Palo Alto Weekly January 17, 2020 by Palo Alto Weekly

Palo Alto

Vol. XLI, Number 15 Q January 17, 2020

Car camping OK’d in church parking lots Page 5

w w w. P a l o A l t o O n l i n e.c o m

A TIDAL

PHENOMENON

King tides bring flooding — and rare bird sightings — to the Baylands Page 20

Transitions 13 Spectrum 18 Arts 22 Eating Out 23 Movies 24 Puzzles 31 Q Shop Talk Downtown’s House of Foam calls it quits Q Home Palo Alto collector to share history on a plate Q Sports A rivalry weekend in high school basketball

Page 23 Page 25 Page 30

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IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY CALL 911 Page 2 • January 17, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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Upfront

Local news, information and analysis

Citizen committee adds 3 more rail options New plans may aid — or delay — decision on separation of tracks from roads by Gennady Sheyner

hen Palo Alto established a new citizens committee last year to help guide the city to a decision on redesigning its rail crossings, the goal was to shrink the menu of options and arrive at a preferred alternative by this spring.

Since then, the 14-member Expanded Community Advisory Committee (XCAP) has been regularly meeting to debate the merits of each option, parse traffic data and pepper consultants with technical questions. But much like the committee itself, which replaced a

smaller group known as the Community Advisory Committee, the list of options has not shrunk but rather expanded. The city’s unpredictable and ever-evolving planning process for grade separation — the reconfiguration of rail crossings so that tracks do not intersect with streets — will return to the spotlight on Tuesday, when the City Council hears an update from the Expanded Community Advisory

Committee. And much like the committee, council members will have to find a balance between two competing goals: their desire to meet the city’s deadline and their wish to find the perfect solution for what is often referred to as the largest infrastructure project in Palo Alto’s history. Even though the council has been gradually narrowing down its grade-separation options over the past two years (the number has

gone from 36 to seven), since November, XCAP has been discussing three new design alternatives for grade separation, each proposed by citizen volunteers. On Dec. 18, the committee voted to recommend adding all three options to the council’s list of seven, which includes two concepts for Churchill Avenue (the closure of the street to traffic near the (continued on page 9)

EDUCATION

Families want Palo Alto schools to offer Hindi School district says it’s complicated

Sammy Dallal

Rob Schulze, a pastor at Peninsula Bible Church, talks about the “safe parking” program that the Palo Alto City Council approved on Jan. 15. His congregation will provide parking spaces for people living out of their cars and give them access to the church’s restroom facilities.

HOUSING

Houses of worship get ready to welcome vehicle dwellers Following city decision, local churches and temples can offer parking lots for overnight residential parking by Jonathan Guillen and Gennady Sheyner

or Peninsula Bible Church, the increasingly prominent issue of people living in their cars is more than just a citywide problem: It’s personal. Several members of the church use their cars as housing, so the congregation knows firsthand the challenges that come with being

a working professional while homeless, including finding safe parking at night and access to restrooms. “Once you can put a face to this issue then it becomes more personal and real,” Rob Schulze, a pastor at Peninsula Bible Church, told the Weekly. “This program

is a tangible way to demonstrate love to all our neighbors.” By unanimous vote, the City Council agreed Monday to let local congregations designate up to four parking spaces on their lots for overnight (6 p.m. to 8 a.m.) parking. Congregations must also provide bathrooms with toilets

and sinks and maintain “clear and orderly premises.” Much like similarly established programs in East Palo Alto and Mountain View, social service providers will be brought in to assist program participants in finding permanent housing. Among those who have offered their parking lots is Congregation Etz Chayim, a synagogue on Alma Street. While the safe parking program won’t solve the underlying housing crisis, Rabbi Chaim Koritzinsky said, it is a step in addressing the immediate needs of residents without homes. “As we look for a long-term

rabhi Sundararajan’s daughter, a Gunn High School freshman, travels to a Hindi school in Fremont every Sunday for a three-hour course in the language she’s been learning since kindergarten. It’s an investment in time and money that the family, which speaks Hindi at home, has decided to make. But they shouldn’t have to, Sundararajan believes. She’s part of a group of passionate parents who have revived a yearslong campaign to push the Palo Alto Unified School District to offer Hindi as a world language at its two high schools. Several spoke at a December school board meeting, arguing that Hindi is a global language, spoken by millions of people, that both Indian and non-Indian students should be able to learn at their public high schools. (The district does already accept at least one Hindi school’s courses as credit toward high schoolers’ language graduation requirement.) Hindi “is taught at most universities, including Stanford and UC Berkeley, so why not at the school level, especially if the students are demanding it?” said Rachna Dhir, another parent involved in the effort. “Ten years ago, maybe it was the time for Mandarin,” she added. “Similarly, today is the time for Hindi.”

(continued on page 8) (continued on page 7)

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We don’t want to just be told that it cannot be done. —Arabhi Sundararajan, Palo Alto parent, on adding Hindi to school curriculum. See story on page 5.

Around Town

A DINING DESTINATION ... U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s first stop on this week’s Bay Area visit was Palo Alto Italian restaurant Cafe Pro Bono, where he dined last Sunday night with leaders from Stanford University, owner Akif Aydin said. Aydin was informed ahead of time about the secretary of state’s arrival by a customer who was hosting Pompeo, he said. The Secret Service and Palo Alto police descended upon the Birch Street restaurant to provide security, but it was an otherwise normal evening, Aydin said. Pompeo ordered a Diet Coke and ate only a few bites of his entree. (He was paying more attention to conversing with his dining companions, Aydin said.) The dinner lasted about an hour and a half. Aydin said the secretary of state was “kind” and “humble” during his visit, taking the time to shake the restaurant staff’s hands and take a picture with them. Pompeo is not the first secretary of state to dine at Cafe Pro Bono. George Shultz and Condoleeza Rice also have frequented the restaurant, the owner said. “We have basically become the destination for secretary of states,” Aydin proudly said. The next morning, Pompeo discussed the drone attack that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani at an invite-only talk for Stanford students at the Hoover Institution followed by a roundtable discussion with the institution’s fellows. WALKING TALL ... If you’re in need of inspiration for a New Year’s resolution to improve your fitness or inspire others, look no further than Palo Alto firefighter John Preston. The Marine Corps veteran launched on Monday a 625-mile walk to raise awareness of veterans’ and first responders’ mental health. He’ll travel 22 miles a day and carry 22 kilograms (about 50 pounds) to represent the 22 veterans who die by suicide each day. Preston was inspired to take the 28-day journey to honor surviving family members and loved ones. “My goal is to (bring) as many people back to the middle as I can,” he said in a video for the campaign. The issue has a personal meaning for

Preston, whose brother, a fellow Marine Corps veteran and 20year police officer, died by suicide after battling post-traumatic stress disorder. Preston, who also copes with PTSD, started his trip at King Plaza outside Palo Alto City Hall, where he led police officers, fellow firefighters and other community members in an energetic chant shared on social media by the police department: “Your life! One life! My life! Your life! We’re gonna finish this!” “You are rightfully putting the spotlight on suicide rather than allowing it to stay in the shadows,” Police Chief Robert Jonsen said at the kick-off event, where Fire Chief Geoffrey Blackshire also made remarks. Over the next few weeks, Preston will travel down the California coast with the intention of connecting with people along the way to the USS Midway in San Diego, which he plans to reach by Feb. 9. On the first three days of his trip, Preston made stops in Campbell, Scotts Valley and Watsonville, where police officers and firefighters from other agencies greeted him. For updates on his trek, visit 22andyou.net.

PACKING THE PATIO... In a sea of San Francisco 49ers fans throughout the Bay Area rooting on their home team, which is playing in the NFC Championship game this Sunday, supporters of the opposing team, the Green Bay Packers are preparing to huddle up for a pep rally this Saturday at 6 p.m. in Palo Alto. The Wisconsin team will be hosting a “Packers Everywhere” event at The Patio in downtown Palo Alto with Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy, who will greet fans and take part in a Q-and-A session with sportscaster Wayne Larrivee, who gives play-by-play radio reports on the team. Stanford University alumnus James Lofton, a former Green Bay wide receiver, and former Packers quarterback Lynn Dickey are also scheduled to attend the rally. The team will be giving away a helmet signed by current Packers nose tackle Kenny Clark and a jersey signed by placekicker Mason Crosby, among other prizes. For more information on the rally, visit packers.com. Q

Upfront

Hindi (continued from page 5)

Sammy Dallal

The opportunity to add Hindi as a world language for the next school year has passed, given the district’s requirement that new course proposals be submitted by November. (Typically individual teachers or schools, not parents, propose new courses, according to the district.) But the parents are still eager to work with the school district and have offered to serve as an informal task force that could help the district navigate potential roadblocks to offering Hindi. The campaign to include Hindi as a language at the public schools stretches back to 2015, when a Palo Alto father whose children were attending the same Hindi school in Fremont, Madhu Bhasha Kendra, unsuccessfully pushed for a district program. Sundararajan picked his effort up again two years later, launching an online petition that gathered close to 400 signatures. Sundararajan’s family is from South India, and she wanted her children to maintain their connection to written and spoken Hindi more formally. As elementary students, they learned Hindi through an independent, nonprofit after-school program located at Palo Alto elementary schools. For middle and high school-level courses, they

Rachna Dhir, left, and Arabhi Sundararajan are advocating for the Palo Alto Unified School District to offer Hindi as a foreign language. went on to Madhu Bhasha Kendra, which is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and approved by the University of California system. Sundararajan’s petition argued that offering Hindi at the high schools would alleviate the stress of an additional afterschool activity for overburdened students; expose more students to the history, culture and heritage of South Asia; allow more choice for students; and give an edge to students who might go on to careers in global business. Hindi is the most spoken language in India and the fourth in

the world after Mandarin, Spanish and English, according to the petition. Madhu Bhasha Kendra has offered its support to the parents’ effort, including writing curriculum and providing credentialed Hindi teachers to the school district. The last new foreign language added in Palo Alto schools, Mandarin, became a controversial, hotly debated process, even sparking concern that proponents would pursue a charter school if the board didn’t approve a local immersion program. Gunn’s language department now offers classes in French,

German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Palo Alto High School students can take American Sign Language, French, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. From the district’s perspective, adding a new language is complicated, especially without a teacher to champion it. Superintendent Don Austin wrote to the parents in December that “the hurdles at this point in time are too large to consider the addition of an entire program.” Language courses require sufficient demand be sustained over time and a reallocation of staff and students, he told the Weekly. “A common rule of thumb is that adding languages requires at least two sections at the entry level to have a chance of sustainability in the future due to natural attrition. If an entry level course begins with one small section, the numbers only diminish over the years,” he wrote in an email to the Weekly. “This leads to level 3 and 4 courses that may not have enough students to run, creating difficult decisions about the school district’s obligation to provide a full sequence for students.” The district would also have to hire a credentialed teacher “with no chance of filling a five-period schedule,” he said. Austin also noted that the parent advocacy is based at Gunn, and “Paly has not weighed in on

the conversation and has not expressed an interest.” He said that the district is looking at more ways to accept credit for courses offered outside the district. The parents, however, have been undeterred by Austin’s response and are heartened that the district is engaging with them after years of minimal to no response. They are asking the district to work with them transparently and remain open to finding solutions to challenges rather than shutting the process down. “We don’t want to just be told that it cannot be done,” Sundararajan said. “That transparency has to be there from the beginning. We don’t want a repeat of 2015 and 2017. Everybody has very limited time and energy. Generations are just going without reaping the benefit of something.” Parent Pallavi Jagasia encouraged the district to “think outside of the box” and seize the opportunity to offer a language that most other public schools in the area don’t. “We understand the district has standard operating processes for how courses are added,” she said. “We would like to see the district and board think like a pioneer.” Q Staff Writer Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@ paweekly.com.

An evening with

Dr. COrnel WesT Please join Dr. Cornel West to discuss democracy, race, and justice. The evening will also include a question and answer session with Foothill College students.

