www.PaloAltoOnline.com 6°Ê888]Ê ÕLiÀÊÇÊUÊ ÛiLiÀÊ£]ÊÓä£äÊN xäZ Inside 2010 Holiday Gift Guide The end of books? Palo Alto debates library’s future page 3 PAGE 18 ❉ Spectrum 16 Eating Out 29 Movies 32 ❉ ❉ HAPPY HOLIDAYS – SECTION 2 NCover Groundwater: Going with the fl ow Page 19 NArts James Su’s pictures tell life stories Page 26 NSports Stanford has an Axe to grind Page 36 Thiss yeayear, give a gift that doesn’t come in a box. ÛiÊÌ iÊ}vÌÊvÊ>ÊiÝ«iÀiVi°Ê This holiday season, take a break from all that shopping and wrapping. Give an experience and create a cherished memory instead of more “stuff.” Experience gifts are for everyone: UÊ/ViÌÃÊÌÊ>ÊëÀÌ}ÊiÛiÌ]ÊÃÌ>}iÊ«>ÞÊÀÊÛi UÊÕ>Ê«>ÃÃiÃÊÌÊÕÃiÕÃÊÀÊ«>Àà UÊvÌÊViÀÌwV>ÌiÃÊvÀÊ>Ê>ÃÃ>}i]ÊÃÊÀiÌ>ÊÀÊÀiÃÌ>ÕÀ>Ì Enjoy the holidays knowing you’ve given personal and enjoyable gifts to your friends and loved ones, and you’ve also reduced waste! (650) 496-5910 [email protected] www.cityofpaloalto.org/zerowaste Page 2ÊUÊ ÛiLiÀÊ£]ÊÓä£äÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞ 1ST PLACE BEST LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE California Newspaper Publishers Association UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis E-books spark outcry at Palo Alto libraries As city plans to reduce print collection in favor of e-books, is 13, gets all his information from jocular you-just-stuck-a-knife-into- some see move as ‘betrayal’ of city’s earlier promise digital media. my-heart gesture. Scharff called the e-book phe- The tension between print and e- by Gennady Sheyner nomenon “amazing” and predicted books has particular resonance in that books will “become anachro- Palo Alto these days. Library offi- alo Alto City Councilman Kindle or his iPad. Scharff, who said he reads three nistic.” He had even fiercer words cials and council members acknowl- Greg Scharff announced ear- “I don’t like holding hard-cover to four books a month, said his three for print periodicals. edge (most to a lesser extent that P lier this month that he has books in my hand anymore — children have also made the switch, “I think they’ll just go away, Scharff) that the publishing world given up on “real books.” they’re too heavy,” Scharff said to varying degrees. His 18-year-old and we’ll end up purely with elec- is quickly transforming. Mayor Pat It’s not that he doesn’t read. He at a Nov. 1 meeting between the still reads paper books, while his tronic periodicals,” Scharff said, Burt told the library commission just finds print books too unwieldy council and the Library Advisory 15-year-old has largely made the while Councilwoman Gail Price and prefers to do his reading on his Commission. switch to digital. His youngest, who displayed her disagreement with a (continued on page 10) EDUCATION HOLIDAY FUND A hand Continuing up for the the ‘Asian homeless conversation’ Panel on emotional Downtown Streets intelligence set for Dec. 8 Team works to curb by Chris Kenrick panhandling and promote ith a growing Asian enroll- responsibility ment in Palo Alto schools, by Kelly Jones W parent leaders are prepar- ing a second community forum in what has come to be known as the n an average day on Uni- “Asian conversation.” versity Avenue, amongst Students and parents were polled O the businesspeople rush- at the first event in March, titled ing by, shoppers strolling and “Growing up Asian in Palo Alto,” teenagers hanging out in Lytton to help determine a topic for the sec- Plaza, workers in brightly col- ond gathering: “The Challenge of ored T-shirts patrol the street Nurturing (Emotional) Intelligence with brooms and dustpans, leav- in Palo Alto.” ing cleanliness in their wake. The The event will be Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. shirts, reading Downtown Streets in the board room of school district Team in large block letters, indi- headquarters, 25 Churchill Ave. cate that those who wear them are This fall, Asian students comprise associated with the organization 35.5 percent of Palo Alto school en- dedicated to ending panhandling rollment, up from 29.5 percent in in Palo Alto. 2007-08. The Downtown Streets Team The growth is even faster in the was cre- elementary grades, which this fall ated in has an Asian enrollment of more 2005 in than 37 percent. response School board President Barbara to a study Klausner, school board member done by Dana Tom and PTA member Sunny the Busi- Dykwel came up with the idea of ness Im- holding a public series of “Asian provement conversations” early this year, invit- District ing a small group of Asian Ameri- showing cans to help plan the March event. that the Klausner and Tom both are Chinese two biggest problems facing lo- American. Dykwel moved to the cal businesses were panhandling United States from the Philippines and street cleanliness. To knock as a child. out two problems with one punch, The March discussion on “Grow- the nonprofit strives to prepare ing Up Asian” drew about 200 par- homeless team members to find Wong Vivian ents and students, mostly — but not permanent jobs through its men- exclusively — Asian. tor programs and by providing Students and parents shared sto- temporary street-cleaning