Battle Over Composting Resumes Page 3
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com 6°Ê888]Ê ÕLiÀÊÎÊUÊÕiÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÓÊN xäZ Battle over composting resumes Page 3 page 16 Vote online for Best Of Palo Alto Spectrum 14 Title Pages 22 Eating Out 28 Movies 30 2 0 1 2 NArts Russian Jewish composers infl uence U.S. music Page 24 NSports Stanford swimmer outdistances disappointment Page 32 NHome Local Realtors grab top national rankings Page 40 o 31st Annual t l A o l Chili a COOK OFF P f & Summer Festival o ty Ci Page 2ÊUÊÕiÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÓÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°V UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Palo Alto hopes to settle compost dilemma by 2014 City’s proposed action plan includes series of analyses, its final load of yard trimmings on in passing Measure E, an initiative and impacts of a proposed plant. March 31, according to a new report that undedicated 10 acres of Byxbee The staff’s action plan includes a request for proposals for compost technologies from Charles Muir, an environmen- Park in the Baylands and made them long list of complex and expensive by Gennady Sheyner tal specialist in the Public Works available for an anaerobic digester, a homework assignments that the city Department. plant that would process local food would have to complete before the he future of Palo Alto’s com- The city this week unveiled an ac- The landfill’s closure means the waste and yard trimmings and con- council could make the big decision posting services probably tion plan outlining the next steps in city will now have to export its yard vert them into electricity. in early 2014 on whether to proceed T won’t be settled until at least one of its most complex and polariz- trimmings to Gilroy. That prospect The passage of Measure E an- with the plant. early 2014 as the city prepares to ing dilemmas. The issue emerged as has galvanized the city’s green com- swered the crucial question of where Those assignments include envi- perform a series of complex studies a hot topic because of the recent clo- munity, with many residents urging the new composting operation could ronmental and financial analyses, a and survey its options for a possible sure of the landfill, which included the City Council to keep compost- be located. But, as Muir’s report request for proposals from technol- waste-to-energy plant in the Bay- the city’s composting operation. ing local. Last year, a large coali- makes clear, it is prompting many lands. The Baylands landfill received tion of environmentalists succeeded other questions about the costs (continued on page 8) EDUCATION School chief’s contract extended Palo Alto school board extends superintendent’s contract through June 2016 by Chris Kenrick espite recent strains over communication, Superinten- D dent Kevin Skelly Tuesday, June 26, won a one-year contract extension through June 2016 with enthusiastic praise from Palo Alto school board members. Skelly, who was hired by the district in 2007, will not get a pay raise. With an annual salary of $287,163, he is the 11th high- Veronica Weber Weber Veronica est paid school chief in the state, coming behind heads of the San Francisco, Los Angeles and Fresno districts as well as the Cupertino Union School District, Fremont TV guides Union High School District, the TV cameraman Wyatt Thayer checks the monitor as show hosts Danielle Gee and Gaia Aspitz, far right, interview assistant instructor Wes Santa Clara County Office of Edu- Rapaport, on couch, at the Midpeninsula Community Media Center in Palo Alto on Wednesday. At far left, camera operator Sophie Pelosi cation and several southern Cali- and floor director Shaan Signh also took part in the weeklong summer camp for students aged 10 to 14. fornia districts. He previously worked for the southern California district of Po- colleges can count attendance for were turning in actual hours that way, where he had been associate EDUCATION unscheduled hours outside of the students would be spending on a superintendent for learning-support classroom, such as time spent in a job,” Miner said. services. tutorial center. She said the incorrect count- Following a closed-door evalu- Miner said the college will re- ing was due to a misinterpretation ation of Skelly last week, which Foothill College cuts radio, cover some apportionment next year of the state attendance accounting board President Camille Townsend when it offers tutorial-center classes manual. described as “very healthy and work programs but expressed frustration at state bu- Using the correct method, the very productive,” school board reaucracy. school counted 68 full-time equiva- members Tuesday voted unani- Budget constraints reduce students’ options “Had we got approval (for the lent students for this year compared mously for the contract extension, by Bryce Druzin classes) back in the fall, we would with 376 and 410 for the two pre- with hearty praise. have mitigated our (apportionment) vious years. The changed method “Thank you for the good work,” oothill