Friday, January 17 6:30 PM Smithwick Theatre Purchase tickets at

foothill.edu/speakers Proceeds will beneﬁt Foothill College service leadership and equity scholarships.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • January 17, 2020 • Page 7

Upfront

Vehicle dwellers (continued from page 5)

solution to this problem, we can’t overlook the short-term needs of those in our community,” Koritzinsky said. The synagogue’s parking lot is about 50 yards long and half as wide, bordered by Alma on the front and houses at the back. While there are a few trees lining the front, parked cars are visible from the street. “So far, we haven’t heard anything from our neighbors, and we plan on placing the four spaces away from the neighbors to not

disturb them,” Koritzinsky said. Schulze said that big concerns for neighbors of Peninsula Bible Church are noise and the potential for these spaces to turn into encampments. Ultimately, it is the fear of the unknown that leads to neighbors’ mixed feelings, he said. Unlike at the synagogue, the church parking lot is hidden from sight behind the main buildings, connected to Middlefield Road by a narrow driveway. The lot is roughly 100 yards by 25 yards, with trees interspersed throughout and surrounded by tall bushes that block the view of the surrounding houses.

According to Schulze, the church will provide car campers with a safe and consistent space with access to restrooms and other church facilities. Members of both the synagogue and church advocated for the safe parking program in front of the City Council. Initially, the council’s Policy and Services Committee had recommended a 90-day limit on safe-parking permits, much to the dismay of program operators and congregations who cited the uncertainty as a reason for them not to participate. “The uncertainty may prevent them from entering into

contractual agreements with safe parking program operators,” a city report states. “Likewise, the uncertainty may deter congregations, or program operators may not make necessary investments to begin the program. Finally, donors and grantors may be reluctant to provide support for the operators or congregations.” However, the council approved the pilot program for 18 months to start sometime late February or early spring, by which time it hopes the city will have secured a social services agency as a partner. In preparation for the program, Schulze told the Weekly that the church plans on holding a

Public Agenda

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A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week CITY COUNCIL ... The council plans to hold a study session on the Utilities Wildfire Mitigation Plan, hear an update on grade separation ideas; discuss the proposed Housing Work Plan and consider potential changes in the city auditor’s office. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. BOARD OF EDUCATION ... The school board will discuss a proposed budget development calendar and board operations during a study session. The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, at the district office, 25 Churchill Ave.

Online This Week

These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAlto Online.com/news.

Downtown targeted as ‘development area’ In a bid to boost development around the city’s main transit hub through state funding, the Palo Alto City Council approved designating the downtown area as its preferred location for growth on Monday. (Posted Jan. 14, 5:09 p.m.)

Palo Alto eases rules for ‘granny units’ Prodded by new state laws, the Palo Alto City Council voted Monday to further relax local rules pertaining to accessory dwelling units, which are starting to proliferate around the city. (Posted Jan. 14, 2:09 p.m.)

Acrimony breaks out on commission

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A Palo Alto Human Relations Commission deliberation to select a new chair and vice chair turned acrid on Jan. 9, with two members of the commission saying they felt they were being targeted. (Posted Jan. 13, 5:54 p.m.)

-YHUR /\NOLZ Your Local Agent CA License #0G64028

Women arrested for Stanford thefts Four women seen with arms full of clothing and shoes from the Macy’s department store at Stanford Shopping Center were arrested Sunday after officers found them with nearly $5,000 worth of merchandise stolen from various retailers, according to the Palo Alto Police Department. (Posted Jan. 13, 5:34 p.m.)

Mylar balloon causes power outage Power went out in the Barron Park area of Palo Alto around 1 p.m. Sunday after a Mylar balloon hit utility wires. About 2,500 customers were impacted, according to a tweet from Palo Alto Utilities. (Posted Jan. 12, 1:27 p.m.)

Safeway hit by armed robbers Three people stole drugs from the Safeway grocery store pharmacy in an armed robbery in Palo Alto’s Midtown neighborhood early morning on Friday, Jan. 10, according to police. On Monday, a local nonprofit offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. (Posted Jan. 10, 7:35 a.m.) Want to get news briefs emailed to you every weekday? Sign up for Express, our daily e-edition. Go to PaloAltoOnline.com/express to sign up.

Page 8 • January 17, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

neighborhood town hall meeting with other churches along Middlefield Road as a chance to meet with neighbors and talk about the program. Among those congregations, the Highway Palo Alto Church of Christ has expressed an interest in participating. “I hope this is an opportunity for the community, the city and houses of worship to find common ground and work towards a larger solution,” Schulze said. According to Koritzinsky, members of Etz Chayim are supportive, with upwards of two dozen people who voted in favor of the proposal. Member Lisa Ratner had advocated for the program and is hopeful that it will be successful. Ratner is part of a social action initiative called tikkun olam, meaning “repair of the world by acting constructively and beneficially.” The group chose to focus on the vehicle dwelling issue as a way to help locally. “We’re confident by what we’ve seen with Move Mountain View that this program can provide the resources people in our community need,” Ratner said, referring to the nonprofit the is addressing the issue in that city. Move Mountain View partners with the Community Services Agency, which provides the support and resources to help people find permanent housing. “We believe it’s a basic right to have a safe and decent place to live, which these people don’t,” Ratner said. “I would like to see Palo Alto and neighboring cities make a greater effort to build more affordable housing and address the underlying issue.” The genesis of the program came from council members Tom DuBois and Lydia Kou, who proposed looking at large, city-owned sites and exploring the willingness of commercial property owners to let vehicle dwellers park on their lots. The program approved Monday doesn’t go nearly as far as the council members’ memo recommended, however. Some members of the public on Monday urged the council to take it further. Resident Trina Lovercheck noted that many church lots can accommodate far more than four vehicles. “If religious institutions have to go to the expense of putting in toilets and a sink, that’s a big commitment on their part,” Lovercheck told the council. “For it to only accommodate four people seems to me to be a waste.” Schulze said on Monday that members of his congregation have expressed a preference for a four-car limit, as well as for passenger vehicles over RVs. Even so, his church looks forward to seeing how the program unfolds. “As a congregation, we’re open to what this would look like,” Schulze said. Q Editorial Intern Jonathan Guillen and Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at jguillen@paweekly.com and gsheyner@paweekly.com.

Upfront Calt

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Courtesy city of Palo Alto

tracks and a train viaduct), three for Charleston Road and Meadow Drive (a train trench, a “hybrid” design in which the train is slightly raised and the road slightly lowered; and a “reverse hybrid,” in which a raised road goes over lowered train tracks); and two involving tunnels in south Palo Alto. Expanding the list of options would come at a price. The city previously estimated that fully analyzing and providing a video simulation for each alternative would cost about $250,000 (more recently, City Manager Ed Shikada said the actual cost has been somewhat lower). Expanding the menu of options may also put the city at risk of falling even further behind Mountain View and Sunnyvale, two cities that, along with Palo Alto, are eligible for $750 million in grade-separation funding from Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. However, XCAP members believe that the three new ideas deserve at least some additional analysis. One idea, proposed by Southgate neighborhood resident Mike Price, focuses on the Churchill Avenue grade crossing, which has been subject to an intense debate among residents of Southgate, Professorville and north Old Palo Alto. It is, in some ways, a response to the fact that neither of the two Churchill alternatives on the table are particularly popular. The option of closing Churchill has been heavily criticized by residents around Embarcadero Road, who argue that the closure would steer more traffic toward Embarcadero, and by Southgate residents, who don’t want to lose access from their streets to Alma Street. The viaduct, meanwhile, has been deeply unpopular on the Southgate blocks closest to the tracks, where homeowners aren’t thrilled about the prospect of elevated trains running just above their backyard fences. Price’s proposal calls for an underpass at the Churchill rail crossing. Unlike a previously explored idea of lowering Churchill on both sides of Alma, the Price plan would lower the intersection of Alma and Churchill but keep Churchill east of Alma at grade level. Traffic on Churchill would not be able to cross Alma. Approaching the intersection from Churchill, west of Alma, drivers heading east would go under the tracks and have right and left turn lanes onto Alma, but no through lane. Next to those right and left turn lanes on Churchill, one lane would allow drivers turning from north and south Alma to head toward El Camino. Along Alma, cars heading north could stay at-grade and turn right onto eastbound Churchill. Or they could go straight on Alma through the lowered intersection. Or they could turn left onto westbound Churchill using a left-turn lane. Meanwhile, southbound cars

Churchill Avenue

(continued from page 5)

on Alma could either go straight, through the lowered intersection, or turn right under the tracks onto westbound Churchill. They would not be able to turn left onto eastbound Churchill. Similarly, cars on Churchill east of Alma would not be able to turn left onto Alma. “What I wanted was to find a way to use the underpass, keep the intersection at least mostly open and avoid taking any private properties,” Price told the committee during a Nov. 13 presentation. “It also keeps Caltrain at grade, so there’s no viaducts or berms.” The proposal, Price said, sacrifices some traffic movement but has the benefit of preserving one lane at existing grade, thus allowing properties along those streets to have road access. Another idea, pitched by resident Elizabeth Alexis, focuses on the two south Palo Alto crossings: Meadow and Charleston. While the most popular idea for the two crossings — which the city is exploring in tandem — calls for a train trench, Alexis proposed a design that she says is much cheaper and easier to construct: road underpasses with one lane below grade in each direction. The Alexis proposal would allow cars crossing Alma to go under the tracks, while giving cars that want to turn right onto Alma the option of remaining at grade and doing so. Eastbound drivers wishing to turn left on Alma would be able to cross under the tracks and then make a U-turn at a designated bay on Wright Place, a cul-de-sac that runs parallel to Alma east of the tracks. In presenting her proposal, Alexis argued that the idea would save significant money when compared with the other alternatives while preserving the ability of drivers to turn on Alma. “We need to be able to do all turns; they should be safe. It should accommodate — but not encourage — turns, and we should minimize conflicts with bicyclists and pedestrians,” Alexis said at the Nov. 13 meeting. A third idea, proposed by XCAP member Tony Carrasco with assistance from other committee members, would redesign the often-congested interchange of Embarcadero and Alma. The two roads are grade separated today, with Embarcadero dipping under Alma and the tracks. Under the plan, Embarcadero would be brought up to the same grade with Alma and furnished with a roundabout, allowing cars to easily make turns from one street to another. Trains, meanwhile, would run on a viaduct above the roundabout. During their discussions, committee members have shown some ambivalence about adding more options to the list. Former Mayor Larry Klein, vice chair of XCAP, has urged his colleagues to think hard before adding new options, given the high cost of analysis. “I don’t think it makes any sense at all to write a blank check and say, ‘These ideas have some merit,’” Klein said at the Dec. 18

Rail options

Palo Alto resident Michael Price has proposed this redesign of the Alma Street and Churchill Avenue intersection. Looking southward on Alma: A lowered intersection at Churchill would include throughlanes for northbound and southbound Alma traffic, plus a northbound Alma left-turn lane onto westbound Churchill. At left, one lane of northbound Alma would continue to be at-grade, allowing drivers to turn onto eastbound Churchill. And at right, an underpass under the train tracks would allow drivers on Alma to turn onto westbound Churchill and, similarly, drivers on that stretch of Churchill (from El Camino Real) to turn left or right onto Alma. meeting. “The question is: Do they have enough merit at this stage, given what we know?” Member Gregory Brail said at the Dec. 18 meeting, shortly before the vote, “I’d love to get to a point in XCAP where we can recommend to council that they eliminate alternatives.” But the group ultimately concluded that the new options, by virtue of their relatively low cost compared to other options, are worth advancing — especially given the dearth of truly popular options for Churchill. “I really think we should look at this for no other reason than we don’t have a lot of options on Churchill,” Keith Reckdahl said at the committee’s Nov. 13 meeting. “Now we have either a closure or a hideous viaduct. Either one of these has its flaws, and this at least is a third option to look at.” Some committee members have also expressed frustration that their mandate includes just three of the city’s four grade crossings. At a meeting on Wednesday, several members, including Carrasco, Chamber of Commerce President Judy Kleinberg and Old Palo Alto resident David Shen, argued that the committee should also consider the northernmost grade crossing, at Palo Alto Avenue. The City Council voted last year to explore Palo Alto Avenue as part of a separate, downtown-focused planning effort. While Klein reminded his colleagues that the northernmost crossing is not part of the committee’s charge and that exploring it would likely delay its deliberations for a year if not more, Kleinberg argued that failing to study Palo Alto Avenue could hinder the entire effort. “It’s more than just unfortunate. It may actually jeopardize the validity of what our recommendations are,” Kleinberg said. Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com.

