Vol. XXIX, Number 60 • Friday, May 2, 2008 ■ 50¢ Heavy metal superhero Check out the Weekly’s pic soars online classifieds at fogster.com WeeklyWeekend Edition Page 16 www.PaloAltoOnline.com A portal on process What's behind the door at Silicon Valley's 22nd Annual Open Studios Page 10 Don Feria Worth A Look 14 Eating Out 19 Movie Times 16 Goings On 25 ■ Upfront Inside the Children’s Theatre investigation Page 3 ■ Sports Stanford hosts Rugby National Championships Page 31 ■ Home & Real Estate Los Altos home tour spans a century Section 2 JOIN OUR TEAM Make us a partner in your estate plan 7-year-old Joseph loves to play ball, but suffers from juvenile arthritis. Only a year ago, he was so sore and lethargic that he could barely walk. Today, under the care of pediatric rheumatologists at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Joseph is back to playing second base on his little league team. By including Packard Children’s in your estate plan today, you help children like Joseph receive specialized care not found at most hospitals. Your gift can create tax savings for your estate or help fulfill your financial goals — all while improving the health of children. Contact our gift planning office to learn more. Visit: www.lpfch.org/giftplanning or call (650) 736-1211. SUPPORT YOUR CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Palo Alto Weekly • Friday, May 2, 2008 • Page 2 UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis UPDATE: INSIDE THE CHILDREN'S THEATRE INVESTIGATION Children’s Theatre employees suspected of embezzlement Odd accounting system involving personal accounts and by the Weekly. theater, and funds deposited into lanta, Ga., and Ashland, Ore., ac- At the heart of the suspicion lies the accounts by the city, the non- cording to theater staff. traveler’s checks prompted cops’ suspicions a convoluted practice of financial profit Friends of the Children’s The affidavits reveal police al- by Becky Trout accounting by the theater group Theatre support group and par- legations, however, that theater mbezzlement has emerged ternoon. that Litfin himself told police was ents of children involved in the- staff used funds for personal pur- as the primary police theo- Police suspect Children’s The- “screwy” but that he defended as ater productions. chases, failed to account for how E ry underlying a continuing atre Director Pat Briggs, the late being “above board.” The accounts were used primar- the money was spent during trips investigation into the Palo Alto Assistant Director Michael Litfin The system involved bank ac- ily for expenses related to trips and didn’t return unspent city Children’s Theatre — with the and Costume Supervisor Alison counts in the names of theater that the theater group, including funds after the trips. The staff court-ordered unsealing of search- Williams of the embezzlement, staff members, a special City of the children, would take to places typically converted thousands of warrant affidavits Wednesday af- according to affidavits obtained Palo Alto bank account for the such as Southern California, At- (continued on page 4) Briggs’ attorneys challenge statements Procedures were followed, but investigators have made facts appear ‘sinister’ by Jay Thorwaldson ttorneys for Pat Briggs, the em- battled director of the Palo Alto A Children’s Theatre, sharply ac- cused Palo Alto police investigators Thursday of misinterpreting innocu- ous facts and “stringing them together to make them look more sinister.” “Overall there is absolutely no criminal intent in any of the actions that have been raised by the affida- vits,” as so far reported, Diane de Norbert von der Groeben/file Norbert von der Groeben/file Seve, Briggs’ criminal-defense at- torney, said. “Pat cooperated with the police and was interviewed for more than six hours,” de Seve said. The affidavits illustrate “why we typically advise clients not to talk to police alone, be- cause their comments are often taken out of context, misinterpreted and On Monday, Jan. 28, just days after police began their investigation of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre and placed several staff members then used against you.” on suspension, parents and youth at the theater shield their faces from the camera. John Parsons, who separately rep- resents Briggs in an administrative On Monday, Tor- investigation, agreed in a joint in- Trio with punk hairdos res appeared at the terview that both the handling of fi- North County Court- nances and sales of surplus costumes house in Palo Alto were done according to longstanding behind theater burglary? where he pleaded procedures. “no contest” to fel- “It was all open and above board,” Burglar provides details about the Children’s Theatre ony burglary for the he said of both how the costume sales break-in that led to financial-crimes investigation Children’s Theatre were handled and how the city was by Becky Trout incident in a plea- reimbursed for funds used to pay for bargain exchange for expenses when children involved in dmitted burglar Abraham