the almanac 08.29.2012 - section 1

WWW.THEALMANACONLINE .COMA U G U S T 2 9 , 2 0 1 2 | VOL . 47 NO. 53

Chuck Huggins, community leader and CEO of See’s Candies, dies. | Page 3

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2 The Almanac TheAlmanacOnline.com August 29, 2012

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UPFRONT

A jazz concert, to be announced later, will honor Charles “Chuck” Newel Huggins, formerly of Woodside and Menlo Park, who died Aug. 19 at his home in Larkspur. He was 87. Mr. Huggins was best known as the president and CEO of See’s Candies Inc. He worked for the company for 55 years, starting in 1951 as a man-ager in the packing department. He held various positions in the company until 1972, when the See family sold the company to Warren Buffett, chairman of the Berk-shire Hathaway group. One of the first deci-sions Mr. Buffet made was to appoint Mr. Huggins president and CEO, say family members. Under Mr. Huggins’ leadership, See’s grew to more than 5,000 employ-ees and 200-plus stores. He was responsible for developing dozens of can-dies, such as the Awesome bars, and saving others from retirement, includ-ing the famous “marsh-mints.” He is estimated to have sampled 300,000 pieces of candy during his career, say family mem-bers. He retired in 2006. Locally, Mr. Huggins was well known for his long association with the historic Filoli Center in Woodside. A past president and member of the governing board of the Filoli Foundation, he headed the capital campaign to complete seismic retrofitting of the Main House and build the Visi-tor Education Center. He also started the concert series Jazz at Filoli. Mr. Huggins was an accomplished drummer and singer, performing with his good friend, the late Tom Ford, in his band called T Ford and the Model A’s, playing at charitable events in the Bay

Area and even touring Europe. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Mr. Hug-gins grew up in Portland, Oregon, and was active in the Boy Scouts. When he was 12, he took a four-month tour around the world on a steamship with his grandparents. He served as a paratrooper in World War II with the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division. After graduating from Kenyon College, he moved to Menlo Park in

1951 with his wife, Mar-ian, known as Mime. Dur-ing their 48-year marriage, they had four children, and lived in Menlo Park, Ather-ton, and Woodside. She preceded him in death. A civic leader and phi-lanthropist, Mr. Huggins supported many nonprof-its and arts organizations, including Family Service Agency of San Mateo Coun-ty, Boy Scouts of America, the Children’s Health Coun-cil, the Stanford Jazz Work-shop, the San Francisco Tra-ditional Jazz Foundation, and Music in the Schools Today. He was also bene-factor to many public and private schools, as well as to animal and marine mam-mal centers.

Mr. Huggins is survived by his wife of 15 years, Donna Ewald Huggins; sister Ruth Slack of Beaver-ton, Oregon; children Peter Huggins of Fairfield, Iowa, Charles “Chip” Huggins of Emerald Hills, and Anne Huggins Walton and Shelley Huggins Dutton of Portland; and nine grandchildren. The family requests that gifts in Mr. Huggins’ name be made to “any charities that were close to his heart” or a charity of the donor’s choice. To be notified of the jazz concert, e-mail [email protected].

By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

Westbound lanes on Sand Hill Road between Branner

Drive and Saga Lane will close during daytime hours as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) contin-ues to replace a 24-inch segment of gas pipeline in Menlo Park.

The lanes will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. According to the city, the eastbound side of Sand Hill Road will carry traffic in both directions during PG&E’s work-ing hours. The pipeline replacement started on Aug. 15 and should finish by the end of October, according to Menlo Park Public

Works Director Chip Taylor. A segment of pipe across Alpine Road, south of Sand Hill Road, will also be replaced. Once the new pipe is in place, the utility company is required to repave the portion of Sand Hill Road within the project boundaries. For more information, call PG&E at 1-888-743-7431. A

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Charles “Chuck” Huggins, community leader and CEO of See’s Candies, dies

Pipeline replacement closes lanes in Menlo Park

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THE ALMANAC (ISSN 1097-3095 and USPS 459370) is published every Wednesday by Embarcadero Media, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6558. Periodicals Postage Paid at Menlo Park, CA and at additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for San Mateo County, The Almanac is delivered free to homes in Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside. Subscriptions for $60 per year or $100 per 2 years are welcome. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Almanac, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6558. Copyright ©2012 by Embarcadero Media, All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

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

Chuck Huggins was a local jazz lover and philanthropist.


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Frank Gehry is to architec-ture as Mark Zuckerberg is to social media: A star.

The famous architect, known for award-winning designs described at times as “a collision of parts,” is now gracing Menlo Park with his expertise. Since his earliest work in the 1960s, Mr. Gehry has designed the Guggenheim Museum Bil-bao in Spain, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and many other internation-ally noted structures known for their highly unusual shapes and angles. The Pritzker lau-reate’s Santa Monica home, built of corrugated metal and chain link fences blended with a wood frame, has become a

tourist attraction. His partnership with Face-book developed after informal talks gave way to a mutual desire to work together, a Facebook spokesperson said. Facebook initially planned to put 440,000-square-feet of buildings on its west campus, located on Constitution Drive across the street from the main east campus. But that’s now off the drawing board. Instead, Mr. Gehry designed one large “room” perched on top of a parking structure and capped by a rooftop garden. The theme of open-ended interior space echoes that of the main campus, where buildings are broken up by conference rooms and niches for small groups. Facebook lead designer Ever-ett Katigbak said the new design

has much in common with the east campus. “It’s better to think of it as a refinement of our current campus (rather) than

a separate design altogether,” he said. It will replicate the polished concrete and exposed ceiling beams seen at headquar-

ters, “though it will no doubt have certain touches added by

Gehry’s Facebook vision: A social gardenIconic architect plans building for Menlo Park

Local News AU G U S T 2 9 , 2 0 1 2


An annual review of the City Council’s travel expenses shows Mayor

Kirsten Keith on pace as the top spender, by far, among elected Menlo Park officials since 2004. So far this calendar year Ms. Keith has expensed $2,319.60. In 2011 her reimbursements totaled $2,186.59, city records show. As in previous years, Council-man Rich Cline spent the least. His grand total for the past 18 months, including 10 months as mayor? Zero. He declined to comment on his pattern of fru-gality. Council members receive a $640 monthly salary (previously known as a stipend). City Man-ager Alex McIntyre said the five-member council collectively has an additional $10,000 at its dis-posal to cover individual travel costs as part of the annual city budget. Council members either ask the city to pay in advance, or request reimbursement. If the trip involves out-of-state travel, reimbursement must be approved by the council during a regular meeting. Highlights of Ms. Keith’s

expenses: ■ Progress Seminar in Monterey: $943. ■ League of California Cities annual conference in San Fran-cisco: $525. ■ Upcoming League of Cities annual conference in San Diego: $475. ■ League of Cities “Employee Relations” policy committee meeting: $281.60. ■ “The Making of a Monu-ment from Conception to Com-pletion” in Burlingame: $125. Asked how constituents ben-efit and how she decides which events to attend, the mayor responded in an email: “As you know, we have Procedure CC-91-002 that guides the purpose of attendance and participation at events and functions for all city employees and Council that is necessary to the performance of offi-cial duty and provides direct benefit to the City. There is an attachment titled ‘Chart of Conferences and Meetings’ that specifically includes the Progress Seminar and League of California Cities meetings.” Curious about what a “Prog-ress Seminar” is? The annual event, co-sponsored by county chambers of commerce, “brings

together business, government, and community leaders for informal discussions about regional issues, and opportu-nities to meet those issues,” according to the website. Noting that she did not incur any hotel expenses, Ms. Keith said she was selected to sit on the employee relations subcom-mittee, which meets four times a year at rotating locations in California. As for the Burlingame event: “The Making of a Monument was in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, as is the picture of Dr. King on the wall at the Onetta Harris Community Cen-ter in Belle Haven,” Ms. Keith said. The mayor’s tab also included $175 for dinner at the San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City honoring Keith Sorenson and Jim Fox, with the choice of filet mignon or veg-etarian platters. The Almanac reported 18 months ago that fellow council member Kelly Fergusson aver-aged $1,996 per year during her eight years on the council. The incumbent, now running for a third term, has sharply ramped

