Top officials get some job security Page 3

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1 Vol. XXVII, Number 19 Wednesday, December 7, Top officials get some job security Page 3 Dana James Page 24 Look for Winter Class Guide in Section 2 Upfront Disputed house receives council approval Page 3 Title Pages Books for under the Christmas tree Section 2 Sports Paly football revenge will have to wait Page 26 Announcing the winners of the Palo Alto Weekly s 20th Annual Short Story Contest Page 12

2 apr.com REDEFINING QUALITY SINCE 1990 Reading between the emotional line makes the difference between finding a house and a home. ATHERTON Dramatic contemporary 5bd/4.5ba home designed with unique architectural flair. Distinctive, private gated estate on 1+/- fully landscaped acre. Spectacular Great Room. Large pool and Watsu spa. $5,495,000 PALO ALTO Outstanding Community Center location. Recently completed French inspired country home on large 13,500+/- lot near Walter Hays Elementary & Lucie Stern. Spacious floor plan features 4bd/4ba plus den. $3,450,000 LOS ALTOS Stunning new 6bd/5ba Spanish style home of 3729+/-sf of living space. Old World craftsmanship beautifully blended with top of the line modern amenities. Gorgeous Great room with gourmet kitchen. $3,245,000 apr.com PALO ALTO OFFICE 578 University Avenue APR COUNTIES Santa Clara San Mateo San Francisco Alameda Contra Costa Monterey Santa Cruz Page 2 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly

3 Upfront Local news, information and analysis Council gives controversial home thumbs up Neighbors protest of Santa Rita Avenue remodel denied 7-2 I t s the house that launched 1,000 letters. Well, not quite. But more than 600 people mailed letters, signed petitions and sent s weighing in, on both sides, on a Palo Alto family s proposed remodel of its by Bill D Agostino Santa Rita Avenue home. On Monday night, the City Council voted 7-2 not to hold a public hearing on the remodel, effectively approving the family s application. Council members Jack Morton and Hillary Freeman voted no. Applicants Lynn Brown and Robert Stefanski accepted congratulatory hugs and handshakes from friends and foes after the vote. The couple told the council they were surprised and distressed to watch their proposal to raise their roof and put a playroom in their attic become the center of a public, political debate. It has been a difficult process, to say the least, Stefanski said. Attorney Richard Alexander who s led campaigns against council members and bloated city spending in the past and his wife, Nancy Alexander, led the push to have the city reject their next-door neighbors project. The Alexanders leafleted the neighborhood with fliers warning the project would set a precedent, allowing more three-story homes and overwhelming Palo Alto s two-story neighborhoods. Our block today. Your block tomorrow, they noted. Although the council approved Brown and Stefanski s project on Monday, later in the evening it asked for a review of the guidelines used to approve such projects. (continued on page 7) Capturing the beauty in the beast Consultant-by-day wins research trip to Uganda by photographing his scaly pets It s filled with reptiles: lizards, snakes, and turtles. Kern keeps more than 40 pets mostly reptiles, but including the occasional dog or amphibian in a house that has vivariums and cages at every turn. That means he and his family have a lot more pet maintenance than most, Kern admits, but he doesn t think much of it. Like any hobby, it s a passion it s not really work, he said. But this weekend warrior, who often photographs his animals on a table in the garage, is about to meet a whole new world of fauna. Earlier this year, Kern won a herpetological that is, reptile- and amphibian-related photography contest. The grand prize? Joining a 16-day research expedition to Uganda as the group s official cameraman. Kern embarked on the trip Monday. The East African nation is known for its tremendous diversity of wildlife, considered one of the most varied in the world. The expedition will traverse Uganda s forests, mountains and rivers in search of new species. Uganda s the apex as good as it gets, Kern said. The opportunity is a surprising development for a man who grew up with photography but hadn t found a passion for it. As a young boy in New Orleans, Kern said, he by Saqib Rahim M ichael Kern s South Palo Alto home is filled to maximum capacity. Not with children, though he has two. Not with lights, props, or gadgets, though he is an amateur photographer. Michael Kern displays his panther chameleon, George, at his Palo Alto home. received many a lesson from his father, who was a photographer. But the younger Kern wasn t very excited by the highly technical, pedantic approach. He was interested in something else entirely: animals. When he was about 10, Kern met a kid who had snakes of his own and even little alligators, he said. A classic photo from those days captured him with a snake cradled Kern s photo of his Brazilian Rainbow boa (left) won him a spot on a 16-day research expedition to Uganda as the group s official cameraman. around his neck. But with adolescence, came the distractions of girls and growing up, Kern said. He forgot about animals for a while, taking up other hobbies such as music. In adulthood, he spent some years working in Japan, Southeast Asia, and South America, eventually settling down in the Bay Area with a family and a steady consulting job. Things changed when Kern and his family visited his father in New Orleans three years ago. Josh, Kern s elder son, was about 10 at the time. When he saw the photo of his young dad entangled with a snake, he demanded to know when he would be allowed to do the same. For Kern, who had been looking PALO ALTO Top city officials can t get fired in January Benest, Baum, Erickson and Rogers get clause added to contracts by Bill D Agostino A lthough the performance of Palo Alto City Manager Frank Benest was a campaign issue during the recent City Council election, he won t be fired in January. Or February. Or March. Or a small sliver of April. On Monday night, the City Council approved a change in Benest s contract, and in the contracts of three other top city administrators, that will prevent the four managers from being fired until at least 90 days after new council members take office. In September, Benest, City Attorney Gary Baum, City Clerk Donna Rogers and City Auditor Sharon Erickson asked the council for the modification in their contracts. Those four are the only city employees council members directly oversee. We believe this change, a common provision in other cities, would allow (the four employees ) performance to fully and fairly evaluated by the new Council, the four officials wrote in a letter to the council on Sept. 29. The council approved the request on Monday 8-1, with Councilwoman Hilary Freeman voting no. (Freeman did not explain her vote.) The new provision will prevent the four top officials from being fired without cause for 90 days after any new council members take office. Currently, the council can fire the four top employees at any time without a reason. (continued on page 5) During the recent council race, (continued on page 7) Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 3 Nicholas Wright

4 Page 4 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly 703 HIGH STREET, PALO ALTO, CA (650) PUBLISHER William S. Johnson EDITORIAL Jay Thorwaldson, Editor Marc Burkhardt, Managing Editor Jocelyn Dong, Associate Editor Allen Clapp, Carol Blitzer, Assistant Editors Keith Peters, Sports Editor Rick Eymer, Assistant Sports Editor Rebecca Wallace, Arts & Entertainment Editor Don Kazak, Senior Staff Writer Bill D Agostino, Alexandria Rocha, Staff Writers Norbert von der Groeben, Chief Photographer Nicholas Wright, Staff Photographer Brian Connelly, Photo Intern Tyler Hanley, Assistant to the Editor & Online Editor Sue Dremann, Staff Writer, Special Sections Cammie Farmer, Calendar Editor Jeanne Aufmuth, Dale Benson, Lynn Comeskey, Tim Goode, Jill Slater, Susan Tavernetti, Robert Taylor, Contributors Suman Mudamula, Saqib Rahim, Ken Selis, Editorial Interns DESIGN Carol Hubenthal, Design Director Judith Alderman, Assistant Design Director Diane Haas, Lynda Lumish, Sue Peck, Senior Designers; Dana James, Sarah McAleer, Scott Peterson, Designers PRODUCTION Jennifer Lindberg, Production Manager Dorothy Hassett, Brooke Fox, Sales & Production Coordinators ADVERTISING Michael Howard, Advertising Manager Cathy Norfleet, Display Advertising Sales Assistant Jasbir Gill, Janice Hoogner, Sandra Valdiosera, Display Advertising Sales Kathryn Brottem, Real Estate Advertising Sales Joan Merritt, Real Estate Advertising Asst. Linda Franks, Classified Advertising Manager Justin Davisson, Evie Marquez, Irene Schwartz, Classified Advertising Sales Blanca Yoc, Classified Administrative Assistant ONLINE SERVICES Lisa Van Dusen, Director of Palo Alto Online Shannon White, Assistant to Webmaster BUSINESS Iryna Buynytska, Business Manager Miriam Quehl, Manager of Payroll & Benefits Paula Mulugeta, Senior Accountant Valentina Georgieva, Judy Tran, Business Associates Tina Karabats, Cathy Stringari, Doris Taylor, Business Associates ADMINISTRATION Amy Renalds, Assistant to the Publisher & Promotions Director; Rachel Palmer, Promotions & Online Assistant Janice Covolo, Receptionist; Ruben Espinoza, Jorge Vera, Couriers EMBARCADERO PUBLISHING CO. William S. Johnson, President Robert A. Heinen, Vice President, Operations; Michael I. Naar, Vice President & CFO; Robert D. Thomas, Vice President, Corporate Development; Franklin Elieh, Vice President, Sales & Marketing; Frank A. Bravo, Director, Computer Operations & Webmaster Connie Jo Cotton, Major Accounts Sales Manager; Bob Lampkin, Director, Circulation & Mailing Services; Alicia Santillan, Circulation Assistant; Chris Planessi, Joel Pratt, Chip Poedjosoedarmo, Computer System Associates The Palo Alto Weekly (ISSN ) is published every Wednesday and Friday by Embarcadero Publishing Co., 703 High St., Palo Alto, CA 94302, (650) Periodicals postage paid at Palo Alto, CA and additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for Santa Clara County. The Palo Alto Weekly is delivered free to homes in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, East Palo Alto, to faculty and staff households on the Stanford campus and to portions of Los Altos Hills. If you are not currently receiving the paper, you may request free delivery by calling POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA Copyright 2003 by Embarcadero Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Printed by SFOP, Redwood City. The Palo Alto Weekly is available on the Internet via Palo Alto Online at: Our addresses are: editor@paweekly.com, letters@paweekly.com, ads@paweekly.com. Missed delivery or start/stop your paper? Call , or circulation@paweekly.com. You may also subscribe online at Subscriptions are $40/yr ($25 within our circulation area). SUBSCRIBE! Support your local newspaper by becoming a paid subscriber. $25 per year for residents of our circulation area: $40 for businesses and residents of other areas. Name: Address: City: Zip: Mail to: Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box Palo Alto CA Our Town by Don Kazak Stanford s labor pains A dozen or so union leaders and elected officials (none from Palo Alto) stood next to a big purple RV last Thursday afternoon near the main entrance to Stanford Hospital. The bus belongs to the Service Employees International Union. They were gathered to announce that SIEU s workers at Stanford and Lucile Packard Children s hospitals would go on strike at 5 a.m. Dec. 12. They huddled under the bus s foldout awning, trying to stay dry. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and rain poured down on journalists. The SEIU has separate labor contracts with the university and the hospitals, which are separate legal corporations. The union represents 1,400 hospital workers and 1,300 university workers. These are the blue-collar workers who keep things running, such as food and service workers, including 300 nursing assistants at the hospitals. The hospital workers voted Nov. 22 to authorize SEIU leaders to call a strike, which they announced at the rain-drenched press conference. They are required to give 10 days notice. In a separate action, SEIU s university workers voted last week to authorize a strike. That could happen any time because university employees don t need to give notice. SEIU s disputes with the university and the hospitals have different histories, but may be dovetailing. SIEU s labor agreement with the hospitals expired Nov. 4. It was extended to Nov. 13 for additional negotiations, but has now lapsed. The union is asking for 29 percent pay raises over three years, while the hospital s last, best and final offer is 12 percent. The union asked to resume negotiations and the hospitals refused unless the union indicated it was ready to move a bit. The refusal prompted SEIU to file an unfair labor practice charge against the hospitals with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that the hospitals are violating federal labor law by refusing to negotiate. In contrast, SEIU s agreement with the university has not expired. But when the current contract was signed, both sides agreed to put a re-opener into the contract over pension issues. Negotiations were reopened but were moving so slowly from the union s perspective that it called the strike-authorization vote last week. So for those who might be a bit confused, here s the score: one union, two contracts with two different legal entities, two strike-authorization votes for entirely different reasons and one strike set for Dec. 12. A different SEIU local went on strike for two months recently against California Pacific Medical Center s three hospitals in San Francisco. That strike was settled Nov. 12 when SEIU agreed to a four-year contract with 16 percent pay raises the 4 percent a year that Stanford and Packard hospitals say is their final offer. Stanford and Packard hospitals have a combined 688 in-patient beds. That includes intensive-care beds, and, at Packard, 40 neonatel intensive care beds for premature-born babies. Packard is a regional hospital, as is Stanford for heart and transplant patients. Both hospitals have been running chock-full of patients. Unless a federal mediator heads off the Dec. 12 strike federal mediators are automatically assigned when notice of a strike is given the hospitals could have difficulty in functioning. A contingency plan for a strike is in place, hospital spokeswoman Sarah Staley said, but declined to specify how the hospitals would get by without 1,400 workers. A separate union representing nurses at the hospitals held a 50-day strike in the summer of The hospitals weathered that strike by bringing in contract nurses from around the country. That kept things running, but the 50-day nurses strike cost the two hospitals $30 million for the contract nurses. Replacing the SEIU workers during a strike might not be as easy. While the two labor disputes are separate, the hospital and university workers are supporting each other. About 200 hospital workers held a lively rally at Stanford Hospital Nov. 2. They wore purple SEIU T-shirts, carried placards and chanted as they marched around the hospital and then to Palm Drive, to the foot of the Oval. In the distance, another 200 university workers also wore purple SEIU T-shirts, carried placards and chanted as they marched toward the hospital workers. It may have been a sign of things to come. Senior Staff Writer Don Kazak can be ed at dkazak@paweekly.com. INDEX Pulse Transitions Spectrum Movies Sports Classified

5 Upfront Expedition (continued from page 3) for a fun family activity, snakes made sense. I wanted to have something that the family could do together, he said. So when Josh s next birthday came, he got his wish: an albino corn snake. Then little brother Alex got a variable king snake. Several months later, Kern joined the fun, buying a boa. The interest snowballed as the family brought more and more creatures to their two-story home, and they nicknamed their house The Kern Family Zoo. Soon, Kern found himself casually photographing his home s various residents with a point-and-shoot Olympus camera. Gradually, Kern said, he became interested in capturing them more vividly, and his father s old training came back. From there, Kern s affair with photography has only intensified. When I get into something, I take it to the max, he said. I take my photography seriously now. Sometimes that means sitting in the garage for an hour and shooting as many as 200 photos of his reptilian subject. Typically, he will set up the animal in his garage studio and patiently wait for something to happen, only occasionally offering some food or other stimulus. You can t just step in and pose these animals, he said. The ultimate goal, he said, is bringing out the beauty in the beast : showing that these animals including snakes, which terrify many people have another face that is neither slimy nor hostile. Reptile enthusiasts seemed to appreciate that quality in Kern s contest-winning rainbow-boa photo, which catches the snake easing over a chunk of gnarled wood, its curves glowing blue-green. It shows the essence of that snake, he said of his photo, which was voted first place by a five-judge panel and an Internet poll. Kern concedes the expedition will be far from a milk run. He will be camping out on truly wild terrain, and he ll be keeping company with hardened professionals. Nevertheless, for a man who confesses that he enjoys cleaning out cages on Saturdays, enthusiasm might be enough. Asked to explain how a chameleon works, he pauses then motions that he s going to fetch a photo. A picture s worth a thousand words, he said. Editorial Intern Saqib Rahim can be reached at Corrections To request a clarification or correction, call Marc Burkhardt, managing editor, at (650) , or write to P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto My job has added benefits working to make the residents happy and satisfied makes me happy and satisfied. You can t ask for more than that from a job, and I m 100% committed to BridgePoint at Los Altos. Who will make a difference in your day? When you love what you do, it shows. Each and every member of our team looks forward to making a difference in your day, every day. Call today to schedule a complimentary lunch and tour of BridgePoint senior lifestyle community. Come experience the difference that a caring, committed staff makes. We provide the lifestyle you do the living. An Independent & Assisted Living Community 1174 Los Altos Ave., Los Altos, CA (650) License # Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 5

6 Upfront QUOTE OF THE WEEK Want to make the right healthy choices? Busy schedules and the holidays can make this even more challenging for you and your family. Page 6 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly Start the new year off right by joining the Packard Pediatric Weight Control Program.This six-month program helps overweight children ages 8 to 15 and their families develop lifelong healthy habits. 80 percent of children have significant success. Parents lose weight too. Now s the time to make this lifetime investment. Financial aid is available.visit for more information. GROUPS FORMING NOW. CALL (650) TO RESERVE A SPACE. Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce Upcoming Events December Business Mixer December 14, 2005 When: 5:30 pm 7:00 pm At The CARDINAL HOTEL, 235 Hamilton Street, Palo Alto, CA HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE For Lucile Packard Children s Hospital (Toys must be new and unwrapped) For detailed (donation Wish List), please visit: or call Coordinated By Rossiter Relocation Services JANUARY January 13th TALL TREE Nomination Deadline January 25th BUSINESS MIXER, 5:30 7 pm Scott s of Palo Alto, #1 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto, CA FEBRUARY February 3rd PACE BREAKFAST At the Westin Palo Alto Hotel Speaker: New Mayor Judy Kleinberg Topic: Palo Alto: What s New for the Coming Year February 22nd BUSINESS MIXER Annual Event Sponsors 2006 UPCOMING EVENTS MARCH March 3rd PACE BREAKFAST At The Westin Palo Alto Hotel Sponsored by Borel Private Bank and Trust Co., Stanford Shopping Center March 4th HEALTH EXPO March 22nd BUSINESS MIXER APRIL April 5th TALL TREE Awards Dinner April 26th BUSINESS MIXER Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 122 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, CA T: F: This is lousy public policy. Palo Alto resident Bob Moss, protesting a new provision that will prevent the city manager, city attorney, city clerk and city auditor from being firing without cause for 90 days after any new council members take office. The council approved the provision 8-1 Monday night. See story, page 3. Around Town PARADE OF BOOKS... There s an obvious downside to the upcoming renovation of the historic Palo Alto Children s Library: For two years, beginning Dec. 18, the library will be closed for construction. So, the city s thinking presumably went, what better reason for a parade? On Thursday after, starting at 3:30 p.m., the city s youngsters (along with their adults) will pull red wagons filled with books a few blocks from the Children s Library to the volumes new temporary home at the Main Library. The move will give the larger library a better collection of children s book than the tiny, sad one it s had in recent years. YOU VE BEEN WARNED!... When police officers spot negligible legal wrongdoing, which suspects do they cite and which do they warn? That s one question that arises from a reading of the Palo Alto Police Department s latest demographic data, a quarterly report about who the police stop, search, cite and arrest. According to the latest 17-page report, blacks made up 15 percent of the 2,893 suspects contacted by Palo Alto police officers from July to September But blacks received 21 percent of the warnings. Whites, on the other hand, made up 47 percent of the contacts but received 42 percent of the warnings. Asian Americans, meanwhile, made up 13 percent of the contacts but received 11 percent of the warnings. And Hispanics made up 16 percent of those contacted but received 20 percent of the warnings. What gives? Some possible explanations of why suspects were warned rather than cited could be found in narratives in the report. One case: an officer approached a black man, parked behind a business at 10:30 p.m., and smelled marijuana. After searching the vehicle, the officer found a very small partially smoked marijuana cigarette. The man was given a warning. A white man and woman were also given warnings after an officer found them drinking alcohol in a park after dark. After searching them, the officer found no other evidence or contraband. A black driver, meanwhile, received only a warning after an officer found items in the car that were consistent with drug use but no actual drugs or other contraband. The driver was stopped for a registration violation. The report which can be downloaded at documents/cmr pdf will be discussed Thursday night by the city s Human Relations Commission. ROVING RETREAT... The few community members that showed up last Wednesday night at the Cardinal Hotel for the Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commission s annual retreat were just beginning to settle into their seats when city officials made an announcement the catered meeting was relocating because the room selected at the hotel was not handicap accessible. The retreat s various participants then marched the street to City Hall not a problem for most. But the cameraman for the Media Center, which broadcasts city meetings, had more than himself to tote to the new location. He had already set up his video camera by the time city officials had realized their error, so he had to pack it up, walk across the street, unpack it and connect it again in the new room. As a result of the goof, the meeting started 30 minutes late. FINAL RESULTS... It s official, Jack Morton was re-elected to the Palo Alto City Council on Nov. 8. Although the absentee ballots, which have finally been counted, helped Planning and Transportation Commission Vice Chair Karen Holman creep closer to Morton in the race for the fifth spot on the Palo Alto City Council, she never caught up entirely, according to official final results. So the new council members, in order of their vote totals, are: incumbent Yoriko Kishimoto, Peter Drekmeier, Larry Klein, John Barton and Morton. Final tallies can be seen at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Web site: results/rov_nov8_election.html. The three new Palo Alto council members will take their seats at the dais on Jan. 9.