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Page 10 • January 17, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ January 17, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 11

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Hiring Full-Time News Reporter The Almanac, an award-winning community newspaper and online news source that covers the towns of Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside, is looking for an enterprising full-time news reporter with a passion for local journalism. The ideal candidate will have experience covering local government and community news, and the skills to dig up and write engaging news and feature stories for print and online. Our reporters produce monthly cover stories that highlight issues and people in our community. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeking someone who is motivated, eager to learn, able to quickly turn out ďŹ nished copy, and who lives in or near the Almanac coverage area. Social media skills are a plus. This is a fully beneďŹ ted position with paid vacations, health and dental beneďŹ ts, proďŹ t sharing and a 401(k) plan. To apply, send a cover letter, resume, and three samples of your journalism work to Editor Renee Batti at editor@ AlmanacNews.com.

Join our team! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for talented, highly-motivated and dynamic people DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Be Part Of Our Digital Future The Peninsulaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading media company, Embarcadero Media, is seeking a dynamic digital sales professional to join our growing sales team, lead digital sales growth, be a part of pioneering new digital sales products and make a big impact on company revenue. If you thrive in a community-focused environment where you can offer creative solutions and truly deliver value to your clients, consider joining the Embarcadero Media team. S/he is responsible for digital revenue generation on Embarcadero websites, email newsletters, sponsored content, email marketing blasts, and other digital products under development. In addition, the Digital Sales Manager assists in developing sales and marketing strategies to build lead-generation, inďŹ&#x201A;uence customer life cycle, and increase client retention. This position reports to the Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

Notice is hereby Given that proposals will be received by the 7HSV (S[V <UPĂ&#x201E;LK :JOVVS +PZ[YPJ[ MVY IPK WHJRHNL! Contract No. PTR-20 & GTR-20 DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK: ;OL ^VYR PUJS\KLZ I\[ PZ UV[ SPTP[LK [V! ;OL YLTV]HS HUK YLWSHJLTLU[ VM L_PZ[PUN ZÙ[OL[PJ [\YM MVV[IHSS :VJJLY )HZLIHSS HUK :VM[IHSS Ă&#x201E;LSKZ ^P[O UL^ ZÙ[OL[PJ [\YM HUK JVYR ZHUK PUĂ&#x201E;SS )PKKLY T\Z[ OH]L J\YYLU[ *4(: KVJ\TLU[Z VU Ă&#x201E;SL ^P[O [OL Z[H[L PU VYKLY [V IPK VU [OPZ WYVQLJ[ >VYR PZ [V Z[HY[ 1\UL HUK T\Z[ IL JVTWSL[L UV SH[LY [OHU (\N\Z[ )PKKPUN KVJ\TLU[Z JVU[HPU [OL M\SS KLZJYPW[PVU VM [OL ^VYR There will be a MANDATORY WYL IPK JVUMLYLUJL HUK ZP[L ]PZP[ H[ ! H T VU 1HU\HY` Z[HY[PUN H[ [OL Districts Facili[PLZ VÉ&#x2030;JL SVJH[LK H[ *O\YJOPSS (]L )\PSKPUN + 7HSV (S[V California. )PK :\ITPZZPVU! 7YVWVZHSZ T\Z[ IL YLJLP]LK H[ [OL +PZ[YPJ[ -HJPSP[PLZ 6É&#x2030;JL I\PSKPUN + by ! H T VU -LIY\HY` ;V IPK VU [OPZ 7YVQLJ[ [OL )PKKLY PZ YLX\PYLK [V WVZZLZZ VUL VY TVYL VM [OL MVSSV^PUN :[H[L VM *HSPMVYUPH JVU[YHJ[VYZÂť SPJLUZL Z ! HZ HWWYVWYPH[L MVY [OPZ ZJVWL VM ^VYR 0U HKKP[PVU [OL )PKKLY PZ YLX\PYLK [V IL YLNPZ[LYLK HZ H W\ISPJ ^VYRZ JVU[YHJ[VY ^P[O [OL +LWHY[TLU[ VM 0UK\Z[YPHS 9LSH[PVUZ W\YZ\HU[ [V [OL 3HIVY *VKL )VUKPUN YLX\PYLK MVY [OPZ WYVQLJ[ PZ HZ MVSSV^Z! )PK )VUK VM [OL [V[HS IPK 7LYMVYTHUJL )VUK [V IL 7H`TLU[ IVUK PZ [V IL PREVAILING WAGE LAWS: ;OL Z\JJLZZM\S )PKKLY HUK HSS Z\IJVU[YHJ[VYZ ZOHSS WH` HSS ^VYRLYZ MVY HSS >VYR WLYMVYTLK W\YZ\HU[ [V [OPZ *VU[YHJ[ UV[ SLZZ [OHU [OL NLULYHS WYL]HPSPUN YH[L VM WLY KPLT ^HNLZ HUK [OL NLULYHS WYL]HPSPUN YH[L MVY OVSPKH` HUK V]LY[PTL ^VYR HZ KL[LYTPULK I` [OL +PYLJ[VY VM [OL +LWHY[TLU[ VM 0UK\Z[YPHS 9LSH[PVUZ :[H[L VM *HSPMVYUPH MVY [OL [`WL VM ^VYR WLYMVYTLK HUK [OL SVJHSP[` PU ÔPJO [OL ^VYR PZ [V IL WLYMVYTLK ^P[OPU [OL IV\UKHYPLZ VM [OL +PZ[YPJ[ W\YZ\HU[ [V ZLJ[PVU L[ ZLX VM [OL *HSPMVYUPH 3HIVY *VKL 7YL]HPSPUN ^HNL YH[LZ HYL HSZV H]HPSHISL VU [OL 0U[LYUL[ H[! #O[[W! ^^^ KPY JH NV]% ;OPZ 7YVQLJ[ PZ Z\IQLJ[ [V SHIVY JVTWSPHUJL TVUP[VYPUN HUK LUMVYJLTLU[ I` [OL +LWHY[TLU[ VM 0UK\Z[YPHS 9LSH[PVUZ W\YZ\HU[ [V 3HIVY *VKL ZLJ[PVU HUK Z\IQLJ[ [V [OL YLX\PYLTLU[Z VM ;P[SL VM [OL *HSPMVYUPH *VKL VM 9LN\SH[PVUZ ;OL *VU[YHJ[VY HUK HSS :\IJVU[YHJ[VYZ \UKLY [OL *VU[YHJ[VY ZOHSS M\YUPZO LSLJ[YVUPJ JLY[PĂ&#x201E;LK WH`YVSS YLJVYKZ KPYLJ[S` [V [OL 3HIVY *VTTPZZPVULY ^LLRS` HUK ^P[OPU [LU KH`Z VM HU` YLX\LZ[ I` [OL +PZ[YPJ[ VY [OL 3HIVY *VTTPZZPVULY ;OL Z\JJLZZM\S )PKKLY ZOHSS JVTWS` ^P[O HSS YLX\PYLTLU[Z VM +P]PZPVU 7HY[ *OHW[LY (Y[PJSLZ VM [OL 3HIVY *VKL )PKKLYZ TH` L_HTPUL )PKKPUN +VJ\TLU[Z H[ -HJPSP[PLZ 6É&#x2030;JL )\PSKPUN Â¸+Âš )PKKLYZ TH` HSZV W\YJOHZL JVWPLZ VM [OL WSHUZ HUK ZWLJPĂ&#x201E;JH[PVUZ H[ (9* +VJ\TLU[ :VS\[PVUZ *OLYY` 3HUL :HU *HYSVZ *( 7OVUL 5\TILY ;OL +PZ[YPJ[ ZOHSS H^HYK [OL *VU[YHJ[ PM P[ H^HYKZ P[ H[ HSS [V the lowest responsive responsible bidder based on the base bid HTV\U[ VUS` ;OL )VHYK YLZLY]LZ [OL YPNO[ [V YLQLJ[ HU` HUK HSS IPKZ HUK VY ^HP]L HU` PYYLN\SHYP[` PU HU` IPK YLJLP]LK 0M [OL +PZ[YPJ[ H^HYKZ [OL *VU[YHJ[ [OL ZLJ\YP[` VM \UZ\JJLZZM\S IPKKLY Z ZOHSS IL YL[\YULK ^P[OPU ZP_[` KH`Z MYVT [OL [PTL [OL H^HYK PZ THKL <USLZZ V[OLY^PZL YLX\PYLK I` SH^ UV IPKKLY TH` ^P[OKYH^ P[Z IPK MVY UPUL[` KH`Z HM[LY [OL KH[L VM [OL IPK VWLUPUN (SS X\LZ[PVUZ JHU IL HKKYLZZLK [V! 7HSV (S[V <UPĂ&#x201E;LK :JOVVS +PZ[YPJ[ *O\YJOPSS (]LU\L )\PSKPUN + 7HSV (S[V *( ([[U! 9VU :TP[O -H_! 7OVUL!

The perfect candidate will have the following: â&#x20AC;˘ 3+ years of digital sales experience â&#x20AC;˘ Strong track record of closing digital sales business â&#x20AC;˘ Expertise in digital marketing â&#x20AC;˘ An interest in leading and managing others â&#x20AC;˘ History of exceeding sales targets â&#x20AC;˘ Proven ability to drive revenue through long-term relationships. Compensation includes base salary plus commission, health beneďŹ ts, vacation, 401K and proďŹ t sharing. We offer a culture where employees are respected, supported and given the opportunity to grow as we innovate in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s local media environment. Please email a cover letter and resume to tzahiralis@embarcaderopublishing.com. Learn more at embarcaderomediagroup.com/employment

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Page 12 â&#x20AC;˘ January 17, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ Palo Alto Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Employment Manager Informatics Systems Manager Informatics Systems sought by Lucile Packard Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital at Stanford (Palo Alto, CA) to oversee dsgn, deployment, admin & support of systems. Req: Bach in CS, IT, MIS, Electrncs Engâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;g, Bioengâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;g or dir. relâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;td + 5yr exp OR Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s + 3 yrs exp. Send resume to Louise Laforet, HR, LPCH, 4300 Bohannon Dr, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Principals only/no calls. Must have unrestricted auth to work in US. Drug/bkground screening reqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d. EOE. To place an ad call 650.223.6582 or email digitalads@paweekly.com.

Pulse A weekly compendium of vital statistics

POLICE CALLS Palo Alto Jan. 9-15

Violence related Assault w/ a deadly weapon . . . . . . . . . 1 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Child abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Rape/sex crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Strong arm robbery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft related Checks forgery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Credit card forgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Grand theft/petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Residential burglaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Shoplifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Vehicle related Auto recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Driving w/ suspended license . . . . . . . . 3 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Lost/stolen plates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Theft from auto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Theft from auto attempt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . . 5 Vehicle accident/prop damage . . . . . . . 6 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Alcohol or drug related Driving under influence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Possession of drugs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Under influence of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Miscellaneous Found property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Other/misc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Psychiatric hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Menlo Park Jan. 8-14

Violence related Robbery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Theft related Checks forgery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Petty theft/shoplifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Residential burglaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle related Auto theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Bicycle recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Driving w/ suspended license . . . . . . . . 1 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Parking/driving violation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft from auto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Theft from auto attempt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle accident/minor injury . . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle accident/prop damage . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Alcohol or drug related Driving under influence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Possession of drugs/paraphernalia . . . . 8 Miscellaneous Coroner case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Disturbance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Found property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Info. case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Other/misc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Outside assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vandalism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Warrant arrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

VIOLENT CRIMES Palo Alto

Arastradero Road, 2/13, 4:30 p.m.; strong arm robbery. Scripps Court, 11/5, 9:10 a.m.; child abuse/physical. Tasso Street, 12/10, 4 p.m.; rape. UNK, Palo Alto, 12/17, 11:30 a.m.; sex crime. Embarcadero Road, 12/23, 7:20 a.m.; assault w/ a deadly weapon. Loma Verde Avenue, 1/13, 5:45 p.m.; battery.

Menlo Park

1000 block University Drive, 1/8, 9:11 p.m.; robbery. 500 block Oak Grove Ave., 1/13, 9:50 a.m.; robbery.

