JANUARY 21, 2009 | … · stock of beautiful everyday bras by Prima Donna, Chantelle, LeMystere,...

M-A’s TECH COORDINATOR named San Mateo County teacher of the year. Page 5

JANUARY 21, 2009 www.TheAlmanacOnline.com | VO L . 4 4 N O. 2 1

T H E H O M E TOW N N E W S PA P E R F O R M E N L O PA R K , AT H E RTO N , P O RTO L A VA L L E Y A N D WO O D S I D ET H E H O M E TOW N N E W S PA P E R F O R M E N L O PA R K , AT H E RTO N , P O RTO L A VA L L E Y A N D WO O D S I D E

Teacher’s inauguration trip gives students a glimpse

of the historic event

PAGE 12

WITNESSING HISTORY

2 ■ The Almanac ■ January 21, 2009

[email protected]

Top 1% of Coldwell Banker Agents

AthertonMenlo Park

Portola ValleyWoodside

For more information on my current listings, please visit my Web site at:

WWW.HUGHCORNISH.COMInformation deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

...Another Great Yearfor Hugh's Clients!Over $100,000,000 sold

Photo by Amy Mackowski

In you go...Jessica Thorson, 11, un-pots and prepares to install a native plant on the bank of Sausal Creek where it runs through a 300-foot section of restored stream bed at the Portola Valley Town Center. Jessica was part of a team of residents involved in a now-completed project to landscape the creek bank.

D O YO U N E E D A N

Estate Property Manager?• Manage Staff• Manage Income

Properties• Real Estate Investment• Construction and

Maintenance

• Security• Daily Instruction

Manuals• Travel Arrangements• Entertainment

Schedules

M Y E X P E R I E N C E W I L L M A K E YO U R L I F E E A S I E R .

Professional, Discrete, ReferencesEmail: [email protected] • Phone: 650.941.1722

For the month of January... Buy a fashion lingerie set (including fabulous new spring designs from Marie Jo, Aubade, Marlies Dekkers, Christian Lacroix, Kenzo, and many others) at regular price and receive 50% off our ENTIRE stock of beautiful everyday bras by Prima Donna, Chantelle, LeMystere, Wolford, Conturelle, Cotton Club, Simone Perele, Anita and others. Enjoy great in-store specials on selected merchandise too.

Same fabulous service and custom fi ttingDowntown Menlo Park • 1139 Chestnut St.

650.325.2965 • Mon-Sat 11-6

S timulateYour Senses and the Local Economy

Ela’s Fabulous JANUARY SALE

121 First Street , Los Altos, CA 94022Tel : 650 -949 -5891 www.losaltosvault .com

LOS ALTOS VAULT & SAFE DEPOSIT CO.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HACKERS TO PENETRATE OUR COMPUTER SYSTEM. REASON — WE HAVE NO COMPUTERS. WE DO BUSINESS THE OLD FASHIONED WAY.

A private depositorySafe deposit boxes of all sizesStrict and total confi dentialitySecured and ample parkingFor your own sake we should have your business.Visit our facilities and judge for yourself.Data bank for important and confi dential records.

SAFE FROM STATE & FEDER AL INTRUSION

This week’s news, features and community events.

For Classified ads, call 854-0858For all other calls, phone 854-2626News: Ext. 213Display advertising: Ext. 233Fax: 854-0677

■ E-mail news, information and obituaries to (no photos please): [email protected]■ E-mail news photos with captions to: [email protected]■ E-mail letters to the editor to: [email protected]

THE ALMANAC (ISSN 1097-3095 and USPS 459370) is published every Wednesday by Embarcadero Publishing Co., 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025-4455. Periodicals Postage Paid at Menlo Park, CA and at additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for San Mateo County, the Almanac is delivered free to homes in Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside. Voluntary subscriptions for $30 per year or $50 per 2 years are welcome from residents of the above circulation area. Subscription rates for businesses and for residents of other communities is $50 per year and $80 for two years. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Almanac, P.O. Box 7008, Menlo Park, CA 94026-7008. Copyright ©2006 by Embarcadero Publishing Co., All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

Also InsideCalendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Police Calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

On the coverTeacher Jacqueline Cebrian’s plan to show her stu-dents at Oak Knoll School in Menlo Park her view of Barack Obama’s inauguration uses videoconfer-encing for a Q&A with students while she’s at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. She’s one of several local residents who traveled to the nation’s capital for the historic event. Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac. Story begins on Page 12.

The Almanac offices are at 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

To request free delivery, or stop delivery, of The Almanac in zip code 94025, 94027, 94028 and the Woodside portion of 94062, call 854-2626.

FIRST SHOT

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

Menlo Park■ Council OKs 30 percent pay hike for police

sergeants on 4-1 vote. Page 9■ Developer forms “sustainable” group, then steps

aside for former councilman to take over. Page 5

Schools■ Cash-out refinancing of school bonds is illegal,

says state attorney general. Page 14■ Inez Paepcke is M-A High’s technology

coordinator and computer applications teacher — and, she was recently named San Mateo County’s teacher of the year. Page 5

■ Menlo Park district expanding its bilingual program to Laurel School. Page 7

Los Trancos water district■ Water district collects taxes, but doesn’t

provide water; grand jury says it should be dissolved. Page 5

Regional■ Locals fund 1 percent of inaugural festivities.

Page 7

Artscene■ Eight hands, one voice offer a winter evening of

music. Page 24

Family Almanac■ Miles’ Files: Stranded in Seattle. Cover, Section 2

January 21, 2009 ■ The Almanac ■ 3

3015 Woodside Road Woodside,650-851-1511 4420 Alpine Road Portola Valley, 650-851-1711

Open 6:30AM - 8PM

A TOWN MARKET PLACE

GROCERYOn Sale

PRODUCEFresh

MEATSpecial this week at Roberts

DELI

Burgundy Bonanza

Money is tight. Imports are sitting on expensive inventory facing the release of new wines.

The answer is to sell existing stocks at huge discounts to free up capital for the new

arrivals. Their pain is your gain. Here are a few exceptional deals that should not be

ignored, or passed up.


Roberts Tip of the Week

Roberts Market Deli

$999 lb

Pot RoastSlow cooked tender

Chuck Steak

$599 lb

Whipped Potatoes

99¢lb

$499

Sale Dates: Jan 21, 22, 23, 24 www.robertsmarket.com

AMY’S ORGANIC FAMILY MARINARA PASTA SAUCE 24oz-Also Tomato Basil

NATURES PATH ORGANIC PUMPKIN GRANOLA11 oz

$299BATTER BLASTER ORGANIC PANCAKE BATTER18 oz

$399WHITE CASTLE MICROWAVEABLE CHEESEBURGERS11 oz

$349ROBERTS AMERICAN GOURMET PIRATES BOOTY4 oz

$189NEWMAN’S OWN ORGANIC CAT FOOD5 oz – Chicken + Salmon – Turkey

$119

31/36 Count

COOK FRESH DAILY PRAWN

SWORDFISH $1798 lb

COWBOY STEAKS $998 lb

With Cinnamon

CHICKEN APPLE SAUSAGE $498 lb

Tender

BLUE LAKE BEANS Sweet

ORGANIC BUNCH CARROTS $129 ea

Minneola

TANGELOS 99¢lb

From Chile

THOMPSON SEEDLESS GRAPES $199 lb

$ 9988

$1498lb

REDS:

$25/btl net | 2006 Delarche Pernand Vergelesses, Iles des Vergelesses

$35/btl net | 2006 Bocquenet Nuits-St-Georges, Aux St. Julien

$70/btl net | 2006 Bocquenet Echezeaux, grand cru

$29/btl net | 2006 Frederic Magnien Gevry-Chambertin “Les Jeunes Rois”

$35/btl net | 2006 Frederic Magnien Gevry-Chambertin Seuvrees, V.V.

$35/btl net | 2006 Michael Magnien Chambolle-Musiguy Chabiots, 1er cru

WHITES:

$25/btl net | 2006 Boyer Martenot Meursault “Les Tillets”

$49/btl net | 2006 Boyer Martenot Meursault-Perrieres, 1er cru

$59/btl net | 2006 Boyer Martenot Puligny- Montrachet Caillerets, 1er cru

31/36

COO

SSWWOORRDDFFIISSHH

AMMA24o

NNAAATTUURREESS PPAA

$ 9999

Market Deli

$ 999

ANS

S

SEEEEDDLLESSSSS G ESS

Solid case purchases will receive an extra 10% discount

Tende

BBLUSwweeeett

OORRGGAANIICC BBUUNCOne white wine that has been

garnering increasing interest in recent years is Gruner Vetliner. This white wine variety is grown primarily in Austria, where it is the most widely planted grape. In this country, it has developed a devoted following largely because it is one of the most food-friendly wines. Gruner Vetliner seems to go with everything, from oysters to osso bucco. While older examples of this white wine may be confused with Chardonnay, its younger counterparts suggest something of a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Gruner Vetliner also posses aromas that are often associated with Riesling and Pinot Gris. If these comparisons don’t wet your interest in this estimable white wine, perhaps your sense of adventure will. White wine is the preferred wine to many and Gruner Vetliner, being as food friendly as a white wine can be, is not only good news for white wine lovers but for those who may not normally choose a white wine. At ROBERTS MARKET, we are your local wine source. We can help you find the perfect wine. Our wine is the most extensive in the area, more than most liquor stores. Don’t forget fresh cut flowers from our floral department to grace your table.

Hint: Gruner Vetliner has a perfumed nose that suggests hints of peach and white pepper.

A White Wine Worthy Of Note

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

Water district collects taxes, but doesn’t provide water■ Grand jury wants the district dissolved, but residents seem happy with its new role.By Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

Residents of unincorporated Los Trancos Woods and Vista Verde don’t seem to be losing sleep over

the fact that the Los Trancos County Water District doesn’t control their water but taxes them as if it did. A San Mateo County civil grand jury takes a sterner view: In December, it issued a report recommending that the district be dissolved. The Los Trancos district’s water dis-tribution system was sold to California Water Service Co. (Cal Water) in 2006, but the district still owns land and col-lects taxes, about $220,000 for the 2007-08 fiscal year, past board president Charles Krenz said in a telephone interview. About 50 percent of those revenues come back to residents as a 70 percent rebate on their first 187,000 gallons of

water, a bit above the district’s average per home per year, Mr. Krenz said. The subsidy “is designed to not incentivize high levels of consumption,” he added. Some money goes to district staff: an attorney and a recording secretary who receives a $200 monthly stipend, he said. The district also subsidizes efforts to reduce wildfire risks, covering part of the cost to residents of replacing wood-shake roofs and clearing f lam-mable vegetation from around homes, Mr. Krenz said. Those revenues could be used to “benefit the broader community,” the grand jury said. The report also cited the district for failing to find a steward for its five acres of unimproved land, which includes a small reservoir. Recommendations to dissolve the Los Trancos district are not new. After Cal Water took over in 2006, the county agen-

cy charged with overseeing public agency jurisdictions (known as LAFCO) recom-mended dismantling the water district. Recently in Sacramento, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) labeled the Los Trancos district an “extreme” example

of misdirected use of property taxes. The LAO is proposing that California water and waste-water districts that are funded by property taxes change to a fee-based system, in part because it

would encourage water conservation and because the tax revenues could then be redirected, for example, to county ser-vices. The LAO is proposing to transfer supervision of “lover level” prison parol-ees to county probation departments.

What’s in a name? About the time that Cal Water took over, the water district surveyed its resi-

dents. Of the 58 percent of households that participated, 87 percent wanted to maintain the district and its new fire-risk-abatement mission, Mr. Krenz said. Residents also want to keep intact the rural character of district lands; the board is intent on maintaining that character and may seek a managing partner later, Mr. Krenz said. The grand jury recommended several, including the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the town of Portola Valley. The district is sprucing up the reservoir, removing invasive plants and addressing wildfire hazards, Mr. Krenz said. “The grand jury report was a little harsh,” he said. The water district, he said, “is the only local government there is up here. We live in a tinderbox up here. The Woodside Fire Protection District cannot provide the one-on-one awareness (of wildfire risk). We’re filling a needed niche. ... It’s not that much that we do and we don’t use much money to do it.” Recommendations by the LAO and the grand jury do not have the force of law, and until the state Legislature acts on the issue, the Los Trancos district will continue busi-ness as usual, Mr. Krenz said. A

By Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

It was not long ago that class-room technology meant an overhead projector. The

geometry teacher couldn’t draw a nice circle? Get used to his ovals. The history lesson on the Battle of Hastings included just a mention of the Bayeux tapestry and you wanted more? Get thee to a library. Today, computerized white-board software allows every

geometry teacher to “draw” a perfect circle, a perfect triangle and a perfect parallelogram. A Web search for the Bayeux tapestry, whether from white board or touch-screen phone, yields copious references and images. Technology changes things, as Inez Paepcke knows well. Ms. Paepcke is Menlo-Ather-ton High School’s technol-ogy coordinator and computer applications teacher and was recently named San Mateo

County’s teacher of the year by a panel if the county’s Office of Education. Having current technology in the classroom helps teachers relate to the image-oriented world that students inhabit, Ms. Paepcke said in an interview. “We can’t just ignore it,” she said. “If we can get these tools into the classroom, that’s defi-nitely how to interest the kids and keep them motivated.”


Inez Paepcke in an M-A computer lab. She teaches in the Computer Academy, a school-within-a-school meant to provide smaller classes in a nurturing environment.

Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac

Developer forms ‘sustainable’group, then steps aside■ The group’s goal is to bridge partisan divide, David Bohannon says.By Sean HowellStaff Writer/The Almanac

David Bohannon raised some eyebrows (and may have induced some eye-

rolls) around Menlo Park when he founded a group called Sustainable Menlo Park over the summer. After all, Mr. Bohannon is a developer, and the word “sustain-able” isn’t usually associated with massive development projects such as the million-square-foot hotel and office complex he wants to build near Marsh Road and U.S. 101 in eastern Menlo Park. And Mr. Bohannon has (until fairly recently) kept a rather conspicu-ous hand in Menlo Park politics. But while some residents remain skeptical of the group’s purpose — you can count Councilman Andy Cohen and former council-man Paul Collacchi among those who maintain that Mr. Bohannon founded it in an attempt to build support for his development inter-ests — Mr. Bohannon seems to have largely removed himself from the group’s operations, though he still attends its meetings.

In August, he responded to criti-cism of his intentions by hiring former councilman Chuck Kin-ney to chair the group, and both men maintain that Mr. Bohannon has not been involved in choosing speakers at the group’s monthly forums (one of whom, inciden-tally, was Mr. Cohen). Mr. Bohannon stresses that the group’s primary purpose is to keep residents involved in and aware of issues pertaining to the commu-nity. He originally envisioned the group focusing on land-use issues, though its scope has since broad-ened to incorporate a host of other concerns. He has maintained that political advocacy is not within the group’s purview. In an interview, Mr. Bohannon underscored his desire to elevate debate in the city and bridge the “polarizing” gap between the “pro-development” and “residen-tialist” camps. “If we can elevate the level of discussion, maybe that polariza-tion falls away, and we can get to a more informed, insightful, meaningful discussion of the issues that are of importance to the community when trying to make decisions,” he said.

‘We live in a tinderbox up here. The Woodside Fire Protection

District cannot provide the one-on-one awareness (of wildfire risk).

We’re filling a needed niche.’CHARLES KRENZ, PAST BOARD PRESIDENT, LOS TRANCOS COUNTY WATER DISTRICT

See PAEPCKE, page 8See SUSTAINABLE GROUP, page 8

Tech coordinator named teacher of the year


© 2009 Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital

Lucile PackardChildren’s Hospital

AT STANFORD

Nine years ago, Ka’apeha was in dire need of a new liver. Until they could find a suitable donor, Ka’apeha’s doctors gave him the next best thing: time. They did it using a new method of “liver assistance” known as CVVH (continuous venovenous hemofiltration). The treatment was unconventional to say the least. But CVVH allowed Ka’apeha to remain stable until a donor became available (an unprecedented 80 hours). The results were ideal. Ka’apeha got a healthy new liver and his mom, Averi, got a healthy new profession. She was so inspired by the care her son received that she changed her career path. Today she works at Packard Children’s Hospital as a nurse. And Ka’apeha, well, he spends his time elsewhere.

Visit www.lpch.org for more information.


N E W S

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.

Pricing in this Market

Q: We bought our house in 2007 and now need to sell. What is your advice on pricing?

A: Looking back at the real estate market of the past two years, the peak was in 2007 and continued during much of the first half of 2008. The market slowed in the summer and then on September 15, it almost stopped entirely as the financial crisis unfolded. Credit markets have been so tight for jumbo loans that jumbo rates have remained relatively high even as

the conforming rate loans, i.e. those under the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac limits, have come down to the lowest rates in decades. Jumbo rates are just beginning to come down.

Prices were higher when you bought your house in 2007 than they are now. In order to sell it today you may not be able to get back all that you paid for it when you bought it. It is not certain when the housing market will return to 2007 prices. However, if sales pick up prices should strengthen and this will work in your favor.

REAL ESTATE Q&Aby Monica Corman

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING ON A NEW SUSTAINABILITY ELEMENT

OF THE TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY GENERAL PLAN

AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC REVIEWPERIOD OF PROPOSED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR ADOPTION OF

THESE MATTERS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Council of the Town of Portola Valley will hold a public hearing on the proposed new Sustainability Element of the Town of Portola Valley General Plan on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at 8:00 p.m., in the Town Council Chambers (Historic Schoolhouse), 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley, California. The Town Council will consider all evidence, written and oral communications pertaining to the proposed Element. All interested persons are invited to appear before the Town Council to be heard at the time and place herein above mentioned,

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a proposed Negative Declaration regarding the above mentioned Sustainability Element has been prepared and is available for review. The Town Council will consider the proposed Negative Declaration at its meeting of January 28, 2009 at 8:00 p.m., in the Town Council Chambers (Historic Schoolhouse), 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley, California. Comments may be submitted in writing prior to the Town Council meeting or presented at the meeting. All interested persons are invited to appear before the Town Council at the time and place herein above mentioned at the time and place which will be noticed. Copies of the proposed Negative Declaration are available at Portola Valley Town Hall, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley, California.

Dated: January 8, 2009

Signed: Leslie A. Lambert, Planning Manager

Published in the Almanac on January 14, 21, 2009

TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY

District expanding its bilingualprogram to Laurel SchoolBy Andrea GemmetAlmanac Staff Writer

When the new school year begins, kinder-gartners entering the

Menlo Park City School District’s fledgling language immersion program will be divided between Laurel and Encinal schools. The Spanish immersion pro-gram, which launched this school year with two kindergarten classes at Encinal, aims to make students bilingual and literate in both Span-ish and English by fifth grade. Superintendent Ken Ranella said that the constraints of cam-pus construction and classroom space make it infeasible to house the entire program at Encinal. At a well-attended meeting held Jan. 13, the Menlo Park school board voted unanimously to launch the program at Laurel with a single kindergarten class in the fall. Another Spanish immersion kindergarten class will be housed at the Encinal campus. In a compromise, the entire current crop of kindergarteners will stay at Encinal through fifth grade and not be divided up. One

of Mr. Ranella’s options would have sent half of those kinder-garteners to Laurel next year, where they would remain for first through third grades. Dividing the program between two campuses did not sit well with worried parents who crowded the board chambers and said the program has benefited from the extensive collaboration between its two kindergarten teachers. A bigger pool of students at a single campus will make it easier to bal-ance class composition by gender and language skills, said two par-ents who spoke at the meeting. “Now that it’s clear to us the educational value of having those two classes together, what can we do to preserve that?” asked parent John Osmer. Mr. Ranella argued that teacher collaboration across a single grade is only one of several successful models for immersion. There will be plenty of opportunities for collaboration among immersion teachers of different grade levels at both schools, he said. “I know various models work,” Mr. Ranella told board members. “I know because I’ve been in edu-

cation for 32 years.” Board members concurred with Mr. Ranella’s opinion that bilin-gual immersion students, who come from all three of the dis-trict’s elementary schools, should not displace children in regular classes attending their neighbor-hood schools. Devoting two out of each grade’s four classrooms at Encinal to bilingual immersion would likely cause involuntary transfers of students to other schools, Mr. Ranella said. “Right now the construction has to take some role in this,” said board member Laura Rich. “We can’t deny the mess we are living in and the lack of space we have.” Construction on Encinal’s new wing for grades 4-5 is behind schedule, adding to the space constraints. It remains to be seen exactly how many new kindergarten stu-dents will enroll to start school in the fall, and how many will sign up for the 42 slots in the Spanish immersion program. District offi-cials are expecting a continuation of the enrollment bubble that necessitated a record 17 kinder-garten classrooms this year. A

Locals fund 1 percent of inaugural festivities Of the $63 million donated to President Barack Obama’s inau-guration fund, residents from or connected to The Almanac’s cir-culation area donated $568,755 — about 1 percent. A list at the Web site of the Presidential Inaugural Committee includes the names of donors, their towns of residence and amounts given. Menlo Park led with 11 dona-tions totaling $332,005, a figure that includes two bundled dona-tions totaling $302,500. The Westly Group, led by former state control-ler and chief fiscal officer Steve Westly, collected $190,000, and Sports Potential Corp. founder Ste-ven Spinner assembled $112,500, according to the Web site. The committee received totals of $106,250 from seven Atherton donors; $100,500 from four Wood-side donors; and $30,000 from five Portola Valley donors. The inaugural committee said it is breaking with past practices and refusing contributions from corporations, political action com-mittees, labor unions, currently registered federal lobbyists, non-U.S. citizens and registered foreign agents. The committee’s list shows $35 million in individual contribu-tions, including 413 at the $50,000 maximum; 2,513 individuals gave

$200 to $250. The total from 217 bundlers was

$28 million, including 34 who gave the maximum of $300,000.

Local donations to Presidential Inaugural CommitteeName Occupation Amount

ATHERTON Sara Abbasi Informatica Corp. ........................................ $50,000David Anderson Sutter Hill Ventures ...................................... $25,000David Burke Makena Capital .............................................. $6,000 Jim Daughn Not employed ................................................... $250Jorge Del Calvo Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman .................. $10,000Geraldine Ongkeko Not employed .............................................. $10,000 Bruce Sewell Intel Corp. ..................................................... $5,000

MENLO PARKMargaret Daul Not employed ................................................ $2,005 Chad Hurley Google $25,000 R. Todd Johnson Jones Day ........................................................ $250 Gabriella Lovazzano Not employed ................................................... $250 Heidi Mcclain Veterinary Medical Specialists ........................... $250Anthony Oro Stanford University ........................................... $250 Michael Raab NEA .......................................................... $250 Michael Ricks Investor Growth Capital ................................. $1,000 Steven Spinner Sports Potential .......................... $112,500 (bundled) Stephen Venuto Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP ...................... $250Steven Westly The Westly Group ........................ $190,000 (bundled)

PORTOLA VALLEYMarilyn Brown Not employed ................................................... $500Eileen Donahoe Center for International Security and Cooperation ...... $3,000Elaine Kay Not employed ................................................... $250 James Pooley Morrison & Foerster ..................................... $26,000Susan Thomas Self employed .................................................. $250

WOODSIDERudy Borneo Macy’s West .................................................... $250 Stephen Juelsgaard ...................................................... $50,000 Tyrone Pike Cemaphore Systems ....................................... $250John Thompson Symantec ................................................... $50,000

It’s at least 30 years in prison for Scott James Froberg, 42, of Santa Cruz, who in September pleaded “no contest” to three residential burglaries in January 2008 — including two night-time burglaries in Menlo Park when the residents were at home and asleep. San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Clifford Cretan handed down a sentence of 40 years and four months on Jan. 7. The sentence included 10 years in recognition of Mr. Froberg’s 12 previous burglar-ies, Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said

in a telephone interview. Mr. Froberg must serve at least 80 percent, 32 years, of his sentence before being eligible for parole, Mr. Wagstaffe said. Mr. Froberg was a “cat burglar” who burgled occupied homes but has never been caught with a weapon, and has never had a violent confrontation with his victims, Mr. Wagstaffe said. He entered the homes through unlocked garage doors. He also left a fingerprint in one home, Mr. Wagstaffe said. The sentence included a $220 fine and restitution to the victims in an amount to be determined.

