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Vol. XXVIII, Number 18 • Friday, December 8, 2006 ■ 50¢ Holiday events yule love Page 13 Check out the Weekly’s new online classifieds at fogster.com WeeklyWeekend Edition www.PaloAltoOnline.com The world Black-and-white photographs reveal surprising form within and function Page 11 Page 34 Cindy Stokes Worth A Look 16 Eating Out 17 Movie Times 26 Goings On 29 Crossword Puzzle Section 2 ■ Upfront Stun-gun issue making a comeback Page 3 ■ Sports Stanford women’s volleyball eyes regional title Page 36 ■ Home & Real Estate Pools: Asset or liability? Section 2 One of the Nation’s Best. Right in Your Backyard. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford has again been named one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation by U.S.News & World Report. Ranked the #1 children’s hospital in California, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital is a world class hospital devoted entirely to the care of children and expectant mothers — all under one roof — right in your backyard. Learn more about Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at www.lpch.org Page 2 • Friday, December 8, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis POLICE Council to take another shot at stun guns Controversial tasers considered ‘mid-level’ tool for police force; now equipped with video, audio recording by Becky Trout wo years after the talk of stun use already use Tasers, Burns said. guns created a whirlwind of Officers here would like them be- T controversy, the Palo Alto Po- cause they offer a “mid-level” force, lice Department is again making a applicable from a distance, and the push to purchase them. opportunity to avoid using lethal To determine once and for all if weapons, Burns said. the Tasers have a place in Palo Alto, The department would like to Councilwoman LaDoris Cordell purchase Taser X26 models outfit- — prompted by Police Chief Lynne ted with cameras that record video Johnson — wants to create a com- and sound, Burns said, offering re- munity committee to “firmly and (continued on page 8) finally decide whether or not to permit the use of Tasers by our po- lice department,” Cordell wrote in a PALO ALTO memo this week. The issue will be discussed at next Monday’s City Council meeting. Benest to As proposed, the committee would include representatives from undergo job the police department, the public defender’s and district attorney’s evaluation offices, the city’s Human Relations Commission, City Council, a medi- cal expert, city residents, a city at- next week torney, and representatives from several civil-liberties groups. Mayor says second review The committee would give the this year necessary for community an opportunity “to take ‘oversight’ a very serious, objective and close look at everything,” Cordell said. by Becky Trout She said she also wants to ensure that if Tasers are adopted, the de- ext Tuesday and Wednesday partment has a clear policy on their night, the Palo Alto City appropriate use. N Council will convene to re- A Taser is an electric weapon view City Manager Frank Benest’s Nicholas Jensen that shoots probes attached to wires job performance — for the second more than 20 feet. In contact with a time in 2006. person, the probes deliver a shock Twice yearly evaluations aren’t that incapacitates the individual for common for Palo Alto city manag- several seconds. ers, but city leaders are shying away “(My) muscles completely tight- from labeling the review as anything Uprooted ened up and weren’t able to move. out of the ordinary. Jess Ponce of Valley Crest Tree Company uses a pick axe to remove excess dirt from the roots of an oak tree I certainly wouldn’t have been able “I don’t know what is the standard, being transplanted from the corner of Homer Avenue and Bryant Street to Arastradero Preserve. to resist any type of officer. I was but we felt that we wanted to speak glad when the system turned off,” with him again,” Mayor Judy Klein- said Capt. Dennis Burns, who was berg said. “It’s our responsibility to “tased” during a training exercise. have oversight of the management.” SCHOOLS Although Tasers have been talked Hints that all is not rosy between about in Palo Alto before, a pro- the city manager and his nine bosses posal to purchase them has never emerged in August, when Benest School boundaries could become brouhaha been brought before the council, just barely received a $4,000 bonus, Angry Southgate residents turn out to Board of Education meeting said Assistant City Manager Emily a bequest opposed by Vice Mayor Harrison. With controversy swirling Yoriko Kishimoto and councilmem- to try to squash option for redrawing school-attendance lines two years ago, the Police Depart- bers Dena Mossar and Larry Klein. by Alexandria Rocha ment backed down from efforts to Some say he leaves too much of acquire them. Police Chief Lynne the day-to-day management to his acking the Palo Alto school shared dreams of families-to-be. condido Elementary