Housing Nonprofit Steps in for Buena Vista Page 5
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Vol. XXXVI, Number 31 Q May 8, 2015 Housing nonprofit steps in for Buena Vista Page 5 www.PaloAltoOnline.com PAGE 23 Pulse 18 Transitions 19 Spectrum 20 Eating Out 35 Shop Talk 37 Movies 41 Puzzles 61 QArts Folk dance retains an avid following Page 27 QHome Modern home tour showcases past/future Page 43 QSports Stanford women host NCAA water polo Page 64 MEDICINE Page 2 • May 8, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com SOLD Jackie and Richard thank you for trusting us to help you achieve your Real Estate Success. 569 Lowell Ave, Palo Alto 1331 Alma Street, Palo Alto* 126 Flying Mist Isle, Foster City* SOLD SOLD SOLD 2489 Edith, Redwood City* 1000 Middle Ave., Menlo Park 2030 Liberty Park, Menlo Park SOLD SOLD SOLD 707 Bryant 208, Palo Alto* 1199 N. Lemon, Menlo Park* 2140 Santa Cruz 307, Menlo Park* SOLD SOLD SOLD Call Jackie and Richard to Sell Your Home ̈́ʹʹͲǡͲͲͲǡͲͲͲ Jackie Richard 650-855-9700 650-566-8033 [email protected] [email protected] BRE # 01092400 BRE # 01413607 www.schoelerman.com ȗ www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • May 8, 2015 • Page 3 eLeon Realty Would Like To D Say THANK YOU To All M o t h e r s F o r E v e r y t h i n g Y o u D o . Happy Mother’s Day! ® 650.543.8500 | www.deleonrealty.com DeLeon Realty CalBRE #01903224 Page 4 • May 8, 2015 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Housing nonprofit steps in to help preserve Buena Vista The Caritas Corporation is putting together plan cation for Buena Vista since fall nantly Hispanic and low-income Supervisor Joe Simitian, a 2012, a process that could con- community in Barron Park. Erika former Palo Alto mayor who is to buy Palo Alto’s sole mobile-home park clude on May 26, when the City Escalante, president of the Buena leading the drive to avert Bue- by Gennady Sheyner Council is expected to formally Vista Residents Association, said na Vista’s closure, announced approve the application. After Wednesday the last few months The Caritas Corporation’s in- he Caritas Corporation, a Caritas, based in Irvine, has the vote, the Jisser family will have been difficult for the resi- volvement at a press conference nonprofit organization that entered into a contract with San- be able to launch the six-month dents given the prospect of im- Wednesday afternoon. In Janu- Tmanages 20 mobile-home ta Clara County that, in its first process of evicting the park’s minent eviction. Now, their focus ary, Simitian led the Santa Clara parks throughout California, phase, requires the company to roughly 400 residents. has shifted to saving their homes. County Board of Supervisors has joined the last-ditch effort put together a purchase and sale While the future of Buena Vis- “We’ve met with Caritas a in allocating $8 million for the by Santa Clara County and Palo agreement with the Jisser family, ta remains uncertain, the com- couple of times, and we’re very park’s preservation. He also not- Alto officials to avert the closure which owns the 4.5-acre mobile mitment of Caritas to preserve excited and encouraged about the ed that an additional $3 million of Buena Vista Mobile Home park. The Jissers have been mov- the park has offered another potential of this plan,” Escalante Park. ing ahead with a closure appli- shred of hope to the predomi- said Wednesday. (continued on page 14) EDUCATION Palo Alto schools parcel tax passes Unofficial results put Measure A well past two-thirds majority needed by Elena Kadvany ith a wide margin of 77 would cause if this did not pass,” percent “yes” votes and she said. A tiled panel 94 percent of ballots The “Yes on A” camp was fac- depicting an W counted as of Wednesday eve- ing what now appears to have been airplane with ning, Palo Alto schools parcel- a vocal minority of people who “U.S. Mail” etched tax Measure A has well beyond viewed voting down the tax as a on the door and the two-thirds majority support way to send a message to school flying over a train required to pass. district leadership during a year was uncovered on Even if the remaining ballots of crisis. Others had expressed op- the exterior of 261 were all “no” votes, the measure position to the increased funding Hamilton Ave., would still pass with nearly 73 for a district much more finan- where the U.S. post percent approval. cially healthy than in years past. office operated Reached at a “Yes on A” cam- But as of Wednesday at 5 p.m., until 1933. Veronica Weber paign party just after results were only 3,930 voters cast a “no” vote first released by the