Vol. XXIX, Number 2 • Friday, October 12, 2007 ■ 50¢ ‘Champ’ kicks off UN film DEADLINE festival TONIGHT! WeeklyWeekend Edition Page 14 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Making an overture Philharmonic celebrates its 20th anniversary with new work Page 9 Marjan Sadoughi Marjan Worth A Look 14 Eating Out 15 Movie Times 22 Goings On 27 ■ Upfront Mentally ill man suspected as Walgreens arsonist Page 3 ■ Sports Stanford football team hopes to continue celebrations Page 31 ■ Home & Real Estate Designing a safe place to play Section 2 ALBERTO ONCE HELD BACK BY WEIGHT CURRENTLY: DIVES RIGHT IN JUST ANOTHER REMARKABLE DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. At 13 years old, Alberto was one of more than 2 million overweight kids in this country. The good news is, he chose to do something about it. Since he enrolled in the Packard Pediatric Weight Control Program last year, Alberto has lost over 30 pounds and is now an active and healthy kid. Rather than focus solely on © 2007 Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital calorie intake and weight loss, our program helps families maintain lifelong healthy eating and exercise habits. In fact, Alberto’s mom was so inspired, she lost 12 pounds herself. Alberto is still headed toward his weight goals. The way we see it, his loss is truly Lucile Packard his gain. To find out more about the Packard Pediatric Weight Control Children’s Hospital Program call 650 -725 - 4424 or visit pediatricweightcontrol.lpch.org. AT STANFORD Page 2 • Friday, October 12, 2007 • Palo Alto Weekly 1877_LPCH_Alberto_PAWeekly.indd 1 7/24/07 11:26:05 AM UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Walgreens arson suspect named Parolee, 45, linked by video and DNA from of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Walgreens. the site, the affidavit stated. The Explosives. The affidavit, filed last Solleder stated she conducted an man is seen climbing onto the roof, a discarded T-shirt, court records report Friday in the federal District Court investigation with cooperation from and fire starts shortly thereafter in by Arden Pennell in San Francisco, supported the Palo Alto and Redwood City police. the video. A canine detected incen- criminal complaint of United States The affidavit listed several pieces diary materials on the clothing, the 45-year-old parolee with a town Palo Alto, according to court of America v. Donald Ray Williams. of evidence against Williams, in- report stated. history of mental illness is records released Monday. In it, Williams was accused of “ma- cluding DNA. In addition, the video showed the A suspected of starting the four- The man was identified as Donald liciously damaging or destroying, Clothing confiscated from Wil- man removing a white T-shirt before alarm July 1 fire that destroyed the Ray Williams of East Palo Alto in by means of fire, a building used liams’ bedroom in his parents’ East climbing up, according to police. historic 1900 Walgreens building an affidavit filed by Agent Gabri- in interstate commerce” — relating Palo Alto home matched that worn Solleder later interviewed a witness at 310 University Ave. in down- elle Solleder of the federal Bureau to goods from other states sold in by a man in video surveillance of (continued on page 7) OPEN SPACE Mindego Hill acquired for open space Peninsula Open Space Trust acquires historic ranch west of Skyline Boulevard by Jay Thorwaldson indego Hill, a small moun- tain that is a major geologic M landmark west of Skyline Boulevard above Palo Alto, has been acquired by the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) in a landmark $28.5 million purchase. The acquisition of the 1,047-acre property “is a dream come true,” POST Director Audrey Rust said Thursday in a formal statement. “We’re really excited. It’s been on the top of our list for nearly 30 years, in the top five of our priorities” for acquisition, Rust noted in an earlier interview with the Weekly. The hill will eventually become Veronica Weber Veronica part of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) if POST can raise funds to complete the $28.5 million purchase, Rust said. The deal closed Wednesday. The land for more than a half cen- California Attorney General Jerry Brown and East Palo Alto Police Chief Ron Davis speak about Project Safe Neighborhood at a Tuesday event. tury has been owned by the True family and in recent years has been Wednesday. Neighborhood was launched in occupied by Chris True — a well- EAST PALO ALTO “I don’t think (Tuesday’s shoot- the wake of a three-month crime known and respected fixture of the ing) diminishes the great work that wave of six homicides and 67 La Honda area community — and the collaborators, all the agencies, shootings — not including 16- his wife, Veronica, a third-genera- Community efforts cited did,” Davis said. year-old Maikeli Iongi, killed in tion resident of the La Honda/Pes- Davis said there was no indica- a shootout with officers — that cadero area. An estranged