the almanac 03.16.2011 - section 1

T H E H O M E T O W N N E W S P A P E R F O R M E N L O P A R K , A T H E R T O N , P O R T O L A V A L L E Y A N D W O O D S I D E

Woodside fire chief closes out 33 years of firefighting | 2

WWW.THEALMANACONLINE .COMM A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 1 | VOL . 46 NO. 29

?Too much tech?Portola Valley school

struggles to find the right balance of technology in the classroom ➢ Section 2

2 The Almanac March 16, 2011

represented by Scott Dancer

IMPRESSIVE EUROPEAN ELEGANCE in the HEART of ATHERTON

2969 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062 Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

Scott Dancer650.529.2454scottdancer.comDRE# 00868362

Wednesday, March 16

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March 16, 2011 The Almanac 3

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C A L L I N G O N T H E A L M A N AC

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Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac

New lookDesigner Natasha Kafai, left, and Katelynn Degnan, center, take one last look at model Laura Stelma before the green fashion show at Woodside High School on Friday, March 11. Natasha’s design won for most popular outfit among students.

Japanese firefighters fly back to Japan Twelve Japanese firefighters who spent last week training with the Menlo Park Fire Pro-tection District were able to fly back to Japan on Friday and Saturday, March 11-12, accord-ing to district fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman. There had been a plan for two of them to remain behind to lay groundwork for the another group of Japanese firefighters coming in for train-ing, but that training has been canceled, Chief Schapelhouman said. The Japanese firefighters were temporarily stranded here after Thursday’s earthquake and tsu-nami in Japan forced flights to be canceled. A local urban search and res-cue team, known as Task Force 3, which includes firefighters from the Menlo Park district,

is next in line from the Western Region to go to Japan if they are needed, the chief said. The Japanese firefighters fin-ished their training program Friday and gathered at the Oasis in Menlo Park to observe their

graduation. They like American hamburgers, pizza and beer, and throwing the peanut shells on the floor, the chief said. The graduation ceremony and photographs sessions were “pretty emotional,” the chief said. Some of the trainees are from areas of Japan affected by the

earthquake and tsunami, Chief Schapelhouman said. Teams from around the world come to Menlo Park’s training facility, the Baylands Struc-tural Collapse Training Center, located on the northern side of

the Bayfront Express-way, along the western side of the Dumbarton Bridge behind a PG&E electrical substation. There they learn rescue opera-tions from its staff, which has responded to disasters ranging

from floods to earthquakes to terrorist attacks, Chief Schapel-houman said. “We take those lessons and teach them not just what’s in a book, but make it real for them,” he said. “We teach them to adapt and overcome situations, and what they need to know before and during them.”

The Japanese firefighters were temporarily stranded here after

Thursday’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan forced flights to be canceled.


WOODSIDEPORTOLA VALLEY

Sale Dates: March 16, 17, 18, 19

Fresh Produce Deli Department

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2009 Sojourn “Rodgers Creek”, Sonoma Coast (94 points, Pinot Report) $47.99

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Celebrate

2011 Schedule of Events & Classes

YogaClasses

Classes Run Year RoundAt Independence Hall &

Woodside Village ChurchExerciseClasses

Yoga – Weekday mornings and Wednesday evening.Exercise Classes – Monday & Friday mornings.

Yoga Classes are currently filled…Call to be added to waiting list.

February - BroomballMarch –Adult Basketball

April –June - W-Ball – 4-6 year olds

May 7th– May Day Fun Run June thru Aug. – Co-Ed Softball

End of the Summer – Barn DanceNumerous other fun events –

Events

To register for classes & upcoming events: Call - Linda Martin – (Registrar) (650) 851-3534

For detailed information go to: www.WoodsideRec.com

WOODSIDE COMMUNITY RECREATION PROGRAM

M E N L O P A R K | A T H E R T O N | W O O D S I D E | P O R T O L A V A L L E Y


Menlo Park grows while neighbors shrink■ Census data for 2010 tracks demographic shifts in local towns.

By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

While Menlo Park’s popu-lation grew by 4 percent during the past 10 years,

neighboring towns Atherton, Por-tola Valley, and Woodside lost resi-dents, according to data released March 8. Saying he wasn’t sure if 4 per-cent was a large increase, Menlo Park Mayor Rich Cline suggested

the population may be growing slower than expected. “First, this is an infill com-munity, so there’s less physical room to expand. Second, the past decade has witnessed two different economic recessions, which slows growth,” he told the

Almanac. “Third, there has been little to no real new development in areas of obvious opportunity and that is a direct result of the city’s political culture.” He pointed to the Derry project. “We have a project, near transit, that has been approved by the

Planning Commission and the City Council, but it is ‘referended’ in an ugly confrontation between developer interests and com-munity preservation concerns,” Mayor Cline said. “Some of the reasons to challenge the project may have been valid. But the end

result is nothing. I am sure there are a few folks who are pleased with nothing, but I think most see this as a major disappointment.” The racial makeup of all four cities shifted as well, and while

See CENSUS, page 8

Atherton 2010 2000 Change

Total Population 6,914 7,194 -3.9%

Asian 911 704 +29.4%

Black or African American 75 50 +50.0%

Latino 268 200 +34.0%

White 5,565 6,141 -9.4%

Menlo Park 2010 2000 Change

Total Population 32,026 30,785 +4.0%

Asian 3,157 2,201 +43.4%

Black or African American 1,551 2,163 -28.3%

Latino 5,902 4,803 +22.9%

White 22,494 22,274 +0.9%

Portola Valley 2010 2000 Change


Asian 242 178 +36.0%

Black or African American 12 18 -33.3%

Latino 175 149 +17.4%

White 3,960 4,146 -4.5%

Woodside 2010 2000 Change


Asian 332 267 +24.3%

Black or African American 23 20 +15.0%

Latino 243 232 +4.7%

White 4,717 4,828 -2.3%

Woodside may step up punishment for violating heritage tree ordinanceBy Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

The trees of Woodside and those who love them would be justified in feel-

ing cautiously optimistic about a coming revision to tree protec-tion laws. The Town Council is considering a change that could financially persuade even some deep-pocketed residents into get-ting a permit before cutting down a heritage tree. If the council acts on the incli-nation it showed on March 8, the revised law — staff is working on revisions — could require violators to pay for the purchase, planting and maintenance of a full-grown heritage tree equiva-lent in size and presence to the illegally removed tree. Replacing such a tree is com-plicated, Henry Ardalan, presi-dent of City Arborist, a Menlo Park tree care and landscaping company, said in an interview. To be successful, the arborist must account for the time of year, the species, site conditions and the location, which may need to accommodate a flatbed truck and a crane. The cost could be anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 to replace one tree, Mr. Ardalan said. Under the current system of fines, set in 2007, violators are supposed to pay $5,000 for the first illegally cut heritage tree, $7,500 for the second and $10,000 for each one after that. But in September 2009, when it came time to mete out the pun-

ishment, the council backed off. Residents Dr. Eric and Jacquie Weiss were facing fines of at least $92,000 after a “misstep,” Dr. Weiss said at the time, in not obtaining a $60 permit before thinning a grove of about 35 trees on their Sand Hill Road property by removing 10 significant Coast Live Oaks. A tree is significant in Wood-side if it measures 9.5 inches in diameter at 48 inches above ground. The Weisses said they planned to restore a corral area that had become overgrown. They appealed to the council, which reduced the fine to $10,000 after reaching a consensus on the couple’s good intentions. Another test case could be ahead. During the council’s meeting, a resident of West Maple Way spoke of an incident in which her neighbor, without giving notice or getting a permit, reportedly had workers fell a strip of significant trees that bordered the resident’s driveway. “They were fined,” the resident said. “The fine has not been paid. The owner is waiting to see if you change the ordinance to see if (the fine) goes down,” the resi-dent said. “How do you value a tree? How do you value my property now that my privacy is gone,” she asked the council, noting that young replacement trees would delay the return of her privacy by 30 to 40 years. “I’m furious. I’m

See TREES, page 8

Kids perennially at play in Town Center


Sherry Cagan of Portola Valley sculpted these two children in bronze for placement near the playground at Town Center. The work, called “Joyous Blessings,” is meant to honor the bountiful open space that is available in town for kids of all ages. “There’s more open space here than any place I’ve ever been,” she says.

By Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

For the foreseeable future, there will be two girls play-ing in the redwood grove

near the playground at Por-tola Valley Town Center. Day and night, these kids will be there. They will not grow old, though they may acquire shiny places where real kids touch them. The two life-size bronze statues, known as “Joyous Blessings,” are meant to “warm the (Town) Cen-ter up a little bit and add a little culture for the kids,” said sculptor and Portola Valley resident Sherry Wolfenbarger Cagan in a phone interview.

“It’s been real-ly sweet because the little kids go up to them and they’re so enamored,” Ms. Cagan said. The work honors the plentiful open space in town. “I just love the fact that our children here in Portola Valley can go and play just about any-where,” Ms. Cagan said. “There’s more open space here than any place I’ve ever been.” Ms. Cagan, who is retired, said she has worked mostly on com-mission. The bronze “Horse in Motion” at the Stanford Red

Barn is her work and based on a series of photos taken in 1877 by Eadweard Muybridge at the behest of then Gov. Leland Stanford to settle the question of whether horses had moments of being airborne while run-ning. Ms. Cagan has a studio and sculpture garden at her Alamos Road home, which she shares with her husband Laird and their children. The couple were major donors to the campaign to build the new Town Center, having given $1.4 million in stock in 2008, campaign spokeswoman SallyAnn Reiss said at the time. A

Sherry Cagan

Note: Racial and ethnic populations may overlap. Source: U.S. Census Bureau


Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital 20th Anniversary

LECTU R E SE R I ES

4th Annual Autism Spectrum Disorders Update for:

Parents and Professionals: Bridging the Gap

April 2, 2011 at 7:45am – 4:30pm

This one day conference will

be led by a panel of experts

from our autism spectrum

disorders program and will

spotlight recent fi ndings and

innovative clinical approaches

to treating autism.