Transitions

OF PALO ALTO presents

VOTER’S CHOICE ACT:

More days, more ways to vote Goodbye Precincts, Hello Easy Voting

Births, marriages and deaths

Eva Denise Cohen Eva Denise Cohen, artist and designer, died unexpectedly from complications of pneumonia and sepsis on Dec. 31. She was 54. Born in Michigan in 1965, her family moved to Palo Alto when her father, Dr. Albert Cohen, joined Stanford University’s music department faculty in 1973. She attended Stanford’s Lucille M. Nixon Elementary School, Terman and Wilbur junior high schools and Henry M. Gunn High School. At the University of Oregon she studied fine and applied art and at Parsons School of Design in New York City she studied design. She earned a master of fine arts in visual communication from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She then returned to the Bay Area, living in Oakland and Berkeley and working as a graphic designer. In 2003, she joined the faculty at Diablo Valley College to teach design and typography. She met her husband, Steve Holtzman, in 2002. Their son, Theo, was born in 2006. She was also close with her stepchildren, Marika and Alex, her friends said. When she wasn’t teaching, raising Theo, volunteering at schools and doing other activities, she preferred to be outdoors.

SUBMITTING TRANSITIONS ANNOUNCEMENTS The Palo Alto Weekly’s Transitions page is devoted to b ir t hs, w e d d in gs, anniversaries and deaths of local residents. Obituaries for local residents are a free editorial service. The best way to submit an obituary is through our Lasting Memories website, at PaloAltoOnline.com/ obituaries. Paid obituaries are also available and can be arranged through our adver tising department by emailing ads@ paweekly.com. Announcements of a local resident’s recent wedding, anniversar y or bir th are also a free editorial service. These notices are published as space is available. Send announcements to editor@ paweekly.com or P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto 94302, or fax to 650-223-7526.

She hiked, biked and swam. She was a relentless mover — a yogi and a triathlete. Most recently, she was a member of the Claremont Streamliners swim team. Her father also died on Dec. 31, in the same hour. She is survived by her husband, Steve Holtzman of Berkeley; son, Theo Holtzman of Berkeley; stepchildren, Marika Holtzman Hodge of Knoxville and Alex Holtzman of Oakland; mother, Betty Cohen of Stanford; brother and sister-in-law, Stefan Cohen and Debbie Gilman of Berkeley; and many relatives and friends.

Amy Chern Chih-Shang Hsi Palo Alto resident Amy Chern Chih-Shang Hsi died of a heart attack on Jan. 5. She was 84. Born on Nov. 24, 1935, in Taipei, Taiwan, she attended the National Taipei Institute of Technology as one of the first cohorts of women to enter the school and majored in mining and metallurgical engineering. She then worked briefly in the mining industry before immigrating to the United States in 1961 to be with

her husband, Huey Rong Hsi, a materials and metallurgical engineer for the rocket industry in Eastlake, Ohio. After her h u s b a n d’s untimely death from a car accident in 1965, she moved to the Bay A rea, living in San Francisco and Berkeley before settling in Palo Alto in 1967 for 47 years. During that time, she took on various jobs to support her family. She worked at the Stanford Shopping Center and Gunn High School and worked as an accounting assistant and lab technician. Outside of work, she enjoyed going to classical music concerts, listening to opera and dedicating her time to her two daughters, Sherry Hsi and Bobbie Hsai Pao Hsi, who died in 2004 from complications with scleroderma, an autoimmune disorder. She is survived by Sherry Hsi of Berkeley and five grandchildren. Q

John F. Coyle John “Jack” Coyle, a longtime resident of Palo Alto, passed away in his home on January 12, 2020. Jack was born in Wilkes-Barre, PA; he attended Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. Jack enjoyed a successful career with New York Life for over 50 years and was a lifetime member of The Million Dollar Round Table. Jack was an avid supporter of Stanford University football and basketball. He loved spending time at his country home in Rubicon Bay, being on his boat and music. Jack is survived by second cousins Robert, Ann and Jean Shannon, Susan, Kathy (David), and Connie (Pedersen) Grier, Lynda (Elsea), Michael, Peggy (Lepiane) and Trisha Shannon, Joan (Blynn), Jeffrey and Richard La Fleur, Leo Jr., John and Marie Shannon; he is preceded by first cousins John Shannon, Mary Grier, Joseph Shannon, Lynn La Fleur and Leo Shannon. Visitation will take place in the large chapel at Alta Mesa Memorial Park (695 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto) on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 from 5pm – 8pm. A funeral mass will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Palo Alto on January 29, 2020 at 10 am with interment to immediately follow at Alta Mesa Memorial Park. Jack will be laid to rest next to his beloved mother, Florence, at Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Palo Alto, California. PAID

OBITUARY

Sunday, January 19, 1-2:30 pm Congregation Beth Am

Beit Kehillah sanctuary at the bottom of the hill 26790 Arastradero Road, Los Altos Hills, CA A Registrar of Voters representative will explain new options for WHEN, WHERE, and HOW to cast your ballot in Santa Clara County. League of Women Voters speaks on the power and promise of voting. Attendees can also register or update their registration. (e.g. change of address or party). Free and open to the public. Refreshments.

David Clark Loudy January 19, 1946 – December 10, 2019 David Clark Loudy passed peacefully, surrounded by his family, on December 10, 2019, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 73 years old. David was born on January 19, 1946 in Oakland, CA to Marjorie Wise Loudy and Francis Howard Loudy. He was raised in San Leandro, CA and attended San Lorenzo High School, graduating in 1963. After graduating from Cal State Hayward in 1968 with a degree in biological science, and a Graduate Gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America in 1969, David went on to have a storied career as one of the most trusted and well-respected jewelers in the Bay Area. After working closely with his father Francis Loudy and other family members at their jewelry store, Loudy’s Jewelers of San Leandro, CA, David joined Gleim the Jeweler in Stanford, CA in 1969. David enjoyed a 50-year career at Gleim, training under legendary jeweler Art Gleim and serving as Vice President and principal gemstone buyer for over 30 years. David was a Certified Gem Appraiser as well as a Past President of the Northern California Guild of the American Gem Society. David was a true industry professional. His work gave him great pleasure and he genuinely enjoyed helping clients choose pieces to celebrate their loved ones and mark the special occasions in their lives. David will be remembered for his unwavering dedication to family, incredible love of nature and strong commitment to his career, as well as a passion for fast vehicles - whether a “hot rod” car, boat or snowmobile. David enjoyed spending time outdoors, whether in Bear Valley to ski or hike, at the Sacramento Delta to boat and water ski, or in the Sierras for backpacking. He loved the annual boat camping trips he organized for family and friends at Lake Shasta and Bullards Bar for the past 45 years. More recently, David enjoyed trips to Stinson Beach, Tahoe and Yosemite Valley with his extended family. David was the “rock” of the family: a devoted husband, father, grandfather and brother. David is preceded in death by his wife of 38 years, Sarah Matteson Loudy. He is survived by his stepchildren Bob Shepard (Celia), Brian Shepard (Maggie), Doug Shepard, Lisa Shepard Reid (Craig) as well as his siblings Jackie DuVall, Bob Loudy (Pam) and Susan Bruno (Bob), along with eight grandchildren, eight nieces and nephews and 15 great nieces and nephews. His family meant everything to him, and the children in his life were a particular source of pride and joy. A private Celebration of Life for David is planned. Donations in memory of David can be made to Peninsula Volunteers (Peninsula Volunteers | Serving Seniors on the San Francisco Peninsula for over 70 years). PAID

OBITUARY

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • January 17, 2020 • Page 13

Support our Kids with a gift to the Holiday Fund Last Year’s Grant Recipients 49ers Academy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Able Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Ada’s Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Adolescent Counseling Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Aim High for High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 All Students Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000 Art in Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Art of Yoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Bayshore Christian Ministries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Big Brothers Big Sisters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Buena Vista Homework Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 CASSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. . . . . . . $10,000 Downtown Streets Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 DreamCatchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000 East Palo Alto Academy Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 East Palo Alto Charter School (EPACS). . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 East Palo Alto Kids Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 East Palo Alto Tennis & Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 Environmental Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Family Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Fit Kids Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Foundation for a College Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Friends of Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo . . . . . . . . $5,000 Get Involved Palo Alto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Hidden Villa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Jasper Ridge Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Kara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 KIPP Valiant Community Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,000 La Comida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Live in Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Marine Science Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Music in the Schools Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 New Creation Home Ministries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 New Voices for Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,000 Palo Alto Art Center Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Palo Alto Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Palo Alto Music Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Peninsula HealthCare Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Peninsula Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Project WeHOPE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000 Ravenswood Education Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Rebuilding Together Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Silicon Valley Urban Debate League . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 St. Elizabeth Seton School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 St. Francis of Assisi Youth Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 TheatreWorks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 YMCA East Palo Alto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 YMCA Ross Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Youth Community Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000 Youth Speaks Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,000

Child Care Facility Improvement Grants Friends of Preschool Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Grace Lutheran Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 The Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Palo Alto Community Child Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 Palo Alto Friends Nursery School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 Parents Nursery School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000

Thank you for supporting the Holiday Fund As of January 14, 382 donors have contributed $458,525 to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund. 25 Anonymous ......................$125,670 New Donors Lisa Forssell .....................................500 Subutai Ahmad ...............................100 Jennie Savage ..............................1,000 Shirley Ely ....................................1,000 Duane Bay & Barbara Noparstak .......................100 Catherine Dolton ............................100 Mazze-Cohen Family.......................150 Glenn & Lorna Afﬂeck.......................30 In Memory Of Mark Georgia .....................................* Jeffrey Tuerk .......................................* Businesses & Organizations Hewlett Foundation ...................25,000 Packard Foundation ...................25,000

Page 14 • January 17, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Previously Published Roger V. Smith ................................300 Art & Peggy Stauffer .......................500 Steven Feinberg ...........................5,000 William Reller ...............................1,000 Jan & Freddy Gabus ........................250 Marc & Margaret Cohen .................100 Micki & Bob Cardelli ...........................* Pat Burt & Sally Bemus ....................250 Judy & Tony Kramer ............................* Larry Baer & Stephanie Klein ...............* Jerry & Donna Silverberg .................100 Betty Gerard .......................................* Boyce & Peggy Nute............................* J. Platt & S. Murphy ........................600 Ellen & Mike Turbow .......................200 Kroyman Family ..............................250 Don Barr & Debra Satz ....................100

Debby Roth.....................................200 John & Florine Galen ...........................* Barbara Allen ..................................100 Sue Kemp .......................................250 Ellen & Tom Ehrlich .........................500 Leif & Sharon Erickson ....................250 Sally & Craig Nordlund ....................500 George & Betsy Young ........................* Peter S. Stern ..................................250 Nancy & Joe Huber .........................100 Susan & Doug Woodman....................* Wendy Sinton .....................................* Penny & Greg Gallo ........................500 Elaine & Eric Hahn........................1,000 Judith Appleby ................................200 Judy Ousterhout .................................* Philip Hanawalt & Graciela Spivak ..........................1,000 Dorothy Saxe ..................................100

Your gift helps local children and families in need In partnership with:

