Vol. XXVIII, Number 57 • Wednesday, April 25, 2007 ■ 50¢ www.PaloAltoOnline.com Double happiness Palo Alto family brings home not one baby but two in unexpected adoption story Page 19 Norbert von der Groeben Talk about the news at Town Square, www.PaloAltoOnline.com ■ Upfront Journalism “giant” killed in Menlo car crash Page 3 ■ In Business JJ&F proves family ties stronger than chains Page 25 ■ Sports Sacred Heart Prep boys win national tennis title Page 29 apr.com It's just one click to a complete list of virtually all homes for sale in the Bay Area. LOS ALTOS HILLS Beautiful 5 bedroom, 4 bath Tudor home with an enchanting garden, gazebo, pool, hot tub, 2 koi ponds, many fruit and flowering trees, exotic plants, incredible view of hills, green belt and vineyards. All of this on approximately a one acre lot. $6,495,000 PALO ALTO Virtually new, completely remodeled, thoroughly updated and renovated 3bd/3ba home. New custom designed 1bd/1ba cottage with living room at the rear of property, perfect as guest or aupair quarters. $1,898,000 PALO ALTO Spacious and open floor plan offers 3 bedrooms plus family space or den. Cul-de-sac location. Newer kitchen and private backyard with hot tub. Courtyard entry. $1,029,000 apr.com | PALO ALTO OFFICE 578 University Avenue 650.323.1111 APR COUNTIES | Santa Clara | San Mateo | San Francisco | Alameda | Contra Costa | Monterey | Santa Cruz Page 2 • Wednesday, April 25, 2007 • Palo Alto Weekly UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Emily Harrison appealing her suspension ‘Administrative appeal’ delays release of investigation and Whitmore — said the city is the points listed in his letter. Be- documents, pending review reconsidering release of documents cause the letter contained substan- relating to Harrison’s case in light tive references to details of the case by Becky Trout and Jay Thorwaldson of the appeal. relating to the appeal, Larkin said She said Harrison “filed an ad- the he felt bound not to release it at ssistant City Manager Emily Harrison is appealing her recent three- ministrative appeal with the city this point. week suspension without pay, Senior Deputy City Attorney Donald pursuant to the city’s rules as they She said Harrison is within her ALarkin disclosed Monday. apply to her management position. rights to appeal the decision, and Larkin said the city has received city’s consulting attorney work- “Her attorney rather emphati- the city is now “considering what a letter announcing the planned ap- ing on the issue, Melanie Poturica cally stated that the documents its obligations are to protect Ms. peal, but he did not have additional — a managing partner with Los should not be released pending the Harrison’s privacy in light of the outcome of her appeal,” as one of information Monday morning. The Angeles-based Liebert, Cassidy Emily Harrison (continued on page10) COUNCIL City to look into ‘green’ commission City pursuing a host of environmental projects by Becky Trout espite their commitment to the environment, several Palo Alto DCity Council members said Monday night that the city doesn’t necessarily need a new, permanent “Environmental Commission.” But the council, swept up in an Norbert von der Groeben evening dedicated to green themes reflecting Earth Day on Sunday, vot- ed 5-3 to explore the idea of a new commission to monitor the city’s en- vironmental and anti-climate-change efforts. Councilwoman Judy Kleinberg called the commission “in principle a nifty idea, surely great. Palo Alto Down, but not out ought to have one.” Pilot Tom Boyer of Sunnyvale crash landed his Piper PA-28 in marshland just south of East Palo Alto at about 10 a.m. Monday, according to Menlo But it’s not that simple, she said. Park Fire Protection District Chief Harold Schapelhouman. Boyer, the sole occupant of the plane, reported problems shortly after taking off The idea has been proposed before, from Palo Alto Airport. He was uninjured. "The aircraft suffered some damage, there's no doubt about it," Schapelhouman said. she noted, and many environmental issues are already covered by exist- woman with the Graduate School ing city commissions. The doubts of four council mem- PEOPLE Courtesy Associated Press of Journalism. Halberstam was being driven by bers — Peter Drekmeier, Judy Klein- a Cal graduate student to an inter- berg, Jack Morton and Dena Mossar Menlo Park crash kills view in Mountain View with for- — were almost enough to kill the mer New York Giants quarterback proposal, but a vote-switch by Drek- famed journalist Y.A. Tittle for a new book Halbers- meier kept it alive. Councilman Bern tam was working on when the crash Beecham was absent. occurred at 10:30 a.m. The council’s policy subcommittee David Halberstam, 73, winner of Pulitzer Prize, was in will discuss the issue in upcoming Bay Area for speech, interview Emergency units arrived to find David Halberstam