The symposium will be held in McCaw Hall in the Francis C. Arrillaga Alumni Center. 326 Galvez Street, Stanford, California 94035. Parking is free at Galvez Field (corner of Galvez Street and Campus Drive East).

Registration $100. Fee includes a continental breakfast and buffet lunch.

For further information, please call (650) 721- 6327 or e-mail [email protected].

Register online at http://childpsychiatry.stanford.edu

For additional 20th Anniversary Lecture Series offerings, visit anniversary.lpch.org

The people depicted in this brochure are models and are being used for illustrative purposes only.


N E W S

For answers to any questions you may have on real estate, you may e-mail me at [email protected] or call 462-1111, Alain Pinel Realtors. I also offer a free market analysis of your property. www.MonicaCorman.com

Lenders Are Offering Borrowers Some New Options

REAL ESTATE Q&Aby Monica Corman

Q: Dear Monica: I am in the market for a new home and have been shopping for a loan. Given the economic shakeup of the past few years I would like to get the safest and best loan I can find. Do you have any suggestions? Jane R.

A: Dear Jane: If we have learned any-thing from the economic crisis of the past few years it is that homeowners who were not over-leveraged or who did not experience high loan interest rate changes in their adjustable rate loans, these were the ones who were able to ride out the downturn and keep their homes. The market the Mid-Peninsula is gaining strength and as new buyers enter this market, many of them are looking for the most stable yet attractive interest rate they can find. The traditional 30-year

fixed rate loan is a very good choice if you want to know what your payments will be for the life of the loan. You can acceler-ate the principle payments and shorten the term of this loan, or use the entire 360 month period to pay it off.

Some lenders are offering a new twist to the more volatile adjustable rate loan. Borrowers can take advantage of the lower rate five, seven or ten year adjust-able interest-only loans, and receive an even lower rate if they make principle payments too. For the right borrower, this would offer a very attractive rate as well as a chance to build up more equity by paying down some of the loan at the same time. You should look for the lender that offers you the best payment options for your needs and peace of mind.

FASHION ADVICE Anyone considering purchasing non-pre-

scription “fashion” contacts over-the-counter or on the Internet should know that they pose a number of risks. While the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) holds prescription con-tact lenses to a quality standard befitting other “medical devices” under its purview, decorative contact lenses available without prescription are not under any real control. Thus, these fashion accessories (which are regarded as toys by some users) can lead to any number of problems,

ranging from pain and inflammation to serious infection and vision loss. A scratch on the eye can lead to blood-vessel growth on the cornea. These consequences are nothing to take lightly. Contact lenses are not to be toyed with.

If you’re like most people, you probably order some products online so that you don’t have to drive around. Since contact lenses are worn only on the eyes, they affect the way your eyes func-tion. Protect your eyes by having professional eye examinations and wearing prescription lenses that meet your needs. Please bring your prescrip-tion to MENLO OPTICAL at 1166 University Drive, on the corner of Oak Grove Avenue and University Drive, or call us at 322-3900 if you have questions about eyewear. We carry hard, soft, and bi-focal contact lenses and provide instruction on how to wear and clean them.

P.S. Advertising claims made for fashion con-tacts such as “one size fits all” may not be true for many of us.

Mark Schmidt is an American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners Certified Optician licensed by the Medical Board of California. He can be easily reached at Menlo Optical, 1166 University Drive, Menlo Park. 650-322-3900.

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Fergusson leads council in travel expensesShe spends $12,476 during two terms.By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

Menlo Park’s council mem-bers fall into two camps — no, not development

vs. no-growth — more like, spend-thrift vs. profligate when it comes to spending city funds on trips related to city business. Out of 10 council members who served at any time since 2004, Kelly Fergusson, who was elected to the council that year, holds the record for most travel expenses, even before last week’s now infamous trip to Washington, D.C., to visit with locally based politicians and stay in a $400-per-night hotel. According to city documents obtained by the Almanac through a public records request, Ms. Fer-gusson has filed 60 requests, for a total of $12,476.34, since 2004. The only other current council mem-ber serving since December 2004 is Andy Cohen, whose total spending was $1,815.13. Mr. Cohen’s total represents 22 requests. That’s an average of $1,996 per year of spending for Ms. Fergus-son, and an average of $290 per year of spending for Mr. Cohen. Ms. Fergusson’s tab includes two daytrip tours of water infrastruc-ture that each cost close to $600; a $744.79 airplane ticket to Fresno; a Seattle conference; and at least two dozen regional dinner meetings. Ms. Fergusson serves on the Bay Area Water Supply and Conserva-tion Agency, making the tours of water infrastructure relevant to council business. Three other council members approached her record — but only in number of requests. Nico-las Jellins filed 25, for a total of $3,216.29 during the three rel-evant years; Heyward Robinson, with 23 requests that added up to $5,511.81 during four years in office; and John Boyle, who during his four years in office asked for 24 reimbursements and received approximately $1,711, although he was the only council member to get reimbursed for Blackberry accessories. Most council members, upon taking a turn as mayor, saw their travel expenses rise, with the exception of Rich Cline, who to date has filed only six reimburse-ment requests totaling $766, and who, despite being on his second term as mayor, has resisted the urge to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a three-day event that cost Menlo Park $2,057.77 for Ms. Fergusson to attend in 2007 and $3,512.94 for Mr. Robinson in 2009 — a price tag that included a $1,229 plane ticket to D.C. Wondering whether Menlo Park is subject to a double standard,

since travel by other local coun-cils such as Palo Alto apparently doesn’t generate as much conster-nation, Mr. Robinson said in an e-mail that a cheaper plane ticket wasn’t available since he waited to confirm the flights until after he

became mayor; he added that he was able to stay with friends for free instead of paying $600 per night for a hotel room. “While it’s certainly appropri-ate for the public and the press to scrutinize expenses by their elected officials, I don’t think that the importance of face-to-face meetings is being suf-ficiently appreciated,” said Mr. Robinson, who left the council

last December. “It’s well known that if you want to influence federal funding and policy, you need to travel to Washington.” Mayor Cline said that while big conferences are great, they don’t do much for Menlo Park. “Our issues are very parochial in many ways,” he said. “There is a ton of info online — lots of ways to fol-low other cities to learn how they render decisions and lots of folks to talk with to exchange ideas. I have never been an advocate of confer-ences and I rarely see it worth the expensive costs of investment.” However, Ms. Fergusson said those conferences allow her “to bring back best practices through-out the nation.” Other events, such as Progress Seminars in Monterey, she said, are “educational about regional issues. I’ve gone almost every year on my own dime and only billed the city for two.” How about the council new-comers? Peter Ohtaki has spent $1,036.65 so far on one voluntary training event for newly elected mayors and council members in Sacramento. Vice Mayor Kirsten Keith attend-ed the same “new council mem-ber” event, but has also filed five additional expense reports, tying her with Mr. Cline for number of requests even though she’s been on the council for only four months.

Number of Travel and Reimbursement Requests

Boyle

Cline

Cohen

Duboc

Fergusson

Jellins

Keith

Ohtaki

Robinson

Winkler

Total Travel Expenses from 2004 to present

Boyle

Cline

Cohen*

Fergusson*

Jellins

Keith

Ohtaki

Robinson

Winkler

Boyle

Cline

Cohen

Duboc

Fergusson

Jellins

Keith

Ohtaki

Robinson

Winkler

Boyle

Cline

Cohen*

Fergusson*

Jellins

Keith

Ohtaki

Robinson

Winkler

‘While it’s certainly appropriate for

the public and the press to scrutinize expenses by their elected officials, I

don’t think that the importance of face-to-face meetings is being sufficiently

appreciated.’

FORMER COUNCILMAN HEYWARD ROBINSON

The * indicates the only two Menlo Park council members who have served on the council from 2004 to the present: Kelly Fergusson and Andy Cohen. Also, Lee Duboc's expenses are not included due to illegible record copies.

See TRAVEL, page 14


N E W S

the amount of housing available increased, so did vacancy rates across the board. Overall, the state population increased by 10 percent from 2000 to an estimated 37,253,956 people; San Mateo County is home to about 2 percent of that population.

Atherton In Atherton, the white popu-lation decreased 9.4 percent to 5,565; the Asian population increased 29 percent to 911; and the Latino popu-lation increased 34 percent to 268. The number of available housing units increased by only 25 to 2,530, with a vacancy rate of 7.9 percent, almost double the rate in 2000.

Menlo Park Menlo Park’s Latino popula-tion increased 23 percent to 5,902; the Asian population increased 43 percent to 3,157; and the African American or black population dropped 28 percent to 1,551. The white population saw a tiny rise of 1 percent to 22,494. “You see the same thing in East Palo Alto,” said Tomas Jimenez, associate professor of sociology at Stanford who stud-ies immigration, assimilation, and ethnic and racial identity. “One of the things that’s hap-pening is that we had a huge run-up in housing prices. Many of the longtime residents, many African Americans, cashed out,” he said. The residents moved to areas like Stanislaus County, where they could buy bigger homes at better prices. As local housing opened up, Latinos moved in, Professor Jimenez said. As for the increase in the Asian population, he thought that might be described as an influx of employees in the sci-ence and high-tech industries. “We see this all over Silicon Valley,” he said. “They don’t necessarily fit the stereotypical immigrant experience. They’re highly skilled, they can afford to buy homes here.” Available housing in Menlo Park lagged behind the popula-tion growth, increasing by 3 per-cent. The vacancy rate doubled from 2000.

Portola Valley The demographic shifts in Porto-la Valley reflected regional changes; its while population decreased 4 percent to 3,960; the Asian population increased 36 percent to 242; and the Latino population increased 17 percent to 175. Housing units increased by 7 percent during the decade in Portola Valley, while vacancies nearly doubled to 8 percent. Portola Valley Mayor Ted Driscoll said the change in the town’s demographics is “sim-ply reflective of the increasing diversity of the whole Bay Area, and that diversity is one of our

area’s greatest strengths. “What I’m very proud of is that a resident from 25 years ago would recognize the place today, and someone from today would rec-ognize the town

25 years from now,” he added. “The people slowly change but the valley remains remarkably the same.”

