www.PaloAltoOnline.com Palo 6°Ê888]Ê ÕLiÀÊ£ÓÊUÊ iViLiÀÊÓÈ]ÊÓäänÊN xäZ Alto Police building project at risk Page 9 Looking back page 3, 18 Page 8 Movies 22 Dining 27 Crossword/Sudoku 30 NSports Stanford men’s basketball stays unbeaten Page 11 NArts & Entertainment Cantor gifts trace art history Page 20 NHome & Real Estate Frugal fl oral fantasies Page 33 ALBERTO ONCE HELD BACK BY WEIGHT CURRENTLY: DIVES RIGHT IN JUST ANOTHER REMARKABLE DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. At 13 years old, Alberto was one of more than 2 million overweight kids in this country. The good news is, he chose to do something about it. Since he enrolled in the Packard Pediatric Weight Control Program last year, Alberto has lost over 30 pounds and is now an active and healthy kid. Rather than focus solely on © 2007 Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital calorie intake and weight loss, our program helps families maintain lifelong healthy eating and exercise habits. In fact, Alberto’s mom was so inspired, she lost 12 pounds herself. Alberto is still headed toward his weight goals. The way we see it, his loss is truly Lucile Packard his gain. To find out more about the Packard Pediatric Weight Control Children’s Hospital Program call 650 -725 - 4424 or visit pediatricweightcontrol.lpch.org. AT STANFORD Page 2ÊUÊ iViLiÀÊÓÈ]ÊÓäänÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞ Read more at www.PaloAltoOnline.com The Weekly’s complete end-of-year coverage is now available at Palo Alto Online! Special online-only features include the year’s most memorable quotes, notable people who died in 2008 and a round-up of major building projects in Palo Alto, plus more news of the weird and top stories of the year. UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Top stories of the year range from Children’s Theatre investigation to the recession by Jocelyn Dong, Emilie Doolittle, Sue Dremann and Gennady Sheyner Hanging on in was the year of against the theater staff in May. just as police arrested a suspect in hanging on. 2008 Meanwhile home burglaries, the purse thefts and as city officials It was a year when Palo Altans street robberies and a string of rolled out a plan to bridge the gap tried to keep hold of their jobs, their purse snatchings plagued Palo Alto, in trust between police and commu- purses, their right to legally marry. punctuated by a fatal shooting out- nity groups. Some were successful. Others side City Hall in July. Frightened Johnson wasn’t the only top city were not. citizens wondered aloud where the leader to leave town this year. As In one of the biggest stories of the cops were. After police Chief Lynne announced in 2007, City Manager year, the Palo Alto Police Depart- Johnson made some poorly worded Frank Benest put in his final hours ment felt its grip on the community’s statements at a community meeting and retired. He was joined by Ad- trust slipping. The heavy-handed in October about stopping blacks, ministrative Services Director Carl closure of the Children’s Theatre in hundreds of area residents marched Yeats and Community Services Di- January and seemingly endless and on City Hall to protest what they rector Richard James. Benest’s No. secretive investigation into alleged saw as longstanding discrimination 2, Assistant City Manager Emily “financial crimes” outraged com- against minorities by officers. Harrison, left in May for greener Weber Veronica munity members — even moreso By late November, Johnson pastures with the County of Santa when the district attorney’s office couldn’t hold onto her job any lon- Clara. She had been severely repri- declined to file criminal charges ger and announced her retirement, manded in 2007 for harassment and creating a “culture of fear” in City Hall, yet was widely hailed for her get-it-done attitude. Also this year, Palo Alto Mayor Larry Klein addresses the crowd gathered at City Hall well-respected City Auditor Sharon in Palo Alto on Nov. 9, 2008, denouncing the use of racial profiling by Erickson left in March to take the the Palo Alto Police Department. top auditor’s job in San Jose. Several people managed to hang them — from jumping on “Bring fer. Hundreds of those true believ- on to what they had in 2008, includ- Your Own Bag” campaigns when ers took their “Yes, we can” spirit ing three Children’s Theatre staff shopping at local grocery stores to and campaigned