Halberstam trapped in the pas- weeks. by Don Kazak race that year between the New senger side of a red Toyota Camry The proposal — initially voiced by York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, Mayor Yoriko Kishimoto during her “giant” in the field of journal- The Menlo Park Police Depart- and the car’s motor compartment among other books. State of the City speech last month ism, David Halberstam, 73, ment is investigating the crash and on fire, according to Fire District “He was one of the giants in the Chief Harold Schapelhouman. — capped an evening dedicated to Awas killed Monday morning had no new information Tuesday the environment. field,” said Ted Glasser, Stanford in a three-vehicle crash near the morning. While the fire was extinguished, University journalism professor. An Environmental Commission Dumbarton Bridge in Menlo Park, Halberstam won a Pulitzer Prize emergency crews worked to free “And he sustained a long and dis- would codify the city’s commitment the San Mateo County Coroner’s in 1964 at the age of 30 for his re- Halberstam from the passenger tinguished career, from when he to the environment and help commu- Office reported. porting for the New York Times in side of the vehicle, which had been was editor of the student paper at nicate issues to the public, a memo The accident occurred when the the early days of the Vietnam War. caved in about 18 to 24 inches by Harvard.” authored by Kishimoto, Drekmeier car that the Pulitzer-Prize winning He went on to write 21 books, in- the impact of the collision, Schapel- Halberstam lived in New York and Vice Mayor Larry Klein said. journalist and author was a passen- cluding “The Best and the Bright- houman said. City. His latest book, about the Ko- “Our vision for this (commission) ger in was broadsided by another est,” about why the country went Halberstam was extricated but rean War, is scheduled to be pub- is to tap into the (community) en- vehicle at Bayfront Expressway to war in Vietnam; “The Powers had no pulse and was not breath- lished in the fall. ergy,” Drekmeier said. and Willow Road. He was the only That Be,” about the rise of modern ing, according to Schapelhouman. Halberstam had given a lecture “When people really start thinking fatality, according to San Mateo media; “The Fifties,” about that Lifesaving measures were not Saturday at an alumni conference about how to save energy, there are a County Deputy Coroner Michelle decade in American life; and “The successful, and Halberstam was at the University of California, lot of ideas out there,” Klein said. Rippy. Summer of ‘49,” about the pennant pronounced dead at the scene, he Berkeley, according to a spokes- (continued on page 12) (continued on page 12) Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, April 25, 2007 • Page 3 )&)43./4).4()36!5,4 )43./43!&% 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER Our William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Assistant Editors Keith Peters, Sports Editor Town Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor by Don Kazak Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer Molly Tanenbaum, Becky Trout, Staff Writers Norbert von der Groeben, Chief Photographer ‘We lost that day’ Marjan Sadoughi, Staff Photographer Sam Tenney, Photo Intern Tyler Hanley, Assistant to the Editor & enlo Park Fire Chief Har- But the Fordham Street fire is ,/3!,4/36!5,43!&% Online Editor old Schapelhouman keeps still an unsolved crime. Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor a photograph high on a Capt. Don O’Keefe of the San Cammie Farmer, Calendar Editor M $%0/3)4#/ Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, shelf in his office, angled away Mateo County Sheriff’s Depart- Lynn Comeskey, Kit Davey, Tim Goode, Jack from visitors so they can’t see it. ment was a sergeant who helped McKinnon, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, !PRIVATEDEPOSITORY Contributors The photograph is of a half doz- lead the criminal investigation. 7 Ê, Ê£t Susan Hong, Editorial Intern en or so tarp-covered bodies inside He and another supervisor had six 3AFEDEPOSITBOXESOFALLSIZES / iÀiÊÃÊ ÊÓ Julia Cooper, Arts & Entertainment Intern a makeshift tent morgue set up in detectives working full time for 3TRICTANDTOTALCONlDENTIALITY 6 Ê/t DESIGN front of 2582 Fordham St. in East the first three months on the case, Carol Hubenthal, Design Director Palo Alto on April 26, 1997. which is still open. 3ECUREDANDAMPLEPARKING Diane Haas, Sue Peck, Senior Designers; Nathan Hammer, Dana James, Paul Llewellyn, About 6 a.m. that day, someone “The case has not gone away, for &ORYOUROWNSAKEWESHOULDHAVEYOURBUSINESS Charmaine Mirsky, Scott Peterson, Designers lit a container filled with flamma- us or for the East Palo Alto PD,” 6ISITOURFACILITIESANDJUDGEFORYOURSELF PRODUCTION ble liquid in the carport of the one- O’Keefe said.