Gwen Luce & Family .................. 100 Bruce Campbell ............................. * Bill Johnson & Terri Lobdell ...... 1,000 Janice Ulevich ............................ 100 M. D. Savoie .............................. 250 Julie Jerome ................................... * Michael Kieschnick.................. 1,000 Joan Jack ................................... 100 Ron Wolf ................................... 200 Gordon Chamberlain ................. 300 Daniel Cox ................................. 200 Michael & Gwen Havern ......... 5,000 Susie Richardson & Hal Luft............ * Felicia Levy ................................. 100 Page & Ferrell Sanders................ 100 Diana Diamond .......................... 100 Carolyn Brennan ............................ * Charles A. Smith ............................ * Richard A. Baumgartner & Elizabeth M. Salzer .................. 450 Rita Vrhel ................................... 200 Hans & Judith Steiner ................. 100 Roy & Carol Blitzer ......................... * Braff Family................................ 500 Xiaofan Lin .................................. 50 Teresa Roberts......................... 1,000 Richard Alexander ................... 1,000 Peter Beller ................................ 250 Yang Chu .................................. 250 Dennis Clark ................................ 75 David Thom ............................... 200 Shirley Reiter .............................. 300 Scott & Jan Kliner....................... 500 Leo & Marlys Keoshian ............... 100 Peter Kidder & Lynn Johnson ...... 200 Chris Logan ............................... 100 Joanne Koltnow ......................... 200 Tom & Patricia Sanders ................... * John Tang & Jean Hsia.................... * Eugene & Mabel Dong ............... 200 John & Mary Schaefer ................ 100 Sheryl & Tony Klein ........................ * Karen & Steve Ross ........................ * Kaaren & John Antoun............ 1,500 Dr. & Mrs. Frederic J. Kahn ......... 250 Andy & Eva Dobrov ...................... 50 Linda & Steve Boxer ....................... * Jerry & Bobbie Wagger................... * Brigid Barton & Rob Robinson .... 200 Ralph R. Wheeler ....................... 300 Stephen Levy ............................. 500 Bonnie Berg ................................... * Marion Lewenstein .................... 500 Carol Jorgenson ......................... 300 Christina Kenrick..................... 1,000 Mary Lemmon ...................... 15,000 Weil Family ............................. 1,000 Hal & Carol Louchheim .................. * Charles S. & Anne Williams ........ 150 Ted & Ginny Chu............................ * Ann & Don Rothblatt ................. 500 Martha Shirk ........................... 1,000 Jody Maxmin ................................. * Adele & Donald Langendorf ....... 200 Gwen Barry.................................... * Diane Moore.................................. *

Richard Johnsson .................... 5,000 Phil Fernandez & Daniel Sternbergh ....................... * Albert Russell ............................. 250 Catherine Crystal Foster ............. 500 Andrea Smith............................. 100 John Pavkovich .......................... 400 Thomas Rindﬂeisch ........................ * Ellmann Family ........................... 100 Jan Thomson & Roy Levin........... 250 Mike & Cathie Foster .............. 1,000 Chuck & Jean Thompson ........... 100 Amado Padilla............................ 250 Donald & Diethild Price .............. 100 Luca & Mary Caﬁero ...................... * Don & Bonnie Miller................... 100 Patti Yanklowitz & Mark Krasnow ............................ * Robert & Barbara Simpson ............. * Barbara & Charles Stevens ............. * Nancy & David Kalkbrenner............ * Marcia & Michael Katz ............... 200 Stewart & Carol-Anne Hansen ... 100 Merrill & Lee Newman ............... 250 Rich & Pat Douglas..................... 100 Aryela Zulman............................ 100 Nancy Wong & Robert Lipshutz ....................... 200 Kate Godfrey & Rob Colley ............ * Guy & Janet DiJulio ........................ * Ellen Lillington ........................... 400 Mahlon & Carol Hubenthal ........ 250 Nina & Norman Kulgein ............. 250 Harry & Susan Hartzell ................. 50 Marc Igler & Jennifer Cray .......... 100 James W. & Nancy E. Baer .......... 200 Ron & Melanie Wilensky ............ 300 Tom & Darlene McCalmont ........ 500 Cynthia Costell .......................... 100 Elizabeth Bechtel........................ 100 Bonnie Packer & Robert Raymakers ................... 100 Michael Patrick .......................... 200 Sandy Liu ................................... 100 Dena Goldberg .......................... 500 Romola Georgia ............................. * Roger Warnke............................ 300 Rick & Eileen Brooks................... 500 James Taylor & Meri Gruber ....... 100 Wendy Max ................................. 50 David & Virginia Pollard.............. 150 Beth & Peter Rosenthal .............. 300 Constance Crawford .................. 125 Linda & Jerry Elkind .................... 250 Diane Finklestein ........................ 200 Eric Keller & Janice Bohman ....... 500 Tom & Nancy Fiene .................... 100 Kay & Don Remsen ........................ * Werner Graf .................................. * Sallie & Jay Whaley ........................ * Scott Pearson ............................. 500 Marilyn, Dale, Rick & Mei Simbeck ............................... * Mandy Lowell ................................ * Robyn H Crumly............................. * John & Kristine Erving .................... * Barbara Klein ................................. *

Elizabeth Lillard-Bernal ................... * Virginia Laibl .............................. 100 Hoda Epstein ................................. * Victor Befera .............................. 100 Elizabeth Kok ................................. * Rosalie Shepherd ....................... 100 John Keller ................................. 200 Anne & Don Vermeil ...................... * Steve & Diane Ciesinski .............. 500 Bruce & Jane Gee....................... 250 Kenyon Family ........................... 500 Jocelyn Dong ................................. * Deborah Mytels ......................... 100 Eilenn Brennan............................... * Marian Scheuer.......................... 100 Ruchita Parat ............................. 100 Susan Light ................................ 100 Ellen Krasnow ................................ * Dennis & Cindy Dillon ................ 300 Graceann Johnson ..................... 100 Diane & Branimir Sikic .................... * James Lobdell ............................ 250 Eric Filseth.................................. 350 Deborah Wexler ......................... 500 Erika Buck .................................. 100 Ted & Becky Baer ....................... 200 Arthur Keller .............................. 100 Omar & Michelle Baldonado .......... * Lodato Family ............................ 500 Dennis & Cindy Dillon .................... * Helene Pier .................................... * Good Bear Charitable Fund ..... 5,000 Bjorn & Michele Liencres ......... 1,000 Kathryn & A.C. Johnston............ 100 Florence Barr.............................. 250 John Wilkes ............................... 600 Chris Saccheri ................................ * Daniel Chapiro ........................... 400 Laurie Hunter & Jonathan MacQuitty ............. 2,500 Jean & Dexter Dawes ................. 250 Susan Osofsky............................ 200 Fruchterman Family.................... 250 Bob Aulgur ............................. 1,000 Joyce & Gerry Barker .................. 200 Jacqueline Rush ......................... 100 Jack & Martha McLaughlin ......... 200 Monica Engel Williams ............... 200 Fran Codispoti ........................... 250 Delle Maxwell ......................... 2,500 Margaret & Curt Weil................. 100 Paul Dufﬁe & Elizabeth Schwerer .................. 100 John & Lynn Wiese..................... 200 Diane & Bob Simoni ................... 200 Gavin & Tricia Christensen .............. * Marvin & Kate Feinstein ............. 200 Irvin & Marilyn Yalom ................. 100 Steve & Gayle Brugler ............. 1,000 John Tang .................................. 200 Joan Norton ................................... * David & Betsy Fryberger ............. 100 Lawrence Yang & Jennifer Kuan ....................... 1,000 Barry Goldblatt .......................... 200 Larry Klein............................... 1,000 Mike & Jean Couch .................... 250

Veronica Tincher ............................ * David Fischer & Susan Bartalo .... 200 Kenneth Bencala & Sally O’Neil .. 200 Shapiro Family ............................... * David & Karen Backer ................ 500 David Labaree ............................ 200 Leannah Hunt ............................ 250 Pat & Penny Barrett .................... 150 Jean Doble ..................................... * Annette Isaacson ....................... 100 Linda Selden .............................. 480 Sandy Napel............................... 103 Deborah Williams & Jean Luc Laminette ............... 1,000 Merele McClure ......................... 200 Carolyn Williams ........................ 200 Barbara Kinsey ........................... 500 Alice Evarts ................................ 500 Neilson Buchanan ...................... 250 Sherry Brown ................................. * Jane Holland .................................. * Nancy Peterson .......................... 100 Craig Viau.................................. 500 Reed Content ............................ 250 Brian & Jill Bicknell ..................... 250 Kerei Yuen ................................. 500 Victor & Norma Hesterman ........ 100 Susan Thomas............................ 500 Ellson Family .............................. 100 Shirley & Marc Feldman ............. 200 Kay Sabin....................................... * Tobye Kaye .................................... * Peter & Leanne Giles .................. 200 Anna Welke ................................. 50 Elizabeth Shepard .......................... * In Memory Of Kathy Morris .................................. * Ray Bacchetti ............................. 250 Phillip Zschokke ........................... 50 Robert Spinrad ............................... * Alissa Riper Picker ...................... 250 Duncan Matteson ...................... 500 Nate Rosenberg ......................... 200 Don & Marie Snow .................... 100 Bob Kirkwood ................................ * Leonard Ely ................................ 500 Ruth & Chet Johnson ..................... * Nancy & Bob Lobdell ...................... * Pam Grady ................................. 350 Barbara E. Schwartz ....................... * Ryan Kamita .................................. * Boyd Paulson ................................. * Thomas W. & Louise L. Phinney ...... * Leo & Sylvia Breidenbach ............... * Bob Donald.................................... * Fr. John Fitzpatrick C.S.Sp. ............. * David W. Mitchell....................... 400 Ted Linden ................................. 200 Lee Domenik.................................. * Alan & Tracy .................................. * Er-Ying & Yen-Chen Yen ............ 250 Betty Meltzer ............................... 25 Mary Alyce Pearson........................ * Kathy Riskin Graham...................... * Jack Sutorius .............................. 500 Dr. Elliot W. Eisner ...................... 200

August L. King ............................... * Brett Remmel & Mark Remmel ... 100 Emmett Lorey ................................ * Phebe Bush .................................... * Bertha Kalson ................................ * Aaron O’Neill ................................. * Ludwig Tannenwald ....................... * Bill Land ......................................... * Jim & Dottie Mellberg ................ 200 William Preston ....................... 1,000 Maria Januario ............................. 40 Al & Mae Kenrick ....................... 200 Maureen & Jim Missett .................. * Kathie Underdal ............................. * Loving parents Albert & Beverly Pellizzari .......................... * Our beloved son Samuel Benjamin Kurland ....................................... * Harvey Schloss ........................... 100 Mary Floyd ..................................... * Tinney Family ............................. 250 Carol Berkowitz ............................. * Bob Markevitch.............................. * Kaye Kelley & Richard Van Dusen .................. 250 Dr. David Zlotnick ....................... 200 William Bill Iaculla ...................... 100 In Honor Of Principal Iris Wong ......................... * Normal L. Frazee, 100 years young ..................... 400 Lucas Milam............................... 100 Logan Marsh & Gabby Perez ...... 250 Marilyn Sutorius ......................... 500 Joe Simitian ................................... * Franklin & Edith Cooper ............. 100 Lucy Berman’s Clients.............. 2,500 Betty Gerard .............................. 100 Businesses & Organizations Palo Alto Weekly Moonlight Run ................... 89,181 Sponsors of Moonlight Run: Stanford Health Care ......... 10,000 Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation ................ 5,000 Sutter Health/Palo Alto Medical Foundation ............. 5,000 Stanford Federal Credit Union................................... 5,000 Palantir ................................ 5,000 DeLeon Realty ...................... 5,000 Wealth Architects................. 5,000 Facebook ............................. 5,000 Kaiser Permanente ............... 5,000 Lakin Spears......................... 2,000 Bank of the West ................. 1,000 A Runner’s Mind .................. 1,000 Peery Foundation .................. 10,000 Arrillaga Foundation ............ 10,000 Alta Mesa Cemetery & Funeral Home ...................... 2,000 Killiney Kopitiam ........................ 250 Palo Alto Business Park .................. * Communications & Power Industries ................... 1,000 Bleibler Properties ................... 1,000 Silicon Valley Wealth Advisors .... 300 deLemos Properties .................... 500 * Donor did not want to publish the amount of the gift.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • January 17, 2020 • Page 15

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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • January 17, 2020 • Page 17

Editorial A baby step on homelessness But does new Palo Alto pilot program create too many obstacles to succeed?

