PALO ALTO This Unique, Dramatic 3Bd/2Ba Home Is in the Desirable Community Center Close to Walter Hayes Elementary School, Rinconada Park and the Lucie Stern Center
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Palo Vol. XXVII, Number 37 • Wednesday, February 8, 2006 ■ 50¢ Alto Library survey: Keep branches open Page 3 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Room to grow? District ponders increasing student population at schools Page 19 Norbert von der Groeben The Together section: your guide to weddings and relationships See inside Q Upfront ‘MySpace’ called an online predator’s dream Page 3 Q Health & Fitness Makeover class for cancer patients lifts spirits Page 33 Q Sports Another milestone for Van Derveer Page 26 apr.com REDEFINING QUALITY SINCE 1990 Reading between the emotional line makes the difference between finding a house and a home. LOS ALTOS HILLS Gorgeous 8+/-acre site with 5bd/3.5ba home that could be updated or remodeled. Possible subdivision, buyer to verify. Very exclusive location but easy drive to town and 280. Helicopter pad and barn. $14,900,000 CUPERTINO Lovely custom 5bd/3ba home on a cul-de-sac in the desirable Monta Vista neighborhood of Cupertino. Open airy home built with attention to detail features beautiful chandeliers and custom drapes. $1,788,888 PALO ALTO This unique, dramatic 3bd/2ba home is in the desirable Community Center close to Walter Hayes Elementary School, Rinconada Park and the Lucie Stern Center. Expansive great room with warm random plank hardwood floors, soaring beamed ceiling and large skylights. $1,450,000 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, February 8, 2006• Palo Alto Weekly UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Burglaries still occurring in Palo Alto Rash of break-ins grows to seven despite 30, the same day a door-to-door Avenue and 600 block of Melville door-to-door sales, police Detective magazine salesman, Michael Wil- Avenue, according to police. Kara Apple said. two recent arrests of prowler suspects liams, 19, was arrested for prowling On Feb. 1, an unknown man was Apple said there is no single sus- in the back yard of a residence in seen inside a residence in the 400 pect for the burglaries, but the de- by Sue Dremann the 1200 block of University. The block of Chaucer Street at 5:37 p.m. partment is investigating a possible he arrests of two prowlers on the 1000 block of University four burglaries took place within a Another prowling suspect, connection to door-to-door solici- hasn’t stopped a string of Avenue is the latest in a series of six-block radius of where Williams George Price, 55, was arrested in tors. Recently, the department told T burglaries and attempted burglaries to hit Crescent Park, was arrested. the 300 block of Hawthorne Av- 30 solicitors associated with the burglaries in Palo Alto, accord- Duveneck/St. Francis and nearby The burglaries occurred in the enue on Feb. 1 at 9:47 p.m. Price Unified Stars company of Michigan ing to police. A daylight burglary neighborhoods. 2200 block of St. Francis Drive, doesn’t appear to be related to the City, Ind., they could be arrested if last Thursday, Feb. 2, at 8:44 a.m. Four burglaries took place Jan. 900 and 1000 blocks of Oregon magazine sales organization or to (continued on page 7) SCHOOLS Looking for a home Four-month-old Maybel- Parents line, a short-haired bunny, is one of 65 rabbits that have been abandoned in Palo Alto share concerns since last August — most re- cently on Jan. 28. Maybelline, named after the cosmetics company because of the mas- over MySpace cara-like markings around her eyes, was caught at Gamble Open-souled confessional Garden with her mother and has been in a foster home. or a ‘predator’s dream’? Other rabbits have been found by Alexandria Rocha at Palo Alto’s community gardens and the Baylands, ocal parents recently got a students’ individual profiles. and almost all of the bunnies wake-up call about the dangers “Kids are putting stuff up on have had to be euthanized. L of the Internet, in the form of MySpace like it’s a diary,” said Me- It is believed that one person a PTA meeting about MySpace, a lissa Baton-Caswell, president of the is dumping all of the rab- public networking Internet service Palo Alto Council of PTAs. “The bits, which is a misdemeanor for people 14 years old and up. majority of parents don’t even know crime. Maybelline is up for To their horror, Jordan Middle about it.” adoption at Palo Alto Animal School parents learned that vast MySpace is an advertising-sup- Services on East Bayshore numbers of students are sharing ported site on which anyone with In- Road. A longer version of this highly personal information with ternet access can create a free profile. story is available at www. the world through MySpace, includ- Members can post photos and jour- PaloAltoOnline.com. ing where they live, what they