The Almanac 04.24.2013 - Section 1

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

Outrage remains after Stanford changes project | Page 5

Butterfl iesand

Edgewood ParkVolunteers wage a pitched battle with invasive grasses

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2 The Almanac TheAlmanacOnline.com April 24, 2013

April 24, 2013 TheAlmanacOnline.com The Almanac 3

UPFRONT

By Renee BattiAlmanac News Editor

Hillview Middle School Principal Erik Burmeis-ter is a true believer

in “design thinking” — a pro-cess that emphasizes innovation, experimentation and collabora-tion to learn and to create. He believes so firmly in it that he used the process to redesign Hillview’s educational program in a way that he says will help students develop “high-order thinking skills” and an openness to learning. The specifics of the redesigned program — what the first-year principal is calling “Hillview 3.0” — will be unveiled at presentations on April 24 and 25 in the Menlo Park school’s performing arts center. Although he’s waiting until that time to provide details of changes, which will be launched next school year, Mr. Burmeister said the new approach to the edu-cational program would involve longer teaching and learning periods in which students would be immersed in “hands-on,

project-based, design-thinking learning opportunities.” At an April 18 program at which the PBS documentary “Extreme by Design” was screened, Mr. Burmeister told the audience that design thinking in the classroom gives kids “permission to think creatively,” which means they must also be given permission to make mistakes. “We program them to avoid failing,” he said, but without the risk of making mistakes, “they can’t imagine what can be.” Mr. Burmeister and other Menlo Park City School District administrators partnered with the Stanford design school, which developed design think-ing, to study ways that the con-cepts can be incorporated into the local schools’ programs. At Encinal School, kindergarteners and third-graders are using the process to enhance reading pro-grams, and teachers in all dis-trict schools have begun to learn about design-thinking concepts, according to the district. At the middle school, a team of 18 people — including students,

staff and parents — gathered to “imagine what could be” for Hill-view. Mr. Burmeister said they called on design-thinking practic-es, which begin with “empathy” to understand the perspectives and experiences of others. The next steps in the process are to define the problem or goal, to come up with many pos-sible solutions (ideate, in design-thinking parlance), to create and test prototypes of a solution or program, then to finalize the solution based on feedback. Mr. Burmeister told the Almanac that the team came up with two prototypes, one of which was then chosen for Hillview. “Beginning in August, it’s going to be who we are, what we do, how our curriculum and courses we offer are going to change,” he said. As the team was working on creating prototypes for the program, some Hillview eighth-graders explored design think-ing in their flex classes, accord-ing to a district statement.

Michelle Le/The Almanac

Tyler Williams, a Hillview seventh-grader, focuses on the target during an exercise of skill and concentration called Archery Apocalypto. Teacher Michael Kaelin said the exercise was the physical component to a learning project that used historical data from Aztec/Maya/Inca civilizations.

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John Merrow’s latest film, based on 6 1/2 years of filming in post-Katrina New Orleans, reveals how a failing school system has become a fair-to-middling system of public charter schools. The cast of characters in the one-hour documentary includes Brittne

Jackson, a 19-year-old senior who has failed the graduation exit exam about a dozen times; Bobby Calvin, an engaging young man chafing under the harsh behavior code at his charter high school; two Teach for America corps members having dramatically different classroom experiences; and Clarke Bordelon, a special needs student whose mother cannot find a charter school willing to take on the challenge of teaching her son. As the film reveals, real change is possible, but anyone looking for a silver bullet will be disappointed. Merrow and Professor Carter will use the film as a springboard to a broad range of issues. Audience participation will be encouraged.For more information, please call 650) 723-0630.

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EDUCATIONGRADUATE SCHOOL OF

Innovative thinking to take centerstage at Hillview Middle School

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

By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

Reaction from those opposed to Stanford-Arrillaga’s joint proposal

for an 8.43-acre mixed-use com-plex on El Camino Real in Menlo Park did not waver after the uni-versity recently presented a new version with less medical office space and more housing. Twenty-four of 31 speakers lambasted the proposal during the April 16 council meeting. Grading the project as an average ‘D-’ — “We thought Stanford would understand the notion of a report card,” Save Menlo spokeswoman Perla Ni told the city council on April 16 — the grassroots coalition said Stanford got an “F” for not fitting Menlo Park’s “vil-

lage character,” not helping the town’s east-west connectivity, and potential for dumping cut-through traffic in surrounding neighborhoods. The proposal did get a “C” for providing some housing Comparing the revised design to “re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,” Ms. Ni said, “This traffic will kill Menlo Park.” One speaker, Elizabeth Houck, called for Mayor Peter Ohtaki’s resignation and the firing of City Manager Alex McIntyre. Some of those who spoke at the meeting were familiar faces to those who followed the cre-ation of the newly implemented downtown/El Camino Real spe-cific plan, which allows Stanford to build its mixed-use complex.

Planning Commissioner Vince Bressler, long a proponent of removing the Stanford prop-erties outside the boundaries of the specific plan, urged the council to do so. “We don’t need to give anything away if we’re not going to get anything.” Fellow commissioner Henry Riggs struck a more moderate note, saying that big projects scare some Menlo Park resi-

dents. He asked the city to find a way to fund a bike and pedes-trian tunnel under El Camino Real — a project it was hoped Stanford would contribute to. Former councilman Heyward Robinson wondered where the process went wrong. Saying the point of the specific plan “was to not have these battles every time a new (project) came up, it’s fairly dismaying to see us on the first project here with the pitchforks out.” Given that Stanford’s proposal caught the city by surprise, he suggested the council consider whether the specific plan’s size threshold for requiring public benefits was too high, a criticism levied by former councilwoman Kelly Fergusson while in office. The council had given away its

leverage, Mr. Robinson said. While fewer in number, voices have been raised in support of the proposal. Three were heard at the April 16 meeting; others submitted emails to the coun-cil. Menlo Park resident Noah Eis-ner wrote, “I’ve found it much easier to complain about options rather than to act. Through that, you get nothing done. That’s the state of affairs for downtown Menlo Park. It is a pass-through town even for people who live in it. We don’t shop, eat or work there. El Camino Real is a dis-grace with empty lot after empty lot. The Park Theater has been closed for 11 years!” Rather than act, he wrote,


After a discussion that started on a Tuesday night and stretched into

Wednesday morning, the Menlo Park City Council decided to form a subcommittee to help figure out how to make the pro-posed Stanford-Arrillaga mixed-use complex more palatable to the city. The council voted 4-0 on April 17, with Ray Mueller recused, to form the subcommittee and appoint Kirsten Keith and Cath-erine Carlton to serve on it.

