6°Ê888]Ê ÕLiÀÊÇÊUÊÀ`>Þ]ÊÕÞÊ££]ÊÓäänÊ N xäZ Palo Alto teen’s focus on Check out the Weekly’s film online classifieds at fogster.com WeeklyWeekend Edition Page 10 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Culinary voyages New book offers a kitchen-table trip to a rich past Page 7 Marjan Sadoughi Marjan Worth A Look 12 Eating Out 13Movie Times 19 Goings On 20 ■ Upfront City expected to settle with Pat Briggs Page 3 ■ Sports Gold medal glimpse at Bank of the West Page 23 ■ Home & Real Estate An efficiently cool summer Section 2 JACKIE ONE OF THE FIRST COMBINED INTESTINAL AND LIVER TRANSPLANTS CURRENTLY: LITTLE CHARMER JUST ANOTHER REMARKABLE DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. Jackie Seki has a smile that lights up a room. But things weren’t always so bright for the little girl. By three months of age, Jackie was suffering from end-stage intestinal failure and her liver soon began to fail. Her only option: a combined small intestine and liver transplant. © 2007 Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Jackie joined the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Transplant Program and became one of the few patients to receive the groundbreaking procedure. Ten years ago, an operation like this was experimental at best. Today, with the commitment and pioneering spirit of the doctors, nurses and researchers at Packard Children’s, patients like Jackie are thriving after such surgeries. It’s this kind of innovative thinking, as well as sensitive, nurturing care, that makes Packard Lucile Packard Children’s a world-class hospital. And these days, Jackie is a world-class doll, enchanting Children’s Hospital everyone she meets – people and animals alike. Visit www.lpch.org for more information. AT STANFORD Page 2ÊUÊÀ`>Þ]ÊÕÞÊ££]ÊÓäänÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞ UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Settlement near for theater’s Pat Briggs Details still confidential, but reinstatement and some discipline are reportedly part of deal Work on the language of the agree- would then presumably be made June 30 following an administra- ment and some peripheral questions public. tive investigation that found she had by Jay Thorwaldson and Becky Trout was reportedly occurring Thursday Part of the motivation for a settle- broken many city rules, including closely guarded settlement City officials directly involved as the Weekly went to press. ment reportedly was the desire to mishandling thousands of dollars. agreement is reportedly near decline to confirm or deny the ex- All parties directly involved in resolve Briggs’ employment status The administrative investigation A completion that would allow istence of settlement talks, which the negotiations have signed con- during City Manager Frank Ben- stemmed from a criminal embez- Pat Briggs, the terminated director reportedly have been underway for fidentiality agreements that would est’s tenure, which ends in Septem- zlement inquiry, sparked by a bur- of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, some time but whose main points remain in effect until the final doc- ber with his retirement. glary in June 2007 and curtailed in to return to work but face some dis- appear to have been agreed upon uments are executed, according to Briggs, theater director since May when the Santa Clara County one source. Details of the agreement 1961, was officially terminated ciplinary action. Wednesday. Ê­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊx® CITY HALL Overtime a way of life for some city employees Compared to its neighbors, Palo Alto has few mega- overtime earners by Becky Trout apt. Jason Amdur, a Palo Alto firefighter for 27 years, loves C his job. His children are grown, so when he’s asked to work overtime — a regular occurrence, particularly during the summer — he often ac- cepts. By working hundreds of additional >ÀiiÊ ÕV >À` hours, perhaps as much as 45 entire extra 24-hour days, Amdur earned $71,431 in overtime alone in 2007, pushing his total salary above that of Fire Chief Nick Marinaro. Amdur made $183,600 last year; Marinaro Something’s fishy at Rinconada took home about $180,000. Nine students, including Rachelle Bains, from left, Hyomg Kim and Mim Lennig, completed a sea-themed mural at Rinconada Pool on Amdur is one of 24 city employ- Wednesday, under the direction of teacher Greg Brown, during a two-week class through the Palo Alto Art Center. ees — concentrated in the fire, po- lice, utilities and public works de- partments — who earned more than Alto in the future,” Gennaco and two parties involved in the alterca- $30,000 in overtime last year. POLICE Miller wrote. tion,” she said. Many of these employees have A supervisor in the other depart- Acting Lt. Sandra Brown said the seniority as well as special skills or ment was required to resolve the sergeant and the officer from the certifications that make them particu- Palo Alto cop punished confrontation, Gennaco and Miller other department had known each larly valuable. wrote. other previously. Amdur, for example, has hazard- for traffic altercation