Woodside In Woodside, the white popu-lation decreased 2 percent to 4,717; the Asian population increased 24 percent to 332; and the Latino population increased 5 percent to 243. “I would say personally I am extremely gratified to see an increase, albeit modest, of eth-nic diversity in our community,” Woodside Mayor Ron Romines said, adding that he was speak-ing for himself not the town. “I think everyone benefits when we can associate on a personal basis with neighbors of differ-ent ethnic, cultural or religious backgrounds.” The town added 127 hous-ing units in 10 years, and saw its vacancy rate, like that of its neighbors, double to 8 percent. David Reilly, principal of Woodside High School, had this comment on the census num-bers: “Woodside High School has always embraced changes in demographics, as these changes add to the vibrantly diverse aca-demic and social community. Our academic and extra-curric-ular activities tend to mirror these changes, as evidenced by the wide variety of clubs and elective offerings.” A

Renee Batti and Dave Boyce contributed to this story.

CENSUS continued from page 5

furious at this person’s attack. They had their people in my driveway working on it. ... I hope you raise the fines.” The neighbor has appealed the penalty to the council, Town Manager Susan George said. Any change to the fines would not likely affect this incident, Mayor Ron Romines told the Almanac. As for a $100,000 tag to install one tree, Mr. Romines said he was surprised and that the council will be looking for a way to deter egregious acts while not assessing unreasonable penal-ties.

Assessing penalties A March 8 staff report by Ms.

George included a survey of tree protection laws in nine Bay Area communities, including Atherton, Portola Valley, Palo Alto and Redwood City. Fines of $500 and $1,000 are common. Woodside’s fine is “rather high,” she said. The staff rec-ommended a standardized and predictable process, such as a requirement to either replace the tree or pay a fine of twice the tree’s appraised value as speci-fied in an industry reference book. The replacement option could require a refundable bond from the violator to help the tree through its vulnerable first two years If a more severe penalty is needed, as in the case of a wan-ton clear-cut, the town could attach a code violation to the property that would halt all development there until the

replacement trees are safely growing, about two years. “We were thinking that that would be a deterrent to doing whole-sale cutting,” Ms. George said. “It seems like the ideal solu-tion is to replace the tree with an equivalent tree,” Mayor Rom-ines said. “I really think that a very stiff number is needed to educate people that you don’t remove trees.” “I’m very troubled by peo-ple finding loopholes to drive through,” Councilwoman Anne Kasten said. “Nobody’s going to pay the fine,” Councilman Peter Mason said. “It’s going to get finagled and what do we do to the fina-glers?” Enforce the code violation, which has a side effect of com-plicating any attempt to sell the property, Ms. George replied. A

TREES continued from page 5

The increase in Asian population is seen as tied to an influx

of employees in science and high-tech

industries.

Census data tracks shifts in local demographics Coaches awarded for Challenger team

Deer carcass found near Priory school The carcass of a deer that may have been killed by a mountain lion was found near a Portola Valley school Wednesday morn-ing, March 9, San Mateo County emergency officials said. The carcass was discovered at about 7:30 a.m. in the 200 block of Portola Road, near Woodside Priory School. Emergency officials said there were tracks nearby that may

have been left by a mountain lion. There have been a number of mountain lion sightings in the Woodside and Portola Val-ley areas in the past few weeks, but wildlife officials say the cats generally avoid confrontations with humans. However, county officials advise residents to keep an eye on small children and avoid

jogging or hiking at dawn, dusk, and at night when mountain lions tend to roam around. In the event of a mountain lion encounter, wildlife officials advise residents to face the animal, make noise and try to appear as large as possible. Visit keepmewild.org for information on mountain lions from the California Department of Fish and Game.

By Miranda SimonSpecial to the Almanac

Menlo-Atherton Lit-tle League coaches Bob Crowe and

Doug Kaufman have won a Positive Coaching Alliance award for their work with youth with physical, mental and emotional challenges, according to alliance spokes-person Valerie McCarthy. Crowe and Kaufman will be awarded the Double-Goal Coach Award at PCA’s 10th annual National Youth Sports Awards Dinner and Auction at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Menlo Park on Thursday, April 7. The event will also hon-or San Francisco Giants Manager Bruce Bochy with the PCA’s Ronald L. Jensen Award for Lifetime Achieve-ment. Bochy led the Giants to their 2010 World Series victory. In 2009, Crowe and Kauf-

man launched the Menlo-Atherton Little League’s Challenger team for youth with physical, mental and emotional challenges. The Challenger team featured a “buddy system,” which cou-ples volunteers with players who need aid on the field. This is meant to give young volunteers life lessons and gives parents a chance to cheer for their children instead of assisting them on the field, McCarthy said. Crowe has served as a coach at Hillview Middle School and Kaufman at St. Raymond School (K-8), both in Menlo Park. “Whenever I get a team, I tell them there is one key rule they cannot break,” Kaufman said. “They have to be positive about their team-mates. If they win as a team, great. If they lose as a team, great. But it’s got to be done as a team.” The dinner will include live

and silent auctions. PCA National Advisory Board member and San Francisco 49ers broadcaster Ted Robin-son will serve as master of ceremonies. A

Bob Crowe, left, and Doug Kaufman

INFORMATIONVisit tinyurl.com/66guy7m to explore the 2010 census data.

INFORMATION

PCA’s 10th annual National Youth Sports Awards Dinner and Auction will start at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 7, with a reception and silent auc-tion. The dinner starts at 7 p.m. In lieu of attending, donations of any size can be made in the coaches’ honor and will be recognized at the event.Visit tinyurl.com/PCAdinner to purchase tickets.


N E W S

Constance Esther Rhodes dies at 104 Constance Esther Rhodes, who lived in Menlo Park the past 65 years, died March 5. She was 104. Born June 8, 1906, in San Francisco to Ida Brown and August Waidman, she lived in California her entire life. She was well known in Menlo Park and on the Peninsula for many years, said her grand-daughter Coleen Duncan of Atherton. She was active at the Menlo

Park Presby-terian Church for over 60 years and was involved at the Little House Activity Cen-ter for 40 years, Ms. Duncan said. “It is a great loss to many people who knew her, but she had a wonderful 104 years on this earth and should

be celebrated,” Ms. Duncan said. She was buried at Alta Mesa Cemetery in Palo Alto next to her husband, Irving “Dusty” Rhodes, who died 29 years ago. “Chickie,” as she was known to her family for the past 20 years, is survived by her daugh-ter, Sylvia Duncan of Atherton, who co-owns the Menlo Park Academy of Dance in Menlo Park; four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Pool, budget, travel on MP council agendaBy Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

When the Menlo Park City Council returns for a meeting on

Tuesday, March 15, it will have to hear a word that those on the dais were perhaps hoping to not have to hear again for a while: “Pool.” At least this time the topic isn’t awarding a contract to operate the city’s public pools. Instead, the council will decide whether to spend $423,158 to upgrade the Belle Haven pool,

which will be managed this summer by Team Sheeper, a business that already operates the Burgess Aquatics Center. Community Services Direc-tor Cherise Brandell said the upgrades have been on the city’s list of capital improve-ments for several years, as the fiberglass pool liner at Belle Haven is now 20 years old. Talk will then turn to the state of the city’s budget, and Councilwoman Kelly Fergus-

son will cap off the evening with a report on her trip to Washington, D.C. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at the Civic Center at 701 Laurel St.

Getting ready foran emergency With the tragedy still unfold-ing in Japan, disaster prepared-ness is on many residents’ minds. The Atherton Disaster

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A community health education series from Stanford Hospital & Clinics

Jerry Young had had a routine endoscopy and assumed that the hoarseness that appeared in his voice was an after-effect of that exam. “If it doesn’t go away in a cou-ple of weeks, make an appointment with an ENT,” his doctor told him. It didn’t and Young went to see an ear, nose and throat physician, who thought the redness on Young’s left vocal cord was caused by a virus.

Young was not convinced. He had been retired from his job as an engi-neer and yet his information-seeking mindset continued. His research made him suspect that cancer was the cause. A friend of his wife, under treatment for cancer at Stanford Hospital & Clinics, recommended he see a physician there.

His redness was cancer, a squamous cell carcinoma. It was small, at a very early stage. Radiation offered as much as a 90 percent chance of removing the cancer, so Young went through that treatment. But the cancer remained and Edward J. Damrose, MD, director of the Stan-ford Voice and Swallowing Center, became Young’s doctor.

In the midst of his fear about the cancer, Young prepared himself for the worst. He didn’t think about what surgery might bring; he just wanted the cancer out. “Both my mother and brother died young, of pancreatic cancer. I knew mine was neither as aggressive or lethal as theirs, but

having any kind of cancer was not something I wanted,” he said.

More than soundHe did trust Damrose’s knowledge. “I had a lot of confidence in Dr. Damrose, in him as a person and his ability to make good decisions,” Young said.

What Damrose did was a surgery that saved Young’s ability to speak without any kind of mechanical equipment inserted in his neck, preserving his dignity and freedom of expression. In a surgery done only at a few medical centers in the U.S., Damrose removed the part of Young’s larynx where the cancer lay. Then he closed the gap by connect-ing the two main supports of the larynx, the cricoid cartilage and the hyoid bone. Instead of air vibrating through the muscular vocal cords, it vibrates with the help of cartilage, allowing a human voice instead of a robotic one to say the words that form Young’s life. The procedure is called a supracricoid laryngec-tomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy.

Young’s surgery was one of just a dozen times in the last year that Damrose, one of the nation’s few experts in the procedure, per-formed at Stan-ford Hospital & Clinics.