Stanford’s most recent plan would replace mostly vacant lots along 300 to 500 El Camino Real with 25,000 square feet of medical offices, 199,500 square feet of regular offices, 10,000 square feet of retail, and up to 170 apartments. Two car lanes would pass through a public plaza at Middle Avenue to allow vehicular access to the site. Steve Elliott, managing direc-tor of real estate for Stanford, said they wanted a project the community would be hap-py with. While the university had researched building senior housing or a hotel on the lots, it

decided the mixed-use complex was more suitable, he told the council. Asked whether he could guar-antee that Stanford would not designate the buildings for aca-demic use — which would allow it to claim an exemption from paying property taxes — Mr. Elliott responded that he wasn’t willing to promise that. “(But) these have always been

investment properties,” he said, like those the university owns on Sand Hill Road. “The provost thought that will continue to be the intent. ... I would not advise the university to put Stanford offices on El Camino Real in Menlo Park, but I can’t guaran-tee (they won’t).” The subcommittee’s goals include facilitating discussion between the city, residents and Stanford University that could lead to compromises that bring the project more in line with what the community wants. It will also help city staff expand a traffic analysis to look at poten-

tial cut-through traffic along Middle Avenue and into the Allied Arts neighborhood. Ms. Carlton said she was wor-ried that bringing the two sides together may be impossible. “My fear is that there are members of the community who will never be happy with this and I don’t know how to reconcile that.” Twenty-four residents spoke against the project, highlight-ing its size, inclusion of medical offices and traffic impacts. Perla Ni, spokesperson for Save Menlo, a grassroots coali-

Outrage remains after Stanford changes project

Council names subcommittee to work toward compromise with Stanford

Local News

Image courtesy of Stanford

A rendering of Stanford’s revised design for the office buildings proposed for El Camino Real in Menlo Park. These buildings would be between College and Cambridge avenues.

See STANFORD CHANGES, page 6

See MENLO PARK, page 6

Comparing the revised design to ‘re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,’ Perla Ni said:

‘This traffic will kill Menlo Park.’

Councilwomen Kirsten Keith and Catherine

Carlton are appointed.


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the city prevents development based on complaints “from the vocal minority. There is no bias for action here, which results in lower revenue from restaurants, shops and businesses and our schools are impacted.” Steve Taffee also wrote the council to say he supported the project. “Stanford has demon-strated flexibility in design con-siderations. The opposition that is being mounted is, unfortunately, mostly of the NIMBY type who are motivated by fears about pro-jected personal inconvenience or loss of property value.” Traffic, parking and noise were concerns that could be managed, according to Mr. Taffee’s email, given the overall value of the project to Menlo Park. “Everyone needs to give a little. This is part of living in community.” A

Big Bear 5K run set for May 5

The five-kilometer Big Bear Run, open to runners and walkers of all ages, is set for 9 a.m. Sunday, May 5, at Menlo-Atherton High School, 555 Middlefield Road in Atherton. Proceeds help pay for equip-ment and tournament fees for more than 50 athletics programs at M-A, said spokeswoman Diana Holliday. Entry fees are $25 for adults and $15 for students 18 or younger. Rates jump slightly after April 29, and for online registration. Same-day registra-tion begins at 7:30 a.m. at the main gym. Go to www.active.com to reg-ister online. Set the search local-ity for “Atherton” and enter “big bear run” in the search box.

tion organized to oppose the project, said the recent changes Stanford made amounted to “re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.” She urged the council to remove the Stanford parcels from the boundaries of the specific plan and reinstate the zoning that existed prior to the plan’s passage. Several asked that the height of the buildings be restricted to two stories. The current design has two five-story residential buildings, one four-story office building and two three-story office buildings, according to Stanford, which the new down-town/El Camino Real specific plan allows. Three speakers expressed sup-port for the proposal and four indicated they would if minor changes were made. Chamber of Commerce CEO Fran Dehn asked the council to “trust the process; don’t under-mine the (specific) plan” created through years of public outreach and discussion. Councilman Rich Cline said that should the subcommittee’s efforts prove futile, he didn’t mind looking at removing Stan-ford’s parcels from the specific plan boundaries, although he noted the plan does technically comply with the new regula-tions. “I need to see a better balance of housing and office use. I need to see a traffic study that shows me there’s a way to mitigate traf-fic,” he said, along with a way to help get people who aren’t in cars from one side of the city to

the other. He asked Mr. Elliott to explain how the proposal ended up so far afield of what the city and community indicated it wanted during the five-year specific planning process. “Compliance is one thing. I’ll grant you that,” Mr. Cline said. “But we were in the same meet-ings and had the same discus-sions ... no one said they wanted medical office on El Camino. In fact people said (they did not want it). ... This became a majority of office and not hous-ing, and I think that starts the disconnect” between what the city expected and what Stanford actually proposed. Acknowledging that “discon-nect” was an accurate descrip-tion, Mr. Elliott said that Stan-ford indicated that a variety of uses might work, including senior housing or a hotel or medical offices, and never guaranteed to develop any one type of use. “Would more residential be a deal-breaker?” Mr. Cline asked after further discussion. Mr. Elliott initially declined to comment one way or another, but later told the council Stan-ford wasn’t interested in adding more housing. City review of the project is waiting on completion of Menlo Park’s traffic analysis, which staff expected to take at least two to three months. The Plan-ning Commission may review Stanford’s new proposal in August, which is also when the council subcommittee may return with recommendations, although the exact timing remains to be worked out. A

STANFORD CHANGES continued from page 5

continued from page 5

Menlo Park aims to shape compromise with Stanford


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Some residents are calling it a scare tactic and a “shame-ful” attempt to misrepre-

sent reality. But the head of the police union insisted that the letter his group mailed to Ather-ton residents earlier this month was “intended to help foster communication between the less engaged residents and their elected representatives.” In the one-and-a-half-page let-ter, the Atherton Police Officers’ Association addressed what it called “a staffing crisis” in the police department, the parcel tax’s role in funding the depart-ment, and upcoming labor nego-tiations for a new contract for police officers and dispatchers. The letter was signed by police dispatcher and APOA President John Mattes. The City Council will be focus-ing on the parcel tax and the police contract in coming weeks, and its decisions, the letter says, “may change the way the town provides your safety and security services. Ultimately, the council’s choices may lead to the outsourc-ing of the Atherton Police Depart-ment to another local agency.” The APOA “is trying to strike fear in our hearts,” resident John Ruggeiro charged during the pub-lic comment period at the April 17 council meeting. A former San Francisco police captain whose son is now on the San Francisco force, Mr. Ruggeiro compared police-to-resident staffing ratios in both cities, and contested the letter’s claim that Atherton’s police staffing is inadequate. “The letter is not ‘fear mon-gering’ or scare tactics,” Mr. Mattes wrote in an email to the Almanac. Instead, it’s part of a campaign to publicize issues the APOA believes need to be understood by residents. “The problem we face ... is the

residents only become involved in a crisis,” he wrote. “They are largely detached from local politics and many of the intri-cate local issues. ... We don’t have a good way of connecting with our supporters other than through direct mail. The APOA members are committed to keeping residents engaged in the issues that impact them, includ-ing how the town will provide safety services.” That’s not how longtime resi-dent Lou Paponis sees it. He also addressed the council last week, saying that he resents being sent a “threatening” letter “from a dispatcher.”

