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T H E H O M E TOW N N E W S PA P E R F O R M E N L O PA R K , AT H E R TO N , P O R TO L A VA L L E Y A N D WO O D S I D E

   J U L Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 | VO L . 4 9 N O. 4 6                        W W W. T H E A L M A N AC O N L I N E . C O M

M eet th e w inne rs
                 of this year’s

                                                                                              INSIDE:
                                                                                      LOCAL NEWS | VIEWPOINT
                                                                                      CALENDAR | REAL ESTATE
                                                                                   READERS’ CHOICE AWARD WINNERS
Of this year's - | Almanac Online
Trust Your Face to a Specialist

                  Grand Opening
             We’ve relocated and Expanded!

  Join us at our new Palo Alto office and surgery center.

                  www.hesslerplasticsurgery.com

320 Lambert Ave             Palo Alto             650.799.9009
Of this year's - | Almanac Online
UP F RONT

                                                                                                                                                        Help for Buyers...
Author, model, comedic talent

                                                                                                                                                        [
Longtime Menlo Park resident Fran Kearton dies at 93                                                                                                      We had an incredible experience
By Dave Boyce                                                                                         and that, with her looks, she
                                                                                                                                                          working with Steve. He helped
Almanac Staff Writer                                                                                  would probably remarry soon.                        us get our house in WOODSIDE
                                                                                                        She experienced harass-                           in an increasingly competitive

T       he final curtain has come
        down on the life of Fran-
        ces Peace Kearton of
Menlo Park. Her varied career
included fashion and runway
                                                                                                      ment. Fashion modeling “was
                                                                                                      fraught with it,” she said. “I
                                                                                                      was always creeping into some-
                                                                                                      body’s heart, which meant
                                                                                                                                                          market and was able to move
                                                                                                                                                          quickly through all the steps.
                                                                                                                                                          Even after we’ve moved in, he’s
                                                                                                      they wanted me to creep into
modeling in New York City for                                                                         their lap, too.” Even as a pres-                    provided a wealth of insight

                                                                                                                                                                                             [
the John Robert Powers agency;                                                                        tigious Powers model, men                           and recommendations for
sharing a TV spotlight, come-                                                                         touched her inappropriately                         painters, electricians, etc.
dic writing responsibilities and                                                                      and assumed her morals were
madcap antics for three years                                                                         loose because she was a model.                      which has been really helpful.                   30+ years of
with Dick Van Dyke; opting for                                                                        More than once she was chased                       We’d highly recommend him.                     local knowledge.
single motherhood in a time and                                                                       around a desk, she said.                                                                                Born in
                                                                                                                                                         67(9(*5$<
place — 1950s Georgia — when                                         Photo courtesy of Fran Kearton     “I was a very pretty girl and                                                                      Menlo Park.
that just wasn’t done; and writ-                   Fran Kearton of Menlo Park                         sometimes that’s a plus and
ing two comedic memoirs. Ms.                       in the 1940s as a John Robert                      sometimes that’s a minus,”                                                                             Raised in
Kearton died at Stanford Hos-                      Powers model in New York City.                     she said. “I prefer to see it as a                                     %5(                   Atherton.
pital on Saturday, July 12, after a                                                                   plus.”
brief illness. She was 93.
                                                   Later, she shared a spotlight and
                                                   comedic writing responsibilities                     She married in 1954 to Regi-                                                            A Woodside
  A memorial and celebration of                    with Dick Van Dyke for three years                 nald Ruston Kearton in a week                                VJUD\#FEQRUFDOFRP                        resident.
her life is set for 3 p.m. Thurs-                  and wrote two comedic memoirs.                     in which, she said, three men
day, July 24, at the Menlo Circus                  Ms. Kearton died July 12.                          proposed to her. Coming to
Club at 190 Park Lane in Ather-                                                                       California, she drove across
ton, according to Vicki Cle-                       be scrambled or poached. As                        the country with her mother,                      Conservation tip: The average household
ments, a trustee of her estate.                    for breakfast itself, Fran pro-                    mother-in-law and father-in-
  That Ms. Kearton found work                      nounced it as “breas” followed                     law in the car. Her experiences                   wastes more than 10,000 gallons of water
as a humorist is not a surprise.                   by a four-letter word that rhymes                  with her extended family in a                     every year from leaks. Help conserve water
“My mother was a very funny                        with duck. Her mother let her                      Los Altos estate became comic                     D[ƂPFKPICPFƂZKPINGCMUCUUQQPCU
woman. I think (being funny) is                    keep that one, she said. “She felt                 in retrospect.
hereditary,” she told the Alma-                    sentimental about it because it                      At 90 and living in Sharon                      RQUUKDNG
nac in 2010. “She was always                       was my last baby word.”                            Heights in 2010, Ms. Kear-
funny. Even when things were                         Ms. Kearton wrote skits five                     ton cleaned her own house,
so bad, she was always funny.”                     days a week with Mr. Van Dyke                      drove her own car, and was
                                                                                                                                                        8KUKVwww.calwater.com/help/instructional-
  Things did get bad. In the                       in the 1950s for “The Fran and                     a Democrat in a Republican                        videos HQTKPHQTOCVKQPQPJQYVQTGCF[QWT
space of a few years early in the                  Dick Show” (aka “The Music                         stronghold. She took tap danc-                    meter and detect household leaks.
Great Depression, the family                       Shop”), but did not consider                       ing lessons, stretched before
lost its savings to an unscrupu-                   herself a comedy writer. “Dick                     housecleaning and watched
lous stockbroker, her father died                  and I never thought we were                        “Sit to be Fit” on TV.
and lightning struck their rural                   real writers,” she told a group                      Sitting for an interview in the
Georgia home and it burned to                      at the Menlo Circus Club in                        vicinity of an unsold pile of her
the ground.                                        2010. “We were merely sur-                         second memoir, “French Beds
  Commenting on the one                            vivors racing into Studio B                        I’ve Slept In (and Some I Wish
intact item from the fire, a blue                  each day clutching last-minute                     I Hadn’t),” she said: “I might
cloisonne vase, Ms. Kearton                        hastily scrawled skits to feed                     be killed by an avalanche of
recalled her mother standing                       the insatiable Venus f lytrap of                   these books, but it’s not a bad
amid the ashes with the vase                       a daily live TV hour.”                             way to go.”
cradled in her arms. “Fran-                          As a woman, she had diffi-                         Ms. Kearton was preceded
ces,” she said, “remember the                      culties that confront pioneers.                    in death by her husband and
main lesson of this loss: never                    She was co-host of the show,                       her son, Allison Hoyle Adams,
become too attached to material                    but was expected to answer                         who died of amyotrophic lateral
things.”                                           phones. Her ideas had to be                        sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
  Ms. Kearton said she kept the                    rearranged so that a man could                     She is survived by her grandson
vase, and did become attached                      claim them. “That’s the only                       Kristian Kearton (Malene).
to it.                                             way I could get things done,”                        Donations in her name may be
  Her mother, a Vassar gradu-                      she said. “I had to go around                      made to the Golden West chap-
ate with degrees in speech                         the mulberry bush.”                                ter of the ALS Association.               A

and French, discouraged Fran’s                       Once, learning of Mr. Van
Southern pronunciations. No                        Dyke’s higher salary, she asked
use of “pinnies” to refer to one-
cent coins, and “aigs,” were
                                                   for a raise. She was denied, she
                                                   said, on the excuse that family
                                                                                                         Go to tinyurl.com/FPK221 to see a
                                                                                                         2010 profile of Fran Kearton by the
                                                                                                         Almanac’s Dave Boyce.
                                                                                                                                                        Use water wisely.
not a breakfast food that may                      men had greater responsibilities                                                                     It’s essential.
   CALLING ON THE ALMANAC
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                                                                                                                                                        July 23, 2014   N   TheAlmanacOnline.com     N   The Almanac   N    3
Of this year's - | Almanac Online
LOS ALTOS HILLS
                                                                     Circa 1916 Italianate Villa originally
                                                                     built as a summer home for wealthy
                                                                     San Franciscan, Dr. Thomas Shumate,
                                                                     and deemed an historic home. Main
                                                                     residence with 6 bedrooms, office, 6
                                                                     full baths and 2 half-baths. 2bd guest
                                                                     house with full bath & kitchen. 2-story
                                                                     pool house with full kitchen and bath.

