Sec 1 - Mountain View Voice

DECEMBER 12, 2008 VOLUME 16, NO. 49 INSIDE: CLASS GUIDE | PAGE 29 

650.964.6300 MountainViewOnline.com 

Mayfield project gets final nod — 436 new homes on the way 

By Daniel DeBolt 

At long last, Mountain View City Council 

members have approved one of the 

most controversial and complicated 

housing developments in city history. 

Permits, plans and agreements for 436 

homes at 100 Mayfield Ave. passed the council 

by a margin of 4-2 Tuesday night, with 

council members Laura Macias and Jac Siegel 

continuing their longstanding opposition to 

the project. Council member Ronit Bryant 

was absent. 

INSIDE 

Siegel said he was afraid that, given the 

difficulty many developers are having getting 

bank loans in the current economy, a 

huge project like Mayfield could languish for 

years. 

“I can see this taking 10, 12, 18 years,” said 

Siegel, who likened the project to construction 

of the IED building at 444 Castro St., 

which was famously stalled for many years in 

the 1970s. “I don’t want to see this as a blight 

on the neighborhood.” 

Several council members agreed it could 

take up to 20 years to build the entire project. 

MICHELLE LE 

Fourth graders Maxwell Sotinck, Jorge Alor-Perez and Uriel Lopez Hernandez create clay sculptures 

of California missions during a CSMA-led art class at Castro Elementary School on Tuesday. 

CSMA opens world of creativity for local youth 

By Kelly Truong 

Art teacher Linda Covello 

will always remember the 

6-year-old boy who cried 

and hid under his desk every week 

during art class. 

And yet, “by the time he was 

in third grade, he felt like he 

was a really good artist,” said 

Covello, now “Arts in Action” 

director for the Community 

School of Music and Arts. “He 

wasn’t going to be told, ‘No, 

that was wrong. Here’s anoth- 

er piece of paper, 

start over.’” 

At CSMA, students 

learn that 

there is no wrong 

answer. And that 

message goes to a 

2008 

Holiday 

Fund 

Fund 

lot of students: The nonprofit’s 

“In the Schools” program 

brings art and music to more 

than 7,500 children in elemen- 

tary schools throughout the 

region, providing them with 

hands-on arts 

training every 

week. 

“It is an 

endeavor that 

is predicated 

on what they 

bring,” said Kay Kleinerman, 

“Music in the Schools” direc- 

See CSMA, page 11 

In the best case it would take five to eight 

years to build, city staff said, and one year to 

demolish the existing structures. 

City attorney Michael Martello tried to 

assure the council that there would be measures 

in the development agreement that 

would prevent a stalled or stopped project. 

“We definitely have tools,” he said. “Nobody 

has the right to create a disaster out there.” 

Because of the project’s unusual size, the 

city is requiring that developers buy bonds to 

guarantee payment for demolition, grading 

and underground utilities. If a developer goes 

GOINGS ON 22 | MARKETPLACE 33 | MOVIES 19 | REAL ESTATE 36 | VIEWPOINT 13 

bankrupt, the city will have the right to take 

over the bonds and finish the work, Martello 

said. 

A total of 481 homes will take the place 

of the former Mayfield Mall and Hewlett- 

Packard office building on the 26-acre site, 

with 45 of them built on a five-acre Palo Alto 

portion if approved in January. A mix of 

four- and five-story stacked flats, threestory 

row homes and two-story single 

family homes will surround two parks 

Teens charged with 

alleged hate crimes 

By Casey Weiss 

Three Mountain View teenagers 

are in custody on hate 

crime and other charges 

after allegedly shouting racial epithets 

and threatening to kill four 

11-year-old Latino boys on Mercy 

Street. 

Police arrested the suspects, all 

white males ages 14 and 15, on 

Friday, Dec. 5 after they allegedly 

chased the victims down the 1200 

block of Mercy Street with a replica 

firearm, yelling slurs and threats. 

The victims told police they 

were walking home from Graham 

Middle School when the suspects 

shouted “racially motivated” comments 

about Mexicans from inside 

a home, where one of the suspects 

lives, according to police spokesperson 

Liz Wylie. The two groups 

of boys began to argue, and the 

suspects came out of the house with 

what looked like a firearm, she said 

— it was actually a BB gun — and 

continued to yell “hateful comments 

related to what they thought 

was the victims’ national origin.” 

“The victims never said anything 

racially oriented,” Wylie added. 

The suspects, all Mountain View 

High School students, also threatened 

to kill the victims with the 

weapon, she said. 

Police arrested all three on 

Antibiotic 

overkill 

HEALTH & 

FITNESS | P.25 

See MAYFIELD, page 6 

charges of hate crimes, criminal 

threats, brandishing a replica firearm 

and conspiracy to commit 

a felony. One of the suspects, age 

15, was also charged with possession 

of marijuana. None had prior 

criminal records. As of press time, 

all three were still in custody. 

“To put it in perspective, these 

are all kids that did something very 

bad and stupid,” Wylie said. 

The Police Department’s new 

Youth Services Unit later provided 

counseling to the victims. 

This is the second possible 

hate crime in Mountain View in 

the last few months. In October, 

Spanish-language signs belonging 

to the elementary school district 

appeared on Shoreline Boulevard 

with “No More Aliens” spraypainted 

in red. District administrators 

said the vandalism was a 

hate crime, but police said they 

did not have enough information 

to make that assertion. 

Police Chief Scott Vermeer 

intended to discuss hate crimes 

during an upcoming Challenge 

Team meeting, where community 

leaders discuss issues facing at-risk 

students. 

“We don’t have hate crimes very 

often,” Wylie said. “Because there 

has been racial tension, we want to 

keep the community aware.” V

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Voices 

A R O U N D T O W N 

Asked in Downtown Mountain View. Pictures and interviews by Kelly Truong. 

Where are you doing your 

holiday shopping this year? 

“ I finished. I shopped at places 

like Toys R Us, Target and 

Costco. I was mostly buying 

children’s things.” 

Judi Harrison, Mountain View 

“ Online. I can do it at six o’clock 

in the morning or ten o’clock at 

night, and you can do all that 

comparative shopping without 

leaving your chair.” 

Dave Machado, Mountain View 

“ I’m probably not going to do 

any shopping. I don’t have 

family around, and I don’t 

follow Christian traditions.” 

Maya Haridasan, Santa Clara 

“ Online — eBay and 

the Target Web site.” 

Dave Serge, San Jose 

“ We’re not really going to do 

Christmas this year. It’s not 

really necessary. We’re just 

going to celebrate at home 

with dinner and a movie.” 

Gail Melyan, Mountain View 

Have a question for Voices Around Town? E-mail it to editor@mv-voice.com 

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DECEMBER 12, 2008 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ 3

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LocalNews 

MOUNTAINVIEWVOICE 

■ NEWSBRIEFS 

POT THIEVES LEAVE VICTIMS 

DAZED AND CONFUSED 

Robbers took a medical marijuana 

user’s stash last Friday, barging 

in through an unlocked door just 

before 2 a.m. as he sat in his living 

room. 

Two unnamed victims, 18 and 

19 years old, were held down in 

the apartment on the 200 block 

of Monroe Drive while the thieves 

opened a safe and took marijuana, 

a wallet and a cannabis club card. 

One of the victims was punched in 

the side, but no one was injured. 

The victims were stoned, police 

said, and therefore could not give 

good descriptions of the suspects. 

But police believe the suspects were 

four or five black men who used 

their shirts to cover their faces. 

Anyone with information should 

call (650) 903-6344. 

WORKERS’ EQUIPMENT 

STOLEN FROM BAR 

As if it weren’t enough that the 

ceiling fell in two months ago, Bert’s 

Alibi Bar on El Camino Real was 

broken into and ransacked overnight 

last Wednesday. 

The building at 1313 El Camino 

Real was undergoing repairs after 

part of the ceiling fell in on Oct. 8. It 

was an easy target because the electricity 

had been turned off, there 

was no one around and there were 

many escape routes, police said. 

On Dec. 3, burglars broke in and 

took power tools and other equipment. 

They also broke into Cigarette 

Express, a convenience store 

next door, and took alcohol and an 

LCD screen. 

— Daniel DeBolt 

CALIFORNIA STREET FIRE 

DISPLACES RESIDENTS 

Fire crews responded Tuesday 

morning to a two-alarm blaze in 

an apartment building where some 

of the occupants were trapped on 

balconies. 

A 911 caller reported the fire at 

2320 California St. shortly before 

1 a.m. Firefighters arrived and 

worked quickly to bring the fire 

under control, assisted by Palo Alto 

and county firefighters and local 

police. 

One resident suffered minor injuries 

while evacuating the building 

and was treated at the scene. Red 

Cross volunteers provided assistance 

to residents of the complex 

who were displaced. The cause of 

the fire remains under investigation. 

— Bay City News 

Where abuse victims go for help 

■ CITY COUNCIL UPDATES 

■ COMMUNITY 

■ FEATURES 

SUPPORT NETWORK OFFERS SHELTER, SERVICES TO BATTERED WOMEN AND CHILDREN 


Growing up, Mary was 

told by her mother never 

to discuss the domestic 

abuse that occurred in their 

home. So for years she kept it 

secret, and told no one about 

how her father beat her mother 

— the punching, kicking and 

other abuse. 

Decades later, when her daughter’s 

boyfriend became abusive, 

Mary had a different outlook, 

and knew the best thing was 

to seek help right away. And 

she knew just where to go: the 

Support Network for Battered 

Women. 

As the only 

domestic violence 

agency in northern 

Santa Clara County, 

the Support 

Network provides 

legal, counseling 

and support services 

for 4,000 to 5,000 battered 

women and their children each 

year. The nonprofit also maintains 

an emergency shelter at a 

secret location for women who 

need to escape danger and make 

a new start. 

Mary said her daughter, Laura 

(both names have 

been changed 

to protect their 

identities), at first 

was reluctant and 

scared to contact 

the Support Network. 

“She said, 

‘I am not going to tell anyone,’” 

Mary said, “’I am just going to 

deal with it myself.’” 

See SUPPORT, page 10 

Local colleges brace for millions in cuts 


Steep community college cuts 

could not come at a worse 

time, local educators and students 

say, as schools experience 

an influx of students returning 

to college during the economic 

downturn. 

Even so, administrators in the 

Foothill-De Anza Community 

College District are preparing for 

the worst by initiating a hiring 

freeze and canceling some classes. 

If passed, Gov. Arnold 

Schwarzenegger’s latest budget 

proposal to address the state’s $28 

billion deficit through 2010 would 

slash $332 million from state community 

colleges. That would mean 

$8 million in mid-year cuts from 

the Foothill-De Anza district, and 

cuts could be even steeper in the 

2009-10 academic year. The Legislature 

is not expected to vote on the 

budget until January. 

Such cuts would force the district 

to turn away thousands of local 

students, administrators say. 

“If the $332 million cuts come 

through, we are talking about $3 

million for Foothill, $1 million in 

MICHELLE LE 

A CHRISTMAS STORY: 

Jennifer Logan holds daughter Rayna while her husband Jon carries daughter Anika atop his shoulders. 

The family joined hundreds of other residents listening to Mountain View High School’s Madrigals sing 

during the tree lighting ceremony at City Hall Plaza on Monday. 

2008 

Holiday 

Fund 

Fund 

central cuts and $4 million to De 

Anza,” said Kurt Hueg, Foothill 

director of marketing and communications. 

But Jeanine Hawk, vice president 

of finance and college services at De 

Anza, said it could be even worse. 

De Anza administrators had been 

saving up money for budget cuts in 

2009-10, but are now putting it all 

toward the mid-year cuts. 

“That savings was put aside. It 

wasn’t just money we had sitting 

around,” Hawk said. “We are not 

See COLLEGES, page 8 

Brandon 

Lutz touched 

many hearts 

YOUNG CANCER VICTIM 

LEFT HIS MARK ON 

HUNDREDS OF PEERS 

DURING FINAL DAYS 


A 

week after Brandon Lutz 

lost his battle with cancer, 

hundreds of friends 

and family members gathered 

at Moffett Field to remember 

the 18-year-old Mountain View 

High School student, who they 

described as caring and positive 

until the very end. 

Lutz was diagnosed on Easter 

Sunday last year with Ewing’s 

sarcoma, a type of bone cancer 

that commonly strikes male 

teenagers. He died at his home in 

Mountain View on Nov. 26 surrounded 

by friends and family. 

Just over a year ago, the high 

school senior moved from his 

mother’s house in Kentucky to 

live with his father, Hank Lutz, 

an Air Force medic. On Dec. 4, 

the gathering at Moffett Field 

was held to celebrate Lutz, with 

those present saying he had 

made a huge impact during his 

14 months in the Bay Area. 

“He was such a sweet person. 

He puts everyone before him,” 

said Samantha Torrano, his girlfriend. 

“He was loved by everyone.” 

Once in the Bay Area, Lutz 

enrolled at Mountain View High, 

began working at Starbucks, and 

was accepted at a culinary school 

in Oregon, where he planned to 

start this fall. Friends and family 

said Lutz lived life to the fullest. 

His cancer was in remission 

for several months, but returned 

in August. By early November, 

doctors told Lutz chemotherapy 

would cause more harm than 

good, and he returned home. 

Hank Lutz said that during 

his last couple weeks, his son 

wanted to see as many friends 

as possible. He wanted to make 

sure his friends were OK with 

his situation. Before he died, Lutz 

changed his name from Brandon 

Wreath to Brandon Alexander 

Lutz, in honor of his father. 

“No matter how he felt, he 

wanted to see his friends. He 

wanted to be there for them,” 

See LUTZ, page 8 


Commitment To Excellence 

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Be sure to SHOP LOCAL 

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$500 

Discount Coupon 

(with purchase of new roof) 

Thanks. 

Downtown Mountain View 

Holiday Open House 

House 

Shop, Shop Shop, p Dine 

& Stroll 

Thursday, y 

December b 18 

6:00 - 9:00 p.m. 

Mountain View High School Madrigals will carole l ffrom 77-9 9 p.m. 

Vote for your favorite ‘Holiday Window Decorating Contest’ participant. 

For information call 964-3395 or www.mountainviewdowntown.com 

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totaling 3.47 acres. A $6 million 

pedestrian and bike tunnel under 

Central Expressway to the San 

Antonio train station is also part of 

the plan. 

For the first time, a representative 

from Hewlett-Packard publicly 

addressed the controversy over who 

would develop the project. 

“If this is approved it is our plan 

to put the property up for sale and 

find the best possible developer,” 

said Art Shultz, real estate manager 

for HP. “It might be Toll Brothers, it 

might not be.” 

Toll Brothers designed the project 

over the last five years in the face of 

major neighborhood opposition 

and at a cost of millions of dollars. 

But the developer decided not to 

buy the property this year, saying 

it wanted to reassess the property’s 

value before proceeding. 

LocalNews 

An artist’s rendering of a planned historical museum and flood basin at the Cuesta Annex. 

Cuesta Annex master plan approved 


As the City Council approved 

a master plan for the 12-acre 

Cuesta Annex on Tuesday, a 

city history museum had its place 

in the Annex nearly guaranteed. 

But a plan for community garden 

was not so lucky. 

The master plan passed 5-1, with 

Ronit Bryant opposed. Council 

member Jac Siegel had to recuse 

himself due to the proximity of 

property he owns. 

The plan is similar to one selected 

by the public in 2006, except this 

one has a 65-acre-foot flood basin 

on the front third to help protect 

thousands of homes in a rare flood 

of Permanente Creek. It includes 

the museum in the rear corner 

near the tennis courts, a small 

demonstration orchard, paths and 

walkways, a reorganized parking 

lot next door and a promenade 

connecting the Annex to Cuesta 

Park. 

Many praised the interesting 

topography of the flood basin. 

“Even if we didn’t have to have 

MAYFIELD 

Continued from page 1 

the flood basin, I would entertain 

that concept,” said council member 

Marget Abe-Koga. 

There have been concerns about 

the museum’s presence in the 

Annex, and Bryant opposed it 

completely, saying it wasn’t the 

place for a museum or a community 

garden. 

Council member Nick Galiotto 

disagreed. “It’s not like it’s overwhelming 

the site,” he said. “It’s in 

the corner, out of the line of sight” 

of the mountains. 

One resident asked if there was 

a problem with the fact that most 

council members are also members 

of the city’s historical association. 

City attorney Michael Martello said 

there was no legal problem with 

that, but there would be a conflict 

of interest if the council members 

were on the board of directors, for 

example. Galiotto objected to the 

history association being called a 

“special interest group.” 

The history museum was limited 

to a 35 foot height in the approved 

plan. The approval removes enough 

Shultz added that “the phone 

has been ringing off the hook for 

the last three months” with calls 

from nationally known developers. 

City staff explained that it may take 

more than one developer to finish 

the project. 

“The project as it stands reflects 

sincere hard work from everyone,” 

said Elna Tymes, who led 

the Monta Loma Neighborhood 

Association during the project’s formative 

days. She said Monta Loma 

residents became experts on how to 

lobby council members and protest 

environmental impact reports. 

Wouter Suverkropp, current president 

of the Monta Loma Neighborhood 

Association, said demolition 

should be delayed and the whole site 

turned into a temporary park. But 

he also said the project was of “high 

quality,” and hoped any new developers 

would be able to complete the 

project as designed. 

A city staff report revealed that 

the assessed value of the property 

COURTESY ILLUSTRATION 

uncertainty about the museum 

that it will help fundraising efforts, 

said Bob Weaver, president of the 

Mountain View Historical Association. 

Galiotto said the city should not 

compromise the quality of the 

museum at the whim of people 

who don’t like its size. “Why would 

you skimp on it?” he said. “You go 

for what will make Mountain View 

proud.” 

“We only get to do this once, so 

let’s do it right,” Weaver said of the 

museum. 

Master gardener Marcia Fein 

said the Annex was “the very best 

site” for a new community garden, 

adding that it would be a great 

“community builder.” It would 

have also provided plots for some 

of the 120 people currently on a 

waiting list. 

But the plan for 20 to 30 garden 

plots was not a part of the final 

motion. Another plan from council 

member Ronit Bryant for a 

native demonstration garden also 

failed to gain traction. V 

would jump from $137 million to at 

least $223 million once the project 

is complete if the stacked flats are 

sold for $450,000 each, the row 

houses for $700,000 each and the 

single family homes for $1 million 

each. City property tax revenue 

would increase from $205,000 

to $334,000. The city also would 

receive $6.7 million in fees for 

below market rate housing. 

Showing some effort to build 

green, the project was green-pointrated 

“above average,” said zoning 

administrator Peter Gilli, because 

of green building materials and 

hookups for solar panels. 

The architecture was designed to 

compliment the Eichler homes in 

the Monta Loma neighborhood. 

The controversial five-story buildings 

have the fifth story stepped 

back to reduce their presence. V 

E-mail Daniel DeBolt at 

ddebolt@mv-voice.com.

LocalNews 

Apartment residents 

decry loss of 

beloved manager 

NEARLY 100 RENTERS SIGNED PETITION 

CALLING FOR WANDA GARCIA’S RETURN 


Residents of Central 

Park apartment 

complex are so upset 

about the loss of their manager, 

Wanda Garcia, they’ve 

circulated a petition in an 

attempt to bring her back. 

The City Council has 

received 98 signatures 

opposing Garcia’s removal 

from the Central Park 

apartments, a 253-unit government 

subsidized complex 

on Sierra Vista Avenue. 

For three years Garcia was 

a beloved manager there 

until the owner —Mid Peninsula 

Housing Coalition 

— recently transferred her 

to property management in 

East Palo Alto. 

The idea for the petition 

began when a few of the 

seniors at the complex saw 

Garcia packing her things 

one day. Residents realized 

that the sudden transfer 

wasn’t what she wanted, 

and that the situation was 

“grave,” as the petition says. 

Longtime Central Park 

residents say Garcia was the 

best manager they ever had. 

She may not have always given 

them what they wanted, 

but she always listened and 

smiled with rosy red cheeks, 

residents said. 

When there was a problem, 

they said, she would 

drop whatever she was doing 

and devote all of her attention 

to it. She would work 

long hours, walked the complex 

regularly and knew 

what sorts of problems each 

unit had. 

That’s in stark contrast 

with most of the five preceding 

managers at the complex 

over the last eight years. The 

petition describes three of 

them this way: “One was an 

alcoholic, the other lived in 

his car and blatantly showed 

no concern or care about 

the reported problems, and 

yet another was unable to 

make decisions, however 

minor, without calling her 

supervisor. 

“Ms. Garcia was like a 

breath of fresh air for us; we 

could always count on her.” 

Numerous residents complained 

about the new management 

— a three person 

team led by Richard Ferrar, 

originally the leasing 

manager for the apartments 

under construction — saying 

they have been “rude” 

and “curt” with residents 

who had a problem. 

One resident did not want 

to sign the petition, noting 

that most of those complaining 

were immigrants 

who had a hard time communicating. 

Some of these 

immigrants said they appreciated 

Garcia’s efforts to 

communicate with them. 

“He’s young and maybe 

not as cordial as he could 

be,” he said of the new manager. 

“But I don’t know what 

would happen to this person 

if they lost their job here.” 

One resident said Garcia 

was “too nice,” that 

there were other managers 

working alongside her who 

wanted her job — and got it. 

But MPHC president Matt 

Franklin says it was “just a 

business decision.” 

“We have 55,000 units 

throughout the Bay Area,” 

Franklin said. “We are regularly 

assessing the fit of 

employees. We’re making 

about a $30 million investment” 

at Central Park, he 

said, with the “addition of 

100 new affordable units for 

seniors. It’s a very large and 

challenging property. We’ve 

got a great team committed 

to providing good service to 

residents.” 

Franklin denied rumors 

circulating among residents 

that Garcia would come 

back to the Central Park 

complex once construction 

is finished. Some Central 

Park residents said they are 

concerned about her safety 

in East Palo Alto. V 

E-mail Daniel DeBolt at 

ddebolt@mv-voice.com 

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Her Position On 

Retirement Living? 

Moldaw Family Residences 

Is The Perfect Fit! 

“My internal map of reality tells me constantly 

that the best is yet to come.” - Lily Anne Hillis 

Lily Anne Hillis takes a different twist on life. She teaches 

yoga for all ages, makes her own compost for her rose 

garden and considers herself a movie maven. She also 

wants to stay intertwined with people of all ages and 

cultures. So she decided Moldaw Family Residences 

would be the perfect fit for her. 

As part of the multi-generational Taube Koret Campus for 

Jewish Life, Moldaw Family Residences will give you 

unlimited opportunity to stay connected to the world 

around you, no matter what your idea of enjoying life is. 

Call or visit us online to find out what Lily Anne and many 

others have already discovered. But don’t wait — we’re 

already 76% reserved, and construction is well underway. 

�� 

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899 Charleston has filed an application for a Certificate of Authority and has been issued 

a permit from the California Department of Social Services to accept deposits. 

Moldaw Family Residences at 899 Charleston welcomes and admission is open to 

older adults of all faiths, ethnicities and racial backgrounds. 

LocalNews 

LUTZ 


Hank Lutz said. 

Hundreds of friends and teachers 

threw Lutz a party several weeks 

after he returned home, and many 

of the same people returned on 

Dec. 4 for one final celebration. 

They filled the community center at 

Moffett Field, sharing stories of how 

Lutz would stay up into the middle 

of the night singing karaoke, and 

how happy he had been on his 18th 

birthday. 

“It is amazing to see how many 

people Brandon touched,” Hank 

Lutz said during a speech at the 

memorial. “He was an amazing 

teacher for me. I hadn’t been a dad 

before.” 

Tearful participants passed 

around a microphone, sharing their 

favorite memories of Lutz. 

“He had more inner strength 

than I would ever have,” one friend 

said. 

Lutz’s best friend, Jeff Tanz, said 

that even at the end, when Lutz was 

paralyzed and on oxygen, he was 

still worrying about his friends. 

“His goal was not to make another 

person feel sorry for him, but to 

keep the other person from feeling 

sorry for himself,” Tanz said. V 

COLLEGES 


able to solve next year’s problems.” 

She said the college will have to 

close some classes, hurting both 

students and part-time faculty. 

At Foothill, meanwhile, administrators 

have been reallocating 

staff during the hiring freeze and 

are also planning to cut underenrolled 

classes. Administrators at 

both campuses say they are going 

to make “strategic” cuts to class 

sections so that students can still 

graduate on time. 

“We are encouraging students to 

register now. That way we have a 

clear picture of enrollment,” Hueg 

said. 

The cuts come as the district 

experiences a 6 percent increase in 

students. At De Anza, the student 

population could go up 20 percent 

this quarter, according to student 

body president Terrell Sterling. 

“When young people don’t have 

jobs to go to, their alternative is 

to go back to school,” Hawk said. 

“We have a push-pull [situation] of 

needing to serve students with less 

money.” 

Just over a week into registration, 

Sterling said his younger brother, a 

new student, was unable to register 

for the classes he needed. 

“He is waitlisted 15 on the list for 

some of the classes,” Sterling said. 

Administrators worry these waiting 

lists could become even longer 

if the governor’s budget proposal 

passes. V

ALBERTO 

ONCE HELD BACK 

BY WEIGHT 

CURRENTLY: 

DIVES RIGHT IN 

JUST ANOTHER REMARKABLE DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 

At 13 years old, Alberto was one of more than 2 million overweight kids in this country. 

The good news is, he chose to do something about it. 

Since he enrolled in the Packard Pediatric Weight Control Program last year, Alberto has 

lost over 30 pounds and is now an active and healthy kid. Rather than focus solely on 

calorie intake and weight loss, our program helps families maintain lifelong healthy eating 

and exercise habits. In fact, Alberto’s mom was so inspired, she lost 12 pounds herself. 

Alberto is still headed toward his weight goals. The way we see it, his loss is truly 

his gain. To find out more about the Packard Pediatric Weight Control 

Program call 650 -725 - 4424 or visit pediatricweightcontrol.lpch.org. 

© 2007 Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital 

Lucile Packard 

Children’s Hospital 

AT STANFORD 



LocalNews 

Region facing food and shelter ‘crisis’ 

Palo Alto Weekly 

The economic slide spreading 

from Wall Street to 

Main Street has hit the “side 

streets and back streets,” according 

to Silicon Valley shelter and food 

providers. 

Local nonprofits are witnessing 

the worst-ever crisis of homelessness 

and a lack of food and shelter 

due to the increased unemployment 

rate and wave of home foreclosures, 

Emmett Carson, CEO of Silicon 

Valley Community Foundation, 

Cops That Care toy drive in full swing 


Police officers will once 

again be handing out gifts 

to more than 2,000 Mountain 

View children in this year 

as part of Cops That Care, the 

department’s annual toy drive. 

Police are now collecting toys 

from local organizations, businesses 

and individuals, and will 

pass them out to children at the 

“North Pole,” otherwise known 

as the Mountain View Police 

Department, on Saturday, Dec. 

20 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

told a crowd of 100 during a “Food 

and Shelter Summit,” in Mountain 

View on Friday. 

Meanwhile, traditional funders 

of basic services are facing a crisis 

of their own. The David and Lucile 

Packard Foundation, a big funder 

of food banks, lost millions due to 

Wall Street turmoil, the foundation 

reported. 

More than half of local nonprofits 

reported a decrease in individual 

donations, according to a 2008 

Nonprofit Pulse Survey. Forty-nine 

percent reported a decrease in cor- 

To avoid long lines and cutting, 

this year the police will hand 

each person a ticket to present to 

Santa in order to receive a gift. 

Children should bring proof of 

residency in Mountain View — 

a school report card, childcare 

enrollment form or ID card — 

and must be with a parent or 

guardian. 

Officer Ron Cooper started the 

program in 2003 to provide presents 

“for people who may not be 

able to get a gift.” Last year, 1,700 

people came to receive a toy. 

This year, the department is 

Live... 

porate and foundation gifts, and 22 

percent reported decreases in state 

and local funding. 

In the Bay Area, a family of four 

must make $77,000 a year just to 

make ends meet, Carson said. The 

crisis is severe enough that Silicon 

Valley Community Foundation is 

focusing on food and shelter as its 

funding priority. 