Referring to a letter sent by the APOA before the council election last fall — endorsing council candidates Cary Wiest and incumbent Elizabeth Lewis and warning of the possible outsourcing of police services if the public didn’t make the right choices — Mr. Paponis said the APOA tactics are leading him to favor outsourcing. If police officers aren’t satis-fied with the “sweetheart job” in Atherton, they can “move on,” he said. Another unhappy letter recipi-ent is resident Peter Carpenter, who is pushing the council to schedule a public hearing before negotiations with the APOA begin so that residents could

comment on objectives they want to see met in the contract. The APOA letter “is a shameful mis-representation of the facts and an unwise attempt to scare the residents,” he said in an email. Following Mr. Paponis’ remarks to the council, Coun-cilman Jim Dobbie said: “I am disgusted with the APOA as well. Those letters are totally inappro-priate in this community.” In his email, Mr. Mattes coun-tered: “It is entirely appropriate for our organization to partici-pate in the public discourse. He may not like what we have to say; that’s OK. But, he’s a public official. I find it astonishing that he criticize(s) our constitution-ally protected speech from the dais. That’s inappropriate for this or any other community.” Mayor Lewis noted that the APOA is independent, and nei-ther the council nor the police chief has authority over what it does. The APOA enclosed a card addressed to the mayor with the letter, and encouraged residents “to send your opinion to Mayor Lewis and the rest of your Town Council” to let them know “you support us.” Ms. Lewis said that the union didn’t contact her before the mailing to inform her that the cards would be sent out. The town several weeks ago asked the union to begin the bargaining process for a new contract. The current contract expires Sept. 30. In its letter, the APOA said that the council “has tipped its hand on several occasions in public forums that they will mandate a series of reductions in salaries, pensions, and medical benefits.” It warned that if the cuts are similar to those imposed on non-represented employees earlier this year, “many officers, sergeants and dispatchers will find they are unable to provide for their families. As much as they enjoy working in this town, they may have no choice but to seek other employment opportunities.” Under the current contract, police officers are paid at the 70th percentile of police salaries in specified Bay Area jurisdictions. A

Burglars hit three homes in three different Menlo Park neighborhoods and stole jewel-ry, computers and construction equipment for a total estimated loss of $15,000, on Monday, April 15, according to reports from the Menlo Park Police Department. In West Menlo Park on La Loma Drive, thieves forced open a door at the back of the garage, entered the residence, and stole antique coins, mis-cellaneous jewelry and $1,000 in cash for a total loss of about

$11,000, police said. Meanwhile on Henderson Avenue in Belle Haven, someone entered the house through an unlocked bathroom window and took two table computers and one laptop along with miscel-laneous jewelry for a total loss estimated at $2,000, police said. On San Mateo Drive in the downtown neighborhood, someone stole construction equipment from a house but left no indications as to how or where the house was entered, police said.

Police union letter raises residents’ ire

Burglars hit three homes

ATHERTON

‘Ultimately, the council’s choices may

lead to the outsourcing of the Atherton Police Department to another

local agency.’

APOA PRESIDENT JOHN MATTES

Menlo Park■ FangFang and Jeffrey Paulson, a daughter, April 6, Sequoia Hospital.

Woodside■ Adriana and Michael Torosian, a son, April 6, Sequoia Hospital.

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Mae Louise Allen Mays, the wife of baseball legend Willie Mays for 41 years, died Friday at their Atherton home after a 16-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 74. Mr. Mays announced his wife’s death through the San Francisco Giants. Growing up in the racially segregated Homewood section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she was an accomplished sprinter, according to Willie Mays biog-rapher Jim Hirsch. She earned a degree in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in social work from Howard University. She worked in child welfare

and, according to the San Fran-cisco Chronicle, became a “pio-neer in getting single adoptions started in San Francisco.” She met Willie Mays in New York and they were married in November 1971. Author Hirsch, who dedicated his biography of Willie Mays to Mae, said her “grace and beauty touched the soul of a legend.” During her 16-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease, she remained at their Atherton home. Mays family attorney Mal-colm Heinicke said in a state-ment: “Mae died peacefully and without pain. Willie is now grieving the loss of his beautiful wife of more than

four decades, but he is stay-ing strong by remembering all of the many experiences they enjoyed together. Mae was a beautiful person, and although her illness took some of her memories late in life, Mae passed with full knowledge

that Willie loved her dearly.” Larry Baer, Giants president and chief executive officer, expressed “heartfelt condo-lences to Willie and his family with the passing of his beloved Mae. I was honored to know Mae and to witness how Willie

loved and cared for her.” A private funeral service will be scheduled in the near future. In lieu of f lowers, it is requested that donations be made to the Say Hey Foundation Inc., P.O. Box #2410, Menlo Park, CA 94026.


N E W S

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Back in bloomOnce again 500 daffodils put on a springtime show at the corner of Woodside Road and Northgate Drive in Woodside. Ten years ago the Woodside Heights Homeowners Association started planting the bulbs for a colorful display each spring. When PG&E work last fall destroyed the plantings, PG&E’s Ott Reid saw to it that the bulbs were replaced in December by Cagwin and Dorward Landscape Contractors of San Jose. The result? Another blooming spring.

Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac




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By Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

Woodside High out-fielder Brad Degnan, a junior and a resi-

dent of Woodside, attached his name to a state baseball record that will likely stand unbroken for a long, long time. In the first inning of an afternoon home game against Westmoor High on Thursday, April 18, Degnan hit three home runs. Earlier news stories have reported that Ted Williams, the former all-star slugger for the Boston Red Sox, set the state record in 1936 with two hom-ers in one inning. A web search turned up the 2005 book, “The Kid: Ted Williams in San Diego,” edited by Bill Now-lin, that confirms Williams’ achievement. A story on Deg-nan at CalHiSports.com says five other high school players have matched Williams’ record. Degnan has tied a national record, one that’s never been set in college or the major leagues, the story said. Brad’s homers “were clean and gone,” his mother Jeannine Degnan said in a phone inter-view the next day. “I’m so proud of him right now I can’t even believe it.” She and her husband were at the game, as were other

family members. Degnan, at 6 feet and 190 pounds, plays center f ield and is the team leader, said Wildcats’ Head Coach Tim Faulkner. “He’s played every inning of every game for the last three years,” he said. And his three home runs? “I’ve never seen anything like it, ever. It’s rare enough that you

see 19 runs in one inning.” The Wildcats won 24-6. “Brad is so down to earth and very calm,” his mother said. “He knows that he’s good, but he’s not cocky about it.” Asked about eclipsing Ted Williams, Degnan was awed: “It’s amazing to think about what a great ballplayer he is, that I actually had the talent to beat his record. I’m just beside myself,” he said in an interview. “The baseball gods were with me.” Before the game, he was hitting a very respectable .500 — mean-ing that about half the time, he does not connect with the ball for a hit. “What I love about it is that it’s a game of failure,” he said. “When you succeed, it’s like beating the odds.” Asked about his training hab-its, he said that he gives 100 percent in everything he does. What does he think about at the plate? “I try not to think about anything, just let my mechanics and muscle memory take care of everything.” In the field, “I want the ball to be hit to me,” he said. “I love making plays and being on the spot and working my hardest and making a phenomenal play and getting recognized.” He is considering college at Sacramento State, he said. A