7 Officials (continued from page 3) some candidates argued the council had granted Benest too much power in making policy. That may have been a factor for the request, Councilwoman Yoriko Kishimoto said prior to the meeting. She had been one of those criticizing the council for failing to exert enough oversight of Benest. Upfront Supporters of the Santa Rita remodel held the above placards at Monday s City Council meeting. Council (continued from page 3) Homeowners are going to continue to push the envelope, Councilwoman Yoriko Kishimoto said, explaining the request. The Santa Rita Avenue remodel will actually shrink the home, according to the applicant s architect. The city s planning director found the remodel had matched the city s guidelines, conforming to the style of the neighborhood s other homes. Most of the 30 people who spoke to the council on Monday agreed the home would be an asset to the neighborhood. They held up signs with a pencil drawing of the remodeled home and the words: NO MORE HEARINGS. Although the council s rules prohibited its members from explaining why they turned down the Alexanders appeal of the director s ruling, some members body language spoke volumes. As Morton made a motion asking to hear the Alexanders appeal at a future meeting, Councilwoman Dena Mossar placed her head on the desk in front of her in disgust. It was one of the city s most contentious single-family projects. In 2003, Jamie and Elizabeth Wong s application to expand their Webster Street home pitted neighbor against neighbor and stimulated a citywide debate over the city s regulation of single-family homes. Also on Monday, the council unanimously approved another proposed single-family remodel on However, Kishimoto added: I don t think the tone or the kind of comments made were leading to any immediate firing of Frank. I don t think he would have been in danger of that. Most council members said the change would provide a coolingoff period following an election. I think it s reasonable, Mayor Jim Burch said. Bob Moss, a resident active in city politics, spoke against the new Hamilton Avenue that had also been appealed to the council. Staff Writer Bill D Agostino can be ed at bdagostino@paweekly.com. contract provision. He said he worried about the tense environment created if council members win an election after running on a platform of firing a top city employee and then aren t able to fire that employee immediately. This is lousy public policy, Moss said. Staff Writer Bill D Agostino can be ed at bdagostino@paweekly.com. A generation as unique as this needs a new generation of personal financial planning. My comprehensive, one-to-one approach to fi nancial planning goes beyond money management to help you plan for what s next SM in your life. Call me today for a complimentary initial consultation.* Barbara Barbara Madden, Madden, CPA CPA Financial Financial Advisor Advisor Suite 600 Suite 600, Campbell, CA Campbell, (408) CA , Ext. 325 (408) , Ext: 325 barbara.l.madden@ampf.com barbara.l.madden@ampf.com Mountain View Resident *The initial consultation provides an overview of fi nancial planning concepts. You will not receive written analysis and/or recommendations. Financial advisory services available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Member NASD and SIPC, a part of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. Ameriprise Financial expects to become independent of American Express on or after September 30, After the expected separation, we will no longer be owned by the American Express Company Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved Z-06 09/05 BodyKneads SPA+SALON Wrap up the year with a gift of relaxation Where to give this holiday season Local charities hoping for help by Kenneth Seli W hile shoppers rush home with their presents this season, the staff at local charities that aid the poor are hoping some gift-givers will extend the generosity to them. The nonprofits are planning to provide hot meals and gifts to those in need this year. Here are a few ways to give. The Urban Ministry Food Closet, located at 425 Hamilton Ave. in Palo Alto, is getting set for its Christmas Day meal. Donations of bottled water, yogurt and cheese, juice boxes, chili in cans, pork and beans, hearty soups, stuffing and all the fixings are needed. The Christmas meal is potluck, so donations are welcome up until the meal. Volunteers are welcome to help organize and serve dinner. Gift cards of $15-20 to local grocery and drug stores, along with items such as new socks, underwear, sleeping bags, toiletries, knitted hats, gloves and sweatshirts are also needed. In East Palo Alto, Mother Oneida Branch continues her 50-year mission of helping residents. She needs all kinds of meat, including turkeys, fruits, vegetables, rice, cornmeal and beans, as well as checks made out to the EPA Community Service Center so she can purchase Safeway and Albertson gift certificates. The center is at 2584 Farrington Way, East Palo Alto. St. Anthony s Padua Dining Room at 3500 Middlefield Road in Menlo Park needs donations of frozen food along with turkeys and hams. Local churches will be decorating the dining room for the holidays. Organizer Max Torres said the dining room is also looking for more permanent volunteers who are willing to make a commitment of coming one day a week throughout the year. Our main focus is on feeding the people; providing a hot nutritious meal Monday through Saturday at our facility, Torres said. He can be contacted at maxtorres@covad.net. The dining room phone number is (650) The Community Services Agency of Mountain View and Los Altos is offering its annual Holiday Sharing Program. Basically our goal is to provide every child with a toy, stocking stuffer and new pajamas, Alison Hopkins, director of volunteers, said. They are looking for volunteers to work morning and afternoon shifts from Monday through Friday. They also have a Dec. 15 deadline for the donation of toys for children ages newborn to 18 years, and a Dec. 22 deadline for food donations. Contact Hopkins to volunteer or make donations at (650) and at ahopkins@csacares.org. Stanford Medical School Blood Center Share a part of your life Give blood Short Getaway Package (One Hour Swedish Massage, Express Mini- Facial, Manicure and Spa Pedicure) $135 One Hour Jacuzzi and One Hour Deep Tissue Massage $75 Body Kneads Signature Facial, Manicure and Spa Pedicure $75 Manicure and Spa Pedicure $22 Glitter & Glam Yourself This Season Bath, Body Scrub, Body Wrap, Gold Dust or Oil $190 Gift Certificates available too. 810 San Antonio Rd., Palo Alto days, 10am-10pm Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 7

8 News Digest Upfront UNION BANK OF CALIFORNIA is pleased to welcome DEBRA LEPOLD Vice President & Manager, Personal Trust & PERSONAL TRUST & INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT to our Palo Alto Office location THE PALO ALTO PRIVATE BANK 400 University Avenue Palo Alto, California Dee Tolles Senior Vice President & Regional Director The Private Bank is uniquely positioned to help you take advantage of all that wealth can bring your way. Rehab of Palo Alto s first black church gets OK A proposed rehabilitation of two of Palo Alto s historic buildings the city s first African-American church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and a 1931 laundromat, the French Laundry was given the OK from the city s Architectural Review Board and Historic Resources Board last Thursday morning. We thought in the end that the applicant had done a pretty good job of respecting the historic buildings, said Judith Wasserman, the chair of the Architectural Review Board. The large, three-story project, from Menlo Equities, will also construct 35,542 square feet of office and retail, nearly 9,000 square feet of underground parking and four residential units at the site, 260 Homer Avenue. The city s planning director was expected to give the final approval for the project this week, subject to a few minor modifications the two boards requested. The director s approval will be subject to any appeals, although none are expected. It s the second time the city approved a project from Menlo Equities for the site. In 2001, the developer applied for and received permits for a similar project, but it let the permit expire. Bill D Agostino Crash victim remains on life support A 37-year-old woman severely injured in an East Palo Alto auto crash a week ago remains on life support, Police Sgt. Alma Zamora said Monday morning. The single-car crash at 2 a.m. Nov. 26 killed Larry Glenn Young, 57, of East Palo Alto when he was thrown from the car. The car s driver, Silvia Romero, 39, of East Palo Alto, pleaded not guilty last Tuesday to multiple charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter. The car spun out of control and hit a telephone poll in the 1400 block of East Bayshore Road. Don Kazak Murder charges still pending against Menlo Park man A Menlo Park man suspected of killing his wife 14 years ago will have to wait at least two more weeks to find out whether his attorney s motion to have the charges against him thrown out is granted. Joseph Eli Morrow, 54, appeared in San Mateo County Superior Court Monday accused of killing his 37-year-old wife Donna on Dec. 19, In Judge Craig Parsons courtroom, Morrow s defense attorney, Bob Courshon, said there was a substantial delay and prejudice throughout the case that should prompt its dismissal as a result of due process denial. We re talking about the definition of the right to a speedy trial, Courshon said. There was no legitimate reason for the delay. In 1997, a $10 million arrest warrant was issued for Morrow, although Donna Morrow s body had not yet been found, according to the prosecution. Morrow wasn t arrested until January 2003, when he was living in the Philippines, according to the prosecution. Morrow was extradited on the $10 million warrant, which stemmed from a theft charge in Santa Clara County, the prosecution reported. It wasn t until September 2003 that Donna Morrow s body was found in a nine-foot grave on a piece of property in Los Gatos that once belonged to Morrow. Menlo Park police detectives were reportedly made aware of the grave by San Leandro resident Jose Maldonado, who at one point worked for Morrow at the property. According to police investigator Randy Billingsley, Maldonado said that Joe had asked him to do a side job for cash, later stating that he dug a hole as part of the job. Because of the length of time Donna Morrow s body had been buried, forensic pathologist Paul W. Herrmann said he was unable to identify a cause of death. The only thing that was preserved in this body were bones, Herrmann said. Herrmann said he was unable to say whether Donna Morrow had died as a result of a drug overdose, a bullet or stab wound, or some sort of blunt force trauma to the head. Donna Morrow did have a fractured nasal bone, but Herrmann said there was no way to pinpoint how that injury occurred. Morrow has maintained his innocence since the day his wife was reported missing, but prosecutors allege Morrow killed her for financial gain. The trial on the motion for dismissal was continued to Dec. 19 at 9 a.m. for the further examination of witnesses. Bay City News Service ON THE WEB: The latest local news headlines at Page 8 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly

9 We Think William Deserves a Medal Before the Race Begins. A brain tumor hasn t slowed down 10-year-old William. Because of the world class care he received at Lucile Packard Children s Hospital, William is now up on his feet every morning, training with his mom for a half marathon and setting an aggressive pace to help others in need. Ranked as one of the top ten pediatric hospitals in the nation by U.S.News & World Report, Lucile Packard Children s Hospital at Stanford is a world class hospital devoted entirely to the care of children and expectant mothers right in your backyard. Read more about William and Lucile Packard Children s Hospital at L U C I L E PA C K A R D C H I L D R E N S H O S P I T A L Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 9

10 "I am now participating in my 63rd consecutive session and I can think of no better way to start each day. I am devoted to Community BootCamp and I am absolutely a Happy Camper!" Jim, Age 58 COMMUNITY BOOTCAMP The Toughest Workout You ll Ever Love Next session starts on January 2, 2006 info@timeoutservices.com See web site for special offers Page 10 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly since 1988 Diamonds & Gems Custom Design Jewelry & Watch Repair 261 Hamilton Ave. Suite 320, Palo Alto Open Mon-Sat 10-6 Sun 11-5 diamondsofpaloalto.com RECYCLE YOUR Pulse A weekly compendium of vital statistics POLICE CALLS Palo Alto Nov Violence related Armed robbery Attempted suicide Battery Domestic violence Theft related Attempted burglaries Commercial burglaries Grand theft Petty theft Residential burglaries Shoplifting Vehicle related Abandoned bicycle Auto theft Driving w/suspended license Misc. traffic Theft from auto Vehicle accident/minor injury Vehicle accident/property damage....9 Vehicle impound Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public Drunken driving Possession of drugs Miscellaneous Disturbing the peace Found property Lost property Misc. penal code violation Outside assistance Psychiatric hold Suspicious circumstances Vandalism Unattended death Menlo Park Nov Dec. 4 Violence related Robbery Theft related Fraud Petty theft Residential burglaries Vehicle related Auto recovery Driving w/suspended license Driving without license Hit and run Theft from auto Tow request Vehicle accident/minor injury Vehicle accident/property damage....4 Alcohol or drug related Drunk in public Drunken driving Possession of drugs Under influence of drugs Miscellaneous Disturbance Found property Info. case Located missing person Lost property Missing person Outside assistance Parole arrest Psychiatric hold Suspicious person Vandalism Warrant arrest Atherton Nov Violence related Assault Theft related Commercial burglaries Residential burglaries Theft undefined Vehicle related Parking/driving violation Suspicious vehicle Vehicle accident/property damage....1 Vehicle code violation Alcohol or drug related Drunken driving Miscellaneous Animal call Construction complaint Disturbance Fire call Juvenile problem Medical aid Outside assistance Patrol request Suspicious circumstances Suspicious person Town ordinance violation Welfare check VIOLENT CRIMES Palo Alto 2000 block Louis Avenue 11/23, 11:16 a.m.; armed robbery. First block University Avenue 11/23, 8:39 p.m.; attempted suicide. 200 block Lytton Avenue 11/24, 1:59 a.m.; battery. Unlisted location 11/24, 11:33 a.m.; battery. Unlisted location 11/25, 1 a.m.; domestic violence. Unlisted location 11/25, 7:05 a.m.; domestic violence. Unlisted location 11/25, 9:55 p.m.; domestic violence block Carlson Circle 11/25, 10:51 p.m.; battery. 800 block El Camino Real 11/26, 11:10 a.m.; armed robbery. Unlisted location 11/27, 1:58 p.m.; domestic violence. Menlo Park 1100 block Marsh Road 12/2, 6:01 a.m.; robbery. Atherton 500 block Middlefield Road 11/27, 12:29 a.m.; assault.

11 Transitions Births, marriages and deaths Marjorie E. Arnold Marjorie Arnold died Nov. 2 at the Channing House in Palo Alto. She was 81. She was born in Honolulu in She attended Palo Alto High School and Mills College, where she studied fine arts. She was accomplished in oil painting and pastel portraits but concentrated her talents on watercolor execution. She received awards at many art shows. She was a member of the Society of Western Artists, the Pacific Art League, Menlo Art League, Allied Artists West and Peninsula Outdoor Painters. Besides being accomplished in the visual arts, she also wrote poetry and performed music all her life. She was actively involved in the shows performed at the Channing House. She is survived by many friends. A private memorial service has already been held. Eulogio Estoesta Domondon Eulogio Estoesta Domondon died peacefully at his home Nov. 24. He was 98. Born in Agoo, Philippines in 1906, he immigrated to the United States at 25. In his first years in the country, he worked in various settings, including a bakery, a hotel, and a candy factory. He entered the Army in 1942, and he received full American citizenship after three and a half years. He spent the remainder of his career working as a farmhand on the coast near Half Moon Bay. In 1960, he married Remedios Flores, and the couple bought a house in East Palo Alto. He is survived by Remedios, his wife of 45 years; his children, Oscar Domondon of San Jose, Remie Bontrager of San Jose, and Lourdes Viray of Vallejo; six grandchildren; and his sister, Dr. Lucia Domondon. Services were held Dec. 1 at the St. Francis of Assisi Church in East Palo Alto. Kennell A. Jackson Kennell A. Jackson, a professor of African history and longtime resident fellow at Stanford University, died Dr. John S. Ledgerwood of Palo Alto, California, died of complications from a stroke on November 18, He was 93 years old. He was the husband of Shirley C. Ledgerwood, retired teacher at Foothill College and librarian in Santa Clara, County. Dr. Ledgerwood moved to Palo Alto in 1952 where he established an associate dental practice, then later went into private practice at 850 Middlefield Road. John was a native of Knoxville, Tennessee. He was a Double Silver Palm Eagle Scout, a private pilot, and a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, retired. During World War II, after a period as instructor at the Infantry School in Ft. Benning, Georgia, he saw action with the 102nd Infantry Division in Europe. He received his dental degree from the University of Tennessee at Memphis. For several years he taught dentistry at the University of California Medical School in San Francisco. He served as deacon and usher of the First Congregational Church in Palo Alto and was Nov. 21 of pulmonary fibrosis at Stanford Hospital. He was 64. He served as Branner Hall s resident fellow for a quarter century and as director of the African American Studies Program for almost a decade. Born the son of a school teacher and a building contractor in 1941, he attended segregated schools in Farmville, Va. He earned a bachelor s degree from Hampton Institute, now Hampton University, in 1962 and went on to win fellowships to study at the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Ghana and Cambridge University, before earning his doctorate from UCLA. He joined Stanford s faculty as an assistant professor in He is known for his 1996 book, America Is Me: The Most Asked and Least Understood Questions About Black American History. Another book, Black Cultural Traffic: Crossroads in Global Performance and Popular Culture, which he coedited with drama Professor Harry J. Elam Jr., was published recently. His innovative educational programs had a lasting influence on campus life. He was honored with the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award for Service to Undergraduate Education in In 1990, he was awarded the Allan V. Cox Medal for excellence in fostering research among university undergraduates. He leaves behind an eclectic collection of art and books, which will be given to the Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Hampton University and to friends and colleagues. He is survived by his brother, Otis, of Chesapeake, Va. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be sent to Doctors Without Borders (Africa Section), or to Cornerstone Baptist Church, 16 Horsepen Road, Farmville, VA James Jimmy Wilfred Snodgrass James Wilfred Snodgrass, 66, a longtime Palo Alto resident, died at his home Nov. 13. He was born in Galveston, Texas in 1939 and graduated from Ball High School. While in school, he was known for leading his ROTC troops to a local ice cream parlor DR. JOHN S. LEDGERWOOD PAID OBITUARY for a treat, costing him his stripes. He also organized an assembly of his school s student body, which led him to create a statewide convention of high school students. He attended The University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn. and The University of Texas in Austin before graduating from Stanford University. It was after graduation that he became an insurance salesman. In the early 1970s, he lost his sight in an automobile accident, prompting him to become a client of the Peninsula Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Palo Alto. He became an advocate for disabled people, helping to provide leadership to organizations for the handicapped. He spoke on numerous occasions in front of the Palo Alto City Council as part of the Disability Awareness Task Force. Along with his political work, he was active with Saint Mark s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, where he made many good friends. He is survived by his son, Dr. Joshua Snodgrass of Eugene, Ore.; brothers, Dr. Robert Snodgrass of Pasadena and Donald K. Snodgrass of Houston. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to Saint Mark s Episcopal Church, 600 Colorado Ave., Palo Alto, CA Gordon Isaac Sundberg Gordon Isaac Sundberg died Nov. 23 in Palo Alto. He was 87. He was born in Pleasant Grove, Utah to Isaac Victor Sundberg and Esther Elizabeth Young. Following his honorable discharge from the Navy following World War II, he worked at the Stanford University Press for 45 years. He was known for his interest in computers, love of family, and dedication as a Stanford sports fan. He is survived by his two daughters, Melodie Jackson and Madeline Deceuster; 12 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Services were held Dec. 2 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in Palo Alto. treasurer of the Palo Alto Congregational Foundation. He was a member of national, state, and local Dental Associations and held office in the Mid-Peninsula Dental Association. He was a member of the Palo Alto Ski Club and served as a member on its board. John continued to downhill ski until the age of 89. He volunteered for years at the Palo Alto Senior Center. His body has been donated to the Stanford University School of Medicine. John is survived by his wife and three children, Pamela Ledgerwood, Chris Ledgerwood and April Robinson, in addition to six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A quiet man, Dr. Ledgerwood requested not to have a public or church memorial service. A private family service will be held. The family prefers that memorial contributions be made to the Mid-Peninsula Dental Health Foundation at 1050 Chestnut St., Suite 206, Menlo Park, CA 94025, a service paying for the dental care of those in need. Gregory Wait, Music Director presents Christmas Garland Wendell Whalum s Betelehemu, Vaclav Nelhybel s Estampie Natalis, George Guest s arrangement of the traditional Welsh lullaby Suo Gân, Conrad Susa s A Christmas Garland, and much more. Wrap yourself in the music of the season! Saturday, December 10, 2005, 8:00 pm First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto Sponsored by Tickets: $22/$18 for seniors/students Call: (650) or info@scholacantorum.org More information on our web site Messiah Sing The Peninsula s oldest and most popular Messiah Sing. Music Director Gregory Wait leads the audience through the choruses and the solos of this Handel favorite, complete with chamber orchestra. Monday, December 12, 2005, 7:30 pm Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts Schola Cantorum s Season sponsored in part by Funded in part by a grant from Arts Council Silicon Valley For tickets call (650) The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation The David and Lucile Packard Foundation Your best source for LOCAL NEWS Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 11