                                                                     $15,000,000

                                                                     ATHERTON
                                                                     West Atherton. Classic traditional,
                                                                     2-story home built by PPG. 5bd/5.5ba,
                                                                     two offices, spacious light-filled rooms,
                                                                     family room with full bar and temp-
                                                                     controlled wine cellar. Pool, spa on
                                                                     .92+/- acre lot. Menlo Park Schools.

                                                                     $7,995,000

                                                                     PESCADERO

                                                                     Former successful Bed & Breakfast with
                                                                     beautifully remodeled 2bd/1.5ba main
                                                                     house plus 3 lovely cottages. 5.37+/-
                                                                     acre horse property with riding arena,
                                                                     two fenced paddocks, tack shed, fenced
                                                                     flower and vegetable gardens. Cottages
                                                                     perfect for office or artist space, family
                                                                     compound or cottage rentals. Easy
                                                                     commute to SF/Silicon Valley.

                                                                     $1,398,000

4   N   The Almanac   N   TheAlmanacOnline.com   N   July 23, 2014
Of this year's - | Almanac Online
Local News                 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

    Atherton tops U.S. real estate price lists
    By Barbara Wood                        higher and half are lower, of Zil-
    Almanac Staff Writer                   low’s estimated current value for      Pending sales                            Active single-family home listings as of 7/17/14
                                           every home in an area, not just                                                 Town                   Number of listings         Price range
                                                                                                         $2.58M

    T       he Midpeninsula has
            always been an attractive
            place to live, but recently
    it has achieved another distinc-
    tion: home of the most expen-
                                           those that have recently sold.
                                              It’s not only Zillow that
                                           says Atherton is expensive. In
                                           October, Forbes magazine’s
                                                                                  Atherton

                                                                                  Menlo Park
                                                                                                   5

                                                                                                   29
                                                                                                         to $9.90M
                                                                                                         $430K
                                                                                                         to $2.99M
                                                                                                                           Atherton
                                                                                                                           Menlo Park
                                                                                                                           Portola Valley
                                                                                                                                                        25 listings
                                                                                                                                                        32 listings
                                                                                                                                                        12 listings
                                                                                                                                                                             $3.8M to $25M
                                                                                                                                                                             $565K to $5.35M
                                                                                                                                                                             $2.19M to $19.80M
                                           website said Atherton is the           Portola                $699K**           Woodside                     42 listings          $385K to $69.80M
                                                                                                   4
    sive real estate in the country.       most expensive ZIP code in             Valley                 to $3.39M
       Statistics provided to the          the country. Forbes based its                                 $749K
    Almanac by the online real             data on real estate listing prices     Woodside         10
                                                                                                         to $4.78M
                                                                                                                           Homes sold since 4/1/14
    estate database company Zil-           over a three-month period. In                                                                          Number
                                                                                                                           Town                                            Price range
    low show that in May, Atherton         the Forbes list, Portola Valley’s     Information is from MLSListings, which                           of homes sold
                                                                                 provides multiple listing services to
    had the priciest real estate in        ZIP code was ranked No. 9 and         Northern California, and does not         Atherton                     27 sold            $1.58M to $18.90M
    the country, with Portola Val-         Woodside’s, No. 22.                   include homes that do not use MLS.
    ley at No. 5 and Menlo Park               “Atherton is highly desirable as   * List price.
                                                                                                                           Menlo Park                   99 sold            $605K to $5.75M
    at number 40. In the Zillow            a residential community because       Sales price not disclosed                 Portola Valley               23 sold            $1.07M to $11.80M*
    analysis, Woodside is lumped           you have large properties in a        ** Short sale
                                                                                                                           Woodside                     28 sold            $700K to $15.00M*
                                                                                 (sold for less than owed on mortgage)
    in with the part of Redwood            semi-rural environment” that
    City with which it shares a ZIP        are centrally located, said Ather-
    code, but still comes in at 43.        ton Councilman Rick DeGolia.          are using stock options to pur-          ket in the country also attract         expensive communities and
       Zillow also showed that in             “It happens to be the hub of       chase these trade-up homes               buyers? Mr. Pinel says yes.             neighborhoods to live in.”
    May, property values in Ather-         the Peninsula,” said Alain Pinel,     and are drawn to the privacy                “Whenever you have the                 All those factors make the area
    ton, Menlo Park, Woodside              a senior vice president of Intero     and generally excellent schools          reputation of being the most            attractive for investors, and many
    and Portola Valley were all at         Real Estate Services, working out     Atherton offers.”                        expensive, it does suggest sub-         of them, Mr. Pinel said, are from
    the highest level they had ever        of their Woodside and Menlo             Mr. Pinel said Atherton is also        liminally to a lot of people that       outside the United States. At
    reached in its database.               Park offices. Atherton is an easy     attractive because the town is           it is the best,” he said. “And if       least half the buyers of properties
       Other cities in Zillow’s top 10     commute from San Francisco,           completely single-family resi-           it is the best, and you’ve got a        selling for more than $5 million
    in May include Beverly Hills,          Silicon Valley, San Jose, and         dential, with no commercial              lot of money, then you will be          today are foreign nationals, he
    No. 2; Fisher Island, Florida, No.     even the East Bay, he said. “It’s     or multi-family zoning, a fact           interested in going there and           said. Some of them do not even
    3; Santa Monica, No. 4; Manhat-        extremely convenient.”                that helps to keep prices stable.        taking a look at it.”                   plan to live in the properties they
    tan, New York (10013 ZIP), No.            Ken DeLeon, founder of DeLe-       “Stability is the best basis for            “There is absolutely no ques-        buy, but just want a safe place to
    6; Los Altos, No. 7; Palo Alto,        on Realty, said Atherton’s ascent     acquisition,” he said.                   tion that the reputation of             invest their money.
    No. 8; Manhattan, New York             to the “most expensive real             Another       characteristic           being the most expensive is               Mr. DeLeon agreed. “My
    (10007 zip), No. 9; and Mon-           estate in the country is being        Atherton shares with other               going to attract a lot of people        recent trips to China and India
    tecito, California, No. 10.            driven by two types of clients:       Midpeninsula communities is              who are going to buy not so             showed me that these buyers
       Zillow came up with the rank-       tech buyers from companies            the weather. “The micro-cli-             much to live on the property            prefer flat and central locations
    ings, said Zillow public relations     like Google and Facebook, and         mate in Atherton is absolutely           but to brag to their friends and        in China and India, which
    manager Cory Hopkins, by               overseas buyers, particularly         extraordinary,” said Mr. Pinel.          associates,” he added.                  translates to these buyers pre-
    using its Home Value Index. The        from China and India.”                  Does the fact that Atherton               Mr. DeLeon said many                 ferring Atherton to the rural
    index is the median value, or the         Many of these buyers, he said,     has been in the news as the              Atherton buyers are “drawn
    point at which half the prices are     “are technology executives who        most expensive real estate mar-          to prestige and seek the most                   See PRICE LISTS, page 7

Battle lines drawn over specific plan ballot measure
By Sandy Brundage                         residential development.               into its regulations unless a            ed an analysis of the measure,                Although Vice Mayor Cath-
Almanac Staff Writer                        It would also redefine open          city-wide vote is carried out.           agreed that the initiative could            erine Carlton admonished both
                                          space to mean only areas no            However, the specific plan               have a positive impact on the               sides of the debate to stick to