Santa Clara (22.73 percent), compared to the HISTORY County Registrar of Voters Tues- 13,358 in support. day night, campaign co-chairs Voter turnout for the mail-only Nana Chancellor and Sara Wood- election was 32 percent, accord- ham, in tears, said the overwhelm- ing to the county registrar. Early 20th-century artwork discovered ing support is exciting, reassuring “To have a significant turnout, — and a little surprising. to have such a favorable vote — in downtown Palo Alto They and a group of about 30 it just shows the level of support volunteers spent Monday and for our students, and I think also Nearly 90-year-old tile panel buried in wall of University Art Center building Tuesday calling more than 2,000 the belief in our mission,” said voters, sending emails and posting Palo Alto Unified School Dis- by My Nguyen on Facebook to corral last-minute trict Superintendent Max McGee, hat began as a seis- completed. “These guys are artists. ... support for the new $758-per-par- reciting the district’s mission of mic retrofit to ensure While developer Roxy Rapp They’re like archaeologists that cel tax, which will begin on July “nurturing curiosity, creativity Wa historic downtown and partner Joe Martignetti go into tombs and carefully re- 1 and last six years with 2 percent and resilience, empowering every building meets earthquake were looking at Clark’s original lieve skeletons and artifacts. ... annual increases. child to reach his or her fullest codes soon turned into “an ar- plans for 261 Hamilton, the two You’ve got to have a whole lot In addition to the $13 million intellectual, social and creative chaeological dig” for a piece of noticed decorative panels on the of patience to do it,” Rapp said. generated by the current parcel potential.” Palo Alto history. facade, on either side of the post With a mashing hammer and tax each year, the proposed $120 “I hope that’s resonated,” Mc- Rapp Development is current- office’s entrance. chisel in hand, Shawn Tibbs of increase would provide an addi- Gee said. “Certainly this kind of ly renovating the Birge Clark “I thought, ‘Oh God, that’s no Giampolini took to the site where tional $2.3 million to support stu- support enables us to transform building at 261 Hamilton Ave., longer there,’” Rapp said. But an incredible discovery was made: dent health and wellness efforts, those words into actions.” which until recently housed Uni- when he went to examine the two 2-foot-by-2-foot panels, each academic help for struggling Chancellor and Woodham said versity Art Center. The building, building, he happened to see the made up of 16 tiles. One depict- students and STEAM (science, Tuesday they feel confident that constructed in 1927, was origi- “little outline of the stucco where ed an airplane with “U.S. Mail” technology, engineering, arts and the “yes” votes will continue to nally designed as a medical- they patched it. And (he) said, ‘I etched on the door panel and the mathematics) instruction. climb as the remaining ballots dental building and featured the wonder if it could still be there?’” other, a mail boat. On Tuesday, Chancellor even are counted. city’s first underground garage. To put an end to his curiosity, Tibbs, a stone carver by trade, drove to several seniors’ homes “There are way more people The U.S. post office operated Rapp hired Emeryville-based worked for two days to uncover to pick up their ballots and drop that felt this way than not,” Wood- out of the ground floor until Giampolini Courtney, a ma- one panel, which was covered them off at the post office, she ham said. “That to me is so in- 1933, when the stand-alone post sonry restoration company, to said. credibly reassuring as a commu- office at 380 Hamilton Ave. was uncover the artwork. (continued on page 16) “We were so nervous about the disruption (to the district) that it (continued on page 16) www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • May 8, 2015 • Page 5 Upfront 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER William S. Johnson (223-6505) EDITORIAL Editor Jocelyn Dong (223-6514) ® Associate Editor Carol Blitzer (223-6511) Sports Editor Keith Peters (223-6516 Arts & Entertainment Editor Elizabeth Schwyzer (223-6517) There is no guidance. Express & Digital Editor My Nguyen (223-6524) —Elizabeth Wong, who has proposed a develop- Assistant Sports Editor Rick Eymer (223-6521) Spectrum Editor Renee Batti (223-6528) ment at 429 University Ave., on the two-year Palo Staff Writers Sue Dremann (223-6518), Elena Alto process that just sent her back to the drawing Kadvany (223-6519), Gennady Sheyner (223-6513) board.