6°Ê888]Ê ÕLiÀÊÎÎÊUÊ>ÞÊ£n]ÊÓä£ÓÊN xäZ Green light for Lytton Gateway Page 3 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Insights from one of Palo Alto’s celebrated centenarians PAGE 31 Neighborhoods 9 Title Pages 15 Spectrum 20 Eating Out 27 Shop Talk 28 Movies 29 Puzzles 77 NArts Locals make Broadway debuts in ‘Book of Mormon’ Page 24 NSports Stanford women’s water polo talks 3-peat Page 37 NHome Picture this: Exhibit showcases house art Page 45 3.1!!%! 50/,0621,0534,,,6"!# ! # !&%+$ (% " The Pediatric Weight Control Program changes the way kids see themselves, one pound at a time. As their weight goes down, their confi dence goes up. $$$!## 4%!-1)#$! %#$%! %) %$ #!&"$ $ " $ #!# !( 7 %#% ! %#!#!#$ !8#%#!&% %#!# %) %%&# # +$ !$"% '&*%#% %" $ 9%+$$%) $!# !#!&% %#!# %)% "#!#$'$% Page 2ÊUÊ>ÞÊ£n]ÊÓä£ÓÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°V UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Massive ‘Gateway’ building OK’d for downtown followed months of negotiations be- the most prominent example of the you do need mass to create anchors Four-story mixed-use development to occupy tween the applicants, Lytton Gateway city’s recent push toward develop- and scale for public spaces and for former Shell station site LLC, and Palo Alto’s planning com- ment that encourages people to use the community to use those spaces,” by Gennady Sheyner mission and council members. Dur- public transportation, a key tenet said Jim Baer, a developer who was ing that time, the project was scaled of New Urbanism. The building at a member of the application team owntown Palo Alto will soon Greg Schmid and Councilwoman down from five stories to four and the 355 Alma St., would be 50 feet tall along with Lund Smith, Boyd Smith have a prominent new “gate- Karen Holman dissenting, to approve developer was asked to scrap the plan and would include a corner tower and Scott Foster. D way” building next to the Cal- a zone change for Lytton Gateway, a to include 14 affordable-housing units about 70 feet in height. The council Lund Smith called the project train station, though the glassy devel- four-story building at the corner of in the project and to provide space for agreed with the applicants’ asser- “progressive” and said it is “an ex- opment won’t be as tall or ambitious Lytton and Alma streets that would retail at below market rate. tion that the building’s location near ample of what an urban develop- as the one originally proposed. include offices on the top three stories Once built, the project will trans- a major transit hub justifies its large ment can provide.” The City Council voted 7-2 early and space for retail and a nonprofit form a site that was once occupied size and high density. Tuesday morning, with Councilman group on the ground floor. The vote by a Shell gas station and become “There are certain locations where (continued on page 11) SCIENCE Moon to eclipse sun on Sunday Professor warns against unprotected viewing by Bryce Druzin ndrew Fraknoi has some ad- vice for what not to do during A the solar eclipse on Sunday, May 20: Don’t look at the sun with unprotected eyes. “Normally, who’s stupid enough to stare at the sun?” said Fraknoi, who chairs the Astronomy Depart- ment at Foothill College. “Mom taught you that, pain taught you that ... but somehow during an eclipse, especially if it’s in the newspaper, people go crazy.” In the Bay Area, the eclipse will be visible in the northwest portion of Veronica Weber Veronica the sky, with the moon beginning to move in front of the sun at 5:16 p.m. At its peak at 6:33 p.m., the moon will cover 84 percent of the sun. Fraknoi suggests people inter- Getting a charge out of it ested in seeing the eclipse go to a Visitors to Stanford Shopping Center will be able to charge more than store purchases, now that a DC fast-charging station for electric viewing site, such as the Foothill vehicles is available in the Quarry Road parking garage. The station, the first one available for public use in California, will charge a Nissan College Observatory, where viewing Leaf to 80 percent in a half hour. Pictured here is Mike Thompson, right, an electric-vehicle consultant, inserting the power plug into a Leaf equipment with proper filters will while talking with Paul Smith, left, chief electric-vehicle officer for Sustainable Unlimited Mobility and Project Green On Ramp, and Kim be available. Kinoshita, a Leaf owner, on Tuesday, May 15. For people who wish to view the eclipse on their own, Fraknoi recom- mends cutting a pinhole in a piece of “Emily dying is not just a per- classmate devastated Benatar’s cardboard or thick paper and allow- COMMUNITY sonal loss or a communal loss,” said childhood friends as they completed ing the sun to shine through the hole her friend Anna von Clemm. “It is a their freshman studies and trickled onto another piece of paper. The pro- loss to society. I know in the deep- back to Palo Alto for the summer. jected image will be safe to view. Classmates stunned by loss est part of me that Emily was going They