V      oters will determine
       the fate of a grassroots
       group’s proposed changes
to Menlo Park’s downtown/El
Camino Real specific plan in the
                                          higher than 4 feet off the
                                          ground, thereby preventing bal-
                                          conies from counting as open
                                          space.
                                            Voters would have to approve
                                                                                 comes up for review at least
                                                                                 once every two years and can be
                                                                                 changed — and has been; the
                                                                                 council voted last November to
                                                                                                                          jobs-to-housing ratio. Mayor
                                                                                                                          Ray Mueller suggested that the
                                                                                                                          question at the bottom of all
                                                                                                                          the debate is whether the com-
                                                                                                                                                                      the facts, he said, the report gets
                                                                                                                                                                      many facts wrong. “Although
                                                                                                                                                                      numerous errors were noted
                                                                                                                                                                      during public comment, the
                                                                                 institute a 33,333-square-foot           munity wants a main corridor                council chose not to pursue
November election, the council            any changes to the ordinance.          cap on medical office space              composed mostly of housing, or              these in their questions or dis-
unanimously decided on July 15.             Council members chose to             for large new projects along El          whether it wants the vibrancy of            cussion, instead cherry-picking
  “The initiative would lock the          put the measure on the bal-            Camino Real.                             mixed-use development.                      points from the report to sup-
city in a time capsule,” Mayor            lot instead of adopting it.              The measure’s proponents                  Speakers on behalf of the                port a previously held opinion
Ray Mueller noted.                        The changes are rife with the          argued that the changes are              initiative challenged the consul-           or position. I’m left wondering
  Save Menlo’s ballot measure             potential for unintended con-          necessary to prevent Menlo               tant’s analysis, but said they felt         why the council commissioned
would make these changes in the           sequences, they said, and the          Park from becoming one big               unheard by the council.                     this report in the first place,”
specific plan area: restrict the          voter approval requirement is          traffic jam, and to improve the             “I was very disappointed that            Mr. Robinson said.
amount of office space in any             worrisome.                             city’s jobs-to-housing imbal-            council accepted the Wise report              Other speakers urged the coun-
individual project to 100,000               Councilman Rich Cline                ance by encouraging the devel-           without exposing or discussing              cil to uphold the specific plan.
square feet; cap total new office         described it as “a battle for the      opment of residential units over         its errors, limitations, and over-            “It’s a terrible — terrible! —
space at 240,820 square feet; and         soul of downtown.” He noted,           office space.                            all shortcomings,” said former              idea to take the power to make
require an election to exceed             as did his colleagues, that the          Both the council and Lisa              council member Heyward Rob-
474,000 square feet of new, non-          initiative would lock the city         Wise Consulting, which provid-           inson the day after the meeting.                  See BATTLE LINES, page 7

                                                                                                                              July 23, 2014   N    TheAlmanacOnline.com         N   The Almanac     N   5
Of this year's - | Almanac Online
N E W S
                                                                  -EAT  0RODUCE s &INE &OODS
                                                                  7INE  ,IQUOR s $ELICATESSEN
                                                                      (ARDWARE  'RAIN
                                                               Open 6:30 am - 8:00 pm daily
                                                                                                               9-year-old girl drowns
                                                                    Sales Dates: July 23 - July 26
                                                                                                               in Menlo Park pool
                                                                                                                 A 9-year-old girl, Lahee Hong       stepped away for a moment. “It
                                                                                                               of Menlo Park, died Tuesday           was an unfortunate accident,”
                                                                                                               night, July 15, as a result of a      Ms. Acker said. “Our condo-
            4420 Alpine Rd., Portola Valley                       3015 Woodside Rd., Woodside                  drowning at an apartment com-         lences go out to the family.”
                 phone 650.851.1711                                    phone 650.851.1511                      munity pool in the 300 block            The accident happened
                                                                                                               of Sharon Park Drive in Menlo         around 5 p.m. Fire crews and
        Fresh Produce                                                                                          Park, police reported.
                                                                                                                 Lahee and her mother were
                                                                                                                                                     police officers responded and
                                                                                                                                                     found the girl near the pool,
                              Whole or Cut                                                                     visiting friends at the apart-        unconscious and not breathing,
                              Seedless Watermelon ........          39¢lb.                                     ment complex. Lahee, who did
                                                                                                               not know how to swim, was
                                                                                                                                                     police said.
                                                                                                                                                       Medical personnel admin-
                               Red Flame and Sugarone           $                                              playing around the pool and           istered CPR in an attempt to
                               Seedless Grapes ............ 1.99lb.                                            accidentally fell in while try-
                                                                                                               ing to retrieve a ball, according
                                                                                                                                                     resuscitate her, and took her to
                                                                                                                                                     Stanford Medical Center, where
                               Red or Green                           ¢                                        to Menlo Park police spokes-          medical staff continued CPR.
                               Leaf Lettuce ....................... 79 ea.                                     woman Nicole Acker.
                                                                                                                 Her friend, who also did not
                                                                                                                                                       Despite these efforts, the girl
                                                                                                                                                     was pronounced dead by the
        Meat and Seafood                                                                                       know how to swim, went for
                                                                                                               help because the adults had
                                                                                                                                                     attending physician, police
                                                                                                                                                     said.
                                                                     $
                              Swordfish ....................    23.98lb.                                          Two local armed robberies
                                                              $
                              Beef Stir Fry .................. 11.98lb.                                          may be linked, police say
                                                                $
                              Fresh Bay Shrimp ........... 9.98lb.
                                                                                                                 By Sandy Brundage
                                                                                                                 Almanac Staff Writer

        On Sale Grocery
                           Plugra European Style Butter
                           8 oz. – Unsalted .................................................
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                        2.19     P      olice in two cities are
                                                                                                                        investigating whether
                                                                                                                        one man recently com-
                                                                                                                 mitted a pair of armed rob-
                                                                                                                 beries.
                           Lean Cuisine Macaroni & Cheese                                              $
                           10 oz................................................................... 2.19
                                                                                                                   Around 6:47 p.m. Sunday,
                                                                                                                 July 13, a man armed with a
                                                                                                                 semi-automatic pistol con-
                           Near East Wild Mushroom Herb Pilaf $
                           6 oz. .................................................................... 1.49
                                                                                                                 fronted two teenagers at gun-
                                                                                                                 point near Gilbert Avenue
                                                                                                                 and Pope Street in Menlo
                           Coles Wild Mountain Brandy Honey $
                            .......................................................................... 3.99
                                                                                                                 Park, then fled with their
                                                                                                                 wallets and cellphones.             This sketch of the robbery
                                                                                                                   Seven hours later, at 1:27
                           Hansen’s Natural Cane Soda                                                 $                                              suspect is from the Palo Alto
                           6 pack - 12 oz cans – Plus Calif Redeem Value... 2.49
                                                                                                                 a.m. Monday, July 14, a second      Police Department.
                                                                                                                 armed robbery occurred, this
                                                                                                                 time on Hamilton Avenue in          glasses, black shirt with long
        Deli Department                                                                                          Palo Alto, about two miles
                                                                                                                 away from the Menlo Park
                                                                                                                                                     sleeves and black pants. The
                                                                                                                                                     description was similar to the
                                                                                                                 crime scene.                        Menlo Park suspect, accord-
        Kale Salad                                                                                                 The suspect came up behind        ing to police.
        with Strawberries and Mango..................... $8.99per lb.                                            a man in his 40s and demanded         Menlo Park investigators are
                                                                                                                 his wallet and cellphone. When      continuing to work with the
        Chinese Chicken Salad ...............................$7.99lb.                                            the victim hesitated, the sus-      Palo Alto Police Department,
                                                                                                                 pect pulled back the slide on       said Menlo Park police spokes-
        Edamame Quiano Salad ...........................$7.99lb.                                                 the pistol as if to load a round,   woman Nicole Acker. “Because
                                                                                                                 according to the report.            of the similarities in the inci-
                                                                                                                   None of the victims was           dents and the description of
        Wine and Spirits                                                                                         injured.                            the suspect, yes, they think the
                                                                                                                   The victim of the Palo Alto       cases are still linked.”
                                                                                                                 robbery described the suspect         Anyone with information
               Oregon Pinot Noir Specials                                                                        as a light-skinned man about        regarding these crimes may
                Oregon is producing world class Pinot Noir.                                                      30 years old, 5-foot-10-inches      contact Menlo Park police at
                                                                                                                 tall with a medium build, and       330-6300 or via the anony-
               Here are a few fine examples at great prices.                                                      dressed in a black cap, sun-        mous tip line at 330-6395.      A

