Palo Vol. XLI, Number 17 Q January 31, 2020 Alto Chef Chu’s turns 50 Page 23 www.PaloAltoOnline.comw ww.Pa l o AltoOnline. com Pulse 14 Transitions 15 Movies 25 Puzzles 31 QArts Sci-fi drama ponders online ethics in near future Page 21 QHome To save money, know the rules for permits Page 26 QSports Pinewood, Menlo in girls basketball rematch Page 30 Your new Stanford Hospital provides high quality emergency care at dedicated Adult and Pediatric locations Marc and Laura Andreessen Pediatric Emergency Department Adult Emergency Department Caring for children—newborn to age 20 Caring for adults 900 Quarry Road Extension 1199 Welch Road Stanford, CA 94304 Stanford, CA 94304 Labor and Delivery, through Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital: 725 Welch Road • Palo Alto, CA When your needs are less urgent, we can see you at our Express Care or Walk-in Clinic (1.833.777.6151). 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Derk Brill Wall Street Journal “Top Residential Realtors” in America M: 650.814.0478 [email protected] www.DerkBrill.com License# 01256035 www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • January 31, 2020 • Page 3 Serene Setting | Impeccable Quality | Chic Comfort 4050 Verdosa Drive, Palo Alto OPEN HOUSE Sat & Sun 1:30-4:30pm • Modern Craftsman custom built • Mostly Porcelanosa tiled in 2017 bathrooms with TOTO toilets, • 5 bedrooms, 5 baths (4 suites— Grohe plumbing fixtures one on main level, 3 suites • Hardwood floor throughout, including master upstairs); plus, Cedar wood exterior sidings, detached ADU cottage with bath Andersen double-pane windows • Lot: about 6950 sf and doors • House: per architectural plan • Nest thermostat, 2 furnaces, 2 about 2739 sf living space; A/C, tankless water heater and garage: about extra 217 sf; security system with surveillance porch: about 398 sf cameras with off-site viewing capability • Chef’s kitchen with sleek design, state-of-the-art amenities, top- • Inside laundry room with sink and of-the-line appliances cabinet • Renowned Palo Alto schools www.4050Verdosa.com Asking Price: $4,098,000 www.JulieLau.com Julie Lau (650) 208-2287 (CELL) Page 4 • January 31, 2020 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com DRE#01052924 UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Contentious housing bill SB 50 dies in Senate Jan. 31 deadline. D-San Francisco, while various during Wednesday’s hearing. “Re- Falling 3 votes shy of approval, bill fails to advance But any hopes that the bill’s ad- Democrats voted against the bill. strictive zoning puts a hard cap — by Gennady Sheyner vocates had that the new vote would Those who supported it under- full stop — on our ability to get out change its fate faded on Thursday scored the severity of California’s of the crisis.” last-gasp attempt to keep Sen. Scott Wiener’s bill, leaving it morning, when the tally was ex- housing crisis and the role that zon- If approved, SB 50 would have alive Senate Bill 50, a divi- three votes shy of the 21 it needed actly the same as on Wednesday. ing has played in preventing new loosened height and density re- A sive housing bill that would to advance to the Assembly and, The vote means that the legislation housing. quirements for housing develop- have relaxed zoning standards for ultimately, to Gov. Gavin New- will not move ahead in the current “You can have the most stream- ments in transit-rich and jobs-rich residential developments in Cali- som. With some senators absent legislative session. lined process in the world. You can areas, respectively. It would have fornia, fizzled on the state Senate on Wednesday, the Senate vote The debate over SB 50 tran- have enough funding for affordable allowed housing developments floor on Thursday morning. immediately approved a “motion scended the Senate’s partisan di- housing, but if the zoning says you of up to four stories (45 feet tall) An initial vote on Wednesday to reconsideration,” making it eli- vide, with numerous Republicans can’t build something, that’s the had resulted in 18-15 in favor of gible for another vote before the offering their support to Wiener, end of the process,” Wiener said (continued on page 13) EDUCATION Principals to leave Paly, Gunn District announces major leadership changes at the high schools by Elena Kadvany oth Palo Alto and Gunn high schools will lose their B principals at the end of the school year, the district announced on Jan. 24. Paly Principal Adam Paulson, who has led the school since 2018, plans to resign. Principal Kathie Laurence, a longtime district em- ployee who took the helm at Gunn in 2017, is not going far, however. She’ll be the district’s new director of secondary education services, Sammy Dallal Sammy overseeing all major initiatives at the middle and high schools, in- cluding curriculum and instruc- tion, assessment, professional de- velopment and equity. The district Coming up for air administrator currently oversee- David Marzoni, 41, swims laps at the Rinconada Pool in Palo Alto on Jan. 15, 2020. Marzoni comes to the pool five days a week. The ing secondary education services, pool is open daily for lap swimming. Sharon Ofek, is being promoted to associate superintendent of educa- tional services. In a message to Paly staff, Paul- The sometimes fatal disease son said resigning “was a difficult PUBLIC HEALTH causes fever, cough, shortness of personal decision for me, but one breath and breathing difficulties. that I feel is best for myself and my China’s National Health Commis- family.” He declined to share fur- sion has reported more than 4,500 ther information. Spread of coronavirus prompts organizers cases and 106 deaths in the country. “It has been an honor to spend Severe cases can cause pneumo- the past six years as principal, as- to cancel Chinese New Year events nia, severe acute respiratory syn- sistant principal and dean of stu- drome, kidney failure and death, dents at Paly,” he wrote to staff. Public celebratory festivals in Palo Alto will not take place this year according to the U.S. Centers for “The best part of my day is always by Sue Dremann Disease Control and Prevention the rich interactions I have with the (CDC). students and our exemplary staff.” he sponsors of two major illness originated in Wuhan City, Chinese Community Center’s Lu- Five cases have been confirmed He did not answer questions Chinese Lunar New Year China, in late December, and cases nar New Year Celebration, sched- in the U.S., including in southern about what he will do after Paly T fairs in Palo Alto that would are now being found in other coun- uled for Jan. 30, were canceled California, among people who had and whether he plans to continue have drawn thousands of cel- tries, including the U.S. out an abundance of caution, the traveled to Wuhan, according to the working in education. ebrants have canceled the events The 2020 Palo Alto Chinese events’ sponsors said. Neither or- CDC. Paulson, a former teacher and due to concern over the potential New Year Fair, which was to take ganization plans to reschedule the spread of the coronavirus. The place Feb. 16, and the Avenidas New Year festivities. (continued on page 9) (continued on page 11) www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • January 31, 2020 • Page 5 Upfront 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER William S. Johnson (223-6505) EDITORIAL ® Editor Jocelyn Dong (223-6514) Associate Editor Linda Taaffe (223-6511) Sports Editor Rick Eymer (223-6516) I don’t even know what Arts & Entertainment Editor Karla Kane (223-6517) Home & Real Estate Editor Heather Zimmerman (223-6515) the grades mean. Assistant Sports Editor Glenn Reeves (223-6521) —Eva Dobrov, Gunn High School parent, Express & Digital Editor Jamey Padojino on new standards based grading. (223-6524) See story on page 8. Staff Writers Sue Dremann (223-6518), Elena Kadvany (223-6519), Gennady Sheyner (223-6513) Chief Visual Journalist Magali Gauthier (223-6530) Staff Visual Journalist Sammy Dallal (223-6520) Editorial Assistant/Intern Coordinator Lloyd Lee (223-6526) Editorial Intern Jonathan Guillen Around Town of Medicine is now leasing the ® Contributors Chrissi Angeles, Mike Berry, The DeLeon Difference Carol Blitzer, Peter Canavese, Edward Gerard Fike, property at 1701 Page Mill Road in Yoshi Kato, Chris Kenrick, Jack McKinnon, Stanford Research Park. Freelance 650.543.8500 Sheryl Nonnenberg, John Orr, Monica Schreiber, journalist Corinne Purtill captured Jay Thorwaldson the changes underway in a Jan. 23 Veronica Webber www.deleonrealty.com ADVERTISING article for One Zero, online platform Vice President Sales & Marketing Medium’s tech and science Tom Zahiralis (223-6570) publication.