Menlo council members’ travel expensesvary widely, with mayor topping the list


■ New alcohol license pending for Menlo Park landmark.By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

Eight months after the party stopped at the landmark British Bank-

ers Club in Menlo Park, signs of revival appeared, thanks to a former social media executive. According to the California Department of Alcoholic Bev-erage Control, which yanked the pub’s liquor license in January, a new company led by Owen Van Natta has asked for a new permit. Agency rep-resentatives said the license is pending. Mr. Van Natta worked in key positions at a roster of social media companies — includ-ing Facebook and MySpace — before resigning as chief business officer of Zynga in November 2011. He and wife Jennifer applied for the alco-hol license as the owners of Evergreen Park Hospitality Group, based in Palo Alto. The company also filed for federal registration of the BBC trade-mark in March. The historic brick building

at 1090 El Camino Real used to house Menlo Park’s admin-istrative and police depart-ments, but in more recent years became known for a crowd whose rowdiness resulted in numerous police visits. The BBC made headlines in 2010 when a busboy and a cook were arrested for sexually assaulting two women at the club. Police said the men fol-lowed the women when they went to an upstairs room in the club to sleep after becom-ing intoxicated. Both pleaded guilty to related charges. Former owners Lance White and Richard Eldridge initially said the BBC had closed for remodeling, but eventually posted an announcement on its website saying that it would not reopen. The signs of revival are sparse, however: Phone lines remain disconnected at the club, and calls to the Evergreen Group went unanswered even by voicemail. Menlo Park city staff said no one has yet applied for the new business license required to reopen the BBC. Mr. Van Natta was not available for comment on plans for the club. A

Former Facebook exec poisedto re-open British Bankers Club

See GEHRY, page 8

See TRAVEL, page 8

Photo courtesy of Facebook

A model of renowned architect Frank Gehry’s design for Facebook’s west campus, located on Constitution Drive in Menlo Park.


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The start of the school year must be near: The Menlo Park City Council hits the books on Tuesday night, with an agenda as diverse as a college curricu-lum. The meeting kicks off with a study session at 6 p.m. about the city’s state of emergency preparedness, with a focus on how to increase it. Staff recom-mended three options: continue having a police commander serve as emergency services coordinator; contracting out the responsibilities to the Menlo Park Fire Protection District; or hiring a full-time coordinator. The regular meeting follows the study session, and is set to begin at 7 p.m. in council cham-bers at the Civic Center at 701 Laurel St. During a public hearing, the council will consider an appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of the Bright Angel Montessori Academy, a pre-school proposed for 695 Bay Road. A neighbor is protesting the permit on grounds of the noise, illegal parking and traffic potentially generated by the 48 students, parents and six school employees. Go to tinyurl.com/98utrw2 to review the agenda and associ-ated staff reports. The regular meeting follows the study ses-sion, and is set to begin at 7 p.m. in council chambers at the Civic Center at 701 Laurel St.

Woman donates money to replace stolen bike “Don’t let the good in the world be overshadowed by these people,” said a note from an anonymous woman to a 14-year-old boy who had his bike stolen at the Menlo Park skate park. After reading about the theft in the newspaper, the Good Samaritan contacted police to arrange a $500 donation to replace the bike. The teenager was attacked by two young men during a morn-ing outing on Aug. 13. After one asked for a ride and was turned down, he punched the boy as the other suspect grabbed the bike. Both escaped a police search. The first suspect, described as a white man about 17 to 18 years old, had short blond hair, freck-

les and light eyes. About 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 150 pounds, he wore jeans and a gray T-shirt, according to the police report. He rode the bike as the pair fled south on Alma Street. The second suspect, a black man about 18 to 19 years old, wore jeans and a white T-shirt. He stood nearly 6 feet tall and weighed about 180 pounds with short, curly dark hair and medi-um complexion. Police spokesperson Nicole Acker said there was no update on the investigation. Anyone with information about the robbery can call police at 330-6300.

Saturday: Free compost

If it’s time to fertilize the garden again, check out the free compost giveaway in Menlo Park on Saturday, Sept. 1. Bring a shovel, proof of resi-dency, and containers to help yourself to the large pile of at the entrance of Bedwell Bayfront Park, near the intersection of Bayfront Expressway and Marsh Road. The event lasts from sunrise to sunset or until the compost runs out.

Firefighters deployed to wildfires Two firefighters certified as paramedics were sent to help fight wildfires in Northern Cali-fornia, according to the Menlo Park Fire Protection District. Matt Menard was sent to Tehama County on Aug. 20, and Mike Stahl was deployed on Aug. 21 to Trinity National Forest, the district said. Chief Harold Schapelhouman said both men are certified as line medics, who work on the front lines supporting crews attempting to contain the fires. “The work is difficult and per-sonal wear and tear issues and injuries need constant atten-tion by the field medics so the crews can function at a high performance and efficiency level working many long hours and consecutive days and weeks until the fire is contained and brought under control,” he said in a press release.

Menlo council: Emergencies,planned preschool on agenda

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

Am I Protected If Seller’s Lender Files a Notice of Default?

REAL ESTATE Q&Aby Monica Corman

Dear Monica: I am buying a property which will close escrow this week and the sell-er has not made any loan pay-ments for a few months. The seller’s lender has not yet filed a notice of default and when my purchase is recorded the seller’s lender will be paid all moneys owed including arrearages. What if the pre-vious lender files a notice of default after I own the proper-ty? Am I liable for anything?Philip M.

Dear Philip: No, you will not be liable if the previous lender files

a notice of default after your pur-chase has recorded because you are insured by the title insur-ance policy you obtained. The title company was responsible for paying off all liens owed by the previous owner in order to be able to give clear title to you. The title company checks to be sure no new liens or notices have been filed up to the moment they record your purchase. If a lien or default is filed after that time, the title company is responsible for getting these removed. This is one of the many reasons why it is important to obtain title insurance.