“We’re at a crisis,” Carson said, 

but he added that “we have the 

right people in this room” to fix it: 

businesses, funders, donors, faithbased 

groups and nonprofits. V 

receiving donations from the 

Giving Tree and Wal-Mart, but 

Cooper said he is expecting a 

larger turnout due to the economic 

downturn. Residents are 

encouraged to drop unwrapped 

toys off at the police department, 

located at 1000 Villa Street, 

during normal business hours. 

Cooper said Cops That Care 

can always use more gifts for 

pre-teens or $20 gift cards for 

teenagers. 

For more information, contact 

Officer Ron Cooper at (650) 903- 

6712. V 

SUPPORT 


But even after Laura ended 

the relationship, the abuse 

continued. When the exboyfriend 

started threatening 

Mary and her family, 

Mary pleaded with her 

daughter. 

“Please listen to me,” Mary 

told her. “Know your life is in 

danger.” 

Several weeks 

ago, Laura 

made her first 

appointment 

with the Support 

Network. 

She has been 

2008 

Holiday 

Fund 

Fund 

using the group’s legal and 

counseling services for nearly 

a month now. 

“She is not a crier and she 

actually cried,” Mary said of 

Laura. “It’s not how much 

you know, it’s how much you 

care. They see the picture, 

they care.” 

The nonprofit, located in 

Sunnyvale, has trained counselors 

on site and provides its 

services based on a sliding 

Imagine a relaxed lifestyle close to your family 

and friends while enjoying all the amenities 

BridgePoint at Los Altos has to offer. We are 

a vibrant senior living community just around the 

corner from the restaurants, shopping, medical 

facilities and special events that make this area 

so popular. 

Come for a personal tour and discover the lifestyle 

available at BridgePoint at Los Altos. 

Just around the corner. 

For more information, please call 

(650) 948-7337 

scale. No one is turned away. 

That’s why the Support Network, 

one of seven recipients 

of the Voice Holiday Fund, 

can particularly benefit from 

readers’ donations. 

Among its many services, 

the Support Network runs a 

clothing and supplies drive. 

Its shelter houses about 20 

women and children at a 

time — families can stay in 

these dormitories for up to 45 

days, according 

to David 

Duran, the 

agency’s program 

director 

— and it offers 

a 24-hour free 

help line in 

both English and Spanish. 

This year, the Mountain 

View Chamber of Commerce 

named the Support Network 

for Battered Women its nonprofit 

of the year. 

“Our services are in constant 

demand,” Duran said. 

Two full-time employees 

run the shelter during the 

day, but Duran said the non- 

Continued on next page 

Independent & Assisted Living 

1174 Los Altos Avenue • Los Altos, CA 94022 

www.kiscoseniorliving.com • Lic# 435200989

Continued from previous page 

profit is hoping to expand 

its services to hire staff for 

evening and night shifts. 

Donations from the Voice 

Holiday Fund will go toward 

providing these additional 

services. 

“It often isn’t in the middle 

of the day when a trauma 

arises,” he said. 

Duran said the Support 

Network is seeing more 

clients due to the economic 

downturn, and is looking 

for additional funding to 

address the problem. 

“Tighter economic times 

lead to higher demands,” 

CSMA 


tor. “It’s all about what you 

do with the melody — what 

personal characteristic do they 

want to bring to it? It’s ownership 

of discovery, ownership of 

creativity.” 

This year, CSMA is among 

seven local organizations 

receiving donations from Voice 

readers through the annual 

Holiday Fund drive. 

As a teacher, Covello used 

to make mistakes on purpose 

in order to help her students 

understand the variety of possibilities 

available to them in 

art. “They’re given the chance 

to make the decision,” she said. 

“It builds their sense of curiosity, 

their ability to think and 

keep their minds alive.” 

The Arts in Action curriculum 

grants students the time 

and freedom to exercise their 

creativity while training them 

in basic art concepts, history 

and techniques. Covello recalls 

an instance when 

LocalNews 

2008 

a local news team 

asked her third 

grade class what 

they were doing. 

Her students 

responded with a 

detailed account 

of what they were learning, 

using advanced vocabulary to 

explain ideas that went beyond 

the knowledge of the moderator. 

“The news people had no 

idea what they were talking 

about,” she said. “The 8-yearolds 

were out-arting them.” 

Meanwhile, the Music in 

the Schools program provides 

a concert series exposing students 

to cultures all over the 

world. This year, the series 

included music from Latin 

Holiday 

Fund 

Fund 

Duran said. 

The agency also offers 

community outreach services, 

including home visits 

for clients after they leave 

the shelter and educational 

programs for teenagers. 

Laura Guthridge runs the 

STAR program, and last 

year she and student volunteers 

reached 3,500 teenagers. 

All of these programs, 

Duran said, allow the agency 

to reach a large population. 

“It is rare folks who just 

need one service,” he said of 

the clients. V 

America, Eastern Europe and 

Southeast Asia, as well as classical 

baroque. 

“Music crosses barriers in a 

way that few other things do,” 

Kleinerman said. “[It] is something 

innate in all of us.” 

Ina Johnson, a former Arts 

in Action teacher and current 

graphic designer for CSMA, 

believes that the arts help spark 

an interest in other subjects. As 

a ceramicist, Johnson said, she 

was inspired to learn about the 

chemistry behind what she was 

doing; she suggests the same 

may be true of other artistic 

disciplines, such as geometry 

for quilt-makers. 

Johnson considers the joy 

of creation one of the greatest 

values of art. “In art, there’s an 

immediate feedback,” she said. 

“No matter how many gold 

stars you get in your little book, 

the most exciting thing is that 

you’re making music.” 

In addition to the In the 

Schools program, more than 

800 students pass through 

the doors of CSMA every 

day for on-site private lessons. 

CSMA serves 

students of 

all ages and 

backgrounds, 

offering 

financial aid 

to those in 

need. 

True to its mission of providing 

“arts for all,” the school 

hosts a number of free concerts 

and exhibitions throughout 

the year. The nonprofit’s Web 

site, www.arts4all.org, includes 

a schedule of the many upcoming 

performances and art 

exhibits at its San Antonio 

Circle facility that are accessible 

to everyone. 

Art “expresses something 

real that everyone feels,” said 

Covello. “I think we all need 

that.” V 

Holiday Fund Donations 

Anonymous ( 4 ) ........................ $375 

Bruce Karney .............................$500 

Stephen Carr ............................. $100 

Edward Yu .................................$500 

Catherine Howard .......................$50 

David Plum .................................$50 

Donna Davies ..........................$1000 

Wendy Wong and 

Anthony Chang .......................$1000 

Janette Barrios ..........................$300 

How to Give 

Your gift helps children 

and others in need 

Contributions to the Holiday Fund will 

be matched dollar for dollar, to the extent 

possible, and will go directly to the nonprofi t 

agencies that serve Mountain View residents. 

Last year, Voice readers contributed more than 

$40,000, which with matching grants, 

provided more than $10 $10,000 000 to each h agency 

No administrative costs are deducted 

from the gifts, which are tax-deductible as 

permitted by law. All donations will be shared 

equally with the seven recipient agencies 

listed here. 

This year, the following agencies will be supported by the Holiday Fund: 

■ PARTNERS FOR NEW GENERATIONS 

Trains volunteer mentors who work with local 

youth in education and community programs. 

■ THE COMMUNITY HEALTH 

AWARENESS COUNCIL 

Serves Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos 

Hills and seven school districts. Offers schoolbased 

programs to protect students from highrisk 

behaviors, such as drug and alcohol abuse. 

■ MOUNTAIN VIEW ROTACARE CLINIC 

Provides uninsured community residents with 

medical care and medications, and is frequently 

the last resort for this under-served clientele. 

■ DAY WORKER CENTER OF MOUNTAIN VIEW 

Provides a secure place for workers and 

employers to negotiate wages. Serves 50 or 

more workers per day with job-matching, 

English lessons and guidance. 

Michael Teng .............................$400 

Emma Wong .............................$500 

Jo Ann Will ................................ $100 

Judy Tran ................................... $100 

Josh and Gesara Tyler ................$500 

Dolores Bacosa ........................ $100 

Robert Brown ............................ $100 

Frances F. Webb ........................$600 

Lawrence K. Wallace ................. $100 

Lisa Moulthrop ............................$25 

Jac and Sharon Siegel ................ $100 

Marta Rauch ................................... * 

Dorothy Meier ................................. * 

Leslie C and Anita N. Nichols .......... * 

Robert J. Rohrbacher ....................... * 

In Memory/Honor: 

Marta Rauch in memory of Evan C. Rauch 

Lawrence K. Wallace in memory of 

David M. Balfour 

Total: $6500 Online donations: $1735 Grand Total: $8235 

2008 

Holiday 

Fund 

Fund 

■ THE SUPPORT NETWORK FOR 

BATTERED WOMEN 

Operates a 24-hour bilingual hotline, a 

safe shelter for women and their children, 

and offers counseling and other services for 

families facing this problem. 

■ COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND ARTS 

Provides hands-on arts and music projects 

in the elementary classrooms of the 

Mountain View-Whisman School District. 

Nearly 40 percent of the students are 

low-income and 28 percent have limited 

English profi ciency. 

■ COMMUNITY SERVICES AGENCY OF 

MOUNTAIN VIEW AND LOS ALTOS 

Assists working poor families, homeless and 

seniors with short-term housing and medical 

care and other services. 

Name of donor ______________________________________________ Amount $ ____________ 

Street address ___________________________________________________________________ 

City _______________________________________________ State _____ Zip _______________ 

❏ I wish to contribute anonymously. ❏ Don’t publish the amount of my contribution. 

❏ I wish to designate my contribution as follows: 

❏ In honor of: ❏ In memory of: ________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________________________________ 

TO DONATE ONLINE GO TO: http://www.siliconvalleycf.org/giving-mvv.html 

PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: THE HOLIDAY FUND 

Enclose this coupon and send to: The Voice Holiday Fund 

The Mountain View Voice, 655 West Evelyn Ave., Suite 3, 

Mountain View, CA 94041 

By Credit Card: ❏ Visa or ❏ MasterCard No. ______________________________________ 

Exp. Date ________________________________________________________ 

Signature ________________________________________________________ 


WINTER SOLSTICE 

Sunday, December 21 

7:00 p.m. 

Unitarian Universalist 

Church of Palo Alto 

Dec. 14th 7:00 PM A Christmas Cantata "Festival of Carols" 

in the Church Sanctuary, presented by choirs of First 

Pres of Mountain View and Santa Clara Pres Church. 

Traditional carols will be sung by all. RSVP for 

Child Care for children 4 yrs and younger. 

Dec. 19th 6:30 PM Spread the Christmas cheer & come join us 

for Christmas Caroling. Meet in the Fellowship Hall. 

Treats following our outing. 

Dec. 24th 7:00 PM Christmas Eve Service 

in the Sanctuary 

Christ Episcopal Church 

Nurturing Minds and Hearts 

Come grow with us 

Christmas Eve Services 

5:00 pm Children's Pageant 

10:15 pm Wassail Party & Carol Sing 

11 pm Choral Eucharist Service 

Please call or visit www.ccla.us for service details 

1040 Border Rd, Los Altos (650) 948-2151 


�� 

�� 

Celebrating Birth & Rebirth 

CHRISTMAS EVE 

Wednesday, December 24 

6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. 

505 E. Charleston Rd. Palo Alto 

(650) 494-0541 www.uucpa.org 

Put a spark in your Christmas Season 

by joining us for: 

1667 Miramonte Avenue at the 

corner of Cuesta in Mountain View. 

Please call (650) 968-4473 

ST. LUKE’S CHAPEL IN THE HILLS ANGLICAN 

The 1928 Book of Common Prayer 

Wednesday, December 24, CHRISTMAS EVE: 

St. Paul Lutheran 

Church 

Missouri Synod 

WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US 

THIS CHRISTMAS! 

Christmas Eve 

7:00 PM Choir Cantata 

7:30 PM English Service 

Christmas Day - 9:00 AM 

1075 El Monte Ave., Mountain View 

650-967-0666 www.st-paul.org 

5pm Family Holy Communion Service 

10:00 pm Lessons and Carols 

11:15 pm Candlelight Holy Communion Service 

Thursday, December 25: 11:00 am 

- Holy Communion Service 

�� 

(650) 941-6524 www.stlukeschapel.org 

A RESOURCE FOR 

SPECIAL EVENTS 

AND ONGOING 

RELIGIOUS SERVICES. 

FOR MORE 

INFORMATION PLEASE 

CALL 

BLANCA YOC AT 

650-326-8210 X221 

OR EMAIL 

BYOC@PAWEEKLY.COM 

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 

December 24, 2008 2007 at at 5:00 6:00 pm 

Cubberley Community Center Auditorium 

4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto 

Vineyard Christian Fellowship 

www.vineyardpeninsula.org 

650.327.5727 

Sunday, December 21 

8:30am & 10:30am Worship services - The Joy of Singing Music 

10:30am Pergolesi’s Magnificat during Worship 

11:45am Christmas Music on Patio - All Welcome! 

Christmas Eve December 24 

5�� Family Christmas Pageant 

The Joy of Christmas 

�� Organ Prelude 

�� Communion Service 

�� Organ Prelude 

�� Candlelight & Carols Service 

(650) 323-6167 

625 Hamilton Ave (at Webster), Palo Alto 

www.FirstPaloAlto.com 

First United 

Methodist Church 

of Palo Alto 

A welcoming and 

Reconciling 

Congregation

Viewpoint 

Founding Editor, Kate Wakerly 

Publisher 

Tom Gibboney 

■ STAFF 

Editorial 

Managing Editor Don Frances 

Staff Writers Daniel DeBolt, Casey Weiss 

Intern Kelly Truong 

Photographer Michelle Le 

Contributors Andrew Doerschuk, 

Angela Hey, Sheila Himmel, 

Forrest Linebarger, Jennifer Pence, 

Elaine Rowland, Kathy Schrenk 

Design & Production 

Design Director Raul Perez 

Designers Linda Atilano, Laura Don, 

Joanne Lee, Gail Thoreson, Gary Vennarucci 

Advertising 

Advertising Representatives Anna Mirsky, 

Dianna Prather 

Real Estate Account Executive 

Rosemary Lewkowitz 

Real Estate Advertising Coordinator 

Victoria Fantuzzi 

Advertising Services Bill Rayburn 

Office Coordinator Diane Martin 

Published every Friday at 

655 W. Evelyn Ave., Suite 3 

P.O. Box 405 


(650) 964-6300 

fax (650) 964-0294 

E-mail news and photos to: 

editor@MV-Voice.com 

E-mail letters to: 

letters@MV-Voice.com 

News/Editorial Department 

(650) 964-6300 

fax (650) 964-0294 

Display Advertising Sales 

(650) 964-6300 

Classified Advertising Sales 

(650) 964-6490 • (650) 326-8216 

fax (650) 326-0155 

E-mail Classified ads@MV-Voice.com 

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The Voice is published weekly by Embarcadero 

Publishing Co. and distributed to residences 

and businesses in Mountain View. If you are not 

currently receiving the paper, you may request 

free delivery by calling 964-6300. 

