Vol. XXVI, Number 81 • Friday, July 8, 2005 ■ 50¢ Art from the heart Cast Your Vote at PaloAltoOnline.com Page 11 by midnight tonight WeWeekend eEdition k l y www.PaloAltoOnline.com Pinter’s ‘The Lover’ exposes couple’s dark secrets Page 7 Worth A Look 12 Eating Out 15 Movie Times 21 Goings On 25 Crossword Puzzle 40 ■ Upfront Airport: Cash cow or problem child? Page 3 ■ Sports Cardinal rule with national team finally broken Page 29 ■ Home & Real Estate Rebuilding a life with flowers Section 2 One of the Nation’s Best. Right in Your Backyard. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford has been named one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Ranked at #10 and the leader on the West Coast, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital is a world class hospital devoted entirely to the care of children and expectant mothers — all under one roof — right in your backyard. Learn more about Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at www.lpch.org. LUCILE PACKARD C H I L D R E N’S H O S P I T A L Page 2 • Friday, July 8, 2005 • Palo Alto Weekly UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis SCHOOLS Seniors opt out of increased parcel tax Six-year tax too steep for those on fixed incomes by Alexandria Rocha undreds of seniors have opted out of the Palo Alto school dis- Htrict’s increased parcel tax this year, with many saying the new amount — which is $200 more than last year — digs too deep into their pockets. “I adore children and I voted for everything, including the big bond, but I just can’t afford to keep giving out money,” said Sylvia Smitham, 70, on a break Wednesday from vol- unteering at the Avenidas senior cen- ter. Norbert von der Groeben Last month, voters approved Mea- sure A, an annual $493 parcel tax with a term of six years, to help the district retain its teachers and small- class size reduction program. The new measure increases the $293 per year tax that voters passed in 2001. The district offers homeowners 65 Airport supporters say the site can turn a tidy profit over time. and older an exemption from the tax each year. It has been a source of contention between the district and Cash cow or problem child? its critics, who say it’s an easy way to attract elderly voters. Airport walks precarious financial line, but could have bright future, supporters say Regardless, the exemption has been popular with hundreds of sen- by Jocelyn Dong county $105,000 in net income on a budget of about $800,000. iors, many who are on a fixed in- fter weeks of arguments and accusations, aviation enthusiasts are The county revenues mainly come from three sources: the rent it come and relying on Social Securi- expected to turn out in full force Monday as the City Council dis- charges pilots who store aircraft there, the leases from two companies ty. As of this week, nearly 2,700 sen- Acusses the future of the Palo Alto Airport. that sublet property to aviation businesses, and fees from gasoline. iors have opted out. Last year, about One key part of the discussion will likely be the economics of the 80- Expenses include employee salaries, overhead, services, capital im- 2,165 excluded themselves from the year-old airport. Depending on whom you ask, the facility is either a provements and, not least, a $720,000 debt it owes the county’s general $293 tax. In 2003, about 2,290 did, cash cow waiting to be milked, or a financial problem child. fund. When revenues can’t cover the expenses, the airport has to be sub- and in 2002, it was 2,210. In 2017, the contract will expire between the City of Palo Alto, sidized by the county. Tina Allen, secretary to the dis- which owns the 100-acre airport on Embarcadero Road near the Bay- It is those financial ups and downs that could be a problem for the trict’s business manager, Gerry Ma- lands, and Santa Clara County, which runs it. In April, City Manager county if it continues to operate the airport after 2017. tranga, is still counting applications Frank Benest declined to sign an application for a $1.3 million feder- According to both Honaker and Benest, the county would be hesitant for this year — the first round for the al grant that would have improved the airport, saying he had no assur- to renew a lease with the city if the airport doesn’t become more prof- higher tax. ance from the county that the airport would be operating past 2017. itable and the terms of the agreement don’t change. “There are people out there who The federal government requires that applicants guarantee that fa- Outside funding — such as federal grants — do help, but not enough can pay the $293,” Matranga said. cilities remain open at least 20 years into the future. to substantially change the bottom line, Honaker said. “But $493 is a big jump.” According to Director of County Airports Carl Honaker, the opera- Federal funds pay for only 95 percent of a project, and that means Because the exemption has been tion has been breaking even in recent years. Some years it makes mon- matching funds from the airport are still needed. controversial in recent months, many ey; some years it runs a deficit. In fiscal year 2003-04, it brought the (continued on page 5) seniors are hesitant to talk openly about their personal situations. “It costs me a lot of money be- cause I own two houses,” said one resident of Avenidas, a man who re- fused to give his name. “I still voted for it — that tells you where my loy- alty lies.” Norbert von der Groeben The man did say he planned to ap- ply for an exemption. Another senior homeowner, who also didn’t want to give her name, said she has and will continue to opt out of the tax, but didn’t say how she voted on the measure. “We are seniors on a fixed income (continued on page 5) Palo Alto Weekly • Friday, July 8, 2005 • Page 3 Palo Alto 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 Investors (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER William S. Johnson The Edward Jones office here in Palo Alto is part of EDITORIAL ReaderWireReader comments via e-mail, voice mail and U.S. mail our nationwide network of more than 9,000 neighbor- Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Marc Burkhardt, Managing Editor hood locations in all 50 states. We’re proud to be the Jennifer Aquino, Associate Editor Police woes restore, not shrink, the Downtown largest financial-services firm in the nation in terms of Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Assistant Editors Suffer the Palo Alto Police Depart- Library. retail offices, but we’re even more proud to be a part Keith Peters, Sports Editor ment, for it cannot win. If police Janice Sedriks Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Waverley Street, Palo Alto of the Palo Alto community Robyn Israel, Arts & Entertainment Editor show up in large enough numbers to Don Kazak, Jocelyn Dong, Senior Staff Writers prevent havoc and property dam- Bill D’Agostino, Alexandria Rocha, Staff Writers age, they are accused of intimida- Dethrone King George Norbert von der Groeben, Chief Photographer Nicholas Wright, Staff Photographer tion and excessive force. Once again, Mr. Bush failed to of- Tomomi Tsuda, Photo Intern If a riot occurs, they are accused fer anything new in his speech on Tyler Hanley, Assistant to the Editor of lack of foresight and toughness. the war in Iraq. No plan, no exit & Online Editor Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections My advice to the beleaguered chief strategy, no apologies. Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Benson, Lynn of police is to follow Napoleon’s dic- In a desperate attempt to stem Comeskey, Tim Goode, Jim Shelby, tum, i.e. “If you start to take Vienna the rising tide of opposition to the Jill Slater, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Call or stop by today for convenient, personal service. Contributors — take Vienna.” war, Bush shamelessly repeated the Aurora Masum-Javed, Patricia Bass, Richard R. Babb bogus connection to 9/11 and by Chuan-Mei Lee, Loren Temple, Editorial Interns Selby Lane, Atherton doing so added insult to injury to the DESIGN families of the victims. The time to Carol Hubenthal, Design Director Judith Alderman, Assistant Design Director Library restoration exit is now. Serving Individual Investors Since 1871 Diane Haas, Lynda Lumish, Sue Peck, Senior Time and time again the Palo Alto Bush must apologize to the Iraqi Designers; people for launching this unholy — Dana James, Scott Peterson, Designers community has expressed its desire Sarah McAleer, Design Intern to keep viable neighborhood li- yes anti-Christ — war on the Iraqi PRODUCTION braries and, in principle, so has the people. We must offer reparations Carla M. Cumpston, CFP Barbara Ostby Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager City Council. Yet at a time when the to the Iraqi people. We must close Investment Representative Investment Representative Dorothy Hassett, Joan Sloss, Sales & Production down all the imperial droppings, our 2778 Middlefield Road 165 University Ave. Coordinators population in the downtown area is Palo Alto Downtown, Palo Alto ADVERTISING increasing substantially the library military bases and (the largest) em- 650-321-8586 650-324-3363 Michael Howard, Advertising Manager director is surreptitiously attempting bassy in Baghdad. Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Assistant Bush should stop offering more Jasbir Gill, Colette Jensen, Display Advertising to decimate the Downtown Library.