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Vol. XXIX, Number 52 • Friday, April 4, 2008 ■ 50¢ Clooney’s football fable fumbles Check out the Weekly’s online classifieds Page 22 at fogster.com WeeklyWeekend Edition www.PaloAltoOnline.com LOCAL ART COLLECTIVE CELEBRATES HALF A CENTURY PAGE 9 GALLERY HOUSE AT Danielle Vernon Danielle 50 Worth A Look 15 Eating Out 17 Movie Timess 23 GoingsGoings On 25 ■ Upfront Grocers push for more comprehensive bag ban Page 3 ■ Sports Stanford’s ‘twin towers’ have big goals in Final Four Page 27 ■ Home & Real Estate Native gardens reclaim their space Section 2 JOIN OUR TEAM Make us a partner in your estate plan 7-year-old Joseph loves to play ball, but suffers from juvenile arthritis. Only a year ago, he was so sore and lethargic that he could barely walk. Today, under the care of pediatric rheumatologists at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Joseph is back to playing second base on his little league team. By including Packard Children’s in your estate plan today, you help children like Joseph receive specialized care not found at most hospitals. Your gift can create tax savings for your estate or help fulfill your financial goals — all while improving the health of children. Contact our gift planning office to learn more. Visit: www.lpfch.org/giftplanning or call (650) 736-1211. SUPPORT YOUR CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Page 2 • Friday, April 4, 2008 • Home & Real Estate UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Assault victim describes severity of attack Former Gunn High School student testifies about Burpee, a 2006 Palo Alto High cap, the bill of which hid her face “Not really sure,” she replied. School graduate, was in court for a from view. She kept her head down, She was accompanied by a court brutal Oct. 30 assault along Arastradero Road preliminary hearing to determine looking at the floor throughout the advocate, a woman who kept her by Don Kazak if there is enough evidence to hold entire hearing and during most of arm around her the entire time she a trial. The hearing was continued her testimony — with one excep- was in court, including when she he Gunn High School student But the slight, young Asian until 2:30 p.m. Thursday, after the tion. was testifying. Another woman, who was beaten, kidnapped woman could not positively iden- Weekly’s press deadline. When Santa Clara County Depu- possibly a relative, also consoled T and sexually assaulted last tify Todd David Burpee as the man Burpee has been charged with ty District Attorney James Leonard her, keeping an arm around her as Oct. 30 appeared in court Wednes- who assaulted her that afternoon the assault and kidnapping of the asked her if she saw the man who she waited to testify. day in Palo Alto and described in after she biked home from school woman, 17 at the time. assaulted her in the courtroom, she The teen said she saw a black man a sometimes quiet but clear voice to her parents’ apartment on Aras- The woman, identified in court raised her head and took a quick what happened to her. tradero Road. only as Jane Doe, wore a baseball look around. (continued on next page) ENVIRONMENT Don’t just ban plastic, charge fee, grocers say Plastic ban alone will just prompt switch to costly paper bags, industry says by Becky Trout n a rare meeting Thursday morn- ing, major local grocers urged the ICity of Palo Alto to go beyond merely banning plastic bags. They favor a more comprehensive plan — including all of the city’s retailers — that would ban plastic carryout bags and charge customers for paper bags. The city is proposing prohibiting the use of plastic carryout bags at the city’s 13 largest grocery stores and pharmacies — a plan the grocers Danielle Vernon oppose. But their opposition isn’t fueled by their fondness for the oil-based bags that clog waterways and trap wildlife, the grocers told city repre- Bloom sentatives at a rare, even “historic,” Geraniums catch the sun in the front garden of a home on the corner of Seale Avenue and Middlefield Road Thursday morning. meeting hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. A ban alone, like the one enacted a very handsome project, but I But the building would be most last year in San Francisco, simply LAND USE too have trouble making findings visible, and offensive, to neighbor motivates shoppers to switch to pa- to support the additional height,” Sal Giovannotto, who has written per bags, several grocers said. Commissioner Lee Lippert said. letters of opposition to the project. After San Francisco’s rule went Country club The new building is planned He attended Wednesday’s meet- into effect last fall, “our paper bag to include a spa, locker rooms, ing, at one point challenging club usage shot through the roof,” Mollie children’s facilities, group exer- leaders from the back row of the Stone’s owner David Bennett said. expansion endorsed cise rooms and a workout