brother, in anti-crime ‘success’ tion the Clarke Street shootings rocked the city from November Ramon, will share in the proceeds had any link to the press confer- 2006 to January 2007. of the sale. Tuesday’s shooting doesn’t diminish hard-won ence. By marshalling federal and Chris True sports a Puritan-style progress, East Palo Alto police chief says On Tuesday, Davis attributed state money and staff, aggres- chin beard and owns a small herd of the success to the city’s leader- sively reaching out to the commu- white Brahmin cattle, in addition to by Becky Trout ship, collaboration with other nity, boosting the presence of law Angus and a mix of two breeds used law-enforcement agencies and the enforcement and switching to a for rodeo bull-riding. He conducts tanding beside California At- effort a success Tuesday. community’s contribution. neighborhood-based beat organi- “Cow Pie Bingo” contests to benefit torney General Jerry Brown And even though two men were “The strongest piece was com- zation, the Police Department and community services in the area, in- S and a dozen other law en- hospitalized for wounds from a munity involvement,” Davis said. other leaders curbed the violence, cluding an upcoming contest at Palo forcement and community leaders, drive-by shooting that occurred Brown deemed the eight-month Davis said. Alto High School and a recent con- East Palo Alto Police Chief Ron just hours after the officials’ proc- Project Safe Neighborhood “a real From February to September, test at Menlo-Atherton. Davis declared the city’s intense lamations, the community has success.” there was one homicide and 51 He and his wife will lease the eight-month crime-suppression still made progress, Davis said The multi-faceted Project Safe (continued on page 5) ranch back from POST for a year, (continued on page 8) Palo Alto Weekly • Friday, October 12, 2007 • Page 3 THIS WEEK ON Homegrown 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 TownSquare (650) 326-8210 Comments from the community forum on the Weekly’s Web site PUBLISHER William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Destination Palo Alto Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Posted Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. by Resident, Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor a resident of another Palo Alto neighborhood: Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Assistant Editors Keith Peters, Sports Editor Tyler Hanley, Online Editor “If we want the visitors that come to Palo Alto, e.g. Stanford visi- Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor tors, business visitors, to spend money in Palo Alto, then we should Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer do things that attract them. They need good transportation from Becky Trout, Staff Writer their hotels to downtown and Stanford Shopping Center. We need Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor maps on boards around town and signs to useful places such as Arden Pennell, Reporter Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant Caltrain station and buses. We might even need a taxi rank, or at Norbert von der Groeben, Chief Photographer least a taxi phone at the Caltrain stations. At present, anyone get- Marjan Sadoughi, Veronica Weber, Staff Photographers ting off a train is lost; there are no useful signs anywhere to direct At Country Sun, local isn’t just a buzzword we print Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, visitors to where they are going. These signs need to be for cyclists Lynn Comeskey, Kit Davey, Tim Goode, Jack as well as pedestrians getting off trains.” McKinnon, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, on our shopping bags…it’s who we are. Contributors We’ve been offering local, natural and organic food Lila Razzaqui, Karen Song, Andrea Wang Editorial Interns Not welcome since we were born, 36 years ago. Kyle Lemmon, Arts & Entertainment Intern Victorugo Gonzalez, Photography Intern Posted Oct. 5 at 5 a.m. by Former Visitor, DESIGN a resident of another Palo Alto neighborhood: Carol Hubenthal, Design Director Diane Haas, Sue Peck, Senior Designers; “A visitor certainly needs a cell phone when visiting Palo Alto if Country Sun Dana James, Paul Llewellyn, Charmaine Mirsky, Scott Peterson, Designers they want a taxi, find a hotel room, etc., when they arrive at the University Avenue train station. I suspect our city leaders are look- Your Local Natural Foods Store PRODUCTION 440 S California Ave in Palo Alto Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager ing for high rollers who drive cars and spend money in our town; Dorothy Hassett, Blanca Yoc, they’re not looking at a potential Stanford student checking out 650.324.9190 Sales & Production Coordinators the University. You can easily visit San Francisco without a car and ADVERTISING get around, but you can’t do that here. We’re not a very welcom- Vern Ingraham, Advertising Director Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst.