thinner than their CR-39 counterparts.

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


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