Palo Vol. XXVIII, Number 81 • Wednesday, July 18, 2007 ■ 50¢ Alto Foothills fire station gets summer funds Page 3 www.PaloAltoOnline.com d's an University proposes ambitious hospital rebuild and medical center expansion Page 17 Norbert von der Groeben Look inside for Connoisseurs' Marketplace guide ■ Upfront Commission tries to ease strife, sparks ire instead Page 3 ■ Neighborhoods South Palo Alto stoplight gets red light Page 7 ■ Sports Season ends for Palo Alto Little League team Page 22 apr.com It's just one click to a complete list of virtually all homes for sale in the Bay Area. MOUNTAIN VIEW Tucked at the rear of a small, wooded complex, this very spacious, updated townhome with 1759+/- sf offers a cozy back lawn and garden. 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Enjoy all of the amenities of California Avenue and the close proximity to Stanford. $599,000 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, July 18, 2007 • Palo Alto Weekly UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Foothills fire station to be staffed all summer Palo Alto City Council shifts position, votes 8-1 to keep Councilwoman Judy Kleinberg cham and John Barton, all of whom cil, city staff, the media and others said that only partial staffing of voted on June 11 against daily staff- could have done better to help re- Station 8 staffed all summer despite cost Station 8 would create “two classes ing for Station 8. solve this issue. by Becky Trout of citizens. Klein acknowledged that nearly When the cash from the dot-com “I don’t think we can play politics every council member, including boom dried up, the status of the he debate whether to station $104,000, money that is available, with people’s lives and property,” Kleinberg and Mayor Yoriko Kishi- city’s eighth fire station became an firefighters in Palo Alto’s City Manager Frank Benest said. Kleinberg said. moto, has changed his or her stance annual issue. Should the station be T foothills came to an anticli- Councilman Jack Morton voted Monday’s vote marked a switch on Fire Station 8 at one point over staffed for the entire fire season, mactic close Monday with the City against the proposal, stating he did of positions for Vice Mayor Larry the years. bloating the Fire Department’s over- Council’s 8-1 vote for full-season not think opening Station 8 every Klein and council members Dena “I think that shows it’s a close time budget? Or should firefighters coverage. day would significantly increase Mossar, Peter Drekmeier, Bern Bee- issue,” he said, adding the coun- The change will cost an extra public safety. (continued on page 5) HUMAN RELATIONS Meeting reignites conflicts Miscommunication and Blum’s opinion piece cited as source of troubles by Becky Trout erhaps it began with the Taser Task Force, where members P Daryl Savage, Donald Men- doza and Linda Lenoir — who also serve on the Palo Alto Human Rela- tions Commission — faced heated, often personal, attacks from anti- Taser activists. Or maybe it was the unending Mandarin Immersion debate that divided Palo Alto parents into two barb-trading camps. Whatever the context, the seven members of the city’s Human Rela- tions Commission agreed at a spring Norbert von der Groeben meeting that public discourse in Palo Alto had become less than civil, ac- cording to Chairwoman Shauna Wilson Mora. They feared the combative climate would keep potential community volunteers from stepping forward to share their skills, she added. Architect Ken Hayes stands in the shade of the Jos. A. Bank building on University Avenue, for which he won an AIA design award last year. So the commission, acting on its broad mandate to “act with respect to any human relations matter when While many local architects no Real with ground-floor stores the Commission finds that any per- LAND USE come before the city with their and offices beneath condos, such son or group does not benefit fully proposals several times per year, as the Starbucks building at El from public or private opportunities Hayes has been known to have Camino the Way and an under- Shaping the face of or resources in the community,” de- several projects at public city construction medical office build- cided to hold a meeting, scheduled hearings in one week. ing at Park Boulevard. for last Thursday. downtown Palo Alto Developers of properties beyond “I don’t know how this hap- But differing visions of the discus- downtown have also been knock- pened. I really don’t,” Hayes, 48, sion, several communication lapses Architect Ken Hayes infuses University Avenue ing at Hayes’ door. Among them shrugged. “I guess you do a good and a high-profile opinion piece in are three neighborhood shopping job and people call you back.” with strikingly modern touches the Weekly by Commissioner Jeff centers in Palo Alto: Jim Ellis for One person who has called him Blum turned the commissioners’ in- by Molly Tanenbaum a new Trader Joe’s building as back is Alex Giovannotto, whose tentions to boost civility on end. In- f you want to know what Palo and has been slowly transforming part of Town and Country Shop- family owns La Strada. Hayes is stead of easing the strife, it refueled Alto will look like in 10 or University Avenue. ping Center’s $25 million renova- now working with Giovannotto on the Mandarin immersion clash and I 20 years, ask architect Ken His projects range from his tion; John McNellis for a mixed- a new restaurant next door, at the “alarmed and distressed” leaders of Hayes. warm, stucco La Strada restaurant use grocery store and apartment corner of University and Florence the Peninsula Peace and Justice Cen- The go-to architect for buildings to his cool, gray Palo Alto Bicycles building at Alma Plaza; and John Street. ter. The stir also incensed a small throughout the city, Hayes has building to the sleek, angular Jos. Tze for yet-unknown upgrades to Giovannotto chose Hayes and but vocal group of activists who said worked on the insides and outsides A. Bank Clothiers — which won Edgewood Plaza. his Redwood City-based staff of they viewed attempts to encourage of upwards of 80 projects between a design award from the American He has also designed modern, 12 for the new al fresco restaurant civility as attacks on free speech. Hamilton and Lytton avenues — Institute of Architects last year. mixed-use structures on El Cami- (continued on page 5) (continued on page 11) Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, July 18, 2007 • Page 3 For your home’s new look Hardwood • Tile • Carpet 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 (650) 326-8210 Laminate • Sand & Finish PUBLISHER Our William S. Johnson INTERIOR FLOOR COVERING & DESIGN EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor 980 O’Brien Dr., Menlo Park • 800-949-8818 Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Assistant Editors Keith Peters, Sports Editor Town Tyler Hanley, Online Editor by Don Kazak Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer Molly Tanenbaum, Becky Trout, Susan Hong, All oars in the water Staff Writers Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant fter a tumultuous year that accountable. That didn’t happen.” For homeowners with high-value homes, a Countrywide Norbert von der Groeben, Chief Photographer lurched from crisis to crisis, The report concluded that there SimpleEquitySM reverse mortgage can provide: Marjan Sadoughi, Staff Photographer leaders of the Palo Alto Uni- were problems because of confu- Kelley Cox, Photo Intern A Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, fied School District are looking for- sion in how the district operates, a · Larger loan amount than a traditional reverse mortgage Lynn Comeskey, Kit Davey, Tim Goode, Jack ward to starting a fresh and quieter “lack of transparency” in personnel McKinnon, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, · No origination fee option available depending on initial Contributors school year. practices and a lack of clear deci- loan draw amount Rotem Ben-Shachar, Editorial Intern Kevin Skelly is the new super- sion-making processes. Getting Elizabeth Obreza, Arts & Entertainment Intern · No mortgage insurance premium intendent, replacing Mary Frances people talking was “a restoration DESIGN Callan, who retried, while at least of working relationships between · Lower monthly servicing fees Carol Hubenthal, Design Director Diane Haas, Sue Peck, Senior Designers; two new school board members will the board and managers,” the report Dana James, Paul Llewellyn, Charmaine be elected in November. concluded. Call me for your free benefi t analysis today. Mirsky, Scott Peterson, Designers What is needed, many district “So, who’s to blame?” the report Caitlin Fitzpatrick, Design Intern Harold Lott leaders say, is a healing process. asked. “In a sense, no one and ev- PRODUCTION The crisis started when middle eryone.” Reverse Mortgage, ASM Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager Dorothy Hassett, Blanca Yoc, managers — principals, vice prin- “It’s smart to focus on solutions,” (408) 687-0677 Sales & Production Coordinators cipals and program directors — de- Mitchell said.