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Vol. XXV, Number 91 • Wednesday, August 11, 2004 ■ 50¢ CityCity ignoresignores auditor’sauditor’s recommendationsrecommendations onon overtimeovertime paypay PagePage 33 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Can you find the phony ad? Look inside for details. ■ Upfront Traffic impact fee stopped in its tracks Page 5 ■ ■ Health & Fitness Pure energy for a healthy life Section 2 ■ Upfront School fund raisers turn to parents Page 3 apr.com REDEFINING QUALITY SINCE 1990 R eading between the emotional line makes the difference between finding a house and a home. PALO ALTO — Historic 6bd/5ba landmark estate on approximately LOS ALTOS HILLS — Luxury and elegance at this prestigious estate 2/3 acre with 1bd/1ba Casita. 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Spacious living room has plank 3bd/1.5ba with formal entry, separate dining room, eat-in kitchen wood floors. $1,890,000 and separate cottage. $1,250,000 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, August 11, 2004 • Palo Alto Weekly UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Overtime issue still lingers in firefighters contract City auditor’s recommendation brushed off during negotiations by Bill D’Agostino er salaries for those extra hours. The city spent more than $4 mil- Harrison noted that “as part of the The City Council approved a new lion on overtime pay in 2003, with city’s negotiating strategy this year,” recommendation from Palo Alto’s city auditor to tight- two-year contract with the firefight- more than $1.28 million going to city officials “decided it was in our en city spending on overtime pay for firefighters was ers’ union on Monday night without firefighters, according to an analysis best interest not to negotiate” any the suggested spending safeguard of recently released payroll data. changes to the firefighters practices A not included in the group’s new union contract, city attached. Palo Alto’s more expensive Nearly one-third of that $1.28 mil- and to focus instead on tense issues officials reported this week. system appears to be abnormal lion went to the 31 captains, the with the city’s largest union, the In fact, it was not discussed at all Erickson recommended the city limit among local cities. highest-ranking position in the fire- Service Employees International during recently concluded labor the frequency of higher-ranking fire- “I was disappointed that they fighters’ union. Union. negotiations. fighters filling in for lower-ranking weren’t able to address it this year,” In an e-mail to the City Council, “Had we opened the entire In November, City Auditor Sharon ones and still getting paid their high- Erickson said. Assistant City Manager Emily (continued on page 7) SCHOOLS The price of education Merged organization tries to fill gaps in funding by Alexandria Rocha n the next two weeks, par- ents of elementary-aged I children in Palo Alto’s public schools can expect a letter in the mail requesting $475. In September, parents of middle and high school students will receive a simi- lar appeal, but for $360. With the new school year approaching, the newly-formed Partners in Education — formerly two separate organizations known Norbert von der Groeben as the Palo Alto Foundation for Education and the All Schools Fund — is gearing up for more aggressive fund raising. Though more common in the pri- vate school sector, parent-led fund raising for Palo Alto’s public schools has become more aggres- sive. Last year, the two organiza- Tiny dancers tions raised more than $2 million Jukana Kato, 5, Yurina Ako, 4, and Ayumi Morioka, 4, congratulate each other after performing a Bon Odori dance at the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple. for the Palo Alto Unified School District. This year, Partners in Education is pollutants from traveling into the “It’s going to be a problem, I committed to raising the same DOWNTOWN San Francisco Bay. know,” said Michael Jackson, the amount as last year, if not more. The Currently, the city places paper deputy director of Public Works. donations are meant to fill funding A clean sweep “no parking” signs on only a few “That’s why we’re gathering data.” gaps in salaries and programs hurt streets near downtown every few Last month, the city began polling by the state budget crisis. months. The new program would residents for their thoughts on the The local efforts dwarf other cam- or a messy proposal? install metal signs, bringing more program, and their parking habits. paigns across the nation. In