        2011 Evening Land, Willamette Valley................................Reg. $25.99 Sale $21.99
        2011 WillaKenzie Estate, Estate Cuvee .............................. Reg. $29.99 Sale $24.99                                                         Support
                                                                                                                                                         The Almanac’s
        2011 J. Christopher, Willamette Valley............................... Reg. $29.99 Sale $24.99
                                                                                                                                                         print and online
                                            (Woodside location only)
                                                                                                                                                           coverage of
                                                                                                                                                         our community.
                                                                                                                      Join today: SupportLocalJournalism.org/Almanac

6   N   The Almanac    N   TheAlmanacOnline.com       N   July 23, 2014
Of this year's - | Almanac Online
N E W S

                                                                                                                     Is your agent there for you? I am there for my
                                                                                                                     clients...licensed, friendly and helpful staff.
                                                                                                                     Serving the community for over 24 years!
                                                                                                                     CHARLIE PORTER
                                                                                                                     Farmers® Agency
                                                                                                                     License # 0773991
                                                                                            Photo by Brandon Chew
                                                                                                                     671-A Oak Grove Ave, Menlo Park
  Hangin’ with the goats                                                                                             tDQPSUFS!GBSNFSTBHFOUDPN
  These goats may have sensed a friend in Bobby Targ at the Hayfields open space area at the northern
  edge of Portola Valley. On July 9, a shepherd, guard dogs and herd of about 150 goats from Coalinga-
  based Living Systems came to the Hayfields for a three-week stay to lower the wildfire hazard by eating
  the open-space vegetation down to stubble.

Developer plans mixed-use project                                                                                   Good for Business. Good for You.
  Local developer Pinnacle                                                 building permits on June 25,
Group has submitted an applica-
                                       N BRIEFS
                                                                           according to the city’s staff.               Good for the Community.
tion to build a mixed-use com-                                               The new BBC will feature an
plex at 1283-1295 El Camino            The project falls within the        expanded mezzanine for indoor
Real, near Valparaiso Avenue,        base level size allowed by the        and outdoor dining on the
according to the city.               specific plan, but will need an       ground floor. According to the
  A 6,471-square-foot building       analysis for any additional envi-     city, Mr. Fischer wants to add
would be demolished to make          ronmental impacts as well as a        an exterior staircase, create an
way for a new three-story build-     review of architectural features      outdoor dining area with a bar
ing with 1,906 square feet of        by the Planning Commission,           and grill on the roof, and switch
commercial space and 15 resi-        the planning staff said.              the main entry from El Camino
dential units.                                                             Real to Santa Cruz Avenue.
  The kind of commercial use         Update on BBC                           Mr. Fischer also owns the
remains to be determined, accord-      Rob Fischer’s plans to renovate     Palo Alto Creamery along with
ing to Menlo Park Senior Planner     the historic BBC in Menlo Park        Reposado and, in Mountain
Thomas Rogers, and could be          into a three-floor restaurant         View, Gravity and Scratch res-
office, retail or some other type.   are moving along; he requested        taurants.

    BATTLE LINES                     what would emerge as replace-
                                     ments.
                                                                                 PRICE LISTS
       continued from page 5                                                       continued from page 5
                                        Steve Pierce of Greenheart
zoning changes away from the         also said that the changes would      and distant feel of the other high-
council,” Shirley Chu said.          result in a minimum two-year          end cities such as Woodside and
  Representatives of Menlo Park      delay — long enough that the          Portola Valley,” he said.
Deserves Better, a grassroots        company fears a downturn in              Mr. Pinel predicted that the
coalition formed to defeat the       the currently favorable economy       local market will continue to be
initiative, vowed to fight an        could derail any project. “I think    strong. “More and more buyers
intense battle, saying that the      it’s a serious risk,” he said.        are buying on the Peninsula, par-
specific plan resulted from years       Stanford University’s Steve        ticularly in Atherton,” he said.
of transparent consensus build-      Elliott said the modifications        “What we have seen in Atherton
ing by the community. The            made to its project, including        is only the beginning.”
initiative, on the other hand,       the removal of all medical offic-        He also predicted that the
was written without any public       es and a commitment to pay a          number of buyers from China
input or oversight, they said.       substantial portion of the costs      will increase as the Chinese
  Representatives from Stan-         of building a pedestrian-bicycle      economy creates more very
ford University and Greenheart       tunnel, will remain in effect if      wealthy people looking for a place
— two developers that each           the initiative doesn’t pass.          to put their money. “The Chinese
have proposed large mixed-use           The council also voted to form     appetite for very, very expensive
projects along El Camino Real        a subcommittee composed of            luxury real estate — that’s enough
— told the council that if the       Councilman Cline and Mayor            to justify that prices are not likely
initiative passes, their projects    Mueller to draft the ballot argu-     to go down much, if at all, and are
have to go back to the drawing       ment against the ballot measure       very likely to keep going up,” Mr.
board, and they weren’t sure         by Aug. 15.  A                        Pinel said.” A

                                                                                                                    July 23, 2014        N   TheAlmanacOnline.com   N   The Almanac   N   7
Of this year's - | Almanac Online
N E W S

Atherton civic center
plan moves ahead
By Barbara Wood
Almanac Staff Writer
                                   that the not-to-exceed cost
                                   of the contract, $896,573, is

A       lthough all the money to for the entire three-year life
        pay for a new civic cen- of the project. For the design
        ter is still not in hand, phase, which is as far as the
Atherton’s City Council at its town will go before the private
July 16 meeting took a major funding has been raised, the
step toward making a new cost is $233,680, according to
complex a reality, approving a the staff report by Community
contract with mack5, a veteran Services Director Mike Kashi-
project management firm.           wagi.
   The contract allows mack5         According to town officials,
to bill up to nearly $900,000 the fundraising campaign for
for managing and advising the the civic center project will
town on the design, construc- officially start in the fall. By
tion and occupancy of the new that time, however, they hope
center over a three-year period. to already have commitments
                                                                                                                                                          Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac
The firm will start by helping for most of the projects’ fund-
to choose the architects for the ing. An independent committee
project.                           will coordinate the fundraising,
                                                                          Almanac publisher commended
   While the vote to approve not the town council, although               Tom Gibboney, center, who retired June 27 as editor and publisher of the Almanac, was commended
the contract was unanimous, members may be part of the                    by the Menlo Park City Council on July 15 for his 21 years of service in that position. Mr. Gibboney,
                                                                          who is holding a proclamation by the council, is congratulated by, from left, council members Peter
with council member Eliza- committee.
                                                                          Ohtaki, Rich Cline, Mayor Ray Mueller, Kirsten Keith and (outside the picture) Vice Mayor Cat Carlton.
beth Lewis participating via         The town also has about $10
a conference call, the council million in library funds and $2
did not approve it without million in other funds set aside
questions, par-
ticularly regard-
                                                    to replace some
                                                    town offices —
                                                                      Water mandates signal ‘get tough’ approach
ing spending so          Atherton council           funds that will   By Dave Boyce
much without names project manager. also go toward                    Almanac Staff Writer
                                                                                                                                                   said.
the funds in                                        the project.                                                                                     “A lot of effort went into making
                                                                                                               Water board Chair
hand to build                                        Council mem-
the complex. Town officials ber DeGolia said the library
have promised that the new funds should cover about 30
civic center will be paid for percent of the projected total
largely with private funds, and project cost, and the additional
                                                                      T      he state Water Resources
                                                                             Control Board on July 15
                                                                             took steps to enable local
                                                                      water agencies to move beyond
                                                                      voluntary compliance with water
                                                                                                               Felicia Marcus called
                                                                                                             the situation ‘the worst
                                                                                                                                                   (potable) water bacteria-free and
                                                                                                                                                   (drinkable) for folks,” said state
                                                                                                                                                   water board spokesman George
                                                                                                                                                   Kostyrko. “We have a precious
                                                                                                             drought impact that we                resource and we need to think
the fundraising campaign has funds, which are set aside for           conservation guidelines for resi-                                            about saving it, immediately.”
not yet begun.                     the building department offices,   dents of “urban settings.”               or our grandparents                   Four hundred thousand acres
   “I’m struggling with the another 10 percent.                         The board’s mandate, which               have ever seen.’                  of arable land are now lying fal-
$900,000,” said council mem-         Those funds will be used to      is effective on or about Aug. 1,                                             low, and drinking water is being
ber Bill Widmer, who said he pay 40 percent of the initial            prohibits residents from spray-                                              trucked in to communities that
would have preferred a fixed- costs of the project manage-            ing sidewalks and driveways,           public water agencies.                have gone dry, he pointed out.
price contract rather than ment, Mr. DeGolia said after               irrigating to the extent that run-        For the present, Cal Water is        Water board Chair Felicia
one with a not-to-exceed cap. the meeting. Even if the town           off occurs, washing vehicles with      choosing to educate customers         Marcus, called the situation “the
“I’m just trying to weigh the has to abandon the civic center         hoses not equipped with shut-off       on the prohibited practices. If       worst drought impact that we
risk,” he said. Mr. Widmer project because it can’t raise the         nozzles and using potable water        voluntary conservation is inef-       or our grandparents have ever
asked if the contract amount private funding, he said, there          in fountains or fountain-like          fective, the company may use its      seen. And, more important, we
could increase if the funding should be no money coming               devices if the water is not being      enforcement options, including        have no idea when it will end.”
is delayed.                        out of the town’s general funds.   recirculated.                          fines of up to $500 a day. The          Go to saveourwater.com and
   Mark Kelly, mack5’s princi- The likelihood of not raising            Such restrictions are already        company doesn’t foresee that          ca.gov/drought for ideas on how
pal-in-charge, reassured the enough to pay the remaining              in effect in the California Water      happening in 2014, Bear Gulch         to save water.
council. “We’re professional 60 percent “in my opinion ... is         Service Company’s Bear Gulch           District Manager Dawn Smith-            Cal Water has many programs
services; if we’re not doing the zero,” he said.                      district, which includes Ather-        son said.                             to help customers conserve
work, we’re not getting paid for     According to mack5’s web-        ton, Portola Valley, most of              The San Francisco Public Utili-    water use at home, including
it,” he said.                      site, the company has provided     Woodside and parts of Menlo            ties Commission — from which          free residential conservation kits
   Mayor Cary Wiest said that project, cost and construction          Park. The California Public            Cal Water buys its water — has        and rebates on water-efficient
while he would have appreci- management services to a long            Utilities Commission on May 1          been asking for a 10 percent reduc-   appliances and devices.
ated a little more information list of clients, including the         issued Rule 14.1, which matches        tion in water use. Cal Water’s goal     Go to tinyurl.com/water34 for
on such a large contract, he cities of Menlo Park, Palo Alto          the prohibitions just announced        is a 20 percent reduction from its    a conservation overview, includ-
favored its approval. “We obvi- and East Palo Alto, as well as        by the state water board.              customers, Ms. Smithson said.         ing information on free kits.
ously need professionals to keep Canada College and Stanford            As a private company, Cal            Since Feb. 1, the district has seen     Go to tinyurl.com/water35 for
an eye on the project that will be University.                        Water is regulated by the CPUC.        a 13 percent decline compared         information on free nozzles for
the town of Atherton’s biggest in    The firm was unanimously         The state water board oversees         with the same period in 2013, she     irrigation sprinklers.        A

history,” he said                  recommended by a subcommit-
   Council member Rick DeGo- tee of the town’s Civic Center
lia said it is important to note Advisory Committee.         A        After-dark excursions set for Edgewood Park
                                                                        Three after-dark events will         point out stars, constellations,      from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
                                                                      be held at Edgewood Park and           and satellites. The event runs          On Saturday, Aug. 23, attend-
                                                                      Natural Preserve during July and       from 7 to 10 p.m.                     ees will go for a night walk with
                                                                      August. The park is on Edge-             On Sunday, Aug. 10, from            trained docents from 7 to 10 p.m.
                                                                      wood Road off Interstate 280.          6:30 to 10 p.m., attendees              Admission to the events, host-
                                                                        On Saturday, July 26, from 7 to      will watch the sunset and full        ed by Friends of Edgewood, is
     Good for Business. Good for You.                                 10 p.m., attendees will visit Inspi-
                                                                      ration Heights, one of the highest
                                                                                                             moon rise from Inspiration
                                                                                                             Heights. Friends of Edgewood
                                                                                                                                                   $10 per person.
                                                                                                                                                     Go to friendsofedgewood.
         Good for the Community.                                      points in the park. Astronomy          will supply wine, water, and          org/events for more informa-
                                                                      Professor Darryl Stanford will         snacks at the event, which runs       tion and to sign up.
8   N   The Almanac    N   TheAlmanacOnline.com   N   July 23, 2014
Of this year's - | Almanac Online
N E W S
                                                                                                                           Quality Care.
                                                                          The agreement also retains                       Quality Life.
Cline, Combs pull                                                       the use of binding arbitration,
                                                                        and the formation of a labor
                                                                                                               When life brings you unexpected challenges, Agility
                                                                                                             Health is by your side with full service healthcare delivered
                                                                                                                      in the comfort and privacy of your home.
                                                                        management committee.
council-race papers                                                     Engineer leaves
                                                                                                                 Company employed Personal Care Attendants available
                                                                                                                        to meet your hourly or live-in needs.

                                                                          In the latest in a steady stream
  Two people have pulled                                                of departures by Menlo Park’s
                                     N MENLO BRIEFS
papers to potentially run for                                           staff, senior civil engineer Roger
the Menlo Park City Council                                             Storz has announced that he has
this year: incumbent Rich Cline     degree in urban studies and a law   accepted a new position with the
and Planning Commissioner           degree, although he does not cur-   city of Campbell, effective mid-
Andrew Combs.                       rently practice as an attorney.     July.
  Mr. Cline would be running                                              According to the city’s                        To learn more about Agility Health,
for a third term on the council.    Union contract                      announcement, Mr. Storz has                        please call us at (650) 453-5100
Fellow incumbents Kirsten             The council voted 5-0 on July     accepted the position to shorten             or visit us online at www.agility-health.org

Keith and Peter Ohtaki, also        15 to approve a new contract        his commute and have more             RN Care Management t Skilled Nursing Care t Rehabilitation
up for re-election, have said       with Service Employees Interna-     time to spend with his family.         Care t Community Resources t Family Health Counseling

they intend to run for their        tional Union, which represents        This will be the fourth vacant
second terms.                       approximately 134 workers.          senior engineer position within
  Mr. Combs joined the Plan-          The one-year contract includes    the public works department.
ning Commission in May. Prior       a 4.5 percent pay raise, four       Among other recent departures
to that, he served on the Bicycle   hours less paid time off, and       are former Public Works Direc-
Commission. He has covered          maintains employee contribu-        tor Chip Taylor and Environ-
business and legal matters as a     tions toward retirement benefits    mental Programs Manager
journalist and holds a bachelor’s   at the levels set in 2011.          Rebecca Fotu.  A

Two incumbents file for council race
  Two incumbents have filed to                                            The council now has only
                                     N ATHERTON
run for re-election in November                                         four members. Jim Dobbie,
to the Atherton City Council. As                                        whose term was to expire in
of July 18, two other residents       Rose Hau, an architect who        November, resigned earlier
active in civic affairs had taken   is vice chair of the Civic Cen-     this year due to poor health,
the first steps to becoming can-    ter Advisory Committee, and         and his unfilled seat is one of
didates by taking out nomina-       Michael Lempres, an attorney        the three that voters will fill in
tion papers.                        who is a member of the town’s       the fall.
  The incumbents are Bill Wid-      Transportation Committee              The deadline for filing is
mer, who is completing his first    and its Rail Committee, have        Friday, Aug. 8, except for races
term, and Rick DeGolia, elected     also taken out papers.              in which an eligible incumbent
to a one-year term last year to       Three seats on the five-          does not file. In that case, the
fill the seat left vacant when      member council will be on the       filing period remains open
Jerry Carlson resigned.             ballot.                             until Aug. 13.