Voluntary subscriptions at $30 per 

year, $50 per 2 years, are welcome 

from residents of Mountain View. 

Subscription rate for businesses and 

for residents of other communities is $50 per 

year, $80 per 2 years. 

Copyright ©2007 by Embarcadero Publishing 

Company. All rights reserved. 

Member, Mountain View Chamber of Commerce 

■ WHAT’S YOUR VIEW? 

All views must include a home address and contact 

phone number. Published letters will also appear 

on the web site, www.MountainViewOnline.com, 

and occasionally on the Town Square forum. 

TOWN SQUARE FORUM 

POST your views on the 

Town Square forum at 

www.MountainViewOnline.com 

E-MAIL your views to 

letters@MV-Voice.com. Indicate 

if it is a letter to be published. 

MAIL to: Editor 

Mountain View Voice, 

655 W. Evelyn, Suite 3, 

Mountain View, CA 94042. 

CALL the Viewpoint desk at 

964-6300, ext. 26. 

Despite the best efforts of local school districts, the 

federal No Child Left Behind program is failing to 

serve the students it was designed to help. 

Enacted by Congress six years ago at the behest of President Bush 

to make schools and teachers more accountable, NCLB sets everincreasing 

standards for public school students, who are given a 

battery of tests every year to gauge their annual yearly progress. 

Advances or declines are measured in various ethnic and demographic 

groups, and until now, schools were expected 

to improve by 2 to 3 percent each year. 

But this year, in order to reach a predetermined 

goal by 2014, many schools are expected to improve 

by 10 to 11 percent over the prior year. It’s a virtually 

impossible hurdle, several local educators told 

the Voice in our three-part “Left Behind” series. 

Another major flaw: NCLB dictates test levels 

that students must achieve, but provides no funding to help 

school districts meet the criteria. Without extra tutoring or other 

help for, say, English language learners, districts simply cannot 

afford to give them the help they need. 

Every school district has its unique challenges — in Mountain 

View, for example, districts have large populations of non- 

English-speaking students — which is why NCLB’s “one size 

fits all” approach simply isn’t working, educators say. 

At the Mountain View Whisman Elementary School District, 

schools are struggling to meet the test requirements in English; 

and for the first time, the Mountain View-Los Altos High 

School District also may fail to reach a benchmark. 

Superintendent Barry Groves, of the high school district, put it 

PACT SHOULDN’T GET 

MORE SCHOOL RESOURCES 

Editor: 

I have been a volunteer at Castro 

Elementary School for about five 

years, working with the Literacy 

in the Classroom program as well 

as on my own time. It has become 

quite evident to me that the children 

who take advantage of the 

PACT program are predominantly 

the white, middle class students. 

The classrooms that I volunteer in 

are mostly made up of poor, Latino 

students. So, what kind of message 

would spending money on further 

separating the PACT program 

■ EDITORIAL 

THE OPINION OF THE VOICE 

Time to fix broken ‘No Child’ law 

■ LETTERS 

VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY 

■ EDITORIAL 

■ YOUR LETTERS 

bluntly: “They created a bunch of rules and provided no funding.” 

School principals agree. Mountain View High School Principal 

Keith Moody asked, “When there is no funding, how are schools 

supposed to implement change?” And Castro Elementary School 

Principal Judy Crates said, “It is impossible for a student who speaks 

little or no English to increase at a rate that is proficient.” 

“Would any business try to increase sales without putting 

more money into marketing?” she asked rhetorically. 

Altogether, nearly 40 percent of California’s 

schools are failing to meet NCLB’s criteria, 

a strong indication that something is amiss. 

One idea for a fix, proposed by Groves, is that 

NCLB adapt its criteria to fit specific schools and 

subgroups, so that students with learning disabilities 

or lacking English skills aren’t left behind. 

At the national level, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo 

Alto, recognizes that the law has failed to improve education 

performance, noting persistently low graduation rates and underfunded 

schools. She hopes the new Congress will continue to work 

on a draft bill in January to revise NCLB, and send a modified 

version of the law to incoming President Barack Obama. 

Ironically, the more students fail to meet NCLB’s objectives, 

the more the law itself is shown to have failed. After a six-year 

trial, it is clearly time to try a new approach. School administrators 

need flexibility to design effective teaching for all the 

demographic groups they serve, and this year’s unrealistic 

criteria will severely hamper those efforts. We can only hope 

Congress has the will to design a new measure that makes sure 

the needs of local students and schools come first. 

from the rest of the school send? 

Our neighborhood schools 

are bulging at the seams and 

they will continue to do so. The 

money would be better served if 

it went to increasing the pay for 

the teachers in this district who 

are overworked and underpaid. 

We need to invest in programs 

that work to educate our growing 

student population so they too 

can become vibrant citizens who 

can have a job they love and are 

interested in, and a home they 

can call their own. 

As a community we need to 

come together to raise the bar 

for education for all students, not 

only for those who are already 

advantaged. I want the same programs 

available to all the students 

in the area so they can all learn 

in environments that promote 

achievement and diversity. 

If the parents of the PACT 

children want to further segre- 

■ GUEST OPINIONS 

gate their children, let them pay 

out of pocket to send them to a 

private school. I do not want my 

property taxes to take part in this 

segregation. 

Gisah de Freitas 

California Street 

COURT FEES OUT OF CONTROL 

Editor: 

Your column, “Hung Up” 

prompted the following: I’m with 

you (From the Editor’s Desk, 

Nov. 28). Police fines seemed to 

have turned into a money raising 

source, rather than a means to 

promote safety. 

I recently received a citation for 

“failure to come to a complete 

stop” at a stop sign. In the words 

of the officer, “You and the car 

ahead of you both came to a 

complete stop, but when the car 

See LETTERS, page 14 


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in front went ahead so did you.” 

I traveled maybe 10 feet at about 

five miles per hour and did not 

stop again, even though there 

were no cars or people anywhere 

to be seen. 

So I get to pay Santa Clara 

County $171. More than a slap on 

the wrist I’d say. I believe this was 

excessive enforcement of a technical 

violation. I would not be too 

upset over a minimal fine for a 

technical violation (to emphasize 

safety), but $171? Wow! 

Don Shrank 

Diablo Avenue 

SELF-ABSORBED DRIVERS 

ARE THE PROBLEM 

Editor: 

Cheers to Ann Schneider and 

Paul Tetach for their eloquent, 

bull’s-eye letters Dec. 5. My 

own experience of Silicon Valley 

traffic accidents was also from 

inattentive drivers hitting me. 

At heart, this isn’t about phones 

or other objects, but reckless selfabsorption. 

Not that cell phones are blameless. 

Before the “ban,” you’d see 

queues of 10 or 20 commuters 

entering Highway 237, say — 

every one earnestly focused on 

their conversation on a handheld 

phone. 

Max Hauser 

Loreto Street 

Quilt by Blanche Prior 

LETTERS 


MYSTERY COURT FEES 

SHOULD BE SCRUTINIZED 

Editor: 

You violated a law and suffered 

the consequences. While 

the writers who wrote about 

your column did not offer any 

sympathy (perhaps rightfully 

so), their letters could almost 

be interpreted as “good.” Those 

using cell phones while driving 

can cause serious problems and 

should be penalized whether 

before or after an accident. 

But of more concern is that the 

Viewpoint 

fine appears to have been turned 

into a fund raising tool. 

In the past, there have been 

jokes or accusations that law 

enforcement officers have quotas 

for the number of tickets they 

should write. With this new hidden 

penalty, politicians may use 

it to raise funds without calling it 

a tax, and they’ve selected those 

who have broken a law and thus 

“deserve” to be penalized. Big 

Brother is sneaking up on us. 

Perhaps you will do a followup 

report on what these “other 

fees” are, where they go, and how 

much has been collected. 

Paul Johnson 

Dale Avenue 

VOTING IN AMERICA IS 

NOT THAT HARD 

Editor: 

I was disappointed to read 

your Nov. 21 article about voting, 

which quoted Stanford Prof. 

Pamela Karlan (“Not everyone’s 

vote is cast, or counted”). 

When I watched as the people 

in Iraq risked their lives to vote 

for the first time, I thought of 

the courage it must have taken 

to have the mark of the purple 

finger as evidence that they had 

indeed voted. After seeing that 

on television, I thought, never 

again will Americans talk about 

how “hard” it is to vote. 

We have to get ourselves to the 

right polling place, or we must 

mail our absentee ballot in time 

... boy, is that hard! Come on, it’s 

just not that hard, we certainly 

don’t need a national holiday. 

As for the Electoral College, so 

many people are jumping on this 

bandwagon. It is not true that if a 

candidate wins a plurality of votes 

nationwide, he or she will not 

win. The real issue is that without 

the Electoral College, a few large 

states will dominate all national 

elections. True, Al Gore had more 

votes, however that was due to 

New York. Do you want to be governed 

by New York? Not me. 

Judy Fawcett 

W. El Camino Real 

HOLIDAY FAIR 

Fine Crafts ◆ Local Artists 

December 12, 13, 14, 2008 

Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10-5 

Hoover House (aka ”The Girl Scout House”) 

1120 Hopkins, Palo Alto 

For Information: 

650-625-1736 or TheArtifactory@aol.com

Weekend 


Bites and bytes 

MOUNTAIN VIEW’S UWINK CATERS 

TO REGION’S TECH-SAVVY EATERS 

By Andrew MacLeod Doerschuk 

Even from across the street 

you can’t miss the light 

show flickering within 

uWink, the high-tech eatery that 

opened on the intersection of 

Castro and California in Mountain 

View. Inside, huge projection 

screens line every wall and 

demarcate seating areas, providing 

nonstop sensory input that 

keeps the joint humming. 

But that’s just the beginning. 

Each table is outfitted with 

touch-screen monitors that serve 

as menus, ordering stations and 

1431 Plymouth St., Mtn. View 

(Exit at Shoreline off 101) 

Bar 650.961.1992 

CALL FOR PARTIES 

Office 650.961.9104 

Only Bar on Shoreline Blvd. 

■ RESTAURANTREVIEW 

Sports 

Page Page 

Watch the 

NFL & COLLEGE 

FOOTBALL 

on HD 

Large 

Screen 

TV's! 

FULL SAND 

VOLLEYBALL COURT 

✦ ✦ ✦ 

Daily Lunch Specials 

✦ ✦ ✦ 

Full Bar & Menu 

✦ ✦ ✦ 

Healthy Menu Specials 

✦ ✦ ✦ 

Breakfast Served 

✦ ✦ ✦ 

Lunch served all day 

Kitchen Open until 8:30pm 

video game interfaces. You can 

even pay your bill by swiping a 

credit card at the screen. These 

monitors are mounted in pairs in 

the middle of the tabletop, facing 

customers seated on both sides 

and creating an obtrusive barricade 

between guests. Combined 

with the hubbub, the arrangement 

isn’t highly conducive to 

a quiet, intimate evening — but 

that’s not the idea. 

UWink’s high-concept dining 

experience is the brainchild of 

Nolan Bushnell, unsurprisingly 

See UWINK, page 17 

12 Years 

in a Row 

New Year’s Extravaganza! 

★ Party Hats & Favors! 

6:30 66:330 ★ Choose Ch from f our Special S i l Four F Course C e Dinner r Show 

New Year’s Eve Pre-Fixe Menu 

★ W onderful Live Entertainment during 

dinner with dancing to the 

$59.50 per person 

(Tax & Tip Not Included) 

Nicolino’s Italian Band! 

Or . . . DJ & Dancing in the Nicolo o Room 

Appetizer Party – 9:30pm-1:30am – $39.50 50 per person 

9:45 

★ Complimentary Champagne Toast ast Dinner & Dancing 

at Midnight! 

SEATING TIMES 

★ Dancing until 1:00 a.m. 

9:00pm – 9:15pm – 9:30pm 

NICOLINO’S NICOLINO’S ITALIAN 

ITALIAN 

PRIME RIB & SEAFOOD D 408.734.5323 

1228 Reamwood Avenue, Sunnyvale www www.nicolinosgardencafe.com 

nicolinosgardencafe com 

■ RESTAURANT REVIEW 

■ MOVIE TIMES 

■ BEST BETS FOR ENTERTAINMENT 

VERONICA WEBER 

From right to left: Lizz Booker, Amanda Deem, Kellie Kwon and Angel Wilson celebrate Booker’s 13th birthday 

at uWink, where they can play games on tabletop screens. 

SEATING TIMES 

5:45pm – 6:00pm – 6:15 p.m. 

$69.50 per person 

(Tax & Tip Not Included) 

790 Castro Street 


(1 block from El Camino) 

(650) 961-6666 

Flame broiled to perfection, 

1 lb Triple Deck-er All-Natural Angus beef patties 

w/triple cheese, side of fries and fountain drink. 

WITH COUPON ONLY. 

GOOD AFTER 3PM ANY DAY. 

Shoreline GRILL 

1020 N. Rengstorff Ave, Suite C, Mountain View 

NEXT TO COSTCO • (650) 960-1218 

FREE 

DELIVERY 

(with min. order) 

THE BEST 

PIZZA WEST OF 

NEW YORK 

—Ralph Barbieri KNBR 680 

BEST DELI in Mountain View View! 

HOME OF THE 

“MAN BURGER” 

Treat Gourmet 

AWARD WINNING 

ICE CREAM 99¢/ scoop 

COUPON GOOD ANYTIME! 