12 Short Story Contest It is our pleasure to bring you the winning entries in the Weekly s 20th Annual Short Story Contest. For the past two decades, we have published a staggering range of stories submitted by our readers. Comedy, tragedy, introspection, action the tone and style of the tales have never failed to enlighten and amuse. This year s selections are no different. From a decidedly different take on The Exorcist to the long-awaited answer to How to Solve a Rubic s Cube, local writers have once again demonstrated the wealth of talent that exists on the Midpeninsula. We extend our thanks to the co-sponsors of this event: Bell s Books, Kepler s, Linden Tree and Palo Alto Online. We would also like to thank all the contestants who entered this year s contest and invite the community to submit their works next year. Tom Parker A well-known local writing teacher, Tom Parker is the author of the best-selling Anna, Ann, Annie and Leadership and Customer Revolution, a management book written with Gary Heil and Rick Tate. He has taught at Stanford, the University of California extension and Foothill and Cañada community colleges. Caryn Huberman Yacowitz Caryn Huberman Yacowitz is the award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction for children, including the picture books Pumpkin Fiesta and The Jade Stone, A Chinese Folktale, recently re-issued. Her titles include a series about Native American Tribes for Heinemann Library Publishers. Jeans! The Musical co-written with playwright Diane Claerbout and lyricist Enid Davis, enjoyed rave reviews calling it an endearing vibrant tale of transcontinental courage and entrepreneurial spirit. Her newest play Pumpkin Fiesta the Musical, with original music by Mary Hepburn premiered in August She teaches writing at City College of San Francisco and has been a guest lecturer at Stanford. She is a manuscript consultant and teaches private writing classes locally. Caryn lives, writes and gardens in Palo Alto. For details visit Adult Judges Mike Nagler Mike Nagler is the co-editor of the short-story anthologies Stolen Moments and Wives and Husbands. He has taught fiction writing and film history at Cañada College in Redwood City for nine years. Youth judges Katy Obringer Katy Obringer spent 22 years with the Palo Alto library system, which included serving as the supervisor of Palo Alto s Children s Library. Obringer also worked as an elementary school teacher for 10 years and an elementary and school librarian for five years. Her love of introducing children to books continues in her retirement. Ellen Sussman Ellen Sussman s novel, On A Night Like This, was published this year by Warner Brooks and was listed a San Francisco Chronicle Best Seller. The novel has been translated into six other languages. She teaches private writing classes on the Peninsula. Nancy Etchemendy Nancy Etchemendy s fiction and poetry for children and adults appears regularly in various magazines and anthologies, both in the U.S. and abroad. Her fourth novel, The Power of Un, was published by Front Street/Cricket books in March Her work has earned a number of awards, including two Bram Stoker Awards for children s horror and a Golden Duck Award for excellence in children s science fiction. She lives and works in Northern California where her days are enlivened by an excitable terrier, a cat given to scientific experimentation, her husband, Stanford Provost John Etchemendy, their son, Max, and two Hondas with secret names. For further details, go to Contest winners Though space constraints prohibit us from publishing the second- and thirdplace winners in the adult and youth categories, we would like to recognize all the winners. The complete stories of each winning author in the four categories can be read at Adults, 18 and above 1st place: Flight from Egypt - Kathleen Jalapour 2nd place: The Zeppelin - Kathleen Davis 3rd place: Liars - Mark Clevenger Young Adult, st place: The Exorcistein - Ross Rafflin 2nd place: Bubble Gum - Christina Hueschen 3rd place: Red Rock - Hilary Brennan-Marquez Teen, st place: How to Solve a Rubik s Cube - Katherine Yu 2nd place: Letting Go - Carolyn Rennels 3rd place: Like Father, Like Son - Nils Gilbertson Children, st place: The Stowaway - Wendy Wu 2nd place: A Doll Named Maya - Lisa Wu 3rd place: Child of the Forest - Evelyn Wang Page 12 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly

13 Short Story Contest Photo Illustration N. Wright/D. James Flight from Egypt by Kathleen Jalalpour he whispered, kneeling on the fringed cushion by his daughter s bedside. The lids flickered, opened. For a moment, the dark eyes flashed Banu, pain and anger, then recognition. The lips moved, managing a weak smile and a single word. Abu. Father. Amal s stomach clenched, and he felt an angry poison spread outward through his body. He closed his eyes, inhaled slowly, trying to regain his selfcontrol, unclench his fists. It had been three days now since they had brought Banu home. One eye was still black and swollen, her right arm lay in a splint, and the bruises on her arms and back were fading to sickening shades of purple and yellow. Her body will heal, but her soul is dead, Amal s wife, Farida, had hissed at him that first day. This is your fault. You wanted her to marry Kamal. I was against it from the beginning. This is on your head, Amal Taher. Farida had not spoken to him since then. Padding through the rooms of their apartment as she nursed her daughter, Farida seemed half-dead herself. She appeared and disappeared like an apparition. Amal would sense her presence in a room, turn to look, and find the room empty. He missed their evening talks, the closeness they d had through their years together raising Banu. Amal opened his eyes, leaned forward and kissed Banu on the forehead, touching her black hair gently. He heard the phone ring in another room, and rose to answer it, knowing Farida would not. Masa a al-khair, Dr. Taher, the voice came - obsequious and wheedling. I hope you are well, Allah protect you, sir. I hope you are not too tired this evening, sir... it is only... we have a foreign guest here at the hotel, doctor. She is very sick Allah forbid she should die in my hotel. I know it is late, Dr. Taher, but for a good doctor, dedicated and generous as you are, sir, I thought I can phone and beg this favor. Adult First Place Winner It was Samir Lakhair from the Hotel Luxor. Amal hated making calls at the Luxor. It was one of the cheaper hotels in Cairo, catering to young Europeans in dirty jeans and unwashed hair. Had they no honor, these parents? How could they let their sons and especially their daughters run around in shorts and dirty t-shirts in another man s country, laughing and kissing each other in public, doing God knows what in private, disgracing not only themselves but the minds of his young countrymen as well? He sighed, told Samir that he was on his way. Perhaps it was preferable to an evening at home with Farida, he mused, and immediately felt a stab of remorse at the thought. She was right it had been his idea to marry their daughter to Kamal Bakhshi. The Bakhshis had made a fortune in land speculation, it is true, but they were newly rich, with none of the breeding and character that he should have looked for in a son-in-law. Farida had accused him of being blinded by their money, but he had insisted that he was doing what was best for Banu. She deserved a good life he had always thought her beauty and gentleness would destine her to a life of comfort. Amal sighed again as he got in his car. Who could understand Allah s will in this life? When he arrived at the hotel, it seemed even shabbier than usual. Peeling paint, dirty windows, spider webs in dark corners. Amal steeled himself to the squalidness. When he entered the patient s small room, he immediately knew what was wrong with the young foreign woman. The smell of streptococcal pharyngitis filled the room a sore throat infection with swollen glands and high fever that was somewhat common among the young tourists, and always gave off the same fetid smell. Untreated, it could easily abscess and turn deadly, but with penicillin, it was completely curable. Approaching the bed, Amal wondered briefly at the patient s looks she was pretty, but not like most of the young tourists. She had thick black hair and dark lashes, with very pale skin which, flushed with fever, made her look like a Persian miniature. He looked in her mouth and felt the glands in her neck to confirm his initial diagnosis, and opened his bag to get out the penicillin. There were two other young hotel guests in the room a short, chunky redheaded girl with bare feet, hanging on to a tall young man with blond hair that hung in ratty, rope-like coils. When she saw the hypodermic, the girl began waving her arms at Amal like a windmill, emitting a string of incomprehensible syllables. He stared at the girl, searching for meaning, and realizing finally that the torrent of words was English. The girl was protesting the cleanliness of his hypodermic. What arrogance! Did they think he, an experienced doctor, graduate of the best university in Egypt and older than both of them put together, would use a dirty needle on a foreign tourist? If they had kept cleaner habits themselves, they wouldn t be in this fix. Samir and the young man took the girl s arms and talked to her gently, and she finally sniffed and turned her back on Amal in a last vain protest. Amal administered the penicillin carefully, checking the patient for a reaction, but she seemed unconscious. Her breathing was shallow, and he felt for her pulse. It was light and fluttery, and her skin was hot to the touch. Amal stood up again, crossed his arms, and tried to look down his nose at the tall young man. Why you not call doctor sooner? he asked haltingly in English. Umm... money? mumbled the young man. Sorry, old chap. Is she going to be all right? Inshallah, yes. But I come again. Tomorrow. More penicillin. Yes, well, that ll be fine. He made a flipping motion toward the bed. Rosanna s parents wired money to us today, so we can pay whatever it costs now. Amal gave the young man his most disapproving scowl, and turned to the patient again. Rosanna, he said softly. And then in Arabic, he repeated the (continued on page 15) Kathleen Jalalpour Kathleen Jalalpour drew from a modified life experience in crafting her first short-story creative-writing venture, Flight from Egypt from a time 30 years ago when as a student she became ill while in Egypt. Faced with an early 2005 writing-class assignment to write a narrative from an opposite point of view, she wrote from the perspective not of herself as a patient but of the physician, while tapping into a common theme in the Middle East: the loss of emigrating children. Jalalpour was raised in Eureka, Calif. In college, she studied economics at the Free University of Berlin, Germany. She resided in Germany from 1970 to 1982, where she met and married her Iranian husband, Amir, an engineer who was educated in Germany. Returning to the United States with a growing family, she taught economics part time at the College of San Mateo and West Valley College between 1982 to 1992, until they returned to Germany for three years. In 1988 she broadened her teaching repertoire by getting a multiple-subject K-8 teaching credential from San Jose State University and has taught in both elementary and high schools. She presently teaches sixth, seventh and eighth grade mathematics at the private Keys School on Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Other than articles for teachers journals and scripts for 6thgrade musical productions at Keys, Jalalpour has never written before: I think I always wanted to write but I with raising kids and working I never had the time. Her daughter, Julie, 27, works at Google in Mountain View and her son, Bob, 25, works for a software company in San Francisco. Jalalpour resides in Sunnyvale. Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 13

14 Short Story Contest Ross Raffin R oss Raffin doesn t remember exactly when he became interested in writing, but does remember some of his early attempts. In third grade, he wrote a short story about a bat that is zipping about freely until a tiger captures it in his mouth. But when the tiger opens his mouth to brag about his catch, the bat escapes. Nearly a decade later, Raffin is a 17-year-old senior at Gunn High School and he s still typing away. The Exorcistein was inspired by an old thought of his: I ve kind of had the idea floating around my head what it would be like if a Jew was involved in The Exorcist. The result: Exorcistein turns its gruesome predecessor on its head by bringing a scolding Jewish mother to the bed of a possessed young girl. Raffin, who is Jewish, said he has always enjoyed Mel Brooks movies and other parodies of Jewish culture. I like writing about my culture and the various stereotypes, he said. The idea of a stereotypical Jewish mother at the scene of an exorcism, he said, was too good to pass up. Raffin said his creative inspiration comes from constant reading and learning. He got the idea for one of his science fiction satires from a newspaper story about a hockey dad who killed another father after a dispute about the score. He centered the story on a simple question: if you could censor violence, what would it do? He also describes himself as a biology nerd who loves reading about evolutionary theory. But some of these interests may be on hold, as Raffin is currently putting together his college applications. I ve always enjoyed writing, he said. I try to write whenever I can, whenever school isn t sapping creativity out of me with various essays and such. Royd Hatta The Exorcistein Ross Raffin Mr. Blair lifted his rattling teacup. Mrs. Blair, shivering in her cotton skirt and white sweater, relit the candle on the table. To be blunt, Mr. Blair said, we think there may have been a mistake. We asked for an exorcist. Rabbi Exorcistein stroked his beard and reclined into the plastic-wrapped couch. Scratches marred his face and traces of spittle hung from a lock of black hair. A pencil stuck out of the side of his hat. Not to worry, we can deal with whatever spiritual problem your daughter, Melinda, is having. This was just a first try. It ll work next time. The house shook and an inhuman roar filled every room. Mr. Blair s teacup exploded. Rabbi Exorcistein yelped and fell backwards off the couch. Mrs. Blair sighed and began picking china shrapnel out of the sofa. What exactly do you plan to do? Mr. Blair Young Adult First Place Winner asked, casually wrapping his bleeding hand with a roll of gauze he had removed from his pocket. I did what any good Jew does when in trouble. The doorbell rang. The Rabbi crawled out from behind the couch and strode towards the door. Mrs. Blair stopped shrapnel hunting and stared, revealing the wrinkles and sandbags that had accumulated over the past few days. The Rabbi paused in front of the door, took a deep breath, and flung it open. Hello, mother. Glaring, Mrs. Exorcistein readjusted her scarf with one hand and slapped the Rabbi with the other. Three months, Mrs. Exorcistein scolded, three months and not a single call. There I am wondering if my Herschel has caught some horrible disease, and all that time you were just ignoring me. But Mother... Then, at 2 a.m., in the MORNING, you call asking for my help. Out of nowhere. Mother, the devil has returned on earth. Mother, I need help stopping the apocalypse. Ptah. She spat, sending a new shower of spittle onto the same lock of hair. He sighed. I don t mind standing out in the cold, she assured him. Before he could respond, Mrs. Exorcistein pushed past him and entered the dark room where the Blairs sat, horrified. The candlelight shone off Mrs. Exorcistein s piercing brown eyes. Grimacing, she stared at the carpet and wall, scanning for imperfection. She turned to Mrs. Blair, who found herself suddenly and inexplicably embarrassed. So, Mrs. Exorcistein asked, where s this little girl? Upstairs, first room to the left, Mr. Blair replied. His monotone indicated she was not the first to ask that question. Mrs. Exorcistein stomped towards the stairs, flinging her scarf aside. The Rabbi shuffled after (continued on page 16) Page 14 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly

15 Flight from Egypt (continued from page 13) prayer he always spoke over his patients. Merciful Allah, there is no cure but from You, a cure which leaves no illness behind. He got a call the following day at the clinic. It was Samir again, in a fluster. They left, Doctor Taher, sir. They all left! What shall I do, in the name of Allah? Who left, Samir? The young people with her with the sick girl they just left. They left an envelope with money on her bed. How could they just leave her in my hotel? In the name of the prophet, what shall I do? Later Amal would never be able to say why he did it. Take her to my place, Samir. Tell Farida she is to care for her like a daughter. He did not tell Samir that Farida already had a daughter to care for at home. He knew well that Farida would not tell him, either. The shame was too great. He also knew Farida would follow his directive. Whether she would do so willingly or not, however, he could not say. God willing, this too will pass, he said, and lowered his head to rest on his folded hands. A week passed, ten days, and his home began to come to life again. Farida blossomed in her role as caretaker, and began speaking to Amal again. The air in the house became lighter, freer, full of hope. The young women recovered, and a quiet friendship began to develop. Rosanna was soon able to tell them about herself she was American, but had Lebanese grandparents on her father s side, and spoke some Arabic. Her grandmother, a widow who had taken such joy in her American granddaughter, had died when Rosanna was four, and then Rosanna had quickly forgotten her Arabic, as children do. But the language was still there, in the recesses of her mind, and came out in bits and pieces new phrases every day. It made everyone laugh when Rosanna spoke, for she spoke like the child she had been when she began to learn Arabic. Me can do it! was the first thing she said to Farida, who was trying to feed her some soup with a big spoon on Rosanna s second day in the house. Farida dropped the spoon in surprise, and then broke out into a big smile her first in weeks and a flood of fluent Arabic: God bless you, child, you bring joy into this house again. May the love of Allah fall kindly on you. Rosanna understood not a word, but she smiled herself, infected by Farida s sudden pleasure. She spoke more every day, and even began giving Banu English lessons in the afternoons. Banu proved an equally good student. The two young women sat together at the dining room table, alternately poring over their dictionaries and laughing over the latest fashion and movie magazine that Farida had brought home for them. They were soon well enough to help Farida with the household chores, and to care for the doves the family had always kept on the roof. They took each bird out of the large coop, cupping their hands around its wings and speaking softly to it. Amal came up to the roof to call them for dinner one evening, and was touched deeply to see them huddled there Short Story Contest the two dark heads bent together, giggling like sisters while they whispered to the doves. One evening Farida was waiting for him at the door when he came home from work. I must speak with you, Amal Taher, she said, pulling him into the kitchen. Rosanna has invited Banu to come with her to America. Banu must accept, Amal. What? America? No! Amal s mind reeled at the thought of his only child so far away. Don t fight me again, Amal, I know I am right. Banu has no future here. She can divorce Kamal, but no one else will marry her now you know that a divorced woman has poor prospects. What are we supposed to do, Amal Taher? The police will do nothing to help us punish Kamal. His family is too powerful, and we can t find him by ourselves they have hidden him somewhere. It would be too hard for her to get into university here she has not even taken the entrance exam. In America, she can study, make a new future for herself. It is what she must do, Amal. It is the only way she can forget. You don t know what you re saying, Farida, pleaded Amal. It s not as easy as you think. She doesn t speak much English; we don t have relatives there. It s expensive. And she d be alone, Farida. It s not like here. She would be completely alone, for God s sake. No, Rosanna has said she can live with her. Banu can be her... what did she call it... roommate. It is not so expensive. We can send money, and Rosanna says Banu can find work while she learns English. Work? sputtered Amal. Work? Like a brat from some hamal family with no education, no class? Young girls do not work! It is not the way, Farida. But it was the only way. Banu wanted desperately to go. Amal was convinced that she would suffer all the trials of the immigrant the homesickness, the horror at cultural habits strange and illogical, the weariness of always having to adapt, change and accept. Worst of all, in the end she would assimilate. She would lose her identity, and he would lose his daughter. But Banu was full of hope, and in truth, happier than he had seen her in all the months since her wedding. Finally he gave her his blessing, holding her close, his tears falling into her hair. The day before they were to leave, Banu went up to the roof, opened the coop and freed all the doves. The white birds circled upwards, disappearing into the great expanse of Egyptian sky. I needed them to be free, Abu, she confessed. Like me. Amal and Farida returned from the airport in silence, nursing but not sharing their emptiness, resentment, pain. Amal wondered if their marriage would ever be the same. How do you give up a child? What else will be sacrificed? What demanded? Life was too heavy to be carried, too bitter to be borne. He was parking the car in the street when he saw it. He turned off the motor and ran. Kneeling on the pavement, he picked it up. It was one of the doves Banu had freed. It was dead. Killed apparently by a hawk. Amal curved his body around it in pain, and wept. Comfort to fit you Luxurious Lift Chairs for every style 2601 Garcia Ave, Mountain View WEST COAST GLASS 10% off materials 4020 FABIAN WAY PALO ALTO RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Family Owned since 1929 JOE BAXTER Contractor License # Mon. - Fri., 8:00-5:00 INSULATED & BROKEN WINDOWS REPLACED, MIRRORS HEAVY GLASS TOPS & BEVELS We are the premier provider of services to people who are blind and visually impaired in Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. 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16 Short Story Contest Zohar Dance Company & Studio Holiday Performance Dec 10 at 1:30p & 3:30p Palo Alto Children s Theatre Dec 10 - Rapunzel in the Dormouse Theatre Dec 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 - Seussical Jan 14 - Little Red Riding Hood in the Dormouse Theatre Auditions for Mr. Popper s Penguins: Jan 3 & 4 at 3:45p Holiday Classes/2 Sessions: Dec & Dec Palo Alto Players Our Country s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker Jan 21-Feb 5, Palo Alto Art Center Fall Exhibits through January 1, 2006 Romancing the Shadows Elsa Rady: The Cycladic Swing TheatreWorks Into The Woods - A spectacular holiday musical through Jan 7 06 at Lucie Stern Theatre The Clean House - A bold contemporary comedy Jan 18-Feb Pacific Art League Annual Portfolio Show Dec 1-23 Kristen Rivera & Terry Eden Elizabeth Norton Gallery Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra Dec 17 at 8pm Dinkelspiel Aud Happy Holidays! This ad is co-sponsored by The Palo Alto Weekly and The City of Palo Alto, Arts & Culture Division The Exorstein (continued from page 14) her. She paused at the foot of the stairs and glared at the Christ and crucifix nailed to the wall bearing a sculpture of Jesus. Goyim. Mrs. Exorcistein mumbled. Startled, the Rabbi glanced up. He checked to see if the Blairs were listening. They were. He shrugged apologetically as they stared with a mixture of horror and fascination. Mrs. Exorcistein clomped up the creaking staircase, creating a chorus of squeaks and foreboding groans. I know a great carpenter who can fix this! she yelled to the Blairs. At the top of the stairs, Mrs. Exorcistein stepped through the open wooden portal and into the daughter s room. Torn pages of books and shredded mattresses lined the floor. An armchair lay on its side, shattered. An assortment of religious tools lay cluttered against the wall, as if abandoned in a hurry. On a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room lay the satanic manifestation, grinning and glaring daggers. Its hands and legs were tied to different ends of the bed. It raised its head, staring at the Rabbi. Back for more? she asked. I have another pen in my back pocket. The Rabbi remembered the pencil sticking out of his hat, and quickly plucked it out. And just who do you think you are? Mrs. Exorcistein asked, hands on her hips. I am the Morningstar, fallen one, tempter of the garden, Lucifer, it hissed. Mrs. Exorcistein pulled up a chair and sat next to the possessed form of Melinda Blair. That s nice dear, she commented. Melinda paused. You heard what I said just now, right? This time the hiss was a bit less confident. Yes. And you can be whatever you want if you put your mind to it, Mrs. Exorcistein replied. Melinda s face contorted. Burn in the fires of hell, she yelled. Mrs. Exorcistein shook her finger and pulled out a handkerchief. Don t use that sort of language around me! She warned. The Rabbi shuffled into the room and stood in a corner, watching his mother. Melinda stuck out her tongue. May your liver roast... Before Melinda could finish, Mrs. Exorcistein dabbed the handkerchief with a nearby flask, grabbed Melinda s tongue, and wiped it roughly. Dirty words mean a dirty mouth, she said as she calmly scrubbed the devil s tongue. Melinda screamed in pain, twisting and howling. Satisfied, Mrs. Exorcistein let go of her and sat back. Mother? the Rabbi asked, where did you get that water? Mrs. Exorcistein shrugged, in a glass flask that was lying between the bible and the T. That s a crucifix, mother. She stared at the large wooden crucifix leaning against the wall. She shrugged. Melinda, steam still pouring from her mouth, sat up and stared at Mrs. Exorcistein. Feeling better? Mrs. Exorcistein asked. Melinda told Mrs. Exorcistein where she could stick the handkerchief. Herschel blushed. Instead of reaching for the holy water, Mrs. Exorcistein straightened up and stared back at Melinda. May potatoes grow on your stomach! Mother! Herschel moaned. She started it, Mrs. Exorcistein replied. Melinda explained what a donkey was doing to Herschel s ancestors. May you back into a pitchfork and grab a hot stove for support, Mrs. Exorcistein parried. Melinda crossed her arms and sat back down, pouting. Mother, perhaps we should try using some of the tools the last exorcist left behind. Herschel suggested. Oh, so now YOU RE in charge? I m your mother, not your servant. She paused. You find something! Herschel rummaged through the small pile and pulled out the crucifix. Try this. He said, handing it over. Mrs. Exorcistein stared at it. Do you really think I should? Yes, mother, Herschel answered. If you insist. Mrs. Exorcistein grasped the crucifix with both hands and hit Melinda on the head with it. No mother, Herschel yelled, rushing to pull the cross from her. Steam rose from the skin on Melinda where the cross had touched. Writhing in pain on the bed, Melinda spoke an unknown language in a demonic tone. Mother, she s speaking in tongues. Herschel gasped. Nonsense, Mrs. Exorcistein said, she s talking backwards. Your father and I did it all the time when we wanted you out of the house so we could- Mom! Honey, it s a perfectly natural act, and don t pretend you didn t have those magazines under your bed when you were Mother! Not in front of Satan! Mrs. Exorcistein glared at her quivering son. So now I have no right to speak when I want to? Your father... Suddenly, the armoire shuddered, and then flew across the room towards Mrs. Exorcistein. The rabbi quickly pushed her aside, and it flew past into the wall. Mrs. Exorcistein stood up, brushing dust off her coat. You could have pushed me lighter, she said. She walked over to Melinda and began untying the restraints. Mother, what are you doing? She made a mess, so she is going to get out of bed and clean it up. Mrs. Exorcistein said. The bed levitated, lifting several feet off the ground. Mrs. Exorcistein put her hands on her hips. You come right down this instant! she scolded. The bed lowered and, if it was possible for an inanimate object to look ashamed, the bed managed to do so. Melinda looked around. What? Why did it lower? Her faced twisted into a grimace, and her pupils dilated. Wench, I shall... Don t you start. Mrs. Exorcistein said, picking up the crucifix. Herschel, who was pushing the armoire upright, watched them. God damn you. Melinda yelled. Mrs. Exorcistein slapped the devil. Don t take the lord s name in vain. You bi Mrs. Exorcistein slapped Melinda again. And no swearing either. Perhaps we should start the exorcism? Herschel ventured. Mrs. Exorcistein gave Herschel an inquiring look. Last I checked, that usually happens newborn males. No, exorcism! Herschel corrected, blushing harder. Exorcism is where we cast the demon out of a child. Mrs. Exorcistein crossed her arms over her chest. And just how do we do that Mr. Expert? Herschel opened his mouth and paused. He bit his lip. I m not sure. Melinda laughed vehemently, shaking the room. This is what they send against me? A poor excuse for a priest and now an ignorant rabbi. Mrs. Exorcistein whirled around. What did you say about my Herschel? Melinda grinned. I said your son is a worthless boy who will die alone knowing only his false scriptures, laughable traditions, and chaste existence. Mrs. Exorcistein s eyes widened. She grabbed the cross and lunged towards Melinda, who yelped in surprise. She struggled to escape, but Mrs. Exorcistein trapped Melinda between her enormous hips. She yelled down at Melinda, accenting each word with a hit from the cross. My...son...will...get...married! The cross left steaming imprints wherever it landed. With each blow, Melinda screamed louder. By the time Mrs. Exorcistein had finished explaining Herschel s future marital status, no satanic features were left on Melinda s face. Melinda blinked, yawned, and looked around. The fiery look in Melinda s eyes had vanished, and a rosy complexion replaced her once sunken and shallow features. Mrs. Exorcistein, breathing heavily, pushed herself off Melinda and lay on the side of the bed. Do you need anything else, she asked Herschel, gasping in the most dignified manner possible. Herschel remained frozen. Won t answer your own mother? Fine. Mrs. Exorcistein said as she stood to leave. Herschel, momentarily forgetting he was holding an armoire, was quickly reminded as it fell onto his foot. Mrs. Exorcistein exited, followed by her limping son. Wait, who are you people? Melinda yelled after them. Hearing her voice, the Blairs bounded up the stairs, pushing past Mrs. Exorcistein and Herschel. Mr. Blair turned briefly at the top of the stairs and mouthed thanks. Mrs. Exorcistein and Herschel shrugged simultaneously. They watched Mr. Blair enter Melinda s room. Pity, Mrs. Exorcistein said as they climbed down the stairs, I was just about to fix her a nice big cup of pea soup. Page 16 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly

17 Short Story Contest Katherine Yu I f the unusual short story that captured first place in this year s teen category leaves readers feeling they ve taken a stroll through someone s mind, it s no mistake. Author Katherine Yu calls her narrative approach the field guide method, and her How to Solve a Rubik s Cube is nothing short of a vivid journey through an encounter between person and puzzle. For Yu, a 14-year-old Gunn High School freshman, winning the competition was a psychological trip in itself. I was really surprised. I didn t think the topic was that interesting. It wasn t very focused, she said. The story took three weeks to write. I started with the steps for learning how to solve it. And then I made it a story over days, she said. Yu didn t base her writing solely on her own experience with the cube. I watched other people try to solve it, she said. Some people thought that if they could make all the squares on one side of the cube to match, the whole puzzle would be solved. They d get really surprised when it didn t work, said Yu, whose own best time at figuring out the cube is a scant two minutes. To develop the final story, Yu added clues and scientific terminology. Yu learned the field-guide technique this past summer, as a creative non-fiction student at the Center for Talented Youth at The John Hopkins University. She also studied chemistry. When not writing creative nonfiction, Yu enjoys playing club soccer and the viola. Her favorite book is Catcher in the Rye. Might more writing be part of Yu s future career? Perhaps. I like so many things; it s hard to choose, she said. But one thing she admits to seeing herself doing is science. Mr. Rubik would be proud. Judith Alderman How to Solve a Rubik s Cube by Katherine Yu Observe God s creations locked in a picture; the solid blue sky and white clouds, and the dark green moss that grows on the wide trunks of trees. You paint a still-life of a fruit bowl; orange, lemon, and bright apple. Then observe the cube. You conclude that it is just a matter of getting the nine pieces of the same color on one side. Complete the white face and set the cube down. You are satisfied. Go out into the sphere of the world again. A cloud shifts across the sky, circling around you. Follow it with your eyes; turn your body to keep it centered in your view. It becomes a line of dark green pine trees. On the matter of fruit, set an orange on your kitchen table. Wait for the sun to set and listen to the clicking of the clock. As the light in the room becomes a bright yellow, notice how the orange casts a shadow across the wood. You notice its depth. You feel the tectonic plates shifting beneath your feet. When you come back to the cube, 125 days later, you notice that the other sides of the cube are still scrambled. So you learn the 4 basic cube formulas from a physics major and use them to solve the cube. As you drill the moves into your thumbs, Teen First Place Winner your fingers become locked in motion. Complete the cube 64 times in one sitting. Find yourself somehow wanting more. Attend chemistry class. Write in chemical formulas for the decomposition and synthesis of sodium nitrate. But find yourself asking, Does this quiz really mean anything? You compose your own cube formula. You spend 3 summer months locked in your room, digging away at it listening to the clicking of the plastic. Your best time becomes 27 seconds. When summer s over, unlock your door and return to the lab. Experiment with that sodium nitrate solution. Explore polyatomic ions and their charges. Make sense of the equations you memorized for that quiz last semester. Maybe you end up teaching science at a middle school. Watch your 8 students write up their own experiments. Open the classroom cabinet, the one with the jungle of Bunsen burners. Hand them out and watch the kids stare in amazement as the green ocean in a beaker quickly turns to gas. Later, you tell them about your cubing days. Perhaps you win a Nobel Prize for mathematical group theory. If you do, find that cube again that one cube that taught you to explore the world. Hold it in your hands and thank Mr. Rubik. Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 17

18 Short Story Contest Wendy Wu In Wendy Wu s The Stowaway, 9-year-old protagonist Luke Mostren steals away on a three-masted schooner, launching himself into a world of adventure. It s much as Wu does herself, every time she tackles a writing project. I like to write historical fiction. It transport you to a whole new field, the 11-year-old JLS Middle School sixth-grader said. In her award-winning piece, Wu put herself in the shoes of a boy, a departure for the writer, who usually features girls in her works. But out of concern for realism, she chose a male main character. In that period, I learned that girls were usually at home and that boys were more mischievous, she said. Though she developed the story this year in preparation for the competition the germ of the idea was planted last year. That s when her fifth-grade class stayed overnight on a 100- year-old ship as part of a fieldtrip. I learned a lot. It was completely new to me; I had no sense of nautical experience before, she said. When not penning short stories or poetry, Wu enjoys trying new computer software, playing the guitar and the alto saxophone, and reading fiction. She s thrilled by her win her first in a writing competition. She credits her father with telling her about the Short Story Contest and critiquing her work. Her first draft s ending, he told her, didn t make sense. Having someone give feedback that it was not so good was actually pretty good, she said. Dana James The Stowaway Wendy Wu Child First Place Winner My most common predicaments usually involve me stealing an apple, or a loaf of bread on the busy streets of San Francisco. The storekeepers don t see me, but every once in a while, I get myself caught. They usually hit me with a loaf of bread and scold me. But it s worth the punishment, and I tell myself; at least you got the food. I d rather steal food than to starve to death in the alleys of the big city. I guess I should tell you a little about myself. As you can guess, I live in the streets of San Francisco. It s quite busy by trade and every day about ten schooners or boats come from a territory nearby, maybe Alaska, or Oregon, hauling lumber, coal, or salmon. I was always fascinated by ships, always dreamed of becoming a cabin boy, or learning how to navigate, but there was always one thing that stood in the way: my fear of water. And because of water, I ll never sail any of the seven seas. Water ain t my only reason. Who d want to take in an alley runt as an apprentice? I m only nine years old, or so I look, and the orphans call me a scrawny runt. Every day I live my life with the boys, stealing food, getting into trouble, running around the streets. Mischief gets you nowhere, young un, the shopkeepers would often shout to us. But this is different. Much different. Out of all my situations I have never dared go near the water. But here I am, sitting below decks on the three-masted schooner, The Sailqueen, on the way to Alaska. I guess this is goodbye to the alley boys, the orphan runts, even the shopkeepers, because my dumb mistake is acquiring me a lifetime in Alaska. Alrighty, Hazel. Go in for a last check on cargo before we leave. We have to be sure there ain t anything wrong with the fish during our three month voyage. Aye-Aye, Sir. One pair of footsteps drew nearer to my position. My heart raced faster and faster as the person approached, hoping I wouldn t be found out. Page 18 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly

19 I held my breath. Well, looky here, a soft voice whispered, as she heaved heavy barrels out of they way. My face was visible. Heh, a stowaway. Her face showed a sneer, like the type a poker player would have on after revealing a straight flush. Best you make yourself useful cus the deckhands have already heaved the hawsers. The soft voice belonged to a girl who seemed about three or four years older than me. Despite the sneer, she had sparkling hazel eyes and mahogany hair in a thick braid. In her hair was a dirty red bandana. Here. Let me help you out. She pulled me out of my hiding spot, and brought me to a room. This is the captain s quarters, and this is the captain. You are to address him as Sir. A buff looking man came out of a door in the corner. He had brown colored hair with a cap, honey colored eyes, and a beard. He looked slightly similar to the girl. Father, I bring you a stowaway. Hazel, on the ship you call me Sir. Aye, replied Hazel as she stepped out of the room. The man s attention turned to me. Since you stowed yourself away on my ship, he stated, that makes you a member of my crew. I expect you to work like anyone else. And since Hazel found you, you will work for her in the galley, he declared, as he handed me a dirty red bandana like the one Hazel was wearing. Keep this in your pocket. It symbolizes that you are my crew member. Yes, Sir, I said, trying to sound as confident as Hazel. That s an aye. Aye, Sir. As I left the room, Hazel lead me to the galley. I m Hazel Bleak, by the way, daughter of the captain and assistant to the doctor. she said. I m Luke Mostren, I responded. Thinking for a title, I quickly stammered, I m an alley orphan from the streets of San Francisco. Hazel smiled. I m not native to this land, for I was born in Canada, but I visit San Francisco every year during the Alaskan Salmon Trade. Turns out the The Sailqueen is one of the top schooners in the business. Hazel stopped, and said, This is the Galley. Today you will work for Sandy, one of my assistants, and help prepare supper, she decided, and took me into the pantry as she hopped off below decks to where I was hiding before. Sandy was a scrawny man with a fiery temper. He commanded me to put a log in the oven every fifteen minutes. I was also ordered to cut vegetables, but my flimsy fingers cut giant chunks for the stew that nobody could fit in their mouth. Under the constant swearing of Sandy, I learned that not everybody on the crew was as nice as Hazel, but I was soon to find out about her bittersweet personality and her evil punishments. WHAT IN TARNATIONS IS GOING ON, STOW BOY? blasted Hazel, surprising me with her sudden presence and abrupt change of personality. For your inexperience, Short Story Contest you will be scrubbing oatmeal pots by yourself, and will not enjoy the pleasures of dog watch for a month! She seemed to be out of breath from her explosion. Do I hear an aye, boy? Aye, Hazel. I spoke meekly. That s an Aye, Mate! Aye, Mate! Supper that night was horrible. I felt guilty for my stupid chunks, three times as big as the others. I also missed San Francisco. My mischievous spirit had led me to a laborious life on the sea, eating stew WHAT IN TARNATIONS IS GOING ON, STOW BOY? blasted Hazel, surprising me with her sudden presence and abrupt change of personality. For your inexperience, you will be scrubbing oatmeal pots by yourself, and will not enjoy the pleasures of dog watch for a month! She seemed to be out of breath from her explosion. Do I hear an aye, boy? and bread everyday. I silently retreated to my bunk in the fo c sle, and went to sleep in the shivering cold, only to wake up the next day, still as clumsy as ever. A month had passed. Under Hazel, I had learned almost all the names of the members in the Galley (that I needed to know), and almost all the basic nautical terms. I also learned bell time, and a few chanteys, too. As for the crew, there was Sandy, whom I had worked for on my first night; the doctor, who was always in his cabin; Pale Peters, who was another assistant of Hazel s; Norbert, who was missing an eye; and Daffty, who couldn t speak. Later, as I was sitting in my bunk, Hazel told me, If you want to learn more, you should go the Captain and join the Riggers. It d be useful. She seemed to want to get rid of me because of the disaster and chaos I was still causing, but I thought it was a good idea. When I agreed, she sent me over to her father, and then I began to learn the ropes of sailing. With the riggers, I discovered that one little mistake could blow the entire ship off course. Captain Bleak let me work with the bosun s chair for starters. You had to have strong muscles to heave the heavy thick lines. Yelling the orders was Captain Bleak. Captain Bleak had the same warmth in his voice as Hazel, but he also shared the extreme temper. But unlike Hazel, he was great at navigation and I would always peek at his sextant, compass, and other tools in his cabin, always suffering the consequences. It took a week before the captain trusted me to go on watch, and I still wondered why he let me. I couldn t master the clove hitch or the belay to cleat. I tied my finger into the catspaw and the only knot I knew was the square knot. But he said, Everyone has to do their share, Luke, and now you must do night watch. So later that night, I was on watch for the first time. The captain planted me on the foredeck, and told me to report anything suspicious to my mate, Mr. Tymerry. We had been on watch for a few hours already. Some of the crew members were asleep; including Mr. Tymerry. The night air on the Pacific Ocean was both refreshing and freezing cold, and the ink-black sky gleamed with the millions of star specks floating above my head. A single seagull cawed and swooped over my head. I was almost in a trance, bewildered by the beauty of the ocean. Enjoy it while you can, whispered a voice behind me. Startled, I nearly jumped while turning my head to see who the person was. Captain! I gasped, straightening up immediately. Lad, no need to be frightened, murmured Captain Bleak. Just wanted to speak to you for a while. But I m on watch. Won t the mate get angry with me, Sir? The mate can t monitor you if he s asleep, eh lad? Haha... replied my faint, uneasy chuckle, Er, I mean Aye, Sir. The quicker you get things done, the more your mates will appreciate you. But you still must give effort and quality to your job. I have always had faith in you, don t let me down. Aye, lad? he asked. Aye, Sir! I whispered, with a newfound energy inside of me. But when I turned around, he vanished. I spotted a cloud in the distance, but I didn t think of it much. But the next week, the cloud conjured up more clouds, and then they changed from their mellow white into deep purple thunderclouds. Before we knew it, we were being blown off course by the winds of the storm. CRASH! BOOM! Went the sound of thunder as it hit the waves of the dark, churning sea. The ship tossed and turned, like a toy sail boat in the waters of a bathtub. The black winds were whirling around like a tornado, and it reminded me of a nightmare I had long ago. It felt like a hurricane, if you didn t hold onto something, you would be swept away to whoknows-where. The riggers were off their feet, and so was I. We were taking down sails, trying to prevent masts from breaking. As the chaos ran through the boat, thoughts of the captain s speech went though my head and I couldn t concentrate on my tasks. I always have had faith in you, don t let me down. Help! someone cried in the waves. I glanced towards the water, and saw Hazel and the old doctor in the bottomless sea. As though an instinct told me to, I instantly bellowed, Quick, someone throw me a (continued on next page) Service of Advent Lessons and Carols Traditional Sacred Music and Scriptures Choirs of St. Ann Chapel and St. Joseph of Arimathea Anglican Theology College Sunday, December 11, 4 p.m. St. Ann Chapel 541 Melville Ave. (at Tasso), Palo Alto, Congratulations to Laszlo Tokes of Palo Alto. Laszlo Tokes of Palo Alto is the winner of the Phony Ad Contest and a $50 gift certificate to Zibibbo & 4 tickets to Stanford Lively Arts. No Chimney? No Problem! Instant Fireplace Choose your location... Select a fireplace... Pick the perfect mantel... No chimney? No problem! We help Design, plan and install- Fireplaces Mantels Outdoor Fireplaces Fire Screens/Tools BBq s Indoor/Outdoor Limestone Island All Accessories The Fireplace Element 1970 W. El Camino Mountain View Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 19

