Vol. XXXVII, Number 33 Q May 20, 2016 Analysis: How well-paid are local teachers? Page 13 Palo Alto doubles down on solar energy Page 20 Transitions 17 Spectrum 18 Eating Out 30 Movies 31 Home 35 QArts Burning Man? Try Burning Mensch Pagee 2525 QTitle Pages Local author’s sequel continues epic, otherworldly tale Page 34 QSports Historic swim day for Gunn boys, Paly girls Page 73 www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • May 20, 2016 • Page 1 Left to right: Ping Wang Fisher, Adrian Tabares, Kamilee Christenson, Alan Pinyavat, Brandon Jones, Julie Yeh. Not pictured: Stacy Porter. Menlo Medical Clinic is accepting new patients! Menlo With 20 different specialties and new physicians in family medicine, OB/GYN, pediatrics, sports medicine and internal medicine, we’re here Medical to provide the best health care for you and your family. Clinic Having served the Menlo Park and surrounding communities WELCOMES OUR NEW PHYSICIANS for nearly 70 years, we continue to be committed to your health. Plus, our relationship with Stanford Health Care means you have access to additional specialists should your family require it. Schedule an appointment today. Call: 650.498.6500 • Visit: stanfordhealthcare.org/menlo 1300 Crane Street • Menlo Park, CA 94025 || 321 Middlefield Road • Menlo Park, CA 94025 Page 2 • May 20, 2016 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com BuyingBusy SellingSelling Curious About the Equity Value of Your Home? Call 650-855-9700 to Find the Answer www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • May 20, 2016 • Page 3 Page 4 • May 20, 2016 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Palo Alto residents oppose VTA bus plans Bus system redesign could drastically Park and the Palo Alto VA Hospi- any more cuts to service, and they Arthur Keller said at the meeting. tal would not be affected. want county officials to change Resident Penny Ellson said that reduce service in city VTA officials said the changes, their strategy to one that connects she supported VTA’s cut to the by Sue Dremann known as the Next Network plan, all parts of the county by bus ser- 86 bus line in 2007 based on that are necessary to make the agency vice, including areas that are bare- same promise, but she cannot sup- alo Alto residents told tors unveiled the three proposals, more profitable and attract ad- ly served or not served at all now. port further cuts. VTA’s proposal county transportation of- one of which would substantially ditional riders. But more than 30 Reducing the number of bus — and its timing — have turned P ficials to go back to the reduce the frequency of some bus Palo Alto residents at the commu- lines and their frequency to im- her against the transit agency’s $6 drawing board after viewing three lines, and one that would elimi- nity meeting said they are tired of prove VTA’s bottom line has been billion transportation-tax measure proposed reconfigurations of the nate all bus routes serving Palo their service being the first cut by tried since the 1970s, and those that will appear on the November bus system during a community Alto save for two direct lines from the transit agency in favor of im- cuts to service have not brought the ballot, a 1/2 cent sales-tax increase meeting on Wednesday night. Palo Alto to San Jose, whose fre- proved service at the south end of revenue results that VTA has prom- that would be used for an extension Santa Clara Valley Transporta- quency would increase. Express the county, particularly in San Jose. ised, former Palo Alto Planning tion Authority (VTA) administra- buses to the Stanford Research Residents said they will oppose and Transportation Commissioner (continued on page 14) TRANSPORTATION Palo Alto seeks to reboot bike-bridge project City set to award contract for ‘standard’ design for U.S. Highway 101 overpass by Gennady Sheyner fter their first bid to create million contract, the firm would a “landmark” bike bridge provide design services for what Aover U.S. Highway 101 would be a “standard” 14-foot- took an unfortunate turn, Palo wide bridge, according to a new Alto officials are now preparing report from Public Works. This to scale down their expectations includes a 12-foot walkway, with Veronica Weber and start over with a new design a 10-foot center path and 1-foot- for the $13 million project. wide shoulders. The bridge, which would go The new bridge will include up at Adobe Creek, is the most 5 percent slopes, an 8-foot-tall costly and significant project fence with 1-inch square open- Have wheels, will travel in the bike and pedestrian mas- ings. The project also includes Bicyclists ride on the Embarcadero Road bicycle and pedestrian overpass over U.S. Highway 101 ter plan that the city adopted in landscaping for the area around heading toward Palo Alto on May 19. 