6°Ê888]Ê ÕLiÀÊÇÇÊUÊ7i`iÃ`>Þ]ÊÕÞÊÓ]ÊÓäänÊN xäZ Middlefield Road widening stirs neighbors Page 3 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Beijing bound Stanford grads earn U.S. Olympic team berths Page 30 Talk about the news at Town Square, www.PaloAltoOnline.com NUpfront Last curtain call for Pat Briggs? Page 3 NArts Palo Altan returns home to pursue theater career Page 19 NHome & Real Estate Sunset Idea House inspires thought Page 36 KAELYN LEUKEMIA SURVIVOR CURRENTLY: DESIGNING HER FUTURE JUST ANOTHER REMARKABLE DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. Kaelyn was a resilient 12 year-old when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). At her community hospital, she began a diffi cult 26-month treatment with very good odds. But, 20 months into treatment, Kaelyn’s cancer returned and wasn’t backing down. With nearly all hope lost, Kaelyn and her family were referred to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital for a life-saving bone marrow transplant. With care teams specially trained to support © 2008 Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital pediatric patients and an environment designed just for children, the surroundings met all of her needs—medical and emotional alike. Over several months, groundbreaking treatment and dedicated providers gradually restored not only Kaelyn’s health, but also her family’s hope. Almost nine years later, Kaelyn is fully recovered, working on a bachelor’s degree and building on Lucile Packard her dreams of interior design. Her battle with leukemia long behind her, Kaelyn is free to focus Children’s Hospital on the promise of her future. Visit www.lpch.org for more information. AT STANFORD © 2007 Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Page 2ÊUÊ7i`iÃ`>Þ]ÊÕÞÊÓ]ÊÓäänÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞ No Friday edition this week Due to the Independence Day holiday on Friday, today’s edition of the Palo Alto Weekly is a combined edition and there will be no paper published on Friday. Check out the Weekly’s Web site, www.PaloAltoOnline.com for local news coverage throughout the holiday weekend. UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Children’s Theatre’s Pat Briggs fired Monday Her termination follows similar action for Program once again, that the city’s manage- Parsons said Briggs received a May 15 that no one would be prose- Assistant Richard Curtis; both may fight dismissals ment lacks good judgment and a 10-page letter late Monday morning cuted, Briggs was informed the next sense of proportion,” he wrote. “Pat with additional documentation from day she was being recommended by Becky Trout has faithfully served this city for 47 the city, delivered by a messenger. for termination as the outcome of at Briggs, director of the part in this situation,” Parsons said. years. Generations of children have The news was expected. Briggs, a separate administrative investiga- Palo Alto Children’s Theatre The termination is “far too harsh” benefited from her talent and good 71, has been on administrative leave tion. She had an opportunity June P since 1961, was fired Monday a penalty, Ralph King, spokesman heart. since Jan. 24 while she and the late 5 to present her case and has been morning, her attorney, Jon Parsons, for the nonprofit Friends of the Palo “We believe Pat should be re- Assistant Director Michael Litfin awaiting the city’s ruling. said. Alto Children’s Theatre, said in a instated and the city’s campaign were under police investigation for On Tuesday, Parsons provided the “We are disappointed the city has statement. against Pat, masquerading as justice, embezzlement. Weekly with a copy of Briggs’ June not accepted responsibility for its “This egregious action shows, should be put to rest,” King said. But although police announced Ê­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊÇ® COMMUNITY Proposed turning lanes added to Middlefield Road at Oregon Expressway Fourth of July Middlefield Road sparks fire 3-foot reduction of landscape strip concerns Fire officials don’t expect problems but urge caution by Karla Kane he Fourth of July is associated with warm weather, barbecues Oregon Expressway T and fireworks. The holiday cel- 5-foot reduction ebrations, however, also come with an increased risk of fire hazards, of landscape strip especially in this year of unusually dry conditions, according to Palo Alto Fire Chief Nick Marinaro. “We’re always on heightened alert Left-turn 3-foot reduction for the Fourth of July because of the lane added of landscape strip fireworks,” Marinaro said. “But fire conditions this year are as bad as we’ve ever seen them.” He cited a lack of spring rain as a major source of the increased danger, as grass and other fuel have been allowed to dry out for longer than usual. Alternative 1 calls for 10-foot-wide Palo Alto hasn’t had any reports of northbound lanes on Middlefield, north fireworks gone awry in recent years, of Oregon. Alternative 2 would replace - >Ê ÀiÞ Marinaro said, emphasizing that pri- the two lanes with a single, 17-foot- Left-turn vate use of fireworks is always ille- lane added N gal and urging residents who witness wide lane, requiring no tree removal. any suspicious firework activity to contact the police. Stanford University has cancelled its traditional July 3 fireworks show. TRAFFIC written to Palo Alto and county the buffer would put traffic dan- Fireworks are normally displayed officials, upset that the changes gerously close to pedestrians using from Memorial Way near Galvez could cause safety problems and adjacent sidewalks and make the Street on campus. Due to construc- Residents angered hamper access to their neighbor- street feel more like an express- tion in the area and lack of a sub- hoods. way. stitute location that would pass fire- (Comments can be sent to the “This proposed widening is safety standards, this year the show over proposed Oregon Roads and Airports Department counter to the City of Palo Alto’s will not go on. A minimum separa- at comments@oregonexpressway. Comprehensive Plan, which states tion of 210 feet from spectator view- Expressway changes info.) that ‘Additional lanes at intersec- ing areas, vehicles and buildings is The biggest concerns relate to tions should not be installed at required for the type of firework widening the Middlefield Road the expense of bicycle lanes, side- shells typically used in the display, Added lanes, medians, could pose dangers from efforts intersection and blocking cross walks, or landscaping,’” Garland to improve traffic flow, residents fear Bob Cable, public relations manager traffic at familiar access points Drive resident Andrei Sarna- for Stanford Lively Arts, said. by Sue Dremann to neighborhoods, including Ross Wojcicki wrote to the city. The Alternate locations are being ex- Road, Indian Way and Waverley plan specifically includes Middle- plored for next year, he added. proposed traffic-flow im- to July 19. Street, by extending raised median field as a designated residential ar- Despite the hazardous conditions, provement project along The $2.8 million federally fund- strips, residents said. terial; and widening Middlefield Stanford is actually in a better posi- A Oregon Expressway has ed project would improve traffic The proposed widening at Mid- would turn the road into an ex- tion for fire safety this year, thanks angered residents and prompted flow, upgrade signals and add dlefield would require removing 3 pressway, he argued. to measures taken after last year’s an extension of the comment pe- sidewalks to improve pedestrian to 5 feet from landscaping strips Ananth Prasad, a senior civil brush fire in the foothills, accord- riod to the County of Santa Clara and bicycle safety. to make room for left-turn lanes. engineer for the County of Santa ing to University Fire Marshal Joe Roads and Airports Department But dozens of residents have Residents say cutting out part of Ê­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊx® Ê­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊÇ® *>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊ7i`iÃ`>Þ]ÊÕÞÊÓ]ÊÓäänÊU Page 3 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER Our William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Associate Editors Keith Peters, Sports Editor Town Tyler Hanley, Online Editor by Don Kazak Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer Arden Pennell, Becky Trout, Staff Writers A ‘no-win situation’ Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant Marjan Sadoughi, Veronica Weber, Staff olice Chief Lynne Johnson, world would we want to go after an Photographers in an interview last week, icon in the community?’” Johnson Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, said she knew at the start of Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, Jack McKinnon, P asked. Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Craig Wentz, the investigation of financial irregu- “We have much better things to Contributors larities at the Palo Alto Children’s do. There’s enough crime in Palo Monica Guzman, Jillian Keenan, Thea Lamkin, Editorial Interns Theatre that it was a “no-win situa- Alto to keep us busy.” Jill Kimball, Arts and Entertainment Intern tion” for the police. Johnson, who preferred not to go David Cenzer, Danielle Vernon, Photography “I said to my staff, no matter how “tit for tat” about the criticisms of Interns this ends up, if we find criminal the police, did reveal that the police DESIGN Shannon Corey, Design Director wrong-doing, and if we don’t do (the paused in its investigation last year. Diane Haas, Sue Peck, Senior Designers investigation) and people find out, “We actually could have, and Dana James, Paul Llewellyn, we’ll be criticized,” Johnson said. we discussed it, bring them in for Charmaine Mirsky, Scott Peterson, Designers “For us, it was a completely no- interviews before the Christmas PRODUCTION Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager win situation.” holidays,” she said. “We purposely Dorothy Hassett, Blanca Yoc, The investigation of four long- did not do that because, again, this 15% OFF Sales & Production Coordinators time theater employees ended with- was a sensitive case.