Two show interest in running for school boards
  Voters may fill three seats on    School District had filed papers      Incumbent Richard Ginn had
each of two local school district   to run for a seat on that board.    taken out papers for the Las
boards, but a week into the           Stacy Jones, who applied for      Lomitas Elementary School Dis-
month-long filing period for        appointment to an open seat         trict board as of July 17.
those offices, the county Elec-     on the Menlo Park board in            The filing period to run for                                TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
tions Office hasn’t exactly had     February but was passed over,       office in the Nov. 3 election runs
to raise the flood gates.           has filed papers to run for a       through Friday, Aug. 8, but will                             NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR
  As of July 17, an incumbent on    seat in November. Ms. Jones is      be extended through Wednes-                                      MAP MODIFICATION
the Las Lomitas School District     co-chair of the district’s coun-    day, Aug. 13, in races where an                                  125 DEER MEADOW
board had taken out papers, and     cil. She has three children in      incumbent is eligible to run but
a parent in the Menlo Park City     district schools.                   does not file.
                                                                                                             This is to notify you that an application for Modification to
                                                                        sion of celebrity chef Bradley       the Town of Portola Valley Ground Movement Potential Map
Crepes Cafe closing on July 28                                          Ogden’s empire of upscale
                                                                        restaurants.
                                                                                                             and Geologic Map has been submitted for review by the
                                                                                                             Town of Portola Valley Planning Commission. The property
  Crepes Cafe in Menlo Park           A longtime cafe employee            Crepes Cafe has been open          is owned by Bob Zider, located at 125 Deer Meadow Lane
will be closing on July 28,         said the restaurant now under       for 10 years. In her posted          and identified as APN: 077-212-070.
according to a message posted       construction in the former          message, Ms. Scopazzi, who           Planning Commission public hearing has been scheduled
on its doors from owner Janet       Ga mba rdel la’s restaura nt        could not be reached for com-        to review this application on Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Scopazzi. The message said the      space, on the south side of         ment, thanked her customers          at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers, Historic
building’s new landlords have       the same building, is going to      and her staff; she gave no           School House, Portola Valley Town Center, 765 Portola
“other plans” for the space,        take the entire building. The       indication that her cafe would       Road, Portola Valley, CA.
located at 1195 Merrill St.         new enterprise is an expan-         open at a new location.
                                                                                                             Information pertaining to the proposal may be viewed
                                                                                                             at Town Hall Building & Planning Department, Monday
                                                                          Support                            through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 – 5:00
                                                                                                             p.m. All interested persons are invited to appear before
                                                                    The Almanac’s print                      the Planning Commission to be heard at the time and place
                                                                    and online coverage                      herein above mentioned.
                                                                     of our community.                       Dated:      July 16, 2014                                                 Carol Borck
                                                                                                                                                                                  Assistant Planner
             Join today: SupportLocalJournalism.org/Almanac
                                                                                                               July 23, 2014        N   TheAlmanacOnline.com                 N   The Almanac      N   9
Of this year's - | Almanac Online
N E W S

                               ONE STUDENT.
                                 ONE TEACHER.ONE
                                              ONETEACHER.
                                                  STUDENT.NO
                                                           NOLIMITS.
                                                              LIMITS.                                Parker Ave. saga not over
                                                                                                     By Barbara Wood
                                                                                                     Almanac Staff Writer
                                                                                                                                           council meeting and asked that,
                                                                                                                                           with the clear survey results, the

                                                                                                     S     ome residents of Parker
                                                                                                           Avenue in Atherton, a dead-
                                                                                                           end street of 21 homes on
                                                                                                     7,800-square-foot lots, just want
                                                                                                     their street to stay the way it is.
                                                                                                                                           matter finally be put to rest.
                                                                                                                                             “I beg you to please make this
                                                                                                                                           the last time that my neighbors
                                                                                                                                           have to appear before the
                                                                                                                                           council,” said Marilee Gard-
                                                                                                     But others have been trying for       ner.
                                                                                                     years to get town regulations           At the last minute, however,
                                                                                                     changed so they can further           an email from a resident of
                                                                                                     develop their property.               the street sent the day before
                                                                                                       Town officials thought they         the council meeting said that
                                                                                                     had a solution to the problem         county officials might be will-
                                                                                                     in May when they decided to           ing to take the property tax
                                                                                                     survey all the street’s property      issue off the table. The email
                                                                                                     owners, asking if they want 900       said that several more hom-
                                                                                                     square feet of the town’s right-      eowners would be in favor of
                                                                                                     of-way on the street to be trans-     the property transfer with no
                    Experience 1:1 Instruction                                                       ferred to each property owner.
                                                                                                     The town has a 70-foot-wide
                                                                                                     right-of-way for a paved road
                                                                                                                                           additional taxes, and that three
                                                                                                                                           more residents had filled out
                                                                                                                                           surveys favoring the transfer.

                      at Halstrom Academy!                                                           that is just 20 feet wide.
                                                                                                       The results of the survey
                                                                                                     presented to the City Council
                                                                                                                                             In the end, the council did
                                                                                                                                           what the town’s staff had asked
                                                                                                                                           them to do: nothing. The town
                   "U)BMTUSPN"DBEFNZ TUVEFOUTMFBSOBUUIFJSPXOQBDFBOEPOUIFJS               at its July 16 meeting seemed         is working on encroachment
                                                                                                     clear: Only four residents said       permit regulations, which would
                   PXOTDIFEVMFJOBOVSUVSJOHFOWJSPONFOUXIJMFEFWFMPQJOHUIF                    they were in favor of having the      give official permission for use
                   FTTFOUJBMTLJMMTUIFZOFFEUPTVDDFFEJOTJEFBOEPVUTJEFPGTDIPPM               town give them the additional
                                                                                                     property, with 11 against it.
                                                                                                                                           of the town right-of-way for
                                                                                                                                           some private uses.
                                                                                                     Another six residents did not           Those regulations will come
                                                                                                     respond. Many residents noted         back in a few months. Council
                                                                                                     they didn’t want to pay extra         members said that at that point,

                                     OPEN HOUSE!                                                     property taxes that might result
                                                                                                     from the property transfer.
                                                                                                       Some residents came to the
                                                                                                                                           if the situation has changed,
                                                                                                                                           they will once again revisit
                                                                                                                                           Parker Avenue.   A

                          Wednesday, August 13, 5:30-7PM
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10   N   The Almanac       N   TheAlmanacOnline.com    N   July 23, 2014
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                               July 23, 2014   N   TheAlmanacOnline.com   N   The Almanac   N   11
N E W S

Menlo Park city hall remodel still on hold                                                                                                       thus driving up labor expenses,
                                                                                                                                                 to allow the city’s staff to keep
                                                                                                                                                 working during the day.
By Sandy Brundage                      million plan in June, and then                                       $1.2 million and asked for more         Mayor Ray Mueller was
Almanac Staff Writer                   again at the July 15 coun-                                           data to support that figure          unconvinced that was com-
                                       cil meeting, at the council’s         Council asks staff             — data which the July 15 dis-        pletely necessary. Why not