o one in Palo Alto, our neighboring cities or throughout most of California is unaware of the disturbing rise in homelessness. It stares us in the face as we walk downtown, visit parks and, in recent years, drive on El Camino Real and many other city streets. The latest and growing form of homelessness — people who are living out of cars and RVs and are generally employed but unable to afford housing — is a group that cities are focusing increasing attention on because helping them actually seems within reach. At the urging of City Council members Tom DuBois and Lydia Kou, the Palo Alto City Council finally set in motion Monday night a very modest program to allow local churches and temples to host up to four vehicles in their unused parking lots each night. Several churches have stepped forward to support such a program and by unanimous vote the council approved it. The city of Palo Alto has thus far done little to assist the community’s unhoused population, so Monday night’s action, minimal as it was, is at least a start. The 18-month pilot program will require churches to obtain a permit from the city, provide toilet facilities and sinks, limit the hours of operation to between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. (cars and RVs would need to leave the lot by 8 a.m. every morning). It is expected that each participating church would contract with a designated nonprofit agency to manage its program and participate in a county monitoring program. Case management services must also be provided to program participants to help them transition to permanent housing. Prior to issuing a permit, the city will notify all neighbors within a 600-foot radius and provide them the opportunity to appeal the issuance of a permit to the council. To require all these steps for a church to host just four vehicles on its private property is excessive and, we fear, jeopardizes the well-intentioned effort. No one believes Palo Alto’s pilot program will solve, or even significantly reduce, the number of people sleeping in vehicles on city streets. But concern over potential negative reactions of church neighbors led a council majority to only support a plan that will, at best, help only a handful of unhoused people and, at worst, never get off the ground. A better program would have allowed more than four vehicles per church and opened the program to the property owners of commercial parking lots. It also would have directed the city staff to include a city-owned parking lot that could accept more vehicles and experiment with 24-hour operation. While communities throughout California are trying to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis of homelessness, it is disappointing that it has taken Palo Alto almost a year to adopt a watereddown version of the initiative proposed by DuBois and Kou last March. By contrast, Gov. Gavin Newsom is treating the problem as a public health emergency. He has spent the last week touring the state meeting with local government leaders and social service agencies and pushing them to partner with the state and treat homelessness like the crisis it is. Newsom has made the issue a top state priority and has committed a billion dollars in state funding. At his final stop, in Oakland on Jan. 16, Newsom promoted new programs to deploy emergency tents, trailers and medical services across California to assist individuals experiencing homelessness. Safe parking programs are being launched throughout the state and region. Mountain View’s program, which is operated by a nonprofit agency, includes two city-owned parking lots, each of which can accommodate up to 30 oversized vehicles, in addition to church lots. Churches need no permits to host up to four vehicles on their property. The latest homeless survey showed that the number of homeless people who are living in vehicles in Santa Clara County is estimated to have more than doubled last year, from 8 to 18%. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to help cities find and fund additional sites for hosting vehicle dwellers, including those that can be used and stay open 24 hours a day instead of only in the evenings. While safe parking programs aren’t solutions to the broader homelessness problem, they can provide hope and security to a growing segment of the working poor. It takes courage and political leadership to design solutions to problems that might create controversy in the community. The faith community and social service agencies have long been leading the way on the issue of homelessness in Palo Alto, quietly taking in and feeding the homeless on a rotating basis. But addressing this problem cannot be left to churches, and regulations must not make implementation so difficult it discourages action. We hope the City Council will quickly expand and modify the program adopted this week as needed to ensure its success so it is more than tokenism. Q Page 18 • January 17, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions

Save Byxbee Park Editor, Byxbee Park’s tranquil baylands give us stunning views, a crucial sanctuary for wildlife, accessible recreational opportunities and more. The Weekly wrote that in 2011, “Palo Alto’s environmentalists split into two camps over whether a site near the Baylands should be used to build a waste-to-energy plant or conserved as open space. The battle culminated in Measure E, a November election in which proponents of the plant prevailed, resulting in the city setting aside 10 acres for a possible facility ... with the city now considering building a recycledwater plant at the site.” As city officials and others ponder a new ballot measure that might develop the 10 acres of previously dedicated parkland, despite Palo Alto’s growing population and the known benefits of parkland for environmental and human health, all should be asking: “Where else might a recycled-water plant go that would not be so detrimental to the long-planned development of this park?” The 2011 campaign in favor of Measure E was crafted by anaerobic-digestion-facility proponents. Since then, their arguments have become moot, the plant was never built, and by law, the 10 acres could soon revert back to sustainable and valuable parkland. Instead, some in the city government are seeking to use this parcel earmarked by Measure E for an anaerobic facility for a recycled-water plant, which would require a new ballot proposition. Residents should be aware that we are talking about a longpromised parkland that is being considered for this new idea, and not just a random parcel of the current sewage treatment plant site. Byxbee Park deserves the support of residents and Palo Alto’s leaders to achieve its most sustainable and productive purpose. We encourage the City Council to re-dedicate the 10 acres to parkland. Carol Muller and Al Henning Heather Lane, Palo Alto

Beautiful lands and waters Editor, I have lived in or near Palo Alto for over half my life. I’ve visited the Baylands and Shoreline Park many times. On New Year’s Day, I explored the full extent of the hilly Byxbee Park in the Palo (continued on page 19)

This week on Town Square Town Square is an online discussion forum at PaloAltoOnline.com/square In response to ‘City OKs letting people live in cars in parking lots of houses of worship’ Posted Jan. 14 at 9:43 a.m. by Pamela Chesavage a resident of the Adobe-Meadow neighborhood: “I’m very pleased to see that Palo Alto is in yet one more way, allowing its community members to get to know and to support the unhoused. Our city currently permits a year-round co-ed shelter that is hosted by local churches and run by LifeMoves, and one winter (December-early April) women’s shelter hosted by local churches and run by a nonprofit called Heart and Home. But in total, these shelters can only stabilize 35 individuals at one time — and as we know, there are far, far more people in our city that need the kind of support that can lead to housing stability. … They are supported by church and community volunteers (at Heart and Home) and by a couple regular volunteers and a program/case manager at LifeMoves. … This type of stability and volunteer support is crucial in helping many of these individuals move forward, as many have suffered severe setbacks in their lives and need the love, care and encouragement of those around them to move forward. Churches (and their members) willing to host vehicle dwellers are in a position to help care for those they host and be a support to them, and the fact that the program participants will be vetted, supported by and supervised by a nonprofit organization’s case manager means that those who are chosen to participate will more likely be able to work towards finding stable housing. I applaud the city’s movement to do more for those who are currently trying to survive without a bed to sleep in and a kitchen to cook in — it’s the least we can do for the unhoused in our community.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK? The Palo Alto Weekly encourages comments on our coverage or on issues of local interest. Submit letters to the editor of up to 300 words to letters@paweekly. com. Submit guest opinions of 1,000 words to editor@paweekly.com. Include your name, address and daytime phone number so we can reach you. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, objectionable content, libel and factual errors known to us. Anonymous letters will generally not be accepted. Submitting a letter to the editor or guest opinion constitutes a granting of permission to the Palo Alto Weekly and Embarcadero Media to also publish it online, including in our online archives and as a post on Town Square. For more information, contact Editorial Assistant Lloyd Lee at llee@ paweekly.com or 650-223-6526 or Editor Jocelyn Dong at editor@ paweekly.com.

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Guest Opinion

Why not try ideas that work? by Asher Waldfogel

ver wonder why little progress has been made on housing in the last few years? Our C om p r e h en sive Plan has a goal to build 300 housing units per year. That’s 3,000 housing units over the next 10 years. How do we get there? The short answer is we need approaches that work financially and at scale. We’ll never get to 3,000 units one, two or even 10 at a time. Without proper tools to analyze costs, we’ll continue to chase enthusiasms that barely work and don’t scale. The first housing enthusiasm I saw four years ago on the Planning and Transportation Commission was accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Promoted as a tool to create affordable housing, they’re an incredibly inefficient way to build. Why? Because even small units have a kitchen, a bath, windows, doors and site prep including expensive utility trenching. All this adds up and is compounded by first-time developers (homeowners) with no expertise and no access to financing except home equity loans. The problem is less about city fees and more about no experience with the design and building process. The upshot: ADU production is hard to scale. (The city reports 31 ADUs built in three years.) While ADUs may be attractive as in-law/caretaker units, home offices or Airbnbs, we have no evidence that new ADUs are being rented as affordable units.

Letters (continued from page 18)

Alto Baylands, and atop a small hill for the first time, I looked over the large extent of the Baylands and part of Mountain View’s Shoreline Park. I was astounded by how much land has been preserved by both cities, especially Palo Alto, in this sensitive area. This contrasts markedly with some other nearby cities where large buildings are encroaching on the bay edge and even onto the former marshlands. I know that both cities used to have landfills in these areas, but at least the land was preserved as open space after the closures. And I know there is still ongoing pressure to use these lands for purposes other than preservation. With this perspective, I am proud of Palo Alto for its leadership, winning political battles and following through to preserve these beautiful lands and waters. Carl Stoffel Richard Court, Mountain View

One fix: We could include ADUs in a city-financed affordable housing program and see how many people are willing to build rent-restricted units.

ext enthusiasm: Downtown Housing Incentives. Some people had a theory that density limits and parking standards were the problem. We increased density and reduced parking standards in the downtown district. The response from housing developers? Crickets. Why? Because the City Council removed the downtown office cap, and at $10/feet, tech office space is still more profitable than housing. For those who believe building height is the answer, developers talk about a “Ucurve” for building costs relative to height. Cost per unit goes down until a certain point and then goes up again as the building code requires more complex construction. Our current 50-foot height limit is not at the bottom of the U-curve, but neither is 150 feet. Multifamily developers report that four floors of wood construction above a two-floor concrete podium yields the lowest cost per unit. That’s roughly 70 feet. As for parking, it’s true that parking spaces cost money, but we need to ensure neighborhoods near Downtown and California Avenue don’t become de facto parking lots for under-parked buildings. Additional height for residential buildings with ground floor retail and inclusionary belowmarket-rate units is a direction we should explore in districts that are not adjacent to existing low-rise residential. It’s vital that we identify prime redevelopment districts if we want to meet our Comp Plan goals. Through districts, the

city can run time-consuming state-mandated processes like California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) reviews just once. We can plan and pay for impacts in districts. We need to quickly to identify which districts have parcels and developers that are ready, willing and able to act at scale, and move aggressively to prioritize development in those districts. The San Francisco Planning Commission reports that 75% of the city’s new housing units are in the SOMA and Downtown districts. Their big successes are large buildings on large lots in repurposed commercial and industrial districts while San Francisco’s traditional residential districts have produced very few units. In the Palo Alto context, our opportunities are North Ventura/Fry’s, Stanford Research Park and the San Antonio corridor. Nothing will happen in Ventura until the major property owner, Sobrato, decides what it’s willing to do, and nothing will happen in the Research Park except what Stanford agrees to do. That leaves San Antonio, close to the Googleplex and the San Antonio Caltrain station, as an opportunity.

he most difficult nut to crack is transportation. Big Tech employers are spread around the region far from public transit: Oracle in Redwood City, Facebook in Menlo Park, Google in Mountain View, Apple in Cupertino, Netflix in Los Gatos and Cisco in North San Jose. Individuals in the Bay Area have responded by owning more cars and driving more. Caltrain’s best idea to fund its service-upgraded “Vision 2040” is with a regressive regional sales tax.

Speak out against hate

Right call on Cubberley

Editor, We are members of Peninsula chapters of Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, a north American and International grassroots organization that brings Muslim and Jewish women together to know one another and stand up to hate and negative stereotyping. We decry the vandalism at University AME Zion church in Palo Alto on Dec. 28. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their house of worship — regardless of their religion or the color of their skin. We were deeply troubled to hear that someone violated the sanctuary. As Muslims and Jews, we sadly know the pain of bigotry and hate. We are with you, knowing that an attack on you is an attack on all of us. Acts of hate and violence against all communities and especially minority communities are intolerable. We all deserve to live safely and freely. Ellen Stromberg and Lama Rimawi Cass Way, Palo Alto and Wilmar Drive Palo Alto

Editor, Palo Alto residents missed an opportunity to have a brand new adult education school and community center. The public passed a Foothill College bond in 2007, which would have allocated $40 million in reconstruction costs for the Cubberley site. Now 13 years later, we are still debating the future of Cubberley. The Palo Alto Unified School District, which owns 27 acres, has no interest in developing Cubberley so long as a lease agreement is in place. It commenced back in 1990, providing them financial support, but provides no improvement to the facilities at Cubberley. They do not want to develop and only keep the land for a future school. Now the district wants to renew the same existing lease for another five years since it expires at the end of 2019. This month, the City Council will vote on this new lease agreement. I recommend that the council tell Palo Alto Unified, “No way.” The city needs to focus on its portion of

Bottom line is we need to develop financially feasible policies to mitigate Big Tech regional impacts and make sure the businesses pay their way. Each tech company benefits from having other tech companies nearby (22% productivity gain in Silicon Valley, according to a recent National Bureau of Economic Research study authored by Enrico Moretti, a UC Berkeley economist). Local governments are left with limited tools to recover impact costs. It’s easy for Big Tech to support regional sales taxes when their software and services are exempt from sales tax. More importantly, Big Tech needs to pay its fair share of regional growth costs, estimated to exceed $100 billion just for transportation and housing. Locally, funding for grade separation of the railroad tracks and affordable housing are urgent needs. A serious business tax is a modest step forward. None of this addresses Bay Area construction costs that are now the highest in the country, driven by the demand for Big Tech office construction. Nor does it address Sacramento’s addiction to Big Tech income tax revenue that doesn’t return to our region. Here’s hoping our council gets more focused on financial feasibility, less caught up in NIMBY-shaming, and tasks the Planning and Transportation Commission and planning staff to focus on financially feasible initiatives rather than ratify enthusiasms that don’t work. Q Asher Waldfogel is a Palo Alto resident, tech serial entrepreneur and former member of both the Utilities Advisory and Planning and Transportation commissions. He can be reached at asher@ideasthatwork.ai.

