Vol. XXVI, Number 52 • Wednesday, March 30, 2005 ■ 50¢ AA condocondo toto callcall youryour officeoffice pagepage 33 www.PaloAltoOnline.com The reign of student stress Author of book about teens under pressure discusses how storm of student stress continues to pour Page 20 Check out the Weekly’s new online classifieds at fogster.com Photo illustration: Nicholas Wright ■ Upfront City’s police face new lawsuit alleging discrimination Page 3 ■ Neighborhoods In Barron Park, it’s sidewalks vs. speed tables Page 9 ■ Sports Stanford women’s basketball makes NCAA statement Page 24 apr.com REDEFINING QUALITY SINCE 1990 R eading between the emotional line makes the difference between finding a house and a home. PALO ALTO This classic 1930’s 5bd/4ba home has been beautifully remodeled to create a spectacular blend of traditional charm and modern day amenities. Lovely landscaped 15,000+/-sf lot with remodeled cottage. $3,499,000 PALO ALTO Four year old Mediterranean style 4bd/3ba home in Old Palo Alto. Gourmet kitchen with island breakfast nook. Formal living room, dining room and family room. Distinguished amenities. 7500+/-sf lot. $1,950,000 REDWOOD CITY Spacious ranch home with vaulted ceiling and fireplace in living room. Eat-in kitchen. Family room. Large master bedroom suite. Hardwood floors, double pane windows, 2 car garage. Patio, gardens and lawn. $949,955 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, March 30, 2005 • Palo Alto Weekly UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Federal lawsuit filed by skateboarder against officer failing to properly train the officer. “We don’t think it’s a good use of witnessed the episode. Teen alleges that incident violated his The lawsuit comes as the local po- the courts and of city resources to The officer allegedly said the stu- civil rights and was racially motivated lice department is fighting allega- have to deal with this claim,” he said. dent would “end up in Hillcrest,” a by Bill D’Agostino tions it mistreats suspects of color. The lawsuit centers around an en- San Mateo County juvenile deten- Two Asian-American officers are counter Douglas had with Kilpatrick tion facility. Palo Alto is located in black Gunn High School Lawyers for Jameel Douglas, who currently standing trial for felony as- on March 3, 2004. Douglas, then a Santa Clara County, but East Palo student filed a federal law- was 14 years old at the time, allege sault charges, for beating and pepper Terman Middle School student, was Alto, which has a much larger popu- A suit against a white Palo Officer Brad Kilpatrick violated spraying a black man in July 2003. skateboarding to school without a lation of black residents, is in San Alto police officer last week, Douglas’ civil rights by using exces- Senior Assistant City Attorney helmet that morning when Kilpatrick Mateo County. claiming the officer “shook him sive force, caused the student emo- Bill Mayfield defended officer Kil- approached on his motorcycle. Even if Douglas’ lawyers’ por- violently” last year before giving tional distress and targeted him be- patrick and the city, saying witness- The lawsuit claims that Kilpatrick trayal of the event is accurate, May- him a ticket for skateboarding to cause of his race. The long-anticipat- es’ accounts of the incident varied picked up Douglas “in a fit of rage,” field argued, the officer still didn’t school without a helmet. ed lawsuit also accuses the city of and that race was not a factor. shocking and horrifying those who (continued on page 7) BUSINESS COLLEGE TERRACE Calm in the Development plans could real-estate leave nonprofit homeless storm Aha! Center could be displaced by JJ&F expansion by Jocelyn Dong Owners of commercial condos sitting pretty lans to redevelop a block and “We threw our meager resources while market swirls expand a popular neighbor- into this place. We are a small P hood grocery store in Col- nonprofit scratching to make ends by Jocelyn Dong lege Terrace will likely toss a com- meet,” Gordon said. munity nonprofit out on its ear, de- Patrick Smailey, the real-estate henever Stephanie Gross- spite the staff’s hopes that they representative for the trust, said he man hears news of sky- might stay during construction. holds the Aha! Center in high es- W rocketing office rents in By this time next year, the teem, but that market realities are Palo Alto, she just smiles. She can Chilcote Trust — which owns the what they are. afford to. As the head of a small land bounded by El Camino Real, “They’re paying a fraction of the court-reporting company, she owns College Avenue, Staunton Court rent” — about one third of the her California Avenue office space. and Oxford Avenue — hopes to market rate, Smailey said. In the Grossman isn’t a big-time Palo begin construction on a mixed-use long run, “the trust could not con- Alto property owner. She’s just one development that will include re- tinue that role of benefactor.” of a lucky few who owns a commer- tail, office space, residences and a The lease was for a short term cial condominium. Besides Palo park. The beloved 57-year-old gro- specifically because the trustees Alto Central, where Grossman and cery store, JJ&F Food Store, will had future plans for the property her business partner Paula Cotter remain open during construction. —although at the time of the con- own their property, there is just one But the redevelopment means the tract, it wasn’t clear that it would other business-condo building in fledgling Aha! Center, located at include demolition, Smailey said. south Palo Alto. the other end of the block from But Gordon said he thought the Just like a residential condo, a JJ&F, will have to find a new home. rents were low because the build- business condo is a space within a For a nonprofit currently receiving ing sat vacant for more than a year. larger building that has been sold a break on its rent, relocating in a The trust expects to allow JJ&F, to an individual business. notoriously cutthroat real-estate which would expand from 8,000 to Nicholas Wright There may be more condos on market could be a daunting task. 20,000 square feet, to remain open the horizon. “This is a total surprise to us. during construction. Once complet- Tonight, property owners CBC We didn’t know there was a possi- ed, a plaza would occupy the cor- Bay View Partners of Menlo Park ble plan for demolition,” said ner of College and El Camino Real. are scheduled to ask the Palo Alto Mark Gordon, one of three Aha! More retail would occupy the Joe Deisher, co- founder of the Aha! Center, may have to move the center. Planning and Transportation Com- co-founders. ground floor along El Camino, with mission for approval of a map that The Aha! Center in College Ter- commercial office space above that. members about the project. Smai- shop, computer room and more will would pave the way for a 67,400- race opened early last year on A park would be located on Ox- ley said he hoped to submit some probably have to relocate. Gordon square-foot, 10-condo development Staunton, in the building that once ford, with a two-level underground plans to the city by fall. If those hopes that the broader community at the end of San Antonio Road. housed Klutz Press. Aha! provides garage at the corner, in place of the plans are delayed, however, there will realize the value of the Aha! The 5,000- to 8,800-square-foot a place for kids and adults to dis- Aha! Center. Residential units might be a chance for Aha! to stay Center, which he said is an antidote condos would be created from exist- cover their passions, whether that would be built on Staunton. on a month-to-month basis after to the stressed-out, “nutty” Silicon ing single-story buildings — in ef- be tai chi, financial management If the trust can make allowances the lease expires, Smailey said. Valley lifestyle. fect changing the property from or anything else, Gordon said. for JJ&F, Gordon figured, perhaps Another tenant on the block, “We know there are adults and rentals to individually owned spaces. At the time, the nonprofit signed they can do the same for the non- Mike’s Bikes, moved out earlier lots of teenagers (and) their souls The advent of commercial condos a lease for the 5,000-square-foot profit. this year. are getting squished. We feel we extends back at least two decades, space that would expire at the end “I would love for us to be able to “We’d love to stay in the College are a refuge, a home,” Gordon said. but the market has gotten a boost of this year. Aware that the proper- still exist and for them to do what Terrace area. This is our home,” “I’m a firm believer that if you lately in the Bay Area, in part due to ty might be reused in the future, they need to do around us. That Gordon said. The likelihood of be- keep your eyes open, something companies such as Venture Corp. but unaware of plans to tear it would be ideal,” Gordon said. ing able to move back in once the better may happen,” Gordon said. and Capital Partners, which have down, the nonprofit invested mon- But last week Smailey sounded block is redeveloped, and pay mar- “But for us to start over again ..