By Dave BoyceAlmanac staff writer

Commercial aircraft pass over Woodside, Portola Valley and parts of Ather-

ton every day on their way into major Bay Area airports, often to the intense annoyance of resi-dents who live in elevated neigh-borhoods and thus in relatively close proximity to the noise from the jet engines. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there’s good news ahead. Now in the first year of a decade-long implementation at some airports, including Bay Area airports, the Next Generation Air Transportation System (Nex-tGen) will alter the manner in which aircraft approach airports for landing. These changes should reduce noise levels, the FAA says. One FAA goal: “Reduce the number of people exposed to significant noise around U.S. air-ports in absolute terms, notwith-standing aviation growth, and provide additional measures to protect public health and welfare and our national resources.” NextGen guides aircraft by satellite instead of radar. Satellite-based procedures keep aircraft from straying from a prescribed flight path, something they can do with a radar system. These “tighter flight tracks ... reduce the ground noise footprint,” FAA spokesman Ian Gregor told the Almanac. Traditionally, an aircraft’s descent is punctuated by loud engine power thrusts, similar to gear changes, as the air-craft arrives at incrementally lower altitudes in its stepwise approach to landing. This noise pattern goes away with tailored arrival, another NextGen innovation. With tai-lored arrival, the aircraft is assigned a 200-mile-long glide path to the runway, “like sliding down a bannister rather than walking down steps,” Mr. Gregor said. Aircraft using this method “burn less fuel, emit fewer pollut-ants and make less noise because they are using minimal power.” There may be more planes. “(Air traffic) controllers will be able to safely reduce the separa-tion standards between aircraft, which will provide increased capacity in the nationís skies,” a NextGen fact sheet says. The Almanac asked a number of questions regarding the new system:

■ Will NextGen raise the number of flights over Wood-side and Portola Valley?

■ If aircraft are kept to one tightly controlled flight path, some houses might no longer have aircraft crossing above

them, but others may have more. The ground noise foot-print may be tighter, but what about houses located directly under that tighter footprint? ■ If a jet engine is on reduced power on a 200-mile glide, it’s hard to argue that it would be louder, but what if the aircraft f lies closer to the ground? What will the net effect be for people on the ground? Mr. Gregor said he could not talk about “hypothetical impacts from Bay Area procedures that are still in development. We’re going to do a draft environmen-tal assessment for the new Next-Gen procedures we’re developing as part of the Northern Califor-nia Metroplex process. Until we complete the draft EA, we won’t know what the possible impacts

of the new procedures will be. The draft EA will be a public document that we’ll likely post online so anyone can access it.” As for NextGen raising the numbers of flights, the most important determining factors of airport capacity are runway configuration and the workload of air traffic controllers, Mr. Gregor said. “NextGen technol-ogy improves efficiency, reduces delays, increases capacity in higher altitude airspace and creates a smoother and more balanced flow of aircraft into an airport,” he said. Does the FAA measure noise under flight paths? “We do, in fact, do noise modeling for new procedures,” Mr. Gregor said. “We will do full environmen-tal reviews of all new NextGen procedures, and we will comply with all applicable provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),” he added. The FAA claims NextGen could save up to 5.6 million gallons of fuel annually (about $15.5 million) and could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 56,000 metric tons annually.

8,000 feet? On a clear patch of ground in the forested hills of unincorporated Woodside sits a navigation beacon over which many Bay Area-bound

aircraft pass. Between 1998 and 2001, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Menlo-Park, reportedly got air traffic officials to agree that aircraft crossing over this beacon would stay at an altitude of at least 8,000 feet above sea level. It’s the rare flight that keeps to this standard, records show. Between January 2009 and June 2012, 75,705 flights crossed the beacon and about 66,620 of them (88 percent) were flying at less than 8,000 feet, according to data provided by Woodside resident Jim Lyons and Portola Valley resi-dent Vic Schachter. Some 20,895 flights were below 6,000 feet, they said. Mr. Lyons’ house sits at 2,300 feet above sea level in Skylonda. Their source was the noise abatement office of the San Francisco International Airport, which publishes statistics on incoming flights. Ms. Eshoo met with local air traffic control officials again in July. Asked to comment, she replied in an email: “The meeting was productive. All parties are working in good faith to reduce aircraft noise, as well as maintain safe flight levels. At this time, we are still taking a close look at the data to determine if and how many aircraft are flying below the 8,000-foot minimum altitude.” Asked about the 8,000-foot standard, Mr. Gregor replied: “There is no firm requirement that airplanes fly at 8,000 feet over the Woodside (beacon). Air traf-fic controllers direct pilots; pilots do not randomly decide what alti-tude or route to fly. The airspace in that area is extremely complex, and we use the Woodside (bea-con) for a number of different airways and purposes — not just for San Francisco (SFO) arrivals. The aircraft could be headed into San Jose or somewhere out of the Bay Area, he said. “While we keep almost all SFO arrivals at 8,000 feet at night, it is not possible to keep all SFO arrivals at that altitude during the day because of conflicts with other aircraft using that airspace.” Will the glide path used in tailored arrivals result in consis-tent altitudes? Yes, Mr. Gregor said, “but we have to maintain the flexibility to vector aircraft to different altitudes or routes to keep them safely separated from other aircraft and moving efficiently in the system.” Mr. Lyons said he appreciates the importance of getting an aircraft on the ground quickly and safely. “Why is it necessary for a plane to be at 5,500 feet when another is at 7,900,” he asked. “I’ve never gotten a clear answer to that. It can’t always be traffic issues.” A

New technology promises less noisefrom jet engines, but to whose ears?

With the new system, aircraft are assigned a 200-mile-long glide path to the runway,

making descent ‘like sliding down a

bannister rather than walking down steps.’

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the Gehry team. As of now, the design is too early on to confirm what those will be.” The project breaks ground next spring, assuming the city’s review of the new design goes smooth-ly. Covering about 10 acres, the office will house up to 2,800 engineers, according to Facebook. The compa-ny declined to disclose the price tag. “(Mr. Gehry) is famous for his ability to execute on the wishes of his client while keeping his projects within their budget. As such, the costs of the campus should be on par with a typical Silicon Valley campus,” a spokesperson said. Asked what drivers pass-ing the campus on Bayfront Expressway might notice, Mr. Katigbak said the idea is to

avoid a striking design. “We hope that the building will be ref lective of the current archi-tecture in the area. ... Instead, with the trees along the the rooftop and ground-level gar-dens, we hope the building will almost recede into the back-

ground of a forest-like landscape. Though still very early in the design process, we plan for the exterior of the build-ing to be clean and simple.” Facebook’s director of global real estate, John Tenanes, shared his excitement about the

upcoming expansion. “The new building is reflective of our culture, and we hope it will offer an amazing environ-ment for the engineers who will work there,” he said. “We look forward to working with Frank and his team and anticipate a smooth and timely completion of the project.” A

down spending. She came in a distant second to Ms. Keith in the latest tabulations, having requested reimbursement for only seven Council of Cities din-ners, for a total $295 from March 2011 through the present. “I don’t perceive any change. I continue to apply my approx-imately $550 per month sti-pend to pay for most direct expenses associated with my duties as a council member,” Ms. Fergusson said, adding that she’s “always been frugal with city funds.”