Cubberley (8 acres), currently in unacceptable condition, so that all the nonprofits and artists have the facilities that will have longterm benefits and stability for the community. It is time to make the right call on Cubberley! Kenneth Horowitz Homer Avenue, Palo Alto

Building an inclusive city Editor, I write today on behalf of the board and members of the League of Women Voters of Palo Alto in response to your article, “Vandal sprays graffiti at historically black church in Palo Alto.” We were shocked and disheartened to learn of the vandalism of the University AME Zion Church building. There is no place for hatred or bigotry in our communities. The League of Women Voters of Palo Alto strongly condemns this hateful act. We value the AME Zion community and the many ways it contributes to the health and vibrancy of our city.

We have, and will continue to, partner with AME Zion on building a more inclusive and resilient community. We stand by their side at this difficult time and are ready to offer whatever support Pastor Smith and the congregation may need. We ask that other organizations also condemn this hatefulness and that they lend support to our neighbors at AME Zion. Terry Godfrey Oxford Avenue, Palo Alto

Appoint a city auditor Editor, The City Council could increase the public’s faith and trust in city government by appointing a city auditor, as the city charter requires. Not appointing a city auditor, tasked with overseeing our tax dollars, raises the question, “Why?” If the City Council can appoint other positions required by the city’s charter, why not appoint a city auditor? Kathy Jordan Walter Hays Drive, Palo Alto

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • January 17, 2020 • Page 19

Photos and story by Magali Gauthier

anuary did more than usher in a new year — it also brought with it higher-than-normal ocean tides that provided rare bird sightings at Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve. Those exploring the Baylands on Jan. 12 to witness the season’s second occurrence of a king tide were treated to a rare sighting of a Ridgway’s rail tiptoeing through the pickleweed marshland behind the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center. Due to the high sea level, the near-threatened bird had been forced out of its regular hiding spot along “rail alley,” a water channel in the marshlands that birds frequent. Other birds, including great egrets, northern harriers, ducks, sparrows, black phoebes and avocets also could be spotted nearby in the marsh, unafraid of the dozens of visitors equipped with zoom lenses and binoculars. “Birds appear to understand they only have a few periods of time each day to hunt and eat, when the tides are just right. And for shorebirds, that means wading around in the marsh and at the edges of the water, sometimes near humans,” said Palo Alto naturalist Corinne DeBra, who led a walk at the Baylands on Jan. 12 to explain why these exceptionally high tides occur and show their impact on the flora and fauna in the marsh. DeBra estimated that more than 1,000 people came to the Baylands to see the high tides, known as king tides. These tides, which can rise 9 feet — or more than two feet higher than the average tide — occur only a few times each winter when the Earth, sun and moon line up in formation during orbit. The first king tide of this

A great egret wades in the tide looking for water crustaceans to feed on at the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve on Jan. 12. Page 20 • January 17, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

winter occurred on Dec. 25, and the next king tide is expected to occur on Feb. 9. Experts say king tides are good predictors of how sea-level rise will affect coastal places in the future. As time goes by, the water level reached now during a king tide will be the water level reached at high tide on an average day, according to the California King Tides Project, a group that helps people visualize future sea level by observing the highest high tides of today. “You’re more likely to see things you don’t normally see,” DeBra said. “It’s an exciting time to look for endangered species.” According to DeBra, birds are among the easiest species to watch. Some birds, she said, build nests that are used to float on the water during high tide. Those species that don’t adapt to these recurring high tides are often endangered. King tides also reveal the uneven impact of sea-level changes, she said. “The rise in sea levels is not happening evenly everywhere, not affecting everyone the same way,” DeBra said. Even in the Palo Alto Baylands, there are parts that are affected more than others. “This is an opportunity to see with your own eyes what a rise of 2 feet, of 3 feet means; there’s no substitute to experiencing this yourself and getting out in nature,” DeBra said. For those who missed the January king tide hike, DeBra and the nonprofit group Environmental Volunteers will lead a joint-guided tour at the Baylands during the next king tide on Feb. 9 to compare its flooding impacts with the high tides from December and January. For more information, go to evols.org/.

About the cover: Bird enthusiasts watch a snowy egret look for water crustaceans to snack on during a king tide in Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve on Jan. 12. Photo by Magali Gauthier.

Cover Story Shorebirds take advantage of the extremely low sea level following a king tide to look for food along the mudbank at Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve on Jan. 13. Palo Alto naturalist Corinne DeBra explains what the surrounding area would look like if the tide was low during a special guided tour at Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve focused on how king tides impact the San Francisco Bay.

A rare Ridgway’s rail pops its head out from under some pickleweed during high tide in the marsh at the Palo Alto Nature Preserve Baylands on Jan. 12. According to Palo Alto naturalist Corinne DeBra, the species is threatened because the birds do not fly well and their eggs do not camouflage well in the pickleweed marsh.

On the left: Visitors observe a 9-foot-high tide covering the bank along a path at the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve during a king tide. On the right: The bay’s water level becomes extremely low after the king tide recedes, revealing a mudbank and plants on Jan. 13. “King tides” are an informal term to describe the highest and lowest tides during the year. They occur during the winter when the Earth, moon and sun are aligned and closest to one another in their orbits. Typically the moon has a larger impact on tides than the sun. This is why monthly high tides, also called “spring tides,” occur during a full or new moon, when the moon is closest to Earth. The extra gravitational force exerted by the sun when the Earth is closest to it during the winter results in an even greater tidal range, said Palo Alto naturalist Corinne DeBra.

A group of visitors walks past a higher-than-normal sea level that nearly reaches the road at the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve during a king tide on Jan. 12. The tidal phenomenon pushed the tide to about 9 feet, or two feet higher than usual.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • January 17, 2020 • Page 21

Arts & Entertainment A weekly guide to music, theater, art, culture, books and more, edited by Karla Kane

Torvald’s ‘little skylark’ returns in

Palo Alto Players production offers Lucas Hnath’s update to Ibsen’s ‘feminist moment’

he final line of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” is a stage direction: “The sound of a door shutting is heard from below.” That informs Torvald Helmer that his wife Nora — his “little skylark, his doll” — has left him, and their three children. The character is shocked, audiences at its premiere were shocked, and at least one prominent actress refused to perform in the play when it got to Germany because, she said, she would never leave her own children. But performances sold out in 1879 Copenhagen for what was an “awesome feminist moment,” as actress Gabriella Grier put it, in a recent phone interview. “It was banned in Europe sometimes. That a woman would leave her family was too crazy and provocative at the time,” she said. Grier is playing Nora in “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” by Lucas Hnath, which begins with Nora coming back through that slammed door, many years later. Michael Champlin plays her estranged spouse.

“The good news is you don’t have to have any familiarity with ‘Part 1,’” said Jeffrey Lo, who is directing ‘Part 2’ for the Palo Alto Players, opening on Jan. 18 at the Lucie Stern Theatre. “What little you need to know is at the beginning of ‘Part 2.’ ‘Part 1’ is essentially about a well-to-do woman, a mother, a wife, who is unhappy in her marriage, and leaves at the end of the play. Back then, that left everyone up in arms that a woman would leave her husband and children just because she was unhappy,” he said. “Our play is set 15 years after ‘Part 1’ and has Nora coming back through the door she slammed. ... What she needs, I don’t want to share.” Lo loves to let his audience enjoy a play’s “reveals” — those “Aha!” moments. So, we expect something good from this play as well. In his day job, Lo is casting director at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. “I really wanted to work on this play,” said Grier, who grew up in Palo Alto before going to Barnard College and the Juilliard School, then returned to the Peninsula,

Joyce Goldschmid

by John Orr

Nora (Gabriella Grier, right) reunites with her daughter Emmy (Katherine Hamilton, left) in Palo Alto Players’ production of “A Doll’s House, Part 2.” In his world, he was doing all the right things. For her to just leave, you see how devastating that was to him.” Lo is well pleased with Grier’s work as Nora. “She’s just a real strong, classically trained actor,” Lo said. “She auditioned with me, and was very amazing. In rehearsal, we found her mind and mine work the same. We are kindred spirits, finding big meanings in small words.” Q

where her day job is in the advancement office at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough. “It’s just a fascinating exploration of reality and the fantasies about how we wish our lives could go ... we want Nora to find her own voice. Really, her family doesn’t see her as a real person. But, what is the cost? She left her children, she left her husband. “What’s interesting is you get to see Herr Torvald’s perspective. ...

Freelance writer John Orr can be emailed at johnorr@ regardingarts.com. What: “A Doll’s House, Part 2.” Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. When: Jan. 18-Feb. 2. Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. Cost: $27-$54. Info: paplayers.org.

Good acoustics: A Q&A with Kaki King Acclaimed composer/guitarist to offer free performance at CSMA this weekend

PAW: Your music, while obviously guitar-based, involves a lot of percussive elements. How have you developed your unique style over the years? KK: I’ve been the only person on stage a lot of the years, so I’ve developed techniques that help fill in whatever the ear thinks is missing.

PAW: Are there any stereotypes or misconceptions you’ve had to fight against as a guitar player, composer and/or artist? KK: Misconceptions are a result of stereotypes, and I’ve definitely had to fight that a lot. Mostly it’s when I show up with a guitar case, an acoustic guitar no less, and I’m given no respect until I start playing, and then whatever sound person or crew member I’m dealing with suddenly has my attention and takes me seriously. The problem is that I should be taken seriously no matter what. Everyone should. PAW: Who are a few of your own musical heroes? KK: I like Nick Drake and PJ Harvey. Anyone who is British and inscrutable gets a check in my book. I gravitate toward Russian composers — Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, etc. These days, I listen to Lizzo

Page 22 • January 17, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

really really loudly and hope my kids don’t pick up too many curse words. PAW: When composing instrumentals, how does the piece serve to express your thoughts and feelings, to act as your “voice,” as it were? KK: My songs aren’t meant to mean anything. They often come from a place of inspiration for me personally, but just as often they come from seemingly nowhere. I’m not trying to get any meaning across. I just hope that people like to listen to them and maybe the song will knock something loose in their brain that was holding them back. PAW: What has surprised you over the course of your career thus far? KK: It’s a miracle that people will still pay money and drive in a car to see a music show. Just

Courtesy of Girlie Action

aki King is a guitarist, composer and producer known for her virtuosic and inventive acoustic guitar compositions, showcased in her multiple albums of original music, plus scores for films (including the Golden Globe-nominated score for “Into the Wild”). King will offer a free concert at the Community School of Music and Arts (30 San Antonio Circle Mountain View,) on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m. In a recent email interview with the Weekly, King discussed her musical career and upcoming show.

by Karla Kane

Innovative composer/guitarist Kaki King will perform a free concert at the Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View on Saturday, Jan. 18. think about how many choices people have now, and when they choose that, it’s really an unbelievable honor. PAW: What can audiences at your Community School of Music and Arts show expect from that specific performance? KK: I’ll be doing a more traditional solo guitar setup. A lot of things from my catalogue from over the years. Hits that date

all the way back to the 90s! But I’m going to add some interesting effects and ways of controlling those effects to see how the guitar reacts. It will sound lovely and I hope everyone has a good time. More information is available at kakiking.com and arts4all.org. Q Arts & Entertainment Editor Karla Kane can be emailed at kkane@paweekly.com

Marc Fiorito/courtesy Rooh

Butternut squash cooked on the wood-fired grill at Rooh in Palo Alto. by Elena Kadvany estaurants have been coming and going at a dizzying rate the last few weeks up and down the Midpeninsula, not to mention the news of forthcoming eateries we’re excited about (Ethel’s Fancy in Palo Alto, Tamarine going fast-casual in Mountain View, the owner of LV Mar and La Viga opening a street-food concept in Palo Alto). Catch up with our list of the latest local restaurant news. Rooh: Modern Indian food is the name of the game at Rooh, the first Peninsula restaurant for owners who run several Indian restaurants in the U.S. and New Delhi. The restaurant’s calling card is a 13-foot custom wood-fired grill, smoker and tandoori oven setup that churns out charred tandoori pineapple, roasted eggplant and duck kebabs. 473 University Ave., Palo Alto; roohpaloalto.com. Pacific Catch: Stanford Shopping Center’s newest dining option is Pacific Catch, a Bay Area seafood restaurant focused on sustainability. It replaced the longtime Max’s Opera Cafe. 711 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto; pacificcatch.com.

