PaloAltoOnline.com Vol. XXXV, Number 8 N November 29, 2013 Palo Alto sees revenue windfall Page 5 page 16 Donate to the HOLIDAY FUND page 8 Transitions 15 Eating 22 Movies 24 Title Pages 27 Holidays 29 NArts Palo Alto lights Windham Hill founder’s fi re Page 20 NHome Home tour inspires creative holiday decor Page 32 NSports Menlo, Palo Alto advance in volleyball Page 44 Page 2ÊUÊ ÛiLiÀÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÎÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°V BRIAN CHANCELLOR (650) 303-5511 | [email protected] www.ChancellorHomes.com | BRE # 01174998 RECENT TRANSACTIONS Frederick Avenue Atherton Greenwood Avenue Palo Alto Southampton Drive Palo Alto Lisa Lane Los Altos West Bayshore Road Palo Alto Laurel Avenue Menlo Park Walnut Drive Palo Alto Middlefield Road Palo Alto Middle Avenue Menlo Park Dana Avenue Palo Alto Moreno Avenue Palo Alto Vista Verde Way Portola Valley Lowell Avenue Palo Alto Warwick Street Redwood City Tuolumne Lane Palo Alto Robinhood Court Los Altos Hawthorne Way Millbrae Arbutus Avenue Palo Alto Vista Verde Way Portola Valley Walter Hays Drive Palo Alto Barbara Drive Palo Alto Melville Avenue Palo Alto Homer Avenue Palo Alto Channing Road Burlingame Edison Street San Mateo El Camino Real Palo Alto Seneca Street Palo Alto Middlefield Road Palo Alto Whisman Park Drive Mtn. View Shafer Drive Santa Clara Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto 3rd Ave Redwood City Webster Street Palo Alto *confidential sales not included $200,000,000+ sales volume Team Building in the last 2 years. [email protected] | www.ChancellorHomes.com | (650) 303-5511 | BRE # 01174998 ÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°VÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊ ÛiLiÀÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÎÊU Page 3 " %+'*&)##.&+(!&$"%*!)'("% -"*! % &%. $(.&+-"##(", )* "% '(&'(*."%)'*"&% ')*"%)'*"&% ---#&%(#*.&$/ Page 4ÊUÊ ÛiLiÀÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÎÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°V UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Palo Alto sees revenue windfall Showing ‘solid’ post-recession recovery, strong tax At the Nov. 19 meeting of the by 11.3 percent, from $9.7 mil- hotel tax),” David Ramberg, as- returns will help city fund infrastructure repairs City Council Finance Committee, lion to $10.8 million; sales taxes sistant director of the Administra- the city’s Chief Financial Officer jumped by 15.8 percent from tive Services Department, told the by Gennady Sheyner Lalo Perez noted that the city’s $22.1 million to $25.6 million; Finance Committee. f California’s economic out- according to the recently re- revenues are now higher than they and property taxes increased by Like other jurisdictions across look is warming up these leased Comprehensive Annual were before the Great Recession 8.3 percent, going from $26.5 the country, Palo Alto is now “in I days, Palo Alto’s is downright Financial Report for fiscal year of 2008. This includes a record million to $28.7 million. a solid recovery mode,” a report sizzling. 2013. The numbers have come as high in documentary-transfer tax, “We continue to see revenues re- from the department states. With the local economy boom- a bit of a surprise to city officials, which is derived from real-estate turning from the recession years, “In the past year, there has been ing and just about every revenue who raised their budget expecta- transactions and which spiked with strong growth in virtually all a rebound in economically sensi- category experiencing growth, tions in March, only to see the from $4.8 million in 2012 to $6.8 of our major tax revenues, par- tive revenue sources such as sales the city is charging into the new real numbers climb $3.5 million million in 2013, a 41 percent in- ticularly sales tax and transient- year on a happy financial note, above the adjusted projections. crease. Hotel-tax revenues rose occupancy tax (also known as ­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ£Ó® TRANSPORTATION Rulings deal financial blow to high-speed rail Monday decisions by Sacramento judge force rail authority to revise its funding plan by Gennady Sheyner alifornia’s proposed high- more than $20 billion under speed-rail system ran into current estimates and would C a legal barrier Monday stretch either from Bakersfield when a Sacramento judge ruled to San Jose or from Merced to the funding plan for the $68 bil- the San Fernando Valley. lion project must be rescinded, The rulings came in response and he refused to endorse the to a lawsuit from a group of Cen- 6iÀV>Ê7iLiÀ selling of bonds for the project. tral Valley plaintiffs — John The two rulings by Sacramento Tos, Aaron Fukuda and Kings Superior Court Judge Michael County — represented by local Kenny dealt what opponents of attorney Stuart Flashman; and the project described as “dual to a request from the rail author- body-blows” to the California ity to “validate” the issuance of Marc Rodenas, left, with his mom, Montse Guasch, steps into the festively decorated Paperwhirl High-Speed Rail Authority, more than $8 billion in bonds. store on University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto Wednesday. Some stores will be participating in which is charged with building In both cases, Kenny sided with Small Business Saturday this year, a push to encourage people to support mom-and-pop retailers. the rail line between San Fran- opponents of the rail project, cisco and Los Angeles. The though in some cases he didn’t project received a major boost in go as far as the plaintiffs had ECONOMY 2008, when state voters approved hoped. He declined, for instance, a $9.95 billion bond for the proj- to order the rail authority to re- ect, and another one in July 2012, scind its existing two contracts when the state Legislature autho- for the construction of the first Palo Alto shops look rized spending the first $2.7 bil- segment, which total about $1.1 lion from this bond, as well as billion. He also did not challenge $3.2 billion in federal grants, on the rail authority’s ability to to Small Business Saturday the line’s first segment. spend the federal funds, despite The Monday rulings, spurred arguments from Flashman that One toy store has partnered with Google Shopping Express to capture online sales by a lawsuit from Central Val- doing so would commit future by Elena Kadvany ley, threaten to halt the proj- expenditure of “matching funds” ect in its tracks. One of them from the state. he holidays go hand-in- Association. “They’ve started Small Business Saturday was orders the rail authority to re- Rail authority Chair Dan Rich- hand with a massive push even Black Friday specials be- launched by American Express scind the 2011 business plan ard said in a statement that the T for shopping, driven by fore the traditional Black Friday. in 2010 in the hopes of remind- that the Legislature had relied agency is “reviewing both deci- special sales and offers. I don’t think the smaller retail- ing people to “shop small” and on to authorize the funds for the sions to chart our next steps” and With shoppers’ focus ers can compete with that.” support local businesses during first segment of the line, a 130- stressed that the judge did not grabbed by larger retailers, the In efforts to better vie for the holiday shopping season. mile stretch between Fresno invalidate the bonds and that the local, independently owned shoppers’ dollars, for the first American Express gives card- and Bakersfield. In late August, court “again declined the oppo- stores find themselves doing time Palo Alto is participating holders a $10 credit when they Kenny ruled that the business sition’s request to stop the high- more to compete. in Small Business Saturday, a spend $10 or more at participat- plan violated state law because speed-rail project from moving “I think you’ve seen some of nationwide event dedicated to ing stores. Small Business Sat- it listed only the available funds forward.” the major retailers start early,” supporting small businesses. urday always takes place the for this $6 billion “construction Even so, the rulings could said Russ Cohen, executive di- The event will take place on Saturday after Thanksgiving, segment,” rather than the first delay, if not derail, a project rector of the Palo Alto Down- Saturday, Nov. 30, in down- segment that could actually be that has become hugely un- town Business and Professional town Palo Alto. ­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ£ä® used, as required by law. The first usable segment would cost ­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ££® ÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°VÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊ ÛiLiÀÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÎÊU Page 5 Upfront Make your guests feel comfortable and “at home” this holiday season. 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 END OF YEAR PUBLISHER William S. Johnson (223-6505) SALES EVENT! EDITORIAL GOING ON NOW. Editor Jocelyn Dong (223-6514) Associate Editor Carol Blitzer (223-6511) Sports Editor Keith Peters (223-6516) Express & Online Editor Eric Van Susteren (223-6515) If you’re the captain of the Titanic and you’ve Arts & Entertainment Editor Rebecca Wallace (223-6517) just been hit by two icebergs, what do you do? Assistant Sports Editor Rick Eymer (223-6521) STYLE MEETS FUNCTIONALITY Spectrum Editor Tom Gibboney (223-6507) —Stuart Flashman, a local attorney, on two Staff Writers Sue Dremann (223-6518), Chris Superior Court rulings against the California Kenrick (223-6512), Gennady Sheyner (223-6513) Editorial Assistant/Intern Coordinator High-Speed Rail Authority. See story on page 5. Elena Kadvany (223-6519) Staff Photographer Veronica Weber (223-6520) Contributors Andrew Preimesberger, Dale F. Bentson, Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Tyler Hanley, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Chad Jones, Karla Kane, Kevin Kirby, Terri Lobdell, Jack McKinnon, Our Wallbeds Are: Jeanie K. Smith, Susan Tavernetti Intern Kimberlee D’Ardenne Around Town ROLLING IN THE GREEN ... under the prestigious Rhodes ✔ Price Match Guarantee! ✔ Stylish ADVERTISING ✔ High Quality ✔ Comfortable Vice President Sales & Advertising Palo Alto leaders wax ecstatically Scholarship, another opportunity Tom Zahiralis (223-6570) about the city’s achievements for the big schools in the U.S.