20 Short Story Contest Your Supper Club Want more time in your life? 3 To help your kids with homework? 3 To work out? 3 To design the next search engine? And still eat balanced, tasty meals? 3 3 Come to Your Supper Club. Leave with 10 ready-to-cook, flavorful meals. Brown Bag & Twilight Concerts Pledge Form To help meet its financial deficit the City Council has voted to eliminate funding for the Brown Bag and Twilight Concert Series. We are distributing this pledge form and asking for your help to keep this series alive. Fill out the information below and send to: Suzanne Warren, Producer, Twilight and Brown Bag Series City of Palo Alto/Arts & Culture Division 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA Please check the appropriate box below if writing a check (checks only please, no cash) Make your check payable to the City of Palo Alto Summer Concert Series To make a pledge and pay later, mark the appropriate box and you will be called. All donations are tax deductable. Confirmation of your donation will be sent to you by mail. I am including a check with this pledge. I am pledging and will pay after I receive a call. Thank you for your support of the City of Palo Alto Brown Bag & Twilight Concert Series. Name: Address: Phone No: The Stowaway (continued from previous page) rope! People are in the water! As the boat got in control, everyone was tugging on the thick line that I summoned. We all obeyed as Mr. Tymerry s hollers shook the ship. HEAVE! HO! HEAVE! HO! As Hazel and the doctor were being pulled through crashing waves, I noticed that the bowline knot around them was slipping. Disobeying the commands of Mr. Tymerry, I swiftly dived down into the deep sea, wrapped one hand on the rope, another grasping the hands of the doctor and Hazel, and signaled to be pulled up. As we were pulled through the violent waves, I noticed how cold the water was. I could feel my arms numb, and I choked as mouthfuls of salt water swashed down my throat. I felt moments when my lungs couldn t take anymore, but then the currents would pull me up to the surface and I d catch my breath before the wind hurled me into the water again. The maneuver reminded me of a dolphin leaping, but I knew this sensation was far from the exhilaration a dolphin could experience leaping about. Then I discovered the sea was beneath me, and I was being pulled aboard. My head was hurting like crazy, and water was still trapped in my lungs, but happiness was in my heart, because I had faced my fear of water. $250 off any major dental procedure. New patients only. For a brighter, more dazzling smile tonight, come in for BriteSmile or Rembrandt teeth whitening and receive $100 off. (offers cannot be combined) Contact us today and let us serve you with a smile. I remember drinking some ginger water that the doctor gave me because I had swallowed too much salt water. Someone was also calling me, but my head hurt too much for me to answer. When the storm subsided, I heard two elder sailors talking about my brave deed. I felt as gallant as a stallion. I had saved two people s lives and I lived to tell the tale. I remember Hazel joking, Don t get too bigheaded, boy. Even with my spectacular save, we were still in trouble. We ran out of provisions and lived on hard tack, which was bread so rotten and so hard there were maggots in it, and salt pork stew, which was just water with old flavorless meat. We drank a little of lime gin everyday to prevent scurvy. I lived with it, and called it torture, but the captain called it food rations. That night forward, Captain Bleak invited me to sit next to him at dog watch. He pronounced me a hero in front of all my crew mates, and we all sang chanteys for entertainment. I just sat there, listened to yarns, sang some chanteys, and washed a few dishes until it was time for night watch. I once again took my place on the foredeck, but the ocean was not the same as it was on the first night. The water had become bluer, the air more cold, and occasionally a small chunk of ice came around. That dawn, we all celebrated as a crew member looking out from the crow s nest hollered, Land Ahoy! We had made it to Alaska! I stood on the foredeck, eyes wild with fascination. This was much different than San Francisco. All the people were bundled up in thick clothing, and only then did I notice that my limbs were getting cold. As The Sailqueen pulled up on the docks of Anchorage, I wondered for a bit. What would happen to me? Would I be left at Alaska, to spend my life there forever? Would I stow away on another trading ship? As I helped the bosun crew unload the thousands of crates of salmon, I couldn t help thinking about my future. I shivered as someone tapped my shoulder. Luke? asked Hazel. Aye? I mean, Yes? My father asked me to ask you if you would be willing to work for him with the Riggers. We can send you back to San Francisco if you d like. If you re interested, we re leaving at fourteen-hundred hours. Really, Hazel? That would be wonderful. As I embarked the Sailqueen, I noticed a new feeling. Not a feeling of despair like what I felt as a stowaway earning my fare, but a feeling of hope, of triumph, of happiness, because this time I board the ship, I m not a stowaway anymore; I m a member of the crew, now, just like Tymerry, Hazel, and the Captain. LOS ALTOS Dentistry N. San Antonio Rd. Los Altos, (650) GRAND OPENING! Service with a smile. Amount of pledge: Dr. Ardy Salem, DDS Dr. Nirvana Anoosheh, DDS Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Date: Signature: Share a part of your life Give blood Page 20 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly

21 Movies Movie reviews by Jeanne Aufmuth, Tyler Hanley, and Susan Tavernetti MOVIE TIMES Note: Screenings are for Wednesday through Thursday only. Aeon Flux (PG-13) Century 16: 12:45, 3, 5:15, 7:35 & 9:50 p.m. Century 12: 12:20, 2:45, 5:15, 7:45 & 10:10 p.m. Bee Season (PG-13) Aquarius: 9:25 p.m.; Wed. also at 7 p.m. Capote (R) CinéArts at Palo Alto Square: 2:15, 4:50, 7:25 & 10 p.m. Chicken Little (G) Century 16: 11:20 a.m.; 1:20, 3:20, 5:25, 7:30 & 9:25 p.m. Century 12: 11:35 a.m.; 1:35, 3:40, 5:50, 7:50 & 9:55 p.m. The Chronicles of Narnia: Century 16: Thu. at 12:01 a.m. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (PG) (Not Reviewed) Derailed (R) Century 16: 10:10 p.m. Century 12: 2, 4:30 & 7:05 p.m. The Dying Gaul (R) Century 16: 9:05 p.m. First Descent (PG-13) Century 12: 11:45 a.m.; 2:20, 4:55, 7:35 & 10:20 (Not Reviewed) p.m. Good Night, and Good LuckGuild: 7 & 9:25 p.m. (PG) Harry Potter and the Century 16: Noon, 1, 2:15, 3:30, 4:30, 5:45, 7, Goblet of Fire 8, 9:15 & 10:15 p.m. Century 12: 11:30 a.m.; 1, 3, (PG-13) 1/2 4:25, 6:30, 8 & 10 p.m. The Ice Harvest Century 16: 11:15 a.m.; 1:15, 3:40, 5:50 & 8:10 (R) 1/2 p.m. In the Mix (PG-13) Century 12: 11:40 a.m. & 9:40 p.m. (Not Reviewed) Just Friends Century 16: 12:10, 2:25, 4:45, 7:05 & 9:10 p.m. (PG-13) 1/2 Century 12: Noon, 2:15, 4:35, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang Century 16: 12:25, 2:50, 5:10, 7:45 & 10 p.m. (R) Pride & Prejudice Century 16: 11:40 a.m.; 12:50, 2:20, 3:50, 5:05, (PG) 1/2 6:45, 7:50, 9:20 & 10:30 p.m. Century 12: 1:45, 4:45, 7:40 & 10:25 p.m. Rent (PG-13) Century 16: 1:05, 4:15, 7:25 & 10:25 p.m. Century 12: 12:45, 4:05, 7:10 & 10:15 p.m. Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Aquarius: 7:30 & 9:55 p.m. Magic (Not Rated) (Not Reviewed) Shopgirl (R) Century 16: 12:15, 2:40, 5:20, 7:55 & 10:15 p.m. The Squid and the Whale CinéArts at Palo Alto Square:1:40, 3:45, 5:50, 8 & (R) 1/2 10:10 p.m. Walk the Line (PG-13) Century 16: 11:25 a.m.; 1:10, 2:30, 4:20, 5:30, 7:20, 9 & 10:20 p.m. Century 12: 12:50, 3:50, 6:50 & 9:50 p.m. Wallace & Gromit: The Century 16: 11:45 a.m.; 2, 4:35 & 6:50 p.m. Curse of the Were-Rabbit (G) Yours, Mine and Ours Century 16: 11:10 a.m.; 1:20, 3:25, 5:35, 7:40 & (PG) (Not Reviewed) 9:45 p.m. Century 12: 11:15 a.m.; 1:25, 3:35, 5:45, 7:55 & 10:05 p.m. Zathura (PG) Century 12: 11:50 a.m.; 2:25, 4:50, 7:20 & 9:45 (Not Reviewed) p.m. Skip it Some redeeming qualities A good bet Outstanding Internet address: For show times, plot synopses, theatres addresses, trailers and more information about films playing, visit Palo Alto Online at ON THE WEB: The most up-to-date movie listings at STANFORD THEATRE The Stanford Theatre is located at 221 University Ave. in Palo Alto. Screenings are for Thursday only. The theatre is closed on Wednesday. For more information call (650) Come September (1961) A playboy who spends every September at his villa in Portofino arrives early and discovers his major domo running the villa as a bed and breakfast. Starring Rock Hudson. Thu. at 7:30 p.m. Pane, Amore e Fantasia (1953) This Italian comedy s popularity made an international star of Gina Lollobrigida, who soon found her way to the United States. Thu. at 5:45 & 9:35 p.m. Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 21

22 Editorial Closing the disaster preparedness gap Palo Alto area cities may be ahead of others, but would still be overwhelmed by a major catastrophe so citizens need to prepare for that, experts warn T here s a somewhat grim joke in the emergency-preparedness field: If you wrote a booklet about aid you could expect in the first days of a major catastrophe, its pages would be blank. In other words, you ll likely be on your own as an individual, family, neighborhood or community. That quip stopped being funny when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the Gulf-states communities in its path of destruction. Now that the wave of national shock and generosity has ebbed and the real investigative finger-pointing has begun, local communities across the nation are beginning to take stock of where they stand in terms of being prepared for something equivalent. For California, that probably means an earthquake the Big One. But flooding is a possibility in low-lying South Bay communities, and there s terrorism. It turns out Palo Alto and other communities in the South Bay are well ahead of the nation in readiness, according to an informational report presented to the City Council Monday night. In fact, Palo Alto s emergency manager, Barbara Cimino of the fire department, was called back to the New Orleans area in late September to supervise a multi-state emergency response center for 10 days, helping straighten out the mess. Her take-home lessons from that searing experience were part of her message to the council, even though the bulk of the report summed up lessons from an earthquake drill last April at Palo Alto High School, the Cubberley Community Center and the city s Emergency Operations Center. Field Exercise Coordinator Kenneth Dueker of the police department collaborated on the report. The report was positive overall, citing cooperation by the more than 200 persons involved police, fire, volunteers and the Red Cross. But there were significant gaps, ranging from concerns about how police officers and firefighters can get from their distant homes to their jobs to how well police and fire agencies from different jurisdictions can communicate with each other. Communication was one of the most urgent lessons to come from the 9/11 tragedy in New York City many lives were lost unnecessarily when police and fire units responding couldn t communicate directly. Yet as recently as last spring, more than four years after 9/11, it was noted that police and fire agencies in Santa Clara County had difficulty communicating directly with each other. In joint exercises or mutual-aid cases they need to go through a Bay Area-wide emergency channel, which would become jammed in a full-blown regional catastrophe. A countywide Interoperability Project is making progress in the communications gap. But communications issues still topped the concerns in the report, both in terms of equipment and training and relating to the safety of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) itself, located in the basement of the Civic Center. This is particularly relevant in that the Civic Center did not fare well in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake the large concrete arcade out front had to be torn down and reinforcements were needed elsewhere. Communications, the report notes, is a large and complex topic that impacts almost every aspect of disaster response for the city as well as all departments, groups and individuals. Further testing, training and drills are essential, along with the implementation or expansion of emergency communications capabilities. A sense of urgency penetrates even the official report language. While the EOC staff performed acceptably, and Palo Alto is one of the few cities in the county to even have such a dedicated command post, the report says back-up locations are needed should the Civic Center be damaged. Both the police department and dispatch center could be compromised were the Civic Center to fail, including a number of mission-critical elements such as radio and computer systems. And, the report warns, a collapse of the police garage... might crush/trap a large portion of city police vehicles. This outstanding summary is a must read for anyone who wants to weigh in on whether a new police headquarters is needed as well as what residents need to do in their homes and neighborhoods. While progress is being made, we re nowhere near an acceptable level of readiness, and city leaders must shoulder responsibility for keeping emergency preparedness a top priority locally and regionally. Page 22 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions Oversight reaction Editor, Mr. Liebermanís letter regarding the PAUSD parcel tax oversight committee (Nov. 29) implies that the district misappropriated parcel-tax funds and did not provide the promised public oversight. I would like to set the record straight. At a public meeting following the passage of Measure D, the school board appointed a committee of five people, all of whom have accounting, business, or school-budget expertise and are well respected in the community. They represent a broad cross section of the community: a senior, local business owners/leaders, a parent and CPA, a former mayor and a former school board member. The committee met each year to verify that the parcel-tax funds were spent in accordance with the ballot language approved by the voters. In each of the four years that the parcel tax was in effect, the board of education received a parcel tax report that included the findings of the oversight committee, at a regularly scheduled public board meeting: Aug. 27, 2002; Aug. 26, 2003; Oct. 12, 2004; and Nov. 15, The meetings were broadcast on cable television. Board of education meeting materials, including these reports, were also made available on the district Web site at www. pausd.org and at public libraries and schools. Parcel-tax expenditures may be examined by Mr. Lieberman or any other member of the public; not just the oversight committee. PAUSD is required to keep parcel-tax funds in a separate account that may only be used for expenditures stated in the voter-approved ballot measure. In addition to public oversight, district books including the parceltax account, are audited each year by an outside independent accounting firm. The auditorís findings are also presented at a public board meeting. The school board encourages communication from the public on any topic, including the parcel tax. People may call, write, or speak at public board meetings. Cathy Kroymann, former school board member and Julie Jerome, oversight committee member Somerset Place and Greer Road Palo Alto Against immersion Editor, The time is right for the Palo Alto school district to offer foreign language as part of the core curriculum, not for another immersion program. The multi-cultural community that is Palo Alto should be at the forefront of preparing our children to be part of a highly connected global world and workforce. The absence of foreign-language teaching from our elementary school program, and from the core curriculum in middle school, falls very short of that goal. Instead of funding another immersion program, letís prioritize foreign language for all students. We should adopt a core language curriculum that includes starting in elementary school. Mandarin should be offered in PAUSD, but as one of several languages offered to all students. Immersion programs generate a small group of parents with much to gain and so can garner disproportionate attention. Core language classes have fewer vocal supporters but are more important than ever. Language classes? Yes. Mandarin as a choice? Yes. Immersion only? No. Meri Gruber Briarwood Way Palo Alto Language barrier Editor, It s really wonderful that the PAUSD is not in the dire financial straits that it faced a year ago. When it comes to providing second-language classes for elementary schoolchildren, I think it s a great idea. YOUR TURN Those classes should be available at all our elementary schools, to benefit all the elementary children in the district. I don t feel that it s a fair or prudent use of public money to fund another language-immersion program that benefits only a small percentage of PAUSD elementary students (and also creates another commuter school). If parents want their children to have a second-language immersive experience, that s great, and those programs are available at private schools. Basically, this idea is asking the district to fund a niche group s desire with public funds. That might be OK if all the kids in our schools already had a secondlanguage option and we had a surplus of funds and school space. But we don t. Mary Kraemer Ponce Drive Palo Alto Aid and appreciation Editor, On Tuesday, Nov. 29, around 8 a.m., I was involved in an automobile accident on El Camino Real near El Monte Road. Several wonderful people took time out of their busy schedules to help the other driver (continued on page 25) The Palo Alto Weekly encourages comments on our coverage or on issues of local interest. What do you think? Do you feel films (with or without popcorn) should be allowed at Gunn High School s Spangenberg Auditorium? Letters: Address to Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302, or hand-deliver to 703 High St., (at Forest Avenue), Palo Alto. Fax: (650) readerwire@paweekly.com No anonymous letters or open letters to other organizations or individuals will be printed. Please provide your name, street address and daytime telephone number. Please keep length to 250 words or less. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length and style and for factual errors known to us.

23 Guest Opinion Caltrain Metro East a better transit plan than BART-to-San Jose by Margaret Okuzumi T he future of our valley s public transit is at a crossroads with a key decision-point looming Feb. U n - happy Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) officials have been forced to admit that $5 billion in county sales taxes that will be collected starting next April won t be enough to build all transit projects voters were promised in 2000 s Measure A. Now VTA officials are haggling over a plan to go back to the voters to ask for more money to build just a portion of the projects promised in Measure A. Rather than throw good money after bad, the time has come for Palo Alto to demand a better plan one that will build the rail and bus network that our region needs without a new tax. The 800-pound gorilla in all of VTA s current scenarios for Palo Alto is the BART extension to San Jose from Warm Springs in Fremont. Even if VTA got voters to approve an additional $2.5 billion in sales taxes to go to transportation in the next 30 years, as long as BART is in the mix the question is: What is Palo Alto and the North County willing to give up? Shall North County communities give up revenues for repaving roads? Or even more bus service than has already been lost? Are they willing to give up Caltrain electrification and other Caltrain service improvements? Or Streetwise What do you like to read? Question and interviews by Kenneth Seli. Photographs by Brian Connelly. Asked on University Avenue in Palo Alto. Shall North County communities give up revenues for repaving roads? Or even more bus service than has already been lost? Are they willing to give up Caltrain electrification and other Caltrain service improvements? Or promised funds to rebuild the Palo Alto station? promised funds to rebuild the Palo Alto station? Perhaps it is all of the above for as long as BART is in the mix it could easily devour monies needed for other transit projects. BART s estimated price tag has already increased by $500 million in the last few years, to $4.7 billion, not including more than a billion in financing costs. The BART project requires VTA to borrow such a massive sum of money that it would have to pay bond holders more than a thousand million dollars in interest instead of using that money to build real transit projects. And the ballooning cost estimates may not be the end. The BART to SFO/Millbrae extension in San Mateo County went 30 percent over budget. Once a big hole in the ground is dug, there is no turning back. Today the county transit agency is struggling under the financial burden and has substantially reduced both bus and BART service. In Santa Clara County, a similar size overrun would swallow up funds needed for other transit projects in this county for a generation, even with a tax increase. Most transit agencies would be overjoyed to have five thousand million dollars to spend which VTA already has. But this windfall won t make a dent in traffic unless VTA spends the money efficiently to provide direct relief to the whole county, not just San Jose. Thankfully, we don t have to build BART in order to create quality rail service to the East Bay. We can build rail the way people in Chicago, New Jersey and France have done with standard-gauge tracks and off-the-shelf components. For less than half the cost of the BART project, we could expand Caltrain s Baby Bullet-style service to the East Bay and to San Jose Airport. The accompanying map shows how a new line, Caltrain Metro East, could be built in lieu of the BART project. Caltrain Metro East connects the planned Dumbarton rail line with the public right-of-way already purchased for the BART extension to San Jose. It would have a station stop next to the terminals at San Jose airport instead of requiring people to transfer to a $248 million people mover to reach the terminals (as BART would). A short BART extension within Fremont would connect Caltrain Metro East and BART. Caltrain Metro East would create new corridors for the Altamont Commuter Express trains, allowing through-service to Stockton or even Modesto and beyond. Caltrain Metro East would also connect to the popular Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains to Sacramento. The cost to construct Caltrain Metro East from Fremont to San Jose on structures completely separated from roads and car traffic (grade-separated) is about $1.5 billion, less than a third of the cost of the BART extension. Caltrain Metro East has the potential to enable Central Valley commuters to reach Palo Alto more quickly by rail than by driving. It does this by providing faster trains and a more direct route than would be provided by the BART extension. Best of all, Caltrain Metro East allows VTA to have enough funds to fulfill its other transit promises to Palo Alto, as specified in 2000 Measure A. These include Caltrain electrification, more Caltrain service along the Peninsula and to Gilroy, more bus service, and more transit for seniors and the disabled. This plan can become reality if we ask for it. If you agree that Caltrain Metro East is a good idea, please contact Supervisor Liz Kniss, your city council members and the VTA board to express your support. On Feb. 2, 2006, they will be voting on the future of our county s transit. Let them know you support a plan to create rail transit that is better than BART, without a new tax. n Margaret Okuzumi is executive director of the Palo Alto-based nonprofit BayRail Alliance and serves on the VTA and MTC Citizen Advisory Committees. More information on the proposal can be found at www. bayrailalliance.org. She can be ed at margaret@bayrailalliance.org. Will Clark Student Alvarado Row, Stanford Muriel Fleisher Retired Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto Kim Keeler Paralegal University Avenue, Palo Alto Leif King Lawyer University Avenue, Palo Alto Marc Garcia Waiter Forest Avenue, Palo Alto I do mostly contemporary American poetry and the dead Russians. When I have time there are some good comicbook series like the Sandman. I like to read newspapers and magazines. I don t do a lot of reading because my eyes aren t good, but every so often a lady from the library brings me large-print books. I like reading biographies, especially about celebrities. The last one I read was the Bill Clinton one. A Man in Full, by Tom Wolfe is my favorite book. I m more of a fiction fan. I like historical. I am a Stephen King junkie, but right now I m reading the Three Musketeers, by Dumas. I ve read The Man in the Iron Mask, and the The Count of Monte Cristo, so I picked it up. Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 23

