Special Issue Twelve Months of Triumphs, Tribulations and Small Moments As Viewed by the Weekly’S Writers and Photographers
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Vol. XXVI, Number 26 • Wednesday, December 29, 2004 ■ 50¢ Special Issue Twelve months of triumphs, tribulations and small moments as viewed by the Weekly’s writers and photographers www.PaloAltoOnline.com Page 12 Can you find the phony ad? Look inside for details. Norbert von der Groeben ■ Upfront Was 2004 a year of busted dreams? Page 3 ■ Photo Essay The year’s best pictures Page 17 ■ Sports Stanford men’s hoops success a stretch Page 21 Thank You To Our Valued Bay Area Residents We would like to thank our valued Mid-Peninsula patrons and are pleased to extend this special holiday offer! 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First seating from 6:00-8:30pm, ◆ Two seatings: 5:30 and 9:00 featuring a 5-course dinner for p.m. First seating: $65 per person; second seating: $85 Appetizer Choices: $55.00 per person Blackened Rare Tuna per person (plus tax & tip). new with Wasabi Aioli; Second seating at 9:00pm, ◆ Champagne toast and fresh Glazed Maui Pineapple featuring a 6-course dinner for flower leis for the ladies. & Lobster Salad; Asian $75.00 per person including ◆ Polynesian and Tahitian Roasted Duck Salad dancers entertain during Entrée Choices: champagne toast and Live Jazz! year! second seating. Ribeye Steak Paniolo; STO’A Restaurant & Wine Bar Hawaiian Pesto-Crust- 631 Emerson Street, Palo Alto By reservation only! ed Sea Bass; Chinese 650-328-2600 Call 650-849-9800 Oven-Roasted Sonoma Chicken with Sweet Bread-Stuffing; Roast- ed Rack of Lamb with Guava Chutney Dessert Choices: Coconut Crème Brulée; Bourbon Cheesecake; Chocolate Mousse Holiday 4269 El Camino Real • Palo Alto • 650-849-9800 Feast Limited time: From now until January 2nd, 2005 Even Santa Needs Available for Dine-In, Take-Out or Delivery. a Little Help. Minimum Service for Two eeling the stress of the holidays? Maybe we Ming’s Famous Chicken Salad can help. Just across the street from campus, Shrimp Rumaki Fyou’ll find the Stanford Terrace Inn, an oasis Grilled Scallion Pancake of unexpected elegance. Discover a tradition of old world hospitality and a timeless Sweet Corn Soup sense of luxury. A perfect place to Grilled Lamp Chops $ * host your out of town guests this Buddha’s Delight Canton Sautee 109 holiday season. PEN Holiday Special O Ming’s Exclusive Chinese Crab Paella Let us pamper your Ginger Sundae visitors and leave time for you to celebrate the NEW YEAR’S EVE $32 Per Person holidays. And for a limited time, they Reservations: 650-868-7700 can experience all the convenience of Fax: 650-855-9479 Call ahead for reservations www.mings.com the Stanford Terrace Inn at a Mon-Sat 11am-9:30pm/Sun 10:30am- reduced rate. Complimentary Special menu available 9:30pm continental breakfast Free shuttle. in addition to regular menu Open 365 Days A Year! Dim Sum Cart Daily Until 3pm Over-sized guest rooms. We’ll cater to their every whim. Santa never had Private Rooms Still Available for Your it so good. 233 University Avenue Holiday Parties 531 STANFORD AVE, PALO ALTO 650 857-0333 Downtown Palo Alto 1700 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto www.stanfordterraceinn.com 650.856.7700 *November 15, 2004 to January 15, 2005. Rate based on availability. Mention Holiday Special when reserving room by phone. (650) 322-1846 1 blk. off 101 AMPLE PARKING No other discounts apply. Page 2 • Wednesday, December 29, 2004 • Palo Alto Weekly TEN ‘UNIQUE’ MOMENTS . 7 DYNAMIC DUOS . 8 MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE . 9 2004:Looking back FAREWELL . 10 S T A N F O Y R D R N R A E S R M E E O E A H R W B E C I H L H P R O N M P L T V I E A O A N R E N L R O T K T I T A N M C E L O R E C N S E O H H E B R C I E R A E I T F V A L - I D C H D Q G E E I U E S H C A P S E R - N T H T E G E R I R S H Nicholas Wright PALO ALTANS SET SIGHTS ON BIG PLANS, PIPE DREAMS BUT HOW TO PAY FOR THEM ALL? BY JOCELYN DONG, BILL D’AGOSTINO AND ALEXANDRIA ROCHA Meanwhile, city staff and resi- tions in individual “pods.” over historical preservation, and the dents dreamed of a municipally Countless community meetings worst economic situation in the val- t has been a year of big dreams in Palo Alto. From the owned telecommunications net- and staff hours were devoted to ley since the early 1970s, the city district’s parcel tax to an Environmental Services Center work — the $40-million Fiber to the developing or debating these multi- did begin to think of long-term I to a new police building, Palo