mitted participating in the burglary an anticipated six- theater productions were taken on Esquivias Torres says two during a March 18 interview with month jail sentence, trips to see plays. He said the city is- A young men with odd hair- the Palo Alto police at the San Ma- according to Amy Pat Briggs, the embattled director of the Palo sued funds to theater staff and that dos and dressed like skaters and a teo County Jail, where he was be- Cornell, the District Alto Children’s Theatre, runs a rehearsal for a the city funds were reimbursed from young woman with multi-colored ing held on other charges. Attorney’s Office winter, 2007 production of “Snow White.” payments from parents and donations hair — apparently familiar with While investigating the burglary, spokeswoman. His for scholarships for children who oth- the inside of Palo Alto Children’s police became suspicious about the sentencing is sched- methamphetamine and marijuana erwise could not go on the trips. Theatre — initiated the fateful the- theater’s finances and launched a uled for June 19, she said. last summer but is now trying to Leftover traveler’s checks were to ater burglary at about 1 a.m. Mon- probe that motivated City Manager In a brief interview with the change his life. be used for Children’s Theatre pur- day, June 18, 2007, the Weekly has Frank Benest to place four of the Weekly outside the courtroom, Torres wore white pants, white poses or future trips, the attorneys learned. theater’s six employees on admin- Torres said two men and a woman said. Torres, 21, of East Palo Alto, ad- istrative leave Jan. 24. were involved. He said he used (continued on page 9) (continued on page 9) Palo Alto Weekly • Friday, May 2, 2008 • Page 3 Commitment To Excellence Upfront $500 Discount Coupon Embezzlement (with purchase of new roof) 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94302 (continued from page 3) ‘This is not only theft, Original Ownership Since 1975 (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER dollars of account funds into trav- but is also a direct All Types of Roofi ng & Gutters William S. Johnson eler’s checks, according to their Residential & Commercial S.C.L#785441 EDITORIAL own statements to the police. violation of City of Jay Thorwaldson, Editor “It is my belief that evidence 1901 Old Middlefi eld Way, Mtn. View 650-969-7663 Jocelyn Dong, Managing Editor Palo Alto policy.’ Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Associate Editors ... will tend to show that Suspect Keith Peters, Sports Editor Briggs, Suspect Litfin, and Sus- – Police affidavit Tyler Hanley, Online Editor pect Williams conspired to steal Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor City of Palo Alto monies through Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer the purchase and fraudulent use of the traveler’s checks. Arden Pennell, Becky Trout, Staff Writers “They identified these traveler’s Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Editor Traveler’s Cheques with funds ob- Karla Kane, Editorial Assistant tained from the City of Palo Alto,” cheques as their own and that they Marjan Sadoughi, Veronica Weber, Staff the series of affidavits filed by were repayment for personal mon- Photographers ies spent on the Children’s The- Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Bentson, Agent Jason Jenkins states. Lynn Comeskey, Kit Davey, Jack McKinnon, Receipts or records for more atre trips of leftover monies after Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Craig Wentz, than $43,000 of traveler’s checks repayment,” Jenkins wrote. Contributors Jillian Keenan, Alex Papoulias, Veronica purchased using city money are “This is not only theft, but is Sudekum, missing, the affidavits state. also a direct violation of City of Editorial Interns Palo Alto policy and not approved Nick Veronin, Arts & Entertainment Intern Sgt. Michael Yore, the lead in- Danielle Vernon, Photography Intern vestigator in the continuing Chil- by their supervisors or the City of DESIGN dren’s Theatre probe, also suspects Palo Alto Accounts Payable De- Carol Hubenthal, Design Director the staff of conducting “unlawful partment,” he stated. Diane Haas, Sue Peck, Senior Designers costume sales” from 2001 to 2007, However, Briggs said city funds Dana James, Paul Llewellyn, Charmaine Mirsky, Scott Peterson, Designers Jenkins wrote. are used to pay upfront for such expenses as airline tickets and al- PRODUCTION The theater’s annual surplus- Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager costume sales, run by and benefit- lows the theater to get group rates. Dorothy Hassett, Blanca Yoc, ing the Friends group, violate city The money is reimbursed by the Sales & Production Coordinators policy of not donating city prop- children’s parents and Friends of ADVERTISING the Children’s Theatre. Vern Ingraham, Advertising Director erty to organizations outside of Adam Cone, Inside Sales Manager the city without approval, police • Briggs told Officer Michael Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Asst.