Vol. XXXIV, Number 40 N July 5, 2013 Urban project proposed for El Camino block Page 3 Companies bring health care to the workplace page 16 Transitions 12 Seniors 19 Eating Out 28 Shop Talk 29 Movies 30 Puzzles 49 NArts Digital art hits the streets of Palo Alto Page 25 NSports Paly’s Chryst makes his college choice Page 32 NHome Behind Palo Alto’s clay and glass show Page 37 Thank you! Thank you for making the 3rd annual Packard Summer Scamper our most successful event yet! More than 3,000 participants joined us at the sold-out event and helped raise over $350,000 for Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. We more than doubled last year’s total! We are so grateful for everyone who ran, walked, scampered, strolled, sponsored, or volunteered to make this a great event. Offi cial race results and photos at SummerScamper.org Page 2ÊUÊÕÞÊx]ÊÓä£ÎÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°V UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Urban development proposed for El Camino block Building would add 48 apartments, restaurant, once housed the low-slung Pet Food small retail component added in to tage, a corner plaza, office space on offices around Equinox Fitness Depot and the cubic Banana Re- sweeten the deal for the city. (The the third floor and an underground cords. planned College Terrace Centre garage that will connect to existing by Gennady Sheyner While a proposal to build about on El Camino Real and the Lytton parking. 70,000 square feet of development Gateway building near the down- The project is unusual in several quaint, eclectic and sparsely ing that would include a restaurant, on El Camino Real is unlikely to town Caltrain station are two no- other ways. The underground ga- developed block of El Camino office spaces and 48 apartments confound council members or land- table examples.) rage will stack cars in mechanical A Real near Fry’s Electronics in targeting young professionals. The use watchers, the specifics of this This proposal, by contrast, will in- lifts and allow owners to retrieve Palo Alto could get a hefty injection development, pitched by the Silva project could surprise them. Most clude 48 rental units — mostly stu- their vehicle by using key fobs. The of urbanism. family, would occupy the block be- “mixed-use” proposals that the city dios and one-bedroom apartments mechanism, which functions a bit The city is about to launch a re- tween Portage and Acacia avenues has evaluated in recent years have designed for an “urban lifestyle” like a gumball machine, is already view of a mixed-use project at 3159 — currently occupied by Equinox consisted largely of office space, — along with a glassy restaurant on El Camino Real, a four-story build- Fitness and We Fix Macs. The land with a few residential units or a the corner of El Camino and Por- (continued on page 9) HEALTH Cases of whooping cough rising in Palo Alto Public-health officials issue alert in Santa Clara County by Sue Dremann he spread of whooping cough It is “too early to say whether the in Santa Clara County, includ- recent increase in cases reported in T ing many cases in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County and the Bay Area has prompted officials to issue a herald the next statewide peak,” said health alert. Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, county chief The number of cases is three times health officer, who sent a June alert greater than those reported last year to physicians and hospitals. to date. It has been doubling every Many other states had epidemics month for the last three months, ac- in 2012, health department officials cording to the Santa Clara County said. California experienced a per- Department of Public Health. tussis epidemic in 2010, with more Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a than 9,100 reported cases. severe bacterial illness characterized Santa Clara County had 101 cases by long coughing fits that often end as of June 21, compared to 46 for all in a whooping sound when the pa- of last year. tient breathes in. The illness is spread There were 461 in 2010 — the through respiratory droplets and can most recent epidemic year — and last weeks to months, ranging from 169 in 2011. six to 10 weeks. Coughing can be so Only 32 cases were reported in severe that it interferes with eating, 2009, according to county records. drinking and breathing. Treated with Palo Alto Medical Foundation antibiotics, pertussis can nonetheless be fatal to infants, officials said. (continued on page 8) EDUCATION Summertime, and the learning is fun Summer school students catch up, or get a jump start on something new by Chris Kenrick inging in Spanish, building dents got an early taste of high poetry websites, making paper school by taking summer classes at S models of the Titanic, re-tak- Gunn High School due to construc- ing math after failing a class — it’s tion on Palo Alto’s three middle Haubursin Christophe