The Don’s Deli: Christopher Shawwa opened his third deli in Mountain View in early January, serving classic and inventive deli sandwiches, including with housemade tri-tip, pulled pork, falafel and vegan chicken. His sandwich shops (also in San Jose and Sunnyvale) double as training programs for employees who want to open their own food businesses. 2105 Middlefield Way, Mountain View; thedonsdeli.com. Kakaroto Japanese Restaurant: Kakaroto recently replaced Niji Sushi in downtown Mountain View. Beyond sushi, there’s donburi, katsu, teriyaki and other Japanese fare. 743 W. Dana St., Mountain View. Noodle King: Handmade biang biang noodles, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, fried leek dumplings and other Chinese dishes are on the menu at Noodle King, which took over the downtown space vacated by Sweethoney Dessert. 841 Villa St., Mountain View. Sweet Diplomacy: The owner of this gluten-free bakery uses sweet rice, almond and tapioca flours, alternative sweeteners and coconut oil to make diet-inclusive cupcakes, madeleines, cookies and other baked goods. The 500-square-foot bakery (formerly Cho’s Mandarin Dim Sum) also

FOAM SHOP CALLS IT QUITS ... Tallman’s House of Foam has ended its reign as downtown Palo Alto’s go-to place for foam, upholstery work and mattresses. The longtime shop quietly shuttered during the first week of January. As of Wednesday morning, no one from the shop could be reached for comment. The company’s phone mailbox was full and the shop’s windows were covered in brown paper. For decades, Tallman’s House of Foam at 150 Hamilton Ave. stood as a throwback to a simpler time before startups and tech giants dominated the local landscape. “I know this is unusual to say, but nothing has really changed here since the 1950s. It’s just foam. That’s all I have,” owner Bob Tallman

Weekly file photo by Norbert von der Groeben

ShopTalk Bob Tallman, pictured in his shop on Hamilton Avenue in 2014, closed Tallman’s House of Foam this month. told the Weekly in 2014. Tallman purchased the shop from a family friend in the 1970s and operated the store virtually unchanged for years without a single employee — except his sister. He had a steady following of customers looking to reupholster, restuff and pad everything from inserts for cameras and electronics carrying cases to dining room chairs

serves coffee, tea and hot chocolate. 209 1st St., Los Altos; sweetdiplomacy.com. Sushi Shin: Jason Zhan, a native of China who trained at top sushi restaurants in New York City, opened this nine-seat omakase bar in early January. The seafood comes from Toyosu Market in Tokyo. 312 Arguello St., Redwood City; sushishinredwoodcity.com. La Stanza Cucina Italiana: Piccolo Ristorante has a new name and new owners. Now La Stanza, the neighborhood Italian restaurant is run by Angelo Cucco and Miguel Prado, according to an OpenTable description. Elio D’Urzo opened Piccolo in 2012. 651 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park; lastanzacucina.com.

December to make way for Sweet Maple, a San Francisco brunch favorite, opening there this summer. 150 University Ave., Palo Alto. Sunny Bowl: Korean eatery Sunny Bowl, which served customizable bibimbap bowls since 2009, is no more. 1477 Plymouth St. Suite D, Mountain View. Crawfish Bros: Will 2020 be the year a concept actually sticks at 124 Castro St.? The space has in recent years been an oyster bar, taco eatery, a rebranded tapas restaurant, then Chop & Pub and most recently, Crawfish Bros, which closed in late 2019. 124 Castro St., Mountain View. Krung Thai: This Thai restaurant closed for good in late 2019. Those who are missing Krung Thai’s food can visit the owners’ other restaurant, New Krung Thai Restaurant, in San Jose. 590 Showers Drive, Mountain View.

Pluto’s: Pluto’s has gone dark after more than 20 years of salads and sandwiches. A sign posted on the door says it is “temporarily closed for a refresh” but it’s not clear when or whether it will reopen. The owner did not respond to an interview request, the restaurant’s phone number is disconnected and its website is no longer operational. 482 University Ave., Palo Alto.

Spice Kit: It’s not closed yet, but get your last Spice Kit banh mi and rice bowls in soon. The fast-casual Asian street food eatery is closing in February, according to an employee. 340 California Ave., Palo Alto.

Amber Dhara: In case you missed it, Indian restaurant Amber Dhara closed in late

Staff writer Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@paweekly.com.

to cat-shredded couch cushions to Easter Bunny costumes. Even NASA reportedly used the shop’s foam for its space shuttles. “Bob was kind and very helpful and patient,” a customer wrote on Yelp. Another wrote: “This place was a great source ... extremely professional and excellent work.” Tallman told the Weekly in 2014 that most of his competition quit after Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana coast in 2005. Prices for foam materials, which are petroleumbased and predominantly refined in Louisiana, escalated by as much as 200% after that, he explained. At that time, the 64-year-old said he had no plans to close shop or retire. “Fortunately, I have a fantastic landlord who keeps this place affordable for me,” Tallman said. Customer Elizabeth Lada said she went to the store for the first time to pick up some samples a couple of weeks before the shop had closed. “(I) noticed that

the shelves were almost bare, and everything looked quite haphazard — but maybe that’s how they had always been,” Lada said. “I came back twice the next week — once they had handwritten a sign on the door saying they were closed because they had lost their power. Then, they were suddenly closed.” — L.T. AMBERCROMBIE & FITCH CLOSING ... Ambercrombie & Fitch is set to close its Stanford Shopping Center store and layoff 45 employees at the site by the end of January, according to a notice that the East Coastbased clothing retailer filed with California’s Employment Development Department in mid December. The closure comes less than a year after the company, which also includes the Hollister brand, announced plans that it would be cutting back on its flagship stores in New York, Milan and Japan as part of a shift away from large

format stores. The Stanford store, which opened near the Pottery Barn in the early 2000s, reportedly was not included in that initial announcement. Ambercrombie & Fitch made local and national headlines in 2003 when two Stanford University friends filed a class-action lawsuit against the company for alleged discriminatory hiring practices. According to the New York Times, the suit was settled a year later after company agreed to pay $40 million to several thousand plaintiffs, hire 25 diversity recruiters and produce more diverse marketing materials. The company currently operates 850 stores worldwide, according to its website. — L.T. Compiled by the Weekly staff; this week written by Linda Taaffe. Got leads on interesting and newsworthy retail developments? The Weekly will check them out. Email shoptalk@paweekly.com.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • January 17, 2020 • Page 23

Movies

NOW SHOWING 1917 (R) ++1/2 Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PG) Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (Not Rated) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Bad Boys for Life (R) Century 20: Fri. Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Bombshell (R)

Answers to this week’s puzzles, which can be found on page 31.

Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Dolittle (PG) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Ford V Ferrari (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Frozen II (PG) +++ Century 16: Fri. Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. JoJo Rabbit (PG-13) Century 20: Fri. Sun. Palo Alto Square: Fri. - Sun. Joker (R) ++1/2 Century 20: Fri. Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

RKO Radio Pictures’ version of “Little Women” first played at Stanford Theatre in January 1934.

A ‘Little Women’ weekend Two of Hollywood’s most iconic adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” will be back on the big screen at Stanford Theatre this weekend. Director George Cukor’s 1933 version, which won the Academy Award for Best Writing Adpated Screenplay, and Mervyn LeRoy’s 1949 technicolor version that won the Academy Award for Best Production Design, will run back-to-back Friday, Jan. 17, through Sunday, Jan. 19. Alcott’s classic 1868 novel about four sisters coming of age during the Civil War has been adapted for the stage, radio, television and film numerous times over the decades, including the feature-film by director Greta Gerwig that was released in December. Cukor’s 1933 RKO

Radio Pictures production, which starred Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Jean Parker and Frances Dee as the four March sisters, was the first screen adaptation to include sound. It first played at the Stanford Theatre on Jan. 1, 1934. LeRoy’s 1949 MGM production, which starred Janet Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor (in blonde wig), Margaret O’Brien and June Allyson as the March sisters, first played at Stanford Theatre on May 22, 1949. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors/youth and are available at the box office on the day of the show. The Stanford Theatre is located at 221 University Ave., Palo Alto. For a complete schedule, go to Stanford Theatre or call 650-324-3700.

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Jumanji: The Next Level (PG-13) +++ Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Just Mercy (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Knives Out (Not Rated) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Les Miserables (2019) (R) Theatre: Fri. - Sun.

Aquarius

Like a Boss (R) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Little Women (1933) (Not Rated) Stanford Theatre: Fri. - Sun. Little Women (1949) (Not Rated) Stanford Theatre: Fri. - Sun. Little Women (2019) (PG) +++1/2 Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Palo Alto Square: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Parasite (R) +++1/2 Aquarius Theatre: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Spies in Disguise (PG) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (PG13) ++1/2 Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Uncut Gems (R)

Century 20: Fri. - Sun.

Underwater (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun.

Find trailers, star ratings and reviews at PaloAltoOnline.com/movies

Home&Real Estate

OPEN HOME GUIDE 29 Also online at PaloAltoOnline.com

A weekly guide to home, garden and real estate news

Home Front FABMO GARAGE SALE ... Pick up unique household goods, home decor and other items at a “garage sale” taking place on Saturday, Jan. 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at FabMo in Mountain View. FabMo rescues discontinued designer samples, including upholstery fabric and tile, and makes them available for reuse, typically through monthly appointment-based “selection events.” Here’s a chance to raid FabMo’s stash of goodies without an appointment. The funds raised benefit the organization’s work keeping useful items out of the landfill. FabMo is located at 970 Terra Bella Ave., Suite 5, Mountain View. For more information, call 650-282-6548 or visit fabmo.org/ events-calendar. BATH UPDATE WORKSHOP ... Learn how to make some quick, but key updates, to your bathroom on Saturday, Jan. 18, 10-11:30 a.m. at Home Depot. This workshop will offer handson tutorials on how to install showerheads, light fixtures and bath hardware. Home Depot is located at 1781 E. Bayshore Road, East Palo Alto. For more information, call 650-4626800 or visit homedepot.com/ workshops. TREE PLANTING DAY OF SERVICE ... Help mark the national day of service celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day at a special event hosted by Canopy, Grassroots Ecology, and the city of East Palo Alto on Monday, Jan. 20, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. East Palo Alto Mayor Regina Wallace-Jones will plant a tree during a ceremony, and then volunteers will plant acorns, saplings and native plants along San Francisquito Creek to provide habitat for wildlife and a pleasant community space. Meet at Open Door Church of God, 1108 O’Connor St., East Palo Alto; planting will take place near 103 Daphne Way, about a 1/4 mile away. All ages welcome and no experience required. For more information, contact Michael Hawkins at michael@canopy.org or visit canopy.org. Q Send notices of news and events related to real estate, interior design, home improvement and gardening to Home Front, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302, or email editor@ paweekly.com. Deadline is one week before publication.