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Vol. XXIX, Number 20 • Friday, December 14, 2007 ■ 50¢ All that jazz— writing, singing, Check out the Weekly’s new online classifieds teaching at fogster.com WeeklyWeekend Edition www.PaloAltoOnline.com Page 14 Clowning around Minister-turned-clown ‘Daffy Dave’ makes a movie Page 11 PagePage 3232 Norbert von der Groeben WorthWorth A Look 15 EatingEating OutOut 1717 MovieMovie Times 26 GGoingsoings OnOn 28 ■ Upfront City nets $11 million surplus Page 3 ■ Sports Gunn High girls are still perfect in basketball Page 35 ■ Home & Real Estate Cuddly animals from a 92 year old Section 2 JACKIE ONE OF THE FIRST COMBINED INTESTINAL AND LIVER TRANSPLANTS CURRENTLY: LITTLE CHARMER JUST ANOTHER REMARKABLE DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. Jackie Seki has a smile that lights up a room. But things weren’t always so bright for the little girl. By three months of age, Jackie was suffering from end-stage intestinal failure and her liver soon began to fail. Her only option: a combined small intestine and liver transplant. © 2007 Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Jackie joined the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Transplant Program and became one of the few patients to receive the groundbreaking procedure. Ten years ago, an operation like this was experimental at best. Today, with the commitment and pioneering spirit of the doctors, nurses and researchers at Packard Children’s, patients like Jackie are thriving after such surgeries. It’s this kind of innovative thinking, as well as sensitive, nurturing care, that makes Packard Lucile Packard Children’s a world-class hospital. And these days, Jackie is a world-class doll, enchanting Children’s Hospital everyone she meets – people and animals alike. Visit www.lpch.org for more information. AT STANFORD Page 2 • Friday, December 14, 2007 • Home & Real Estate 1787_Jackie_PAWeekly.indd 1 3/6/07 5:14:05 PM UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis City nets extra $11 million in ’06-07 Surplus used for infrastructure for all the things we need,” Klein A healthy investment market disclose, was responsible for near- said. added an unplanned $1 million to ly all of $1.1 million in additional and retiree medical expenses The windfall came from a variety interest earnings and permits for sales-tax revenue, Perez said. by Becky Trout of sources in fiscal year 2006-07, residential and commercial proper- With the money, the city has done which runs from July to June, Perez ties also contributed $1 million. The several things. It has ensured its $27 said. state repaid Palo Alto $700,000 it million reserve fund is fully stocked series of fortunate events Perez said Wednesday. Property taxes brought in an un- wasn’t expecting, and city visitors at about 18.5 percent of annual ex- brought an unanticipated $11 Vice Mayor Larry Klein called expected $1.5 million and a transfer generated more hotel tax than an- penditures, Klein and Perez said. A million into City of Palo Alto the news a “pleasant surprise.” tax added $1.3 million, primarily ticipated, Perez said. The city will dip into that reserve coffers last year, incoming Admin- “I’m certainly pleased with that, due to a high volume of commercial And one technology company, to pay for the purchase of the Los istrative Services Director Lalo but it doesn’t get us out of our need property sales, he said. whose identity the city is unable to (continued on page 8) EDUCATION Vision for Palo Alto schools’ future takes shape Superintendent, school board discuss strategy behind 12-year plan by Arden Pennell any in Palo Alto may soon help shape the future of M schools — but it’s uncer- tain how. The emphasis on community and school feedback was crystal clear in Superintendent Kevin Skelly’s snaz- zily titled “PAUSD: 2020 Vision,” Norbert von der Groeben presented at the Tuesday school- board meeting. But board members still need to hammer down details of gathering feedback, whether through surveys, focus groups or other tools, they said. A strategic plan has been called Persis Drell, who grew up on the Stanford campus, is the newly appointed director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). “a road map of priorities” to guide school districts through tough deci- sions. If done right and followed such STANFORD the research facility’s first woman showed her a world beyond me- a plan could help avoid situations director. chanics, electricity and magne- such as last year’s 20-meeting debate The daughter of well-known tism — a world of the most fun- about creating a Mandarin immer- theoretical physicist and former damental building blocks of the sion program, new board member SLAC takes two giant steps SLAC deputy director Sidney universe, invisible to the naked Melissa Baten Caswell and others Drell, one might assume she was eye, she said. have said. As first woman director, Drell heads research facility destined to follow in her father’s She was hooked. The current plan did not state pri- as it undergoes $400 million renovation footsteps. But Drell said she had Drell went on to become a phys- orities clearly enough, Baten Cas- by Sue Dremann “zero interest” in science while ics professor at Cornell University well said during fall’s board-election growing up. for 14 years, distinguishing herself campaign, when she emphasized While at Palo Alto’s Terman in the area of experimental parti- drafting a clear plan as a goal. Junior High School, she aspired cle physics and the understanding Skelly focused on the many mean- s a child, Persis Drell, newly At 51, Drell, a mother of three, to become a teacher; during her of the basic constituents of matter, ings of “2020 Vision,” and presented appointed director of Stan- has become one of the preemi- years at Gunn High, she planned such as quarks. a timeline to finish the plan by mid- A ford Linear Accelerator nent scientists of her generation to study mathematics. Along the path to her career, she March. Center (SLAC), played among — among the 50 most important Despite her growing up around learned early on to put fear aside The title implies having a clear fo- some of the world’s most accom- women scientists in the country, great men, it was a woman who and take risks. cus on children with the potential for plished physicists and Nobel sci- according to a 2002 Discover inspired Drell to become a physi- As the only woman in her phys- re-focusing, such as when someone’s entists who gathered in her par- magazine report. cist in her freshman year at the ics graduate-school program at vision is corrected by contact lenses, ents’ living room on the Stanford She is only the fourth director women’s Wellesley College. the University of California at he said. campus. in SLAC’s 45-year history — and “An outstanding teacher” (continued on page 5) (continued on page 7) Palo Alto Weekly • Friday, December 14, 2007 • Page 3 THIS WEEK ON 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 TownSquare (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER Comments from the community forum on the Weekly’s Web site William S. Johnson EDITORIAL It’s sad Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Posted Dec. 11 at 8:53 p.m. by Jarred, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood: Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor “It is sad that nonresidents cannot use Foothills Park. But they Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Associate Editors Keith Peters, Sports Editor now have free access to a much more valuable resource — the Tyler Hanley, Online Editor fantastic new City of Palo Alto Web site!!” Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer Arden Pennell, Becky Trout, Staff Writers Sell park to POST Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor Posted Dec. 12 at 4:34 a.m. by Midtown bicyclist, a resident of the Midtown Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant neighborhood: Norbert von der Groeben, Chief Photographer Marjan Sadoughi, Veronica Weber, Staff “I’ve lived in Palo Alto for years and have always considered the Photographers Foothills Park policy elitist and stupid. We should just give/sell the Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, Lynn Comeskey, Kit Davey, Jack McKinnon, park to the Peninsula Open Space Foundation and let them man- Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Craig Wentz, age it. We’d save money and more people could enjoy the facili- Contributors ties.” Alex Papoulias, Joyce Tang, Editorial Interns Hardy Wilson, Photography Intern DESIGN Open the dream Carol Hubenthal, Design Director Posted Dec. 11 at 2:49 p.m. by Seriously?, a resident of the Crescent Park Diane Haas, Sue Peck, Senior Designers neighborhood: Dana James, Paul Llewellyn, Charmaine Mirsky, Scott Peterson, Designers “Seriously? The population of Palo Alto has only grown by 4.7 percent over the past 30 years (that’s in the letter)? Huh, now I PRODUCTION Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager understand how there’s no way I can afford to buy a house in the Dorothy Hassett, Blanca Yoc, town where I grew up. Maybe people should stop being so close- Sales & Production Coordinators minded and allow other people to share in the paradise that this ADVERTISING city represents by allowing it to grow. Vern Ingraham, Advertising Director Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst. And you complain about stress on schools? Maybe if the city Judie Block, Tony Gay, Janice Hoogner, Display had planned for growth and not shuttered and sold off its schools Advertising Sales (like in Crescent Park), we’d be more prepared. How about we play Kathryn Brottem, Real Estate Advertising Sales Joan Merritt, Real Estate Advertising Asst. catch up and expand our schools to make room. Taxes from new Mark Arnold, Irene Schwartz, properties will more than pay for it.