But he acknowledged that an informed debate about land use that puts development projects “in their proper context” would benefit his company in the long run. He cited the example of the Derry condo-commercial proj-ect, sidelined in its late stages by the objections of residents who hadn’t been aware of the propos-al. He said ground might have been broken on the project, had residents been better informed. Sustainable Menlo Park has met once a month since August, featuring a series of speakers that have included council members, a local real estate developer, the city’s business development and community engagement manag-ers, and the executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Pen-insula, according to Mr. Kinney.

Kinney’s role When he handed the reins of the group to Mr. Kinney in August, Mr. Bohannon also ceded control of Sustainable Menlo Park’s mis-sion. Mr. Kinney has broadened its scope to allow for discussion of economic development, “good government” and transportation. The men differ on the purpose of the group. While Mr. Bohan-non says that he would be content if the group limited itself to hold-ing monthly forums, Mr. Kinney sees a possible, as-yet-undefined role in advocacy or action. “I hope we would be in a posi-tion to understand the issues, have buy-in (from group mem-

bers), and advocate in a positive way,” he said. But Mr. Bohannon disavowed the suggestion, floated by Mr. Kinney, that the group would take a stance on particular issues — though he also stressed that Mr. Kinney has complete autonomy over Sustainable Menlo Park. Mr. Kinney said that he would not have agreed to run the group if he felt Mr. Bohannon was try-ing to use the organization as a mouthpiece for his development agenda. “He can kick me out any time he wants, but he can’t tell me what to do,” Mr. Kinney said. As for the inclusion of the word

“sustainable” in the group’s title? Mr. Kinney wasn’t sure why Mr. Bohannon put it there, but he interprets it in the broadest sense of the term. “You hope you can sustain the things you like during inevitable change,” he said. A

RecycleWorks plans serieson green building practices A series of presentations by building professionals on sus-tainable construction practices is scheduled for three upcom-ing Thursday evenings at 5 p.m. at the Redwood City Council Chambers. The series is a pro-gram of RecycleWorks in San Mateo County. On Jan. 22, representatives from Santa Clara-based Earth Bound Homes and San Fran-cisco-based Forest Ethics are scheduled to talk on buying wood that sustains forests. On Feb. 5, Berkeley-based architects Cate Leger of Leger Wanaselja Architecture and Ian MacLeod of MacLeod Design & Construction will talk about building more with less when building with wood. On Feb. 19, Ciro Giamonna and Trace Kannel, both of Har-rell Remodeling in Mountain View, are set to talk on the use of renewable materials in adding “finishing touches” to a home. The Redwood City Council Chambers are located at 1017 Middlefield Road. To make a reservation, call 599-1485 or send e-mail to [email protected].

Volunteers needed tocount the homeless It’s census time in San Mateo County, but perhaps not in the way you’re thinking. The county’s Human Services Agency is looking for around 200 volunteers to spend four hours — between 5 and 9 a.m. — on Thursday, Jan. 29, to count the number of homeless people in the county. “Over the last several months, there’s been a marked increase in the demand for shelter ser-vices,” Tish Birkby, a county

homelessness analyst, said. “If we can count them, we can help them get back on their feet.” An accurate count also matters in determining the level of federal funding for the county and local nonprofits that deal in home-lessness, agency spokeswoman Amanda Kim said. Volunteers will be trained, and new volunteers are paired with experienced counters. A two-hour training session in Menlo Park is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Clara Mateo Shelter in Building 323 D at 795 Willow Road. There are two Redwood City evening sessions on Jan. 21 and 22 and a mid-day session on Jan. 27. To volunteer and for more information, contact Ms. Birkby at 802-7656 or at [email protected].

Drop-off day forhazardous waste Residents of Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside and Portola Valley may drop off hazardous waste in Menlo Park on Saturday, Feb. 7, by appointment only. Acceptable items for drop-off include paint, paint thinner, motor oil, batteries, fluorescent tubes, pool chemicals, thermom-eters, and household cleaning products — but not tires, explo-sives, or any waste in a container larger than five gallons. The event is sponsored by the San Mateo County health depart-ment. To make an appointment for drop-off, call 363-4718, or go to www.smhealth.org/hhw. Waste must be dropped off between 8:30 a.m. and noon. Residents are encouraged to register early.


N E W S

Kinney hired as chair of ‘sustainable’ group

Technology gatekeeper The recognition of Ms. Paep-cke this year follows her award last year from the Sequoia Union High School District as M-A’s most innovative teacher. Ms. Paepcke’s focus is on sophomores in M-A’s Computer Academy, a school-within-a-school meant to provide smaller classes in a “warm, nurturing” environment that includes prep-aration for college and/or jobs that require skill with technol-ogy, according to a description of the academy. The students learn to use com-mon software applications. She includes a lesson on hardware, another on troubleshooting, and the students create a Web site from scratch using raw com-puter code, she said. It provides a foundation for sophisticated Web software that comes later. Her students don’t need much hand-holding. “They’re very

savvy and they’re getting savvier from year to year,” she said. She said she feels the joy of teaching when a student shows her some-thing she didn’t know, and when they share what they’ve learned with others. At M-A, Ms. Paepcke decides which technology to buy, trou-bleshoots it, and maintains the school’s Web site. She also trains teachers to use and integrate tech-nology into their classes, she said. In longstanding professions like teaching, change can be tricky. An experienced teacher, on top of her profession for decades, finds her students’ attention wandering. Those white boards, they’re $3,000 and they’re a step into the unknown. They tend to affect teaching styles, Ms. Paepcke said. To get a high-tech white board, Ms. Paepcke said she requires teachers to explain their interest and promise to attend training sessions. There’s also a users group. It takes a year, she said, for a teacher to appreciate these large, white touch-screen com-

puters equipped with teaching software and Web access.

German native Ms. Paepcke is fluent in Ger-man and taught the language at M-A during her 10 years there. German classes ended in part because students came from middle-school prepared for other languages, she said. She was born in Germany, came to this country at age 6, returned to Germany at 14, spent 14 more years there, and taught English and physical education. She has bachelor’s degrees in English and physical education from Johannes Gutenberg Uni-versitat and a master’s degree in secondary education from Albert Ludwigs Universitat. She was named teacher of the year by a three-person panel in the San Mateo County Office of Edu-cation, said board of education administrator Porter Sexton. The panel included Mr. Sexton, county Superintendent Jean Holbrook and one member of the county education board, he said. A

Photo by Veronica Weber

Chuck Kinney, a former Menlo Park councilman, is the paid chairman of Sustainable Menlo Park, a group founded and financed by developer David Bohannon.

■ BRIEFS

SUSTAINABLE GROUPcontinued from page 5

PAEPCKEcontinued from page 5

Sustainable Menlo Park is sched-uled to meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednes-day, Jan. 28, in the Burgess Rec-reation Center in the Menlo Park Civic Center. Steve Levy, director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, will speak about the state’s precarious financial situation.

■ MEETING

Menlo Park cat burglar sent to prison for decades


N E W S

Reiki for Relaxation

Gift Certificates are thoughtful presentsHost a Healing Party

Mobile Reiki for people and petsEnergy, Aura and Chakra Work Distance and Psychic Healings Cynthia Greenberg, Reiki Master/Teacher (650) 472 - 3932 awakentohealing.org [email protected]

650-462-6900www.HomeCareAssistance.com

148 Hawthorne Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301

Nine out of ten seniors prefer to live at home. That’s why we’re a trusted tradition among Menlo-Atherton families. Our happy caregivers bring more than care and comfort. We help prevent falls, loneliness and other risks of aging. Plus, we enable your loved ones to continue living independently, doing the activities they enjoy. Bonded and insured.

“We chose Home Care Assistance over other options

because my Mom deserves the very best.”

“The Peninsula’s #1 Choice for In-Home Senior Care.”

Because you want more than peace of mind. You want the best for your Mom & Dad.

(650) 328-2030830 Menlo Ave., Menlo Park

www.summitcruisevacations.com/cruiseweekCST #: 1007858-10

For one week only, Summit Travel brings the year’s best cruise values directly to you. Find your best cruise

price and we will beat it with additional savings, upgrades and exclusive event-only benefits.

THE YEAR’S BIGGEST CRUISE SALE

pg y

Exclusive Menlo Park Engagement! Meet the Cruise Insiders Jan. 27, 3:30-7:30pm Call to schedule your private consultation with our featured

guests from the world’s top cruise lines. RSVP required.

CRUISE WEEK 2009January 26-30

Call, click or visit Summit Travel Group for exclusive Cruise Week savings and benefits.

By Sean HowellAlmanac Staff Writer

Though the economy has taken a nose dive since the city of Menlo Park awarded its police officers a substantial raise in April, the

City Council on Jan. 13 signed off on a similar raise for the sergeants who supervise those officers. Amid the specter of weakened morale among those sergeants — and despite scores of impas-sioned, oppositional missives sent by residents to council members — the council voted 4-1 to approve the pay increase, which will elevate the sergeants’ total pay 30 percent by 2011. The new contract will increase the average base salary for the city’s eight sergeant positions — one of which is currently vacant — from $107,086 to $131,452 by 2011, according to Glen Kramer, the city’s personnel director. Sergeants will receive additional ben-efits based on their tenure in the department and the number of night shifts they work, a fact that Mr. Kramer said would result in an aver-age raise of 30 percent for sergeants by 2011. In calendar year 2011, Mr. Kramer estimates that the new contract will cost the city $2.29 million — $529,000 more than the $1.76 million the city would have spent on sergeant salaries and benefits in the fiscal year of 2008-09, had the sergeants not received a raise.

Acrimony over raise The new contract was designed in large part to maintain a 20 percent dif-ferential between the salaries of sergeants and the officers they supervise — a buffer that has shrunk since line-level officers were awarded a raise last July that will bump their salaries 25.7 percent by 2011. By the end of the contract, sergeants will receive, on average, a base salary 49 percent higher than entry-level line officers, according to numbers provided by Mr. Kramer. It is unclear from the staff report which figures were used to calculate the 20 percent differential. Mr. Kramer was unavailable for comment before The Almanac’s press deadline. The contract for line-level officers, designed to halt an exodus of officers out of Menlo Park, saw little opposition from residents, and was approved unanimously by the council. The sergeants’ contract, however, was a differ-ent story. One representative e-mail to the council, writ-ten by Menlo Park resident Bruce Gallup, read: “In today’s economic turmoil, I personally do not think this is the proper time for ANY increase of salary for ANY public or private official.” But several council members, while acknowl-edging financial concerns, called this contract a logical follow-up to the earlier pay increase nego-tiated with the Police Officers Association. “This feels like the second half of a project that we committed to,” Councilman Rich Cline said.