The city covers the costs of monthly dinners for the Coun-cil of Cities, for which she serves as vice chair, but “beyond that, in my role as council member — but of course from my per-sonal funds — I am as generous as I can be in financial support of local nonprofits and founda-tions.” Councilman Andy Cohen, finishing out his second term, came in third with $195.08. A ticket to this year’s Bay Area Maker Faire — a two-day event showcasing do-it-yourself inventions along the lines of homemade 3D printers and lock picking workshops —

accounted for about one quar-ter of his expenses. “Having attracted Facebook, and being home to many start-ups thanks to Tarleton and other incubator type business locations in the M-2 (com-mercial zone), I thought it was a good idea to see what tech startups were offering,” Mr. Cohen said when asked how the Maker Faire related to his official duties. Vice Mayor Peter Ohtaki expensed $145: one $40 Council of Cities dinner, and the regis-tration fee for a meeting hosted by the Association of Bay Area Governments. A

TRAVEL continued from page 5

GEHRY continued from page 5

The number of inmates and parolees in San Mateo County as a result of “realignment” — the policy to shift lower-level offenders from state prisons to local jails — is about 15 percent higher than what state officials projected, according to a recent report presented to the county Board of Supervisors. The report, called the Pub-lic Safety Realignment Local Implementation Report, shows that the number of nonviolent, non-high-risk offenders whose cases are being assigned to the county Probation Department instead of state parole is about 15 percent higher than what state analysts predicted when realign-ment began in October 2011. The number of inmates being sentenced to serve time in county jail rather than state prison under realignment is also about 15 percent more than what was predicted, county legislative coordinator Connie Juarez-Diroll said. “The state Department of Finance had run some early projections to give to counties to begin planning for realign-ment,” Ms. Juarez-Diroll said. “We’re finding that the numbers are slightly higher than what had been predicted.” Approximately 170 inmates

who would have gone to prison have been sentenced to county jail under the realignment pro-gram, according to the report. The influx of new inmates has resulted in a 53 percent increase in sentenced days at the jail facility. About 82 percent of those inmates are men; about 31 per-cent are between 30 and 39 years old. Approximately 260 inmates who were released under “community supervision” have had their cases newly assigned to the San Mateo County Probation Department under realignment. Nearly 87 percent of those have a moder-ate or high risk of re-offending, according to the report. So far, around 26 percent have new arrest warrants, 19 percent have been arrested for new offenses, and 7 percent have had their probation revoked. The majority of the released inmates under community supervision are from Daly City, South San Francisco, East Palo Alto and Redwood City. Around 13 percent are transient. When realignment began last year, the Board of Supervisors requested that quarterly reports be prepared on the impacts of the plan on various depart-ments.

—Bay City News Service

County handles 15 percentmore inmates than expected

Kirsten Keith

Kelly Fergusson

Andy Cohen

Peter Ohtaki

*Rich Cline’s travel expenses totaled $0

Menlo Park City Council Travel ExpensesMarch 2011 - present

Frank Gehry

Photo courtesy of Sydney Pollack

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, one of architect Frank Gehry’s most celebrated designs. On the cover: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg contemplates architect Frank Gehry’s vision for the social networking company’s west campus in Menlo Park. Photo by Everett Katigbak.

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S C H O O L S


Mighty oaks from little acorns grow, so the say-ing goes. In this case,

from the purchase of 40 acres of land in 1894 has grown Sacred Heart Preparatory of Atherton, which has now doubled the size of its facilities for lower and middle school students. Students arriving the first week of classes will find 32 new classrooms, a library three times larger than the one they left in the spring, a new 23,000-square-foot performing arts center, and a chapel welcoming them to the lower and middle schools. Speaking of the library: It was designed as a “net zero” building for electricity and water, mean-ing that environmental features capture enough of both to make the library self-sustaining in terms of energy consumption. Wet paint scented the air as the Almanac took a tour of the new facilities. Everywhere you look, environmental consider-ations influenced design. Wood reclaimed from campus trees cut down over the years reappears as benches. Large classroom windows let in natural light as well as fresh air. Rain falls into tanks that then send the water to gardens; even the parking lot, made of pervious concrete

resembling loose gravel frozen in place, contributes to the green motif by preventing runoff. Construction went smoothly. “I don’t think we had any sur-prises on this side,” said Sandy Dubinsky, operations manager. She chuckled and recalled a time when renovations on the other side of campus some time ago uncovered a full oil tank dating back to the 1800s, buried in the dirt.

Every classroom is different. Slabs of mismatched stone form countertops along the sides; the school selected the blocks from leftover remnants at marble yards. Desk chairs start out miniature, in rainbow colors, for lower grades, and then graduate to “big kid” chairs all in black starting in sixth grade to convey a sense of increasing academic seriousness, according to Ms. Dubinsky. Music teacher Kelly Leistikow

talked while unpacking instru-ments for her new classroom, which includes built-in record-ing capabilities to allow students to play back their sessions. “Sci-ence and math need creativity,” she said. “There is a discipline here — the kids are going to know their musical alphabet. But once they know it, it’s ‘what are you going to do with that?’” Funding for the facilities came from a five-year capital campaign raising $101 million that also went toward faculty support, endow-ment and other budget items. To make room, the 57-year-old buildings of St. Joseph’s School were torn down, and the campus has now been unified under a sin-gle name: Sacred Heart Schools. A few figures on campus are familiar with both the old and the new. “I still believe in reading books and holding them,” said Sister Nancy Morris, who served as director of schools for 18 years. That followed two decades as a teacher who drew upon classics such as Ivanhoe and Dante’s Divine Comedy to illuminate the Middle Ages for her students. Her time at Sacred Heart included overseeing the transi-tion to co-ed high school classes and the closure of the boarding school in 1984. That presented challenges large and small. Sis-

ter Morris described searching for a way to make the blue rib-bons handed out as prizes pal-atable to boys. “I watched ‘War and Peace’ one night, starring Anthony Hopkins. And there was Napoleon wearing a rib-bon,” she said. “So I told them: ‘Boys, this began in the army!’” The ribbon tradition continues even as the campus adapts to 21st century education, a transition with a new set of challenges. Sister Morris shared the back-ground of how one Sacred Heart School in Seattle came to ban computers and social technology on a Wednesday during Lent: A student, unable to articulate a difficult situation, could describe it to the principal only via text messages. On the local campus, the school blocks access to Face-book, and prohibits cellphone

use within classrooms. Change is nothing new to the nuns of Sacred Heart, however. They took to heart the Second Vatican Council’s exhortation in the 1960s to “update your habits,” Sister Morris said. “We chose to be apostolic and be out there with the people ... but also to continue the strong educational thrust that marked the schools.” That thrust remains the back-bone of the Sacred Heart sys-tem, guiding the changes that have recently come to campus. Replacing the older model of lec-ture followed by homework, the high school mathematics classes on campus now reflect the “flip model”: Teachers can load lec-tures on YouTube for students to watch the night before coming to class; once in the classroom, the emphasis is on understanding the material through collabora-tion, according to Director of Communications Millie Lee. Students at the lower and middle schools start implement-ing technology within the class-room by using tablets to share projects and discuss each other’s assignments under the guidance of their teachers. “For me, working here, these buildings were designed, con-structed and (are) now occupied with (21st century learning) in mind,” said middle school instructor Jennifer Lettieri, dur-ing a break from a teacher train-ing session on using Google to share documents within the classroom. “It’s not just a ques-tion of passing on what they need to know, but also asking them, ‘what are you discovering?’” Her students — “digital natives!” — will be able to bring skills they use for social media into working together in the class-room, she said. The spacious new rooms, at 900 square feet, provide enough space to create museum exhibits, while the windows let students passing by outside peek in at projects under way. “I feel really lucky and really excited about the changes that are coming,” Ms. Lettieri said. “It’s a real path-bridging time for us here.” A

Sacred education for the 21st centuryPrivate school expands facilities while reducing environmental impact

Michelle Le/The Almanac

Music teacher Kelly Leistikow gets acquainted with new features, such as built-in recording capability, as she prepares her classroom for the upcoming school year at Sacred Heart.


An alligator keeps watch over a garden on Sacred Heart’s campus. Tanks capture rain, allowing the water to be used to nourish the landscaping.

Education is ‘not just a question of passing on what they need to know, but also asking them, “what are you

discovering?”’

TEACHER JENNIFER LETTIERI

This information is from the Atherton and

Menlo Park police departments and the

San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Under

the law, people charged with offenses are

considered innocent until convicted.

MENLO PARK

Residential burglary reports: ■ Losses estimated at $5,680 in entry through open bedroom window and theft of miscellaneous jewelry, video camera, $400 in coins and $500 in bills, Almanor Ave., Aug. 23.■ Unknown losses in break-in to closed garage and theft of miscellaneous, including several expensive bikes, Santa Monica Ave., Aug. 13.■ Losses estimated at $245 in break-in by prying open sliding glass door and theft of miscellaneous jewelry and bottle of scotch whiskey, Florence Lane, Aug. 22.Theft reports:

■ Apparent theft of black-and-brown Yorkshire terrier, wearing red and white collar, from office of chiropractor, Willow Road, Aug. 17.■ Loss estimated at $200 in theft from wallet stored in unlocked desk drawer, Scott Drive, Aug. 20.■ Losses estimated at $360 in theft of camera, valued at $200, and gray coin purse containing $160 in cash, Laurel St., Aug. 20.■ Bicycle stolen, Coleman Ave., Aug. 11.■ Items stolen from within luggage left on street near victim’s vehicle, University Drive, Aug. 14.Spousal abuse report: first block of Menlo Ave., Aug. 21.

LADERA

Theft report: Losses estimated at $7,500 in theft of bicycle from open garage, Mira Way, Aug. 21.

WEST MENLO PARK

Found property report: Resident found black laptop computer bag office sup-plies, car keys, garage door opener and large number of checks signed by differ-ent people but without amounts, Vine St., Aug. 20.Theft report: Losses estimated at $200 in theft from unlocked vehicle of Apple iHome player, duffle bag and clothing, Orange Ave., Aug. 21.

ATHERTON

Residential burglary report: Unknown losses in theft of items from construction site, Barmetta Way, Aug. 23.Auto burglary report: Rear passenger window smashed but nothing taken, 1000 block of El Camino Real, Aug. 22.Fraud report: Unknown losses in theft and cashing of stolen check, Tuscaloosa Ave., Aug. 22.


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

TOWN OF WOODSIDE

INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR ARCHITECTURAL AND SITE

REVIEW BOARD

The Architectural and Site Review Board reviews and makes recommendations to the Planning Director on residential, site design and commercial applications.

Meetings are held on the first and third Monday of each month, 4:30 p.m. Appointment is for an unexpired term through February 2013.

Interested residents may request information and applications Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-12 noon and 1-5:00 p.m. at the Town Clerk’s Office, 2955 Woodside Road, by telephone at (650) 851-6790, or through the Town’s web site at www.woodsidetown.org., Residents, Volun-teer Opportunities. Deadline for applications is Monday, September 17, 2012, 5:00 p.m.

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2012

Over the past week, three resi-dential burglaries in Menlo Park and two commercial burglaries — one in Menlo Park and one in Atherton — left victims bereft of possessions valued at $28,100, according to a police reports. On Tuesday, Aug. 21, someone forced open the window of a garage on Gilbert Avenue, ran-sacked the house and absconded with a bicycle, a luggage bag, a pair of water-sport shoes, two Rolex watches, a video game console, a digital camera, an Apple com-puter, an Apple iPad and two Bose speakers for total losses estimated

at $17,000, said Nicole Acker, spokeswoman for the Menlo Park Police Department. Three days earlier, on Saturday, Aug. 18, on Newbridge Street, someone kicked in the front door to a residence and left with jewelry, two purses, two wallets and $1,000 in cash, for a total loss estimated at $8,100, police said. Meanwhile in Atherton on Tuesday, someone stole seven Apple iPhones, an Android phone, two wallets and $90 in cash — a total loss estimated at $3,000 — from the men’s locker room at Sacred Heart Schools

at 150 Valparaiso Ave., Lt. Joe Wade of the Atherton Police Department told the Almanac. There are no suspects and no leads in the case, police said. A less dramatic commercial burglary on Monday, Aug. 20, on University Drive in Menlo Park netted someone $200 in cash after he or she entered an office through an open window and pried open a desk drawer, police said. Burglars kicked in another front door on Ivy Drive in Menlo Park on Tuesday, Aug. 21, and stole a TV, police said.

Four days, five burglaries intwo towns: $28,000 in losses

POLICE CALLS


C O M M U N I T Y

By Nick Veronin

At a little over a century in age, Menlo Park resident Florence Detlor is the

oldest known Facebook user. The title, which she pays little mind, has earned her a tour of the social networking com-pany’s massive headquarters, and a meet-and-greet with the company’s billionaire founder, who at 28 years old is 73 years her junior. “I was very impressed,” Ms. Detlor says, referring to Mark Zuckerberg. “He was very pleas-ant and official. Very nice.” Shortly after noon on Aug. 22, Ms. Detlor toured the Facebook campus along with a group of officials from Little House in Menlo Park, the Peninsula Volunteers-run senior activity center, of which she is a member. In fact, it was at Little House where the 101-year-old Ms. Detlor learned the ropes of the popular social networking site, and it was through Little House that this trip was organized. Every month Little House offers interactive Facebook classes for seniors to learn how to use the site, post pictures, add friends and play social games. The lessons are taught by a vol-unteer Facebook employee. Ms. Detlor’s interest in signing up for Facebook was piqued by her family. She recalls how fam-ily members would often talk about using the site, occasion-ally suggesting that Ms. Detlor give it a try. The idea was not all that far-fetched. While Ms. Detlor admits she isn’t highly tech-savvy, she is far from computer-illiterate. The centenarian got her first personal computer in 1999 — around the time Mr. Zuckerberg was entering his freshman year of high school. Ms. Detlor’s timeline indicates that she joined Facebook on Aug. 19, 2009. However, she says she has been using the site for only one year. Her first picture post is a shared photo, originally uploaded by her niece on Ms. Detlor’s 100th birthday. Officials from the social net-work confirm there are no known older users than Ms. Detlor. Ms. Detlor was born in Can-ada, and moved to Los Ange-les shortly thereafter. “Not a moment too soon, I believe,” she says. From L.A. she moved north to Menlo Park. She remembers the exact date she first moved into the home she still lives in to

this day: Dec. 9, 1955. She loves her “beautiful Menlo Park,” she says, even if she doesn’t “like the way they run it sometimes.” That’s about the most political Ms. Detlor gets, at least on Face-book. She says she likes to limit her social wall feed to polite dis-course and pleasant small talk. Scrolling through her feed there are earnest questions, such as, “Is a garage sale a good way to shop?” There are also positive proclamations that also serve as a call to discuss positive experi-ences had in church: “I heard a thought-provoking sermon this morning. I can work on that all week.” An Aug. 5 post from Ms. Detlor reads: “Isn’t it good that we don’t have to face politics on Facebook???” It may be surprising for the more experienced Facebook user that Ms. Detlor is able to avoid politics within Facebook, but the truth is she is fairly discerning when it comes to “friending.” “I just want (the conversation) to be meaningful,” she says, “and to give back a message that is meaningful.” When she sees posts that are negative, strange or overtly partisan, she has found a simple solution. “Un-friend!” she exclaims, from her wheelchair, as she sits in a meeting space deep within the labyrinthine Facebook campus. According to an official with Little House, the Facebook class is a big hit. “The ability to be able to connect and reconnect with long-lost friends, engage with them, keep up with their family and kids and just be able to link up with their families” is what makes the course so popu-lar, according to Kwesi Wilson, marketing and communications coordinator for Little House. Mr. Wilson says that the class has grown in popularity, largely due to word of mouth, as Little House members tell their peers about how much they have enjoyed using the site. “They pick it up quickly,” he says. “It’s really easy to use. And as soon as they start clicking and get in there, start uploading pictures, they’re in.” Mr. Wilson pointed to a recent USA Today article featuring Ms. Detlor that explores the use of social networks by senior citizens. That article, “Facebook 101: Seniors learn to use the social network,” cites a recent Pew study that indicates all social network users over the