School, instead Johnson wanted to wait until they No. 2, Assistant City Manager Em- district’s board room this Some were too shook up to of Walter Hays. And although Su- were a “generally accepted tool,” ily Harrison. P week, angry parents booed, speak. perintendent Mary Frances Callan Harrison said. “He heard us and responded ac- heckled and waved picket signs. The residents turned out to protest assured the protesters the idea was, Johnson was unavailable for com- cordingly,” said Councilwoman They gushed about kindergartners an idea that would send kids from in fact, just an idea, the outcry was ment. LaDoris Cordell, who voted for settling into their new school and the Southgate neighborhood to Es- (continued on page 8) Many area police departments (continued on page 7) Palo Alto Weekly • Friday, December 8, 2006 • Page 3 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER William S. Johnson ReaderReaderWire comments via e-mail, voice mail and U.S. mail EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor ‘Social host’ concerns ment of a task force to study the Jocelyn Dong, Acting Managing Editor issue, both a use policy be prepared Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Assistant Editors I hope the new “social host” ordi- Keith Peters, Sports Editor nance will be very carefully and very by the police chief and an applica- Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor tion be made this month for a grant Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor specifically drawn. According to the Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer Weekly’s article (Dec. 6), the new to fund these weapons. It appears Alexandria Rocha, Molly Tanenbaum, Becky the powers that be have already Trout, Staff Writers ordinance “would make it illegal to Norbert von der Groeben, Chief Photographer have alcohol at a party where a cer- decided that Palo Alto will acquire Nicholas Jensen, Staff Photographer tain number of minors are present.” these tools of torture, for that is Veronica Weber, Photo Intern what they are. Tyler Hanley, Assistant to the Editor & When it says “a certain number Online Editor of minors,” is it talking about some Natalie Fisher Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor Ellsworth Place, Palo Alto Cammie Farmer, Calendar Editor specific number of children, regard- Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, less of how many adults are also Lynn Comeskey, Kit Davey, Tim Goode, Jack McKinnon, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, present? Is it talking about a certain Library leadership Contributors percentage of minors relative to the Library supporters filled the Palo Dan Shilstone, Editorial Intern total numbers at the party? Alto City Council chambers Monday Julie Park, Arts & Entertainment Intern I give a little neighborhood Christ- night (Dec. 4) to endorse the Library Deep Tissue • Orthopedic Massage • Myofascial Release • Reflexology DESIGN • Sports Massage • • Sports Advisory Commission’s unanimous Carol Hubenthal, Design Director mas carol sing every year. There Diane Haas, Sue Peck, Senior Designers; are usually around eight adults and recommendations for improvements Royd Hatta, Dana James, Paul Llewellyn, nine children ranging in age from to our library system. Charmaine Mirsky, Scott Peterson, Designers 3PECIALS 8 to around 16. I serve wine to the Though voters may be looking at Shiatsu • PRODUCTION adults and cranberry apple juice to another package that includes a new &REE'IFTS Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager Dorothy Hassett, Blanca Yoc, the minors. Mitchell Park building, like Measure D #OUPLES0ACKAGE Sales & Production Coordinators If the new ordinance were to say from four years ago, the new recom- ADVERTISING that the adults couldn’t have wine mendations are substantially better. 'IFT#ARDSAND#ERTIFICATES Release Point Trigger Vern Ingraham, Advertising Manager The proposals presented Monday Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst. (and everyone knows that people sing Tony Gay, Jasbir Gill, Janice Hoogner, Sandra better after a little wine) because make the most of the library’s proxim- Valdiosera, Display Advertising Sales there will be more children there than ity to Mitchell Park, leaving heritage Kathryn Brottem, Real Estate Advertising Sales Joan Merritt, Real Estate Advertising Asst. adults, for instance, I would not be trees, tennis courts and open park CHOOSEYOURDISCOUNT Nerissa Gaerlan, Evie Marquez, Irene happy about that. space intact. They also solve traf- Schwartz, Classified Advertising Sales Blanca Yoc, Classified Administrative Asst. Where and how are the police go- fic circulation problems between ing to draw the line as they work on Middlefield Road, the library and the ONLINE SERVICES Lisa Van Dusen, Director of Palo Alto Online this? I hope they will use a great deal park with cost-effective above-ground D Shannon White, Assistant to Webmaster of common sense. If they don’t they parking.