The voice is, of course, as dis-tinctly identify-ing as a person’s face. Perhaps even more than the face, the voice is a nuanced

Speaking Up To Save A Voice:New Surgery Creates A Vocal Platform

Foremost for Jerry Young was getting rid of the cancer that had grown in his larynx. Losing his voice would have been hard, but he was willing to let it go. He didn’t know until after his surgery at Stanford that his doctor there was someone who knew a procedure that gave Young’s voice a chance at preservation.

Jerry Young, a retired engineer, is fully recovered from his larynx cancer surgery, with plenty of energy to get back into his home workshop, in full voice.

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roebenaudio track of every possible emo-tion. From the interplay of the vocal folds, muscles, cartilages, nerves, tongue, mouth, palate and lungs comes the ability to form words that resonate and emerge as audible communication.

The ability to speak can be altered by a number of changes in that set of voice-enabling components, includ-ing loss of muscle mass, decreased saliva and vocal cord atrophy or pa-ralysis. And, surgery for cancer.

Challenging circumstancesCancer of the larynx is the most commonly diagnosed head and neck cancer. Between 10,000 and 12,000 new cases emerge each year in the United States. But it is the least common cause of hoarseness. Its symptoms also include difficulty swallowing, coughing up blood, sore throat and trouble breathing.

Any surgery in these tight quarters must be done precisely. “One mil-limeter too far one way,” Damrose said, “and you’ve cut out an impor-tant nerve needed to speak. Too far the other way and you’ve left cancer behind, or your patient will never swallow again.”

That precision, he said, is even more of a challenge because “you are cut-ting through thick and muscular tissue,” he said. If a patient has had radiation, that treatment can distort and swell the structures’ appear-

ance, adding another level of dif-ficulty.

“I had no idea that voice sparing was an option,” Young said. “Dr. Damrose just said, ‘We’ll go in and take this thing out.’ He didn’t want to get my hopes up, I think, so he didn’t get into specifics. It was months later that he asked if I wanted to know the specifics. I had

Jerry Young jokes that his wife, Kersten, likes his new, lower vare active grandparents who love to travel.

“ I had no idea that voice sparing was an option. I had no idea Dr. Damrose was one of the few in the U.S. with the ability and skill to do this surgery.”

– Jerry Young, Stanford Hospital & Clinics patient

“ Once you look at what you’ve got, it becomes very intuitive as to why it works and works so well. I’d like to see it more routinely offered, to preserve more larynxes.

– Edward Damrose, MD, Director of Stanford Hospital & Clinics Voice and Swallowing Clinic


special feature

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no idea that he was one of the few in the U.S. with the ability and skill to do this surgery.”

The traditional approach has been to remove the entire larynx, following failed chemotherapy or radiation. It’s a relatively quick surgery about four hours, compared to the seven hours Damrose needed for Young’s partial laryngectomy. The impact is hugely different. With a total removal of the larynx, speaking is possible only with external help. The most com-mon involves a prosthesis that fits into a hole in the throat; some work when pressure is applied, others can function hands-free. For oth-ers, speaking requires an electronic device pressed against the throat to amplify vocal sounds. Sometimes, some of the nerves to the tongue can be affected, damaging the ability to swallow and taste.

Advancing optionsThe psychological trauma, Young said, is immense. He saw it first when he went to a meeting of a laryngectomy support group and found himself the only person with-out a prosthesis. “None of the people

Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of “America’s Best Hospitals,” Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. It is part of the Stanford University Medical Center, along with the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. For more information, visit stanfordmedicine.org.

the first U.S. surgery. Now, he is training others. “I’d like to see this more routinely offered, to preserve more larynxes. It’s an operation that has a high degree of suc-cess and predictable results. It’s worth-while trying.”

Young is an example of someone whose cancer was caught early, “otherwise a healthy, vibrant, vi-tal guy who can now look forward to years of quality voicing,” Damrose said.

Several months went by before Young knew what his voice would sound like. After four months, he could make himself understood. He has a new vocal reality, a new normalcy, he calls it, with delightful wit. “My wife loves that I can’t yell at her anymore,” he said. And its deep tone, with a roughed edge, has won some admirers. “Lots of women say it’s very sexy,” Young said, with a bit of a blush.

He still loves to do woodworking projects, to cook and to travel, but he has added another mission to

there had ever even heard about the surgery I’d had.”

Developed in the 1950s and popular-ized by French surgeons, the sur-gery Damrose performed on Young was not done in the US until the 1990s. Damrose describes the ap-proach as elegant. “It was hard to vi-sualize why it should work,” he said, “but once you look at what you’ve got, it becomes very intuitive as to why it works and works so well.”

Yet its frequency remains low. The most recent data shows that in pa-tients who fail radiation, up to 50 percent may be candidates for the voice-preserving partial laryngec-tomy.

Damrose trained with that physi-cian and with the physician who did

his life letting others know about the voice-sparing surgery he had. “I want to spread the word,” he said. Every month he returns to Stanford for a meeting of the local chapter of SPOHNC, Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer.

“I could sit around and feel sorry for myself because I don’t have a normal voice,” Young said, “but I realize how lucky I am, lucky that the cancer was found early and lucky to have found Dr. Damrose.”

Jerry Young worked to build strength in his voice after his surgery. Even though he can’t speak loudly, the life he has with his wife, Kersten, is as full as ever.

The Anatomy of Voice· Vocal cords are two bands of smooth muscle located in the larynx,

sometimes call the voice box

· The larynx is located at the top of the trachea, or windpipe

· Sound is created as air from the lungs vibrates the vocal cords

Protecting Your Vocal Health· Drink plenty of water, for its moisturizing effect

· Don’t smoke. Smoking raises the risk of cancer and vocal cord polyps. Alcohol consumption by smokers also increases risk. As many as 90 percent of head and neck cancers are related to use of these substances.

· Keep your voice below the yelling and screaming level, which strains the vocal cords.

Laryngeal Cancer· Symptoms can include persistent hoarseness, difficult or painful swallowing,

ongoing sore throat, difficulty breathing, pain in the ear, lump in the neck.

Common Vocal Cord Conditions· Laryngitis: an inflammation that can be caused by infection, overuse of the

voice, inhaled irritants or gastrointestinal reflux

· Nodules: small, benign and callous-like growths

· Polyps: soft, benign and blister-like growths

· Vocal cord hemorrhage, paralysis or weakness

When to See Your Doctor· If you have hoarseness or a change in voice that lasts for more than

two weeks

For more information about partial laryngectomies, visit: stanfordhospital.org/voiceandswallowingclinic or call 650.723.5281. Join us at stanfordhospital.org/socialmedia.

volume voice because he can’t yell at her any more. The two

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Edward Damrose, MD, Director of Stanford’s Voice and Swallowing Clinic, checks up on Jerry Young with a gentle touch. Damrose used a partial laryngectomy to remove Young’s cancer but save his natural voice.

“ I realize how lucky I am, lucky that the cancer was found early and lucky to have found Dr. Damrose.”

– Jerry Young, Stanford Hospital & Clinics patient

The Woodside Town Council, in its annual review of proposed spending on road improvements over the coming two budget years, unanimously accepted a plan on March 8 to spend about $706,800 on 13 roads, but their attention focused on pedestrian improve-ments. The plan showed $40,000 for pedestrian projects in the 2011-12 budget year and $20,000 for 2012-13. Perhaps that latter figure should be $40,000 as well, Councilman Peter Mason said.

“I think we really ought to think about what we’re going to do for pedestrians,” Mr. Mason said, refer-ring in particular to a much-used section of Woodside Road between the elementary school and Canada Road. “I think we ought to be dedi-cating at least $40,000 a year,” he said. Mayor Ron Romines, agreeing that improving walkways in town is a priority, suggested thinking about

an optimum plan for pedestrian access. The plan also includes per year spending of $5,000 to rehabilitate bridges, $5,000 to seal cracks in asphalt, and $10,000 for road strip-ing.

Recruiter hired to find new town manager The Town Council of Woodside on March 3 voted to hire a recruiter to find a new town manager, and the firm that the council hired

— Sacramento-based Peckham & McKenney Executive Search and Consulting — offered a guarantee: if the new manager leaves within two years, the company will find a replacement at no cost other than expenses. The council’s decision was unani-mous, with Councilwoman Sue Boynton absent. To be fair, such guarantees came from most of the 10 recruiting firms that responded to Woodside’s request for proposals. The council was acting in response to Town Manager Susan George’s Jan. 25 announcement that she’ll be retiring in January

2012 after 18 years heading the Town Hall staff. The search for Ms. George’s replacement will cost the town $16,000, plus expenses not to exceed $6,500, according to Peckham’s proposal, which is posted on the town’s website under the link Cur-rent Issues & Events. Peckham & McKenney has found managers or assistant managers for several Bay Area cities, including Belmont, Mill Valley, Palo Alto and Redwood City. In its proposal, the recruiter said it specializes in find-ing “hidden” candidates, including those who may not be considering a new position.