Jury selection has begun in the murder trial of Pooroushasb “Peter” Parineh, a resident of unincorporated Woodside and a real estate investor. Mr. Parineh, 64 at the time of his arrest in June 2010, pleaded not guilty in August 2010 to accusations of premeditated murder for financial gain in the shooting death of his wife, Parima Parineh, who was 56. Mr. Parineh has been in custo-dy in the county jail on a no-bail

status since his arrest, according to the San Mateo County Dis-trict Attorney’s Office. Deputies from the Sheriff ’s Office found Ms. Parineh dead of multiple gunshot wounds on April 13, 2010, in the bedroom of the couple’s home. Medics found Ms. Parineh dead in the couple’s bedroom with no signs in the house of forced entry. Mr. Parineh allegedly told authorities that his wife had shot herself, but

after an autopsy, investigators dismissed the suicide allega-tion and determined that Ms. Parineh had been murdered. Despite evidence of multiple gunshots, the defense has been showing indications of a suicide defense, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the Almanac. If convicted, Mr. Parineh could be sentenced to death or to life in prison without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said.

Whether to have a trial run of a weekly farmers’ market at the Portola Valley Town Cen-ter is one of several matters set for consideration by the Town Council at its 7:30 p.m. meeting on Wednesday, April 24, at the Historic Schoolhouse. The agenda also includes a review of a controversial Planning Commission deci-sion to allow artificial grass at the Woodside Priory, and the awarding of a bid to renovate Ford (Baseball) Field. A later closed session could result in an

announced settlement with the property owner of 18 Redberry Ridge over the illegal cutting of 18 mature trees. Farmers’ markets “underscore the demand in cities and towns for local community-oriented events that promote local pro-duce and products, provide a venue for residents to socialize with each other, and create the opportunity to learn about agri-culture and sustainability,” said

Brandi de Garmeaux, the town’s coordinator for initiatives on sus-tainable living, in a staff report. As for the decision to allow artificial grass at the Priory, the council can affirm the Plan-ning Commission’s March 20 decision based on the record so far, or reject the decision and set another public hearing. On the Ford Field renova-tion, Public Works Director Howard Young recommends that the council approve the low bid by Jensen Corporation at $484,888.

Degnan hits 3 homers in one inning■ Record set by Ted Williams in 1936 falls.

Jury selection starts in Woodside murder trial

Portola Valley may give farmers’ market trial run PORTOLA VALLEY

Photo by Jeff Degnan

Brad Degnan, a junior at Woodside High School, a resident of Woodside and a center fielder for the Woodside Wildcats, hit three home runs in one inning, reportedly setting a state record and tying a national record.


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Seventeen Menlo Park residents, five from Portola Valley, two from

Woodside and one Atherton resident were among the nearly 27,000 runners regis-tered for the Boston Mara-thon, according to the offi-cial 2013 registration site. Two bombs killed three people and injured more than 170 after exploding near the finish line about two hours after the first wave of runners had com-pleted the race on April 15. The dead included an 8-year-old boy there to watch his father run; his mother and sister were bad-ly hurt by the explosions. Authorities later killed one of the suspects in a shootout and captured the other. Facebook employee and dedicated runner Jessica Shambora described how

a “beautiful day” turned terrible in a blog post. After crossing the finish line, she went to pick up her bag when the bombs exploded. “Most of the runners were in a post-race daze, cold and stumbling around and sud-denly terrified,” she wrote on April 15. She found her boyfriend and a group of friends, then returned to where they were staying in Cambridge. “I am still in shock and not sure I have much to add at this point. Just want to let you know and share my sadness. Despite the tragedy I will still try to remember this as a day of great cour-age, from the runners to the first responders,” Ms. Shambora wrote. She told the Almanac that she and her boyfriend ran the marathon “because we are runners. We both qualified over the past year and a half and, of course, Boston is a big goal for many runners.” A

‘Beautiful day’ turned terrible for Menlo Park marathoner By Renee Batti

Almanac News Editor

An administrator at the private Woodside Priory school and a former

high-tech executive have been appointed to the Portola Valley School District board to replace board members who resigned this month. The two new members are Caitha Calvello Ambler, the Priory dean of middle school who also has taught at the pri-vate school and in the Vallejo School District; and Karen Ann Tate, a former executive at two software companies and a for-mer strategic consultant. The women were among five candidates considered for appointment by the school board at a special April 16 meeting. They replace Scott Parker, who also was a dean at the Priory before resigning to take a position in Sonoma, and Ray Villareal, who cited a busy work-related travel schedule in his April 5 resignation letter. The new members were appointed by a 3-0 board vote. The three other candidates were Matt Richter, Terry Lee and Richard Murphy. The terms were due to expire at the end of the year, and if the two new members want to

retain their seats, they must stand for election in Novem-ber. Ms. Tate and Ms. Ambler took their seats alongside President Jocelyn Swisher and members Bill Youstra and Linda Wong at the board’s regular meeting on April 17. In her application for the post, Ms. Ambler said her interests include innovation in the classroom, project-based learning, collaboration, student-centered learning, the shifting role of teachers, homework balance, meaning-ful integration of technology, and teaching children how to be responsible citizens, both in person and online. Referring to the district’s recent overspending result-ing from former superinten-dent Tim Hanretty’s decep-tive bookkeeping, Ms. Ambler

noted that prioritizing and raising funds are important board goals, adding that she has been involved in both areas at the Priory. She has a son in kindergarten at Ormondale. Ms. Tate has been active in the district as a classroom volunteer, and as a founder and member of the “Innova-tion in Education” committee, which is “focused on raising awareness and creating deeper understanding of innovations in K-8 education in support of the district’s strategic plan-ning effort,” according to the district’s website. Among the areas she wants to focus on, according to her application for the board posi-tion, she lists strengthening the district’s finances, includ-ing building back the reserves depleted under Mr. Hanretty’s financial oversight; embracing a “culture of experimentation and continual innovation while ensuring we maintain the rich-ness, academic excellence and quality of educational opportu-nities of our community-based schools; and hiring and/or developing “great leaders and mentors” in the district. Ms. Tate has a third-grader and a kindergartener at Ormon-dale. A


Atherton City Councilman Jerry Carlson announced at the end of the April 17

council meeting that he will be moving out of town and step-ping down from the council, possibly by the end of June. Mr. Carlson’s term expires in December 2014, and City Clerk Theresa DellaSanta said the council will have the option of calling a special election or appointing a new member. The council will have 60 days after Mr. Carlson resigns to make that decision, she said. Mr. Carlson now serves as vice mayor, which means the council will have to appoint a colleague to that position once Mr. Carlson steps down.