St. Paul, restrictions — yet more consistency Surveys are still available on the Minn. this year, parents barely Some downtown residents apprehensive about — to the old system. The exact city’s Web site, www.cityofpaloal- raised $34,000 to hire one fourth- plan to restrict parking for street sweeping schedule would vary depending on to.org/sweeping. grade teacher. In Manhattan, a par- by Bill D’Agostino the specific street, but the new signs This week, the city will test out ent organization routinely raises would likely limit parking one the more restrictive no-parking about $200,000 a year for the Upper eighborhoods surrounding Palo Alto’s downtown morning every other week. zones on the streets near Cowper West Side’s public schools. The proposed zone is bordered and Byron streets. “It’s a tough time for school dis- worry a proposal by the city to improve street sweep- by Alma Street, Palo Alto Avenue, The program would likely pay tricts everywhere. I think you’re N ing could worsen an already arduous parking situation. Middlefield Road and Embarcadero for itself, since the increase in rev- going to see a trend in public/pri- Under the proposed plan, which current system is ineffective Road. enue from added parking tickets vate partnerships for funding of could cost the city up to $85,000, because the autos block access to City officials understand that lack would offset the cost of the new public schools,” said Cathy the city would further limit parking the curb, according to officials in of parking is an issue. After all, the signs, Jackson said. The city Kroymann, president of the dis- in the neighborhood avenues encir- the Public Works Department. current number of cars on the would not tow cars that did not trict’s Board of Education. “The cling downtown to help street Street sweeping keeps the neigh- streets creates the problem they’re move, he added. tax dollars are simply not enough sweepers avoid parked cars. The borhoods clean, and also prevents trying to address. (continued on page 7) (continued on page 7) Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, August 11, 2004 • Page 3 “I am now participating in my 55th consecutive 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 (650) 326-8210 session, and I can think PUBLISHER William S. Johnson of no better way to start Our EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor each day. I am devoted to Marc Burkhardt, Managing Editor Community BootCamp, Jennifer Aquino, Associate Editor Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Assistant Editors and I am absolutely a Keith Peters, Sports Editor Town Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor by Don Kazak Happy Camper!” 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 Fair like a Fox? NEXT SESSION BEGINS AUG. 23, 2004 Nicholas Wright, Staff Photographer “The Toughest Workout You’ll Ever Love” Tyler Hanley, Assistant to the Editor & Online f Fox News ever takes filmmaker sive Fox footage for the 77-minute Editor Robert Greenwald to court over film without asking permission. CiscoMilpitas • Los • Los Gatos Gatos • San• San Carlos Carlos • Saratoga• Saratoga Stanford Stanford • San• San Jose Jose City City College • GoogleGoogle Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections his documentary, “Outfoxed: Ru- Could that be copyright infringe- Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Benson, Lynn I Comeskey, Tim Goode, Jim Shelby, pert Murdoch’s War on Journalism,” ment? [email protected] Jill Slater, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Lawrence Lessig of Stanford Law “It’s an extremely interesting legal timeoutservices.com Contributors Colleen Corcoran, Jaime Marconette, School will be there. question,” Lessig said. 800.926.6552 Cross Missakian, Steven Shih, Editorial Interns Lessig heads Greenwald’s legal Now a great debate is going on Victor J. Maccharoli, Photo Intern team. over a movie few people have actual- DESIGN Carol Hubenthal, Design Director Not many people have seen “Out- ly seen. Judith Alderman, Assistant Design Director foxed” yet because it doesn’t have The film is “rank propaganda ..., Diane Haas, Lynda Lumish, Sue Peck, Senior any significant theatrical release. the distorted work of an ultra-liberal Designers; Instead, the movie was shown to filmmaker,” said Bill O’Reilly, one Your Mindi Casillas, Elise Eisenman, Ben Ho, Dana James, Scott Peterson, Designers small groups in people’s homes all of Fox’s loud-talking and argumen- Jeff Adams, Emily Bahr, Interns over the country a couple of weeks tative stars.