Palo Vol. XXVIII, Number 59 • Wednesday, May 2, 2007 ■ 50¢ Alto Billie Jean King talks about equality Page 3 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Palo Alto eyes ‘green’ building program City officials consider incentives for combating global warming Page 17 Sam Tenney Sam Talk about the news at Town Square, www.PaloAltoOnline.com ■ Upfront Stanford balks at Palo Alto development requirements Page 3 ■ Title Pages Children's book author hits prolifi c streak Page 15 ■ Sports Boys' tennis opens CCS tournament play Page 20 apr.com It's just one click to a complete list of virtually all homes for sale in the Bay Area. PALO ALTO Gorgeous, sunny and remodeled 4bd/2ba Eichler home with central atrium courtyard. Beautiful orchard- like garden with solar heated swimming pool, beautiful plants and fruit trees. The spacious 1825+/-sf floor plan includes lovely detailing and amenities. Gunn High School district. $1,449,000 MENLO PARK Beautiful, bright and spacious 3bd/1ba home. 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May 5 - June 8 Join us for Dreams Happen on June 2 at the Stanford Shopping Center apr.com | PALO ALTO OFFICE 578 University Avenue 650.323.1111 APR COUNTIES | Santa Clara | San Mateo | San Francisco | Alameda | Contra Costa | Monterey | Santa Cruz Page 2 • Wednesday, May 2, 2007 • Palo Alto Weekly UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Stanford challenges Palo Alto’s building requirements Hospital should provide health care, not housing provide health care, not to build Council, Planning and Transpor- March, the current debate focuses housing, parks or walkways to the tation Commission and staff have more on the philosophical than the and parks for Palo Alto, Stanford officials say Caltrain station for Palo Alto, Mc- already voiced concerns about in- potential. by Molly Tanenbaum Cown said. creased traffic, more demand for The project — coupled with the Within the next 20 years, Stanford housing and other ramifications of upcoming expansion to Stanford alo Alto wants Stanford Cown told the Palo Alto Planning Medical Center intends to expand the project on Palo Alto. Shopping Center — is expected to University to pay for the in- and Transportation Commission Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital How and whether Stanford will bring more employees, more cars P evitable effects of adding 1.3 last week that “health care costs are by a third; build a new, 600-bed, make up for these impacts is the big and a greater need for housing. million square feet of building to significant and cannot readily be in- earthquake-safe Stanford Hospital; question. Since an environmental- “It’s hard to imagine that the its medical center, but Stanford is creased to further pay for exactions and replace several medical school impact report detailing the potential project wouldn’t have to take re- already putting its foot down. imposed by the city.” and office buildings. consequences of the development sponsibility for some portions of the Stanford representative Jean Mc- Essentially, Stanford’s job is to Members of the Palo Alto City won’t be ready until at least next (continued on page 7) EAST PALO ALTO Family gathers 10 years after tragedy Hunt for arsonist still continuing, investigators say by Becky Trout n Saturday afternoon, the McKean clan and friends — O and their music and laughter — spilled into Fordham Street in East Palo Alto. Two girls sped along the sidewalk on scooters beneath a string of blue-and-gold balloons. Their elders reclined in the sun at picnic tables, sipping drinks and eating barbecued ribs. Although the afternoon’s mood was festive, it was a momentary bit of joy during an otherwise somber day. That morning the family had Sam Tenney journeyed to Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo, as it does each year, and a candlelight vigil was planned for the evening, marking the Palo Alto Councilwoman LaDoris Cordell and tennis legend Billie Jean King hold photos of themselves from the 1970s during a 35th Anniversary 10th anniversary of the tragedy that talk about Title IX at Stanford University's Maples Pavilion Saturday night. struck the family on April 26, 1997. On that Saturday, the lawn in front cilwoman and a special counselor opportunities, Cordell said. of 2582 Fordham St. had been the STANFORD to the president at Stanford, inter- Title IX has also earned the site of shock, horror and pain — the viewed tennis phenom and wom- wrath of some male athletes, air filled with smoke from the fire en’s rights pioneer King to cap a who say men’s programs are be- that torched the family’s home, kill- King celebrates 35th day-long conference on Title IX, ing gutted to support less-popular ing nine, eventually 10, people, in- the groundbreaking 1972 legisla- women’s sports. juring three others and changing the year of Title IX at Stanford tion that prohibited discrimination But King, even when offered lives of all involved, including the based on gender in education pro- an opportunity by Cordell, didn’t Menlo Park Fire District firefight- Gender gap still exists, she says grams receiving federal funding. bash Bush or men. ers, forever. by Becky Trout It’s been years since King was “I can’t stress enough that men “It was a terrible tragedy. I’m featured on a tennis court, but the and women need to be allies in sure a lot of people besides family ocal high school girls, even familiar with Billie Jean King, 63-year-old with the trademark this,” King said. Feminism is not are affected,” said Tony Trail, an athletes, may not know her heralding her with an enthusiastic glasses hasn’t slowed down much. about dominating, rather it is about “adopted” member of the McKean L name. But they have her to ovation. “We’re still so far behind,” King sharing equitably, she said. family, which has always included thank for their opportunities — os- King won 20 Wimbledon titles; said, noting that millions, even bil- In a wide-ranging interview many others. tensibly equal — to play ball, swim launched a women’s tennis league, lions, of dollars more are spent on — which began with Cordell shar- The family, centered around ma- or run in college, just like the boys, pioneering a profession for women men’s sports than on women’s. ing photos of both women sporting triarch Verna McKean, 87, lost five LaDoris Cordell told a crowd that athletes; and, perhaps most fa- And, the law isn’t a favorite of 1970s Afros — King discussed the children and four adults that morn- filled the floor of Stanford Univer- mously, bested the self-described President George W. Bush’s ad- major events of her life, her strug- ing. sity’s Maples Pavilion and spilled “male chauvinist pig” Bobby ministration, which gave schools a gles, victories and current efforts. McKean couldn’t bear living in into the risers Saturday night. Riggs in a 1973 tennis match. loophole to comply with Title IX, King was born in Long Beach, the house following the fire and now But clearly most attendees were Cordell, a Palo Alto City Coun- without actually providing equal (continued on page 7) lives elsewhere in East Palo Alto. (continued on page 7) Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, May 2, 2007 • Page 3 BodyKneads SPA+SALON 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 Pamper Yourself... (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER Our Manicure and Spa Pedicure . .$22 William S. 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Cammie Farmer, Calendar Editor T 650.852.0546 • 7 days, 10am-10pm Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, signs that the process between Palo The second sign that housing www.bodykneads-dayspa.com Lynn Comeskey, Kit Davey, Tim Goode, Jack Alto and university officials will be is going to be a point of conten- McKinnon, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Must present ad. Offer ends MayMarch 31, 30, 2007 2007 Contributors contentious. tion came at last week’s Planning Susan Hong, Editorial Intern A key point of contention is going and Transportation Commission Julia Cooper, Arts & Entertainment Intern to be housing, not the hospital. discussion of issues related to the )&)43./4).4()36!5,4 )43./43!&% DESIGN The new hospital will be larger hospital. Carol Hubenthal, Design Director than the present one and employ The planning staff proposed Diane Haas, Sue Peck, Senior Designers; Nathan Hammer, Dana James, Paul Llewellyn, many more people. More employ- “key objectives” to consider, one Charmaine Mirsky, Scott Peterson, Designers ees mean more demand on the local of which is for Stanford to “provide PRODUCTION housing market. for housing sites and construction of Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager The number of additional employ- new residential units” as part of the Dorothy Hassett, Blanca Yoc, Sales & Production Coordinators ees isn’t known yet.