F     rustrations arose at a recent
      Menlo Park City Council
      meeting over plans to ren-
ovate city hall. The council and
the city’s staff agree that renovat-
                                       request. The discussion closed,
                                       yet again, without the council
                                       voting on the cost.
                                         Earlier this year the council
                                       approved spending $300,000 on
                                                                            to justify overtime
                                                                              labor charges.
                                                                           But the staff eventually pre-
                                                                                                            cussion indicated the council
                                                                                                            members didn’t get.
                                                                                                              “I’m not happy with the fact
                                                                                                            that there was never a lower-cost
                                                                                                            alternative presented after we
                                                                                                                                                 look at whether the staff in the
                                                                                                                                                 department being worked on
                                                                                                                                                 could not work that day, or if
                                                                                                                                                 they could be briefly accom-
                                                                                                                                                 modated in another space such
ing city hall — currently stuffed      the remodel, which would rear-    ferred a floor plan that would     kicked it back and said this is      as the library, he said.
to the seams with employees —          range workspace and is designed   group departments by similar-      too much,” said Councilwoman            “We went through that analy-
is the right course of action. The     to improve customer service by    ity, such as putting building      Kirsten Keith.                       sis a year ago,” Mr. Mueller
point of disagreement is over          adding features such as kiosks.   next to planning, and asked for      A large part of the cost derives   said. “We did. And our direc-
how much to spend.                     The 15-year-old carpet would      another $500,000. The council      from the plan to carry out much      tion at that time was to bring
   The staff presented a $1.2          also be replaced for $400,000.    balked at the now total cost of    of the renovation work at night,     us back what the cost estimates
                                                                                                                                                 would be with that change. We
                                                                                                                                                 haven’t done that. My question
                                                                                                                                                 is why?”
                                                                                                                                                    He noted that with the immi-
                                                                                                                                                 nent departure of one of the
                                                                                                                                                 city’s largest sales tax revenue
                                                                                                                                                 generators — Office Depot Max
                                                                                                                                                 — it may be time to plan for
                                                                                                                                                 some budgetary “belt tighten-
                                                                                                                                                 ing” next year.
                                                                                                                                                    City Manager Alex McIntyre
                                                                                                                                                 indicated that to the best of his
                                                                                                                                                 knowledge, the council’s direc-
                                                                                                                                                 tion had been to figure out how
                                                                                                                                                 to carry out the remodel with
                                                                                                                                                 the least disruption of staff
                                                                                                                                                 workflow, and the thinking
                                                                                                                                                 was that doing the renovation
                                                                                                                                                 at night was most efficient.
                                                                                                                                                 He commented that delaying
                                                                                                                                                 approval of the cost would
                                                                                                                                                 delay hiring new staff for the
                                                                                                                                                 planning department, as right
                                                                                                                                                 now there’s no place to put
                                                                                                                                                 them.
                                                                                                                                                    Interim Public Works Direc-
                                                                                                                                                 tor Jesse Quirion said the $1.2
                                                                                                                                                 million was a “not to exceed”

          #!"#!                                                                                                                    number and that once a new
                                                                                                                                                 floor plan was approved, the
                                                                                                                                                 city could ask for two bids, one
                                                                                                                                                 to carry out the remodel during
                                                                                                                                                 the day, and the other at night.
                                                                                                                                                    The council then voted 4-1,
                                                                                                     with Ms. Keith dissenting, to
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12   N   The Almanac    N   TheAlmanacOnline.com    N   July 23, 2014
C O M M U N I T Y

Mama Coco restaurant
opens in Menlo Park
By Tiffany Lam                       transformation: freshly painted
Special to the Almanac
                                     walls — blue, red, and yellow,

M          ama Coco Cocina Mex-
           icana, a family-owned
           Mexican restaurant,
opened this month at 1081
El Camino Real in downtown
                                     influenced by the colors of res-
                                     taurants in Mexico, according
                                     to Mr. Pina — new floors, and a
                                     redesigned patio.
                                       Ms. Pilotzi’s grandmother,
Menlo Park, at the site formerly     Sotoro Tarano, is the inspira-
occupied by Mex To Go. The           tion for the restaurant’s name.
restaurant offers a casual dining    Known as “Mama Coco” to
experience, blending authentic       residents of Mexico City, Ms.
Mexican cuisine and brightly         Tarano established the name
colored dÈcor.                       (derived from her first name)
  Co-owners Omar Pina and            when she fed home-cooked
Monica Pilotzi, who have two         Mexican cuisine to people in her
kids, ages 8 and 14, have lived in   community.
Menlo Park for 18 years. This is       “She raised 12 kids by herself,”
the first time they’ve run a res-    said Ms. Pilotzi. “She started
taurant, but Mr. Pina is famil-      to cook at home, invited a few
iar with the business. He has        workers from the street, and
worked at restaurants in Menlo       soon her house was full. She fed                                                                                                Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac
Park and Palo Alto.                  the whole community, some-            Family members at their new Mama Coco restaurant are, from left, son Omar Pina Jr., father Omar Pina Sr.,
  “I’ve wanted to open my own        times for free. She was every-        daughter Alexa Pina, and mother Monica Pilotzi. The restaurant is named after Monica’s grandmother.
restaurant for two to three          one’s mama.”
years,” he said. “When I ate at        The restaurant’s menu uses            It serves basic dishes like tacos   alcoholic beverages.                    Mr. Pina. “Customers like it
Cafe Borrone a few months ago,       Mama Coco’s recipes. Among            ($10) and burritos (price varies         Mr. Pina and Ms. Pilotzi said        because there aren’t many fam-
I looked at Mex To Go across         them are Mama Coco empana-            by filling), as well as more          they designed the restaurant for        ily restaurants around. Parents
the street and thought it was a      das ($9), homemade turnovers          unusual entrees like salmon           a “family feel,” adding to the          can bring their kids and still
great location. I called the owner   filled with vegetables, cheese,       veracruzano ($15), pan-roasted        patio an area for kids to draw          enjoy their food.”
and she was willing to sell the      and corn; and Mama Coco               salmon with Veracruz salsa;           and play.                                 Ms. Tarano died in May,
space.”                              ensalada poblana ($9), salad          and cochinita pibil ($15), suck-        “We want to bring families            a couple of months before
  Under new ownership, the           with peppers, avocado, lime           ling pig. The restaurant also         to the restaurant so they can
restaurant has undergone a huge      juice, and salmon or shrimp.          serves wine, beer and other           start making memories,” noted                See MAMA COCO, page 14

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                                                                                                                   July 23, 2014    N   TheAlmanacOnline.com     N    The Almanac            N   13
C O M M U N I T Y

