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Getting a market these market-rate apartments, a park and the residential buildings. The only A but it will likely be years be- based on a 6-3 vote, said it could days, McNellis said, is “very, very a community room. It is generally exceptions would be the develop- fore area residents see any major take years to lure a grocery store to difficult.” listed as the project’s prime “public ment’s model homes. changes at the desolate site on the the plaza. And without the store, the “Things are so bad in my world, benefit” and most valuable compo- “That’s the fundamental starting 3400 block of Alma Street. rest of the development will not be in the retail world, that all we’re nent. Developer John McNellis, who allowed to advance past the plan- doing is taking calls from tenants When the City Council approved (continued on page 10) COURT Walgreens verdict: Guilty Jury convicts Donald Ray Williams of torching downtown building by Bay City News jury delivered a guilty verdict this morning in U.S. District A Court in San Jose against a man accused of starting a four- alarm fire that destroyed a historic downtown Palo Alto building in July 2007. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 15. Prosecutors said Donald Ray Williams climbed to the roof of the two-story University Avenue structure on July 1, 2007 and en- tered a second-story office space, Veronica Weber Weber Veronica where he lit the fire. The seven-man, five-woman jury delivered the guilty verdict at about 11 a.m. Thursday on a charge of ar- son affecting interstate commerce. Cung chúc tân xuân They had entered deliberations the day before at 2 p.m. Monday marked the first day of Têt,´ the seven-day Vietnamese celebration of Lunar New Year. The Vietnamese Buddhist Church in Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary East Palo Alto offers services every day in honor of the Year of the Buffalo. Fry said Williams faces up to 20 years in prison but will likely be he wreaks havoc. It’s like the Dr. has carried over into his adult life, sentenced to between five and 15 COMMUNITY Seuss story, ‘The Cat in the Hat,’” as has a yearning to draw children years. he said. to the stage to experience the the- The 102-year-old building that A self-described “military brat,” ater’s singular form of self-explora- burned contained a Walgreen’s Luckey lived in Scotland, Germany tion, he said. store on the street level and vacant Palo Alto Children’s and Italy before settling down with “Kids are so lost these days. A lot offices on the second floor. his parents in Georgia, where he of them are overbooked. They lose Fry included in his closing ar- Theatre gets Luckey became founding artistic director that sense of play and the develop- gument Wednesday a list of the of the Youth Theatre Company in ment of creativity and of getting to witnesses who placed Williams on New director comes with wealth of theater experience Atlanta. He has directed theater pro- know themselves,” he said. the roof of the Walgreen’s build- ductions at the elementary, middle, Luckey has a master’s degree in ing at 310 University Ave. that by Sue Dremann high school and collegiate levels theater and music from the Univer- night. udge Luckey’s small office space and close-cropped black hair, Luck- and for several years he served as sity of Michigan. He studied ballet Prosecutors also presented is barren, except for a desk, chair ey, 46, expresses his ideas with ani- the theater department chair for the for 10 years and has been a theater DNA evidence allegedly linking J and credenza he brought in last mated hands. His smooth face lights Georgia Governor’s Honors Pro- professional for 25 years, working Williams to a T-shirt found in a week. But the new Palo Alto Chil- up as he speaks; at times he cocks gram, developing arts training for in adult productions as an assistant Dumpster located in a nearby al- dren’s Theatre director’s mind is his head in childlike curiosity. gifted high school students. casting director in Hollywood and ley. filled with ideas for revitalizing the When talking about potential Theater has always been a part of as an actor on stage with profes- Defense attorney Lara Vinnard 77-year-old organization. plays he might stage, especially his life, he said. The military offered sional companies. He is a member had attempted to convince the “I’m not interested in leaving new works, Luckey grew excited, extensive arts programs, including of Actor’s Equity and the Screen jury that the prosecution had not the theater as an archival museum his voice rising. dance and theater, and Luckey said Actors Guild. conclusively proven Williams had piece; I want to be knowledgeable “Do you know, ‘If You Give a he was drawn to the stage while in Luckey said he doesn’t see much started the fire. and bring a fresh approach,” he Mouse a Cookie’? Oh, that’s a great elementary school. difference between working with Following the fire, the building said. book! It’s the story about a boy who The childlike magic of transform- was demolished, and a new struc- An affable man with a boyish face lets a mouse into the house and ing the self into another character (continued on page 11) ture is being built.