Caltrain Faces Draconian Cuts Page 5
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com 6°Ê888]Ê ÕLiÀÊ£ÈÊUÊ>Õ>ÀÞÊÓ£]ÊÓ䣣 N xäZ Caltrain faces draconian cuts Page 5 Four stories of survival, healing and seeking a greater meaning of life page 13 1ST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE Neighborhoods 10 Spectrum 12 Movies 22 Puzzles 45 California Newspaper Publishers Association NArts A bright day for black composers Page 19 NSports Paly, Gunn in hoop showdown Page 25 NHome No new wood-burning fi replaces Page 29 1 Planning the Perfect Remodel For homeowners interested in learning more about how to approach a successful remodel, these interactive workshops, taught by our Sr. Designers, promise to be informative and fun! 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Cupertino Palo Alto San Jose San Jose Sunnyvale 10991 N De Anza Blvd 3903 El Camino Real 1090 Blossom Hill Rd 3136 Stevens Creek Blvd 1080 Enterprise Way, Ste 150 De Anza Blvd & Homestead Rd El Camino Real & Ventura Ave Blossom Hill Rd & Almaden Expy Stevens Creek Blvd & S. Winchester Enterprise Way & 11th Ave “Join Us! Membership is open to individuals who live, work or attend school in Santa Clara County.” Page 2ÊUÊ>Õ>ÀÞÊÓ£]ÊÓ䣣ÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞ 1ST PLACE BEST LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE California Newspaper Publishers Association UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Palo Alto police outline assault on crime wave since September. Even police Chief ment is doing to stop the robberies; many have involved guns, Palo Alto Police increase undercover patrols, presence in Dennis Burns’ home has been bur- and what residents can do to protect Mayor Sid Espinosa told the crowd. neighborhood streets to quell the violent crimes glarized, one officer disclosed. themselves and help the department Lt. Scott Wong agreed. by Sue Dremann The meeting was serious but capture the criminals. “In my 29 years, we haven’t had a laced with humor and occasional Police also discussed what they robbery string like this when people brief, heated exchanges, and resi- believe is the proper use of the city’s are coming up to you with guns.” string of 20 robberies in Palo night (Jan. 19). dents thanked the department for emergency-alert phone and e-mail But “this thing will subside,” he Alto neighborhoods is among But they assured more than 150 its efforts. system, Alert SCC, which some said. A the most serious some officers residents at Cubberley Theatre that A panel of the department’s top neighborhood leaders have said they Espinosa expressed confidence have seen in their careers because the the department is putting every re- brass discussed the nature of the want activated when robberies oc- that the robberies will be brought robbers are using guns, police offi- source it has to help track down the crimes before a concerned but mild- cur. under control. cials said during a community meet- criminals and curtail the armed mannered crowd: why police think The robberies are considered a ing to address the crimes Wednesday robberies that have gripped the city they are happening, what the depart- particularly serious problem because (continued on page 9) LAND USE Stanford offers city $173M in expansion ‘benefits’ New offer aims to secure Palo Alto’s approval for major expansions of Stanford’s hospital facilities by Gennady Sheyner tanford University Medical Cen- pital proposal — its impact on local ter has offered Palo Alto a $173 traffic. Members of the City Council Smillion package of community had consistently pressed Stanford to benefits — including an aggressive mitigate its traffic impacts and to ad- traffic-reduction program and funds dress the shortage of local housing for the city’s climate-protection ef- for the new employees. At one point, forts — in hopes of obtaining the some council members had insisted city’s approval for its colossal expan- that Stanford build housing for the sion project. new employees next to the hospital to Veronica Weber Veronica Stanford’s “Project Renewal” would reduce traffic impacts. bring about 1.3 million square feet Though Palo Alto is no longer in- of new development and more than sisting that Stanford build hundreds 2,300 new employees to Palo Alto. of new homes, city officials and resi- The project includes the reconstruc- dents remain concerned about traffic Is this still winter? tion of Stanford Hospital & Clinics, impacts. The Draft Environmental the expansion of the Lucile Packard Impact Report for the project stated A colorful sunset glows through bare-branched trees on Cambridge Avenue Wednesday. Children’s Hospital and renovations that “there is no single feasible mitiga- to the Stanford University School of tion measure that can reduce the im- Medicine. pacts to a less-than-significant level” COMMUNITY Because the project would far ex- but recommended a series of mitiga- ceed the city’s zoning restrictions, tion measures, including new under- Stanford is required to provide a se- crossings for bicycles and pedestrians, Residents’ opinions split among geographic ries of negotiated “public benefits” in new traffic signals and programs to its development agreement with Palo encourage workers to use public Alto. transportation. lines, survey shows Negotiations between Stanford and Advanced Planning Manager Ste- Concerns about transit services, population growth more prevalent in the city began to accelerate in June, ven Turner, who is managing the when the hospital offered the city Stanford Environmental Impact Re- southern Palo Alto neighborhoods, new report indicates $124 million in benefits, including port (EIR) process, said the bulk of by Gennady Sheyner new bike lanes, an expanded shuttle the comments on the Draft EIR relate service, Caltrain Go Passes for all to potential traffic issues. Staff is now alo Altans generally love plain about the police coverage. ity of Palo Alto’s storm drainage (67 hospital employees and $23.1 mil- responding to these comments and their city, but when it comes The survey showed 57 percent of percent said “good” or “excellent”) lion to support the city’s affordable- will include its responses in the Final P to specific local services they 94303 responders rated street repair than counterparts in Midtown and housing programs. City officials are EIR, which the city plans to release have plenty of gripes, a recently “good” or “excellent,” compared to south Palo Alto (80 percent in the hoping to complete negotiations in the in February. completed survey indicates. 39 percent in other parts of the city. 94303 and 76 percent in the 94306). spring. Stanford’s new package includes The Service Efforts and Accom- But when asked about the quality of Residents in 94303 and 94306 — On Tuesday (Jan. 18), Stanford an- $126 million for programs relating to plishments Report, which the Of- their contact with the Palo Alto Po- which collectively include the entire nounced that it has upped its offer traffic reduction, including $91 mil- fice of the City Auditor released lice Department, 63 percent gave the south Palo Alto and large swaths of by $49 million — to $173 million. lion to pay for Caltrain Go Passes for this week, indicates that the nature highest two ratings compared to 82 central Palo Alto — are more con- The additions include $12 million to all hospital employees. The cost of the of gripes often depends on where in percent in the 94301 and 94304 ZIP cerned about population growth support Palo Alto’s efforts to combat Go Passes has increased from $65 town the resident lives. codes (downtown and the neighbor- than those who live downtown or climate change and encourage renew- million in the previous offer. Stanford People who live in the 94303 ZIP hoods around Stanford University, in the foothills. Only 33 percent able energy, an accelerated payment is also offering to add four Marguerite code (east of Middlefield Road and respectively) and 83 percent in 94306 of the residents in the 94301 and schedule and an offer to pay $1.1 mil- shuttles to its fleet, to lease parking generally south of Embarcadero (west of Middlefield Road and gener- 94304 area codes said population lion if Stanford’s expanded facilities spaces in an East Bay lot, to pay for a Road) are less likely to complain ally south of Oregon Expressway). growth is “too fast,” compared to 62 end up costing the city more money transportation-demand manager and about the quality of street repair The differences don’t stop there.