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6°Ê888]Ê ÕLiÀÊ£ÊUÊ iViLiÀÊ£ä]ÊÓä£äÊN xäZ Paly girls win state volleyball title Page 25 4IPSU4UPSZ "MMUIF $POUFTU DFMFCSBUFT XSJUF ZPVOHFS XSJUFST QBHF TUVGG ❉ PAGE 10 Spectrum 14 Movies 21 Class Guide 38 Puzzles 64 ❉ ❉ Happy Holidays page 45 NNews Reports slam fi re-department planning Page 3 NArts Capturing mysterious medieval cathedrals Page 16 NHome A small-town atmosphere in Palo Alto Page 53 Old Jewelry, Gold & Coins are Worth a Fortune Bring your Gold, Silver & Platinum Jewelry Cash in on these Old Coins, Currency, Diamonds Record High Prices for GOLD, PLATINUM, Watches, Sterling Silver, Fine Art SILVER & RARE COINS We Are Buying! National Treasures Estate Buyers Offers you Experienced, Knowledgeable & Courteous Local Service Why Sell To Us? Having spent so many years in the industry, we CASH for ALL know where the best buyers are in the nation! Deal with your Local Bay Area Company to get the HIGHEST PRICES for your valuables. 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N 4290 El Camino d Members: o HOME APPOINTMENTS o e Professional Numismatists Guild Santa Clara, CA o Milpitas, CA r n Palo Alto, CA N t a w l o h L N available for Estates Industry Council for Tangible Assets e r r o r Expy t e r u b International Watch & Jewelry Guild Central h r t 408.988.8411 a 408.943.0600 a 650.857.0787 and Larger Collections Highway 101 Highway Highway 280 Highway L h 101 Highway American Numismatists Association, B 880 Highway EL CAMINO REAL De La Cruz Trimble McCarthy Blvd. P N.A.W.C.C 1-888-332-6467 Montague Expy San Antonio Road Page 2ÊUÊ iViLiÀÊ£ä]ÊÓä£äÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞ GOAL $275,000 See who’s already contributed to the Holiday Fund As of Dec. 9 on page 10 165 donors $90,970 Donate online at with matching funds www.PaloAltoOnline.com UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Fire Dept. blasted for poor planning, training Consultants identify flaws, call for a merger report in February. its largest firefighters union, Palo Alto staffing study as evidence that the The final report is expected to offer Professional Firefighters, Local 1319. council is planning to cut staffing to of police, fire administrations a range of bold recommendations, in- The two sides have persistently dangerous levels. by Gennady Sheyner cluding merging the administration of clashed over staffing, overtime and But the city’s consultants claimed the city’s police and fire departments, a budget that swelled as other city Monday that the current staffing alo Alto’s Fire Department suffers The scathing findings emerged dur- devoting more resources to public departments experienced layoffs and levels are by and large arbitrary and from years of shoddy planning, ing Monday night’s study session on education and prevention activities service reductions. that the present system hampers ef- Pinsufficient training, a “leader- the department’s staffing levels — a and possibly merging operations of Last month, city voters overwhelm- ficiency. The city’s contract with the ship malaise” and a rigid staffing sys- subject of November’s Measure R. Station 2 on Page Mill Road and Sta- ingly rejected the union-supported union includes a “minimum staffing” tem that makes it nearly impossible for The city’s two consulting firms, Tri- tion 5 on Arastradero Road. ballot measure that would have frozen provision that requires the department the department to deploy firefighters Data and ICMA Consulting Services, Staffing levels in the department department staffing levels and forced to always have at least 29 firefighters efficiently, according to consultants presented their preliminary findings have recently emerged as the most the city to hold an election before it on duty. This provision keeps the city who have spent the past several months to the City Council Monday night. contentious topic in the ongoing con- could close a fire station or cut staff. analyzing its operations. They are scheduled to release a final tract negotiations between the city and The union pointed to the ongoing (continued on page 8) HOLIDAY FUND Teachers find big help in small bucks Nonprofit’s microgrants enable East Palo Alto students to learn by Jocelyn Dong ith $500, Sarah Milo was able to buy a projector. Lisa WJordan purchased hands-on educational science supplies. Other teachers have taken their classes on field trips. A little apparently goes a long way when it’s in the hands of the East Veronica Weber Veronica Palo Alto Kids Foun- dation. At least, that’s the opinion of teachers who Charles Scott spent much of his adult life striving to create a community park in Midtown. Here he sits at the new picnic tables installed at have received microgrants from the Greer Park at the soon-to-be-opened “Scott Meadow,” named for Charles and his late wife, Jean. Palo Alto nonprofit organization, which has been funding field trips, Midtown Residents Association at a Scott’s eyes grew moist as he basic classroom supplies and more for PARKS dedication ceremony on Saturday spoke of how it feels to have this last East Palo Alto and east Menlo Park (Dec. 11). chunk of the park done. schools since 1993. The quiet “passive park” is a fit- “It means that Jean’s vision is fi- Jordan, a kindergarten/first-grade ‘Scott Meadow’ named for ting place for Scott and park advo- nally realized.” teacher at East Palo Alto Charter cates to take stock of their legacy. On Greer Park was once home to the School, said students have gained Tuesday afternoon, Scott modestly Peninsula Drive-In movie theater, a deeper understanding of science Greer Park activists assessed his role in the decades-long later called the Palo Alto Drive-In, through the foundation-funded sci- Midtown residents Charles and Jean Scott to be endeavor. which included a parking lot for 750 ence supplies. The materials have also “I was just an irritant to the City cars, according to Palo Alto History helped her integrate science into the honored at Saturday dedication Council and managers. I was not Project historian Matt Bowling. students’ writing and reading lessons, by Sue Dremann park along West Bayshore Road bashful,” Scott, 86, said, laughing. The site sat dormant until resi- she said. harles Scott surveyed the new, instead. They’ve been involved in “It wasn’t really work. It was just ev- dents fought a developer’s proposal East Palo Alto Kids Foundation is green expanse of rolling, hilly every phase of its development ever eryday living.” to build 1,800 apartments in 1973. “fabulous,” Jordan said. “They’ve al- Clawn at Greer Park in Palo Alto since. He credited his late wife, Jean, and “People were up in arms,” Scott re- lowed so many opportunities for my Tuesday, seated at a picnic table he Once a field of 6-foot-high weeds, the many other residents with mak- called. students and for me.” recently helped get the city to install the park now boasts playing fields, ing the park finally become reality. Members of the West Bayshore The microgrant program, accord- in this corner of the 22-acre park. basketball courts, a skate park, chil- At his Midtown home, pictures Residents Association told city of- ing to foundation President Laura It’s been 40 years since he and his dren’s playground, dog park and document the effort: the vacant field ficials they wanted a park.