flocked to the Benatar home “It will be as if the sun is cov- to do something not just great but as her parents, Lisa and Darrell, and ered up more and more by a black incredible with her life.” sisters, Isabel and Maya, observed disc,” Fraknoi said. “In the old days of vivacious Paly graduate Though Benatar had been vacci- the Jewish tradition of sitting shiva, people thought a monster was eat- Friends recall Emily Benatar as exuberant, creative, with nated against meningitis, she con- receiving friends at their house this ing the sun.” tracted a strain not covered by the past week. Sunglasses, exposed film and wide social circle vaccine. On Wednesday, the Benatars sat smoked glass do not provide suffi- by Chris Kenrick Initially lacking the classic symp- in their living room surrounded by cient protection for direct viewing. tom of a headache, she was twice countless bouquets, photographs, No. 14 arc-welder’s glass is a suit- undreds will gather Saturday Benatar’s friends at colleges sent home by doctors before a severe scrapbooks and other reminders able filter but not the lower num- to remember the life of Em- across the country were in the midst headache led to a diagnosis. After of Emily, including many of her bered glass. H ily Benatar, a vivacious 2011 of final exams when they learned an initial coma, she rallied, leading handicrafts. Viewers in other parts of the Palo Alto High School graduate their cheerful and accomplished to hopes she would recover. But a Lisa Benatar wore a simple neck- western United States, including who died May 9 in St. Louis, where childhood friend had lost her battle subsequent swelling of the brain lace of a rounded piece of sea glass Redding and Chico, will see what she had been a first-year student at against meningococcal disease after caused her death, her parents said. Washington University. three weeks in the hospital. The loss of their charismatic (continued on page 10) (continued on page 12) ÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°VÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊ>ÞÊ£n]ÊÓä£ÓÊU Page 3 Inspirations Upfront 450 CAMBRIDGE AVE, PALO ALTO, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 ‘‘ a guide to the spiritual community PUBLISHER William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jocelyn Dong, Editor FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC Carol Blitzer, Associate Editor Keith Peters, Sports Editor £nxÊÕÃÊ,>`]Ê*>ÊÌÊUÊ­Èxä®ÊnxÈÈÈÈÓÊUÊÜÜÜ°vVV«>°À}Ê Tyler Hanley, Express™ and Online Editor -Õ`>ÞÊ7Àà «Ê>ÌÊ£ä\ääÊ>°°Ê>`Êx\ääÊ«°° Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor In the old days people thought a ÕÀV Ê-V Ê>ÌÊ£ä\ääÊ>°° Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Tom Gibboney, Spectrum Editor monster was eating the sun. 10:00 a.m. This Sunday Sue Dremann, Chris Kenrick, Gennady Completed Joy Sheyner, Staff Writers — Andrew Fraknoi, Foothill College astronomy Eric Van Susteren, Editorial Assistant, Internship professor, on how people used to regard solar eclips- Rev. Dr. Eileen Altman preaching Coordinator es. See story on page 3. An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ Veronica Weber, Staff Photographer Dale F. Bentson, Colin Becht, ‘‘ Peter Canavese, Kit Davey, Iris Harrell, Sheila Himmel, Chad Jones, Karla Kane, Kevin Kirby, Jack McKinnon, Jeanie K. Smith, Susan Tavernetti, Contributors Junesung Lee, Bryce Druzin, Editorial Interns DESIGN Shannon Corey, Design Director Linda Atilano, Diane Haas, Scott Peterson, Around Town Paul Llewellyn, Senior Designers ONE SEXY VEGGIE ... Joanna Jack- the next game-changing technol- Lili Cao, Designer son, a native of Palo Alto, was raised ogy, Palo Alto’s Utility Department PRODUCTION a vegetarian and serves as an ideal is anxious to meet that person. As Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager model for a meatless lifestyle. No, lit- part of a new program that the City Dorothy Hassett, Samantha Mejia, Blanca Yoc, Sales & Production Coordinators erally, she’s a model, a triathlete and Council green-lighted in January, music buff. Jackson is one of the 10 the department is looking to partner ADVERTISING Tom Zahiralis, Vice President Sales & Advertising female finalists in the national “sexi- with people and companies involved Judie Block, Adam Carter, Elaine Clark, est vegetarian next door contest” in “emerging technologies” — that Janice Hoogner, Brent Triantos, Display sponsored by the nonprofit group is, “creative concepts for managing Advertising Sales Neal Fine, Carolyn Oliver, Rosemary People for the Ethical Treatment and using electricity, gas, water and Lewkowitz, Real Estate Advertising Sales of Animals (PETA). If her vegetar- fiber optics.” Utilities Director Valerie David Cirner, Irene Schwartz, ian/athlete/model credentials aren’t Fong said in a statement: “This re- Inspirations Inside Advertising Sales enough to make people feel guilty gion teems with emerging technolo- is a resource for ongoing religious services Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst.