www.PaloAltoOnline.com 6°Ê888]Ê ÕLiÀÊ{xÊUÊÕ}ÕÃÌÊ£ä]ÊÓä£ÓÊN xäZ #BDL UPTDIPPM Teachers, principals look to a new academic year Page 16 Spectrum 12 Transitions 14 Pulse 15 Eating Out 24 Movies 27 Puzzles 54 NNews Arson suspected in hill fi res Page 3 NArts Prints mightier than the sword Page 21 NSports Women win two Olympic golds Page 29 JOSEPH SHRAGER, MD US News & World Report— Top 1% of Thoracic Surgeons Stanford Hospital & Clinics is proud to be known worldwide for offering advanced treatment solutions to complex medical problems. Every day, our focus is on providing unsurpassed patient care. Get to know all of our top doctors at stanfordhospital.org Page 2ÊUÊÕ}ÕÃÌÊ£ä]ÊÓä£ÓÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°V UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Police: Wildfires caused by arsonist Suspicious man detained, released; investigation continues Detectives said Thursday that three horses at Portola Pastures, were still biking and jogging along they would like the bicyclist to con- reported the fire after she noticed the road. The fires had probably by Sue Dremann and Jocelyn Dong tact the department to give a more smoke and flames from four sepa- been burning for 10 to 15 minutes, n arsonist is suspected of set- a man walking in the area of the detailed statement. rate blazes, she said. she said. ting five wildfires that burned fires after a passing bicyclist re- The fires were reported in the Todd said she was checking on her “It was so big by the time the fire A 4 acres of Pearson Arastrade- ported him to a firefighter, the po- grasslands of the wooded preserve horses at the time. The fire was near trucks got here, there was lots of ro Preserve in the Palo Alto hills lice stated in a press release Thurs- west of Interstate 280 at 4:08 p.m. the parking lot of Palo Alto Univer- smoke and about 15-foot flames. Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 8, day. The man was released pending and came within about 200 feet of sity on Arastradero Road, she said. It took down a couple of trees,” she sending up plumes of white smoke further investigation into the cause a horse ranch on the adjacent Stan- Todd said she saw three, equally said. that could be seen for miles and re- of the fire, but police and fire of- ford University campus. No struc- spaced fires near the road. A fourth, She and Portola Pastures manager quiring both helicopter and aircraft ficials have determined that “five tures were threatened, and no one a larger blaze, was farther in the Jose Ruelas were on alert in case to quell the blaze. small fires in the same immediate was injured. grass up a hill near a trail. Palo Alto police officers detained area had been intentionally set.” Madeleine Todd, the owner of When she called in the fire, people (continued on page 11) ELECTION 2012 Ken Dauber enters school board race Fourth candidate vying for three seats, seeks ‘open community discussion’ by Chris Kenrick arent activist Ken Dauber announced Tuesday, Aug. 7, P he will run for the Palo Alto Board of Education in this Novem- ber’s election, injecting some com- petition into the race. The Google software engineer and cofounder of the group We Can Do Better Palo Alto will vie for one of three available seats on the five-member board against in- cumbents Melissa Baten Caswell and Camille Townsend and new- comer Heidi Emberling. The election is Nov. 6. “I want to ensure that there is a contested election so that we have the opportunity to have a full and Veronica Weber Veronica open community discussion of our values and priorities for our schools,” Dauber said in a statement. “I am particularly interested in bringing to the school board A firefighter lays down red tape around one of the sites where five fires were started at the Pearson Arastradero Preserve on Aug. 8. clearer and more transparent de- cision making backed by data and agreed-upon metrics. ... I will work The joint attack is one example battalion chief from each agency to bring my experience in educa- EMERGENCY RESPONSE of how fire responses will look will be present on the scene, al- tional data and large, complex in the near future due to expand- lowing for better direction for organizations to bear on bringing ing automatic-aid agreements. personnel. The departments are more effective governance to the Fire districts revving up One year ago, the Palo Alto City also looking at ways to meld their board,” he said. Council unanimously approved communications and dispatch Dauber and his wife, Stanford a new arrangement between the systems. Law School Professor Michele cross-border aid Palo Alto and Menlo Park fire- Menlo Park Fire Chief Har- Dauber, burst onto the school scene protection districts in which en- old Schapelhouman said the early last year, criticizing Super- Palo Alto and Menlo Park personnel will respond to gines and personnel in closest 2010 plane crash into an East intendent Kevin Skelly and the fires within each others’ service areas