jobs. ries and perceptions about com- During their time on the team, mon stereotypes, such as people’s employees keep downtown look- A member of the Downtown Streets Team, which employs homeless people, sweeps along University frequent assumption that they are Avenue in Palo Alto on Tuesday. The Streets Team is supported in part by the Palo Alto Weekly focused exclusively on math and Holiday Fund. science. (continued on page 13) (continued on page 13) *>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊ ÛiLiÀÊ£]ÊÓä£äÊU Page 3 Upfront QUOTE OF THE WEEK 450 CAMBRIDGE AVE, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 (650) 326-8210 ‘‘ PUBLISHER William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor Carol Blitzer, Associate Editor Keith Peters, Sports Editor Tyler Hanley, Express™ and Online Editor I don’t like holding hard-cover books in Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor my hand anymore – they’re too heavy. Open House Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Chris Kenrick, Gennady Sheyner, Staff Writers — Greg Scharff, Palo Alto city councilman, on Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant why he reads e-books rather than print books. See Veronica Weber, Staff Photographer story on page 3. Thursday, December 2 at 7 p.m. Dale Bentson, Colin Becht, Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, ‘‘ /&1#5*/#+5 Sheila Himmel, Chad Jones, Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Renata Polt, Jeanie K. Smith, (650) 345-8207 WWW.SERRAHS.COM Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Contributors Kelly Jones, Sally Schilling, Sarah Trauben, Georgia Wells, Editorial Interns Vivian Wong, Photo Intern 0*8,#-+#--'%&!&++('**/#+'.)0!&)+-#/&** DESIGN +0/./*"'*% /&+('! !+((#%# ,-#,-/+-4 $+- 4+0*% )#* / '. Shannon Corey, Design Director Around Town ,(!# 2&#-# /#!&#-. #!+)# )#*/+-. (..)/#. #!+)# Raul Perez, Assistant Design Director Linda Atilano, Diane Haas, Scott Peterson, EARLY DEADLINES ... Palo was the conclusion by Torrey -+/&#-.-"'*-4)+)#*/. #!+)##3/-+-"'*-4#3,#-'#*!#. Paul Llewellyn, Senior Designers Alto’s land-use watchdogs and Young, a consulting arborist from Gary Vennarucci, Designer neighborhood groups cringe ev- the firm Dryad, LLC. Accord- PRODUCTION ery time a developer tries to slip ing to a report from Community Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager a note to a city official at a public Service Director Greg Betts, Parker Toms, Class of 2011 Dorothy Hassett, Samantha Mejia, Blanca Yoc, Sales & Production Coordinators hearing or shows up with last- Young concluded that “all euca- minute revisions. That infamous lyptus trees should be removed You will be known. You will belong. ADVERTISING Walter Kupiec, Vice President, Sales & Marketing practice may soon come to an to prevent additional limb drop ✓ Judie Block, Esmeralda Flores, Janice end. The City Council will consid- or whole tree failure around the ❏ AP Scholar Hoogner, Gary Whitman, Display Advertising Sales er on Monday changing the city’s playground.” Arborist Dave Muf- ✓ Neil Fine, Rosemary Lewkowitz, ❏ Varsity Football Player Real Estate Advertising Sales policies to require developers to fley, who was hired by neighbor- ❏✓/'+*(+*+-+!'#/4 David Cirner, Irene Schwartz, submit all application materials hood residents to inspect the 10 Inside Advertising Sales well in advance of council meet- remaining trees, concluded they ❏✓-#.'"#*/+$/&#'%-+/&#-.(0 Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst. Diane Martin, Real Estate Advertising Assistants ings. The policy would require were “structurally unsound.” The ❏✓ Varsity Soccer Player Alicia Santillan, Classified Administrative Asst. these materials to be released city then hired Landscape Ar- EXPRESS, ONLINE AND VIDEO SERVICES at least five working days before chitect Edward Chau to develop Rachel Palmer, Online Operations Coordinator the release of the City Council’s conceptual plans for the replant- Rachel Hatch, Multimedia Product Manager pre-meeting packets. Council- ing of trees at the southwest Serra High School - Where a classmate becomes a brother. BUSINESS woman Karen Holman, a former corner of the park, according to Penelope Ng, Payroll & Benefits Manager planning commissioner, has the report. The plan will be dis- Elena Dineva, Mary McDonald, Susie Ochoa, Doris Taylor, Business Associates been a leading proponent of the cussed at a Dec. 1 community policy change. At a recent meet- meeting. ADMINISTRATION Amy Renalds, Assistant to the Publisher ing, she pointed to instances in & Promotions Director which application materials were GOT MONEY? ... Students Janice Covolo, Receptionist delivered to the homes of council and parents across Palo Alto Ruben Espinoza, Courier members — a practice that she this week were greeted at their EMBARCADERO MEDIA said undermines the transparen- schools by volunteers for Part- William S. Johnson, President Michael I. Naar, Vice President & CFO cy of the development process. ners in Education, an indepen- Walter Kupiec, Vice President, Sales & Marketing The committee also agreed that dent foundation that raises funds Frank A.