24 Click and Give Last Year s Holiday Fund Grant Recipients Holiday Fund Grants Adolescent Counseling Services ,500 American Red Cross -Palo Alto Area ,000 Challenge Learning Center ,000 Children s Day in EPA ,000 Cleo Eulau Center ,000 Community Breast Health Project.....5,000 Community Development Institute....5,000 Community Legal Services in EPA ,000 East Palo Alto Kids Foundation ,500 East Palo Alto Senior Center ,000 East Palo Alto YMCA ,000 Ecumenical Hunger Program ,500 Family Connections ,500 Foundation for a College Education ,000 Free At Last ,000 Jordan Middle School PTA ,000 Kara ,000 Lytton Gardens ,000 Music in the Schools ,500 New Creation Home Ministries ,000 Pacific Islander Community Center....5,000 Palo Alto Art Center Foundation ,000 Palo Alto Housing Corporation ,000 PAPPA ,000 Parents Place Family Resource Center 10,000 Ravenswood City School District-Health Services ,000 St. Francis of Assisi Boys Club ,500 St. Vincent de Paul ,000 Support Network for Battered Women ,000 West Bay Opera ,000 YES Reading ,500 Youth Community Service ,000 Zohar ,000 Child Care-Capital Grants Friends Nursery School ,500 Palo Alto Community Child Care ,000 PreSchool Family ,000 Give to the Palo Alto Weekly s Holiday Fund and your donation is doubled. You give to non-profit groups that work right here in our community. It s a great way to insure that your charitable donations are working at home. 36 Anonymous Jan & Beverly Aarts ** Richard & Nancy Alexander David & Sue Apfelberg Ed & Margaret Arnold ** Tom & Annette Ashton Bob & Corrine Aulgur ** Ray & Carol Bacchetti ** Larry Baer & Stephanie Klein.....** John & Marilyn Barker Gail Barklow ** Elizabeth Salzer & Richard Baumgartner Al & Liz Bernal ** Daniel Blachmant & Barbara Stewart** Roy & Carol Blitzer ** Steven & Linda Boxer ** Richard & Carolyn Brennan......** Gloria Brown Richard Cabrera ** Eph & Sally Cannon ** Bob & Mary Carlstead ** John & Nancy Cassidy Julie O. Cockroft ** Mike & Jean Couch Chip & Donna Crossman ** Robyn Crumly ** John & Pat Davis ** John & Ruth DeVries ** Marianne Dieckmann Ted & Cathy Dolton ** Attorney Susan Dondershine James & Shirley Eaton ** Tom & Ellen Ehrlich ** Joseph & Meri Ehrlich Leif & Sharon Erickson Stanley & Betty Evans ** Allan & Joan Fisch Victor & Beverly Fuchs Gregory & Penny Gallo ** Elvia Fernandez Garwood Buck Gee Betty W. Gerard Annette Glanckopf Non-profit organizations serving families and children in the Palo Alto area are facing unprecedented challenges and need our help. Through a unique partnership between the Palo Alto Weekly and local foundations, the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund is hoping to raise over $300,000 this year to support these groups and the people who benefit from their services. FUND DRIVE With contributions of matching funds from the Packard, Hewlett and other local foundations, your tax deductible donation to the Holiday Fund will be doubled in size. Last year $240,000 was raised from over 625 people in the community, and 36 local groups received grants in support of their programs. Help make this year s Holiday Fund campaign our most successful ever. Send in your contribution today and then check out our progress by watching the growing list of donors in each issue of the Palo Alto Weekly. All donations of $25 or more will be acknowledged in every issue of the Palo Alto Weekly between late November and the end of the campaign in mid-january. With your generosity, we can give a major boost to the programs in our community helping our kids and families. 220 donors through 12/5 totalling $48,435 with match $96,870 has been raised for the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund Matt Glickman & Susie Hwang Burton & Carol Goldfield Paul Goldstein & Dena Mossar Margot Goodman ** Frederick Rose & Anne Gregor Eric & Elaine Hahn ** Ben & Ruth Hammett ** Phil & Graciela Hanawalt ** Carroll Harrington Harry & Susan Hartzell The Havern Family The Heinen Family Richard & Imogene Hilbers Fred Hodge ** Leannah Hunt Michael Jacobs & Jane Morton Rajiv & Sandy Jain Jon & Julie Jerome ** Bill Johnson & Terri Lobdell......** Enclosed is a donation of $ Bill & Mary Joyce David & Nancy Kalkbrenner Herant & Stina Katchadourian Sue Kemp Ed & Eileen Kennedy David & Maureen Kennedy......** Leo & Marlys Keoshian ** Carol Kersten Carl & Joanie King ** Barbara Klein & Stan Schrier......** Hal & Iris Korol ** Art & Helen Kraemer ** Ron & Ellen Krasnow ** Wil & Inger Larsen ** Patricia Levin Harry & Marion Lewenstein Janet McClure Lyman ** James & Renee Masterson May Family Foundation ** Name Address City/State/Zip John & Leona McCabe ** John & Eve Melton F. W. Merrill Mona Miller Ruth B. Mitchell David & Lynn Mitchell ** Lincoln & Mary Lou Moses Dennis Neverve Elsbeth Newfield ** Michael & Karen Nierenberg Peter & Barbara Pande ** John S. Perkins ** Conney Pfeiffer ** Helene Pier ** Joe & Marlene Prendergast ** Alice Reeves ** Barbara Riper ** Dick & Ruth Rosenbaum Don & Ann Rothblatt Donate online at Credit Card (MC or VISA) Expires Signature I wish to designate my contribution as follows: In my name as shown above OR In honor of: In memory of: As a gift for: (Name of person) I wish to contribute anonymously. Make checks payable to Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund and send to: PAW Holiday Fund P.O. Box 1610 Palo Alto, CA Please withhold the amount of my contribution. The Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund is a Fund of Community Foundation Silicon Valley. All donations will be acknowledged by mail and are tax deductible as permitted by law. All donors will be published in the Palo Alto Weekly unless the coupon is marked Anonymous. For information on making contributions of appreciated stock, contact Amy Renalds at (650) Palo Alto Weekly HOLIDAY Page 24 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly

25 Holiday Fund Ruth & Kristin Running Barbara Sawyer ** John & Mary Schaeffer ** Dr. & Mrs. Irving Schulman William & Eleanor Settle Annette Bialson & Gary Sharron..100 Mark & Nancy Shepherd Martha Shirk & William Woo.....** Lee & Judy Shulman ** Bob & Diane Simoni Stephen & Paula Smith Allen Smoll Lew & Joan Southern Art & Peggy Stauffer Isaac & Maddy Stein ** Rick Stern ** Carl Stoffel Carl & Susan Thomsen Roy Levin & Jan Thomsom ** Robert & Susan Tilling David & Nehama Treves Tony & Carolyn Tucher ** The Voll Family ** Jim & Susan Voll Roger & Joan Warnke ** Ralph & Jackie Wheeler ** Carolyn Williams & Mike Keeler.100 Douglas & Susan Woodman......** Patti Yanklowitz ** Cathy Young Steven Zamek & Jane Borchers....** In honor Of Elissa, Julia & Will Chandler Terri Lobdell & Bill Johnson Bobby, Evie & William ** The Dentists of the MidPeninsula & SM County Dental Societies Shirley Ely ** Al & Mae Kenrick In Memory Of Jim Akimo John D. Black Anna & Max Blanke Lou Bogart ** Arthur Boyce ** Leo Breidenbach ** Ruth Burnet ** Bill Carlstead ** Bob Dolan Bob Donald ** Dave Ferguson Mary Floyd ** Esther & Joe Good Pamela Grady Grandpa Bud ** Grandparents of Akash Nanavati...25 Alan K. Herrick ** Florence Kan Ho ** Chet Johnson ** Helene F. Klein ** Charles Bennett Leib Bruce McClain ** John McWilliams ** Terry Merz ** Todd Miller Ernest J. Moore Bessie Moskowitz Albert & Kathryn Nelson ** Our dad Al Pellizzari ** Joseph Perlmutter ** Thomas W. Phinney ** Jan Raffel Allicin Raicin Irving F. Reichert, Jr Nancy Ritchey Ivy & Irving Rubin Helen Rubin Sally ** George & Arline Sobel Charles Henry & Emma Westphal Stelling ** Ray & Edith Tinney Dr. David Zlotnick ** As A Gift For George Brady Family, Joyce & Andy Gage, Jen Sage & Michael Brandt..** Caitlyn & Andrew Louchard......** Marjorie Smith ** Businesses Caitlyn & Andrew Louchard......** George Brady Family, Joyce & Andy Gage, Jen Sage & Michael Brandt..** Marjorie Smith ** Letters (continued from page 22) and me. Without accusations or blame, they comforted and supported both of us in our time of need. One of these Good Samaritans even gave the other driver a blanket because it was cold and she was shivering, MAKE A GIFT That Gives Back saying, Keep it. On behalf of all people in need of support in times like these, I would like to publicly thank and acknowledge the good people who so kindly go out of their way to help others. Thanks to all of you you know who you are. Also, I would like to thank the Mountain View police officers who Beech needed emergency heart surgery, and then plastic surgery, all before his first birthday. By donating to Lucile Packard Children s Hospital through a Charitable Gift Annuity, you can help bring comfort and care to children like Beech and receive tax benefits and annual income in return. SAMPLE RATES FOR A $20,000 GIFT ANNUITY ON A SINGLE LIFE Age at Gift Age 65 Age 70 Age 75 Age 80 Age 85 Annuity Rate 6.0% 6.5% 7.1% 8.0% 9.5% Charitable Deduction $6,675 $7,554 $8,593 $9,605 $10,357 Annual Payment $1,200 $1,300 $1,420 $1,600 $1,900 For more information, please call our planned giving office at or visit responded so quickly to the 911 call and guided traffic to prevent further problems. In addition, Officer Hammon was especially calm and compassionate in figuring out the facts of the accident. I would also like to thank the fire department, paramedics and towtruck drivers who responded very quickly, with wonderful compassion, and got everything figured out, cleaned up and back to normal so quickly during the busy morning commute hours. Thanks to all who were involved. You have all contributed to making a bad situation much easier. Sarah Rahamim Seale Avenue Palo Alto SUPPORT YOUR CHILDREN S HOSPITAL Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 25

26 Sports Shorts SWIM MARK... Former Stanford swimmer Tara Kirk set a U.S. Open Meet record in winning the 100 breast on Thursday at the U.S. Open at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center in Auburn, Alabama. Kirk won the event in 1:07.36, her fourth-fastest time, to beat Olympic gold medalist Megan Jendrick, who finished second in 1: Things have been a lot different this year with a new coaching staff, Kirk said. We ve been doing a lot of new things, but things have been turning out really well. I swam about the same time I swam at Worlds, and I m not rested or shaved, so I m pretty happy. Kirk added a second-place in the 200 breast, swimming the event in 2:30.17 on Saturday. OAKS CORNER... Gunn High grad Ja Net Lawrence became Menlo College s first All-American in women s soccer, when she was named an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. It s a great way for Ja Net to end her career, Menlo coach Owen Flannery said. She took a chance and came to a team that hadn t won a game in three seasons, so she s as responsible as anyone for taking the program to the level it s at.... The Menlo College Athletic Department will host its annual golf tournament on Thursday, April 20 at the Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame. Individual entry fees are $150 per person and $650 for a foursome with tee sponsorship. Other sponsorship opportunities include endorsing the tournament dinner ($500) and lunch ($300). For further information, or to make a reservation or inquire about raffle and beverage sponsorship opportunities, contact tournament coordinator Kevin Nosek at (650) or knosek@menlo.edu... Although the Menlo College men s wrestling team defeated No. 6 Embry-Riddle, the Oaks fell from No. 7 to ninth in the latest NAIA national ratings... Sophomore guard Kepua Lee scored 26 points for the second straight game but the Menlo College women s basketball team lost to NAIA Division I Carroll College of Montana, 76-59, at Westminster College on Friday night. The Oaks (3-2) also lost Saturday, 65-45, to host Westminster. Menlo senior forward Ashlynn Dolcini had 17 rebounds and scored eight points. Menlo opens California Pacific Conference play on Friday, hosting No. 7 Holy Names. ON THE AIR Friday Prep sports: High School Sports Focus, 11 p.m., KICU (36), rebroadcast Sunday at 4 p.m. Sunday Prep sports: Cal-Hi Bay Area, 5:30 p.m., KRON (4) rebroadcast Monday at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports Net SPORTS ONLINE For expanded daily coverage of college and prep sports, please see our online edition at Page 26 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly Sports Local sports news and schedules, edited by Keith Peters While things looked glum for Palo Alto junior running back Will Frazier (4) and his teammates during a 27-6 loss to Los Gatos in the CCS Medium School Division finals, the future looks very bright for the Vikings in Paly s revenge will have to wait Loss to Los Gatos in CCS finale has Vikings pointing toward 2006 by Nathan Kurz L osing to Los Gatos has become quite the nasty habit for the Palo Alto football team. But this latest defeat was perhaps the most frustrating of all it came with a section championship on the line. In their second trip to the Central Coast Section title game in three years, the Vikings lost their 11th straight game to their CCS De Anza Division rivals, 27-6, in the CCS Medium School Division finale last Friday at Foothill College.. It would have been great to beat (Los Gatos), since we ve never beaten them since I ve been here, senior wide receiver Cooper Miller by Keith Peters T he situation looked bleak for the Palo Alto Jr. Midgets in the opening round of the Pop Warner Football Championships. The Knights were trailing, time was running and the Sourderton Braves had the ball on Palo Alto s four-yard line in the fourth quarter. And the Knights were out of timeouts. With a first-and-goal situation, all the Braves quarterback had to do was take a knee on four straight plays and the game would be virtually over. Much to Palo Alto s surprise, however, that didn t happen. The Braves quarterback dropped back to pass, was hit by Palo Alto s James Berry and fumbled. The Knights T.J. Braff recovered and Palo Alto had one chance at a miracle finish. It was unbelievable, said Mike Piha, president of the Palo Alto Knights program. It s probably one we re not going to forget. The coach on the other team made a major mistake. And Palo Alto made the Braves pay. Following Braff s fumble recovery, Palo Alto said. But now I have to go home with a bitter taste in my mouth. I don t like this feeling. The margin of defeat was pretty much par for Palo Alto, which had lost each of the past 10 league meetings including a debacle in early November by an average score of The Vikings last win over Los Gatos, exactly a decade ago, secured Palo Alto a second-place league finish and propelled it to the school s first and only section title. It was arguably an accomplishment in of itself for the Vikings to advance this far without standout junior quarterback Nick Goodspeed, who was lost for the season over a month ago after separating his right shoulder. Goodspeed led the Paly frosh-soph team to a 10-0 record in 2004 and league championship. That included a win over Los Gatos, which sets the Vikings up for next season with all the majority of the team returning. With an impressive turnover margin, a resurrected running game and a stout defense, Palo Alto survived South San Francisco and surprised Terra Nova to get back to the title match this season. But as coach Earl Hansen preached all week, the Vikings would have to strictly adhere to this formula if they were going to Miracle finish propels Palo Alto Knights into semifinals of Pop Warner nationals took over on its on 10-yard line with 1:48 to play. After escaping two fourth-and-inches plays, the Knights drove to the Braves 48-yard line. Braff dropped back to pass and hit a speeding Miles Anderson on the sideline. Anderson caught the ball at the 12 and raced into the end zone with 21 seconds remaining to give Palo Alto a miraculous victory on Sunday at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. We were in trouble the whole game, said Piha. We couldn t put a running game together. Palo Alto, however, put it together when it counted most. A miracle finish, Piha said. It was probably one of the more dramatic finishes in Knights history. Added head coach Eric Borjon: It puts us in great position for the rest of the week. Next up for Palo Alto will be the Cedar Crest Comets of Dallas, Texas. That semifinal will be played Wednesday. The Knights are looking for their first-ever national crown this week. (continued on page 28) Kyle Terada Brian Connelly WOMEN S BASKETBALL Silver lining in loss Newlin shows she s ready to be a big contributor for Cardinal by Rick Eymer T here s a trend developing for the Stanford women s basketball team and it should warm the hearts of Stanford fans everywhere. In a nutshell, the trend is Kristen Newlin. The 6-foot-5 junior center has rapidly developed into one of Stanford s top players and that will only benefit the rest of the team. Newlin stepped up to the challenge on Sunday afternoon against No. 2 Tennessee and showed she wasn t about to take a back seat to one of the more formidable front lines in women s basketball. That 12th-ranked Stanford (4-2) lost, 74-67, to the Lady Vols (7-0) is really a minor part of the story. Tennessee ended Stanford s 23-game home winning streak and extended its winning streak against the Cardinal to 10 games. Both teams are relatively young, and both have a chance to extend their seasons well into March and perhaps into April. Stanford should relish the thought of facing Tennessee again, because it will be a different game. Newlin recorded a career-high 20 points and had 10 rebounds for her third consecutive double-double, and her fourth of the year. She s averaging a double-double with 12.3 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. Newlin has six career double-doubles, and four of them three this season have been against nationally-ranked opponents. With opponents ganging up on first team All- Pac-10 selection Brooke Smith, it became necessary for another post player to step forward and share the (continued on page 27) Palo Alto quarterback T.J. Braff threw two TDs in the national playoffs.

