Vol. XXXV, Number 3 N October 25, 2013 School district plans own standardized testing Page 5 Palo Alto wants a say in what affects city the most page 26 Transitions 16 Pulse 17 Spectrum 18 Movies 24 Puzzles 50 NArts Provocative art that touches all of us Page 22 NHome Do you hear what I hear? Hammers! Page 31 NSports Whitfi eld proves quite a catch for Stanford Page 52 Page 2ÊUÊ"VÌLiÀÊÓx]ÊÓä£ÎÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°V THANK YOU Jackie and Richard thank you for trusting us to help you achieve your Real Estate Success. 678 College, Menlo Park 719 Elizabeth, Menlo Park* 1003 Almanor, Menlo Park 1530 University, Palo Alto 210 Montalvo, Emerald Hills 940 Monte Rosa, Menlo Park* 307 Barton Way, Menlo Park* 1941 Deodara, Los Altos 3500 Oak Drive, Menlo Park* Call Jackie and Richard for Your Free Home Consultation Jackie Richard 650-855-9700 650-566-8033 [email protected] [email protected] BRE # 01092400 BRE # 01413607 www.schoelerman.com *represented the buyer ÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°VÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊ"VÌLiÀÊÓx]ÊÓä£ÎÊU Page 3 Atherton Estate 147 Patricia Drive, Atherton 147patricia.com Offered at $7,750,000 Bedrooms 6 | Bathrooms 5.5 Home ±5,765 sf | Lot ±1.07 Acres Michael Dreyfus, Broker Summer Brill, Sales Associate Noelle Queen, Sales Associate 650.485.3476 650.701.3263 650.427.9211 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] BRE 01121795 BRE 01891857 BRE 01917593 Downtown Palo Alto Sand Hill Road dreyfussir.com 728 Emerson Street, Palo Alto 2100 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park )EGL3J½GIMW-RHITIRHIRXP]3[RIH 650.644.3474 650.847.1141 ERH3TIVEXIH Page 4ÊUÊ"VÌLiÀÊÓx]ÊÓä£ÎÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°V UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis In absence of state test, Palo Alto wants to give one anyway School board members ask for ‘continuity’ are being phased in, in 45 states “We as a district have to make excellence and then work to adopt in transition to new standards including California. The practice sure we have the CST continue the Common Core in an appropri- tests would not record results of until such time as we find a new ate fashion.” by Chris Kenrick individual students or schools. assessment,” member Camille Board member Melissa Baten orried about a loss of Kevin Skelly on Tuesday to look California Superintendent of Townsend said. Caswell said the board should not continuity in standard- into purchasing the CST or some Public Instruction Tom Torlak- “We’re early in the process dictate that the test necessarily be W ized testing, members of other kind of district-wide assess- son, who strongly pushed for the of even writing these Common the CST but ask for a recommen- the Palo Alto school board say ment for Palo Alto students. legislation, has advocated a quick Core assessment tools, so when dation from educators. they want local students to take A bill signed by Gov. Jerry shift from the old testing regime they say, ‘This isn’t rolled out’ — “The easy answer might be to some kind of test that counts next Brown this month ends CST test- and an embrace of the new. well, it’s really early, folks, and I just buy the CST because that’s spring despite recent state legisla- ing in California and orders school But Palo Alto school board mem- hate our district to jump too far the easiest way to go, but I just tion that suspends the California districts next spring to give prac- bers said they want to have a stan- ahead without having the appro- want to make sure you have room Standards Test (CST). tice tests based on the new Com- dardized measure of student prog- priate tools to evaluate our current They asked Superintendent mon Core State Standards, which ress during the transition period. excellence, maintain our current ­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ£Ó® EDUCATION City to step in on Palo Alto summer school Camps will expand in 2014 after school-district retreats on summer enrichment by Chris Kenrick alo Alto recreation officials This past summer the city say they’re looking to ex- logged 5,648 enrollments in its P pand city youth programs summer camps and aquatics pro- next summer to help compensate grams. It also hired 250 Palo Alto for the expected loss of non-aca- teens as camp counselors or junior demic summer school classes in counselors. Palo Alto. De Geus said the city offered 6iÀV>Ê7iLiÀ The city offer comes as school 145 camps and programs, men- district officials plan to scale tioning classes like advanced back next summer’s “enrichment” animation for kids, sports camps classes because of state legisla- and something called “robot and tion barring California school machine