“I think we made this commitment to the ser-geants and the POA back in April, and we’re follow-ing up on that,” said Mayor Heyward Robinson. Councilman John Boyle, the lone dissenter in the Jan. 13 vote, disagreed. “I don’t think that’s a credible argument at all,” Mr. Boyle said in an interview. “I don’t believe there was any explicit promise. (The sergeants) might feel there was one in spirit, but I don’t even think that was the case. It’s a different time and place, and each contract has to be negotiated separately.” While he said he supported the desire to make sergeants’ pay fair and competitive, Mr. Boyle cited fears that the pay increase would exacerbate a cycle of “spiraling competition” between local cities to attract new officers, and to maintain their forces. Mr. Kramer, the personnel director, estimates

that the new contract will make Menlo Park sergeants the third- or fourth-highest-paid group among their peers in 12 comparable cities and towns by 2011 — a jump Mr. Boyle called excessive. He sug-gested that a more reasonable approach would have been for the city to try to match the average salaries awarded by other agencies when negotiat-ing contracts. City Manager Glen Rojas acknowledged that the com-petition between cities for police officers is a cause for concern, but he argued that the issue must be addressed at the county or state level.

Morale, public notice While attrition among ser-geants is not a major concern, Police Chief Bruce Goitia suggested that the sergeants’ dedication to the job might have been in jeopardy if they had not received a substantial raise. Had the council not approved the raise, Chief Goitia said, “I don’t envision that I would have seven ser-geants walk out the door, but

I also don’t envision that I will have their hearts and souls in the job.” Mr. Goitia also said that the city would likely have had a tougher time filling sergeant positions when they become vacant, had the sergeants not received a raise.

Safety first? Councilman Cline acknowledged that the new contract might raise the hackles of residents who are concerned about the budget, but he said that the city must consider safety before it can have the luxury to think about its finances. “I support (the measure), knowing that there are a number of people in the community who will try to wage war with us on money,” Mr. Cline said. “And you know why they can do that? Because they feel safe. Because they don’t have to worry about security.” Mr. Boyle saw the issue differently. “It is imperative we behave in a fiscally responsible way, or else we will find ourselves in the position of not being able to afford the police department that we have,” he said at the council meeting. A

‘I think we made

this commitment

to the sergeants …

back in April, and we’re

following up on that.’

MAYOR HEYWARD ROBINSON

‘It’s a different time and

place, and each contract

has to be negotiated

separately.’

COUNCILMAN JOHN BOYLE

Council OKs 30 percent pay hikefor police sergeants on 4-1 vote


Laura Guglielmoni was still a teen-ager when doctors diagnosed her with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune system disorder that, in its most obvious symptom, inflames the body’s joints until they are too painful and distorted to move. Gug-lielmoni felt its full force. Getting out of bed was painful and exhaust-ing. She couldn’t stand long enough to take even a short shower.

Guglielmoni had already seen the effect of arthritis on her aunt, whose hands had been stiffened and swol-len by the same condition. Yet her aunt had found a way to can all her own fruit and vegetables and to raise three children. That example, Guglielmoni said, “made me more determined not to let the arthritis slow me down much.”

She had to stop playing softball. She liked to run, but she could no longer do that either. She was only able to attend school part-time and had to finish her studies from home. After extensive physical therapy and with the right medication, she finally returned to a somewhat normal rou-tine, but with new goals. “I knew I would never be a fighter pilot,” she joked, but she did determine to “get in and out of college as fast as pos-sible, get a job and start saving mon-ey” for a future that was more prob-lematic than before her diagnosis. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and found full-time work. She married and had a daughter.

Guglielmoni never forgot that one day it was likely the arthritis would damage her joints so much that re-

placement would be her only option. About a year ago, the arthritis in her knees became so painful that she could not climb even a short flight of stairs, making the trip to work on BART difficult. She couldn’t pick up her then three-year-old daughter or get down on the floor to play with her, because she wouldn’t have been able to get back up again. Bit by bit, her ability to live her life was falling away. On the day she found herself standing in an elevator unable to straighten her knees, she said to herself, “I need to get this fixed.”

Her physician recommended that she go to Stanford Hospital & Clin-ics to see Dr. William J. Maloney, Chair of the Department of Ortho-paedics & Sports Medicine. The size of Maloney’s team and its resources have made the Hospital one of the few facilities able to do multiple joint replacements in one surgery—and Guglielmoni did not want to go through two surgeries.

A community health education series from Stanford Hospital & Clinics

Norbert von der G

roeben

Arthritis No Longer Unstoppable:Treatment Advances Reduce Its Impact

Sometimes, even little girls need quiet time. Now, when her four-year-old daughter, Brianna, is up and running, Laura Guglielmoni can keep up.

Collaboration creates unique treatment protocolsStanford also has the advantage of a cross-disciplinary group of physi-cians who treat arthritis with state-of-the-art programs that combine surgery, customized therapies and sophisticated new medications for pain and disease control. Surgery is sometimes the only option, but Stanford’s arthritis patients are also involved in advanced clinical trials focusing on cellular disease control

and the growth of cartilage and bone.

The team has also created a unique protocol for joint re-placement based on evidence that the right kind of multi-modal pain management—before, during, and after surgery—has an important impact on success. The challenge is to reduce pain without interfering with the activity crucial to quick recovery. Maloney replaced both Guglielmoni’s knees and her recovery was rapid. “A week and a half after sur-gery, I was able to stand up by myself,” she said. At 33, she is a young woman given back a real life.

More than 50 million Ameri-cans currently face a daily encounter with what arthri-

tis does—that’s more than one in five of us. It is the leading cause of disability in the United States, ac-cording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, case counts will rise. Arthritis appears in more than 100 forms; what triggers it is not thoroughly understood. But the end result is the same: joints fail, producing an impact as comprehensive as what Guglielmoni endures or perhaps one that’s just a bit of stiffness when get-ting up in the morning.

Age raises arthritis riskGuglielmoni’s rheumatoid arthritis is the second most common variety. It strikes without respect to age and involves a permanent misfire of the immune system. Osteoarthritis is the type of arthritis that many more of us will come to know. Trauma or excessive use will sometimes be the cause, but generally it will appear after years of typical wear and tear. Reaching a certain age increases the likelihood of osteoarthritis by substantial amounts: More than half of us 65 or older are likely to suf-

Doing laundry is no longer a painful exercise. Laura Guglielmoni is now able to do her part of the daily chores.

Nor

bert

von

der

Gro

eben

“ I was in an elevator and I couldn’t straighten my knees. ‘This is a problem,’ I thought. ‘I really need to get this fixed.’ ‘’

– Arthritis patient Laura Guglielmoni

“A week and a half after surgery, I was able to stand up by myself.”



better out-come and may be able to avoid joint replacement. Staying ac-tive is a pow-erful preven-tive. “If you sit around and say, ‘Poor me,’ you’ll never get anything done,” Gug-lielmoni said. “I keep mov-ing and keep active.”

Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiac care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. Consistently ranked among “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report, Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. The Hospital is part of the Stanford University Medical Center, along with the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.

fer. Women have a higher risk—another phenom-enon not well understood. Obesity and inactivity also increase the odds for developing arthritis.

Decades ago, people with arthritis tended to reduce their activities. But, said Maloney, “the Boomers are not the same as their parents. They are not con-tent to sit at home.” People aren’t getting arthritis any earlier, he said, “but they’re less willing to live with the disability.”

Reversing damage in the worksGuglielmoni’s knees are definitely built to last. Maloney can now offer pa-tients replacement joints made of stronger, longer-lasting materials that remove the worry that if they don’t baby their new joints, the joints will fail. “We’re doing patients younger and they’re able to be more active,” Maloney said.

Another key development in treat-ment, Maloney added, has been the coordination of more sophisticated and targeted pain management with improved physical therapy and exer-cise as part of a successful recovery. SHC’s Pain Management Center is a leader in the development of pain treatment specific to arthritis sur-gery and long-term management. The active collaboration among Stanford orthopaedists, pain special-ists, immunologists, and even biome-chanical engineers is building an ex-ponentially more effective treatment strategy against arthritis.

At the new Stanford Medicine Out-patient Center in Redwood City, patients with musculoskeletal prob-lems will find, all within a few steps, a time-saving cluster of resources. Orthopaedic surgeons, spine special-ists, physical and rehabilitative ther-apists, and pain specialists are all at hand. The imaging necessary for di-agnoses is also available in the same building. And, if surgery is required, the Outpatient Center has eight op-erating rooms and the Boswell Joint Replacement Center.

What excites Maloney and his col-leagues is their growing ability

to do more than a mechanical fix. Traditionally, most therapies have been aimed at pain reduction, said Mark Genovese, a Stanford immu-nologist. But those remedies didn’t impact the disease’s progress. Now, several medications are available that disrupt the cellular activity that drives arthritis. Genovese and another Stanford physician, Wil-liam H. Robinson, have figured out a way to predict—at an 80 percent positive rate—which patients will respond to which medications. Clinical trials are underway at Stanford, Genovese said, with in-novative biologic stimulants to re-generate the cartilage in damaged joints and significantly reduce the signs of arthritis and reduce the disability it causes.

The next big thing, Maloney said, “is identifying arthritis earlier in its process. There is no good marker for osteoarthritis. You don’t see it until it is symptomatic and there is al-ready significant joint destruction.”

Patients who are treated earlier, said Genovese, have a chance at a

special feature

ABOUT ARTHRITIS:The two major forms of arthritis affect joints for different reasons. Osteoarthritis, the most common diagnosis, usually appears with age, but can also arise after an injury to the bones of our joints. The cartilage that cushions those bones breaks down, and the joint becomes painful to use. Knees, hips, hands and shoulders, the joints we use the most, are typically the first to be made painful by osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis disrupts the immune system, affecting the membranes of every joint in the body. Other immune system illnesses, like Lupus erythematosus, can also produce arthritis.

HOW TO LIVE WITH ARTHRITIS:• Stay active. Muscles are the joints’ support system, keeping them in

proper position to do their work. Without regular exercise, muscles shrink, leaving the joints more vulnerable and speeding up their wear and tear. Consult your doctor about what kind of exercise is appropriate for you.

• Maintain a healthy weight—extra weight stresses joints.

• If you have joint replacement surgery, make sure you follow your doctor’s orders about rehabilitative exercise.

• Managing arthritis pain includes a variety of methods: acupuncture, massage, mindfulness training and the right combination of medications. The Stanford Health Library is open to the public and offers many resources as well as free lectures. The Stanford Pain Management Center also has information about how to combine various therapies.

• Physicians now understand that a cross-disciplinary treatment plan is the most effective. Your surgeon or rheumatologist might recommend that you consult with a physical therapist, psychologist, dietitian or pain specialist.

Norbert von der G

roeben

Norbert von der G

roeben

Dr. William J. Maloney, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, uses joint replacements like this one, made with materials that support vigorous activity and last longer.

With two new knees, Laura Guglielmoni can join her daughter in a spontaneous game of funny walks at their neighborhood park.

For more information, contact Stanford Hospital & Clinics at (650) 723-4000 or the Stanford Health Library. It has three locations: Stanford Shopping Center, (650) 725-8400; Stanford Hospital, (650) 725-8100; Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center, 875 Blake Wilbur Dr., (650) 736-7157.

To learn more about joint replacement surgery, the Immunology and Rheumatology Clinic and the Pain Management Center, visit www.stanfordhospital.com.

The Arthritis Foundation also has in-depth information: www.arthritis.org.

“ If you sit around and say, ‘Poor me,’ you’ll never get anything done. I keep moving and keep active.”