 Victorian Days return to history museum                                 Atherton council hikes                                                   managers and staff that were not
                                                                                                                                                  as experienced or responsible as
                                                                                                                                                  they are now.”
   Re-enactors will portray          p.m, when children and adults
 well-to-do Peninsula residents
 of the past, gossiping about
                                     can drink tea, eat finger sand-
                                     wiches and scones, and watch
                                                                         staff purchasing limits                                                    Councilman Bill Widmer
                                                                                                                                                  opposed the change. “It’s not
 neighbors and discussing            the re-enactors.                                                                                             a question of saving staff
                                                                         By Tiffany Lam                      services and $30,000 for every-      time, but of transparency and
 fashion of the times, at the          The tea will cost $5 for adults   Special to the Almanac
 San Mateo County Historical         and $4 for children under 12.                                           thing else, including supplies       doing the right thing for the
 Association’s Victorian Days
 event, set for Sunday, Aug. 10.
   Admission is free to the event,
 which will run from 11 a.m. to 3
                                     There will also be children’s
                                     craft activities.
                                       Visitors can stroll “History
                                     Lane” to see exhibits and meet
                                                                         A      therton’s town staff has
                                                                                been given more flex-
                                                                                ibility in making big pur-
                                                                         chases, but the change didn’t
                                                                         come without some opposition.
                                                                                                             and equipment. The previous
                                                                                                             limit for both was $15,000.
                                                                                                             Purchases will continue to
                                                                                                             be restricted to items in the
                                                                                                             town’s approved budget.
                                                                                                                                                  taxpayer,” he said. “Every day
                                                                                                                                                  you read about spending limits
                                                                                                                                                  where people didn’t exercise
                                                                                                                                                  responsibilities and there was
                                                                                                                                                  embezzlement. Towns lose
 p.m. at the county history muse-    with representatives from his-
 um, located at 2200 Broadway in     tory groups on the Peninsula.         In a 3-1 vote at its July 16        Undergoing a formal bidding        hundreds of thousands of dol-
 downtown Redwood City.                Go to historysmc.org for more     meeting, the Atherton City          process takes additional staff       lars.”
   Victorian tea sessions will       information, or call 299-0104.      Council increased the limits on     time and resources and may not         Mayor Cary Wiest respond-
 be held at noon, 1 p.m, and 2                        — Tiffany Lam      the amount of money town staff      result in a lower cost, Mr. Rod-     ed that the town has checks
                                                                         can spend without a formal bid-     ericks said.                         and balances to prevent some-
                                                                         ding process.                         Councilwoman Elizabeth             thing like that from happening.
                                                                           As recommended by City            Lewis, participating in the meet-    “Increasing limits would give us
                                                           July 2014
                                                                         Manager George Rodericks,           ing via a conference call, noted     more flexibility,” he said.
                                                                         the council increased the limit     that the lower limits “were set in     Vice Mayor Rick DeGolia also
          AN IMPORTANT NOTICE REQUIRED BY                                to $25,000 for professional         place at a time when we had city     voted in favor of the change.           A

         THE STATE WATER RESOUCES CONTROL
                       BOARD,
             DIVISION OF DRINKING WATER
                                                                         Grand jury urges county                                                  received multiple complaints,
                                                                                                                                                  including about overcharging of
                                                                                                                                                  lessees and lack of transparency
     Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre
                         su agua potable.
                                                                         to dissolve harbor district                                              in financial reporting.
                                                                                                                                                    This isn’t the first time a
       Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.              By Tiffany Lam
                                                                                                             Mateo County civil grand jury        grand jury has dealt with har-
                                                                         Special to the Almanac
      The O’Connor Tract Co-Operative Water Company                                                          calls on the county to dissolve      bor district issues. Reports on
     has levels of manganese above the secondary drinking
                        water standard.
 Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have
 a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what
                                                                         T      he San Mateo County
                                                                                Harbor District has dealt
                                                                                with multiple issues, from
                                                                         financial problems to accusa-
                                                                         tions of records destruction and
                                                                                                             the district and take over its
                                                                                                             functions.
                                                                                                               Until such dissolution occurs,
                                                                                                             the grand jury recommends
                                                                                                             the district develop plans for
                                                                                                                                                  the district date back to 1963. A
                                                                                                                                                  2001-2002 report remarked on
                                                                                                                                                  the lack of collegiality between
                                                                                                                                                  district commissioners. In 2006,
                                                                                                                                                  a review by the Local Agency
 we are doing to correct this situation. Our water system is in          excess benefits paid to commis-     standardized financial report-       Formation Commission rec-
 violation of a secondary drinking water standard. Violation of a        sioners. Yet, San Mateo County      ing, eliminate use of property       ommended the district be dis-
 secondary standard does not pose an immediate threat to health.         provides the district with $5       tax revenue, and form standing       solved.
 We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contam-         million annually.                   ad hoc committees that meet            In its report, the grand jury
 inants. Water sample results for the second quarter monitoring            A five-member Board of Com-       regularly.                           requests responses from the
 in 2014 have manganese levels of 57 ppb in well #1 and 135 ppb          missioners governs the district,      The district’s problems are        Local Agency Formation Com-
 in well #2 (ppb=parts per billion). This is above the secondary         which operates Pillar Point         multifold — lawsuits charging        mission, the Board of Supervi-
 drinking water standard, or secondary maximum contaminant               Harbor at Half Moon Bay and         harassment, lost rent checks,        sors, the harbor district, and the
 level of 50 ppb. Manganese concentrations above the standard            Oyster Point Marina in South        police presence at commission        city of Half Moon Bay.
 may have an effect on taste and tend to leave black deposits in         San Francisco. The district is      meetings, and criticism from the       The civil grand jury is made
 some plumbing systems.                                                  funded by property taxes and        press and social media on the        up of San Mateo County resi-
                                                                         commercial activities.              dysfunction of the district com-     dents, appointed by a judge,
 What should I do?                                                         In a July 9 report, the San       missioners. This year’s grand jury   who investigate problems and
 s 9OU DO NOT NEED TO USE AN ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLY                                                                                             prepare reports recommending
   (e.g., bottled water). There is no health risk.                                                                                                action by government agencies
                                                                                                                                                  in the county. The agencies
 What happened? What is being done?                                                               TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY                          are required to issue a public
                                                                                                   NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR                      response to the report.
 O’Connor Water has been above the secondary standard for                                                                                           Go to sanmateocourt.org/
 manganese for many years, and this has been described to                                              MAP MODIFICATION
                                                                                                                                                  grandjury for more information
 members in the annual Report on Water Quality Measurements.                                           100 ALAMOS ROAD
                                                                                                                                                  about grand jury reports.       A

 Recent state regulations have imposed stricter requirements for
 complying with the secondary standard for manganese. The
 state has issued the company a citation for noncompliance.                   This is to notify you that an application for Modification
 The state ordered the company to start quarterly monitoring in               to the Town of Portola Valley Ground Movement Potential
                                                                              Map and Geologic Map has been submitted for review
 February 2012, and this monitoring was completed in Septem-
 ber 2012. The state also required that manganese monitoring be               by the Town of Portola Valley Planning Commission. The                   MAMA COCO
 continued quarterly and that the results of these tests be reported          property is owned by Dawn Stockholm located at 100 Ala-                    continued from page 13
 to all water consumers.                                                      mos Road and identified as APN: 077-271-100.                        the opening. “She didn’t know
                                                                                                                                                  about the name. We wanted to
 We are working on a plan, which will have to be approved by                  Planning Commission public hearing has been scheduled               surprise her,” said Mr. Pina.
 the state, to communicate with all water consumers about the                 to review this application on Wednesday, August 6, 2014               But the restaurant is lined
 water quality.                                                               at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers, Historic            with reminders of her lessons,
                                                                              School House, Portola Valley Town Center, 765 Portola               according to Ms. Pilotzi. On the
 Please share this information with all the other people who drink
 this water, especially those who may not have received this                  Road, Portola Valley, CA.                                           walls are picture frames with
 public notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nurs-                                                                                 paper cutouts of Spanish words,
 ing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting              Information pertaining to the proposal may be viewed                including amor (love), tradiciÛn
 this public notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand          at Town Hall Building & Planning Department, Monday                 (tradition), and sabor (flavor).
 or mail.                                                                     through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 – 5:00                “They’re things she taught us
                                                                              p.m. All interested persons are invited to appear before            growing up. I think she would
 For further information, contact:                                            the Planning Commission to be heard at the time and                 be really happy to see them
 Ana Pedreiro, Secretary-Treasurer                                            place herein above mentioned.                                       here,” said Ms. Pilotzi.
 Telephone 650-321-2723                                                                                                                             Mama Coco, located next to
 Email: oconnorwater@gmail.com                                                Dated: July 16, 2014
 O’Connor Tract Co-Operative Water Co., System 4110019                                                                                            Trellis Restaurant, just south of
                                                                                                                       Carol Borck                Santa Cruz Avenue, is open every
 P.O. Box 1375, Palo Alto, California 94302-1375                                                                       Assistant Planner          day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.         A

14   N   The Almanac   N   TheAlmanacOnline.com     N   July 23, 2014
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