Facebook’s oldest user keeps conversation politeMenlo Park woman meets Zuckerberg, tours social network’s new campus


Florence Detlor, 101, smiles after writing “Flo thanx” on Facebook’s wall during her tour of the Menlo Park campus.

See FLORENCE, page 12

By Sue DremannPalo Alto Weekly

When a wildfire ignited grasslands in Pearson Arastradero Preserve

recently, the various city and county fire departments that responded ignored their usual boundaries. Multiple fire agencies, includ-ing Palo Alto’s and Menlo Park’s, battled five blazes that could have harmed people and property had the response not been rapid. Pastures that contain about 155 horses are just 200 feet from the burned area, and the hills are surrounded by homes in Portola Valley and Los Altos. The joint attack is one exam-ple of how fire responses may look in the near future due to

expanding automatic-aid agree-ments. One year ago, the Palo Alto City Council unanimously approved a new arrangement between the Palo Alto Fire Department and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, under which engines and personnel in closest proximity to a fire or emergency will respond, regard-less of jurisdiction. The agreement covers Code 3 incidents, which require a siren and red flashing lights. Para-medic services are not included. Although the two agencies have cooperated since 1999, the updated arrangement will ensure that one truck company and a battalion chief from each agency will be present on the scene, allowing for better direc-

tion for personnel. The depart-ments are also looking at ways to meld their communications and dispatch systems. Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said the 2010 plane crash into an East Palo Alto residential neighborhood brought to light the need for

a new agreement. Confusion among the various departments responding to the incident led to his initiation of discussions with Palo Alto, he said. The main reason for the agree-ment is maximum protection

for the residents of both cities in the shortest amount of time, he said. Fire departments have had a traditional culture of “turfing,” he noted. He recalled a 1943 newspaper article he found that quoted a Menlo Park fire chief who was angry after Palo Alto

had responded to a fire on his side of the border near San Fran-cisquito Creek. “He told the Palo Alto fire chief to ‘get the hell out’ of his town,” Chief Schapelhouman said. “We’re in 2012. Govern-ment works more efficiently if we all work together. At the end of the day, it’s better for the citizens of Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park. In an emergency, they want the closest resource.” A mutual response to a house fire on Jasmine Way in East Palo Alto on July 31 helped keep a second home — where an elder-ly disabled woman lived — from serious fire damage, he said. Also last month, crews from both departments contained a Baylands grass fire that came within feet of homes in an adja-cent East Palo Alto neighbor-hood. Under the agreement, Menlo Park fire crews will go into Palo Alto as far as Embarcadero Road and up to Interstate 280 to the west, and to West Bayshore Road to the east. Palo Alto personnel will cover Menlo Park from Sand Hill Road and San Fran-cisquito Creek to Valparaiso, Ravenswood and Ringwood avenues to the north. Palo Alto fire protection will extend into East Palo Alto from

U.S. 101 to Bay Road and to Cooley Landing. The Menlo Park fire district will respond to emergencies at the Palo Alto Municipal Airport and in the surrounding Baylands, as well as providing water rescue in the San Francisquito Creek. Chief Schapelhouman said he hopes the entire program will be running by the end of the year. The real work to be done is within the dispatch center, which would send out the near-est units. Both agencies must find ways to meld or revise their different communications sys-tems, he said. Both departments recently conducted major radio system improvements so that they can talk on each department’s fre-quencies, he said. “We shouldn’t rush that part because we need to do the analytics every time we make a change to ensure that the change is actually an improvement and working the way we want it to,” he said. Geo Blackshire, Palo Alto Fire deputy chief of operations, said a trial run in East Palo Alto in the last year has worked out well. While initially there were concerns that the aid would be lopsided, Mr. Blackshire said that has not turned out to be the case. Palo Alto has benefited when incidents occur closer to a Menlo Park station. If a Palo Alto station is closed or understaffed because of a response to another emer-gency, equipment and personnel from the nearest Menlo Park station can be used, he said. The agreements will not cost the departments additional money, he said. The multiple responses could help cover any person-nel or equipment deficits, Chief Schapelhouman said. He is also seeking an automat-ic-aid agreement with Fremont Fire to cover parts of East Palo Alto beyond Bay Road to the Dumbarton Bridge. That pro-posal will come before the Fre-mont City Council in Septem-ber. A

Fire districts revving up cross-border assistance

age of 50 use the technology predominantly to stay in touch with family. That’s what Mr. Wilson says he uses it for — staying up to speed with his family living in Ghana. The article also cited another recent Pew study that found 33 percent of senior citizens on the Web used social media sites in 2011. That’s up from 13 percent just two years prior. Loneliness may be a signifi-cant driver behind this uptick in social media use by the

elderly, Mr. Wilson speculates. “What they (the seniors) find, is that they’re able to keep in touch with their children, their friends, so (they) virtually are keeping in touch with every-one,” he says. Ms. Detlor says her friends would benefit from the contact they could experience through Facebook, but also notes that many of her friends have passed away. This fact may shed some light on why she isn’t all that shy about engaging with complete strangers online — so long as they remain polite, of course. A


N E W S

FLORENCE continued from page 11

Discover the best places to eat this week!

A M E R I C A N

Armadillo Willy’s 941-2922

1031 N. San Antonio Road, Los Altoswww.armadillowillys.com

Cheese Steak Shop 326-1628

2305-B El Camino Real, Palo Alto

The Old Pro326-1446

541 Ramona Street, Palo Altowww.oldpropa.com

S T E A K H O U S E

Sundance the Steakhouse 321-6798

1921 El Camino Real, Palo Altowww.sundancethesteakhouse.com

C H I N E S E

Chef Chu’s 948-2696

1067 N. San Antonio Roadwww.chefchu.com

Ming’s856-7700

1700 Embarcadero East, Palo Altowww.mings.com

New Tung Kee Noodle House947-8888

520 Showers Drive, Mountain Viewwww.shopmountainview.com/luunoodlemv

I N D I A N

Janta Indian Restaurant 462-5903

369 Lytton Ave. www.jantaindianrestaurant.com

Thaiphoon323-7700

543 Emerson Ave, Palo Alto www.ThaiphoonRestaurant.com

Read and post reviews, explore restaurant menus, get hours and directions

and more at ShopPaloAlto, ShopMenloPark and ShopMountainView

powered by

P E N I N S U L A

‘Government works more efficiently if we all work together. At the end of the day, it’s better

for the citizens of Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park.’

