Vol. XXXIX, Number 10 Q December 8, 2017 State laws will create more housing in Palo Alto Page 5 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Children’s books celebrate family, friends, pets Page 24 INSIDE HOLIDAY FUND page 12 Spectrum 17 Arts 18 Winter Class Guide 26 Sports 38 QEating Out High hopes aside, Nobu doesn’t quite deliver PageP e 1919 QMovies Franco brothers turn ‘Disaster’ into success Page 23 QHome Tight housing market a problem for empty nesters Page 29 TOO MAJOR TOO MINOR JUST RIGHT FOR HOME FOR HOSPITAL FOR STANFORD EXPRESS CARE When an injury or illness needs quick attention but not Express Care is available at two convenient locations: in the Emergency Department, call Stanford Express Care. Staffed by doctors, nurses, and physician assistants, Stanford Express Care Palo Alto Hoover Pavilion Express Care treats children (6+ months) and adults for: 211 Quarry Road, Suite 102 Palo Alto, CA 94304 • Respiratory illnesses • UTIs (urinary tract tel: 650.736.5211 • Cold and flu infections) Stanford Express Care San Jose • Stomach pain • Pregnancy tests River View Apartment Homes • Fever and headache • Flu shots 52 Skytop Street, Suite 10 San Jose, CA 95134 • Back pain • Throat cultures tel: 669.294.8888 • Cuts and sprains Open Everyday by Appointment Only Express Care accepts most insurance and is billed as 9:00am–9:00pm a primary care, not emergency care, appointment. Providing same-day fixes every day, 9:00am to 9:00pm. Page 2 • December 8, 2017 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com 490 Loma Verde Avenue, Palo Alto Premier New Luxury Residence Designed with careful attention to every detail, this brand-new home of over 3,600 sq. ft. (per plans—including garage) on a 01?5>-.81/;>:1>8;@;2;B1>] ZTT?= 2@ I<1>/;A:@EJ;Ŋ1>?Y.10>;;9? X Y.-@4? -:0-:;ő/1C4581<>;95?5:35:/;9<->-.81 8ADA>E85B5:3 534 1:0ŋ:5?41?.81:0C5@49-?@1>2A8/>-2@?9-:?45<@;/>1-@1-.>1-@4@-75:3C;>80;22A:/@5;:-85@E C->9@4 -:0A<?/-81?@E81 %A?@-5:-.8121-@A>1?9-D595F1@4101?53:p?1ő/51:/E C4581/45/3-@41>5:3->1-?1:6;E?1-981??-//1??@;@41 private outdoor retreat. Stroll to El Carmelo Elementary (#1 Elementary School in California) and JLS Middle (#2 Middle School in -852;>:5-J -:0.571@;50@;C:%4;<<5:31:@1>-:0A::534IU534%/4;;85:-852;>:5-JI.AE1>@;B1>52E18535.585@EJ For video tour & more photos, please visit: www.490LomaVerde.com Offered at $4,488,000 Saturday & Sunday Lattes & Gourmet Snacks OPEN HOUSE 1:00-5:00 650.900.7000 | [email protected] | www.deleonrealty.com | CalBRE #01903224 www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 8, 2017 • Page 3 Schola Cantorum’s 51st Annual Messiah Sing Monday, December 18, 2017; 7:30 pm • Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts Sponsors: Karla and Andre Valente, Ann Yvonne Walker and David Jones Share the wonder and majesty of Handel’s masterpiece with fellow singers, friends and family at this, the Bay Area’s oldest Messiah Sing! Maestro Gregory Wait directs you and Sinfonia Schola Cantorum. Sing the choruses and even the solos! Bring your own score or borrow ours. Admission $26 Adults, $18 Students, Groups of 10 or more, $20/ person To order tickets call 650.903.6000 or order online at mvcpa.com Ticket prices include a $2.00 Facility Use Fee Page 4 • December 8, 2017 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis State housing laws could increase development Council, city staff say recently passed bills housing proposals on subjective around their regional housing kicking in on Jan. 1, City Hall will reduce local control, spur major change grounds; and pave the way for a requirements. staff are scrambling to under- $3 billion housing bond that will But for the Palo Alto City stand the implications and come by Gennady Sheyner go to the voters in 2018. Council, which has made hous- up with new procedures and poli- or Palo Alto’s housing ad- of affordable housing. They also require cities to ap- ing one of its top priorities for the cies to address them. vocates, the broad package The 15 bills, which sailed prove accessory-dwelling units year, the Sacramento-adminis- Perhaps the most transforma- F of bills that Sacramento through the state Legislature in in all single-family residential tered medicine comes with a host tive bill in the bunch is Sen- lawmakers signed into law this September and then signed into zones; ensure that inclusionary- of unpredictable side effects. The ate Bill 35, known as the “by fall are exactly the type of dis- law by Gov. Jerry Brown, create a zoning requirements apply to new laws could upend the city’s right” housing bill. Authored by ruption that the city needs after streamlined approval process for residential developments, in- policies on everything from park- state Sen. Scott