College will discon- “We’ve really been in cut mode loss more than we did,” she said. resulted in a drop of apportionment Townsend said. tinue several programs this for three years,” Foothill President This year Foothill also corrected from roughly $1.8 million in 2010- “We’re very aware of the chal- F fall quarter due to $2.3 mil- Judy Miner said. how it counted hours for coopera- 11 to $340,000 in 2011-12. lenges and joys of the job, and its lion in budget cuts that will take Foothill has generated less fund- tive work experience, a program “This is just a program that’s not very public nature. Your style re- effect July 1. ing based on enrollment, called ap- in which students complete as- going to be effective for what we flects a genuine enjoyment of stu- Programs on the chopping block portionment, for the last two years. signments based on experiences at can afford,” said John Mummert, dents of all grades, and we appre- at the Los Altos Hills community Miner said the decline is mostly due their jobs. The adjustment resulted vice president of workforce devel- ciate the time you spend on all the college include Chinese, creative to a state reduction in the number in a nearly $1.5 million drop in opment, explaining the decision to campuses, your accessibility, good writing, radio and cooperative work of times students are allowed to funding. experience. repeat courses and changes to how “Like many other places, we (continued on page 8) (continued on page 11) ÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°VÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÕiÊÓ]ÊÓä£ÓÊU Page 3 Upfront 450 CAMBRIDGE AVE, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER ‘‘ William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jocelyn Dong, Editor Carol Blitzer, Associate Editor Keith Peters, Sports Editor Tyler Hanley, Express™ and Online Editor Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor It doesn’t mean that I’m in love Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Tom Gibboney, Spectrum Editor with this project. Sue Dremann, Chris Kenrick, Gennady Sheyner, Staff Writers —Patrick Burt, Palo Alto City Councilman, after Eric Van Susteren, Editorial Assistant, Internship complimenting changes made to the 195 Page Mill Coordinator Road development, which the council approved Veronica Weber, Staff Photographer Dale F. Bentson, Colin Becht, ‘‘ Monday. See story on page 5. Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Chad Jones, Karla Kane, Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Jeanie K. Smith, Susan Tavernetti, Contributors Helen Carefoot, Junesung Lee, Maytal Mark, Bryce Druzin, Lauren-Marie Sliter, Dean McArdle Editorial Interns DESIGN Around Town CITY OF PALO ALTO Shannon Corey, Design Director Linda Atilano, Diane Haas, Scott Peterson, THE RUMOR MILL ... After urging him to vote against any NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Paul Llewellyn, Senior Designers Gov. Jerry Brown signed the further appropriations for high- Lili Cao, Designer state budget on Wednesday, speed rail. But the letter noted NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Government Code Sections PRODUCTION June 27, much of the buzz in that if the Legislature were to 66016 and 66018, that the City Council of the City of Palo Alto will Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager Sacramento swirled around move forward with the project, Dorothy Hassett, Samantha Mejia, Blanca Yoc, conduct a Public Hearing at a Meeting on July 23, 2012, at 6:00 Sales & Production Coordinators what wasn’t in the document. the appropriation language p.m., or as soon thereafter as possible, in the Council Chambers, This includes high-speed rail, a must guarantee that there will ADVERTISING be “no modifications of any City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California, to consider Tom Zahiralis, Vice President Sales & Advertising project that is expected to be kind” to the environmental- changes to the Fiscal Year 2013 Municipal Fee Schedule concerning Adam Carter, Elaine Clark, Janice Hoogner, the focus on a budget-trailer Brent Triantos, Display Advertising Sales bill that will be released in the review process. Animal Services, including new fees, and increases to existing fees. Neal Fine, Carolyn Oliver, Rosemary next week or two. The sus- Copies of the fee schedule setting forth any proposed new fees, Lewkowitz, Real Estate Advertising Sales David Cirner, Irene Schwartz, pense around this trailer bill ONE BRIDGE LED TO ANOTH- and increases to existing fees are available on the City’s website and Inside Advertising Sales has created a flood of rumor- ER ... A proposal to rebuild the in the Administrative Services Department, 4th Floor, City Hall, 250 Diane Martin, Real Estate Advertising Asst. mongering around the Capitol, small and quaint Newell Road Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. There is a $3.00 per copy Alicia Santillan, Classified Administrative Asst. bridge between Palo Alto and Wendy Suzuki, Advertising Sales Intern with both advocates and op- charge for this publication.