2012. Once in place, it will pro- the ramp near the Baylands. vide year-round access for pe- As part of the contract, Biggs destrians and bicyclists trying to Cardosa would also be charged get from south Palo Alto to the with proposing enhancements EDUCATION Baylands. to the bridge, improvements To underscore its importance, that would presumably make it the council in 2014 launched a more similar to the low-profile, design competition that attracted ribbon-like structure that enam- Salary hikes could put pressure on the dozens of entries, which were ul- ored the council last year. timately narrowed down to three The project’s funding could school district budget finalists. Last spring, the council be problematic. The budget has favored a slender, low-key design risen from about $9 million to Dauber: Achieving smaller classes is at risk proposed by a team led by the $13 million, which includes $10 firm Moffatt & Nichol over a million in construction costs. So by Elena Kadvany more ostentatious arched bridge far, the city has committed about historic new compensation eat up almost all of an $8.5 mil- the district’s revenue, in order to that was chosen by the jury in $4.7 million. It also was bank- agreement with teachers and lion budget surplus that had been achieve balanced budgets. the design competition. ing on two major grants: $4 mil- Aclassified employees that the set aside in the 2015-16 budget for For the current school year, the dis- Since then, however, the proj- lion from Santa Clara County’s Palo Alto school board is likely to both salary increases and program trict is projecting an increase of 11.5 ect has faced a series of obsta- Recreational Trails Program approve Tuesday night could po- additions. The remaining surplus percent, followed by 9.4 percent in cles. With the estimated price (which collects money from tentially be budget-busting in fu- dollars will be used to fund the 2016-17 and 8.4 percent in 2017-18. tag rising and the city unable to Stanford University as part of a ture years if property-tax revenues, first 1 percent off-schedule bonus This is far above the approxi- reach an agreement with Mof- 2000 agreement) and $4.35 mil- which largely fund the district, fail in the 2016-17 school year, accord- mately 5.5 percent property-tax fatt & Nichol, the City Council lion in state funding through the to increase at near double-digit rates. ing to Chief Budget Officer Cathy growth projection the school dis- agreed in December to scuttle its One Bay Area Grant program, The proposed contract, already Mak, and program additions will trict has been using this school negotiations with the firm, effec- which is locally administered by ratified by the teachers union, pro- instead be funded through the year. Past projections have been tively rebooting the process. the Metropolitan Transportation vides a 12 percent pay hike over usual property-tax revenue. even more conservative, generally Now, three new project bids Commission and the Santa Clara three years, plus up to 4 percent The size of the salary increases 2 or 3 percent. The district shifted are in, and the city is prepar- Valley Transportation Authority in “off-schedule” bonuses, which and ability to fund program ad- its practice last year to align itself ing to award a contract to one (VTA). don’t factor into the salary base. ditions rely on unprecedentedly with the City of Palo Alto, whose of them. If the council approves Earlier this year, however, the Over three years, the contract high assumptions for the next estimates have historically been on Monday the recommenda- Metropolitan Transportation would cost the district $21 million. three years about the rate of in- more accurate than the school tion from Public Works staff, Commission decided to cut the The cost for the first round of crease of secured property taxes, the award will go to Biggs Car- salary increases, $7.3 million, will which provide about 70 percent of (continued on page 12) dosa Associates. Under the $1.5 (continued on page 10) www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • May 20, 2016 • Page 5 NIKE TENNIS Upfront 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 CAMPS PUBLISHER William S. Johnson (223-6505) EDITORIAL SERIOUS. FUN. Editor Jocelyn Dong (223-6514) Associate Editor Linda Taaffe (223-6511) Sports Editor Keith Peters (223-6516) This is asking us to choose THE STANFORD TENNIS SCHOOL Arts & Entertainment Editor Karla Kane (223-6517) Co-ed | Ages 8-15 Home & Real Estate Editor what death you want. Elizabeth Lorenz (223-6511) Full Day: (9:00am-4:00pm) Express & Digital Editor My Nguyen (223-6524) —Elizabeth Alexis, Palo Alto resident, Half Day: (9:00am-12:00pm or 1:00pm-4:00pm) Assistant Sports Editor Rick Eymer (223-6521) on the VTA’s new plan to redesign its bus system.