MENLO PARK TEACHER’S INAUGURATION TRIP GIVES STUDENTS A GLIMPSE OF THE HISTORIC EVENT

By Andrea GemmetAlmanac Staff Writer

By the time President-elect Barack Obama took the stage on election night, Menlo Park teacher Jacque-line Cebrian knew exactly where she’d be on Jan. 20 — in Washing-ton, D.C., for the inauguration. “While he was doing his acceptance speech, I was booking

my (plane) tickets,” says Ms. Cebrian, a reading special-ist at Oak Knoll elementary school in Menlo Park. Ms. Cebrian doesn’t have any special entree to inau-gural balls, and she hasn’t snagged any coveted tickets to see the swearing in of the 44th president of the United

States. Instead, she, her husband, and their 4-year-old daughter will be part of the crowd on the National Mall — and thanks to a video camera and Skype’s online videoconferencing, students at Oak Knoll will get a first-hand glimpse of the scene at the nation’s capital. “I’ll be with the huddled masses, watching on the JumboTron,” Ms. Cebrian laughs. In the morning, students will watch the inauguration in their classrooms, and around 2 p.m. they’ll watch Ms. Cebrian’s video clips, then quiz her, live via Skype, about her experience, she says. “As they get more excited, I get more nervous,” she admits. “I’ve never been to an inauguration, and I’ve never

seen three million people in the same place at once.” To get into the spirit of the event, Oak Knoll students have been doing a variety of inauguration-themed activities and projects for the past week. Kids in the “mileage club” are running around the school and tal-lying up their laps to equal the number of miles between Menlo Park and Washington, D.C. Ms. Cebrian’s class-room has a selection of Obama biographies written for a variety of reading levels. In Barbara Cottrell’s art class, fifth-graders are designing and making ball gowns for First Lady Michelle Obama out of candy wrappers. Oak Knoll’s

WITNESSING HISTORY – AT THE MALL

Continued on next page

Photos by Michelle Le/The Almanac

At left, Sydney Williams (right) and Sophia Beau De Lomenie, both age 7, examine the inaugural gown designs for First Lady Michelle Obama used to inspire a fifth-grade art project in Barbara Cottrell’s class at Oak Knoll school. Top right: a bulletin board in Jacqueline Cebrian’s classroom shows her with her former students in Chicago. Bottom right: biographies of Barack Obama for young readers are on display in reading specialist Ms. Cebrian’s room.


By Sean HowellAlmanac Staff Writer

Several local residents are among the hundreds of thou-sands swarming Washington, D.C., this week for the inaugural of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the

United States. Though there has been a widely reported scramble to find lodging, everyone The Almanac spoke to had a place to stay — though tickets to the inauguration ceremony were a little harder to come by. “I have a good line on one,” said a hopeful Katie Ferrick in an interview last week. Ms. Ferrick, a teacher who lives in Menlo Park, put her name in the lottery for tickets with Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Menlo Park, but was relegated to the waitlist. Shortly before boarding a plane for D.C. on Sunday, Ms. Fer-rick received word that she would get a ticket after all. While Ms. Ferrick had planned to go to the capital whether she had a ticket or not, Vivienne Virani, an Atherton resident who will be in D.C. for the event, didn’t even try for one. She’s just going to “soak up the atmosphere and be a part of the event,” she said. Menlo Park resident Julie Brenner, who served as the office manager for the Democratic headquarters in San Mateo County in the months leading up to the election, was able to get a ticket through Ms. Eshoo’s office. She hadn’t initially planned on attending the inauguration, but several of her co-workers convinced her to sign up for the ticket lottery in the days following the election. “It seemed like a natural step” after spending so much time campaigning, she said. “Kind of like putting a period at the end of a sentence.” Heyward Robinson, the mayor of Menlo Park, is also in the capital for the inauguration. He attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors, held over the weekend, and stuck around to watch Mr. Obama be sworn in. On Monday, Mr. Robinson sent an e-mail to the principals of several local schools, urging them to allow students to watch the event via television in class-rooms.

Reasons for attending Much has been said about Mr. Obama being the first Afri-can-American president, but the people The Almanac spoke with said they decided to attend for different reasons. Ms. Virani said she was inspired by a speech Mr. Obama gave at a fundraising event in Atherton in January 2008; she promised herself back then that if Mr. Obama were elected, she would go to his inauguration. Ms. Brenner, who joined the San Mateo County Democrats as a paid staffer before the Democratic primary had been decided, said she came to appreciate the fact that people who hadn’t previously been interested in politics seemed to come out of the woodwork to support Mr. Obama. Ms. Ferrick said all the talk about Mr. Obama’s race follow-ing the election caught her off-guard. “I can see why it’s such a huge deal, and a monumental rea-son to celebrate, but I was really just thinking about his ability to bring change during the election,” she said.

Logistics In anticipating the inauguration, Ms. Brenner and Ms. Ferrick were certain of two things: Mr. Obama would give a speech, and getting around town would be difficult. Though the ceremonies weren’t set to begin until noon EST, Ms. Brenner had planned to leave as early as 4 a.m. to stand in what she expected would be an hours-long line for the Metro. (Ms. Brenner and her husband bought Metro tickets by mail, so they could at least skip out on that line.) Ms. Ferrick said she planned to ditch the Metro and pretty much just get around on foot — an adventurous proposition, because she’s not familiar with D.C. She planned to go to a couple of parties, as well as a ball; in the week before the inauguration,

Locals plan to soak up the big event in

Washingtonstaff has magnanimously assisted by eating the contents of those wrappers. “We’ve been collecting candy wrappers since October,” Ms. Cottrell says. It took a little convincing to get the boys on board, Ms. Cottrell says. “We talked about the fact that boys are fashion designers as well, and I told them to think of it as an engineering project.”

“It is a big deal” Oak Knoll’s focus on the inauguration isn’t just about tying lesson plans to a historic event. It’s part of a broader outreach effort to the school’s students of color, especially Tinsley students who transfer in from East Palo Alto and Menlo Park’s Belle Haven neighborhood, according to Principal David Ack-erman. School officials are actively trying to make the school more multicultural, and focusing on the election of the country’s first African American president is a great opportunity, he told the school board at a recent meeting. In fact, it was an offhand comment made to Mr. Ackerman that really drove the point home at Oak Knoll. A young student remarked to the principal that he could be Barack Obama’s son, noting that since the president-elect already had two daughters, he could use a son. “It is a big deal,” says Vice Principal Maria Clemo. “Just that fact that he’s thinking that is great. This little boy’s life is not much different than Barack’s. With hard work and a good education, and perse-verance, he could do the same things.” Perhaps it’s natural for teachers to feel an affin-

ity for an erudite, well-educated president whose speaking style is often described as professorial. For Ms. Cebrian, not only is Mr. Obama’s election a validation of a good education, it also highlights the potential of children raised in single-parent and non-traditional families. “Now it’s OK to be an eloquent speaker, it’s OK to be smart,” she says. Ms. Cebrian isn’t a recent arrival to the Obama bandwagon. Her husband attended law school at the University of Chicago when Mr. Obama was teaching there, and told her that Mr. Obama was one to watch, Ms. Cebrian says. A year after her husband graduated, Mr. Obama leapt into national politics when he gave the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. “We’ve been watching this eagerly,” she says. “It’s the first time in my adult life that I voted for someone I wanted instead of against someone I didn’t want.” Ms. Cebrian started her teaching career on Chi-cago’s heavily segregated South Side, and the stark contrast in teaching conditions between her first job and Oak Knoll aren’t lost on her. Back in Chicago, only two of her third-grade students started the year reading at grade level, and school supplies were kept in a locked vault, she says. By comparison, the Menlo Park district is “the land of plenty,” she says. Teaching in Chicago was a great experience, despite the challenges, she says. Her African Ameri-can students accepted her so whole-heartedly that they told a substitute teacher that Ms. Cebrian wasn’t white, she was just light-skinned. “I was so shocked

Continued from previous page

See TEACHER’S TRIP, page 14

See BIG EVENT, page 14


N E W S

Discover peace of mind with Avenidas VillageGet Connected!

Call (650) 289-5405 or visit www.avenidasvillage.org

� Stay in your home as you age� One call resource for all your needs� Concierge-level support � Access to vetted vendors & discounts� Daily telephone check-in service� Transportation for medical appointments � Members-only website & email group� Opportunities for socializing� Cultural & educational offerings � Safety net for facing challenges� Coordination of care after hospital visits

4000 Terman Drive � Palo Alto, CA � Tel: 650-813-9131www.bowmanschool.org

The Bowman program builds confidence, creativity and

academic excellence.

Lower School - Grades K - 5

Individualized, self-directed program

Middle School - Grades 6 - 8

Rich international and cultural studies

Proven, Montessori approach

State-of-the-art facility

Low student-teacher ratio

Seafood Dinners from $595 to $995

Clam Chowder - Seafood SaladsOur Award Winning Fish & Chips

Prepared from the finest Alaskan halibut.

Also featuring a full service fresh fish market.Restaurant: Mon-Sat 11-8:30 pm, Fri ‘til 9 pm

Market: Mon - Sat 9 - 7, Closed Sunday

751 El Camino Real Call in Orders WelcomeMenlo Park, CA 94025 Phone 650 325-0604 or 322-2231

BEST FRESH FISH • BEST SEAFOOD

Cook’s SeafoodRestaurant & Market“A GREAT PLACE TO EAT LUNCH OR DINNER”

PA

LO

AL T O W

E

EK

LY

BEST OF2 0 0 0

2003

that they would have that miscon-ception,” she says, attributing it to the fact that her students’ notion of white people was so negative, it didn’t occur to them that they could have a white teacher. Ms. Cebrian says Mr. Obama’s

message of unity, “that we are responsible for the people around us,” is deeply meaningful to her. The notion that poor people just need to work harder to get out of poverty is faulty, she says. The poor are working hard, if not harder than the affluent, just to stay afloat. “I’m educated, I have a good job,

and I couldn’t just work harder to be able to afford (to buy) a house,” she says. It’s thanks to the city’s below-market-rate housing pro-gram targeting teachers that her family was able to buy a house in Belle Haven, she says. “I like that we have a president who gets that it isn’t just about working harder,” she says. A

TEACHER’S TRIPcontinued from page 13

Patrick Shanahan of Wood-side, a ninth-grader at Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana, will be one of the school’s 100 riders and horses from the Black Horse Troop taking part in the presidential inaugural parade in Washington on Jan. 20. The Black Horse Troop’s partic-ipation in the parade is a tradition dating back more than 90 years to Woodrow Wilson’s inaugurals in 1913 and 1917. The troop is made up of top horsemen at Culver

Military Academy, located 100 miles north of Indianapolis on Lake Maxinkuckee. Patrick, 15, is a graduate of Woodside Elementary School. He is the son of Robyn and Tom Shanahan of Woodside.

Photo by Gary Mills/Culver Academies

Patrick Shanahan from Woodside, will ride in the

presidential inaugural parade Jan. 20 as a member of Culver Academies’ Black Horse Troop.

Woodsider to ride in inaugural parade

she was scouring secondhand shops for a dress to wear. Ms. Brenner, on the other hand, said she’d be happy if she were just able to make the inauguration cere-monies. She and her husband didn’t

have any sightseeing planned. “It’s not going to be easy to get around,” she said. “I think we all just have to be on our best behav-ior, be positive and patient.” Ms. Virani planned to watch the inaugural parade from the apart-ment of a friend she’s staying with who lives on the route. A

Post your inauguration storiesHow did you celebrate the presi-dential inauguration? Post stories and photos at thealmanaconline.com, or e-mail them to [email protected].

