Vol. XL, Number 28 Q April 12, 2019 City faces pressure over new 5G antennas Page 5 Pulse 18 Transitions 19 Spectrum 20 Eating Out 31 Movies 33 Puzzles 51 QA&E Alan Cumming prepares to be vulnerable in Palo Alto Page 29 QHome At Hidden Villa, techies find their inner farmer Page 35 QSports Local baseball races are heating up Page 49 Colonoscopies Save Lives Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. Thanks to an increase in colorectal cancer screenings, improved diagnostics, and advanced treatments, there are more than one million survivors of colorectal cancer. If you’re 50 or older, or have a family history, a colonoscopy can reduce your risk of developing colon cancer. Stanford Medicine doctors are committed to providing innovative care using the latest treatment advances and research for the best health outcomes. To learn more or to schedule a colonoscopy, visit stanfordhealthcare.org/colonhealth or call 650.736.5555. Page 2 • April 12, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com SHIFT IN THE MARKET? Where are interest rates headed? How does the tax bill affect me? What is the best strategy to take advantage of the current market? More than ever, local knowledge and experience are paramount to succeed in today’s market. Call Derk to leverage the Local Advantage. Local Knowledge, Local Resources, Global Reach. 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 • April 12, 2019 • Page 3 Page 4 • April 12, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis With pressure rising, city eyes overhaul of cell-antenna rules Palo Alto seeks to reconcile federal are installing with ever-greater fre- facilities) to support a network,” many of which are designed for quency on streetlights and utility according to a new report from streetlights and utility poles, that regulations, citizens’ concerns poles throughout the city. The city the Department of Planning and cities must make rulings on with- by Gennady Sheyner has approved dozens of such ap- Community Environment. in 60 or 90 days, depending on plications in the past year and has As city planners review the the technology being installed. In acing a flood of applica- chorus of concerned residents least 100 more wireless “clusters” applications, they are facing Palo Alto, this federally mandated tions from telecommunica- calling for them to resist. in the pipeline, according to staff. pressure to speed things along “shot clock” speeds up the city’s F tions companies wanting Both of these factors are sure to That trend is expected to contin- from the Federal Communica- prior time limit of either 90 days to install new wireless antennas come into play on April 15, when ue, with telecoms rolling out new tions Commission (FCC), which or 150 days. throughout Palo Alto, city staff the City Council considers creat- 5G technologies, which typically in September approved an order The federal order also requires and elected leaders find them- ing a new process for approving rely on equipment that have less creating a new time limit for the local jurisdictions to make deci- selves caught between new feder- “wireless communication facili- power and shorter range. As such, review process. sions on these applications based al rules that require them to speed ties” — radio equipment that tele- they will require a “greater density The FCC order defines a cate- up the permitting process and a coms such as Verizon and AT&T of WCFs (wireless communication gory of “small wireless facilities,” (continued on page 7) CRIMINAL JUSTICE Guilty pleas, more charges in bribery case Parents face prison time, hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines in college- admissions scam by Sue Dremann ven as four Midpeninsula residents agreed to plead E guilty in the recent na- tional college-admissions brib- ery scandal, federal authorities on Tuesday added fraud and money laundering charges against four other indicted area parents. Menlo Park residents Marjorie Klapper, 50, and Peter Jan Sar- torio, 53; Hillsborough residents Jenny Rodriguez Bruce Isackson, 61, and Davina Isackson, 55; all intend to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Felix Weber and Tyler Liu, members of Peninsula Robotics, work on a Bridgeport vertical milling machine in member Ethan Chun’s Andrew Lelling said. In addition, garage in south Palo Alto on April 10. Bruce Isackson plans to plead guilty to one count each of money group that has grown from laundering conspiracy and con- YOUTH about 10 high schoolers that spiracy to defraud the IRS. first year to more than 25 stu- The agreements, which must dents from Paly, Gunn High be presented before a judge no Born in a garage, grassroots robotics School and other local public later than April 30, could lead and private high schools, some to incarceration and hundreds of team heads to world championships form as far as away as San Jose. thousands of dollars in