summer school time in Palo Alto. school campuses. More than 2,000 students have been At the high school level, located pursuing enrichment, academic inter- this year at Palo Alto High School, vention or skill-building this summer this week was semester break. The on four Palo Alto campuses. program — attended by 500 the About 650 elementary students first semester and an expected 400 finished up their 18-day summer the second — is focused mainly on How cool is he? programs Wednesday at Ohlone and “credit recovery,” with fewer elec- Followed closely by his mother, 23-month-old Benjamin Ma sits by the edge of Rinconada Pool during Nixon elementary schools. a heat wave on July 1. Nearly 1,000 middle school stu- (continued on page 10) ÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°VÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÕÞÊx]ÊÓä£ÎÊU Page 3 Upfront Serving Fine Chinese Cuisine in Palo Alto since 1956 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK A Great Place for Get-togethers (650) 326-8210 Happy Hour Catering Gift Certifi cates PUBLISHER s s ‘‘ Private Dining Meeting Banquet Rooms William S. Johnson (223-6505) s s EDITORIAL Editor Jocelyn Dong (223-6514) Associate Editor Carol Blitzer (223-6511) Sports Editor Keith Peters (223-6516) Express & Online Editor Eric Van Susteren (223-6515) Arts & Entertainment Editor They just think they’re teaching Rebecca Wallace (223-6517) Assistant Sports Editor Rick Eymer (223-6521) dragons to fly. Spectrum Editor Tom Gibboney (223-6507) — Maureen Willis, Palo Alto summer school Staff Writers Sue Dremann (223-6518), Chris Kenrick (223-6512), Gennady Sheyner (223-6513) teacher, on the fun kids have while learning com- Editorial Assistant/Intern Coordinator puter programming. See story on page 3. Elena Kadvany (223-6519) ‘‘ [Chopsticks Always Optional] Staff Photographer Veronica Weber (223-6520) We have daily dim sum service from 11am-2pm. We also offer Contributors Andrew Preimesberger, Dale F. tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes. In our Bar we have happy Bentson, Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Tyler Hanley, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Chad Jones, Karla Kane, hours from 3pm to 6pm / Mon-Fri. Book now for our private Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Jeanie K. Smith, rooms and banquet facilities. And don’t forget about our Susan Tavernetti take out and delivery. In addition to all this, we’re open Editorial Interns John Brunett, Rye Druzin, 365 Days / 11am-9:30pm and parking is never a problem. Karishma Mehrotra ADVERTISING Around Town “Voted Best Vice President Sales & Advertising Dim Sum in Tom Zahiralis (223-6570) DEMOCRACY IN ACTION ... The feature that allows users to instantly Silicon Valley” Multimedia Advertising Sales Palo Alto City Council generally send photos of potholes or graffiti – Metro’s best of Christine Afsahi (223-8582), Adam Carter (223- Silicon Valley 2013 6573), Elaine Clark (223-6572), Connie Jo Cotton doesn’t schedule meetings for late directly to City Hall. The download (223-6571), Janice Hoogner (223-6576), Wendy Friday afternoons, particularly during data also makes one thing clear: Ming’s Chinese Cuisine and Bar Suzuki 223-6569), Brent Triantos (223-6577), Real Estate Advertising Sales the week leading up to its summer Even with Samsung preparing 1700 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto Neal Fine (223-6583), Carolyn Oliver (223-6581), vacation. Bob Moss, a land-use to take over Varsity Theatre on Rosemary Lewkowitz (223-6585) tel 650.856.7700 / fax 650.855.9479 / www.mings.com watchdog, said he hadn’t seen a University Avenue, Palo Alto remains Inside Advertising Sales David Cirner (223-6579), Irene Schwartz (223-6580) Friday meeting in his 45 years of largely an Apple town. Of the 440 Real Estate Advertising Assistant following the local political scene. downloads, 336 were done using an Diane Martin (223-6584) Yet that didn’t stop Moss and a iPhone or iPad, while 104 used an Legal Advertising Alicia Santillan (223-6578) few other residents in Barron Park Android-based phone. ADVERTISING SERVICES and Green Acres neighborhoods Advertising Services Manager from going to City Hall to ask the LIBRARY ‘EXPANSION’ ... The Jennifer Lindberg (223-6595) council to reject a zone change construction of Mitchell Park Sales & Production Coordinators Dorothy Hassett (223-6597), Blanca Yoc (223-6596) for 567 Maybell Ave., which would Library and Community Center DESIGN enable 60 units of housing for low- won’t be completed until at least 185 Design Director Shannon Corey (223-6560) income seniors and 12 single-family the end of the year, but bookworms Senior Designers Linda Atilano, Paul Llewellyn, homes. Not that the pleas had a in south Palo Alto have at least one Scott Peterson chance. The council had already consolation prize. The temporary Designers Lili Cao, Rosanna Leung, Kam Sawyer New Chef..