BIG EVENT continued from page 13

Cash-out refinance of school bonds is illegal, says attorney general

By Andrea GemmetAlmanac Staff Writer

For homeowners, cash-out refinancing is a popular way to lower monthly mortgage

payments while getting a lump sum of cash in the bargain. How-ever, when school districts use a similar practice to refinance school bonds, they’re breaking the law, according to state Attorney Gen-eral Jerry Brown. In the past 10 years, Las Lomitas and Woodside elementary school districts both used this method to generate extra money for school bond-financed projects, accord-ing to the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury. Attorney General Brown’s recently issued opinion says that school districts run the risk of having the entire bond issue invalidated if they fail to get voter approval of certain bond refunds. At issue are so-called cash-out refunding of school bonds, in which school districts take advantage of lower interest rates

to refinance a bond issuance, but agree to pay something higher than the prevailing interest rate in exchange for a cash “premium.” For example, if a school district originally issued bonds at a 10 per-cent interest rate and then seeks to refinance when the prevailing rate is 8 percent, district officials could agree to pay 9 percent inter-est in exchange for an upfront cash premium. In Mr. Brown’s Jan. 9 opinion, he says that this runs contrary to provisions for voter approval in the California Constitution. Dis-tricts may issue refunding bonds — refinance the debt, in other words — only if the proceeds are used to pay off the original bonds. Anything else requires a new vote. School bonds are repaid via property tax assessments, and a cash-out refunding of bonds results in an additional debt bur-den on property owners, accord-ing to Mr. Brown. Such bonds “categorically result in the creation

of new indebtedness Ö and there-fore require new voter approvals,” he writes in his opinion. The attorney general’s opinion also dismisses counter arguments used by school districts to justify cash-out refunding. The legal opinion comes at the request of state Sen. Joe Simitian, and follows a 2008 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report questioning the practice. According to the grand jury report, the Woodside district add-ed $572,000 in debt obligation to taxpayers, gaining an additional $352,000 for its bond projects. The cost of reissuing the bonds was $220,000. For Las Lomitas, the additional debt obligation incurred is $2.6 million, adding an extra $2.25 mil-lion to its building fund at a cost of $355,000 for reissuing the bonds. While the attorney general’s opinion may end the practice in the future, it appears that cash-out refunding bonds issued in the past are safe. There is a 60-day time limit for legal challenges, starting from the date the bonds are authorized, according to Mr. Brown’s opinion. A

■ The Las Lomitas district added $2.6 million in debt obligation to taxpayers; the Woodside school district added $572,000.

Put the word “green” in front of most anything these days, and you’ll get people talking. But green parking lots? Not as strange as it may seem, says Menlo Park Councilwoman Kelly Fergusson. In reviewing pre-liminary plans for a renovation of a parking plaza between Crane and Chestnut streets at Oak Grove Ave-nue, the City Council unanimously passed a motion put forward by Ms. Fergusson for the city to consider various “green” measures when it drafts the final plans for the lot. The suggestions include porous asphalt, native trees, solar-powered light standards, and a charging sta-tion for electric cars (a suggestion by Menlo Park resident Charlie Bourne). The ideas were proposed as sug-

gestions — not recommendations — and it remains to be seen how seriously they will be considered by the engineers designing the lot.

Boyle left off rail subcommittee

Menlo Park Councilman John Boyle was a bit miffed when Mayor Heyward Robinson left him off a two-person subcommittee that will address issues related to the high-speed rail project. “To address sort of the elephant in the room, I clearly represent a slightly different perspective on this than the rest of the council,” Mr. Boyle said at the Jan. 13 council meeting, alluding to his status as the lone supporter of the bond measure for the rail. He also cited his interest in and experience with transporta-tion issues as an argument in his favor — Mr. Boyle served on the

Transportation Commission, and he now acts as the council’s liaison to that commission. But Mr. Robinson skipped over Mr. Boyle in nominating Kelly Fergusson and Rich Cline — a motion Ms. Fergusson seconded. In August, Mr. Cline and Ms. Fergus-son cast the two affirmative votes to sue the High Speed Rail Authority, with Mr. Boyle dissenting. “To create a subcommittee with the two members who voted to sue (the authority), I don’t understand that,” Mr. Boyle said in an inter-view. “In the ideal world, we would all be able to participate,” Mr. Rob-inson said at the meeting, noting that council members can weigh in when the subcommittee reports to the council.


N E W SFree Speaker Series on

"BULLYING"FOR PARENTS & EDUCATORS

Presentations are from 7-9 pm

at Bethany Lutheran Church1095 Cloud Avenue, Menlo Park

Thurs. Jan. 29 – “Breaking the Cycle of Bullying: Building a Caring School and Involved Community”. Speaker: Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet, PPSC, LCSW. Create a shared understanding of bullying in the school and community through the use of a “community conversation”. When everyone works together, a safer com-munity and school can be achieved. Target audience: Parents of elementary &

middle school age children; educators.

Thurs. Mar. 19 – “Relational Aggression: How Girls Bully”. Speaker: Karen Friedland-Brown, MA. Understand the world of girls, their roles and relationships within their peer groups and the characteristics of those who bully. Learn strategies for prevention and intervention in bullying behavior at school and in the community. Target

audience: Parents of late elementary & middle school age children; educators.

Thurs. Apr. 16 – “Cyber-Bullying”. Speaker: Erica Pelavin, LCSW, PhD. Cyberspace has become a new locale for bullying and relational aggression. Gain an understanding of cyber-bullying, the trends, and strategies for stopping it at home and at school. Target audience: Parents of middle school & high school age children;

educators.

Reservations required. Adults only, please.

Reservation Deadline: 7 days prior to presentation.

Call 650-854-5897, ext. 217 OR e-mail: [email protected]. Include your name, phone number, e-mail address, date of presentation you’d like to attend, and number attending.

www.ChallengerSchool.com • An independent private school offering preschool through eighth grade© 2009, Barbara B. Baker

KNOWLEDGE. CONF IDENCE . JOY.

Traditional methods.Essential curriculum.

Breathtaking results.

Traditional methods.Essential curriculum.

Breathtaking results.

Open House

Saturday, February 7

from 9 a.m

. to Noon

Motorcyclist dies in Highway 84 crash Jan. 17 A motorcyclist who died after colliding Saturday, Jan. 17, with a sports utility vehicle on Highway 84 in unincorporated Woodside has been identified by the coroner’s office as Troy Lee Manuel, 42, of Redwood City. The collision was reported around 2:30 p.m. in the 900 block of the highway and blocked traffic until about 7:45 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. Mr. Manuel was pronounced dead on the highway. No other injuries were reported. The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the cause of the collision.

— Bay City News Service

M-A Little League sign-ups end soon The registration deadline for the 2009 Menlo-Atherton Little League baseball season is Jan. 25. Boys and girls between the ages of 5-1/2 and 16 (by April 30) are eligible to join. Play begins late in February and extends through the end of the school year. Registration after Jan. 25 is subject to a waiting list and a late fee of $25. Menlo-Atherton Little League boundaries are west of U.S. 101 and east of El Camino in Menlo Park (incorporated area only) and all of Atherton. To register, go to www.m-all.org.

Correction■ The Almanac incorrectly listed the Web site for more information on NASA cli-matologist James Hansen in a story in the Jan. 7 issue. The correct Web site is www.columbia.edu/~jeh1.

Green parking lots in the city’s future? ■ MENLO WATCH

Jean BoneMenlo Park Historical Association stalwart Jean Ward Bone, who served the Menlo Park Historical Asso-ciation devotedly for many years, died Jan. 6 at Canyon House in Menlo Park after a long illness. She was 89. Ms. Bone was born in Manila in the Philippine Islands, where her father, Adrian F. Ward, was director of welfare for the Knights of Columbus at the U.S. Army base in World War I. In 1925 the

family moved to Menlo Park, where Mr. Ward worked at the veterans hos-pital and later became health and welfare director for San Mateo County.

Ms. Bone graduated from St. Joseph’s Elementary School in Atherton, Mercy High School in Burlingame, and San Jose State University, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in 1941. She worked as an administrative

secretary at Dibble Hospital and at Ames Aeronautical Laboratory in Mountain View until joining the U.S. State Department. In the 1950s and 1960s, she worked at embassies in Rio de Janeiro, Saigon, Teheran, Salisbury (Rho-desia) and Ouagadougou, Africa, sometimes serving as a private secretary to ambassadors. She married Robert Bone, also a State Department employee, in Saigon in 1956. In 1968 Mr. Bone died while on furlough in Menlo Park. Ms. Bone then worked for Varian Associates in Palo Alto until retiring in 1981.

After retiring, she was active in many local organizations includ-ing the chaplaincy service at Stan-ford Medical Center; Oakwood, a retirement home and infirmary for the Religious of the Sacred Heart in Atherton; and, espe-cially, the Menlo Park Historical Association. She was proud to receive an emeritus award from the association at her retirement, says her brother, Adrian Ward. Throughout her lifetime, she was interested in travel, literature, sports and her religion, and she had great affection for friends, says Mr. Ward, her only survivor. Following a Mass of Christian burial on Jan. 9, Ms. Bone was buried at her family’s plot at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery.

Frances Blair AwbreyChef and world traveler A memorial service for Frances Blair Awbrey will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Sara-toga Federated Church chapel, 20390 Park Place in Saratoga. Ms. Awbrey died Dec. 21 in Gustavus, Alaska, after a two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 50. Ms. Awbrey, a fifth-generation Californian, was born in Berke-ley and moved to Atherton when she was in eighth grade. She graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School, and attended the University of Puget Sound, the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and the Cordon Bleu in Paris. Her skill as a chef was her passport to a lifetime of trav-eling adventures, say family members. Among the places she lived in were San Francisco, London, Gstaad, Madrid, Mar-bella, New York City, Nantucket, Anchorage, and San Miguel de Allende. Ms. Awbrey migrated to the small town of Gustavus on Gla-cier Bay in Alaska, where she became part of the community. She spent most winters in Mexico, driving the miles from Alaska to Mexico with her dog, Aria. She was an avid fly fisherman and a formidable Scrabble player,

and she enjoyed playing the cello, say family members. She volun-teered at the Mission Queretaro, serving the Otomi people of cen-tral Mexico. Surviving Ms. Awbrey are her parents, William and Mary Stu-art Awbrey of Atherton; brother Craig Awbrey of Saratoga; and sis-ter Lisa Awbrey of San Francisco. Memorials in her name may be made to Breast Cancer Con-nections, 390 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306; KARA, 457 Kingsley Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301; or the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94301.

Martha ArthurRetired registered nurse Martha Anne Arthur, a resident of Menlo Park since 2006, died Jan. 2 at her home at the age of 75. Ms. Arthur had been living at the home of her daughter and son-in-law Sandra and Lewis Darrow since moving from Northfield, Minnesota. Ms. Arthur was born in Wash-ington, D.C., grew up in Colum-bus, Ohio, and attended Antioch College. She also studied at the University of Connecticut and the University of Vienna, and graduated from the University of Minnesota. Married to Professor Hans Wendt, she raised three children. In her 40s, she studied to become a nurse and began a 20-year career as a registered nurse in hospital psychiatric departments. A second marriage to Robert Arthur lasted 23 years until his death in 2003. Ms. Arthur was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church and attended Rosener House. She expressed her creative gifts as a painter, quilter and antique col-lector. She is survived by her chil-dren, Alexander Wendt, Chris-topher Wendt, and Sandra Dar-row; sister Joan Rice; and seven grandchildren. A memorial service will be held


F O R T H E R E C O R D

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDSTOWN OF ATHERTON

STATE OF CALIFORNIAHOLBROOK-PALMER PARK

PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AT ATHERTON CHANNELPROJECT NO. 08-004

Notice is hereby given that SEALED BIDS will be received at the office of the City Clerk, 91 Ashfield Road, Atherton, California 94027, until 3:00 p.m. FEBRUARY 5, 2009, at which time they will be publicly opened and read, for performing the following work:

Construct foundations and purchase and install prefabricated pedestrian bridge from Watkins Avenue into Holbrook-Palmer Park, including asphalt walking path connections, retaining wall and fence along Watkins Avenue and within the park

Bids must be for the entire work, and shall be submitted in sealed envelopes clearly marked: “Bid of (Contractor) for HOLBROOK-PALMER PARK PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AT ATHERTON CHANNEL, Project No. 08-004”, along with date and time of bid opening.

Plans and specifications may be obtained at the Town of Atherton Public Works Department, 91 Ashfield Road, Atherton CA 94027, for a non-refundable fee of $30.00. Additional important information is contained in Town of Atherton Standard Specifications, which are available for an additional $20.00. If shipping is requested, there will be an additional charge of $20.00.

Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in the form of cash, a cashier’s or certified check or bid bond for not less than ten percent (10%) of the amount of the bid, as a guarantee that the bidder, if awarded the Contract, will fulfill the terms of the bid. The Town of Atherton reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and/or to waive any irregularities therein.

Bidders are hereby notified that, pursuant to California Civil Code Sections 3247 and 3248 and Standard Specifications Section 3.02, the successful bidder will be required to provide payment and performance bonds in the amounts stated in Section 3.02 of the Standard Specifications.

Bidders are hereby notified that provisions of California Labor Code regarding prevailing wages are applicable to the work to be performed under this contract. Pursuant to Section 1773 et seq. the general prevailing wage rates have been determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations and appear in the California Prevailing Wage Rates. Copies are on file at the office of the City Engineer and are available to interested parties upon request. The successful bidder shall post a copy of the wage rates at the job site.

The Contractor may elect to receive 100 percent of payments due under the contract, without retention of any portion of the payment by the Town of Atherton, by depositing securities of equivalent value to the retention amount in accordance with the provisions of Section 22300 of the California Public Contracts Code.

The successful bidder must be licensed under the provisions of Chapter 9, Division 3, of the California Business and Professions Code to do the type of work contemplated in the project at the time the contract is awarded and shall be skilled and regularly engaged in the general class or type of work called for under the Contract. Failure of the bidder to obtain proper and adequate licensing for an award of the contract shall constitute a failure to execute the contract and result in the forfeiture of the bidder’s bid security.

Each bidder shall submit with this bid a statement setting forth his/her/its experience and qualifications. The statement shall be made on the forms provided by the Town and must accompany each bid. The three lowest bidders will be required to submit subcontractor’s experience and qualifications statements within 48 hours of the bid opening, on forms provided by the Town.

By submitting a bid in response to this advertisement for bids, the bidder shall be conclusively deemed to have read, understood and agreed with all of the information and materials contained in the bid documents, including but not limited to the construction contract, the standard specifications, the special provisions, the required nature and amount of insurance and the documentation evidencing said insurance.

Any questions regarding the project should be directed to the City Engineer, 91 Ashfield Road, Atherton, CA 94027, telephone (650) 752-0532, preferably no later than five days before bid opening. Requests for Information may be faxed to (650) 688-6539. Plan holder’s lists may be obtained by calling (650) 752-0570.

By: ___________________________________ Duncan L. Jones, P.E., City Engineer

Date: ___________________________________

Published in THE ALMANAC on January 14, 21, 2009.

EMERSON SCHOOL

2800West Bayshore Road, Palo Alto RSVP: 650-424-1267

www.headsup.org

Information Nights:February 3 and March 4: 4:30-5:30

Cultivating Astonishing Potential!

Grades 1-8

Affiliated with:

HeadsUp!Child Development Centerfor ages 0-6

■ OBITUARIES

Jean Bone

Continued on next page

This information is from the Atherton and Menlo Park police departments and the San Mateo County Sheriffís Office. Under the law, people charged with offenses are considered innocent until convicted.

ATHERTON

Residential burglary report:■ Window broken and suit stolen, 300 block of Atherton Ave., Jan. 9. Auto burglary report: Window pried open and purses and keys stolen, Val-paraiso Ave. and El Camino Real, Jan. 10.

MENLO PARK

Commercial burglary report: Three storage units broken into, 3700 block of Haven Ave., Jan 9. Grand theft reports: ■ GPS and Bluetooth devices stolen from unlocked vehicle, 4500 block of Bohan-non Drive, Jan. 9. ■ Apple iPhone missing, 300 block of Encinal Ave., Jan. 14. Robbery report: Victim pushed to ground by three assailants and robbed of $20, bicycle and cell phone, 1300 block of Windermere Ave., Jan. 14. Auto burglary reports: ■ Guitar, monitor, speakers and micro-

phones stolen, 1200 block of Chilco St., Jan 10. ■ Window smashed and GPS device sto-len, 1000 block of Noel Drive, Jan. 10. ■ Window smashed and purse stolen, 1600 block of Marsh Road, Jan. 11. ■ Window smashed and camera case sto-len, 700 block of College Ave., Jan. 15. Stolen vehicle report: 1993 Plymouth stolen, 700 block of Coleman Ave., Jan. 12. Fraud reports: ■ Online fraud, 400 block of Oak Grove Ave., Jan. 13. ■ Identity theft, 100 block of Jefferson Drive, Jan. 13. ■ Unauthorized use of credit card, police station at 701 Laurel St., Jan. 14. ■ Resident said six of her checks had been altered, police station at 701 Laurel St., Jan. 15. ■ Online fraud, police station at 701 Lau-rel St., Jan. 15.

WOODSIDE

Theft report: Unauthorized charge of $1,428 made to victim’s charge card, 900 block of Canada Road, Jan. 7

PORTOLA VALLEY

Theft report: Diamond tennis necklace stolen, The Sequoias retirement commu-nity at 501 Portola Road, Jan. 7.

LADERA

Security guard allegedly kicked by grocery store employee after guard left note on employee’s windshield regard-ing expired parking permit, 3000 block of Alpine Road, Jan. 7puzzle based on decisions they

had made last April with respect to police department personnel. Maybe the Majority Four believe Menlo Park exists in a bubble and that we need not heed what is going on all around us. I guess I was raised differ-ently because I was taught when there’s an economic crisis, all the reins get pulled in immedi-ately, no matter what was previ-ously planned and there is no discretionary spending. I was supportive of raises for our police last year. However, I am not supportive now because we and every city around us are facing some unprecedented fiscal issues. We are all going to suffer the decline in sales tax revenues while our union employee costs will continue to rise out of control. And, all of us, including the police, should not be expecting raises. In fact, we are all lucky to be able to keep our jobs. The undeniable fact is that the Majority Four of Mayor Hey-ward Robinson, Rich Cline, Kel-ly Fergusson and Andy Cohen were endorsed and well support-ed during their campaigns by the unions; (it) is the underlying reason that the Menlo Park resi-dents come second with respect to these decisions. Our tax dol-lars are being used to make the unions happy and guarantee the re-election of the Majority Four. It is time for the residents to stop electing people who serve the unions and elect people who are free to make timely and independent decisions that are fiscally responsible.

Mary GillesHermosa Way, Menlo Park

Working together on housing the right ideaEditor: I want to thank you for your editorial, “Let’s work together on housing” in the Jan. 7 edition. As a seven-year member of the Menlo Park Housing Commis-sion, I am overjoyed that The Almanac supports the search for

positive and sensible solutions to our city’s housing problems. I look forward to the creation of attractive and appropriate transit-oriented-housing along El Camino Real and increased housing options for our senior population. I am painfully aware of the need for a greater number of below market rate units for those who live or work

in Menlo Park. My colleagues and I recognize that the number of those seek-ing housing will greatly increase with the expansion of the Stan-ford Medical Center. It is my great hope that the community will work together cooperatively to meet these challenges.

Carol S. LouchheimBrent Court, Menlo Park

LETTERS

Continued from page 18


F O R T H E R E C O R D

Town & Country Village855 El Camino Real, Suite 120

Palo Alto, CA 94301phone 650.326.1899

sale

sale

Frances Blair Awbrey aged 50 died peacefully on December 21, 2008 in Gustavus, Alaska where she was cared for by devoted friends. In October 2006, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in Tucson, Arizona, where she was treated for seven months. Thereafter, she moved to her family home in Atherton, CA and made several visits to Gustavus until her final trip there on September 2008. Blair, a fifth generation Californian, was born in Berkeley. She graduated from Menlo Atherton High School, attended the University of Puget Sound, the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and later the Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. Blair's skill as a chef was her passport to a lifetime of traveling adventures; among the places where she sojourned were San Francisco, London, Gastaad, Madrid, Marbella, New York, Nantucket, Anchorage and San Miguel de Allende. Blair migrated to Alaska where she ultimately discovered the small town of Gustavus on Glacier Bay and became part of the community there. She spent most winters in Mexico where she adopted an abandoned puppy, Aria, with whom she later logged many miles on road trips from Mexico to Alaska. In early 2006, Blair volunteered at the Mission San Ildefonso in Queretaro serving the Otomi people of central Mexico. Blair was intrepid and her passion for life was infectious. She was an avid fly fisherwoman, a formidable scrabble player and enjoyed playing the cello. Blair is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Awbrey of Atherton, a brother, Craig Awbrey of Saratoga, and a sister, Lisa Awbrey of San Francisco; other family includes two uncles, a number of cousins, and three nieces. A memorial is pending in Gustavus and there will be a memorial at the Saratoga Federated Church Chapel, 20390 Park Pl. in Saratoga, CA at 11 a.m. on January 31. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Breast Cancer Connections, 390 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306; KARA, 457 Kingsley Ave., P.A., CA. 94301 or the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 795 El Camino Real, P.A., CA. 94301.

P A I D O B I T U A R Y

at All Saints Church in North-field, Minnesota, on Jan. 24.

Margaret TiffanyAntique collector and longtime Woodside resident A celebration of the life of Margaret Watson Clark Tiffany of Woodside will be held at 3 p.m. Satur-day, Jan. 31, at Woodside Vil-lage Church. Ms. Tiffany died Dec. 29 after a short ill-ness. She was 91. Ms. Tiffany was a collector of antique furniture and porcelain. Until recently, she participated in many antique shows in the Bay Area and occasionally lent pieces

to San Francisco museums for exhibition. Born in Virginia, Ms. Tiffany graduated from Mary Wash-ington College. She married Forrest Fraser Tiffany in 1941, two days after Pearl Harbor. The family lived in Connecticut before moving to Woodside in 1963. Ms. Tiffany was an accomplished hostess and enter-tainer, say family members. She performed with the Woodside Village Players, and her rendi-tions of “Five Dollar Shoes Don’t Fit My Feet” and “Frankie and Johnny” at her 90th birthday celebration are immortalized on YouTube, says her daughter-in-law Terri Tiffany. At the time of her death, Ms. Tiffany was active in the Wood-side Village Church, the Glass & Decorative Arts Club of Garden House in Los Altos, and her bridge club.

She is survived by her son, Joseph Tiffany of Menlo Park; daughters Gretchen Hensel of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Beverly Tiffany of Los Angeles; brother Blake Clark and sisters Ava Spencer and Dr. Eloise Clark; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Donations in Ms. Tiffany’s name may be made to the Memo-rial Garden Fund at Woodside Village Church or to the Sequoia Hospital Foundation.

Memorial gathering forWalter Freeman Gamble A gathering for family and friends is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at 513 Lexington Ave. in Menlo Park for Walter Freeman Gamble, 86, of Menlo Park, who died Jan. 13. The Almanac will publish a complete obituary in a future edition.

Margaret Tiffany

■ POLICE CALLSContinued from previous page

Post your views and comments on TownSquare: www.TheAlmanacOnline.com

■ TOWN SQUARE


Council majority ignored public on police pay increase Editor: After receiving 51 individual e-mails and letters from residents last week urging the Menlo Park City Council to reconsider voting for salary raises for eight sergeants in our police department, giv-ing them an average 30 percent increase (adding $500,000 to our city’s annual budget), the majority of four council members ignored these concerns and approved the deal, with member John Boyle opposed. In response to the 51 residents, Mayor Heyward Robinson sent a long e-mail explaining why the council had to complete the

The down economy did not deter Almanac readers from support-ing the Holiday Fund this year, as they dug deeper to contribute $146,045, a significant increase from last year’s donations.

The added income, coupled with nearly $30,000 from the Rotary Club of Menlo Park, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, means that the 10 nonprofit organizations listed below will each receive a check for about $17,300 in early February. More than 200 readers contributed to the Almanac’s Holiday Fund this year, responding to the increased need resulting from the finan-cial crisis gripping the country. Some significantly larger donations raised the average gift per person to nearly $700, a substantial increase over last year.

The Holiday Fund is a partner-ship of the Almanac, the matching donors, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which processes all contributions. No fees or other charges are assessed to any

Holiday Fund donation; 100 percent of all funds raised go directly to the participating nonprofit. Each of the following agencies will receive checks next month:

Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula Provides after-school academic support and enrichment activities for 1,000 youth each day, ages 6 to 18. Operates clubhouses in Menlo Park’s Belle Haven neighborhood, East Palo Alto and Redwood City, and after-school programs at schools in these communities designed to extend the learning day and supplement the school’s curriculum.

Ecumenical Hunger Program Provides emergency food, clothing, household essentials, special children’s programs and sometimes financial assistance to families in need, regardless of religious preference, including Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets for more than 1,500 households.

Ravenswood Family Health Center Provides primary medical care, behavioral health services and pre-ventive health care for all ages at its clinics in Belle Haven and East Palo Alto. It also operates a mobile clinic at school sites. Of the 22,700 registered patients, most are low-income and uninsured.

St. Anthony’s Padua Dining Room Serves hundreds of hot meals six days a week in a social and friendly atmosphere to anyone in need. Funded entirely by contributions from

the community, St. Anthony’s is the largest soup kitchen between San Francisco and San Jose. It offers groceries to take home and distributes clothing to families.

Second Harvest Food Bank The largest collector and distributor of food on the Peninsula, Second Harvest Food Bank distributed 30 million pounds of food last year. It gathers donations from individuals and businesses and distributes food to some 162,000 people each month through more than 700 agencies and distribution sites in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

Shelter Network Provides short-term shelter and transitional housing services to more than 3,700 adults and children each year. Offers programs for families and individuals to become self-sufficient and return to permanent housing.

Youth and Family Enrichment Services Provides many programs to help people who struggle with sub-stance abuse, domestic violence, mental health, relationship and communications issues. Helps strengthen youth, families and indi-viduals to overcome challenges through counseling, education, and residential services.

Project Read-Menlo Park Provides free literacy services to adults in the Menlo Park area. Trained volunteers work one-on-one or in small groups to help adults improve their basic reading, writing and English language skills so they can achieve their goals and function more effectively at home, at work and in the community. In 2007-08, a total of 120 tutors assisted more than 300 students.

St. Francis Center (North Fair Oaks) Provides services for families in need with the goal of helping them to live in dignity and become self-supporting community members. The center assists 2,400 people each month with such services as low-income housing, food and clothing, shower and laundry, counseling, community garden, and education.

Family Connections Provides a free parent-participation preschool program that includes parent education, parent leadership, preschool and pre-kindergarten for 400 people, including parents and children, ages newborn to 5, at three sites in the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, and the North Fair Oaks neighborhood of Redwood City.

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

EDITORIALThe opinion of The Almanac

LETTERSOur readers write

Photo by Berton Crandall

Our Regional HeritageA team of oxen pulls into the Dudfield saw mill in what is now Loma Mar on Pescadero Road. The mill belonged to John Dudfield, who operated it to supply his lumberyard in Palo Alto. The trip over the Haskins Grade to La Honda and then to the summit and on to Palo Alto and back took a six-horse team three days. Photo is undated but is thought to be from around 1916.

Holiday Fund donors dig deep

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 854-2626, ext. 222.

Editor & PublisherTom Gibboney

EditorialManaging Editor Richard Hine News Editor Renee BattiLifestyles Editor Jane Knoerle Senior CorrespondentsMarion Softky, Marjorie Mader Staff Writers Andrea Gemmet, David Boyce, Sean HowellContributors Barbara Wood, Kate Daly, Bill Rayburn, Miles McMullin, Katie BlankenbergSpecial Sections Editors Carol Blitzer, Sue Dremann Photographer Michelle Le

Design & ProductionDesign Director Raul Perez Designers Linda Atilano,Gail Thoreson, Joanne Lee, Laura Don, Gary Vennarucci

AdvertisingAdvertising Manager Neal Fine Display Advertising Sales Ella FleishmanReal Estate Account Advertising Assistant Coordinator Jessica Hatzistratis

Advertising ServicesReceptionist Renee Meil Circulation, Classified, & Legal Advertising Bill Rayburn

Published every Wednesday at 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (650) 854-2626 FAX (650) 854-0677

e-mail news (no photos please) to: [email protected] photos with captions to: [email protected] letters to:[email protected] 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 qualifi ed 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.

Voluntary subscriptions are available for delivery to homes in Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside at $30 per year or $50 for 2 years. Subscriptions by businesses or residents outside the area are $50 for one year and $80 for two years.

Serving Menlo Park,

Atherton, Portola Valley,

and Woodside for 40 years.

■ WHAT’S YOUR VIEW?

See LETTERS, page 17


V I E W P O I N T

Editor’s Note: The following letters were provided by the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula. The writers attend the Menlo Park club as well as the Center for a New Generation.

Obama’s achievement will open doors for blacksEditor: Barack Obama’s inauguration makes me believe that anything can happen. Even though I am young, I have always thought I’ve had a pretty good understanding of the way the world works. I always hoped there would someday be an African American president, but I never believed it would hap-pen so soon. I think that Mr. Obama’s inauguration will open many doors for young black males like me because people will have higher expec-tations for us. I’ve been lucky to be a part of a program like the Center for a New Generation because it provides me with a number of opportunities. At CNG I can grow socially, academically, and athleti-cally. The best thing about CNG is the fact that it has opened my eyes to academic and career opportunities. I hope to attend a prep school next year as a ninth-grader and I think Mr. Obama’s victory in the presidential election will help me once I get there. Barack Obama has changed people’s perception of black males; he is an example of a successful black man who does something besides playing sports or rapping. I play sports, but I am more than just an athlete. I like to learn and contribute to my community in a number of different ways. I think more people will see me for who I really am now because of what they’ve seen with Mr. Obama. Mr. Obama is the kind of role model people need in the United States. He has broken ste-reotypes in order to become something that very few people believed he could become. I hope that as I move forward with my life I will be able to inspire the next generation the way he has inspired me. We all need to know that we don’t have to act a certain way because of our skin color, we just have to be true to our-selves and follow our dreams no matter what they are.

Dae’Von Bishop, 13

Blacks will now be taken more seriouslyEditor: To me, President-elect Obama’s inauguration means hope and change. Mr. Obama is what I have hoped for my whole life. Growing up, the only time I would ever hear about an African American president was when someone was making a joke. It would really upset me that I lived in a world where no one even thought a black man or wom-an could be taken seriously. Mr. Obama’s inauguration gives me hope that I will be judged by the content of my character as I continue to get older. It’s inspiring for me to

see that Mr. Obama did not win because of his race, age, or gender; he won because he’s the best person for the job. It makes me proud to be a part of a country where people achieve their goals based on their merit. I know that if I continue to be my best I will be able to reach my goals regardless of racism and prejudice that has existed in the past. Mr. Obama has made me even prouder of my African Ameri-can heritage. Many people in my community are excited about the change that will come with Mr. Obama’s inauguration as president. He has made so many people proud. It’s exciting for me to see people want to make changes in my own community because they witness Mr. Obama preparing to make changes in our nation and world. I believe that a change is coming to my community of East Palo Alto as a result of Mr. Obama’s inspirational victory.

Tajianna Robinson, 13

Election inspires blacks to reach higherEditor: My teachers, parents, friends, and mentors have always told me I can be whatever I want in life. To be honest, I never really believed them. I’m a good student with a 4.0 GPA. I run track and com-pete in gymnastics, go to the Boys and Girls Club, and am a part of my school’s student government. I’ve even been in commercials and movies. I don’t mean to brag, but I pretty much take advantage of all the opportunities that are available to kids in my com-munity of East Palo Alto. That’s just who I am, I love trying new things and being my best. Even though I’ve done all these things, I’ve always thought there was a limit to what I could accomplish in my life. I’ve never thought I could win a Nobel Prize, walk on the moon, or be president. I’ve wanted to do these things, but I’ve never truly believed that it was possible. I’ve never seen anyone who looks like me accomplish any of these feats. Most of the suc-cessful African American people I have seen are celebrities in entertainment and athletics. I still try my hardest because I hope for the best, but I can’t really say that I’ve ever truly believed I can do everything I dream of. Barack Obama’s inauguration means that my teachers, parents, and mentors are right. I really can do anything in life if I set my mind to. There are very few people out there who have broken stereotypes such as the ones Afri-can Americans face, but I have always wanted to be in that group of people. I want to be somebody who does something that no one has ever done before. I want to do something like Barack has done. Mr. Obama’s victory has made me believe that just because I have never seen anyone do something, that doesn’t mean that I can’t do it myself. I can be the first. From watch-ing him, I’ve learned that I can overcome any obstacles or barriers people try to set for me. Mr. Obama has given me the ability to believe in myself and my dreams. Thank you, Barack.

Micha Auzenne, 13

Obama victory spreads hope among local black youth

Jensen Hauser

CUSTOM UPHOLSTERINGSwiss Craftsmanship Since 1950

98 5th Ave. • (650) 365-5027 • Redwood City

50% off Your First Two

Training SessionsGood towards the first two sessions with an AXIS staff trainer. May not be com-bined with other offers or discounts.

Expires 3/31/09. Code: Almanac

Bring in this ad to receive

A X I SP E R F O R M A N C E

C E N T E R

Menlo Park(650) 463-1920

www.axispt.com Expert Personal Trainers Certif ied Massage Therapists

Ring in 2009 with a healthy start.Get the help you need with one of our expert trainers.

Dae’Von Bishop

Micha Auzenne

Tajianna Robinson


Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Sq. ft. and/or acreage information contained herein has been received from seller, existing reports, appraisals, public records and/or other sources deemed reliable.However, neither seller nor listing agent has verified this information. If this information is important to buyer in determining whether to buy or the purchase price, buyer should conduct buyer’s own investigation.

The Gullixson Team’s total sales volume in

residential real estate on the Peninsula is now in

excess of $1.82 billion dollars.

Representing $1 billion in Atherton Sales alone.

BRENT GULLIXSON

650.543.1194650.888.4898 Cell

[email protected]

MARY GULLIXSON

650.543.1175650.888.0860 Cell

[email protected]

www.450Middlefield.com1.15+/- acre Atherton estate • 6 bedrooms

2-bedroom guesthouse and poolMenlo Park Schools

OFFERED AT $5,995,000

OPEN SUNDAY • 1:30-4:30 142 Glenwood Avenue • Atherton

• Contemporary 6 bedroom home on 1.33+/- acres

• 1 bedroom guest house and pool

• Menlo Park Schools


CO-LISTED WITH ALI FAGHIRI, 650.543.1193

www.70LindaVista.com5 bedroom Atherton home on almost 1 acre

1 bed guesthouse • Pool, spa, cabana, sport courtMenlo Park Schools

PRICE UPON REQUEST

www.93SerranoDrive.comNewly constructed Atherton Estate

Pool and pool houseImpressive landscaped grounds


www.Gullixson.comNew 3-level Mediterranean-style West Atherton home

5 bedrooms, home theatre, wine cellarPool and 1 bedroom pool house with kitchenette

OFFERED AT $7,395,000 CO-LISTED WITH ALI FAGHIRI, 650.543.1193

COMING SOON IN ATHERTON: 5 bedroom Mediterranian estate • 1 bedroom guest house • OFFERED AT $11,500,000

JANUARY 21, 2009 | … · stock of beautiful everyday bras by Prima Donna, Chantelle, LeMystere,...

Documents

Transcript of JANUARY 21, 2009 | … · stock of beautiful everyday bras by Prima Donna, Chantelle, LeMystere,...