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Woodside fire chief closes out 33 years of firefighting

Road, pedestrian path improvements coming WOODSIDE NOTES

By Dave BoyceAlmanac Staff Writer

Residential life in Wood-side and Portola Valley and nearby communities

is scenic if not always idyllic. It’s also dangerous. The forests include highly flammable euca-lyptus, acacia, pine, juniper, scotch broom, French broom and coyote brush. Tectonic plates meet along the San Andreas fault, which runs under both towns. Protecting an upscale lifestyle in the midst of this, implanting in residents’ minds the constant threats of wildfire and earth-quake, is one significant task for Fire Chief Armando Muela and the members of the Woodside Fire Protection District’s gov-erning board. For Chief Muela, 54, it won’t be a daily issue for much longer. He has announced plans to retire on April 29 after 33 years in firefighting, including 17 years with the Woodside district, the past four and a half as chief. In late March, the district governing board will pick a new chief from among the five bat-talion chiefs in the Woodside district, Chief Muela said. Chief Muela isn’t going any-where. He lives in Emerald Hills and said he plans to volunteer with the area’s disaster prepared-ness programs and to remain associated with the district’s foundation advisory board. The Woodside-Portola Valley Fire Protection Foundation raises money through donations for community-oriented expenses such as renewing firefighting equipment and facilities and funding fire prevention and training initiatives. With retirement, Chief Mue-la’s day-in-day-out tether of a cell phone and pager will be left behind. “There’s not a day when I’m not actively engaged (in district activities),” he said in an interview in his simply

furnished office at the fire sta-tion in downtown Woodside. “I think it’s time for me to kind of take on some new challenges and reinvent myself.” He said he looks forward to his 13th year as a chaperone for middle school kids on a 22-mile hike into and out of the Grand Canyon, to improving his golf game, and perhaps to college classes on subjects such as reli-gion and political science. Chief Muela began with two years as a firefighter for the state, then two more in the private sector as an ambulance paramedic, he said. The next 30 years included 14 with the fire department in South San Francisco and the rest with Woodside, where he instituted a paramedic program that put advanced-life-support crews on fire engines. Ambulances at the time had a response time of 15

to 20 minutes, he said. Chief Muela retired under a rule for public safety employees that at age 50, they can retire with 3 percent of their current salary for every year of service up to 30 years. Chief Muela will receive about $162,000 a year, he said. Cashing out his unused vacation and sick leave should add up to $90,000 and he will have lifetime health care cover-age for himself and his spouse, he said. Generous benefits. Asked to comment, Chief Muela replied: “My guess is that we will be managed down,” meaning that the state Legislature will act to “claw back” some ben-efits of retired public employ-ees, including firefighters and police. “Government will shrink to a size that will be the new normal. I believe there’s a movement

afoot by labor to understand this,” he added when asked to comment on the very public dispute in Wisconsin over bar-gaining rights for unionized public employees.

A peaceable district That movement has appar-ently been afoot for a while in the Woodside fire district. Unlike their counterparts in the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, Woodside firefighters have not seen their labor negotiations roil out into public and make news. Why? For one thing, the district is relatively small, which allows it to be “nimble,” he said. But the key, he added, is being open and transparent with firefight-ers because “it sets them up for change.” Everyone sees the financials and he said he e-mails the entire staff on how other fire

districts respond to their own financial issues. Firefighters also help in the details of choosing new fire engines. “Every member in this orga-nization contributes,” he said. “That gives them ownership. They have a piece of it. When change does come, it’s not as hard to go through.” “We all sacrifice,” he added. No one in the district has seen a raise or increase in benefits in three years, he said. “The labor body has been unbelievable, has been great to the fire district,” he said. “Everybody in this organization is giving back. ... It’s a pill that you have to take. We all swallow the pill and we move forward.”

Cooperative by nature Among his accomplishments, Chief Muela noted the fire dis-trict’s improved and improving relations with the towns of Por-tola Valley and Woodside. Asked to comment, Portola Valley Town Manager Angie Howard said in an e-mail that the relationship with the district “has evolved and is very good. Armando is†good to work with, is proactive, he†is responsive, and keeps Susan and I informed when something important hap-pens in town.” Woodside Town Manager Susan George struck the same note. “The townís relationship with the fire district has been very positive since Armando was named as chief,” she said. “He is very open and collaborative and I have thoroughly enjoyed work-ing with him. ... I’ll really miss Armando.” “Working in Woodside is such a unique feeling,” Chief Muela said. His daily commute is not interrupted by even one traffic light and visiting fire chiefs regu-larly comment on the serene settings of the fire stations and the lower tensions of working in such an environment, he said. A


“I think it’s time for me to kind of take on some new challenges and reinvent myself,” says Armando Muela, who plans to retire April 29 as chief of the Woodside Fire Protection District.

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Drastic cuts to Caltrain rail service are likely to be averted, Steve Heminger,

the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s executive director, told the commission’s Planning and Allocations Committee on March 9. The commission is work-ing with Caltrain’s financing partners — Santa Clara Coun-ty’s VTA, San Mateo County’s SamTrans and San Francisco’s Muni — to cobble together a financing deal that would help the 147-year-old rail line reduce a $30 million operations deficit

starting July 2. Caltrain officials have warned that they would slash the num-ber of trains, reduce the sched-ule to weekday peak-commuter times only, and close up to seven stations along the San Jose to San Francisco route. Service to points south of San Jose’s Diridon station would be eliminated, cutting off residents from Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Martin, if all of the pro-posed cuts are implemented. But Mr. Heminger said fare and parking increases, changes to its upcoming expiring contract with Amtrak, and potentially using some money reserved for Caltrain electrification might be options for a temporary fix. He also outlined a plan for VTA and Muni to pay $8.9 million in

reimbursement funds the agen-cies owe SamTrans for fronting the purchase of the rail’s right-of-way in 1991. “We’re close to putting togeth-er a near-term, two-year plan to avert some of the deep service cuts proposed,” Randy Rent-schler, the commission’s spokes-man, said. But “there are going to be some cuts — no two ways about it,” he said. The decision about which cuts will be made is up to the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which manages Caltrain, he added. Mr. Rentschler said he could not specify how the funding deal will work out. “We have a list of possibilities we’re looking at but we don’t have a prioritized list,” he said. A


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Five candidates running for election to the position of San Mateo County District 1 supervi-sor are expected to be on hand to take questions at two forums in March. The countywide all-mail-in-ballot election begins on April 4 and ends on May 3. The first forum, put on by the Bay Area Youth Summit, takes place between 1 and 3 p.m. Sat-urday, March 19, at the San Mateo City Council Chambers at 1900 OíFarrell St. in San Mateo. The second forum is set for 7 to

8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, at the Veterans Memorial Senior Center at 1455 Madison Ave. in Redwood City. This event will be co-hosted by the Redwood City Woodside Democratic Club, the San Mateo County Demo-crats, and the Peninsula Young Democrats. Candidates expected to attend are, in ballot order, Burlingame Mayor Terry Nagel, Deputy Attor-ney General Gina Papan, business-man Michael G. Stogner, educator and consumer advocate Richard Holober, and school trustee and businessman Dave Pine. The winner will fill the District 1 seat formerly occupied by Mark Church, who left the Board of

Supervisors to run for and win (in November) the multiple-position office of assessor, county clerk-recorder, and chief elections officer. Although District 1 represents communities at the northern end of the county, from South San Francisco extending south to San Mateo and the San Francisco International Airport, every reg-istered voter in the county has a vote. In addition to being mailed in, ballots can be dropped off at the elections office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo and in ballot boxes in every city or town hall in the county, but they must be received by May 3.

■ But there will be some cuts, official says.By Sue Dremann

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Deal may help Caltrain avert drastic cuts

Mayors to deliver meals to elderly The mayors of Atherton, Men-lo Park, Portola Valley and Woodside will spend part of Wednesday, March 23, delivering meals to homebound residents of their communities, according to the Menlo Park-based Penin-sula Volunteers Inc., which runs local facilities and programs for seniors, including Meals on Wheels. Mayors participating are Jim Dobbie of Atherton, Rich Cline of Menlo Park, Ted Driscoll of Portola Valley, and Ron Romines of Woodside. Don Horsley, San Mateo County supervisor for District 3, will also participate. “This is the fifth year our mayors have been involved with the national Mayors For Meals Day,” said Bart Charlow, execu-tive director of Peninsula Volun-teers. The national campaign, called March For Meals, aims to raise awareness of hunger among the elderly and to encourage action by local communities. Go to peninsulavolunteers.org for more information.

Meeting: How hospital expansion impacts city

Two forums ahead for county supervisor election

By Sandy BrundageAlmanac Staff Writer

After reviewing the envi-ronmental impact report (EIR) on the Stanford

hospital expansion, the Menlo Park Transportation Commis-sion decided to postpone mak-ing a recommendation to the City Council. Instead, Commissioner Ray Mueller is drafting a prelimi-nary recommendation that will be discussed during a spe-cial meeting of the com-mission set for 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 18, in council chambers at the Menlo Park Civic Center at 701 Laurel St. “The sheer volume of infor-mation discussed at the meet-ing required a thoughtful drafting of the recommenda-tion,” Mr. Mueller said. The $3.5 billion project would bring about 1.3 million square feet of new develop-ment and more than 2,200 new employees to Palo Alto by 2025. It could also add an estimat-ed 10,000 new daily car trips to the area, making the additional traffic in Menlo Park a primary concern for the commission. Commissioner Martin Engel

said the problem isn’t just the Stanford expansion, but also the Bohannon Gateway project, which is predicted to generate a similar amount of traffic. Facebook coming to town — even though the corporation says 40 percent of its employees use alternatives to driving to get to work — along with the potential Cargill development project in Redwood City makes

the local traf-fic situation even more worrisome. “ T r a f f i c increases have a synergy or m u l t i p l i e r effect,” Mr. Engel said. “The whole

becomes greater than the sum of the parts.” “The effect will be the Man-hattanization of Menlo Park,” he said, and added that the traffic studies are artificially low-balled. “As a city, we are doing far, far too little to mitigate the effects of that. It is my wish that the city council take a very strong oppositional stand to all these potential traffic incursions.” Go to http://tinyurl.com/SUMC-EIR to read the envi-ronmental impact report on the Stanford hospital expan-sion. A

‘The effect (of increased traffic) will be the

Manhattanization of Menlo Park.’

MARTIN ENGEL, MEMBER, MENLO PARK TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

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Preparedness Team, in collab-oration with the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, wants to teach new members how to get ready for an emergency. The group meets at 9 a.m. on the first Saturday of every month in the Atherton town hall at 91 Ashfield Road. The

next meeting is set for Satur-day, April 2. Contact Hanna Malak at [email protected] for more information.

Dancing at the library Who says libraries and danc-ing don’t mix? Not Menlo Park. On Saturday, April 2,

the main library will host Joe Marchi from the Center for the American Musical to dis-cuss choreography in Ameri-can musicals. The presentation starts at 11 a.m. in the downstairs meeting room of the library at 800 Alma St. Free van service is provided for Menlo Park seniors and those with disabilities. Call 330-2512 to schedule a ride.

