Palo Vol. XXIX, Number 65 • Wednesday, May 21, 2008 ■ 50¢ Alto Palo Altans divided on gay marriage Page 3 www.PaloAltoOnline.comwww.Pw ww.P a lo Alt o O nlinn lin e . c o m Impact of a single bullet Family, community feel the loss of local restaurateur Page 19 Photo illustration by Veronica Weber & Shannon Corey Talk about the news at Town Square, www.PaloAltoOnline.com ■ Upfront Council speaks out on Theatre probe Page 3 ■ At School Local teen wins international music competition Page 17 ■ Sports Final swim splash for Paly seniors Page 23 SCHOOL OF MEDICINE HEALTHCARE TOMORROW • SPEAKER SERIES • When Every Minute Counts: The Future of Emergency Medicine Stanford University Medical Center invites you to join us for a public forum on the state of Emergency Medicine nationwide and how emergency preparedness and rapid response affect our community. Learn about the latest trends in Emergency Medicine, what it means to be a Level-1 trauma center, and how the plans underway to rebuild and modernize our hospitals will help us continue to be here when you need us most. The forum will feature leading physicians from Stanford Hospital & Clinics who specialize in Emergency Medicine. Thursday, May 22, 2008 FEATURED SPEAKERS 6:00 – 7:30 pm Paul S. Auerbach, MD, MS, Palo Alto Art Center FACEP, FAWM 1313 Newell Road Clinical Professor of Surgery, Palo Alto Division of Emergency Medicine, Stanford Hospital & Clinics Light refreshments will be served. For more information, please visit our website at: Robert L. Norris, MD, FACEP Division Chief, Emergency Medicine; WWW.STANFORDPACKARD.ORG Associate Professor, Stanford Hospital & Clinics HEALTHCARE TOMORROW is a speaker series presented by the Stanford University Medical Center Renewal Project discussing topics ranging MODERATOR from Sustainability and Modern Hospital Design to the Future of Emergency Medicine. Shelley Hébert Executive Director for Public Affairs, Stanford Hospital & Clinics CO-SPONSORS Page 2 • Wednesday, May 21, 2008 • Palo Alto Weekly UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis City wants Children’s Theatre director fired Lengthy appeals process expected to follow for Pat Jon Parsons made the news public cause this letter actually gives us nonprofit Friends of the Palo Alto Monday morning. significant optimism,” Parsons Children’s Theatre is also optimis- Briggs, Richard Curtis All three employees have been said Monday. tic, Paula Collins, its president, by Becky Trout on paid leave — which the city He said the eight-and-a-half said in a statement Monday. does not consider a type of disci- page memo — which announces “We have every confidence that alo Alto Children’s Theatre of its tentative recommendations pline — since Jan. 24 in relation to the city’s intentions, not its final the city’s management will afford Director Pat Briggs, a city Friday, the day after the crimi- an investigation into possible em- decision — finally provides Briggs her a full and fair hearing, and we P employee for 47 years, and nal investigation was formally bezzlement at the city-run theater. with an “itemization of what the hope Pat will return to her home at Program Assistant Richard Curtis dropped. Both Briggs and Curtis plan to city’s concerns are.” the theater soon,” she said. may be fired, but Costume Super- Former city union leader Phil challenge their decisions, Plymale “We are optimistic that we will Parsons declined to discuss the visor Alison Williams was expect- Plymale announced the recom- and Parsons said. be able to address many if not all city’s reasons for the termination. ed to return to work Tuesday. mendations for Williams and Cur- “Pat is seriously disappointed. of those concerns,” Parsons said. The city notified the employees tis Friday, and Briggs’ attorney She is not, however, crushed be- The board of directors of the (continued on page 7) COUNCIL Council speaks out about Theatre Council may call for review of city’s investigation by Becky Trout n an unconventional and con- troversial move, the Palo Alto I City Council broke its silence on the Children’s Theatre investi- gation Monday, asking dozens of questions and agreeing to hold a more complete discussion — and potentially call for an outside audit — at a later meeting. At the recommendations of coun- cil members Pat Burt and Yoriko Kishimoto, the council voted 8-0 (with John Barton declining to par- ticipate and leaving the meeting) to consider requesting reviews by the contracted police auditor and the Don Feria in-house auditor of the city’s han- dling of the investigations. “I think we need to have a long discussion,” Councilman Jack Remembering China’s quake victims Morton said. About 300 people gathered at Stanford’s Memorial Church at noon Monday to remember the tens of thousands of people who died last week in “It’s been a long, sad 11 months. China’s massive earthquake. The service included readings, reflections