27 NCAA VOLLEYBALL A tough end to the year Defending NCAA champ Stanford upset in second round by Santa Clara by Rick Eymer S tanford women s volleyball coach John Dunning could have said any number of things to his team following its 23-30, 30-19, 30-27, loss to Santa Clara in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday night. How do you explain showing heart, showing pride, he asked the gathered media. When you are in this program expectations are very high. If the only measure you go by is to get to the final match, that s too much. There is nothing I can say right now that will help the 12 girls crying in the locker room. Stanford junior outside hitter Kristin Richards was next to Dunning, leaning back in her chair with eyes closed, allowing tears to trickle down her cheeks. Being there was probably the last place she wanted to be, and when she did speak it was barely above a whisper. What our team went through, I m proud of everything we got out of this season, she said. Obviously I m still disappointed. We do have next year to look forward to; that s something. Dunning made several statements about working through the adversity of one of the toughest seasons at Stanford, how the effort was still there and how this team would be better for the experience. Those are likely words for another day. On Saturday night, fifth-ranked Stanford could not be comforted. It was Stanford s first loss in 24 matches against the 15th-ranked Broncos, who advance to the round of Women s hoops (continued from page 26) burden. This should tell Kristen Newlin she can get in there and play with the big kids, Stanford coach Tara Van- Derveer said. We have to get her the ball more. The good news is that Stanford has another 10 days to work on things until it takes the court at Maples Pavilion against Rice on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. The Pac-10 season begins with a trip to Washington State three days later. Newlin figures the whole team will be better as a result. We re all going to build on this collectively, Newlin said. We re not going to forget this loss. We ll use it to fuel how we play later on. Tennessee s post players are big, athletic and aggressive. You re not going to find a better post rotation. That helped me a lot. It will also help Smith, who took a 17.4 scoring average into the contest but managed just nine points and one rebound while getting manhandled by the physical Lady Vols. I don t worry about Brooke, Nicholas Wright Stanford freshman Foluke Akinradewo was not a happy person after her team s NCAA second-round loss to Santa Clara on Saturday. 16 for the first time in school history. Santa Clara returns to Stanford on Friday night to meet WCC rival Pepperdine in one regional semifinal. Arizona and Ohio meet in the other semifinal, also at Maples Pavilion. We ve worked so hard every year and we ve unfortunately lost in the first round my last three years, Santa Clara senior and Woodside Priory grad Cassie Perret. I m so proud of my team and I absolutely think we deserve it. While Santa Clara makes preparations for its next match, Stanford will begin working on next season. Perhaps Richards and her teammates will take a look at the history of Cardinal volleyball and realize that losing in the second round - Stanford has never lost in the first round of the Newlin said. We can t expect her to have good games every day. We still want to get her the ball. She s a scorer. Last year in Knoxville, Candice Wiggins and Smith combined for 25 points and 11 rebounds in 63 minutes of playing time. Three others - Krista Rappahahn, Cissy Pierce and Newlin - played a total of 17 minutes and had a total of one rebound among them. On Sunday, Wiggins (16 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots) and Smith combined for 25 points and six rebounds. Rappahahn and Pierce netted another 15 points. Tennessee had six players returning who played at least 15 minutes against Stanford last year, while only Wiggins and Smith reached double digits in minutes played last year. Clare Bodensteiner, Eziamaka Okafor, Rosalyn Gold-Onwude and Jillian Harmon all made their first appearances against the Lady Vols. The point being that Stanford has a sharper learning curve, and Newlin is at the head of the class. VanDerveer called it a barometer game but it was more like a pop quiz. Brian Connlelly NCAA tournament - has happened before and has been a building block to ultimate success. Stanford reached the championship match of the 1999 tournament, and then fell in the second round of the 2000 tournament. The Cardinal won the national title in Stanford was also the defending national champion when it lost in the second round of the 1993 tournament. The Cardinal rebounded with a national title in Stanford says goodbye to seniors Courtney Schultz and Katie Goldhahn after the school year but the program will also be greeting two of top high school players in the nation. The Cardinal should also be healthier. This is a team that doesn t need to rebuild. Kristen Newlin scored a career-high 20 points in Sunday s loss to Tennessee. Positives for Castilleja despite loss in state finals by Keith Peters W hile Castilleja s dream volleyball season didn t end with a victory, coach Tracie Hubbard walked away from Saturday s CIF Division V State Championship loss with nothing but positives. This season has been a once-ina-lifetime experience for our seniors and I am proud that they were able to achieve it finally, after trying for three years, Hubbard said. For those returning next year, we are definitely looking to keep our sights set high and try to make it back to state in the near future. We want to prove to people that Castilleja isn t going away any time soon. The volleyball program has just begun to see results. In Hubbard s three seasons at Castilleja, the Gators have compiled a record. That includes a 36-7 record this season, which came to an end Saturday in a 25-16, 25-23, loss to Santa Fe Christian in the state finals at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. The last two games were close, Hubbard said. We got over the fact by Rick Eymer S andy Hohener made sure the Stanford men s water polo team had a chance, even in the final seconds. The sophomore goalkeeper, who recorded all of 10 saves as a backup to All-American Chad Taylor last season, made 11 saves on Sunday but the second-ranked Cardinal (20-7) found USC goalie Adam Schilling just as impenetrable in a 3-2 loss to the Trojans in the NCAA championship game before a sellout crowd at Bucknell University s Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pa. It was a great defensive game, Stanford coach John Vargas said. I couldn t be more proud of how we played. We had our matchups and had the right people on the right guys. We played great team defense, and Sandy Hohener had a great game. We played like we wanted to play in terms of controlling the game. USC did a great job on man-down defense. In the final 2:49 Stanford had a man advantage twice, with one shot hitting off the top of the bar and another skipping short of the net. USC scored twice in nine man advantage situations, while Stanford converted once in its eight chances. It was an NCAA final, and with the gunners like Stanford has, I d say it was my best game, Schilling said. It didn t take long to realize that it was going to be a defensive struggle, so I had to be on top of every shot. In the first half our shot-blocking defense was the key in 5-on-6. Stanford seniors Peter Varellas and Thomas Hopkins were named first team all-tournament, while Hohener, junior J.J. Garton and freshman NCAA WATER POLO the other team was going to be tougher than anticipated and I made a lineup change so we could have our biggest block against their best hitter. We were in the lead several times in both the second and third games, but we couldn t hold on, partly due to the other team s defense that just kept the rallies going. It came down to them having consistent passing in serve receive, so they were able to prevent us from getting any big runs. Castilleja s passing, on the other hand, wasn t as consistent. That prevented the Gators from making key points when they needed them. Despite the outcome, I think the team was happy to have had this opportunity and the fact that we did put up a good fight in the second two games allowed us to walk away feeling good about ourselves, Hubbard said. I personally wasn t upset with the loss, for we played with resilience and together as a team. I think it has been a long season and the fact that we played so well for so many games in a row during playoffs is a feat in itself. Stanford men come close, but fall to USC in finale Will Hindle-Katel were chosen for the second team. The 3-2 score in the finals marks the lowest scoring championship game in the history of the event, which dates to I can t believe this game only had five goals, but I love to win games like this, USC coach Jovan Vavic said. If you asked me if I would rather win 10-9 or 3-2, I would say 3-2. Sacred Heart Prep grad Brandon Child and Gunn grad Arjan Ligtenberg are both starters for USC, which graduates three seniors. Child is a junior while Ligtenberg is a freshman. The Trojans and Stanford traded goals midway through the first period. Juan Delgadillo gave USC the early lead, but Varellas answered with a goal 12 seconds later. Ted Zepfel put the Trojans on top, 2-1, with a goal at 6:39 of the second period. For nearly 15 minutes after, neither team could find a way to sneak a shot past the goalies. Stanford tied the game less than a minute into the fourth period when Michael Bury sent s shot in the left corner of the net after taking a pass from Palo Alto grad Ryan Fortune. Pavol Valovic scored the game winner with 3:10 remaining, setting up the final, frantic minutes, which included replaying the last 18 seconds. The scoreboard malfunctioned and the remaining time was called aloud by the announcer. USC thought it had won then but Vargas filed a formal protest and the 18 seconds were placed back on the clock. The Cardinal were unable to take advantage of their second chance. Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 27

28 Sports Paly football (continued from page 26) have any chance to snap the horrid losing streak. They couldn t. A mismanaged handoff exchange between senior quarterback Jon Koepfgen and junior running back Will Frazier on Palo Alto s fourth play of the game resulted in a fumble, which was recovered by Los Gatos at the Viking 46. Less than three minutes later, the Wildcats went ahead 7-0. Two drives later, Koepfgen threw an errant pass over the middle that was picked off by A.J. Comeau and returned 40 yards for a touchdown. Those two turnovers put Palo Alto in a hole from which it was never able to recover. We made too many mistakes,, Hansen said. But no one laid down. I m proud of the guys for that. Los Gatos is a good football team. The Vikings, who had averaged rushing yards in each of their two playoff wins, managed only 103 yards on 34 carries as their best playmaker was held in check. Frazier ran for only 23 yards on 15 carries and it was apparent that his bum right ankle, which he twisted almost a month ago against Milpitas and then re-injured last week against Terra Nova, bothered him all night. Just as problematic, Los Gatos scheme baffled Palo Alto s protection coverage. The Wildcats seemingly blitzed inside nearly every play and moved quicker off the ball up front. As a result, for the first time in weeks, Palo Alto was thoroughly dominated at the line of scrimmage. They had guys coming at all angles, Frazier said. Added Miller: They re really well-coached and have players who know how to play defense. Unlike their last meeting, the Vikings were able to disrupt Los Gatos passing game. Wildcats quarterback Danny Sullivan threw for only 66 yards on seven completions, but Los Gatos rushed for 253 yards on the ground. Comeau racked up a game-high 148 yards and added a 17-yard touchdown run late in the fourth to seal the victory. Looking forward, Palo Alto loses 19 seniors, including two-way starters like Miller and Roger Prince, but returns the core of its team. Frazier, Goodspeed, wideout Maurice Williams and sophomore running back Sione Mataele figure to give the Vikings plenty of weapons on offense. Fred Koloto, along with 6-foot-4 tackles Will Elmore and Uly Morales will give Palo Alto one of the most imposing lines in the section. I never want to feel this way again, Frazier said. We ve got all juniors on our team. The seniors taught us how to do things. Now it s our turn to lead. BOYS BASKETBALL James Lick Invitational Semifinals Evergreen Vlly Palo Alto EV - Sanghera , Nguyen , Blakely , Miller Totals: PA - Brown , Lin , Karvelas 1-0-3, Trimble 3-0-7, Scott Totals: Three-point goals: Blakely 5, Sanghera 2, Nguyen 2 (EV); Brown 6, Karvelas, Trimble, Lin (PA). Records: Palo Alto 2-0 Championship Andrew Hill Palo Alto AH Lam 4-0-9, Smith 1-3-6, Huynh 0-1-1, Kas-Osaka 2-0-4, Walkere Totals: PA Brown , Lin , Karvelas 1-0-2, Triumble 3-0-6, Scott Totals: Three-point goals: Lam, Smith, Walker (AH); Lin 2, Brown (PA). Records: Palo Alto 3-0 Cupertino Shootout First round Lynbrook Gunn L - S. Kemp , M. Kemp , Ari , Gingrich , Li , Kang , Liu , Wu , Qu Totals: G - Jordan , Yu , Brennan , Shevick , Riley , Klausner , Steele , Wong , LeFleur , Anthony , Gil Totals: Three-point goals: Gingrich, Liu, Wu (L); LeFleur (G). Records: Gunn 1-2 Semifinals Gunn Mills G Yu , Wong , LaFleur , Anthony , D. Riley , Shevick , Jordan , Brennan Totals: M Armenta , DelBianco , Echols , Dillon , Flaherty , Knecht , Garibay , Wong Totals: Three-point goals: D. Riley (G); Echols 2, Armenta, Wong (M). Records: Gunn 2-2 Championship Gunn Cupertino G Yu 1-0-2, Wong 0-2-2, LaFleur , D. Riley 4-1-9, Shevick 0-1-1, Johnson 1-0-2, Jordan , Bertsch 0-1-1, Brennan Totals: C Matsuoka 2-0-4, Ly 4-0-8, Warren 1-0-2, McCormick 2-0-4, Brinkerhoff , Heslin 1-3-5, Mitchell Totals: Three-point goals: LaFleur (G). Records: Gunn 3-2 All-Tournament Team (locals) Peter Jordan (Gunn), Nick LaFleur (Gunn) Amos Alonzo Stagg Classic At Stockton First round Edison Menlo-Atherton E - Brown , Milton , Dunlop , Gross , Campbell , Edwards , Johnson Totals: MA - Pettis , DeFilipps , Bennett , Disibio , Hrustanovic , Montgomery , Mohr , Sanvictores Totals: Three-point goals: Campbell 5, Gross 2, Johnson (E); Montgomery 3, DeFilipps, Bennett, Disibio (MA). Records: Menlo-Atherton 1-1 Second-round consolation Menlo-Atherton Bear Creek MA Call , Pettis , DeFilipps , Bennett , Holland , Disibio , Hrustanovic , Montgomery , Sanvictores Totals: BC Podson , Hills , Webber , Winkler , McConner Totals: Three-point goals: Montgomery 2 (MA); Webber, Hills, Podson (BC). Records: Menlo-Atherton 2-1 Consolation finals Franklin (Stock) Menlo-Atherton F - Oheta , Fikes , Grissim , Mohammad , Brown , Yang , Garcia Totals: 16 Page 28 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD MA - Call , Pettis , DeFilipps , Bennett , El-Bibany , Holland , Disibio , Hrustanovic , Montgomery , Mohr , Sanvictores Totals: Three-point goals: Yang 3, Mohammad 2 (F); Call, DeFilipps, Montgomery (MA). Records: Menlo-Atherton 3-1 Nonleague St. Ignatius Menlo SI - Ferrera , Domingo , Taboin , Bonelli , Jones , Cope , Brown , Blake Totals: M - Heidrich , Schultz , Lacob , Schneider , Lagod , Hawkins Totals: Three-point goals: Bonelli 3 (SI); Schultz 2, Lagod 2, Heidrich, Lacob (M). Records: Menlo 3-0 Kehillah Woodside Priory K - Grossinger , Rosekind , Wessels , Cady , Stein , Nack-Lehman Totals: WP - Berka , Feldman , Lambert , Plain , Schreiner , Willhite , Yam Totals: Three-point goals: Cady (K); Plain 3, Berka, Feldman (WP). Records: Woodside Priory 2-0 Friday Lib. Baptist Woodside Priory LB Antenor , Flores , Mc- Coy , Ngyen Totals: WP Barriga , Berka , Conkle , Crandall , Feldman , Gambert , Hirano , Horompoly , Plain , Schreiner , Willhite Totals: Three-point goals: Feldman 2, Barriga, Crandall (WP). Records: Woodside Priory 3-0 Menlo Carmel M McPhearson , Lagod , Harris , Curtis , Schneider , Schultz , Lacob , Hawkins , Heidrich C Call , Ticker , Anderson , Suzuki , Hong , Vanderburg , Lesson , Knight , Kretchmer Totals: Three-point goals: Heidrich, Lagod, Schultz (M); Anderson (C). Records: Menlo 4-0 Saturday Menlo Pacific Grove M Harris , Lagod , McPhearson , Guertin , Curtis , Hawkins , Schneider , Lacob , Heidrich , Schultz Totals: PG Laughlin , Ruiz , Lutz , Eason , Buller , Kuck , Hardee Totals: Three-point goals: Schultz 3, Lacob 2, Heidrich (M); Lutz 2, Buller 2 (PG). Records: Menlo 5-0 GIRLS BASKETBALL Gator Classic At Sacred Heart Prep Second round Menlo-Atherton Urban MA - Dixon , Wilson , Marty , Hayes , Maumasi , Sbardellati , Pita , Wolters Totals: U - Baka , Clendinen , Marquez , Robertson , Harris , Weston Totals: Three-point goals: Dixon 2, Marty 2, Hayes 2 (MA); Baka, Harris (U). Records: Menlo-Atherton 2-0 ND Salinas SH Prep NDS - Mendalla 3-0-6, Schutzler 4-0-9, Blatter 0-2-2, Godoy , Limane , M. Garcia Totals: SHP - Boyle 0-3-3, H. Stephens , Dillingham 4-1-9, Vogt 2-1-5, Culpan 3-0-6, Kruberg 1-0-2, Jones Totals: Three-point goals: Schutzler, Limane (NDS); Jones 2, H. Stephens (SHP). Records: Sacred Heart Prep 1-1 Championship Santa Cruz Menlo-Atherton SC - Takahashi , Kelly , Tashima , Ankele , Dickey , Conroy , Neiblum , Shull , Walls Totals: MA - Dixon , Wilson , Marty , Hayes , Jellins , Pita , Wolters Totals: Three-point goals: Neiblum 2, Kelly, Dickey, Conroy (SC); Marty (MA). Records: Menlo-Atherton 2-1 Third place Palo Alto SH Prep PA - Clay , Grant , Gall , Fields , Butler , McDermott , Pecota Totals: SHP - Stephens , Boyle , Jones , Culpan , Vogt , Yim Totals: Three-point goals: Pecota 2, Clay (PA); Stephens, Jones, Culpan (SHP). All-Tournament Team (locals) Christina Dixon (Menlo-Atherton), Karley Marty (Menlo-Atherton), Hannah Stephens (Sacred Heart Prep) Kelly Shea Gallo Tournament At Mills High Second round Gunn Mills G - Shevick , R. Cartun , T. Cartun , Fang , Hauser , Law , Perricone , Pereira Totals: M - Mullins , Suhall , Bustos , Mauk , Callahan , Afuhaamonga Totals: Three-point goals: T. Cartun, Pereira (G); Suhall 2, Callahan 2, Bustos, Mauk (M). Records: Gunn 2-3 Forest Lake Invitational First round Castilleja Golden Sierra C - Cohn , Johnson , Von Kaeppler , Powers , Chang- Graham , Carr Totals: GS - Brown , Mishler , Elliot , Moore , Saylor , De- Lange , Forma Totals: Three-point goals: none Records: Castilleja 2-2 Semifinals Wheatland Castilleja W - Doan , Hill , Lujan , Frison , Cook , Beal , Demelo , Embry Totals: C - Cohn , Taylor , Alexander , Von Kaeppler , Powers , Chang-Graham , Carr Totals: Three-point goals: Von Kaeppler (Castilleja). Records: Castilleja 3-2 Championship Castilleja Forest Lake C - Taylor , Given , Von Kaeppler , Powers , Chang- Graham Totals: FL - Clough , Miraldi , Campora , Fletcher , Kilgore , Reed Totals: Three-point goals: Kilgore 3 (FL). Records: Castilleja 3-3 All-Tournament Team (locals) Lindsay Taylor (Castilleja), Alex Chang-Graham (Castilleja) Nonleague Menlo Los Altos M - A. Shepard , J. Shepard , Olson , Patino , Schoof , Sullivan , Anderson , Stauffer-Green , Kaewart , Zamaria Totals: LA - Andres , Chaffey , Mott , Cower , Ngo , Lippi , Jackson , Ikot Totals: Three-point goals: Chaffey 3 (LA). Liberty Baptist Woodside Priory LB - Ruiz , McAfee , Wingender , Stender , Carathon Totals: WP - A. Zappas , K. Zappas , Shtukm , Cheung , Limgenco , Sabados , Hohnsbeen , Chambers , Ogawa , Villaflor , Cadwell Totals: Three-point goals: none. Records: Woodside Priory 2-0 FOOTBALL CCS Playoffs Medium School Division Championship At Foothill College Los Gatos Palo Alto LG - Hampton 7 pass from Sullivan (Comeau kick) LG - Comeau 40 interception return (Comeau kick) LG - Kapp 25 run (Comeau kick) PA - Prince 3 run (kick blocked) LG - Comeau 17 run (kick failed) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING: Los Gatos, A. J. Comeau , Kapp 10-48, Kalpin 7-48, Sullivan 4-9. Palo Alto, Frazier 15-23, Mataele 11-36, Prince 5-29, Williams 2-16, Koepfgen 1-(minus 1). Totals: Los Gatos ; Palo Alto PASSING: Los Gatos, Sullivan Palo Alto, Koepfgen Totals: Los Gatos ; Palo Alto RECEIVING: Los Gatos, Martini 2-34, R. Comeau 2-25, Hampton 2-5, Kalpin 1-2. Palo Alto, Miller 5-49, Frazier Totals: Los Gatos 7-66; Palo Alto Records: Palo Alto 10-3 BOYS SOCCER Homestead Christmas Cup Leigh Palo Alto L - Kaefer (Edwards) PA - Basi (unassisted) Records: Palo Alto Los Altos Gunn G - Simpson (unassisted), Light (unassisted) Records: Gunn 1-0 Menlo-Atherton Willow Glen MA - Mancilla (unassisted), Lopez (unassisted) WG - unavailable Records: Menlo-Atherton 2-2 GIRLS SOCCER Palo Alto Winter Classic Second round Santa Teresa Palo Alto ST - Ingram (penalty kick) PA - Noyola (unassisted) Records: Palo Alto Final round Gunn Palo Alto G - unavailable PA - Noyola (Remmel), Noyola (Nolan), Remmel (Wyndham), Remmel (Chang) Records: Palo Alto Nonleague King s Academy SH Prep KA - unavailable SHP - Hamilton (Papagellin), Abe (unassisted) Records: Sacred Heart Prep 3-2 Gunderson Pinewood P - Legge (Rosseel), Lege (Weiss), Al. Merryweather (Elsey), Rosseel (Weiss), Krug (Weiss), Frank (unassisted) Records: Pinewood GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CIF State Championships Division V At Saddleback College, Mission Viejo Santa Fe Christian d. Castilleja, 25-16, 25-23, Top Castilleja players: Ariel Baxterbeck 14 kills, 12 digs; Katherine Jordan 26 assists; Alissa Flesher 9 kills. All-Tournament Team (locals) Ariel Baxterbeck (Castilleja), Alissa Flesher (Castilleja) Sportsmanship Award Chelsea Ono-Horn (Castilleja) Records: Castilleja finishes its season 36-7 SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY Boys basketball Nonleague Burlingame Lions Club Tournament: Gunn vs. Menlo-Atherton, 5 p.m.; Menlo also entered PSAL Sacred Heart Prep at Woodside Priory, 6:30 p.m. Girls basketball Nonleague Crystal Springs Tournament: Menlo plays at 3 p.m.; Notre Dame-Belmont Tournament: Pinewood entered