The vice may-or typically is appointed by his colleagues to the mayor’s post at the end of the year. Mr. Carlson was appointed to the council in January 2006 to replace Bill Conwell, who died in office the month before. He successfully stood for election in November 2006, and was re-elected in 2010. For the last few years, Coun-cilman Carlson has been close-ly involved with the town’s challenge to the high-speed rail project, and is on the town’s Rail Committee. He has also been intensely focused on getting the town’s financial

health on track, and currently serves on the town’s Audit and Finance Committee. At the Wednesday night council meeting, Mr. Carlson said he and his wife, Shirley, were putting their house on the market next week, but that he would continue to serve on the council for a short while longer. He said it’s likely his council tenure would end with the fiscal year, which con-cludes June 30, although if he moves from town before then, he must give up his post at that time. Mr. Carlson told the Almanac that family-care matters make it likely that he will continue to live on the Peninsula, but that he and his wife are eager to travel, both domestically and overseas. A

Board appoints two new members

Jerry Carlson to leave Atherton council

Jerry Carlson

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Portola Valley School District board members are Caitha Calvello Ambler, left, and Karen Ann Tate.

Thirty-two sixth-graders at Woodside Elementary School shot hundreds of basketball free-throws Friday afternoon, April 19, as part of a fundraiser for children in Africa who have lost their parents to AIDS. The kids committed to shoot-ing 500 free-throws in exchange for sponsorship dollars. A total of $3,500 was raised for the organization, Hoops for Hope, said parent organizer Michelle R. Warford. The money will go to help build a health clinic in Moyo, Zambia, “where children are dying every day from AIDS and malaria,” she said. Ms. Warford collected these quotes from the Woodside kids: “I hope the kids are happy for what we did for them,” said Shadi Zakkak, the first to reach 500 free throws. Another sixth-grader, Sammy Vaea, felt sad about chil-dren who lost their parents, but “felt good because I know people are shooting hoops for them.” Max Amini-Holmes said: “My arms will be sore tomorrow. But it will be worth it and it was fun.” Marilynn Welsh, a teacher of the school’s Global Citizen elec-tive class, said she was happy the class helped promote the Hoops of Hope event.


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Menlo Park has a chron-ic shortage of vol-unteers for its city

commissions, and after the council meeting on April 16, one commission’s loss was another’s gain. Adina Levin, formerly of the Environmental Quality Com-mission, swapped that position for a seat on the Transportation Commission, with the council’s unanimous support. “I wish there were more Adi-nas,” Councilwoman Cat Carl-ton said. Ms. Levin told the Almanac that she wanted to make the switch because even during her tenure on the environmental commission, one of the main issues she was concerned about was how transportation impact-ed greenhouse gas emissions. “There is a broad range of related policy topics — park-ing, the relationship between speed and safety, forecasting methods, street classifications,” she said. “I am interested in this broader range of issues, and (the) Transportation Commis-sion is a good fit.” One particular item of interest is how Menlo Park estimates the traffic impact of new projects. According to Ms. Levin, the city only looks at vehicle trips to and from the project, and vehicle capacity. Other jurisdictions, such as San Mateo, analyze

the relation-ship between expected traf-f ic from a development, the surround-ing land use, transit, bike and pedestrian facilities, and other factors. “Currently in Menlo Park, to the best of my understanding, it is impossible to do studies like this because the general plan does not permit it,” she said, and explained that Menlo Park is about to embark on a general plan review, giving it the oppor-tunity to review and potentially update its policies. The council also appointed a new director to the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) and the Bay Area Regional Water Supply Financing Authority. Although former council member Kelly Fergusson asked to retain the positions, the council opted to appoint Councilwoman Kirsten Keith instead; her term will begin July 1. A letter from BAWSCA indi-cated that the majority of the participating cities select an elect-ed member of their governing body as a representative, and that the same person typically holds seats on both the agency and financing authority boards. A

By Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

In its second report in two years on this topic, the San Mateo County civil grand

jury lambastes county officials over a pension plan for county employees that it says is under-funded by at least $1 billion and likely $2 billion. The county will pay $92.5 million of its $1.9 billion bud-get toward that liability for the current fiscal year, according to the April 10 report. To put that number in perspective, over that same period, the county is pay-ing $89.7 million for Sheriff ’s Office services, $83 million for capital projects, and $56.6 mil-lion for road construction and operation, the report says. Over the past four years, annual payments to pension-ers from the pension fund,

known as SamCERA, have risen 34 percent to $139.2 million. The median annual benefit per retired employee is $23,981, the report says. Twenty-four of those retirees receive $150,000 to $199,000 and five receive over $200,000. The grand jury accuses the county of consistently overes-timating the annual return on its independently managed $2.3 billion investment portfolio. The most recent projection is an annual return of 7.5 percent, but over 10 years, the rate has been 5.54 percent a year, the report says. That return compares poorly to the 7.6 percent annual return for 69 of the largest college endowment funds over 10 years, the report says. Got to tinyurl.com/Jury-201 to read the grand jury’s report. A

Adina Levin moves to transportation post

Grand jury slams county on pension fund management

Adina Levin

MENLO PARK

Hoops of HopeEmmett Morehead, left, and Hailey Warford are among the sixth-graders at Woodside Elementary School who spent Friday afternoon, April 19, shooting basketball free-throws in the school gym to raise money for children in Africa who have lost their parents to AIDS.

More than 4,000 partici-pants are expected to take part in Menlo Park Presbyterian Church’s eighth annual Com-passion Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28. The public is invited to join congregants who — instead of attending regular worship servic-es that weekend — will take part in 33 service projects throughout the Peninsula. The projects will be funded by the church’s Christ-mas offering, which raised more than $510,000. Menlo Park Presbyterian Church has been located in Menlo Park for almost 140 years and today has four campuses, including locations in Mountain View and San Mateo. Go to mppc.org/compassion to sign up for Compassion Weekend.