MENLO PARK FIRE CHIEF HAROLD SCHAPELHOUMAN

■ Menlo Park and Palo Alto firefighters will respond to fires within each others’ service areas

Dawn Niesser was cooking dinner one day in June when she looked out the window and saw smoke billowing from a neighbor’s house in the Kings Mountain community. Then she saw the fire engines and firefighters, and in quick suc-cession, felt worry, relief, and pride, according to fellow Kings Mountain resident Aeron Noe. The incident underscored the urgency of maintaining the vol-unteer fire service that responds to the close-knit community’s emergencies, and Ms. Niesser is an active supporter: She is direc-tor of the Kings Mountain Art Fair, slated for Saturday through Monday, Sept. 1-3 — an event that financially supports the Kings Mountain Volunteer Fire Brigade. The fair takes place in the redwoods at 13889 Skyline Blvd. in the hills above Woodside between highways 84 and 92. It was started in 1963 to help create the volunteer fire department. Today, in addition to supporting the brigade, proceeds from the fair benefit the three-room Kings Mountain Elementary School. Kings Mountain Art Fair is different from other California fairs in that it’s the only one that is 100 percent manned by volun-teers from the small community. Instead of hiring food vendors, volunteers cook and serve the food themselves, starting with a pancake breakfast with the artists from 8 to 10:30 a.m. each day. Lunch is prepared by the fire-fighters, and includes burgers and grilled corn. Also available are

locally brewed beer and wine. The festival showcases the work of 138 juried artists and 30 mountain folk artists offering paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and more. Booths are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kiddie Hollow will offer many activities for children, including a chance to romp around in a Native American teepee, face painting, crafts and balloon art. Admission to the fair is free, and street parking is available. Visit www.kingsmountainart-fair.org for more information.

Animal adoption fair

The Pet Place is hosting a Pen-insula Humane Society mobile adoption fair from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1. The adoption unit will be located in the parking lot behind the store at 777 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park.

Cats, dogs and other small animals will be looking for new homes, says Lynn Macy of the Pet Place. The pet shop is also accept-ing donations for rabbit rescue efforts, Ms. Macy says. Twenty rabbits were recently abandoned in Portola Valley, and rescue volunteers need help with spay/neuter costs and supplies. Call 325-7387 for more information.

Menlo Park Chorus seeks new members

With its new season begin-ning on Sept. 4, the Menlo Park Chorus is looking for singers to join the group. There are no auditions, and members are not required to read music.

The chorus meets from 7:15 to 9:45 p.m. on Tuesdays in the new Arrillaga Family Center in the Menlo Park Civic Center at 701 Laurel St. Members are primarily from Menlo Park, but singers from Woodside, Portola Valley, Mountain View and other near-by towns also add their voices to the ensemble. Those interested may contact Sally Cooper at [email protected] or 650-615-1591. Or, just show up at the first rehearsal on Tuesday, Sept. 4. “You are welcome to give the chorus a try without any com-mitment,” Ms. Cooper says in an announcement. “Remember, there is medical research (proving) the physical benefits of singing.”

Life stories classes

Sheila Dunec will begin the fall

session of her popular Life Stories course in a Portola Valley home on Thursday, Sept. 13. The series will continue from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. each week until Nov. 13. Participants are encouraged and coached to write about various aspects of their lives for a range of benefits — for exam-ple, to leave a history for their families, or to help themselves in developing a deeper understand-ing of the events of their lives. Ms. Dunec, a Foothills Col-lege instructor, has offered the course in a number of ven-ues, including the Menlo Park Library. One such program, focusing on the stories of people who served in the military or otherwise experienced the effects of World War II, led to a long-term project that included video recordings of participants reading their stories. The cost of the Portola Val-ley session is $150 for 10 weeks. Those interested may call Ms. Dunec at 650-565-8087.


C O M M U N I T Y

Kings Mountain Art Fair set for Labor Day weekend

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Roadway ‘sharrows’ coming soon to downtown MenloBy Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

Menlo Park plans to add shared lane markings — “sharrows” — to por-

tions of Menlo Avenue and Uni-versity Drive in upcoming weeks. City Transportation Engineer Atul Patel explained that shar-rows are not bike lanes. “They are simply a marking to guide bicy-clists to the best place to ride and help motorists expect to see and share the lane with bicyclists.” The markings will be added to Menlo Avenue between El Camino Real and University Drive, and on University Drive between Middle Avenue and Santa Cruz Avenue, according to the city. Installation is expected to take one day for each street; the roads will remain open to traffic dur-ing striping. Mr. Patel estimated the instal-lation cost at $9,000. A

AROUND TOWN


When visitors walk up to the new Hillview Middle School campus on Elder and Santa Cruz avenues in Menlo Park, they could be forgiven if they thought they were

stepping into an upscale office complex. The school’s exotic appearance, with louvers shading the two-story facade facing Santa Cruz Avenue, is the first clue that this is no ordinary middle school. Rather, this is a 21st century learn-ing machine where 800 students will benefit from rooms full of advanced technology not found in other schools in the state. A stroll inside the 85,000-square-foot-campus will reveal class-rooms packed with technology, including inter-active smartboards, Wi-Fi to stay in touch with the outside world, and desks that can easily be moved so students can collaborate on projects, a key factor in modern classroom learning. The six two-story buildings are all connected by upper-deck walkways, and across the way is a magnificent per-forming arts auditorium with state-of-the art lighting and sound systems, and retractable seating for more than 300 students. A proscenium stage and acoustically treated walls round out the picture. And then there is the second-f loor library that overlooks a central, soon-to-be tree-shaded courtyard/commons. The library includes rooms large enough for small groups of stu-dents, a classroom for the librarian and a computer lab that can be closed off if necessary. Even the bookshelves on wheels play into a future strategy. If hardcover books give way to electronic tablets, the wheeled shelves can be relocated and the space given over to another use. One of the most interesting rooms is the space set aside for industrial arts, which includes traditional work tables but also a “clean” computer area where students learn computer-assisted-

design, or CAD. But will all the technology gadgets push Hillview’s high-achieving students to even greater academic accomplishments, or prove to be a distraction that will take away their traditional edge over their peers on statewide tests? Incoming Principal Erik Burmeister acknowledges the chal-lenge, but told the Almanac that “21st century teaching isn’t about technology; it’s about how to get kids to think.” With technology helping learners find information more efficiently, education’s focus should be about “moving a kid’s learning from

just knowledge, to creativity and collaboration. (21st century learning) is about the ability to take what we learn from teachers and the Inter-net ... and then do something with it.” The challenge for Hillview students will be how to avoid all the distractions that can

come with coddling a smart phone or table computer throughout the school day. Wi-Fi-enabled devices will open portals to basic research in seconds that just a few years ago meant a tedious and time-consuming trip to the library. Smartboards will provide an added dimension to interactive learning for both teachers and students. Classes in CAD will give students a real-world skill as well as an understanding of architecture and drafting. In 2006, more than 70 percent of Menlo Park City School District voters approved a $91 million bond issue that paid for major upgrades to all district schools. At Hillview, the decision was made to tear down some relatively new classrooms, even though taxpayers would continue to pay off the bonds for some 18 years. Now the job is nearly complete — the playing fields will be finished by the end of the year — the true test will begin on Sept. 4, when students will finally get to try out their new home.

Will the 21st century campus pay off?

Outdated library needs to be replaced

Editor: The Atherton Town Library is in dire need of upgrading, as has been the case for many years. This is why the town council unanimously approved the search for a new location for this outdated building. The steering committee, of which I am a member, along with the majority of the council and the environmental impact report concluded that Holbrook-Palmer Park is the preferred site. Questions have come up. Why now, when we are in this dire financial situation, should we consider building a new library? Can’t we spend the money on other more urgent needs? A small amount of Atherton’s property tax dollars have been used to operate the library as well as generate a surplus. Each year, the surplus was added to the “Donor City Funds” until it finally reached an amount large enough to build a new library. Once it was known there were

adequate funds, the process began to study, design and ulti-mately build a new library. We waited until there were suffi-cient funds before proceeding.

Today there are enough dedi-cated funds to build our new library. These funds must be spent in Atherton for library purposes only. There are no

exceptions. The money is in the bank held strictly for library purposes. The taxpayer will not be asked to add another penny.

IDEAS, THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ABOUT LOCAL ISSUES FROM PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. EDITED BY TOM GIBBONEY

Susan Thomas/Portola Valley Archives

Our Regional HeritageBesides redwoods, the Portola Valley hills are home to many species of trees, including madrone, bay laurel, maple, buckeye, elder, willow, alder, and this oak tree, stately even as its time has passed.

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EDITORIALThe opinion of The Almanac

LETTERSOur readers write

Continued on next page

Viewpoint


V I E W P O I N T

We don’t need any town money or special parcel tax money either. It is completely funded and ready to go.

Sandy CrittendenLibrary Steering

Committee member,Park and Recreation

CommissionerHeather Lane, Atherton

Outraged by latest Cal Water rate hike Editor: Our July water bill received from California Water Service Co., Bear Gulch District, when compared to our bill from July 2006 shows that the rate for water has gone up by a whop-ping 143 percent in the past six years. With the latest bill came notice of yet another large rate increase, which will go up yearly from 2014 through 2016. This demands an explanation for what every rate-payer must be wondering: “Why are our bills going up when our usage is going down?” Cal Water glibly claims that our bills would be even higher if we hadn’t reduced our usage. That non-answer just doesn’t fly. We can all understand the need for occasional pipe replace-ments, equipment renovation and other necessary improve-ments, but one must read the fine print to learn the truth about this unjustified price increase requested by Cal Water. According to the “Notice of Application for Rate Increase No. 12-07-007” filed July 5, 2012, their numbers show that 40 percent of the nearly $2 mil-lion increase to our water bills is for health care and pensions for current and retired general office personnel. Whoa! At a time of no infla-tion, a weak economy and with many public and private employees, as well as many of the water rate-payers them-selves, undergoing decreases in these same benefits, how does Cal Water justify increasing payouts to their office person-nel? There seems to be no end to the greedy march by Cal Water that tramples captive rate-payers who have nowhere else to turn for water. More information on the wages and benefits for all Cal Water employees and offi-cers would be very enlightening for those of us who are paying for it.

Talk about a “Golden Spigot.” Apparently, not all the Fat Cats are on Wall Street! Before this unfair increase is allowed to happen, it must be approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Public comments are encouraged and should be sent to: Public Advisor at 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102, or by email to: [email protected]. Every-one should write a letter or email to the CPUC about Cal Water’s ongoing, outrageous rate increases. Tell your neigh-bors.

Diane BraunWoodland Avenue, Menlo Park

Another view of violence

Editor: In response to (the Aug. 15) guest opinion, “Time for action on growing gun violence,” it’s not about gun violence — it’s about violence. Reverend Lindsay L Fulmer, stop bemoaning the tragedies and blaming things. Go into your neighborhood and preach the good news that wins souls. It is only the changing of the hearts and minds of our neigh-bors that violence will begin to diminish. It’s about teaching and preach-ing and showing our commu-nity what is right and just and fair. Until the inner soul of our society changes, having com-passion, gentleness, humility, kindness and patience for all those around us, hammering government officials for their weaknesses about gun laws and berating others for what they believe, will change nothing. Go out there and start a hur-ricane of love in your local community and here on the Peninsula, and see if gun vio-lence, domestic violence, human trafficking, and so forth doesn’t diminish or even disappear.

Richard Schoelerman Palo Alto

Pack healthful lunches for school kidsEditor: With the new school year just around the corner, parents’ attention is turning to school clothes, supplies, and lunches. Yes, school lunches. Traditionally, U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture used the National School Lunch Program as a dumping ground for surplus meat and dairy commodities. Not surprisingly, its own surveys indicate that children consume excessive amounts of animal fat and sugary drinks, to the point where one-third have become overweight or obese. Their early

dietary flaws become lifelong addictions, raising the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Gradually, the tide is turning. The new USDA school lunch guidelines, mandated by Presi-dent Obama’s Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, require doubling the servings of fruits and veg-etables, more whole grains, less sodium and fat, and no meat for breakfast. Still, food lobby-ists have prevailed on Congress to count pizza and French fries as vegetables, and fatty mystery meats and sugary dairy drinks abound. Parents and students should consider healthy school lunch as a work in progress and insist on healthful plant-based school meals, snacks, and vending machine items. Guidance is available at www.healthyschool-lunches.org.

Malcolm DavidsonEncinal Avenue, Menlo Park

LETTERSOur readers write

Continued from previous page

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TOWN OF WOODSIDE2955 WOODSIDE ROADWOODSIDE, CA 94062

PLANNING COMMISSIONSeptember 5, 2012

7:30 PM

PUBLIC HEARING

1. Tim Vine VARI2012-0002 33 Montecito Road Planner: Jackie Young, Planning Director

A. Hearing of the same project and entitlement approved by the Planning Commission on September 1, 2010, which has expired: Review and recommendation of approval/denial of a proposal to construct a 561 square foot detached garage on a property located in the Western Hills. The proposal would require a Variance to the required rear setbacks in order to allow construction within 18 feet, and 5 inches of the rear property line where a 50 foot rear yard setback is required The site is 86,960 square feet located within an SCP-7.5 zoning district.B. Review and recommendation of approval/denial of a proposal to erect (4) 4,600 gallon, 10 foot diameter water tanks for fire suppression on a property located in the Western Hills. The proposal would require a Variance to the required rear setbacks in order to allow erec tion within 4 feet+/- of the rear property line where a 50 foot rear yard setback is required. The site is 86,960 square feet located within an SCP-7.5 zoning district.

2. Rene Medina VARI2012-0003/X2DR2012-0001 50 Valley Court Planner: Licínia McMorrow, Senior Planner

Review and approval/denial of a Variance and Second Driveway Exception to construct an emergency access road requiring an increase in paved area of approximately 18,000 square feet, at the request of the Woodside and Menlo Park Fire Protection Districts, on an 8.62-acre parcel at 50 Valley Court and connection to Moore Road through a 6.62 acre parcel at 1144 Moore Road.

All application materials are available for public review at the Woodside Planning and Building Coun-ter, Woodside Town Hall, weekdays from 8:00 – 10:00 AM and 1:00 – 3:00 PM, or by appointment. For more information, contact the Woodside Planning and Building Department at (650) 851-6790.

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