look nal entries, as well as communicate like and who their friends are. The with other members from around site is so widespread that one law- the world. There are no guidelines enforcement official has called it “a for what topics are discussed, and predator’s dream.” members can create profiles with Norbert von der Groeben Before the parent meeting, the fake names and information. Many MySpace group account for Jordan, people, however, use the site as an on which 78 students have profiles, open-soul confessional. was accessible to anyone on the In- Last month’s meeting caused such ternet. It has since been made pri- a fervor that another event has al- vate, meaning outsiders have to be ready been scheduled for all parents invited by a member to access the of Palo Alto public school children account. However, experts caution in April. Larry Magid, an expert in that it’s still possible to access the (continued on page 7) Library survey supports maintaining branch system Results of highly anticipated study also in multiple locations, responders usu- proximately 600 residents answered with a new plan for improving the state residents want more services ally said they wanted them in multiple the city’s questions in January. city’s libraries. locations. Two-thirds of responders, The debate over the city’s branch- The survey is one tool the commis- by Bill D’Agostino for instance, said they wanted home- library system dates back decades. sion is using to gauge community sen- work centers and trained staff in mul- However, it was reinvigorated in 2004 timent. The commission plans to re- lthough it’s clear the commu- services divided among multiple lo- tiple locations. when Library Director Paula Simpson turn to the council in the spring with nity is divided on what to do cations, “like it is now,” was either The survey did not specifically ask proposed closing the College Terrace its recommendation. Last month, the A with Palo Alto’s libraries, new- somewhat or very important. how many branches residents wanted and Downtown branches. She argued council picked the libraries as one ly released results from a city-funded On the other hand, 42 percent said or force a choice between the two the city’s library service was suffering of its top three priorities for 2006, survey could shut the door on any having “library collections and ser- types of systems. because the city only had adequate with a goal of having a firm decision future proposals to close any of the vices based in a single, larger location On Thursday night, the Library Ad- funding for two-and-a-half branches. about the system’s future in place by community’s five branch sites. with limited services and collections visory Commission will discuss the The council voted against her pro- the year’s end. According to the highly anticipated in smaller branches” was important. results of telephone survey, which took posal in December 2004. At the same Valerie Stinger, a member of results, 65 percent of responders said Asked if they wanted multiple pro- approximately 18 minutes to com- meeting, the council asked its Library the library commission, agreed having the library’s collections and grams available in a single location or plete, at a special public meeting. Ap- Advisory Commission to come up (continued on page 10) Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, February 8, 2006• Page 3 Announcing New Office Location 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER Now Accepting New Patients William S. Johnson Our EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Marc Burkhardt, Managing Editor Jocelyn Dong, Associate Editor Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Assistant Editors Keith Peters, Sports Editor Town Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor by Don Kazak Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer Bill D’Agostino, Alexandria Rocha, Staff Writers Norbert von der Groeben, Chief Photographer A newspaper is born George F. Smith, M.D. Nicholas Wright, Staff Photographer Marjan Sadoughi, Photo Intern Board Certified in Internal Medicine Tyler Hanley, Assistant to the Editor & ast Palo Alto residents now news and events in the city without Online Editor Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections can read about their commu- encountering choppy waters. Cover- Cammie Farmer, Calendar Editor Enity in their own newspaper. age of controversies is coming. 20 years experience Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Benson, Lynn Comeskey, Tim Goode, Jill Slater, Susan East Palo Alto Today hit the streets “That’s what the heart of East Palo Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Contributors in late January and will appear Alto news is about,” Burroughs said. Primary Care Medicine with a proper focus Cyrus Hedayati, Adena DeMonte, Rachel Hill, Editorial Interns twice a month.