sculpture.” districts from charging summer “I think we’re going to be able That’s the spirit! school fees. In the past, the dis- to help,” he said. “We’ll have Ariya Momeny, right, and fellow sophomores erupt into a cheer at Palo Alto High School on trict has supported its summer to see how this year goes and Wednesday after winning a relay race against the seniors, earning points for the red team during enrichment programs through talk with families, and if there Spirit Week. The yellow-clad team looking on were the juniors. fees and scholarships while of- remains a gap we’ll rethink and fering academic “credit recovery” build even more capacity for the classes at no cost. following year.” LAND USE Rob de Geus, assistant director Kara Rosenberg, Palo Alto of Palo Alto’s Community Servic- Summer School coordinator and es Department, said the city will Adult School principal, said this expand an array of summer pro- week that the school district next New battles loom over ‘planned grams in sports, nature, art and summer would focus its resourc- recreation to accommodate fami- es “to assist the students who are community’ developments lies who otherwise might have most in need of an academic pro- signed their kids up for summer gram.” From Barron Park to Ventura, residents concerned about new, dense buildings school enrichment classes such as Next year’s elementary sum- cooking or Web design. mer school enrollment is pegged by Gennady Sheyner The city programs will be fee- for 400, down from this year’s ith residents in Barron Last year, the Pollock Financial at 395 Page Mill Ave. based, but low-income residents 662. At the middle school level, Park and Green Acres up Group bought a parking lot at the Both proposals are still in may qualify for 25 percent to 50 enrollment is projected for 150, W in arms against a planned northeastern corner of the intersec- their early phases. Last month, percent off, depending on their down from 463. High school housing complex on Maybell Av- tion, where it now looks to build the Planning and Transportation income. Any student enrolled programming, which focuses enue, their counterparts in Ev- a four-story, 50-foot-tall building Commission heard a presentation in the Palo Alto Unified School on credit make-ups, summer ergreen Park, Ventura and other that would be occupied by a bank. from Pollock but refrained from District, including the 600 East “bridge” classes for at-risk stu- neighborhoods around the city’s To do that, it would need Palo initiating the zone change. Instead, Palo Alto students enrolled in the dents and the required, semes- center are preparing for their own Alto officials to rezone the site it directed the applicant to return Tinsley Voluntary Transfer Pro- ter-long Living Skills class, will battles against dense development to “planned community,” which in four to six weeks, when the city gram, are considered Palo Alto be similar to this year’s, which eyed for their backyards. would allow the developer to exceed has at its disposal an independent residents, he said. served 1,037 students. The latest neighborhood to en- zoning regulations in exchange for economic analysis of the proposed “We’re still talking with the The ban on summer school ter the fray in the grassroots battle negotiated “public benefits.” This zone change. Several members of school district about additional fees follows a 2010 lawsuit by the against “planned community” is the same zoning designation the commission pointed to the rooms at schools across the com- American Civil Liberties Union zoning and densification is the sought by the Jay Paul Company, growing public opposition to PC- munity,” de Geus said. “Having that challenged fees for summer residential community around El which is looking to build two four- zoned projects and stressed the additional space is definitely im- school, sports uniforms, field Camino Real and Page Mill Road, story commercial buildings with need to demand adequate public portant for the city if we’re going trips and other education-related a congested intersection that is now 311,000 square feet of office space to increase capacity in our pro- the focus of several new proposals. a stone’s throw away from the lot, ­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊn® grams.” ­VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ£x® ÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°VÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊ"VÌLiÀÊÓx]ÊÓä£ÎÊU Page 5 Upfront Got Wrinkles? - Free Research Study 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK - For men and women ages (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER 18-65 forehead wrinkles William S. 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