29 Sports Produced by the Palo Alto Weekly Sales & Marketing Division Shop your local merchants this holiday season Paly, Gunn boys win basketball titles Menlo boys remain unbeaten after winning three games in three days by Keith Peters T he Palo Alto and Gunn boys basketball teams both came up with tournament titles this past weekend, while the Menlo School boys just kept on rolling. Paly went 3-0 in the James Lick Invitational, topped by a win over Andrew Hill in the championship game last Friday. Senior forward Steven Brown scored 59 points in the three wins and was named the Most Valuable Player after tallying 20 points in the finals. Teammate Kheaton Scott was named to the all-tournament team. Senior guard Jeremy Lin led the Vikings in the finals with a season-high 24 points. Lin tallied 51 points in the tourney. Gunn went 3-0 in the Cupertino Shootout, capturing its first title in more than a decade with a triumph over the host Pioneers. Gunn used a 17-1 run in the third and fourth quarters to secure the win. Junior Peter Jordan and senior Nicky LaFleur both made the alltournament team. Jordan scored 13 points in the finals, despite being double- and triple-teamed, and 21 in a semifinal win over Mills, holding the top scorer on both those teams to just two points. MEN S BASKETBALL Nonconference Friday STANFORD (69) Haryasz , Grunfeld , Hernandez , Morris , Prowitt , Johnson , Finger , Haas , Washington , Hill Totals: MONTANA (88) Matthews , Hasquet , Criswell , Martin , Strait , Mayes , Dlouhy , Chavez Totals: Halftime - Montana 44, Stanford point goals - Stanford 8-19 (Hernandez 3, Grunfeld 2, Haryasz 2, Johnson), Montana 8-13 (Hasquet 4, Matthews 2, Martin 2). Fouled out - Finger. Rebounds - Stanford 32 (Haryasz 12), Montana 30 (Strait 8). Assists - Stanford 10 (Hernandez, Johnson 4), Montana 18 (Matthews 8). Total fouls - Stanford 24, Montana 17. A - 6,929. Records: Stanford 2-2; Montana 4-1 Sunday STANFORD (58) Finger , Grunfeld , Haryasz , Haas , Hernandez , Hill , Johnson , Morris , Prowitt , Washington Totals: UC DAVIS (64) Boone , Brucculeri , Carter , Juillerat , Lopez- Low , Marentez , Oliver , Rasmussen Totals: Halftime - Stanford 28, UC Davis point goals - Stanford 1-15 (Hernandez), UC Davis 3-15 (Brucculeri 2, Rasmussen). Fouled out - Hernandez, Juillerat. Rebounds - Stanford 33 (Haryasz 9), UC Davis 40 (Rasmussen 9). Assists - Stanford 17 (Hernandez 5), UC Davis (Marentez 3). Total fouls - Stanford 23, UC Davis 18. A. Records: Stanford 2-3; UC Davis 1-4 WOMEN S BASKETBALL Nonconference Thursday STANFORD (109) Rappahahn , Bodensteiner , Wiggins , , Newlin , Coleman , I m pleased how we played defensively in the second half, said Gunn coach Chris Redfield, whose team held Cupertino to just 15 points after intermission. I told the team that our goal was to hold them to 10 points or fewer for each of the final two quarters. LaFleur had 15 points against Cupertino to lead Gunn (3-2). Menlo (5-0) won three games in three days last week. The Knights knocked off a solid St. Ignatius team, 50-45, while holding Brown recruit Matt Jones to 10 points. They followed that with a win over host Carmel and a win over host Pacific Grove. Junior Beau Heidrich scored 48 points in the three wins while senior Blake Schultz tallied 37. Menlo-Atherton (3-1) won the consolation title of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Classic in Stockton with a win over Franklin (Stockton). Girls basketball Menlo-Atherton (2-1) reached the finals of the Gator Classic before falling to Santa Cruz on Saturday, 62-51, despite a career-high 25 points from Karley Marty. She was joined on the all-tournament team by Christina Dixon. SCOREBOARD Titchenal , Pierce , Okafor , Clyburn , Harmon , Gold-Onwude Totals: PACIFIC (58) Jones , Lavender , Freeman , Ruiz , Sanerivi , Roberts , Moran , Hart , Dawkins , Melcher , Doleza, , Mc- Namee , Head Totals: Halftime - Stanford 59, Pacific point goals - Stanford (Rappahahn 5, Wiggins 2, Gold-Onwude 2, Harmon), Pacific 6-23 (Roberts 3, Lavender 3). Fouled out - None. Rebounds - Stanford 51 (Newlin 12), Pacific 32 (Ruiz 8). Assists - Stanford 25 (Harmon 5), Pacific 14 (Jones 4). Total fouls Stanford 14, Pacific 18. A Records: Stanford 4-1; Pacific 1-5 Sunday TENNESSEE (74) Parker , Anosike , Zolman , Hornbuckle , Wiley-Gatewood , Spencer , Redding , Moss , Dosty , Fuller , Fluker Totals: STANFORD (67) Newlin , Smith , Rappahahn , Bodensteiner , Wiggins , Pierce , Okafor , Gold-Onwude , Harmon Totals: Halftime - Tennessee 35, Stanford point goals - Tennessee 3-11 (Zolman 2, Spencer), Stanford 4-15 (Rappahahn 3, Bodensteiner). Fouled out - None. Rebounds - Tennessee 36 (Parker 12), Stanford 34 (Newlin 10). Assists - Tennessee 7 (Parker 2), Stanford 13 (Wiggins 4). A - 7,233. Records: Stanford 4-2; Tennessee 7-0 WOMEN S VOLLEYBALL NCAA Tournament At Stanford First round Stanford d. Nevada, 30-25, 30-20, Top Stanford players - Kristin Richards 22 kills,.326 hitting percentage; Erin Waller 11 kills,.562 hitting percentage; Katie Goldhahn 40 assists. Records: Stanford 26-5; Nevada Other score: Santa Clara d. Sacramento State, 23-30, 30-23, 30-20, Kill leaders Brittany Lowe, Annalisa Muratore (Santa Clara) 17; Atlee Hubbard (Sacramento At the Forest Lake Invitational in Auburn, Castilleja (3-3) finished second after falling to host Forest Lake, Lindsay Taylor and Alex Chang-Graham of Castilleja made the all-tournament team. Cross country Gunn freshman Joanne Reid had the best finish of any local runner at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships West Regional on Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. Reid finished 10th in the Freshman Girls race, covering the three-mile course in 20:27. Courtney Albini of Atherton was 18th in 20:42. In the Seeded Girls race that featured the top runners on the West Coast, Palo Alto junior Renata Cummins was 54th in 19:53 and Paly teammate Alicia Ivanhoe was 70th in 20:19. In the Junior Girls race, Lily Feng of Palo Alto was 57th in 22:25 while Paly s Katie Gosling was 37th in the Senior Girls race in 21:33. In the Senior Boys race, Roscoe Linstadt of Gunn was 41st in 18:29 while Palo Alto s Brian Hand was 52nd in 18:51 in the Sophomore Boys race. State) 13. Second round Santa Clara d. Stanford, 23-30, 30-19, 30-27, Top Stanford players - Kristin Richards 23 kills; Katie Goldhahn 50 assists; Foluke Akinradewo 15 kills,.406 hitting percentage; Nji Nnamani 10 kills. Records: Stanford finishes its season 26-6; Santa Clara 25-4 MEN S WATER POLO NCAA Final Four at Bucknell University Semifinals Stanford LMU Stan Pantuliano 2, T. Drake, Fortune, Garton, Hindle-Katel, Varellas. LMU Hernandez 2, Rex-Kiss 2, Flood, McShane. Records: Stanford 20-6; Loyola Marymount Sunday Championship Stanford USC Stan Varellas (unassisted), Bury (Fortune). USC Delgadillo (Zatovic), Zepfel (Delgadillo), Valovic (Hale). Records Stanford finishes its season 20-7; USC 26-1 SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY Football Pop Warner National Championship semifinals at Orlando, Fla.: Palo Alto Knights Jr. Midgets vs. Cedar Crest Comets, noon FRIDAY Basketball College men - Holy Names at Menlo, 7:30 p.m. College women - Holy Names at Menlo, 5:30 p.m. SATURDAY Basketball College men - Notre Dame de Namur at Menlo, 7:30 p.m. College women - Notre Dame de namur at Menlo, 5:30 p.m. Football Pop Warner National Championship finals at Orlando, Fla.: Jr. Midgets title game, 9 a.m. C OMMUNITY "What brought you running to school each day?" We know that feeling connected to classmates and teachers brings joy to a student s life. At the Phillips Brooks School, our children feel that, no matter where they go on campus, they belong. Lessons of community and belonging are so important for children in today s world. In addition to our excellent academics, we are devoted to helping our students learn how they can contribute to a larger community. Community service projects teach children the importance of their roles within Phillips Brooks, both locally and globally. Applications are now Available for Contact us now for your copy of our admissions brochure and to schedule a campus tour. Come get to know us! Tuition assistance is available for all grade levels. The PhilP hillips lips Brooks B oks Scho hoolol 25 Years Loving to Learn & Learning to Love Preschool-5th Grade 2245 Avy Avenue Menlo Park, CA Jon Kulhanek, Director of Admissions The Phillips Brooks School community inspires students to love learning, to develop a spiritual nature, to communicate effectively, to be kind to others, and to respect the uniqueness of each person. Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 29

30 Produced by the Palo Alto Weekly Sales & Marketing Division Shop your local merchants this holiday season European Cobblery Shoe repair & Comfort Footwear Coziest Slippers Around 410 California Ave., Palo Alto Give the gift of happy memories. University Art in downtown Palo Alto has an extensive selection of photo frames, wall frames, photo albums and memory supplies. Ask one of their professional designers to create a unique and beautiful custom frame. It s a gift that will be First Street, Los Altos Best Socks in Town cherished for a lifetime. Make the holidays great when you get Life is Good gift clothing from Palo Alto Sport Shop and Toy World at 526 Waverley St. We are one-stop shopping to get incredible toys for kids, and cool, personality-laden clothes for grown-up kids. Come by or call us at (650) Best of all, we wrap your gifts in our distinctive red and white wrap! Give a gift of adventure and beauty to excite the imaginations of everyone on your gift list. It s the gift of beloved books from Palo Alto s Bells Books on 536 Emerson Street. We stock more than 150,000 quality used and out-of-print hardcover volumes, as well as many fine antiquarian volumes and a hand-picked selection of new books. We truly have great X-mas lights Batteries Gift wrap X-mas tree needs Holiday decorations Gifts and more! 875 Alma Street Downtown Palo Alto (Corner of Alma & Channing) (650) Mon-Fri 7:30am-8pm, Sat & Sun 8am-6pm gifts for everyone. Call (650) or visit Books.com. Boost your children s grades in 2006 with enrollment to The Learning Bee Learning Center at 719 Colorado Ave. in Palo Alto. We are accepting enrollment for our flexible after-school enrichment programs. Call (650) or visit 4learningbee.com and sign up for our Leadership, Poetry/Writing, Abacus/Mental Math, Mandarin, Spanish, Art/Drawing, and new Chess class in collaboration with US ChessMates. This holiday season at Thistle we re proud to present a wonderful selection of Beth Orduna s fabulous jewelry. Her remarkable designs include one-of-a-kind necklaces of polished wood wrapped with velvet and embellished with exceptional charms. Visit us at 640 Waverley Ave. or and get outstanding gifts with a sen- Fine Art, Architecture & Literature ELEGANT OLD & NEW BOOKS THE PERFECT GIFT! 536 EMERSON STREET DOWNTOWN PALO ALTO (650) Page 30 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly

31 Produced by the Palo Alto Weekly Sales & Marketing Division Shop your local merchants this holiday season sational and unique vintage bohemian style. (650) The best resolution for 2006 is to get ready for emergencies. At Palo Alto Hardware, we are working with the Red Cross to sell emergency preparedness kits is the centennial of the 06 earthquake, so stock up now. Visit us at 895 Alma St. or call (650) and provide your family with an emergency pack that may save lives some day. Wives, teachers, grandmas and best friends all will love the gift of ShapeXpress $29.95 Fitness Counts Card. It s the gift of ten workouts in ShapeXpress Upscale Fitness Club at 1155 Crane Street in Menlo Park. They have a great selection of training equipment treadmills, elliptical bikes, special ab machines and more. Call 650/ for details. The Phillips Brooks School develops learning habits that provide enough joy and wonder to sustain our children s passion for learning well into the future. Our environment nurtures academic excellence, encouraging children to learn, not for the sake of the letter grade or the approval of adults, but for the love of it! Visit or call x 110 to schedule a tour. Holiday Stress? Hand it over to ShapeXpress! Ladies! Don't procrastinate and wait until January to work out! Sign up any day in December and workout for FREE for 30 Days!!! Look for our weight loss challenge in January 2006 and win a one year free membership! * Not transferable. Not redeemable for cash. For new members only Crane St., #7, Menlo Park M - TH 6:00 am - 8:00 pm FRI 6:00 am - 6:00 pm SAT 7:00 am - 1:00 pm Ho! Ho! Ho! Objects of our affection this season jewels handmade ornaments holiday books vintage goods scrumptious scarves festive candles soap fashionable frocks Waverley St., Palo Alto between Hamilton & Forest Mon. 12:30-5:00 Tues. - Sat. 10:30-5: Waverley Street, Palo Alto Enriching learning experience for our millennium kids. Programs for kids K-5th grade After-school program, M-F Noon-6:30pm Language Instruction in Chinese/Mandarin, Spanish Chess (Instruction by U.S. Chessmates) Art & Poetry appreciation (Age 4-12) We are expanding and relocating to a new facility in Midtown in January 2006 Member of Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce and National Association for Young Children Inspiring Gifts and Objects for the Home and Garden 206 Homer Avenue Palo Alto, CA Tues-Sat. 10:30-5:00 PM Buy Any Game Get 2nd 40% OFF Second Game of equal or less value. No other discounts or offers apply (Valid through Dec 11) Fun for everyone since Waverley Street, Palo Alto toyandsport.com Palo Alto Weekly Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Page 31

32 ATHERTON Lloyden Park Charmer. Extensive remodel in BD/2BA Kitchen w/ granite counters baths with imported tiles. Large Master Suite with walk-in closet & fireplace. Formal LR & DR. Elegant designer colors. Mature Landscaping. Detached guest cottage. HRWD FLRS, pool & outdoor entertainment area. KEN & CAROL REEVES $1,975,000 ATHERTON Spacious 6 bedroom 5.5 bath home with elegant living areas and casual day-to-day spaces. Park-like grounds include a peaceful Redwood grove level lawn and children's play space. Features include kitchen with granite countertops, living room w/fireplace, library, pool, cabana and tennis court. KRISTIN CASHIN / JEFFREY TENG $4,495,000 MOUNTAIN VIEW... Two homes located on an approx. 10,920 sq ft lot. 2 BR/1BA per house. Large front & rear yards. Excellent opportunity with many possibilities. Los Altos Elementary & High School District. PAUL SKRABO $895,000 ATHERTON MENLO PARK LOS ALTOS Beautiful townhome style unit with many upgrades. This 2BR/2BA is two years new with high cathedral ceilings, ultra Crown moulding, Travertine floors, full Granite kitchen and high end appliances. One car attached garage. Walk to downtown Los Altos. Desirable Los Altos Schools. PAUL SKRABO $899,000 Sprawling 4BR/3+BA with Whirlpool tub This prestigious single-story residence provides hardwood flooring, family room with fireplace and lots of space. Convenient 3-car garage. Lovely patio. Mark Kaprielian $3,150,000 CUPERTINO Cupertino Commons, elegant 2BR/2BA cluster home (PUD) w/no common walls. Spectacular views of Memorial Park. New kit.& paint. Wood floors, expansive decks, MBRM w/loft. Sep. DR, high ceilings, 2-car garage. Close to De Anza Col. & trans. Nadine Matityahu $710,000 Enjoy the livability of this welcoming 3BR/2BA condo. It delights and invites, with master suite. Central air. Clubhouse and community swimming pool. Close to shopping center, Stanford and commute routes. Desirable Menlo Park Schools. Vivian Vella $699,000 MOUNTAIN VIEW Located in a very desirable area, the value of this property is in the land! Existing 2BR/1BA house & outbuildings are to be considered "teardowns". This parcel (approx. 12,004 sq. ft.) is waiting 4 you to build your dream! Josie Gambera $1,100,000 LOS ALTOS HILLS PORTOLA VALLEY MENLO PARK Enjoy a private cul-de-sac! Lovely landscaping with mature trees, roses & sod lawns around a newly updated 3BR/1BA home. Eat in kitchen, sparkling bathroom, hardwood floors and double pane windows. Desirable Menlo Park Schools! LYN ASHBY $875,000 COMING SOON PALO ALTO Classic 2BR/1BA bungalow quietly situated near San Francisquito Creek and just blocks from downtown. Newly landscaped grounds and detached 1 car garage plus off street parking. GINNA LAZAR PRICE UPON REQUEST SALE PENDING MENLO PARK Rare opportunity offered for this classic, custom built ranch home set on approx 18,038 sq.ft. (.41) lot. Prime West Menlo Park location. Beautiful park-like setting, central floor plan featuring 4BR/3BA, formal entry way, spacious LR, remodeled kit w/eating area. Sep. DR/FR. Desirable Menlo Park School. PAUL SKRABO $2,795,000 Don't miss this rare lot w/connected sewer service! Property is situated adjacent to new subdivision of new estate homes. Existing house on this site is very sound; possible tennis court & or pool. Minutes from The Village Victor Platonoff $2,395,000 MENLO PARK Gorgeous Custom 2-story. Newly-built, bright & airy floor plan featuring 3BR/3BA, Sep. dining, living & family rooms, Craftsman kitchen, hardwood flooring & recess lights thru-out, all closets have adjustable shelving. Michael S. Teymouri $1,875,000 A captivating charmer! This promising singlestory provides hardwood & tile flooring. 4BR/3BA w/ whirlpool tub. Work-at-home office, family room, Roomy 2-car garage, deck. Jim Tierney $1,085,000 A canopy of Maple trees shelters this lovely 3BR/2BA home. Approx. 1420sf on a deep approx. 4600sqft. lot. New granite counter tops & maple cupboards. Kit. opens into a light & bright FR w/new double paned windows & French doors. Shellie Fletcher $699,000 VALUE IS IN THE LAND! 11,250 useable sq.ft. of land to build. Per County, can be subdivided into two lots Las Lomitas School District. Karen Thut $1,675,000 Quiet West Menlo. This original rancher, built by owner in 1951 awaits your creative touch. Solid "Bones" with hardwood floors, used brick fireplace and lots of storage + Great Menlo Park Schools. 3BR / 1.5BA Tom Boeddiker $1,549,000 Breathtaking views from this completely remodeled 6 BD/ 5BA home in prime Westridge. Fabulous new gourmet kit., dramatic vaulted ceiling living and dining rooms, luxurious master bedroom suite, 2 fireplaces, hardwood floors throughout. Gorgeous, private oak studded lot, approx. 3.8 acres on serene cul-de-sac. Beautiful black bottom pool. Elizabeth Daschbach / Kristin Cashin $3,750,000 Classical French-style par excellence. A high level of comfort, with fireplace and fireplace. 5BR/4 baths. Atrium, desirable 3-car garage. Work-at-home office, family room, ample storage space. Breakfast room. Slate roof. Mark Benson $8,995,000 WOODSIDE Magnificent oaks line the entrance to this family compound, weekend retreat or full-time residence on approx acre lot. This 4BR/3BA home boasts a gourmet Kit. Beautiful stone deck leads you to a panoramic view of coastal hills & Pacific Ocean. Riding trails! Dana Cappiello $2,800,000 Charming hideaway at the end of a private driveway. This home is in a spectacular setting among towering trees, lush landscaping, and sparkling pool. Built in the 50 s this house may provide the buyer with versatility in a prime location. Family-friendly in Woodside Heights & Las Lomitas School District. 4 BD (1 currently used as den) 2.5 BA + a separate BONUS room with full bath and private entrance. Alice Brand $2,550,000 Selling Northern California s Finest Properties 400 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto (650) El Camino Real, Menlo Park (650) Woodside Road, Woodside (650) First Street, Suite 100, Los Altos (650) El Camino Real, San Carlos (650) N. El Camino Real, San Mateo (650) Chapin Avenue, Burlingame (650) Page 32 Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Palo Alto Weekly