fines for There is another community- the parents, who allegedly bribed Students from private, public schools join forces based team in Palo Alto called college-entrance-exam adminis- to follow their passion, learn teamwork Garage Robotics, started by trators to allow their children to a group of about 10 Paly stu- cheat on the SAT and ACT tests by Elena Kadvany dents also working out of a and/or paid university athletic ike many great Silicon competitive robotics team since “He just felt like everybody team member’s garage. This coaches and administrators to Valley origin stories, Pen- his freshman year. In 2015, with who wants to do this should get year was Garage Robotics’ first designate their kids as star athletic L insula Robotics’ starts in a overwhelming demand from to do it,” his mother, Pam Mor- competing in For Inspiration recruits. garage. students who wanted to be part genfeld, said in an interview. and Recognition of Science The group that plans to en- Four years ago, Spencer Mor- of the team but without the re- “We emptied our garage and and Technology (FIRST) Ro- ter guilty pleas is made up of 13 genfeld was a junior at Palo Alto sources to meet it, the school cut welcomed the kids here.” botics competitions, according parents and one athletics coach, High School, where he had been more than 40 students from the So began Peninsula Robotics, about a quarter of the total 50 part of the school’s popular, program. a scrappy, student-run robotics (continued on page 10) (continued on page 12) www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • April 12, 2019 • Page 5 PET EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION UNIT Upfront )VVR`V\YZ[[YHUZWVY[ YV\UK[YPWFREE[OYV\NO4HYJO 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER 4VU-YP WT࠮7LHR/V\YZ HT[VWTWT William S. Johnson (223-6505) EDITORIAL 833.PET.2VET 833.738.2838 Editor Jocelyn Dong (223-6514) Associate Editor Linda Taaffe (223-6511) Sports Editor Rick Eymer (223-6516) Sustainability is in Palo Alto’s blood, Arts & Entertainment Editor Karla Kane (223-6517) Assistant Sports Editor Glenn Reeves (223-6521) and this where we can make our mark. Learn the Guitar this Spring Express & Digital Editor Jamey Padojino (223-6524) — Carol McComb’s “Starting to Play” workshophop includesincludes Staff Writers Sue Dremann (223-6518), Elena Bob Wenzlau, Palo Alto resident, on the city’s new the FREE use of a Loaner Guitar for the durationration Kadvany (223-6519), Gennady Sheyner (223-6513) recycling guidelines. See story on page 23. of the classes. * Regular cost is just $180 foror eighteight Staff Photographer/Videographer weeks of group lessons, and all music is included.ncluded.d. Veronica Weber (223-6520) Editorial Assistant/Intern Coordinator * “Starting to Play” meets for one hour each Mondayday nightnignight Cierra Bailey (223-6526) for eight weeks beginning April 1st. Editorial Intern Christian Trujano For more information about this and Carol’s other classes Photo Intern Jennifer Rodriguez at Gryphon, visit www.carolmccomb.com Contributors Chrissi Angeles, Mike Berry, Around Town and click on “group classes.” Carol Blitzer, Peter Canavese, Yoshi Kato, KEEP CALM AND LOVE GOATS division, which remains without Chris Kenrick, Jack McKinnon, Alissa Merksamer, ... Eighty goats that escaped from a leader, and in its parking Sheryl Nonnenberg, Kaila Prins, Ruth Schechter, a Los Altos Hills home on the Monica Schreiber, Jay Thorwaldson operation, which has a single night of April 4 could’ve turned staff member managing the city’s ADVERTISING into a “baaaaad” situation, but messy hodgepodge of custom- Stringed Instruments Vice President Sales & Marketing Since 1969 Tom Zahiralis (223-6570) Palo Alto Animal Control Officer built, neighborhood-specific William Warrior and a sheepdog Residential Preferential Parking 650࠮493࠮2131 Digital Sales Manager Caitlin Wolf (223-6508) Multimedia Advertising Sales helped four Santa Clara County programs. The council’s Finance 3HTILY[(]LU\L࠮7HSV(S[V Tiffany Birch (223-6573), Elaine Clark (223-6572), sheriff’s deputies bring the herd Committee will try to reconcile www.gryphonstrings.com Connie Jo Cotton (223-6571), Jillian Schrager back to its rightful place. A new the competing priorities of saving Real Estate Advertising Sales homeowner on O’Keefe Lane money and reducing traffic on Neal Fine (223-6583), Rosemary Lewkowitz (223-6585) had rented the goats from Green Tuesday, when it considers Legal Advertising Alicia Santillan (223-6578) Goat Landscapers to clean up funding for the Palo Alto their lawn, but the herd found an Transportation Management Avenidas Announces New CARE FORUM ADVERTISING SERVICES opening past a portable electric (TMA), the nonprofit Advertising Services Manager Association Kevin Legarda (223-6597) fence and decided to go on a charged with giving downtown FREE MONTHLY Sales & Production Coordinators nighttime adventure.