$8.99 


ing 

AFGHAN 

PARADISE AFGHAN/ 

PERSIAN KABOBS 

604 S. Mary Avenue 

Sunnyvale • 408/733-5262 

(at El Camino Real) 

Charbroiled Kabob 

Lunch Special $7.95 

www.paradiseafganpersiankabobs.com 

AMERICAN 

TOWN SQUARE 

MountainViewOnline.com 

CLARKE’S 

CHARCOAL BROILER 

615 W. El Camino Real 

Mtn. View • 650/967-0851 

Voted Best Hamburger 16 Yrs 

in a Row. Beautiful Outside 

Patio Dining. 

HOBEE’S RESTAURANTS 

2312 Central Expwy. 


Voted Best Breakfast/Brunch 

9 years in a row! 

MARIE CALLENDAR'S 

4710 El Camino Real 

Los Altos • 650/941-6989 

(just south of San Antonio) 

SPORTS PAGE 

1431 Plymouth Street 


(exit at Shoreline off 101) 

$10.99! 

HH 

4A 01/30/09 

on the 

Dining Town 

If you would like to be listed in DINING ON THE TOWN please call Anna or Dianna at the Voice at 964-6300. 


CHINESE 

CHEF CHU’S 

1067 N. San Antonio Road 

corner of El Camino 

Los Altos • 650/948-2696 

Zagat Review: “Gold Standard in 

Fresh Chinese Cuisine.” 

NEW TUNG KEE 

NOODLE HOUSE 

520 Showers Drive 


(Inside San Antonio Center) 

Voted Best Noodle House in 

2003/2004 Mountain View Voice. 

FRENCH 

LE PETIT BISTRO 



Casual and cozy French 

restaurant. 15 tables. 

ICE CREAM 

GELATO CLASSICO 

241 B Castro Street 


MEXICAN 

TOWN SQUARE 

MountainViewOnline.com 

CELIA'S MEXICAN 

RESTAURANT 


Palo Alto • 650/843-0643 


Menlo Park • 650/321-8227 

www.celiasrestaurants.com 

CLICK 

POINT 

SEND 

READ 

SPEAK 

MEXICAN 

FIESTA DEL MAR - 

SEAFOOD, MEXICAN 

CUISINE & CANTINA 

1005 N. Shoreline Blvd. 


Open Daily, Lunch & Dinner. 

Voted Best Seafood for 7 years. 

FIESTA DEL MAR TOO 

ROTISSERIE & CANTINA 

735 Villa St., Mtn. View 

650/967-3525 

Fresh Lime Margaritas, 

200+ Tequilas. 

Open Late. 

LA FIESTA RESTAURANT 

240 Villa St., Mtn. View 

650/968-1364 

The best Mole Poblano and 

Margaritas in town. 

PIZZA 

KAPP'S 

PIZZA BAR & GRILL 

191 Castro Street 


Happy Hours Mon-Fri 4pm-6pm. 

TEX-MEX 

EL PASO CAFE 



www.elpasocafe.com 

(Between Rengstorff and Shoreline) 

Modern Moroccan Cuisine 

A Casablanca Evening! 

Zitune Wine & Chef Dinner 

with Foxen Winery 

6 course menu with wine pairings 

Tuesday 

September 16 th, 2008 

Cocktails 6:00 pm 

Dinner at 6:30 pm 

Prix - Fixe Menu 

For Reservations Call or Visit our Website 

www.zitune.com 

325 Main St. • Los Altos • 650-947-0247 

Weekend 

THEY’VE GOT GAME 

By Don Frances 

The concept behind 

uWink is simple 

enough: Offer eating 

and computer gaming, both 

favorite local pastimes, under 

one roof. 

Given all the foodies and 

gamers in Silicon Valley, it 

might seem, at a glance, like a 

slam-dunk idea for Mountain 

View. But in fact the challenge is 

greater than if uWink were elsewhere: 

Foodies demand better 

food, and gamers demand better 

games. Can uWink deliver 

on these two fronts? 

To be fair, the computer 

consoles bolted to every 

table at uWink also are for 

ordering and paying for 

your meal, and in this they 

are successful. In fact the 

uWink technology is advertised, 

on the company’s Web 

site, as something every busy 

restaurant should get in on. 

“Improve speed of service 

and order accuracy,” the site 

promises. “Raise labor efficiency. 

Reduce cash handling 

by encouraging credit card 

transactions.” (The technology 

already is in use at some 

Chili’s restaurants.) 

Earlier this week I had lunch 

at uWink with Voice tech 

columnist Angela Hey to find 

out how the consoles worked, 

and whether they offered a 

satisfying “interactive entertainment” 

experience. After 

we sat down and I “logged on” 

by sliding a card, we began 

poking at the touch-screens — 

we each had our own — and 

found the menu easy enough 

to navigate. Soon we’d pecked 

out orders for a cheeseburger 

and a quesadilla, including 

customized choices (mediumrare 

for me, with pepperjack 

cheese) and drinks. 

A green button sent our 

order to the kitchen, and the 

food was brought to our table 

in what felt like 30 seconds. 

The rest of the time was for 

eating and whatever else you 

do while eating — and what 

are you going to do, talk? No, 

you’re going to play the games. 

Speaking as a non-gamer, 

I found uWink’s games to be 

a bit tepid. Most of the ones 

I tried reminded me of the 

lottery-type video games you 

see in bars. There were plenty of 

trivia games — “Which politician 

played NCAA basketball 

for the University of Kansas?” 

— and brain-teasers, and word 

puzzles. Some of these are 

meant to be played with your 

table mate, and some require 

more than two players. It wasn’t 

always clear, until a few minutes 

in, what each game required, or 

whether it would be any fun. 

“The computer is slow,” 

Angela noted. Indeed, hitting 

the screen does not always get 

an instant response, prompting 

users to poke at the same spot 

several times. 

Occasionally, the management 

initiates a game for 

everyone to play, causing all 

the screens to start flashing. 

You can opt in by pressing a 

button on your screen. During 

our lunch, this always led to 

more trivia games, only now 

several people were competing 

from various tables. 

I wondered what a hardcore 

gamer would think of all this. 

Where were the racing games? 

The shoot-’em-ups? The 

attacking aliens? My suspicion 

is that a “real” gamer 

would poke madly at the 

screen for a while, give up, and 

possibly order an extravagant 

milkshake with chocolate 

syrup. That, at least, is easy to 

do at uWink. V 

SINCE 1945 

CHARCOAL BROILER 

Voted “Best Burger” 

for 16 years 

in a row 

as reported in 

the Mtn. View Voice 

Daily 

Lunch 

Specials 

11am to 2pm 

Mon-Fri 

Breakfast on Weekends 

Open 7 days for Lunch & Dinner 

Mountain View • 615 W. El Camino Real 

(650) 967-0851

the originator of Atari and Chuck 

E Cheese, who combined both of 

his innovations — video gaming 

and entertainment restaurants 

— into a single package. 

The restaurant’s tabletop monitors 

provide close-up photos of 

every item on the menu, enabling 

guests to compare their threedimensional 

dishes to those on 

screen. This feature didn’t play 

in the restaurant’s favor when 

it came to the crispy calamari 

and vegetables appetizer ($8.95), 

which was conspicuously light 

on the roughage. However, our 

calamari rings were crispy and 

tender, and worked nicely with 

the smoky dipping sauce. 

Weekend 

Friends play a game on one of the monitors at their table at uWink. 

UWINK 


uWink 

401 Castro Street, 


(650) 965-8100 

www.uwink.com 

Hours: 

Monday to Thursday: 

11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 to 10 p.m. 

Friday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 

5 p.m. to midnight 

Saturday: 11 a.m. to midnight 

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

■ DININGNOTES 

By contrast, the apple walnut 

salad ($9.95) was a mirror image 

of its screen shot. A healthy 

mound of mixed greens was 

dotted with candied walnuts, red 

onion, apple slices and crumbled 

You can even 

pay your bill 

by swiping a 

credit card 

at the screen. 

bleu cheese, all dressed in balsamic 

vinaigrette. Our veggies 

tasted fresh, and the bleu cheese 

and vinaigrette were pleasingly 

puckering. 

Reservations 

Credit Cards 

Highchairs 

Party and 

Banquet Facilities 

Catering 

Outdoor Seating 

Alcohol Full bar 

Parking Street 

and Lot 

Noise Level High 

Bathroom Cleanliness Good 

The chicken tortilla soup 

($4.95) was thick and spicy. Its 

tomato-based broth created a 

rich base for the chicken, and 

was topped with tortilla strips, 

red pepper slices and sour cream. 

Although the recipe was tasty, 

the dish was served lukewarm, 

which dulled its appeal. 

Oddly, temperature was an 

issue at uWink. Entrees that 

should have been hot were a 

degree or two too cool. Yet, like 

the soup, this glitch had little 

impact on the taste of our main 

courses. I had no trouble cleaning 

my plate of braised short ribs 

($16.95). Served on a mound 

of mashed potatoes, these juicy 

boneless beef ribs were so tender 

See UWINK, page 18 

BBEAS E A S ARIAS 

A R I A S 

HHISTORY I S T O RY 

38 Years Serving You 

in California 

VERONICA WEBER 

★El Paso Cafe★ 

25 Years in Mountain View 

★La Cocina de Ricardo★ 

10 Years in Lake Forest & 

18 Years in San Clemente, CA 

★Ricardo’s Place★ 

5 Years in San Juan Capistrano 

★La Cocina de Ricardo★ 

Rosarito, Baja Mexico 

(Sold 2001) 

Another Location Coming Soon! 

FAMILY 

OPERATED 

Mediterranean 

Grill House 

Our Organic Chicken is California grown, veggie fed 

and raised naturally free. No Hormones, antibiotics or 

animal bio-products. Our beef is all naturally raised, 

corn fed from Harris Ranch. Halal meats. 

650 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041 

Phone: 650.625.9990 Fax: 650.625.9991 

25TH ANNIVERSARY! 

25% OFF 

ENTIRE BILL 



www.elpasocafe.com 

NOW OPEN 

SUNDAYS!!! 

Open 7 days 

a week! 

Includes drinks. Not valid with any other offer. 

Must present coupon. Expires December 26 th . 

650-961-8858 


FREE 

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on 

orders 

of $100 00 

or more 


Coq Au Vin 

Burgundy marinated chicken 

braised with shallot mushrooms 

and applewood bacon 

$17.95 

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Weekend 

UWINK 


that they could be cut with a 

fork, and came slathered in sweet 

and smoky gravy with a hint of 

cinnamon. Including the crispy 

onion strings, this was a hefty 

plateful. 

The chicken and pesto carbonara 

($12.95) was no less 

filling. This generous portion 

of spaghetti noodles was coated 

with thick carbonara pesto sauce, 

tossed with bacon bits and 

parmesan cheese and topped 

with slices of grilled marinated 

chicken breast — a heavy meal 

with a garlic aftertaste. 

The atmosphere changed at 

lunch the next day. The projection 

screens were visible but 

dimmer, since they competed 

with the ample natural sunlight. 

The room felt starker than the 

night before, when the screens 

exploded with the color and 

action of sporting events and 

game results. 

We ordered a Hawaiian BBQ 

pork sandwich ($8.95) and 

enjoyed the sweet barbecue glaze 

clinging to the pulled pork, 

which was piled onto a hamburger 

bun and topped with 

creamy coleslaw, red onions and 

deep-fried onion strings. 

A pair of fish tacos sounded 

like a deal at $5.95. They arrived 

in flour tortillas stuffed with 

cod deep fried and covered with 

coleslaw. While the menu promised 

something called “jalapeno 

crema,” the taste of mayonnaise 

from the slaw overwhelmed my 

palette, and seemed out of place 

in a taco. A scoop of white rice 

and a small bowl of black beans 

shared the platter. 

For jollies, we munched 

the chocolate chocolate cake 

($6.95), which was shaped like 

a cupcake yet tasted like a 

brownie. It was topped with a 

big scoop of vanilla ice cream 

with a mound of whipped cream 

on the side. Sadly, the cake was 

too chewy and not as chocolatey 

as expected. 

We left uWink conf licted 

about our experience there. On 

the upside, the menu selections 

are appetizing, and the hightech 

distractions are interesting 

and fun. But the quality of the 

menu scored only slightly above 

pub food, with big, heavy portions 

brimming with carbs, and 

the atmosphere is frenetic. 

It’s not really a destination for 

couples on a date, or even people 

who would rather talk than play 

video games. Bushnell is betting 

that there are hundreds of hungry 

gamers looking for a place 

like this. Before going, ask yourself: 

Am I one of them? V

Weekend 

Note: Screenings are for Friday through Tuesday only. 

AQUARIUS: 430 Emerson St., Palo Alto (266-9260) 

CENTURY CINEMA 16: 1500 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View (960-0970) 

CENTURY PARK 12: 557 E. Bayshore Blvd., Redwood City (365-9000) 

CENTURY 20 DOWNTOWN: 825 Middlefield Road, Redwood City (369-3456) 

CINEARTS AT PALO ALTO SQUARE: 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (493-3456) 

GUILD: 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (266-9260) 

SPANGENBERG THEATRE: 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto (354-8263) 

For show times, plot synopses and more information about any films playing at the 

Aquarius, Guild and Park, visit www.LandmarkTheatres.com 

✭ Skip it 

✭✭ Some redeeming qualities 

✭✭✭ A good bet 

✭✭✭✭ Outstanding 

■ MOVIETIMES 

AUSTRALIA (PG-13) ✭✭1/2 

Century 20: Noon, 3:25, 6:50 & 10:15 p.m. 

Palo Alto Square: Fri.-Tue. at 1:35, 5 & 8:30 p.m. 

BOLT (PG) ✭✭✭1/2 

Century 16: 12:15 & 2:45 p.m. Fri.-Tue. & Thu. also at 5:15 p.m. Fri. -Thu. 

also at 11:05 a.m.; 1:35, 4:05 & 6:55 p.m. Fri. & Sun. - Thu also at 9:25 p.m. 

Century 20: 11:25 a.m.; 12:05, 1:50, 2:30, 4:30, 5, 7:05 & 9:30 p.m. 

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS (PG-13) ✭✭✭1/2 

Century 16: 11:20 a.m.; 4:55 & 10:25 p.m. 

Century 20: 2:20 p.m. Fri. - Tue. & Thu. also at 7:20 p.m. 

CADILLAC RECORDS (R) (NOT REVIEWED) 

Century 16: 11:10 a.m.;1:50, 4:40, 7:15 & 9:50 p.m. 