NOTEScontinued from page 9 Soaring garbage rates

back on council agendaBy Renee BattiAlmanac News Editor

How should the Atherton City Council proceed with an inevitable gar-

bage rate increase — earlier proposed at 63 percent to 98 per-cent? The council will revisit that prickly question when it meets Wednesday, March 16. The issue was put on hold last month, when a public hearing on the proposed rate hike drew a crowd of unhappy residents, and interim City Manager John Danielson suggested that he tackle some of the many questions raised about the uncommonly high rate-hike proposal before the council votes on new rates. Mr. Danielson will report on what he and outside analysts learned from their investigation over the last few weeks. Also on the agenda is possible approval of a set-tlement agreement with Pacific Penin-sula Group, a large development firm that sued the town to recover road-impact fees it paid before the town stopped charging the fee. The council will meet in closed session before the regular meeting, which begins at 7 p.m., to discuss and possibly sign off on the proposed settlement.

Rate hike Mr. Danielson’s report to the council will address, among other issues, questions pertain-ing to the $334,000 balance the town owes to Allied Waste, which provided garbage collec-tion service for many years until Recology took over the contract in January. The report offers a breakdown of costs reportedly contributing to that debt, including higher-than-expected worker’s compensation and other employee costs, and higher disposal fees charged to Allied by the county. Mr. Danielson told the Alma-nac that complicating the matter is that, over the years, the town “didn’t raise rates consistently and concurrently with (Allied Waste’s) rising expenses.” He noted that an audit of Allied Waste’s books is expected to be completed by September, at which time the firm will have to justify its final charge to the town. The proposed rate schedule would make Atherton rates the highest in the county, and the percentage of the increase would far surpass that of any other public agency in the 13-member joint powers authority that over-

sees garbage collection services on most of the Peninsula. The cost of service for the smallest garbage cans available — 20 gallon and 32 gallon — would increase by 63 percent, with incremental increases for larger containers of up to 98 percent. By comparison, rates in unin-corporated areas in the West Bay Sanitary District rose by 35.6 percent; Hillsborough’s rates are likely to rise by 25 percent; Redwood City’s rates rose by 18 percent; and Menlo Park’s rates are likely to rise by 15 percent. Mr. Danielson said that in addi-tion to past garbage rates that didn’t reflect the increasing costs of the service, Atherton is being asked to pay higher rates because of its small number of households

and its lack of commercial busi-ness, which typi-cally is charged a far higher rate than residences. Recology’s fuel

and employee costs to provide ser-vice in Atherton must be covered by a smaller number of customers, driving up the per-customer rate, he noted.

Lawsuit settlement? The proposed lawsuit settle-ment with Pacific Peninsula Group, which was hammered out in mediation, is confidential until approved by the council, Mr. Danielson said. If the council signs off on it in its special, closed-session meet-ing, which begins at 5 p.m., it will take an official vote on it during the public meeting, with members of the public given the chance to comment. There is also a public comment period at the beginning of the 5 p.m. special meeting. Pacific Peninsula sued the town to recover nearly $300,000 in road-impact fees it claims it was charged illegally. The council last year autho-rized refunds of a portion of the fees paid by builders before the town abandoned the fee in late 2009 due to controversy about its legality. Pacific Peninsula’s lawsuit aimed to force the town to refund the fees it paid in their entirety. The special council meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the Town Hall administrative office at 94 Ashfield Road in the Atherton Town Center. The regular meet-ing begins at 7 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, also in the town center. A

ATHERTON

The town may also settle a lawsuit over road-impact fees.

With total reimbursements of $1,227.36, however, she pushed ahead in the cost category as compared with the mayor’s $766 during his four-and-a-quarter-year tenure. Highlights: the Mount Olive Annual Crab Feed ($40); the San Mateo County/Silicon Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau annual meeting

($65), and a State of the Valley conference ($150). City Manager Glen Rojas explained the council travel policy: A $10,000 fund covers travel costs for all five council members as part of the annual city budget. They can either ask the city to pay in advance, or request reimbursement. When the trip involves traveling out of state, the reimbursement must be approved, before or after the fact, by the council

during a regular meeting. He said the council as a whole usually doesn’t spend the full $10,000; any leftover money returns to the general fund. Ms. Fergusson sounded irri-tated when the Almanac asked her about the expenses, and refused to answer questions about the D.C. trip, saying an expense report would be coming shortly. “It doesn’t seem like you cover actual news anymore,” she said. A

TRAVEL continued from page 7


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N E W S

This information is from the Atherton and Menlo Park police departments and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Under the law, people charged with offenses are considered innocent until convicted.

ATHERTON

Auto burglary report: Window smashed, first block of Marymount Ave., March 5.

MENLO PARK

Grand theft report: Three-phase circuit breakers stolen, 100 block of Constitution Ave., March 9.Auto burglary report: Loss esti-mated at $50 in break-in and theft of wallet, 300 block of Sharon Park Drive, March 4.Stolen vehicle report: Gold 1995 Honda Accord, 1300 block of Willow Road, March 7.Fraud reports:

■ Loss of $847 in unauthorized use of credit card, 1100 block of Univer-sity Drive, March 10.■ Identity theft, 1000 block of Laurel St., March 5.

WOODSIDE

Commercial burglary report: Arrests made in connection with items stolen from 20 lockers after bolt cut-ters used to cut locks, Woodside High School at 199 Churchill St., March 4.Assault report: Blows exchanged with injuries to two caretakers on dif-ferent shifts at same residence but who do not get along and signed citi-zens arrest forms on each other, 100 block of Vineyard Hill Road, March 7.Incident report: Unauthorized trimming of redwood trees in traffic island at inter-section of state Highway 35 and High-way 84, Alice’s Restaurant, March 9.

LADERA

Auto burglary report: Vehicle bro-ken into and Apple iPod Touch sto-len, 100 block of Erica Way, March 8.Theft report: Unauthorized use of credit card stolen from unlocked vehicle, 300 block of La Cuesta Drive, March 8.

WEST MENLO PARK

Theft report: Dry cleaning valued at $550 stolen from side of house, 1000 block of Sherman Ave., March 4.

POLICE CALLS

Paul R. Langdon

P A I D O B I T U A R Y

Paul R. Langdon of Redwood City, California, passed away peacefully on February 28th, 2011. Paul was born in Columbus, Ohio on February 17, 1914. A celebration of Paul’s life was held on Monday, March 14th at 2:00pm at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, 950 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park.

Paul was preceded in death by his loving wife, Marjorie, and his son, Robert. Paul is survived by his son, Larry, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

For 30 years, Paul was Manager of Finance and Accounting, and Assistant Treasurer, of Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio. He served on the Columbus School Board of Education for 28 years.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in Paul’s memory to Menlo Park Presbyterian Church Missions Department, 950 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park CA 94025; or to Forever Young (Paul’s caregivers), Palm Villas, 1931 Woodside Rd., Redwood City CA 94061.


Ralph Raymond Luckenbach passed away 2-17-11 at his Menlo Park home of 57 years, surrounded by his family. He was much loved and will be missed greatly. Born on 5-28-25 in Sacramento, CA, only son of Ralph B. and Celia Raymond Luckenbach. He graduated from Hoover High School in San Diego in 1943, and served with the Marines , ’43-’46. Ralph attended San Diego State ’46-’48, transferred to UC Berkeley and graduated in ’50 with a degree in Electrical Engineering (EE). His postgraduate work was at Cal also. He married Glenna Brannon, of San Diego, on 1-30-49, a union that was to last over 62 years and produced 3 treasured sons. He enjoyed his grandchildren, especially when visiting with them at family gatherings . Ralph was a 26 year engineer (’56-’82) with Ampex Corporation. In ’82, he retired as a Staff Engineer. He was a musician at heart, having played trombone in marching bands, dance bands and orchestras through his college years. Big Band, Swing and Jazz music were his very favorites. Survivors include his wife, Glenna and 3 sons, Steve, his wife Lori, their children James and Lisa, Mark, his wife Carole and their children John and Catherine and David, his wife Lillian and their children, Julia and great grandson Oliver, and Alice. He is also survived by his younger sister, Janet Babbit of Lakewood, WA. He was predeceased by his sister Carolyn Henderson and his parents. Ralph requested no services. The family will gather in his honor. Remembrances may be sent to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation or KCEA-FM at Menlo-Atherton High School.

Ralph R. Luckenbach1925-2011

Janice Mary Pausa, “Jan”


Our beloved daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, mother and grandmother died February 28th, 2011 of cardiac failure. Jan fought several health issues in her life with great courage and strength. Her joyful spirit was always present. Jan passed with husband and brother at her bedside.

Born December 1933 in Alta, Iowa to Evelyn and Al Hanson, Jan was the oldest of three siblings. She spent her formative years in Oakland, California. In Jan’s early years she learned tennis from a neighborhood coach while becoming a ranked junior tennis player. Jan had a zest for life and a passion for the great outdoors spending many family camping trips fishing and hiking.

Jan graduated with honors from Castlemont High School in 1952. Then continued on to the University of California at Berkeley where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. During her time at UC Berkeley she fell in love with Clements Edward Pausa, “Ed”. Ed and Jan were married in 1955 at the Newman Hall on the campus of UC Berkeley.

Following college, Jan worked as an accountant in San Diego and Long Beach while Ed served on active duty with the Navy. Jan and Ed moved several more times in California to support Ed’s career in the growing semiconductor industry. By 1959, Jan and Ed lived in Los Altos where their first son Geoffrey was born. The family then moved to Portland, Maine where their second son Ronald was born.

With Janice’s sense of adventure, the family next moved to Hong Kong. Jan felt fortunate to travel all around the globe. She found the cultures interesting and exciting. In 1968, Jan’s family returned to California and by 1976 the family settled into their current home in Atherton. Jan became an active

member of Peninsula Volunteers which is an organization supporting local senior citizens. Jan served as Treasurer and President of Peninsula Volunteers where she was instrumental in the development of Crane Place; an award winning affordable senior housing complex in Menlo Park.