across the nation, members who had been placed on going on “staycations” as the econ- knocking on doors on behalf of Ba- administrative leave in January. omy faltered. rack Obama’s presidential bid. They Director Pat Briggs was allowed to Palo Alto voters in November fi- burst into tears and shouts of jubila- retire last August, despite city ad- nally decided to pour money into the tion when their dreams were real- ministrators’ inclination to fire her. city’s existing branch-library system, ized on Nov. 4. Norbert von der Groeben The City of Palo Alto hung on to rather than scrapping it and starting Here, then, is a look back at a year its reputation for being among the all over with a new central library. full of hardship, hope and hanging greenest cities in the West, debuting Citizens also supported funding the on. a new green-building code, receiv- modernization and expansion of lo- ing national recognition for its Palo cal schools through Measure A in Children’s Theatre Alto Green alternative-energy pro- June. And by year’s end, the district It started with some stolen trav- gram and launching headlong into firmed up plans to take back Gar- eler’s checks. It ended with the re- plans to ban plastic bags in the city. land Elementary School to meet ris- tirement of a beloved community In that sense, 2008 was also the ing enrollment. leader and a City Council order to year when people tried to make the It was also the year that people Young supporters of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre came out in force investigate the police investigation. most of what they already had, in- decided that much can be done at the Feb. 4, 2008, Palo Alto City Council meeting. vesting in what was right in front of with what the country has to of- (continued on page 6) 2008: Rewound April 10 East Palo March 15 Palo Alto police shoot Alto declares crime (continued resident Joseph Anthony Ciampi April 1 Page Mill emergency after Jan. 21 Civic Center Plaza Jan. 24 Palo Alto police on page 5) with Tasers during altercation Properties increases seven people are renamed Dr. Martin Luther abruptly close Children’s rents, at an average shot in 10 days King Jr. and Coretta Scott Theatre to investigate Feb. 1 Michael Litfin, Feb. 17 Amgen of 9 percent, in some April 28 City staff King Plaza “financial crimes”; four assistant director of Tour of California of its 1,789 East Palo recommends keeping staff members put on the Children’s Theatre, bike-race prologue Alto apartments composting operation at administrative leave dies at 63 held in Palo Alto Palo Alto Baylands. JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL April 30 Affidavits Jan. 17 Page Mill Jan. 22 Jan. 30 Feb. 11 City Council March 20 City confirm police suspect Properties sues to Palo Alto Donald Ray drops idea of funding Hall is wrapped Feb. 5 April 14 City Children’s Theatre staff nullify City of East City Council Williams, new police building in The Color of High voter Council approves of embezzlement and Palo Alto’s rent-hike unenthusiastic suspected using bonds, which Palo Alto photo turnout for spending $240,000 “illegal” costume sales freeze, the first of about selling of torching would have required display presidential to boost tourism, numerous legal Cubberley downtown voter approval primary fund visitors’ bureau April 30 School actions between Community Center Walgreens in Feb. 29 Police April 3 Major grocers urge causes ballot district’s draft strategic Page Mill and the land to Foothill 2007, indicted warn residents to city to ban plastic bags and shortage in plan fails to include an city in 2008 College for a new by federal lock homes after 12 charge for paper bags Palo Alto elementary language educational center grand jury burglaries in one week program, to some parents’ dismay *>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊ iViLiÀÊÓÈ]ÊÓäänÊU Page 3 SERVING THE BAY AREA FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS Commitment To Excellence (IGHQUALITYMANICURESETSs0OCKET+NIVESAND-ULTI4OOLS $500 s3HAVINGAND'ROOMING0RODUCTSs3PECIALTY)MPORTS Discount Coupon Kitchen Cutlery (with purchase of new roof) 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 up to 35% Off Original Ownership Since 1975 (650) 326-8210 Free Professional Sharpening PUBLISHER All Types of Roofi ng & Gutters William S. 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