Community leader Elizabeth 'Liz' Goldberg dies at ... - Almanac News

By Marjorie Mader
Almanac Staff Writer
Revised plans for Oak Knoll
School’s additions will move
to the design phase after
Menlo Park City School District
trustees unanimously approved
the revised plans at their Sept. 11
meeting.
The district’s facility-planning
team will develop architectural
plans for the proposed multipurpose
building and the separate
two-story classroom complex for
fourth- and fifth-graders, both of
which open onto a courtyard.
When completed, the plans
will be forwarded to the Department
of State Architecture for
approval. The district also will
proceed with the environmental
review of the project.
Ahmad Sheikholeslami, the district’s
facility and project manager,
said the district will conduct a comprehensive
traffic study, working
with traffic engineers and the city
of Menlo Park to improve traffic
circulation and accommodations
for bike and pedestrian safety.
Traffic issues were the key concerns
when the revised facilities
plans for the K-5 school were presented
at an Aug. 29 community
meeting.
“I think the positive and constructive
input and interaction
that came through the public
process has assisted the district in
developing the best plan,” said Mr.
Sheikholeslami. “It’s a balance of
accommodating different uses and
the constraints of a limited site.”
Some of the changes include
providing more detail in the pedes-
N E W S
Board moves Oak Knoll School project to design phase
■ Team will continue to work on improving traffic
circulation, safety for cars, bikes, pedestrians, buses.
trian-bike area. The plan provides
parking for up to 250 bikes in
an accessible area that would be
shaded by trees. There will be
ample sidewalks and pathways to
the school. The present pedestrian
crosswalk would move 125 feet
toward Oak Avenue.
Although there had been a flurry
of e-mails circulating about traffic
issues from people concerned
about bicycle safety prior to the
Sept. 11 meeting, only two people
from the public spoke. A number
of concerned parents reportedly
had talked previously with board
President Terry Thygesen and Mr.
Sheikholeslami.
“I am encouraged (to learn) the
plan is not set in stone and there’s
room for working out the (traffic)
details,” said the mother of a firstgrader
at Oak Knoll and a bicyclist.
“I hope the plan will be done thoroughly
to accommodate drivers,
bikers and pedestrians.”
Foundation reaches $2 million milestone
By Marjorie Mader
Almanac Staff Writer
There’s a $2 million reason
for the Menlo Park-Atherton
Education Foundation
to celebrate.
The foundation has reached its
$2 million goal for the “Endowment
for Excellence in Teaching.”
The endowment is designed to
fund professional development
programs that will attract, develop
and retain exceptional teachers in
the district’s Laurel, Encinal and
Oak Knoll elementary schools and
Hillview Middle School.
“Reaching this $2 million mark
demonstrates the commitment the
community has for excellence in
our local schools, and specifically
for the support of our faculty in
their continuing education and
development,” said Mark Box, the
foundation’s co-president.
About four years ago, foundation
supporters envisioned establishing
an endowment to help meet
longer-term, strategic needs of
the school district. Established in
2005, the endowment backers set a
goal of raising $2 million. Earnings
from the endowment would fund
programs for teachers at the rate
of 5 percent of the endowment, or
$100,000, each year.
To celebrate this milestone,
a garden reception will be held
Thursday, Sept. 27, in Atherton to
honor endowment charter donors
and contributors.
Leading the endowment’s fundraising
are Charlot Singleton
(chair), Carol Fields, Peg Phelps,
Ted Schlein and Lynne Young.
The investment committee
includes: Lynne Young (chair),
David Breiner, Bob Burlinson,
Doug Carlson, Jeff Child, Deborah
Fitz, Russ Hall, Grand Lee, Alex
Neville, Steve Peterson, Peg Phelps
and Sue Sutherland.
Serving on the advisory committee
are Dr. June Flora (chair),
Terri Bailard, Floyd Gonella, Dr.
Ann Lieberman, Dr. Raymond
Pecheone, Jo Sauer Mitchell, Ken
Ranella, Charlot Singleton and
Terry Thygesen.
Other funds
The foundation is off to a busy
year on its mission to raise other
funds for district programs.
Its record annual grant of $2
million, presented last June to
the school district, is funding
technology, library, science and
teacher development programs
in the schools. The $2 million
represents 7.5 percent of the
school district’s budget.
This year’s annual campaign is
under way and will culminate
with “Donation Day” on Tuesday,
Nov. 6. Families may drop
off their contributions in the
symbolic red schoolhouse boxes
when they bring their children to
the schools. Volunteers will be on
hand at each school to meet car
pools and answer questions. A
■ SCHOOLS
Rich Rollins, an Oak Knoll
neighbor for 25 years, expressed
his displeasure that the school
board did not endorse a petition
to the City Council, signed by 40
residents last spring, to install traffic
calming measures on Oak Knoll
Avenue. Now, he said, the school is
planning to dump more traffic on
Oak Avenue and asking residents’
cooperation.
In response, Trustee Laura Rich
said trustees didn’t have enough
information then to make an
informed decision.
Trustee Jeff Child said he had
been observing the biking and
traffic situation at Oak Knoll. “The
worst behavior,” he noted, “was
from drivers of cars approaching
school from Oak Avenue and making
a right turn onto Oak Knoll
Lane and dropping off students” in
PHILLIPS BROOKS
continued from page 5
ing an easement from me; they’re
not getting through me.”
Real estate agents have
approached her more than once,
she added, telling her that an
individual wanted to buy her
property for a home.
“They’re never getting a school
there, not after the way it was
misrepresented to me,” she said.
“It was really very sneaky, the
whole thing. They did this whole
thing very sneakily.”
The Almanac was unable to
verify Ms. Bennicas’ characterization
of the school’s intentions.
Alex Von Feldt lives with her
family on Creek Park Drive,
across the creek in Portola Valley
and just west of the site. “I’m worried
about the impact of such an
intense development on the creek
as well as Arastradero Preserve,”
she told the Almanac. “I don’t
know how they (would) plan to
get the traffic in and out without
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the area where parking and stopping
is prohibited during drop-off
hours. A lot of kids riding bikes
are coming to school then, and the
cars are on the right side of the road
where the children are supposed to
ride, he said.
He said he’d like the school and
city to figure out the best way to
provide efficient and safe operations
for everyone — bikers, parkers/walkers,
and people who use the
drop-off lane.
Oak Knoll’s revised plan was
developed in response to concerns
from neighbors and directives
from trustees. It is part of the district’s
strategic planning process to
expand facilities at all four schools
to meet the needs of a growing
enrollment. Funding comes from
the $91.1 million bond measure,
supported by voters in June 2006.
For more information about the
district’s facility planning process,
go to www.mpcsd.org. A
affecting the neighbors.”
Five years ago, the potential
impacts to flora, fauna and a
wetland nixed a Phillips Brooks
campus on 14 acres of a wooded
92-acre parcel on Lawler Ranch
Road in Woodside, just west of
Interstate 280 at Sand Hill Road.
Council weighs in
Given the potential impacts on
Portola Valley, Town Councilman
Steve Toben won a unanimous
council vote to make the
Phillips Brooks matter an “emergency
addition” to the Sept. 12
meeting agenda so that council
members could discuss it.
The council advised Ms. Bennicas
that she has its support.
“We’re going to mount a good
argument in Santa Clara County
and we’re going to be talking
with the leadership in Santa
Clara County,” Mr. Toben said.
“We’re as aroused by this news
(as you are). ... They didn’t come
to the town; they didn’t come to
the neighbors.” A
September 19, 2007 ■ The Almanac ■ 11