Century 20: 11:35 a.m.; 2:15, 4:50, 7:30 & 10:10 p.m. 

CHANGELING (R) ✭✭✭1/2 

Century 16: 1:45 & 7:20 p.m. 

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (PG-13) (NOT REVIEWED) 

Century 16: 11 & 11:40 a.m.; 12:20, 1:10, 1:40, 2:20, 3, 3:40, 4:20, 5, 5:40, 

6:20, 7, 7:40, 8:20, 9, 9:40 & 10:10 p.m. 

Century 20: 11:10 & 11:40 a.m.;12:15, 12:50, 1:40, 2:15, 2:50, 3:20, 4:10, 

4:50, 5:25, 6, 6:45, 7:25, 8, 8:45, 9:20, 10 & 10:35 p.m. Sat. also at 10:20 a.m. 

DELGO (PG) (NOT REVIEWED) 

Century 16: 11 a.m.; 1:15, 3:30, 5:45, 8 & 10:15 p.m. 

Century 20: 11:15 a.m.; 1:45, 4:20, 7:10 & 9:25 p.m. 

FOUR CHRISTMASES (PG-13) (NOT REVIEWED) 

Century 16: Noon, 2:15, 4:30, 6:50, 7:50 & 9:05 p.m.Sat. - Tue. & Thu. also at 10:05 p.m. 

Century 20: 11:20 a.m.; 12:40, 1:35, 3:50, 6, 6:50, 8:20 & 10:35 p.m. 

GLEN BECK’S ‘THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER’ LIVE (NOT 

RATED) (NOT REVIEWED) Century 16: Wed. at 8 p.m. 

Century 20: Wed. at 8 p.m. 

GRINDHOUSE (R) (NOT REVIEWED)Century 16: Fri. at 10:05 p.m. 

I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (PG-13) ✭✭✭1/2 

Guild: 3, 5:45 & 8:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at 12:30 p.m. 

MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (PG) ✭✭ 

Century 16: 11:30 a.m.; 1:55, 4:25, 7:10 & 9:30 p.m. 

Century 20: 11:45 a.m.; 2, 4:35, 7:15 & 9:35 p.m. 

MILK (R) ✭✭✭ 

Century 20: 1, 4, 7 & 10 p.m. Sat. also at 10:10 a.m. 

Palo Alto Square: 1:30, 4:25 & 7:20 p.m. Fri. & Sat. also at 10:15 p.m. 

NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS (PG-13) (NOT REVIEWED) 

Century 16: 12:10, 2:40, 5:10, 7:35 & 10 p.m. 

Century 20: Noon, 2:40, 5:15, 7:45 & 10:15 p.m. 

PULP FICTION (R) (NOT REVIEWED) 

Century 16: Sat. at 10 p.m. 

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (R) (NOT REVIEWED) 

Century 16: 11:55 a.m.; 2:30, 5:05, 7:45 & 10:20 p.m. 

Century 20: 12:10, 2:50, 5:25, 8 & 10:40 p.m. 

QUANTUM OF SOLACE (R) ✭✭✭ 

Century 16: 12:05, 2:50, 5:20, 8 & 10:30 p.m. 

Century 20: 11:55 a.m.; 2:35, 3:55, 5:10, 7:55, 9:05 & 10:25 p.m. 

ROLE MODELS (R) (NOT REVIEWED) 

Century 20: 11:50 a.m.; 4:55 p.m. Fri.-Tue. & Thu. also at 9:45 p.m. 

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (R) ✭✭✭✭ 

Century 20: 11:15 a.m.; 2, 4:45, 7:35 & 10:20 p.m. 

Aquarius: 2:45, 4, 5:30, 7, 8:30 & 9:40 p.m. Fri.-Sun. also at noon & 1 p.m. 

TRANSPORTER 3 (PG-13) (NOT REVIEWED) 

Century 16: 12:30, 2:55, 5:25, 7:55 & 10:25 p.m. 

Century 20: 12:55, 3:25, 5:50, 8:15 & 10:40 p.m. Sat. also at 10:30 a.m. 

TWILIGHT (PG-13) (NOT REVIEWED) 

Century 16: 12:45, 3:45, 7:05 & 9:55 p.m. 

Century 20: 12:30, 3:30, 6:20, 7:40, 9:15 & 10:30 p.m. 

For show times, plot synopses, 

trailers and more movie 

info, visit www.mv-voice.com 

and click on movies. 

■ MOVIEREVIEWS 

BOLT ✭✭✭1/2 

(Century 16, Century 20) Protective pooch 

Bolt (voice of John Travolta) is the star of 

a popular television show about a superpowered 

dog and his “person,” Penny 

(voice of Miley Cyrus). The show’s methodic 

director feels the program’s success rests 

on the fact that Bolt believes he has super 

powers. Bolt busts free when he mistakenly 

believes Penny has been kidnapped, 

and is accidentally shipped to New York. 

There he forces a sarcastic alley cat, Mittens 

(voice of Susie Essman), to help him 

rescue Penny, and the two set off on a 

cross-country trek. “Bolt” is a near-perfect 

family film — appealing to the eye and 

the heart. Rated: PG for some mild action 

and peril. 1 hour, 36 minutes. — T.H. 

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED 

PAJAMAS ✭✭✭1/2 

(Cinearts) Mark Herman crafts a taut 

World War II drama that packs a controversial 

wallop. It’s Germany in the 

1940s, and an SS commandant (David 

Thewlis) is promoted up the ranks. He 

then relocates his wife and children 

from Berlin to the relative safety of the 

German countryside. The family’s new 

home backs up onto a concentration 

camp, though mom and her offspring 

naively believe it to be a working farm 

labored by displaced Jews. Then son 

Bruno (a remarkable Asa Butterfield) 

befriends an 8-year-old prisoner named 

Shmuel (Jack Scanlon) who finds solace 

in the hush near the high-voltage fence. 

Nazi war films have come and gone, 

but few have displayed such a fresh and 

poignant perspective. Rated: PG-13 

for intensity and disturbing themes. 1 

hour, 34 minutes. — J.A. 

I’VE LOVED YOU 

SO LONG ✭✭✭1/2 

(Aquarius) Kristin Scott Thomas is 

Juliette, newly arrived at her sister Lea’s 

home (Elsa Zylberstein) from a place we 

mustn’t discuss — prison. Her brotherin-law 

isn’t pleased, resisting the emotional 

warp and woof of his wife’s family 

crises. Little by little the disquieting 

details are revealed: Juliette has spent 

the last 15 years locked up on a murder 

charge. Whom did she murder and why 

did she do it? The undercurrent of tragedy 

is probing and persistent. And the 

essence of writer/director Philippe Claudel’s 

drama is the unspoken: resentment, 

fear and a fierce desire to make 

amends. Rated: PG-13 for disturbing 

adult themes. 1 hour, 55 minutes. In 

French with English subtitles. — J.A. 

CHANGELING ✭✭✭1/2 

(Century 16, Century 20) Angelina Jolie 

plays Christine Collins, a single mother 

raising her son, Walter (Gattlin Griffith), 

alone. One weekend, she agrees to take 

a co-worker’s shift at the telephone 

company. She returns home to an empty 

house. Christine’s concern escalates into 

a controlled panic, fueled by frustration 

and fear. File a missing-child report? 



Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in “Australia.” 

Good on em 

DIRECTOR BAZ LUHRMANN GIVES US EVERYTHING 

AND THE KITCHEN SINK IN EPIC ‘AUSTRALIA’ 

By Jeanne Aufmuth 

Baz Luhrmann mixes it up 

in this rangy homage to 

the divisive history of the 

land Down Under. 

Luhrmann has big shoes to 

fill and they’re his own; he crafted 

such colorful and accomplished 

fare as “Strictly Ballroom,” 

“Romeo + Juliet” and “Moulin 


Rouge” to stupendous effect. 

From the get-go the tone of 

“Australia” is too diverse, starting 

with some slapstick melodrama 

that follows English rose Lady 

Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) as 

she crosses the globe to Faraway 

Downs, the remote Northern 

Territory cattle station owned and 

Sunnyvale 

1080 Enterprise Way, Ste 150 

Enterprise Way & 11th Ave 

(Formerly H St & 11th Ave) 

Weekend 

operated by her errant husband. 

What she finds is a dilapidated 

farm, a dead spouse and a 

motley crew of Aborigines that 

includes a mystical youngster by 

the name of Nullah (Brandon 

Walters), whose poignant voiceover 

unfurls Australia’s long 

and difficult history with the 

Stolen Generation (children of 

half-Aborigine descent who were 

removed from their families by 

the Australian government). 

With the dubious charm of an 

old-school serial heroine, Lady 

Sarah dusts off her button-up 

shoes and tries to make things 

right, determined to hang on to 

her property and keep it from 

the greedy hands of corrupt 

cattle baron King Carney (Brian 

Brown). Not to mention villainous 

station manager Neil Fletcher 

(David Wenham). 

Naturally, Sarah needs a driver 

to help her get 1,500-plus head 

of cattle from A to B to secure 

a lucrative military contract, in 

this case to the city of Darwin 

via a hazardous trek across the 

Never-Never (as in “one will 

never never survive”). The driver 

in question is hot and hunky 

Drover (Hugh Jackman), a selfsufficient 

Aussie cowboy who’s a 

man’s man among men. 

Nothing surprises here: the 

San Jose 

1090 Blossom Hill Rd 

Blossom Hill Rd & Almaden Expwy 

Cupertino 

10991 N De Anza Blvd 

De Anza Blvd & Homestead Rd 

burgeoning beauty-and-the-beast 

romance, Sarah and Drover’s 

growing attachment to Nullah, 

the good vs. evil narrative that’s 

just shy of stale. Luhrmann feels 

his native land passionately and 

it shows in his attention to detail, 

even when that detail strays from 

its original intent. Which is ... an 

apology for the ill treatment of 

the Aborigines? A commentary 

on the effects of the Japanese 

attack on Darwin? Or an epic 

love story with the venerable 

Outback as its backdrop? Only 

Luhrmann knows for sure. 

The pic looks phenomenal, 

focused as it is on the wild frontiers 

of Australia’s vast boondocks. 

The parched terrain is 

impressively expansive and the 

Aboriginal culture fertile with 

allure. The entire project is lit 

with a tawny glow, including 

Kidman’s too-taut cheekbones 

and Jackman’s chiseled pecs. 

An entertaining but shallow 

holiday offering. V 

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‘ 

COURTESY PHOTO 

■ MOVIEREVIEW 

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■ MOVIENOTES 

Stars: ✭✭1/2 

Rating: PG-13 for language, 

some violence and mature 

themes 

Run time: 2 hours, 35 minutes 

Palo Alto 


El Camino Real & Ventura Ave 

We do business in accordance 

with the Federal Fair Housing 

Law and the Equal Credit 

Opportunity Act 


Wait 24 hours. Challenge the LAPD 

when Captain Jones (Jeffrey Donovan) 

produces a “son” who isn’t hers? 

Intimidate Christine into playing along, 

so the cesspool of a police force gets 

some good publicity. Then deem her a 

hysterical woman and toss her into the 

county loony bin. Meanwhile, the pages 

are flying off the calendar. And Walter is 

nowhere to be found. Rated: R for some 

violent and disturbing content, and language. 

2 hours, 20 minutes. — S.T. 

MADAGASCAR: 

ESCAPE 2 AFRICA ✭✭ 

(Century 16, Century 20) Alex the lion 

(voiced by Ben Stiller) and friends Marty 

the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the 

Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria 

the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) escape 

from the Central Park Zoo, gain transport 

on a shipping freighter and end up 

washed ashore in Madagascar. Blink. 

And now the four friends intend to catch 

a flight home on a wreck of a plane, 

piloted by those pesky penguins. Blink 

again. The CG-movie has hardly begun. 

Adults will experience deja vu with the 

sequel, although appreciating the animation 

and music-and-dance numbers. 

There’s less fun than the barrels of monkeys 

working to repair the plane — and 

more idle dialogue than monkey chatter. 

But kids will be kids. What don’t they 


www.starone.org 

(408) 543-5202 

toll-free (866) 543-5202


like? Rated: PG for some mild crude 

humor. 1 hour 29 minutes. — S.T. 

MILK ✭✭✭ 1/2 

(CineArts, Century 20) Performances 

are king in this poignant homage to late 

great San Francisco Supervisor Harvey 

Milk. Sean Penn has a field day portraying 

the first openly gay man elected to 

office in the U.S. After several misfires 

Harvey is elected supervisor and makes 

a name for himself in the City by the 

Bay, chumming around with liberal mayor 

George Moscone (Victor Garber) and 

trying to making nice with conservative 

supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin). 

The rest is history — a painful chapter 

in American politics. Rated: R for language, 

sexuality and mature themes. 2 

hours, 7 minutes. — J.A. 

QUANTUM OF 

SOLACE ✭✭✭ 

(Century 16, Century 20) Daniel Craig 

continues his smoldering run as takes-alickin’-and-keeps-on-tickin’ 

British super 

agent James Bond. “Quantum” is a true 

sequel, picking up where the more stylish 

“Casino Royale” left off, with Bond 

so blinded by inconsolable rage (over 

the death of favorite femme fatale Vesper 

Lynd) that he’s laying waste to his 

nemeses with reckless abandon. Bond 

goes rogue to avenge Vesper’s death, 

much to the consternation of unflap- 

Weekend 

pable M16 head M (Judi Dench). She 

wants his kinetic energies focused on 

Mr. Greene (Mathieu Almari), a spiteful 

bad boy ostensibly rejuvenating the 

earth while secretly gaining control of 

natural resources by negotiating illegal 

pipelines with foreign dictators. Rated: 

PG-13 for language, violence and adult 

themes. 1 hour, 45 minutes — J.A. 

SLUMDOG 

MILLIONAIRE ✭✭✭✭ 

(Aquarius) In present-day Mumbai, 

Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) sits on the hot 

seat of India’s “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” 

game show, poised to win the 

elusive grand prize of 20 million rupees. 

Refusing to believe that Jamal is coming 

by his answers honestly, the police 

get involved, punctuating their brutal 

torture tactics with questions on how a 

simple chai server from India’s poorest 

slums came by such arcane knowledge. 