proximity to a fire or emergency Palo Alto residential neighbor- school board and calling for “new will respond — regardless of ju- hood brought to light the need leadership” in the Palo Alto Unified by Sue Dremann ing Palo Alto’s and Menlo Park’s, risdiction. for a new agreement. Confusion School District. hen a wildfire ignited battled five blazes that could The agreement covers Code 3 among the various departments The two founded We Can Do Bet- grasslands in Pearson have harmed people and property incidents, which require a siren responding to the incident led to ter Palo Alto, which has 165 Face- W Arastradero Preserve on had the response not been rapid. and red flashing lights. Paramedic his initiation of discussions with book followers and has doggedly Wednesday afternoon, the various Pastures that contain about 155 services are not included. Palo Alto, he said. lobbied the school board on issues city and county fire departments horses are just 200 feet from the Although the two agencies The main reason for the agree- relating to academic stress. that responded ignored their usual burned area, and the hills are have cooperated since 1999, the ment is maximum protection for Between April and June of this boundaries. surrounded by homes in Portola updated arrangement will ensure Multiple fire agencies, includ- Valley and Los Altos. that one truck company and a (continued on page 7) (continued on page 7) ÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°VÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÕ}ÕÃÌÊ£ä]ÊÓä£ÓÊU Page 3 Upfront 450 CAMBRIDGE AVE, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 ‘‘ PUBLISHER Give blood for life! William S. Johnson bloodcenter.stanford.edu EDITORIAL Jocelyn Dong, Editor Carol Blitzer, Associate Editor Keith Peters, Sports Editor Tyler Hanley, Express™ and Online Editor Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Government works more efficiently Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Tom Gibboney, Spectrum Editor if we all work together. Sue Dremann, Chris Kenrick, Gennady —Harold Schapelhouman Sheyner, Staff Writers , Menlo Park fire chief, Eric Van Susteren, Editorial Assistant, Internship on the new mutual-aid pact between Palo Alto and Coordinator Menlo Park fire departments. See story on page 3. Veronica Weber, Staff Photographer Colin Becht, Dale F. Bentson, ‘‘ Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Chad Jones, Karla Kane, Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Jeanie K. Smith, Susan Tavernetti, Contributors Helen Carefoot, Maytal Mark, Dean McArdle, Lauren-Marie Sliter, Editorial Interns DESIGN Shannon Corey, Design Director Around Town Linda Atilano, Diane Haas, Scott Peterson, MUSIC TO THEIR EARS ... Lytton tion Official Jaime Rodriguez said. Paul Llewellyn, Senior Designers Plaza Lili Cao, Rosanna Leung, Designer has long served as Palo Alto’s The signal operations would be the prime meeting ground for the discon- same at all three intersections and PRODUCTION Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager tent masses, from the Vietnam War include the left-turn movements on Dorothy Hassett, Samantha Mejia, Blanca Yoc, protests in the 1960s to the dem- Alma Street. When a train has passed Sales & Production Coordinators onstration against the city’s freshly through the intersection the signal ADVERTISING passed noise ordinance in the 1970s. can allow northbound left-turn traf- Tom Zahiralis, Vice President Sales & Advertising But a musician looking to blast an fic if there is demand. If no vehicles Adam Carter, Elaine Clark, Janice Hoogner, angry riff on her electric guitar may are turning left, the signal would turn Brent Triantos, Display Advertising Sales Neal Fine, Carolyn Oliver, Rosemary soon have a new set of rules to fol- green when a sensor finds a car wait- Lewkowitz, Real Estate Advertising Sales low. The Parks and Recreation Com- ing. The change affects traffic going David Cirner, Irene Schwartz, mission is expected to approve an westbound (towards El Camino Real) Inside Advertising Sales ordinance later this month that would and eastbound (towards Middlefield Diane Martin, Real Estate Advertising Asst. Alicia Santillan, Classified Administrative Asst. set time limits for amplified music. Road). The light sequence that clears Wendy Suzuki, Advertising Sales Intern The proposal is far less drastic than traffic off of the eastbound approach EXPRESS, ONLINE AND VIDEO SERVICES the one the commission reviewed to the tracks before arrival of the train Rachel Palmer, Online Operations Coordinator and rejected in October, which would remains the same, however, he said. Rachel Hatch, Multimedia Product Manager have prohibited amplified sound BUSINESS unless the user takes out a $300 TUNING IN ... While Palo Alto of- Susie Ochoa, Payroll & Benefits permit. The latest proposal would ficials fret about the rising costs and Elena Dineva, Mary McDonald, Claire limit amplified sound to 5 to 10 p.m.