and candle lighting and was organized by the Association of Chinese ... I think the healing is not going Students and Scholars at Stanford, Chinese Life Science Postdocs and the university’s Office for Religious Life. to be easy.” Morton, who is also the accoun- “She said, ‘Now I know I don’t According to the L.A. Times on tant for the nonprofit Friends of the STATE have a mom, but I think it’s pretty Thursday, 1.1 million signatures Children’s Theatre, has been fairly good to have two dads,” McCor- have been submitted to qualify a outspoken about the case, but the mick said. constitutional amendment for the other council members have kept Gay marriage debate Last Thursday, the California November ballot stating, “Only their views largely private, heed- Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 de- marriage between a man and a ing advice not to interfere with a cision that a state ban, enacted in woman is valid or recognized in criminal investigation. expected to go national 2000, against same-sex marriage California.” But Monday, four days after the conclusion of that investigation was Supporters, opponents react to was unconstitutional. McCormick anticipates the bat- All Californians have rights as- tle for rights to continue not only announced, Mayor Larry Klein or- California Supreme Court ruling sociated with marriage including in California and the United States chestrated an agenda switch that moved the “Council Comments” by Veronica Sudekum the right to establish an officially but around the world. recognized family, according to “Personally, my feeling is, I’ve section of the meeting from its cus- alo Altans Robert Parish “We’ve always been very public the majority Court opinion, writ- never understood why a portion of tomary spot at the end, usually well and Miles McCormick wed- on the issue that we are husbands. ten by Chief Justice Ronald M. the world has a problem with gay past 11 p.m., to the beginning. P ded at Ladera Community We have a child, mortgages, an George. people,” he said. “Our plan is not “The council has sat quietly by Church on June 7, 2003, in what SUV. We sit on the school board “My thoughts are it’s wonderful. to take over the world — our plan for the past four months. We were they remember as a “huge, beau- and do homework every night,” It’s a long time coming,” McCor- is just to be accepted and have the told we could not interfere in any tiful wedding” including friends McCormick said, adding that fam- mick said. same benefits in life that everyone way,” Klein said. and family. ily life is important to the couple. Though pleased, Parish said he else has.” “But the investigation is over, Today, they are busy raising Recalling something Holly said considers the battle far from over Reverend Amy Zucker Morgen- and I know that many members their daughter, Holly, a first-grader recently, Parish and McCormick because a new initiative could in- of the council wish to speak, and at Addison Elementary School. laughed. validate the court ruling. I think that members of the com- (continued on page 8) (continued on page 7) Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, May 21, 2008 • Page 3 Andy Harader Tennis Camp June 16 - August 22 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 9AM - NOON • AGES 7-16 (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER @ PALO ALTO H.S. Our William S. Johnson www.andystenniscamp.com EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor (650) 364-6233 Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Associate Editors Keith Peters, Sports Editor Town Tyler Hanley, Online Editor by Don Kazak Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor )&)43./4).4()36!5,4 )43./43!&% Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer Arden Pennell, Becky Trout, Staff Writers In the courtroom Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant Marjan Sadoughi, Veronica Weber, Staff ’ve spent a lot of time in court- times reduced to sobbing. Photographers rooms this year, saying hello to The lawyers have a casual cordi- Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, sheriff’s deputies and emptying ality with each other, greeting each Lynn Comeskey, Kit Davey, Jack McKinnon, I Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Craig Wentz, my pockets and taking off my belt other, prosecution and defense. Contributors to pass through the metal detec- There is a protocol in a court- Jillian Keenan, Alex Papoulias, Veronica Sudekum, tors. room, including standing up when Editorial Interns The Weekly is tracking six high- the judge enters, but it is business Nick Veronin, Arts & Entertainment Intern profile criminal cases. All are in as usual for the attorneys who trade Danielle Vernon, Photography Intern pre-trial motions. information about their upcoming DESIGN Carol Hubenthal, Design Director One is about a 52-year-old Palo vacations.