With serendipitous charm, flashbacks 

detail Jamal’s rise through hardscrabble 

poverty to survival of the fittest. Rated: 

R for violence, language and disturbing 

images. 1 hour, 56 minutes. In English 

and Hindi with English subtitles. — J.A. 

■ MOVIECRITICS 

S.T.-Susan Tavernetti, 

J.A.-Jeanne Aufmuth, T.H.-Tyler Hanley 

Here’s your chance to 

escape big-city living. 

Without ever 

leaving the city. 

A great retirement lifestyle 

that’s right next door. 

373 Pine Lane 

Los Altos, CA 94022 

(650) 948-8291, ext. 103 

www.pilgrim-haven.org 

CONTINUING CARE WITH A TRADITION OF TRUST 

Pilgrim Haven in Los Altos, California, is 

owned and operated by ABHOW, a California 

nonprofit public benefit corporation. ABHOW is a 

nonsectarian corporation, serving seniors through 

quality retirement housing since 1949. State of 

California License #430708050, DHS License 

#220000418, Certificate of Authority #94. 

Very few people give any thought to the motor mounts 

in their vehicles. Yet, these very important components are 

responsible for holding the engine in its proper position in 

the engine bay. If any of the steel and rubber components 

were to fail (usually due to an oil leak that has softened 

the rubber), the engine would sag and rotate under 

its own torque. As a result of this shift in position, the 

radiator fan could slice through hoses and scrape away 

at its plastic shroud. At the very least, failed mounts are 

likely to give rise to some worrisome noises under the 

hood, which should alert vehicle owners to schedule an 

immediate inspection. 

Regular inspections of your vehicle, performed by an 

automotive professional can prevent a catastrophic failure 

American • German • Japanese LARRY’S 

650 968-5202 

Award-winning clean, modern facility. 

Over 36 years of doing things right. 

Stanford Continuing Studies - Celebrating 20 Years! 

Stanford Continuing Studies offers a broad range of courses in liberal arts & sciences, 

creative writing, and professional & personal development. Designed to cultivate learning and enrich 

the lives of adults in the Bay Area, most courses are taught by Stanford instructors and are open to all. 

Winter Registration Now Open 

continuingstudies.stanford.edu 

Brought to you by 

Larry & Laurie Moore 

MOUNTING CONCERN 

of your engine mounts. Such a failure can end up costing 

you much more than preventative maintenance. At Larry's 

AutoWorks, we are proud of our record of serving the 

community, being the trusted source that our neighbors 

can rely on. Call us today to get your oil changed, and 

your engine mounts checked for integrity. We are an 

AAA approved facility located off the 101 Freeway 

on Leghorn between San Antonio and Rengstorff in 

Mountain View. Take the Rengstorff exit south, then right 

on Leghorn. 

HINT: Aside from replacing the engine mounts when 

needed, it is also necessary to correct the oil leak that is the 

proximal cause of their failure. 

AUTOMOTIVE 

SERVICE 

EXCELLENCE 

When you want it right! 

www.autoworks.com 

2526 Leghorn Street, Mountain View (Near Costco) 

Select Courses This Winter: 

Modern Artists in Provence: From Renoir to Late Picasso 

Beginning the New Presidency: The Critical First 90 Days 

Orson Welles: An American Genius 

The Math Behind Technological Innovation 

The Global American Economy: Today and Tomorrow 

A Practical Guide to Creating a Sustainable Energy System 

Global Studies: China (New Course Series) 


GoingsOn 


ART GALLERIES 

“Ghostpile” The Department of Art & Art History 

at Stanford University presents “Ghostpile,” a 

photography exhibition by Lukas Felzmann. Exhibit 

runs through Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Thomas 

Welton Stanford Art Gallery, 419 Lasuen Mall, Stanford. 

Call 650-723-3404. art.stanford.edu 

‘Winter Gifts’ All gallery exhibit featuring 

painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, 

photography, collage, metal work and jewelry. 

Through Dec. 24. Gallery 9 hours: MonñSat., 11 

a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Gallery 9, 143 

Main St., Los Altos. www.gallery9losaltos.com 

Women in Comics, Past & Present Contemporary 

works by women artists: Kathy Aoki, 

Sabrina Jones, Lark Pien, Trina Robbins. Historical 

works from the collection of Trina Robbins. Sponsored 

by Heritage Bank of Commerce. Through 

Jan. 25, 3-7 p.m. No charge, donations accepted. 

Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) at 

Finn Center, 230 San Antonio Circle, 

Mountain View. www.arts4all.org/view 

BENEFITS 

LAHS Holiday Plant Sale Decorate for the 

holidays and support Los Altos High School Instrumental 

Music programs! Poinsettias, wreaths, 

bulbs, dish gardens, baskets, Christmas trees and 

more for sale at the high school and downtown 

Los Altos. Sat. Dec. 6 and 13, 2008, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Free. Los Altos High School, 201 Almond Ave., 

Los Altos. http://sharepoint.mvla.net 

CLASSES/ 

WORKSHOPS 

Cheese Please. Learn how to make mozzarella 

and chevre cheese. Ages 7 and up. Sun., Dec. 14, 

3:30-5 p.m. $15 per person. Hidden Villa, 26870 

Moody Road, Los Altos Hills. http://www.hiddenvilla.org/calendar.php 

Cow Wow Learn cow facts, proper milking techniques 

and how to make butter. Dress warmly. 

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Space is limited. For ages 5 and up. Location: 

Wolken Education Center. Sun., Dec. 21, 8:30- 

10:30 a.m. $15 per person. Hidden Villa, 26870 

Moody Road, Los Altos Hills. 

http://www.hiddenvilla.org/calendar.php 

CPR and First Aid Basic CPR and first Aid 

Classes. Healthcare professional/renewal CPR. 

Call and pre-register. Wednesdays, 5-9:30 p.m. 

Basic CPR $60 and Basic First Aid $40 or combination 

of $75 and Health care Professional $75. 

All Care Plus, Inc, 862 San Antonio Road, Palo 

Alto. Call 650-424-0204. www.allcareplus.org 

Manure to Meadow to MMMMmmm 

“What do worms, cow manure, and alfalfa all have 

in common? Ice Cream! Come explore this question 

on a farm wide scavenger hunt as we learn 

about the connections between farm, field, and 

dessert. We’ll use our new knowledge to make and 

eat ice cream. For ages 6 and up. Location: Wolken 

Ed. Center,” Hidden Villa says. 2-5 p.m. $15 per 

person Hidden Villa, 26870 Moody Road, Los Altos 

Hills. http://www.hiddenvilla.org/calendar.php 

Parent Education Program Adolescent 

Counseling Services offers the PEP, a new informative 

support group for parents who are raising 

teenagers. Classes will be held every Tuesday 

night for eight weeks from Oct. 28 through Dec. 

16. 7-8:30 p.m. Fee based on a sliding scale. 

Adolescent Counseling Services Main Office, 

4000 Middlefield Road, Suite FH, Palo Alto. Call 

650-424-0852, ext.102. www.acs-teens.org 

COMMUNITY EVENTS 

A Winter Wander Land Carolers, Caribbean 

bands, Celtic musicians, Kwanzaa performers and 

more will ring in the season with cheer throughout 

downtown Palo Alto on Thursday evenings 

6-8 p.m. Dec. 4-18, 6-8 p.m. Free. Downtown 

Palo Alto, University Avenue etc., Palo Alto. Call 

650-223-4334. www.paloaltodowntown.org 

, Palo Alto. www.bloomingdales.com 

Christmas Carol Sing-Along Everyone is 

invited to Schola Cantorum’s Christmas Carol 

Sing-Along. Directed by Dawn Reyen, assistant 

conductor, Schola Cantorum. Hot punch and 

cookies served. Sun., Dec. 21, 3-5 p.m. $15 reg.; 

$12 senior.$7 student. Los Altos United Methodist 

Church, 655 Magdalena Ave., Los Altos. Call 

650-254-1700. www.scholacantorum.org 

Egan School Holiday Faire Egan School 

seventh- and eighth-grade students sell homemade 

crafts, gift items and foods. The Faire raises 

funds for the school library and teaches students 

entrepreneurism. Fri., Dec. 12, 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. 

Egan Junior High School, 100 West Portola Ave., 

Los Altos. www.eganschool.org 

Expect Peace Candlelight Gathering 

Gather on Dec. 12 in the park at the corner of 

El Camino Real and Castro Street. Bring a friend 

and candles. Share expectations of peace with 

live music (Annie and the Vets) and an open mic. 

Sponsored by Mountain View Voices for Peace. 

6-7:30 p.m. free. Mountain View. 

Call 650-691-1215. www.mvvp.org 

Holiday Gift Fair Support craftspeople 

overseas; music, refreshments and other holiday 

activities. Items for sale include jewelry, scarves, 

soaps and lotions, stationary, purses and bags, 

rugs, bowls and toys. Sun., Dec. 14, noon-2:30 

p.m. Free. Open Door Church Mountain View, 

Fellowship Hall on the grounds of Mountain View 

First Presbyterian Church 1667 Miramonte Ave., 

Mountain View. Call 650-330-7525 . 

PA High School Flea Market Music Boosters 

Flea Market and Craft Faire is held on the 

second Saturday of each month. All proceeds go 

to the Palo Alto High School Music Department. 

Sat., Dec. 13, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Palo Alto High 

School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto. 

CONCERTS 

‘Deck the Holidays’ with Aurora Singers 

The 66-voice Aurora Singers will “Deck the 

Holidays” in a winter concert. Featuring send-ups 

THE NUTCRACKER 

Western Ballet performs this classic. Friday Dec. 12 at 7 p.m., Sat. Dec. 13 at 

1 and 7 p.m., Sun., Dec. 14 at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sweet Tea Parties follow the 

matinee performances on Saturday & Sunday at 3 p.m. $24 adults, $23 seniors/ 

children. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., 

Mountain View. Call 650-968-4455. www.westernballet.org 

of three “Nutcracker” tunes, a gospel-style version 

of Handel’s “Hallelujah.” Sing-along segments 

and a post-concert reception. Sat., Dec. 20, 

7 p.m. $7 (kids, students, seniors) $9 (general). 

Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, 505 E. 

Charleston Road., Palo Alto. 

Call 650-323-6912. www.aurorasingers.net 

27th Annual Holiday Concert A range 

of musical styles from Irish to Brazilian, with Ed 

Johnson & Carol McComb, the Gryphon All Stars 

and the Gryphon Carolers. Tickets available online 

or at Gryphon Stringed Instruments. Fri., Dec. 

19, 8-10:30 p.m. $25 Premium/$15 General/$10 

Seniors & Under 12. Spangenberg Theatre, 780 

Arastradero Road, Palo Alto. 

http://www.gryphonallstars.com/concert.html 

Bay Choral Guild: An Orthodox Christmas 

Bay Choral Guild (formerly Cantabile 

Chorale) presents glorious Christmas music from 

Russia and Eastern Europe: Tchaikovsky’s “Cherubic 

Hymn,” and Bortniansky’s “Sacred Concerto 

#6,” as well as anthems and carols from Estonia, 

Ukraine and Romania. Sun., Dec. 14, 4:30-6 p.m. 

General $25; seniors $20; students $6. St. Mark’s 

Episcopal Church, 600 Colorado Ave., 

Palo Alto. www.baychoralguild.org 

California Youth Symphony Holiday 

Concert The California Youth Symphony offers its 

annual gift of music to the community: a free concert 

of classical and seasonal favorites on Sunday, 

December 14. Highlighting this year’s holiday concert 

will the orchestra’s first performance of Toshiro 

Mayuzumi’s “Concerto for Xylophone and Orchestra.” 

Sun., Dec. 14, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Smithwick 

Theatre, Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los 

Altos Hills. Call 650-325-6666. http://cys.org 

Celebrate the Holidays Make the New 

Century Chamber Orchestra part of your family 

this holiday season. Featuring the NCCO, 

Melody Moore (soprano) and Schola Cantorum 

San Francisco performing Handel, J.S. Bach and 

holiday songs and carols. Fri., Dec. 12, 8-10 p.m. 

$32/$54. First United Methodist Church, Palo 

Alto, 625 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto. 

Call 415 - 357 1111. www.ncco.org 

Jaliya, Mali African Storytelling & 

Drumming Journey from Africa to the U.S. 

through folk tales, music and dance. Part of the 

“Music at 7, Faculty & Friends series.” Sponsored 

by Applied Materials. Thu., Dec. 18, 8-9 p.m. 

Donations accepted. Community School of Music 

and Arts (CSMA) at Finn Center, 230 San Antonio 

Circle, Mountain View. Call 650-917-6800. 

www.arts4all.org/calendar.htm 

DANCE 

English Country Dancing English Country 

Dance. Live music, no partner needed, all dances 

taught, comfortable clothes and shoes. 1st, 3rd, 

5th Wednesdays through June. 8-10 p.m. $9/$7 

members/$5 students. Flex-It Studio, 425 Evelyn 

Ave., Mountain View. Call 650-224-5318. http:// 

www.bacds.org/series/english/mountain_view/ 

ENVIRONMENT 

Environmental Docent-Led Walks of 

Shoreline Learn about Shoreline at Mountain 

View’s: maritime history; landfill legacy; environmental 

processes; ecosystems; birds, wildlife; and 

more. Walks depart from Rengstorff House and 

last about one hour on the 4th Sunday of every 

month. Bring/Wear: layered clothing, walking 

shoes, binoculars. No advanced reservations 

required. 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Rengstorff House, 

Shoreline at Mountain View, 3070 N. Shoreline 

Blvd., Mountain View. Call 650-903-6073. 

http://www.ci.mtnview.ca.us 

EXHIBITS 

In Color, In Season An exhibit of paintings by 

the members of the Bay Area Contemporary Plein 

Air Circle (BACPAC). Join the artists at a reception. 

■ HIGHLIGHT 

Fri., Dec. 12, 5-7 p.m. Free. Main Street Cafe and 

Books, 134 Main St., Los Altos. 

Call 650-493-5742. www.bayarea-pleinair.com 

Moffett Field Historical Society Museum 

Museum displays memorabilia, artifacts, 

photos and aircraft models; tours of museum and 

view of the exterior of Hangar One. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 

Wed.-Sat. Admission fee charged. Moffett Field 

Historical Society Museum, Building 126, Moffett 

Federal Airfield, off Highway 101, Mountain View. 