That supervisor reported the inci- The Palo Alto sergeant received ous materials training, which adds 5 dent to the Palo Alto police. formal discipline following an inves- percent to his pay. Police chief reacts to inaccuracies in Daily Post article Johnson said the officer involved tigation led by a lieutenant, Johnson And Police Agent Adrienne Moore also reported the incident to his su- said. She said she cannot say what — who tops the list with $106,631 in by Becky Trout and Don Kazak pervisor as expected. type of discipline he received. overtime earnings during 2007 — The department launched an in- “The individual was not terminat- currently works as a detective, but Palo Alto police sergeant has Police Chief Lynne Johnson said ternal investigation, which was re- ed, not even close,” Johnson said. also moonlights on patrol and as a been disciplined for a confron- the off-duty officer was stopped for viewed by Gennaco and Miller. The independent auditors con- dispatcher, Assistant Chief Dennis A tation last year with another an equipment violation. “The bottom line is that we agreed curred that discipline was needed. Burns said. police officer in a different commu- “It wasn’t even a moving viola- with the department that what the “I think it’s important to note ... Moore declined to speak with the nity when he was stopped for a traf- tion,” Johnson said. supervisor did was not what the ex- that he admitted his behavior and he Weekly, stating in an e-mail only that fic violation. The Palo Alto sergeant was driv- pectations of the Palo Alto Police apologized. That is very important her drive to work overtime is private “The PAPD supervisor was im- ing with another, lower ranked off- Department are with regard to how and sometimes in our work in other and “motivation has nothing to do mediately confrontational and dis- duty Palo Alto officer. an officer ought to react,” Gennaco agencies an action that we don’t see with money or possessions.” courteous to the traffic officer who When stopped, the sergeant “used said Wednesday. enough [of is] the acceptance of re- But Amdur and Greg Schulz — an issued him a ticket,” independent po- profanity, made derogatory remarks Johnson said the incident was more sponsibility,” Gennaco said. electric lineman who worked 407 ex- lice auditors Michael Gennaco and about the officer’s skills and stated complex than portrayed in the audi- Johnson said the department re- tra hours in 2007 — were willing to Robert Miller wrote in a May 19, that the officer would not receive tors’ report. views officers’ driving records each share their stories. semi-annual report to the Palo Alto any help or professional courtesy if “Part of the issue was the other year, acting only when it discovers City Council. he found himself in distress in Palo officer’s response too. ... There were Ê­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊx® Ê­VÌÕi`ÊÊiÝÌÊ«>}i® *>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÀ`>Þ]ÊÕÞÊ££]ÊÓäänÊU Page 3 Upfront Comparison of overtime in 2007 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 How Palo Alto city employees stack up Get Moving! (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER Palo Alto Menlo Park Mountain View Camp Avenidas William S. Johnson EDITORIAL # of full- and part- 1,617 783 539 Jay Thorwaldson, Editor time workers Summer Fitness Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Associate Editors Academy Keith Peters, Sports Editor # of workers who 24 44 18 Tyler Hanley, Online Editor Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor earned more than Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor $30K in overtime August 18-22 Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer 10 am - 3:15 pm Arden Pennell, Becky Trout, Staff Writers Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor % of workers who 16 3 at Little House Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant earned more than Marjan Sadoughi, Veronica Weber, Staff $30K Photographers Five days of fitness, Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, Jack McKinnon, fun & personal growth! Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Craig Wentz, million in overtime last year, keeping Contributors Overtime the city’s electricity, water and natu- Monica Guzman, Christine Karavas, ­VÌÕi`ÊvÀÊ«ÀiÛÕÃÊ«>}i® Body & brain fitness Thea Lamkin, Editorial Interns ral gas flowing. Jill Kimball, Arts and Entertainment Intern Schulz, an electric lineman for 23 Healthy gourmet lunches Darlene Bouchard, Photography Intern Like other firefighters, Amdur works three 24-hour shifts a week years, earned $41,700 in overtime Giveaways & prizes DESIGN during 2007, a combination of unan- Shannon Corey, Design Director and then takes a nearly four-day Health fair & awards Diane Haas, Sue Peck, Senior Designers weekend. In all, the firefighters work ticipated overtime — for storms or Dana James, Paul Llewellyn, transformer overloads — and sched- Charmaine Mirsky, Scott Peterson, Designers 11 24-hour shifts a month, or spend one-third of their time at work, Dep- uled overtime.