Seminar on family history The San Mateo County Gene-alogical Society, working with the Menlo Park Family History Center, will present a seminar on family history with D. Joshua Taylor from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat-urday, May 4, at the Menlo Park Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1105 Valparaiso Ave. in Menlo Park. Mr. Taylor is a genealogy researcher and speaker, featured on the NBC program “Who Do You Think You Are?” The San Mateo County Genealogical Society was established in 1982 to encour-age the study of family history. The society’s library is located on the campus of Canada Col-lege in Woodside. The Menlo Park Family History Center has been serving the area for nearly 40 years and has a staff of more than 70 volunteers offering free genealogy con-sulting to the public. The conference price is $48. Visit smcgs.org and click on “Seminars” for more information.

Frederick’s Follies The Police, Kiss and the Beach Boys are among the rock bands that will be impersonated at the 11th production of Frederick’s Follies from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, in the multi-use room at Corte Madera School in Por-tola Valley. This year’s three-act play is titled “Frederick’s Follies:A Space Oddity” and will feature rock band performances from Mr. Frederick’s fifth-grade class as well as guest appearances by other students and members of the community. The public is invited to this free community event. Corte Madera School is at 4575 Alpine Roard in Portola Valley.

Hats Off to Dr. Seuss In honor of the 75th anni-versary of the children’s book, “The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins,” an exhibit of the hat collection of Theodor Seuss Gei-sel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss), alongside prints and sculpture from the Dr. Seuss collection, will be on display at Peabody Fine Art, 603 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park, through May 12. The “Art of Dr. Seuss” curator will unveil the hat collection at the opening evening event on Saturday, April 27, from 5 to 8 p.m, at the gallery. This is the first time that Dr. Seuss’s hat collection has traveled outside the Seuss estate. The col-lection is being shown at selected venues throughout the country.

Woodside book sale The Friends of the Woodside Libary will hold their semi-annual used book sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the library, 3140 Woodside Road in Woodside. The sale will include a wide selection of novels, travel and cook-ing books, and children’s books. There also will be a good selection of books on California history and the Civil War, said Margaret MacNiven, president of the Friends of the Woodside Library. Paperback books will cost 25 cents, hard cover books, $1. A selection of coffee table books will be for sale at prices ranging from $3 to $20.

Host family sought A host family is sought for a 17-year-old female student from Brazil who will be attending Menlo-Atherton High School from mid-August through December. If you are interested, contact Mark Flegel at 326-9661 or [email protected].

Thousands expected for Compassion Weekend


N E W S

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

Elsa Roscoe, a resident of Portola Valley for

nearly five decades, passed away peacefully at

home on February 18, 2013. She was 92 years

old.

Elsa gained her German heritage from parents,

Max Rautenberg and Elsie Hohner Rautenberg

who emigrated from Germany passing through

Ellis Island and settling for a brief time in New

York before moving to Cleveland, Ohio where

Elsa was born. She learned her strong work

ethic from her father who spent nights in the li-

brary teaching himself English while training to

be a landscape architect. She had one brother,

Hans Herbert, who served in the Seabees during

WWII, later working in civil service in Guam

and Washington DC. Elsa’s parents instilled a

respect for education in their

children and Elsa pursued and

received a Masters in Economics

from the University of Rochester

in 1952 a few years after graduat-

ing from Ohio University with a

degree in accounting.

Elsa lived a rich and rewarding

life yet one not without heart-

break. Elsa married three times

and outlived three husbands. Her

first, Bob Jobe, whom she mar-

ried in 1943, was killed in 1945

during World War II. She met

her second husband, Raymond

Spafford, while at the Univer-

sity of Rochester and married him in 1953. Both

employees of Eastman Kodak, Elsa and Ray

moved to California due to a job transfer with

Kodak to Palo Alto in 1953. Elsa and Ray fell in

love with the rural nature of Portola Valley and

became some of the earliest residents of Alpine

Hills. They purchased their lot for $1200, cleared

most of it themselves, then designed and built

their dream home. Ray, who was an engineer,

did a lot of the work himself. Ray died of cancer

in 1967. Elsa was married to John Roscoe, her

third husband, for almost 40 years. John was a

Colonel in the USMC and a Fellow in the Ex-

plorers Club. He and Elsa traveled extensively

and had a residence at Air Force Village West in

Riverside, where John died of a heart attack in

2007.

Elsa was gentle, funny, had an active intellect

and was a lover of music, which could be heard

pouring from her windows every Sunday morn-

ing during her favorite radio show.

She valued education and supported various

students and institutions. Elsa had a natural

curiosity, was interested in knowing how and

why things worked and was an avid reader, read-

ing everything she got her hands on; her home

an abundance of stacks of articles to be read or

reread. Through her connection with Eastman

Kodak and responsibility for testing differ-

ent films Elsa developed a love of photography,

which remained with her throughout her life.

Elsa, a tall willowy brunette, also modeled for

Eastman Kodak in her younger years, in print

ads and runway events. She drove the same car,

a 1962 Porsche, for many years.

Elsa loved the outdoors (she received her

first Kelty backpack from Dick Kelty himself),

respected the environment and enjoyed nature

especially in her beloved Portola Valley. She

practiced sustainability before

it became popular and be-

lieved in caring for and fixing

things, not throwing them out,

a true embodiment of “waste

not want not”.

After dedicating herself

to her career with Eastman

Kodak for 40 years, Elsa re-

tired but continued her active

life. She volunteered for the

Sensory Access Foundation

and USGS where she did geo-

logic mapping in the Sierra

Nevada. She was a follower

of the Explorers Club and

through the Earthwatch organization went on

archaeological digs to Papeete and Huahine

(French Polynesia), and Chaco Canyon, (New

Mexico). Additionally, she trekked in Nepal,

traveled through Pakistan, Burma, Greenland,

and visited China. Her interest in health and

nutrition, which she practiced throughout her

daily life, led her to take classes in yoga and in

recent years to participate in a Stanford Study

on Aging.

Elsa is survived by many dear friends and

neighbors: her niece and nephew, Peggy Spaf-

ford Golfin and Gene Spafford and their chil-

dren, and stepdaughters, Chellie and Marilynne

Roscoe.

A Memorial Service in her honor will be held

at 4:00 PM on Saturday April 27 at the Ladera

Community Church, 3300 Alpine Road, Por-

tola Valley. In lieu of flowers, donations can be

made to Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST)

222 High Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301.

Via web: openspacetrust.org “In Memory of

Elsa Roscoe”

Elsa Roscoe

AROUND TOWN


C O M M U N I T Y

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A M E R I C A N

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Rebuilding Together Penin-sula volunteers will be working on 44 homes and 22 commu-nity facilities from Daly City to Sunnyvale on on Saturday, April 27, the organization’s National Rebuilding Day. Among the projects will be a home and two communities facilities in Menlo Park, said Seana O’Shaughnessy, executive director of Rebuilding Together Peninsula, which mobilizes vol-unteers to repair and rehabilitate

structures, including homes occu-pied by people who can’t afford or are unable to do the work. The Menlo Park projects include the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula clubhouse and part of the HIP Housing project on Willow Road. Also, the Rotary Club of Woodside/Portola Valley is working on a project in Redwood City, Ms. O’Shaughnessy said. Visit rebuildingtogetherpenin-sula.org for more information.

A 19-year-old man was injured in a drive-by shooting Saturday afternoon, April 20, in Menlo Park. Shots were reported in the 600 block of Pierce Road around 1 p.m., according to Sgt. Matthew Ortega. The victim was shot while standing in front of his home. Police found him inside when they arrived on the scene.

He had a single gunshot wound, and was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Witnesses told police the sus-pects were driving a dark-colored sedan, possibly a Nissan, north on Pierce Road when the shots were fired. The car was last seen turn-ing east onto Berkeley Avenue. Bullets also struck a parked car and a home, Ortega said.

Rebuilding Together volunteerswork on homes, facilities

Man injured in drive-by shooting

This information is from the Menlo Park Police Department. Under the law, people charged with offenses are con-sidered innocent until convicted.

MENLO PARK

Residential burglary reports:

■ Someone entered a residence on Hobart Street through an unlocked bathroom window and got away with cash, checks and gold coins for a total loss estimated at $7,000, April 20.■ Thieves broke in through a rear door of a Hill Avenue home and made off with a video-game player, a rifle, two handguns and three laptop computers for a total loss estimated at $2,950, April 20.Auto burglary reports:

■ A thief tampered with a door lock on a vehicle parked on Madera Avenue and stole four CDs, a volt-ammeter and a GPS device for a total loss estimated at $290, April 14.

■ The Sheridan Drive owner of two unlocked trucks reported several con-struction tools missing from the trucks, but did not include an estimate of losses, April 15.

■ Someone forced open a rear pas-senger window of a locked vehicle on Sheridan Drive and stole a stereo val-ued at $50, April 15.

Theft reports:

■ A briefcase containing blank checks and about $4,500 in cash is miss-ing from an unlocked vehicle on Oak Avenue, April 16.

■ Someone stole a locked bicycle val-ued at $1,400 from a bike rack behind an apartment complex on Sharon Road, April 13.

■ A diamond ring of an unstated value is missing from a residence on Santa Cruz Avenue, April 20.

POLICE CALLS

“Students tackled wide-ranging projects including ‘Designing a Learning Classroom,’ ‘Wallet Project’ and ‘Artistic Statistics.’ “The students used the design process to go beyond linear thinking and develop plans and ideas that were new and, as they discovered, challenging to implement. From creating visu-als to demonstrate the obesity rates in different countries to creating wallets designed for unique users, the kids tried, failed and tried again.” In the documentary “Extreme by Design,” produced and co-directed by Ralph King of Hawkview Pictures, with Kikim Media of Menlo Park, students

of the Stanford design school are followed as they work on challenging projects to improve the lives of impoverished people in other parts of the world. One student team struggled with creating a medical device that would give babies in Bangladesh a fighting chance of surviving pneumonia — a common prob-lem in that country. The students are part of a class called Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability, which uses design-thinking concepts to collaborate and create solutions. (Go to extremebydesignmovie.com to see the film trailer.) The April 24 presentation to unveil Hillview’s redesigned program begins at 10 a.m. The April 25 program is set for 6:30 p.m. A

HILLVIEW THINKING continued from page 3


The protracted debate over the Stanford/Arrillaga appli-cation to build up to 450,000 square feet of offices, hous-ing and retail space on eight acres at 300-500 El Camino

Real, the gateway to Menlo Park’s downtown, is well under way and now the City Council must decide its position. Last week the council formed a two-member subcommittee to devise a strategy to resolve the reservations many residents have expressed, including at last week’s council meeting. We hope the subcommittee members, Kirsten Keith and Cath-erine Carlton, succeed in convincing Stan-ford to reduce the size of the project and to devise a way to substantially reduce the traffic impact it could have on El Camino Real and surrounding neighborhoods. The council subcommittee does not go into these negotiations without bargaining chips. In fact, just because Stanford has submitted a tentative design does not mean the city is powerless to change portions of the specific plan. It is not until a detailed plan for Stanford’s development is submitted and accepted by the city’s Planning Department and a building permit is issued, that the city can’t alter the project. So, at this point the city can: ■ Accept Stanford’s latest plan which conforms to the spe-cific plan and decreased the amount of high-traffic-generating medical office space but roughly maintained the overall size of the project. ■ Support the two-member committee appointed last week to see if Stanford will make more changes that would reduce the impact of the project. ■ Or consider either slightly changing the stipulations of the specific plan or making major changes, which would require the council to approve a moratorium that would stop all activity on Stanford’s application until the moratorium was lifted. According to a city staff report on Stanford’s plan, a mora-torium needs approval of four of five council members (which could be a challenge with member Ray Mueller unable to vote on this project) and could last 45 days or up to 22 months if necessary. By enacting a moratorium, the council would give itself the time necessary to go through the complicated process

to change parts of the specific plan, including time for noticed hearings by the Planning Commission and the City Council. Although it appears that Stanford will submit a detailed project proposal, it has not yet pulled a building permit. City Attorney Bill McClure said that from a legal perspective there are no vested rights for a developer until a building permit has been issued and an applicant has taken action on the permit. That is when courts have said a builder is entitled to proceed. All work that occurs before a permit is issued is considered

“soft costs” that a developer cannot recover if rules are changed. Clearly, the best course for Stanford and Menlo Park is for the two sides to resolve their differences in an amicable way, without moratoriums or other procedural roadblocks.

But despite Stanford’s recent move to reduce medical office space, the overall size of the project remains the same. For example, will the project produce hundreds of unwanted cars and trucks on the six Allied Arts streets that are most likely to suffer by virtue of being across the street from such a huge development. Some way needs to be found to mitigate that traffic impact, and even the impact of pedestrians, including school children, who will need to cross from the east to west side of El Camino Real at Middle Avenue. We also would like to see a more detailed plan about how Stanford would facilitate construction of a bike/pedestrian tunnel at Middle that would connect Linfield Oaks and Burgess Park to El Camino Real. It is highly unlikely that opponents of this project are going to get all that they want before this project is approved. It would take a major effort by the council to pass a moratorium. But we hope Stanford responds to at least some of the oppo-nents concerns. We believe most Menlo Park residents truly want to see improvements made on this very visible property at the southern gateway to the city. But that doesn’t mean a developer can ignore public reaction and offer an out of bal-ance project. The City Council does have the power to stop an overzealous plan if it acts relatively soon. With that option on the back burner, we hope Stanford, and John Arrillaga, who has given so generously to Menlo Park, will be willing to reduce the size and impact of their project.