Stanford Art Spaces Stanford University 

Stitched monotypes, Katherine K. Allen. 

Sculpture, Feng Jin. Mixed Media, Kay Kang. 

Paintings, Chunming Yu. From Oct. 31 to Jan. 8. 

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Free Stanford Art Spaces, 420 

Via Palou, Stanford. Call 650-725-3622. 

http://cis.stanford.edu/~marigros 

FAMILY AND KIDS 

Festival of Trees! Lytton welcomes the community 

to see more than 15 decorated trees, sip 

hot cider and enjoy holiday cheer. Carolers, Holiday 

piano and Santa’s ornament workshop. Sat., 

Dec. 13, 4-6 p.m. Free. Lytton Gardens Senior 

Communities, 437 Webster St., Palo Alto. Call 

650-328-3300. www.LyttonGardens.org 

Gamble Garden - Kid’s Holiday Puppet 

Shows Holiday puppet shows. “A Time to be 

Jolly” by The Puppet Company. Sat., Dec. 13, 10 

& 11:30 a.m.; 1 p.m. $10 members, $15 nonmembers. 

Reservations required. Gamble Garden, 

1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. Call 650-329-1356 

ext. 201. http://www.gamblegarden.org 

PACT School Tour The PACT School is a public 

magnet school accepting K-5 students from all districts, 

Visit PACT classrooms during the school day. 

Meet at Castro School front office. Tue., Dec. 16, 

1-2 p.m. Free. Mariano Castro School, 505 Escuela 

Ave., Mountain View. www.pactschool.net 

LIVE MUSIC 

California Pops Orchestra “Holiday with 

the Pops!” show of holiday pop music by the 

California Pops Orchestra, will be performed Sun., 

Dec. 14 Venture Christian Church Theater, 16845 

Hicks Road, Los Gatos. 

www.californiapopsorchestra.com 

Holiday Caroling Hark! Do you hear the 

melodious sounds of the holidays? Peninsula Youth 

Theatre’s Holiday Carolers are singing songs of the 

season. www.pytnet.org. Sat. Dec. 13, 2008, 3-4 

p.m. Free. Bloomingdale’s, 1 Stanford Shopping 

Center, Palo Alto. www.bloomingdales.com 

ON STAGE 

“A Christmas Carol” at Palo Alto 

Children’s Theatre A musical adaptation of 

Dickens’ holiday classic follows Scrooge’s magical 

journey. Plays Dec. 5-20, $10 adult, $5 child. Palo 

Alto Children’s Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, 

Palo Alto. Call 650-463-4930. 

www.cityofpaloalto.org/childrenstheatre 

“Season’s Greetings” A group of family and 

friends gather for an old-fashioned Christmas 

celebration that quickly degenerates into three 

days of slapstick holiday angst in Bus Barn Stage’s 

show performing Nov. 20 to Dec. 20. 7:30-9:30 

p.m. $22-$32. Bus Barn Stage Company, 97 Hillview 

Ave., Los Altos. Call 650-941-0551. 

http://www.busbarn.org 

RELIGION/ 

SPIRITUALITY 

A Christmas Concert Concert will perform the 

collection of Swami Kriyananda’s Christmas music 

along with that of other composers. Sat., Dec. 13, 

Continued on next page


7:30 p.m. $10. Ananda, 2171 El Camino Real, Palo 

Alto. Call 650-323-3363. www.anandapaloalto.org 

A Musical Solstice A candlelit, participatory 

winter solstice ritual, with choral music by Joan 

McMillen. Sun., Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m. Suggested 

donation $5-10. Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 

E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto. Call 650-858-2436. 

Insight Meditation South Bay Shaila Catherine 

and guest teachers lead a weekly Insight Meditation 

sitting followed by a talk on Buddhist teachings 

every Tuesday, 7:30-9 p.m. Free. St. Timothy’s 

Episcopal Church, 2094 Grant Road, Mountain 

View,. Call 650-857-0904. www.imsb.org 

Two Christmas Eve Services A special 

service for youth and families is at 5 p.m., and the 

adult service is at 8. These celebrations include 

carols, an inspirational message and traditional 

candle lighting. At the 8 p.m. service the choir 

sings, and child care is available with advance 

notice by Dec 19. Wed., Dec. 24, 5-9 p.m. Unity 

Palo Alto, 3391 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Call 

650-849-1109. www.UnityPaloAlto.org 

SENIORS 

Holiday Gala Music offered by Jerry Jay’s Quartet, 

dancing and light refreshments. Wed., Dec. 17, 

4-6 p.m. Free. Mountain View Senior Center, 266 

Escuela Ave., Mountain View. Call 650-903-6330. 

Mountain View Senior Center Newcomers’ 

Group An orientation and tour of the 

Mountain View Senior Center is scheduled for Tue., 

Dec. 16. It includes a review of classes, upcoming 

events, social services and general information. 11 

a.m.-noon. Free. Mountain View Senior Center, 266 

Escuela Ave., Mountain View. Call 650-903-6330. 

SPECIAL EVENTS 

Annual LEGO Train Exhibit The Museum 

GoingsOn 

Low Cost Divorce/Living Trust 

DOCUMENT PREPARATION SERVICE 

Kyle & Koko 

of American Heritage and BayLUG present the 

annual Holiday LEGO Train Exhibit. Through Jan. 

11, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Museum of American 

Heritage, 351 Homer Ave., Palo Alto. 

Call 650-321-1004. www.moah.org 

Chopshticks: A Tradition of Comedy 

and Chinese Food Chopshticks - a tradition 

of first-rate comedy and Chinese food. This year, 

Gary Gulman of “Last Comic Standing” is headlining. 

Wednesday, Dec. 24, 7-9 p.m. $70. Contact 

Boris Vladimirsky for tables of 10 at 650-852- 

3509. 7-9 p.m. $70. Contact Boris Vladimirsky for 

tables of 10 at 650-852-3509. Ming’s Restaurant, 

1700 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto. Call 650-852- 

3509. http://www.paloaltojcc.org/chopshticks 

Holiday Sale in Los Altos Sale of Italian 

imports, leather jackets, handbags, accessories, 

including Murano jewelry, from Florence, Murano, 

Venice and Bari, Italy. Sale of eco-friendly linens 

and bangles from India. Dec. 13-14, 10 a.m.-6 

p.m. American Legion Hall #558, 347 First St., Los 

Altos. Call 650-559-0825. www.piakaghar.com 

MIX MIX: Third Thursdays at the Cantor Arts 

Center. Escape the holiday frenzy, relax with a 

cocktail, the sounds of flamenco guitarist Tans or 

a walk through the exhibition “D¸rer to Picasso.” 

Thu., Dec. 18, 2008, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Cantor 

Arts Center at Stanford University, 328 Lomita 

Drive, Stanford. Call 650-723-3482. http:// 

museum.stanford.edu/participate/mix.html 

TALKS/AUTHORS 

Maya Lin: “Systematic Landscapes” 

Mina Shea, art docent, gives an illustrated lecture 

on the work of Maya Lin, designer of the VieTnam 

Veterans Memorial. Tue., Dec. 16, 7:30-8:30 p.m. 

Free. Los Altos Library Program Room, 13 S. San 

Antonio Road, Los Altos. Call 650-948-7683. 

santaclaracountylib.org/los_altos 

One on One with Charlene Li Charlene Li 

is a thought leader on emerging technologies, 

co-author of ‘Groundswell’, named by Amazon as 

one of the top 10 business books of 2008. Wed. 

INCLUDES: 

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230 S. California Ave., #103 

Palo Alto, CA 94306 

We The People ® 

650-324-3800 

We the People is a registered trademark. Stores are owned/operated by franchisees who are not 

lawyers, cannot represent customers; select legal forms, or give advice on rights or laws. Services are 

provided at customers’ request and are not a substitute for advice of a lawyer. Prices do not include court costs. 

Stanford 

Driving School 

Holiday Savings Package 

FREE CLASSROOM TRAINING with the purchase 

of Freeway plus driver training 

Must have coupon for this offer. Expires Dec. 30, 2008 

Holiday In-Class Schedule 

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 

Sat 11/15 Sun 11/16 Sat 11/22 Sun 11/23 

Sat 12/20 Sun 12/21 Mon 12/22 Tues12/23 

Sat 12/27 Sun 12/28 Mon 12/29 Tues12/30 

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To register online, please visit our website at: 

www.StanfordDrivingSchool.net 

Dec. 17, 2008, 7-9 p.m. $20. Samovar Conference 

Hall, 1077 Independence Ave., Mountain View. 

Call 650-941-8464. http://www.meetup.com/ 

CIO-IT-Executives/calendar/9139584/ 

PARC Forum “The Force.com Multitenant 

Architecture: Understanding the Design of 

Salesforce.com’s Internet Application Development 

Platform”, Todd McKinnon, Salesforce. 

com. Todd’s talk will explain the technology that 

makes the For ce.com platform fast, scalable, 

and secure for any type of applications. Thu., 

Dec. 18, 4-5 p.m. Free. George E. Pake Auditorium, 

3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto. Call 

650-812-4000. http://www.parc.com 

VOLUNTEERS 

Interpretive Tour Leaders Develop and 

lead outdoor nature walks, this spring and 

beyond. City of Mountain View, 3070 N. Shoreline, 

Mountain View. Call 650-903-6073. 

http://www.ci.mountainview.ca.us/ 

Junior Museum & Zoo Office volunteers 

are needed to help with fundraising, community 

relations and special events. Data input, mailings, 

Internet research, etc. 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. Junior 

Museum & Zoo, 1451 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. 

Call 650-326-6338. www.friendsjmz.org 

Volunteer Rangers Shoreline at Mountain 

View seeks volunteer rangers to educate the 

public and assist visitors at the 750-acre wildlife/ 

recreation area and nearby Stevens Creek Trail. 

Flexible scheduling for gatehouse, bicycle and/or 

foot patrol positions. City of Mountain View, 3070 

N. Shoreline, Mountain View. Call 650-903-6073. 

http://www.ci.mountainview.ca.us/ 

■ MORELISTINGS 

For a complete listing of local 

events, see our website at 

www.PaloAltoOnline.com 

BodyKneads SPA+SALON 

Holiday Gift Ideas! 

Body Kneads Signature Facial, 

Manicure, and Pedicure . . . . $79 

One Hour Swedish Massage 

and 30 minute Jacuzzi . . . . . . $65 

Manicure 

and Spa Pedicure . . . . . . . . . $25 

Short Getaway Package...........................$145 

1 Hour Swedish Massage, Express Facial, Manicure, 

and Spa Pedicure Gift Certificates Available 

�� 

�� 

Offer ends Dec. 31, 2008. 

$99 Rate* 

Ask about 

our Holiday 

Friends & 

Family rate! 

A Tropical Treat for 

Your Holiday Guests 

Do you have friends and family visiting for the 

holidays? Treat them to a refreshing escape at 

Dinah’s Garden Hotel, a luxurious retreat in a 

tropical-style setting.Trader Vic’s restaurant on site. 

4261 El Camino Real, Palo Alto 

650.493.2844 ◆ www.dinahshotel.com 

*Offer valid for Garden Rooms from Nov. 20– 

Jan. 4. Rates are valid Thursday-Sunday and are 

based on availability. To reserve, visit our Web site 

and use the special Web booking code “HOLID” 

or call the hotel at 650.493.2844. 

A Guide to the Spiritual Community 

MOUNTAIN VIEW CENTRAL 

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST 

Saturday Services, Worship 11:00 am 

Sabbath School, 10 am 

Wednesday Study Groups, 10:00 am & 7:00 pm 

1425 Springer Rd., Mtn. View Office Hours 9-1, M-Fri 

650-967-2189 

We Invite You to Learn and Worship with Us. 

Come to Sunday Bible Study 9 AM, 

Interim Pastor Dick Spencer’s 

Biblically based Sermons and 

Worship Service 10:30 AM 

www.fpcmv.org 

1667 Miramonte (Cuesta at Miramonte) 650.968.4473 

To include your Church in Inspirations 

Please call Blanca Yoc at 650-326-8210 ext. 221 

or e-mail byoc@paweekly.com 

Los Altos Union 

Presbyterian Church 

858 University Avenue 650.948-4361 

WWW.UNIONPC.ORG 

Turn East on University 

off El Monte Ave. 

between I-280 and Foothill Expwy 

Sunday Schedule: 3 Worship Times! 

8:00 am Breakfast@Union #1 Worship 

9:30am Breakfast@Union #2 Worship 

9:45 am Church School Nursery 

11:00 am Worship in the Sanctuary, 

Club Sunday for Children, Nursery 

Los Altos 

Lutheran 

Church 

ELCA 

Pastor David K. Bonde 

Outreach Pastor 

Gary Berkland 

9:00 am Worship 

10:30 am Education 

Nursery Care Provided 

Alpha Courses 

650-948-3012 

460 S. El Monte Ave., Los Altos 

www.losaltoslutheran.org 


©2008 Embarcadero Publishing Company. Express is a trademark of Embarcadero Publishing Company. 


Palo Alto Weekly 

Shop local, give local. 

It is the time of the year when we all should give thanks for our blessings. This year, we are 

thankful for your ongoing readership, enthusiasm and support of the Mountain View Voice, 

Mountain View Online, and Express our e-daily weekday news digest. 

This season is challenging for our local independent 

businesses. There is something simple and pro-active 

you can do to help this holiday season: Shop Local. 

It would be a great time to show your support of our fine, 

locally-owned stores and restaurants with your shopping 

and dining dollars being spent right here at home. 

Where we shop, where we eat and where we have fun 

this holiday season — all of it helps to ensure that our 

one-of-a-kind Midpeninsula community businesses will 

continue to be integral to the distinctive character that 

is our home. 

Thank you for shopping and dining 

locally this season. Your patronage will 

make a major difference to our 

fine area retailers. 

Daily via e-mail Fridays in print 

2008 

Holiday 

Fund 

And also please consider supporting our 

Midpeninsula communities this season 

with a gift to the Holiday Fund. In so 

doing, you give to nonprofit groups that 

work right here in your community. With 

your generosity, we can give a major 

boost to the programs in our community 

helping kids and families. Please visit our 

website to get all the details on how to 

give. Thank you. 

Happy Holidays! 

ONLINE 

�� MountainViewOnline.com 

24/7

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