Altans this year dared to Home venture — that city leaders million-dollar visions — which planning and new initiatives,” said put on hold because it lacked a real- number at least 15 by the Weekly’s former mayor Gary Fazzino. “I dream as they haven’t in more than a decade, one former istic funding strategy. count. Members of the public have think people began to feel after mayor observed. Some people even looked far into passionately advocated for their three years of a dreadful economy; There seemed no area of life left untouched by the visions, the future and envisioned science versions of the future, convinced the (they) felt things were improving from the city’s neighborhoods to its Baylands to the municipal fiction as fact. One proposal receiv- viability of Palo Alto — not to men- ever so slightly.” ing air time in 2004: the “silver bul- tion its reputation — rests on mak- But there are those in the commu- infrastructure. A new library director called for the creation of let,” a monorail between CalTrain ing bold plans now. nity who are not so sure all the a central, high-tech library with a homework center, author and the Stanford Research Park that “After a very difficult period of dreaming is a good thing. They look readings, a literacy program and an undetermined price tag. would whisk riders to their destina- the dot-com bubble bursting, battles (continued on page 5) Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, December 29, 2004 • Page 3 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER William S. Johnson Our EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Marc Burkhardt, Managing Editor Jennifer Aquino, Associate Editor Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Assistant Editors Keith Peters, Sports Editor Town Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor by Don Kazak Robyn Israel, Arts & Entertainment Editor Don Kazak, Jocelyn Dong, Senior Staff Writers Bill D’Agostino, Alexandria Rocha, Staff Writers Norbert von der Groeben, Chief Photographer Tough times in 2005 Nicholas Wright, Staff Photographer Tyler Hanley, Assistant to the Editor athy Kroymann turned over “We are in a very participatory, & Online Editor the gavel to new school board vocal area, and all conflict doesn’t Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections C President John Barton Dec. have to be adversarial. A lot of it Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Benson, Lynn 14. Palo Alto Mayor Bern Beecham has to do with what our perception Comeskey, Tim Goode, Jim Shelby, Jill Slater, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, expects to do the same thing to Vice of conflict is,” she said. Contributors Mayor Jim Burch Jan. 10. Things aren’t any more cheery at Molly Tanenbaum, Jamie Schuman, Editorial Interns In both cases, the hands that hold 25 Churchill Ave., headquarters of Naomi Brookner, Photo Intern the gavels may be sweating a little the Palo Alto Unified School Dis- DESIGN before 2005 is done and gone. trict. Losing Measure I on Nov. 2 Carol Hubenthal, Design Director The city is facing a $5.2 million by the narrowest of margins — Judith Alderman, Assistant Design Director Diane Haas, Lynda Lumish, Sue Peck, Senior budget deficit for 2005-06, while about 225 votes — was a body Your Designers; the school district’s much smaller blow to the district. Board members Mindi Casillas, Elise Eisenman, Ben Ho, budget deficit is projected at Dec. 14 rightfully noted that more Dana James, Scott Peterson, Designers PRODUCTION $600,000, to be covered by reserves methods Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager or a hoped-for 1 percent boost in Dorothy Hassett, Joan Sloss, Sales & Production property-tax revenues. Both gaps “We can’t have it all, so Coordinators follow major recent cuts: $1.5 mil- we have to decide what ADVERTISING lion this year for the city and $6.5 last for Michael Howard, Advertising Manager is more important.” Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Assistant million for the district over the last Michelle Bayer, Jasbir Gill, Colette Jensen, two years. —Councilwoman Dena Mossar Display Advertising Sales “If this were a rainy day, I could days. Kathryn Brottem, Real Estate Advertising Sales Joan Merritt, Real Estate Advertising Asst. see using our reserves,” Beecham Linda Franks, Classified Advertising Manager said. “But I think this is more of a Justin Davisson, Ana Gonzalez, climate change.” than 22,000 voters did support Evie Marquez, Maria Menche, Irene Schwartz, Classified Advertising Sales The city and district won’t have Measure I.