Palo Vol. XXXV, Number 26 N April 4, 2014 Alto Park Boulevard accidents concern workers, residents Page 5 www.PaloAltoOnline.com READ THIS YEAR’S WINNING STORIES PAGE 34 Transitions 17 Spectrum 18 Seniors 28 Eating Out 23 Movies 25 Puzzles 67 NArts ‘Techies’ + ‘Fuzzies’: Stanford’s new joint majors Page 21 NHome A thoroughly modern Silicon Valley home tour Page 41 NSports Stanford women take shot at UConn in Final 4 Page 69 " % !! " % !! !%"! & ! $!" " '0 ! %"&""! !! # ! "" # "&" ""( # "" & &!!'# ! "" !&! !!!""!" "!!" !!!# !'#/ EL CAMINO REAL !# ! DOWNTOWN !! PALO ALTO !" "!" ! "!# ! PALO ALTO TRAIN STATION & TRANSIT CENTER STANFORD SHOPPING ALMA ST "! #"! CENTER PALO RD UNIVERSITY AVE Marguerite Shuttle Stop % !! # !/ - !%$,$$ -+,$$! QUARRY RD HOOVER PAVILION Construction area - !+,$$ -(,$$( PALM DR "'!)($"*')"(&%% $!"#! 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Page 4ÊUÊ«ÀÊ{]ÊÓä£{ÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°V UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Park Boulevard accidents concern workers, residents Driving, biking, walking to become increasingly But some residents and employ- Some residents said they ac- accidents occurred near Sherman hazardous as city plans dense development, they fear ees said the busy street is already cept that denser development will Avenue, according to the Palo dangerous, and they are hoping come. But blind spots, speeding Alto Police Department. by Sue Dremann the city will address the issue and a lack of crosswalks present But Statewide Integrated Traf- he broadsiding of a sedan only increase the problem, they soon rather than piecemeal as the accidents waiting to happen, and fic Records System data does not that pushed the vehicle said. area is redeveloped. injury accidents are already hap- show a higher rate of collisions T through a plate-glass win- The street is a busy conduit to The city’s California Avenue pening, they said. than in other parts of town, the city dow on March 15 is just the latest the California Avenue retail dis- Area Concept Plan has earmarked Police traffic records show there maintained in the concept plan. accident that residents and work- trict and Oregon Expressway. The Park Boulevard for offices and were seven accidents along a five- Residents said that data doesn’t re- ers say happens with frequency planned new tech corridor along multiple-story housing. The city block stretch between Sherman cord the number of near-misses. On on Park Boulevard in Palo Alto. the boulevard parallels the Cal- would encourage this growth by and Olive avenues between Janu- March 17, two days after the colli- And the city’s plans to turn the train tracks and is already home pushing allowances for intense ary 2013 and March 21, 2014. Five sion that injured the driver whose California Avenue area into a to Groupon, AOL and other tech development to the maximum, resulted in injuries, two of which densely inhabited tech hub will companies. according to the concept plan. involved bicyclists. Three of the ­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ£Ó® EDUCATION Setting aside time for ‘dissolving’ stereotypes Palo Alto high schools, middle schools, observe ‘Not in Our Schools Week’ by Chris Kenrick n the social and ethnic stew percent, respectively — Gunn has of Palo Alto schools, students many teens who say they’ve felt I work and play on a daily basis the sting of stereotypes. with kids from an array of nation- In a posting of anonymous, alities, races, religions, ability personal recollections of feeling levels and income levels. stereotyped during 2011 Not in A program used in both high Our Schools Week, one student 6iÀV>Ê7iLiÀ schools and all three middle said she’d felt devastated after schools promotes open discus- being called a “half-breed” be- sion of those differences in an cause of her mixed Chinese and effort to train students to recog- European heritage. Group protests Supreme Court ruling nize and refute stereotypes and A Muslim student said, “The discrimination. thing I want is for everyone to stop John Van Horne, second from left, Millie Chetnik and Carol Cross listen to speakers during a Next week, for the 12th year, judging us all based on what only rally at City Hall on April 2 against the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Gunn High School will observe a fraction of our population did.” Election Commission. The decision allows donors to give money to as many candidates, parties “Not in Our Schools Week,” In a class discussion, a Christian and committees as they wish. filled with in-class and out-of- student said he felt like he was a class activities to “build aware- “loner” until discovering that “half ness and empathy” and to “cele- my friends are actually Christian.” COMMUNITY brate and appreciate differences.” In response to that discussion, The theme of the week is, “We’re math teacher Gopi Tantod urged all in this together.” students to resist pressure to be Freshmen will participate in anyone but themselves at school. With funding in place, a simulation of what it’s like to “We are in the United States, and have a learning disability. we should be comfortable express- Magical Bridge moves forward Students from Gunn’s ROCK ing whoever we are, whatever we group (Reach Out, Care and Know) are in whatever way we’re com- Designs evolve for Palo Alto’s first ‘inclusive playground’ — formed in response to a series of fortable with,” she said. by Gennady Sheyner student deaths by suicide in 2009 Tantod urged students to make and 2010 — will post “gratitude a point of speaking to students hen a group of Palo Alto playground near the Mitchell as early as this summer. displays” around campus. who are eating lunch by them- parents first approached Park tennis courts were scaled The biggest change between Students will identify and jot selves. “Just say ‘hi,’ because not W city leaders in 2008 with back slightly to accommodate prior and current plans is the de- down stereotypes on rice paper, everybody has been through Palo a proposal to build the city’s first the project’s refined budget of cision not to replace an existing then “dissolve” them in a wading Alto Unified all their life, and truly inclusive playground, the $3.2 million (before, the budget bridge that crosses Adobe Creek, pool or “bury” them in a coffin not everybody knows everybody project was based on little more ranged from $1.3 to $4 million, as was originally intended, but borrowed from the school theater. around them.” than hopes, dreams and a plot as plans evolved). The group merely renovate it to make sure Among the stereotypes recog- Thursday of Not in Our Schools of city-owned land at Mitchell Friends of the Magical Bridge the ramps can comfortably ac- nized and dissolved by Palo Alto week at Gunn focuses on raising Park. has already raised the bulk of the commodate wheelchairs. Aside middle school students in a simi- awareness about the “silencing Now, what is known as the funds, with donors such as the from that, the playground will lar exercise a few years ago were that several lesbian, gay, bisexual Magical Bridge Playground has Peery Foundation and Enlight include just about all the features the observations that, “Not every- and transgender students feel due two more crucial factors going in Foundation making sizable con- that parents of children with dis- one is smart” and “Not all Jewish to fear from name-calling, bully- its favor: a refined design and the tributions. With the fundraising abilities had hoped to see when people are rich.” ing and harassment” that often oc- necessary funding to make the campaign edging toward its goal, the project was first proposed: an With enrollment from all over curs in schools. On that day, some dream a reality. the city’s landscape architect, Pe- the world — and an Asian/Cauca- The latest plans for the new ter Jensen, said work could begin ­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ£{® sian mix of 45.7 percent and 43.1 ­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ£Ó® ÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°VÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊ«ÀÊ{]ÊÓä£{ÊU Page 5 Care Upfront 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 Connect PUBLISHER William S. Johnson (223-6505) EDITORIAL Community Editor Jocelyn Dong (223-6514) Associate Editor Carol Blitzer (223-6511) Sports Editor Keith Peters (223-6516 Arts & Entertainment Editor I would not let him ride through Nick Veronin (223-6517)) Express & Online Editor Elena Kadvany (223-6519) the parking lot. Assistant Sports Editor Rick Eymer (223-6521) Spectrum Editor Tom Gibboney (223-6507) — Randy Popp, vice chair of the Architectural Staff Writers Sue Dremann (223-6518), Chris Review Board, on why locating bicycle or pedestrian Kenrick (223-6512), Gennady Sheyner (223-6513) paths at the back of a housing development parking Editorial Assistant/Intern Coordinator Sam Sciolla (223-6515) lot is a bad idea.