City has bargaining chips on Stanford project

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

Our Regional HeritageThis 1880 photograph shows the extent of environmental damage caused by early lumbering methods around the Tacoma Mill near La Honda, including the erosion of soil from the hillsides and wood scrap left from clear-cutting the forests. Many of the original roads had gentle grades to make the the trip safer for oxen pulling the huge logs down the hills to the docks in Redwood City.

EDITORIALThe opinion of The Almanac

Viewpoint

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EDITOR & PUBLISHER

Tom Gibboney (223-6507)

NEWSROOM

Managing Editor Richard Hine (223-6525)

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Contributors Marjorie Mader, Barbara Wood, Kate Daly

Special Sections Editors Carol Blitzer, Sue Dremann

Photographer Michelle Le (223-6530)

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Design Director Shannon Corey (223-6560)

Designers Linda Atilano, Lili Cao, Diane Haas, Rosanna Leung, Paul Llewellyn, Scott Peterson

ADVERTISING

Vice President Sales and MarketingTom Zahiralis (223-6570)

Display Advertising Sales Wendy Suzuki (223-6569)

Real Estate Manager Neal Fine (223-6583)

Real Estate & Advertising Coordinator Diane Martin (223-6584)

Legal Advertising Alicia Santillan (223-6578)

Woodside H

istory Com

mittee/Redw

ood City Library


V I E W P O I N T

By Clark Kepler

Ira Sandperl and my dad thought they could change the

world. Turns out, they were right. Political activism was my dad’s passion, dat-ing back to his time as a World War II consci-entious objector. Book-selling provided him an income to raise his fam-ily. Ira, who died April 13 at the age of 90, was my dad’s greatest friend and essential peace ally. Ira also worked for my dad’s store, Kepler’s Books & Magazines, for several decades. Though, perhaps “worked” is not the right word. Ira sold books like he lived his life: In his own time, and after his own fash-

ion. It is better to say that he was present and engaged with every-one who entered. He suggested authors to read; nearly always Tolstoy. He entertained, he told stories, he inspired, he provoked, he enriched the character of the bookstore. To meet Ira was to feel that you were his friend. He was captivating. He transformed the lives of many young people. While dad was in the back of the bookstore conducting busi-

ness, Ira was usually up front holding court. Ira freely expressed his radical views on war, peace and the individual con-science amid an atmosphere of ideas and protest. He, as much as anything else about Kepler’s, is the reason that young people f locked into the book-store, out of curiosity and defiance

of the authority figures who forbade them to go. Ira and dad were great friends, but they weren’t pals. They didn’t bowl together, they didn’t get together for poker night; they didn’t play at all. They were brothers with a shared cause. Ira’s wry sense of humor and high-cracked voice inspired laughter from dad like little else could. On many evenings at the dinner table, our phone would ring and dad would answer, at first irritated by the interruption. Then he would start to chuckle, and my sisters and I knew that it was Ira calling and that dad wouldn’t be finishing his meal with us. They would talk into the evening. In the last decade of his life I saw Ira only occasionally as he was less mobile,

with a broken hip that was the result of a bike accident. He was still taking his early morning breakfasts next door at CafÈ Borrone, then visiting the bookstore. He would greet me and ask how I was doing, about my mother’s well-being and about my young nephew, who was serving in the Army in Iraq. And, when I inquired about him, he would reply

that he was, “undeservingly well.” After all, he had his books and a few friends. He was content. Flamboyant from the start, reclusive in the end, in the lives he touched and the hearts and minds he opened, Ira Sandperl did change the world.

Clark Kepler is the former owner and manager of Kepler’s Books

and Magazines in Menlo Park.

Ira Sandperl enriched character of Kepler’s

GUESTOPINION

TOWN OF WOODSIDE

2955 WOODSIDE ROAD

WOODSIDE, CA 94062

PLANNING COMMISSION

May 1, 2013

7:30 PMPUBLIC HEARINGS:

2. Sue Poletti APPL2013-0001 1580 Cañada Lane Planner: Sage S. Schaan, Senior Planner

Appeal of the Planning Director’s conditional approval of ASRB2012-0042; signs and awnings for Intero Real Estate

on a commercial building.

All application materials are available for public review at the Woodside Planning and Building Counter, 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.

Ira Sandperl

1982 photo by Molly B

lack

Young equestrian opposes slaughterhouses for horsesBy Zoe Levitan

Horses are amazing ani-mals. They can be used for riding, therapy, aids

to happiness, farm work, and pulling carriages. I consider myself fortunate to be able to get to know these fascinating ani-mals first-hand. I am a dedicated equestrian who goes to the barn every day. Horses bring pure joy. There is nothing better then grooming, riding, and spending time with a horse. I was surprised to learn that we may soon have horse slaughter-houses here in the United States. There was a ban on the slaughter of horses for human consump-tion that was lifted in 2011. Now a number of slaughterhouses are waiting for approval to be begin operations. To be clear, we will not be seeing horse on the menu anytime soon as the meat is only

for export. I am against the slaughter of horses — whether here or inter-nationally. Slaughtering horses is cruel; it is a punishment for something they never did. Most horses get sold at the chaotic auctions for slaughter, where the environment causes tremendous stress for the hors-es. Once sold, the horses will be transported under brutal cir-cumstances. Sometimes they travel thousands of miles in cramped trailers with little or no water or food. Some horses arrive at the slaughterhouses injured from being kicked or trampled by other terrified horses. Many cannot walk after the ride, so they get towed to their death; others arrive dead. The traumatized horses at the slaughterhouse that survive get

forced into a death chute, lead-ing them to the “knock box,” where they are theoretical going to be knocked unconscious. However, the method of slaugh-tering horses is horrific, as many

horses are still conscious as their throats are being slit. People say that the horses will then be transported to Mexico or Canada, where horse slaugh-ter is permitted, but my parents always told me, two wrongs don’t make a right; so slaughter-

ing horses is not going to turn out to be the right thing to do. I would like anyone reading this article who believes in this cause to go online and sign my petition. Thank you so much. Visit tinyurl.com/horse-329 to find the petition.

Zoe Levitan is a 12-year-old girl who lives in Menlo Park and goes to La Entrada Mid-dle School. She and her horse “Tintero” (also called Tinny)

compete in rated shows, where the two jump barriers

up to 3-feet high.

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Information and all acreage deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

Scott Dancer650.888.8199

[email protected]# 00868362

2969 Woodside RoadWoodside, CA 94062

www.scottdancer.com

represented by Scott Dancer

Coldwell Banker#1 Agent, Northern California, 2012#3 Agent, Internationally, 2012

AthertonOFFERED AT $4,895,000

WoodsideOFFERED AT $12,000,000



Woodside, 2.6-acre lotOFFERED AT $7,500,000

AthertonOFFERED AT $6,950,000

SALE PENDING

Guest House

The Almanac 04.24.2013 - Section 1

Documents

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stanford design school

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