room. council chambers: “Is not true. Is And paper bags cost about 10 Project for 50-year-old club includes new It would be south of the existing not true,” he called. cents — 10 times the cost of plas- club buildings off Alexis Drive in The view from Giovannotto’s tic bags, according to Dan Conway, fitness facility, spa, general refurbishing the foothills. house, next door to the club, con- Safeway’s director of state and local by Becky Trout Buoyed by support from the vinced city staff not to support the government relations. ot just for golfers anymore, ly recommended approval of those city’s Architectural Review Board request for additional height, staff Rather than the ban on plastic the Palo Alto Hills Golf projects with a significant caveat: in September 2006, the club’s ar- Planner Russ Reich told the com- carryout bags that affects only the N and Country Club is plan- the 17,700-square-foot new build- chitect Chris Wasney designed mission. city’s 13 largest grocery stores and ning to add a new spa and fitness ing’s roof line must be about 8 feet a “butterfly” roof — two rising “Experiencing the impact of the pharmacies, as currently proposed, facility among other renovations, lower to fit within the city’s 25- “wings” that meet at a lower, cen- views was a big eye-opener,” Re- the city should enact a comprehen- to revive the 50-year-old club. foot height limit for the foothills. ter axis — for the two-story build- ich said. “Going inside the home, sive program to push consumers to- Before about 50 club members Commission Chairwoman Karen ing. from all of those different views, ward reusable bags, the most vocal and neighbors Wednesday night, Holman recused herself because From some angles, the design you will experience that build- grocers agreed. That could involve the Palo Alto Planning and Trans- she is a club member. exceeded the city’s limit by 8 ing.” charging for paper bags, a reusable feet. portation Commission unanimous- “This is a desirable project. It’s (continued on page 7) (continued on page 7) Palo Alto Weekly • Friday, April 4, 2008 • Page 3 (650) 969-7663 Upfront Lic. #785441 Since 1975 Burpee later at his mother’s house in San 1901 Old Middlefield Way, #22 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 (continued from previous page) Jose after an extensive search for Mountain View, Ca 94043 (650) 326-8210 witnesses by Palo Alto and Sunny- PUBLISHER standing by a door to her apartment vale police. Police also recovered William S. Johnson complex when she came home that DISCOUNT COUPON the car that they say Burpee was $400 EDITORIAL day. She asked him if he wanted driving and recovered evidence WITH INSTALLATION OF COMPLETE NEW ROOF Jay Thorwaldson, Editor to get in, be- Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor from it. Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Associate Editors cause people The arrest was the result of the Keith Peters, Sports Editor sometimes girl’s description of the man to a Tyler Hanley, Online Editor Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor forget their police sketch artist. A Palo Alto Stanford University School of Education Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor keys, as she officer, Eric Bulatao, recognized Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer said she had Cubberley Lecture Series Arden Pennell, Becky Trout, Staff Writers the sketch as Burpee because he Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor done in the had questioned him about a week Creating Effective Schools: Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant past. He re- earlier when he noticed Burpee Norbert von der Groeben, Chief Photographer plied “yes,” sitting in a car in a neighborhood Bridging the Teaching and Leadership Divide Marjan Sadoughi, Veronica Weber, Staff Photographers she said. near Arastradero. Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, But after After his arrest, Palo Alto po- A conversation with Lynn Comeskey, Kit Davey, Jack McKinnon, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Craig Wentz, she unlocked lice reported that Burpee admitted Contributors the door and Todd Burpee he had assaulted and kidnapped Alex Papoulias, Veronica Sudekum, Richard To, started to go Editorial Interns the young woman. He said he had Nick Veronin, Arts & Entertainment Intern in, she turned around and walked been angry because of a fight with Danielle Vernon, Photography Intern back outside. his girlfriend. DESIGN “I was scared,” she explained. “It could have been anyone; it Carol Hubenthal, Design Director “The man followed me and at- could have been a guy,” police Diane Haas, Sue Peck, Senior Designers Dana James, Paul Llewellyn, Charmaine tacked me from the back. He cov- quoted him as saying. “I was just Mirsky, Scott Peterson, Designers ered my mouth with his hand.” mad.” Police reported that Burpee Anthony Alvarado Linda Darling-Hammond She said she struggled.