Jan was a teacher and lover of all sports; from football and baseball to golf, tennis and the Olympics. Her love of sports was handed down to her boys. Year after year she would arrange fantastic ski trips to Lake Tahoe with her family and many friends. As an avid sports fan, she could be found watching sports on TV every weekend or she would join her mother and family at the Oakland stadium watching the A’s defeat the Giants or the Raiders defeating the 49ers.

She will be remembered as a devoted wife, mother and grandmother with tireless energy bringing excitement, love and laughter to those around her.

Jan is survived by her mother Evelyn Hanson, brother Kern Hanson, sister Aleen Hassard, husband Ed Pausa, two sons Geoff and Ron Pausa, and two grandchildren Zachary and Ashton Pausa.

Funeral services were held at 11am on Monday March 14th at the Church of the Nativity, 210 Oak Grove Ave, Menlo Park CA 94025. In lieu of flowers please consider donations to: Stanford University Cardiovascular Institute, 2700 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Please indicate “The PARTNER Trial” in the memo section of your check.


Alvin A. Rathbun, 88, a long-time resident of Portola Valley passed away February 23, 2011, six months after suffering a stroke. He died peacefully surrounded by his family.

Born in West Hartford, Connecticut, Alvin graduated from Mount Hermon Prep School in Massachusetts and earned bachelor degrees from Middlebury College and Stanford University. He served in the Army in Italy during World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart.

While stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Alvin met his future wife, Ella Virginia “Gini” Madison of North Carolina, and they were married in 1949. They moved to California and had two daughters, Victoria and Susan. Alvin earned an MBA from Stanford and co-founded a soils engineering firm, Testing and Controls, which later became Earth Systems, where he served as Secretary-Treasurer. He loved his work and didn’t retire until well into his seventies.

Alvin was instrumental in the incorporation of the Town of Portola Valley and served on the town’s Planning Commission for several years. He was president of the Palo Alto Kiwanis Club from 1980 to 1981, a group he continued to enjoy and support. Alvin was a charter member of the Alpine Hills Tennis and Swim Club and helped guide it in its early years. For nearly forty years he could be

found most Saturday mornings on a tennis court enjoying a lively game. He was also a charter and continuing member of the Alpine Hills Investment Club. Al played the cello for many years often accompanied by his wife, an accomplished pianist, and his family and friends on other instruments.

In 1995 Alvin lost Gini, his wife of forty-six years, to cancer. Two years later he married Sally Elizabeth Lemoin, who had also lost her first husband, Donald Lemoin. Al and Sally did quite a bit of travelling and enjoyed time with friends and family. Al continued to ride his bicycle until age 87.

Alvin is survived by his wife, Sally Lemoin Rathbun, daughter Susan Martin, step-daughter, Lisa Lemoin, grandsons John Gregory, Matthew Gregory and Mark Gregory, sister Eloise Lewis and many nephews and nieces.

A service to celebrate Alvin’s life will be held March 19, 2011 at 2pm at the Woodside Village Church in Woodside, CA. In lieu of flowers please send donations to Middlebury College in Vermont, Boys Town in Nebraska, or the Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto.

Alvin A. Rathbun


James (Jim) Thomas Byrnes

Resident of Los Altos (formerly of Woodside)

February 8, 1945 – March 2, 2011

A life lived with passion, purpose and performance.

Following 66 years of bringing love and laughter to all those around him, our beloved Jim entered into rest on March 2, 2011. The eldest of three children, Jim was born in San Francisco, CA to John and Claire Byrnes. He was raised in nearby Millbrae, and he later earned a B.A. in psychology and an M.B.A. in marketing from San Francisco State University. Jim would go on to teach marketing courses at SFSU before finding success in sales during the next two decades.

Most recently, Jim discovered his true passion as a realtor with Keller Williams in Palo Alto, and his mission was to help clients make the right lifestyle choices to achieve greater success and enjoyment. He was recognized by The Wall Street Journal for being in the Top 1% of agents nationwide. In January of 2011, the National Real Estate Forum Association recognized Jim’s extensive philanthropic efforts by awarding him the “Get by Giving” award. Yet despite his numerous professional accolades, Jim considered his roles as a family man and friend his greatest accomplishments.

Jim is survived by daughter Shea Byrnes of San Francisco; son Eric (Tarah) Byrnes of Half Moon Bay; brother Michael (Catherine) Byrnes of Fresno; sister Claudia Byrnes of Campbell; Uncle Wayne (Nancy) Alexander of San Mateo; and niece and nephew, Valerie and Sean Byrnes, of San Francisco. Jim was the proud “Great Pa” of Chloe, Cali and a third grandchild due to arrive this fall. He is also survived by former wife of 28 years, Judy Byrnes—mother of Shea and Eric.

In 2007, Jim met his dearly loved companion Kathy Bridgman, a fellow Bay Area realtor. Their connection was instantaneous; the duo danced, dined, traveled, golfed, hugged and laughed their way through the next four years. With open arms, Jim embraced Kathy’s three children and extended family, becoming an honorary “Great Pa” to her five grandchildren along the way.

Although Jim left us far too soon, we take solace in knowing he lived each day to the fullest. He never missed an opportunity to tell people how much he cared for them. A true optimist, he believed that all experiences—good or bad—were opportunities for personal growth. In his own words, “Life is not a linear journey up or down. Life is full of cycles and wondrous opportunities if we just take the time and perspective to recognize them.”

Jim’s zest for life was contagious—a lover of baseball, live music, traveling, a good Pinot Noir, the great outdoors, and above all else, family. We will miss his sky-blue eyes, his easy smile and his vigorous hugs. His dedication to spiritual growth and making others happy put him in a league of his own. As a skin cancer survivor, Jim gave his time and energy to the Melanoma Research Foundation. He met weekly with the Men’s Covenant Group, a gathering of dear friends based out of Menlo Park’s Presbyterian Church.

Jim had a 5th Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate, and he was an avid skier, tennis player and golfer. He often livened up family events with an impromptu saxophone or piano performance, or by getting out the karaoke machine. He was incredibly generous in opening the doors of his vacation homes in Lake Tahoe and Maui for friends to enjoy, as these were two of his most cherished spots on the planet.

Dad, Great Pa, Brother Jim, our sweet Jimbo, although we miss you beyond description, we trust that you have traveled on to a place where every view is “magical” and your soul will dance for all eternity.

Thank you for gracing us with your heart of gold and changing our lives forever. We have no doubt that you have moved on towards even greater success and enjoyment.

A memorial service and celebration of Jim’s life is planned for Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 1:00 pm at the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church (950 North Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park). A reception will follow at Sharon Heights Country Club (2900 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park). In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Melanoma Research Foundation: www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/jim byrnes/Melanoma-Research-Foundation. Donations by check should be mailed to the Melanoma Research Foundation, 1411 K Street NW, Suite 500, Washington D.C. 20005. Please include “In Memory of Jim Byrnes” in memo section of check.

Council member has conflict on rail project Editor: At the end of the March 1 Menlo Park City Council meet-ing, Kelly Fergusson announced she was headed to Washington, D.C., to express the city’s views on high-speed rail and appar-ently on Caltrain electrification. This trip was not previously disclosed and had not been approved by the council. Kelly Fergusson works for Sie-mens, which has been trying to become a vendor for the project. There is certainly now a question of whether she should recuse herself from any high-speed rail discussions. She talks about a two-track option. Two tracks is not an option for high-speed rail. How many times do high-speed-rail officials have to say that the proj-ect demands two tracks for itself? Since Union Pacific Railroad

and Caltrain currently use two tracks, four tracks in some con-figuration is going to be needed. The council discussion indi-cates the city’s lobbyist, Ravi Mehta, didn’t even have a good plan for the visit. Finally, Ms. Fergusson men-tions Caltrain electrification. Is there a city policy on Caltrain electrification? Ms. Fergusson

seems to think so, since she says she will be working to get the money for electrification. The city’s lobbyist, Ravi Mehta, told National Review Online that, “The cities — not just the councils, but the community itself — supported high-speed rail, and they are still supportive, but only if the project is done right.”

If this is the city’s position, it certainly should not be. This project has ballooned from $32 billion to $65 billion in two years. The state is in dire financial shape and still we are supposed to be supportive? Again form your own opinion.

Morris BrownStone Pine Lane, Menlo Park


The brouhaha set off when Menlo Park City Council member Kelly Fergusson announced that she was trav-eling to Washington, D.C., to represent the city’s posi-

tion on high-speed rail — and expected the city to pay $400 a night for two nights in a first-class hotel — has uncovered a woefully inadequate council travel policy. After submitting a public records request with the Menlo Park city clerk, the Almanac received City Council travel

records going back to 2004. The documents show that, since her election that year, Ms. Fergusson was by far the city’s most frequent traveler,

racking up more than $12,000 in expenses. Former mayor and council member Heyward Robinson ran up the largest single bill — $3,500 for one three-day trip to Washington, D.C., in 2009, which included a $1,200 plane ticket. The city sets aside $10,000 each year to fund council travel expenses. It is loosely administered by city staff, who simply reim-burse members when they submit receipts for in-state travel. A council vote is required for the city to pay for out-of-state travel, although it is rare for the council to turn down a travel expense request from a colleague. It should also be said that council mem-bers are expected to travel to routine meetings, although lobbying in Washington, D.C., has not been a common occurrence. In light of Ms. Fergusson’s costly trip and a council policy with few controls, it is time to rewrite the policy and get con-trol of council travel at taxpayers’ expense. For starters, rather than approve travel payments after the fact, trips should be approved in advance by a council majority for in-state and out-of-state travel. And, rather than allowing members carte blanche to run up whatever expenses they wish, including staying at expensive hotels when many others are available at

much lower rates, the city should simply set a daily reimburse-ment limit. Expenses over that limit would not be eligible for reimbursement. In most cases, council members travel to attend regular meetings of the League of California Cities, which are gen-erally thought to be worthwhile. But Ms. Fergusson’s trip to Washington, D.C., accompanied by the city’s lobbyist to address high-speed rail issues, should have been thoroughly discussed in advance by the council. In this situation, the public should have received a clear idea of what message the council wanted to convey to congressional representatives and other federal officials. Ms. Fergusson announced her trip toward the end of a very late council meeting, and although colleague Kirsten Keith was not convinced a member needed to accompany lobbyist Ravi Mehta, no one asked Ms. Fergusson to remain behind. Other issues surfaced about the trip, including Ms. Fergus-son’s alleged conflict of interest because she is employed by Siemens, a company that wants to work on the state’s high-speed rail project. While there may be the appearance of a potential conflict, Ms. Fergusson’s job at Siemens, a huge Ger-man-based conglomerate, is far removed from the company division that would bid on a rail project. She has always voted with the council majority on the rail issue, including the vote to join two lawsuits over the matter. In addition, City Attorney Bill McClure said he saw no conflict of interest to date. It is too late to call Ms. Fergusson back from her latest trip, but there is an easy way for council members to show their dis-pleasure: Simply refuse to approve her reimbursement request for the expenses she incurred, including charges for a $400-a-night hotel room. Such an action would send a clear message to all members that such trips must be thoroughly vetted by the full council before they are eligible for reimbursement.

Ideas, thoughts and opinions about local issues from people in our community. Edited by Tom Gibboney.

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Council’s travel policy woefully lacking

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V I E W P O I N T

By Jennifer Bestor

What do all the argu-ments about Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to take

funds from redevelopment agen-cies, including Las Pulgas in Menlo Park, have to do with us? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In fact, over half of Menlo Park’s redevelopment has been paid for by

our schools. We never said, “Let’s shortchange the schools to address urban blight!” But

that’s what we’ve done for 30 years. Created in 1981, the Menlo Park-Las Pulgas Redevelopment Agency covers Menlo Park east of U.S. 101 plus a thin wedge up Willow Road from 101 to Middlefield Road. Circumventing post-Proposition 13 apportionment of local revenue, RDAs were able to take any increase in property taxes in their coverage areas — whether that appreciation was due to improvements, infla-tion, real-estate bubbles, or blight reduction. By declaring this area blighted, the Menlo Park-Las Pul-gas RDA was able to commandeer all property tax appreciation (over 10 percent now of the city’s total property tax base), negotiate mini-mal funding pass-backs to other affected local services, fund itself, and float $75 million of bonds to finance RDA activities. You might wonder why local ser-vices were willing to take less than their allotted share. Two crucial facts were that education consumed around half of each property tax dollar and, at that time, the state was backfilling any loss of property tax for all school districts. Loophole met moral hazard. School districts, thinking that they would be made whole, signed away almost all of their tax share, while outside agencies with some negoti-ating power (the county, the fire dis-trict) gave up 30 to 50 percent. The city, meanwhile, nominally gave the RDA almost all its share, knowing

that the City Council (sitting as the Redevelopment Commission) could return RDA funds to support city programs, police activities, pub-lic works, and other initiatives that either addressed blight or improved economic conditions in the area. I had thought that the state was hitting up everyone to pay for education. Never before had I understood that the cities have been siphoning school funding to pay for blight reduction. Here in Menlo Park, children in the elementary and high schools now directly bear the cost of over $1.5 million of our redevelopment activity. For the past decade, the Menlo Park City School District and Sequoia Union High School District have been funded by local property taxes, with no state back-fill. The RDA takes $1.8 million and hands back a paltry $0.010 million to Menlo Park City School District ($10,000) and a mere $0.15 million to Sequoia Union High School Dis-trict ($150,000). Unmentioned in these numbers is the fact that the redevelopment area is not an industrial wasteland. Resident along Willow Road are 95 Menlo Park City School Dis-trict students (on whom we spend $665,000 of our fixed district prop-

erty tax pool) — while over 340 Menlo-Atherton students live along Willow and in Belle Haven ($3.4 million of high school district’s pool). They and their classmates have been shorted the quality education for which we taxpayers assumed we were paying. The two other affected local school districts, Ravenswood and Redwood City, are technically backfilled by the state, whose largess has been invisibly funding another $2.8 million of our rede-velopment activity. But, as we have seen with the endless cuts out of Sacramento, California’s pockets have been picked dry. Thus, the end result of all these funding shifts is that both districts have watched their basic funding per child drop over recent years. So parents vote with their feet. Not surprisingly, state-funded dis-tricts in San Mateo County have seen a 5 percent drop in enrollment over the past decade (Ravenswood is down 19 percent; Redwood City is down 3 percent), while locally funded districts have climbed 11 percent (the Menlo Park City School District is up 28 percent). By the early 1990s the state inevitably noticed that its pockets were being picked and began to

assess the cities, counties, and spe-cial districts for what was called “Educational Revenue Augmenta-tion” (ERAF) to fund education, and two years ago to raid RDAs for “Supplemental ERAF.” So the funds that had been wrested from our local school and service dis-tricts into the RDAs and cities, in turn are wrested from the RDAs and cities to fund the schools. By the time you read this, Sac-ramento may have decided for us how to extract communities from this self-defeating cycle. Whatever it does, the Menlo Park-Las Pulgas RDA won’t actually end before 2031, a period when half of the RDA area tax revenue ($94 million) will go to repay the $63 million of debt that the RDA is carrying, plus interest, and also possibly $11 million of additional indebtedness due to an ill-timed attempt to hedge the inter-est rate on that debt. We need to ensure three things moving forward: First, it is time that the unencum-bered half of the RDA property tax revenue reverts to our established local services. Fifty cents on the dol-lar isn’t that great, but the schools have been getting just 14. Second, Sacramento cannot be allowed to say, “Locally funded

districts like the Menlo Park City School District and the Sequoia Union High School District are rich enough, so we will just chan-nel funds we take from RDAs to the poor revenue-limited districts.” Locally funded districts experi-ence disproportionate enrollment growth because they are California’s best hope of remaining competitive with the world, not just with other states at the bottom of the national school funding scale. Third, redevelopment works are worthy, sufficiently worthy to be funded explicitly by Menlo Park voters. The problem is the means, not the end. Menlo Park residents need to discuss what redevelopment activities we want and how to pay for them, and not let the city hit up the schools when no one notices. Please let your City Council members, State Assemblyman Rich Gordon, and State Sen. Joe Simitian know your thoughts. This is a local issue. And let’s continue this discussion in the Almanac’s Town Square.

■ Jennifer Bestor is a Menlo Park resident who writes occasionally on school tax issues.■ Go to AlmanacNews.com/square to visit Town Square.

Redevelopment agencies siphon funds from schools

$11+ million in annual property tax that would go to…

Ravenswood School District$3.1 million

Sequoia UnionHigh District

$1.5 million

MenloCity

School$500K

RWC*

San Mateo County$2.3 million

CtyEdu$350

K

Com-munity

Colleges$650K

City ofMenlo Park

$1.2 million

Menlo ParkFire District

$1.1 million

OtherDistricts(Flood,

Mosquito,Air Quality)

$100K

Menlo Park Las PulgasRedevelopment Agency

$ 6.8 mill ion

City of Menlo Park$40,000 (cash) +

$1.5 million (shift of expenses)

San MateoCounty

$1.5 million

FireDistrict

$450,000**

After studying city and county records, Jennifer Bestor created this graphic analysis of the redevelopment agency.

By Clark Kepler

There has been increasing media coverage of the sales tax equity fight in

California in recent weeks. A few days ago, Board of Equaliza-tion member George Runner stated his belief that Amazon.com’s declared intent to termi-nate its relationship with in-state affiliates was “an imminent threat to California jobs.” Whether Amazon.com makes good on its threats is very much an open question. Should California pass legislation that makes clear Amazon’s network

of affiliate mar-keters estab-lishes nexus (a home location

for tax purposes) in the state, it is far from certain that Amazon will abandon a marketing strat-egy in California that underpins much of its sales and customer acquisition efforts. While Amazon’s future moves are pure conjecture, what is clear is that Sen. Runner’s assertion the company’s threatened preemptive strike poses “an imminent threat to California jobs” has no basis in fact. Rather, it is Amazon’s refusal to obey existing state law by col-

lecting sales tax that is costing California jobs and revenue. By allowing Amazon and other online retailers to exploit a decades-old loophole in the law, more than 18,000 jobs are now being lost to online sales, and California retail businesses are losing $4.1 billion in sales, which will have caused a total of $7.2 billion in lost economic activity in 2010. Clearly, Ama-zon is willing to fight very hard to maintain the critical strategic advantage it has over the thou-sands of in-state retailers that do collect sales tax, but California’s leaders should not let bluster

and intimidation shape impor-tant public policy or legislation. Looking ahead, if Amazon terminates its affiliates, those marketers that are truly build-ing businesses and creating jobs can quickly affiliate themselves with scores of major retailers that currently work with thousands of California affiliates — and which are collecting state sales tax. Their business will go to retailers that win it in an equitable and competitive marketplace, not by legal slight of hand and attempted intimidation. †In the end, the state’s revenue and jobs will increase by leveling the playing field with e-fairness legislation. As an independent business owner that does collect sales tax,

both in my brick and mortar bookstore and online at Keplers.com, I strongly urge the senator to reconsider his position and to support the sensible reform of California statutes to help ensure the fair competition that will, in the end, better serve California residents and help maintain criti-cal governmental services. I encourage Almanac readers to add their voices and let Senator Runner know what you think. Write or e-mail: Hon. George Runner, California State Board of Equalization, 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 2340, Sacra-mento, CA 95814

Clark Kepler manages Kepler’s Books and

Magazines in Menlo Park.

Amazon is trying to thwart new tax policy

GUEST OPINION

GUEST OPINION


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the almanac 03.16.2011 - section 1

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