Weiner, D-San years of sluggish residential con- residential developments; make it cluding rental properties; and ing requirements to architectural struction and a deepening crisis harder for municipalities to reject make it harder for cities to dance reviews. And with the new laws (continued on page 10) TRANSPORTATION For new bike boulevard, it’s not smooth sailing New Ross Road fixtures are confusing bicyclists and drivers, creating danger, residents say by Sue Dremann he city of Palo Alto’s ef- narrowed space with the intent of fort to turn a south Palo passing bicyclists. T Alto street into a bicycle- Palo Verde neighborhood resi- friendly boulevard is encounter- dent Maryann Hinden, an occa- ing a chorus of complaints from sional bicyclist, said she’s contin- residents who say that the chang- ually looking over her shoulder es are making the road more now for approaching cars, espe- dangerous. cially as she cycles through the Veronica Weber The first phase of the $8.6 mil- narrow spots. lion Neighborhood Traffic Safety As a car driver, Hinden said she and Bicycle Boulevard Project also finds the new configurations commenced this fall and is ongo- “pretty aggravating.” The bike ing. City contractors are adding lane, when permanently marked, St. Elizabeth Seton School eighth-graders, from left, Yamarie Martinez, Anayeli Lopez, Briana Diaz speed humps, traffic islands, curb will be in the middle of lane, and and Victoria Mora talk with science teacher Scott Bell about the states of matter, which they’re extensions and other modifica- cars and bikes will be expected to learning about in their new science textbooks, on Dec. 7. The school purchased the Glencoe Series tions designed to slow speeders share the road. textbooks, which meet national Next Generation Science Standards, with grants from the Palo Alto along Ross Road, a major route “All I can see is a recipe for Weekly Holiday Fund and the Thomas Merton Center. to local schools. The project in- drivers getting frustrated and volves 7.1 miles of local streets, having road rage,” she said. including Ross, Moreno Avenue, Annette Glanckopf, co-chair Amarillo Avenue, Louis Road, of the Midtown Residents Asso- HOLIDAY FUND Montrose Avenue and Bryant ciation, said in an email that she Street. In addition to the street had a near miss this week on the fixtures, the plan calls for 11 newly configured road. The gift of knowledge roundabouts, three raised cross- “I drove it the other night and walks, five raised intersections almost hit a biker. Two cars can Holiday Fund grant provides students with much-needed new science textbooks and the reconfiguration of four barely pass each other; I do not by Alexandria Cavallaro intersections. know how two cars and a biker Todd Koumrian, a resident of can pass. It is an accident waiting he classroom sat in capti- Eighth-grader Ashley Magal- Standards, a set of national edu- Stelling Drive, walked the area to happen. Although something vated silence in late No- lon, who has attended the non- cational guidelines written and on a recent afternoon, pointing is technically feasible and seems Tvember as science teacher profit Palo Alto school since finalized by 26 states in 2013 to four traffic islands at the inter- very logical, it doesn’t take into Scott Bell explained the day’s kindergarten, received her and revised periodically, science section of Ross and Loma Verde consideration human behavior,” lesson, lecturing from a brand- new textbook this teachers had to seek out or create Avenue that he said now force she wrote. pristine textbook. Each fall. Previously, students supplemental materials to adhere cars into the existing bike lanes, But Palo Verde resident Mark of the 27 eighth-grade like Ashley and Aaron to the requirements. which in turn push bicyclists off Pietrofesa said he approves of the students at St. Elizabeth Andrade, who has also “We had very outdated texts the road. project, which will slow down Seton School, dressed in been enrolled for nine before, so it was imperative that “Cars making a left onto Ross drivers. He cycles about 10,000 navy and red uniforms, years, struggled to learn we update the series,” Principal now have a very narrow spot to miles annually and has a 10-year- had his or her own copy from books published in Evelyn Rosa said. turn. It’s a danger zone,” he said. old who rides a bike to school. open and followed along. 2008 that were not only With the support of a $10,000 Speed humps flanked by con- “Traffic has gotten worse Extra science textbooks were worn from years of use but were grant from The Palo Alto Week- crete landscape boxes that extend around here,” he said, noting that stacked neatly in rows on coun- also on the brink of inaccuracy.