Recent news headlines from Palo Alto Online
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Hotel guests to pay for Palo Alto tourism efforts
Seeking to save some cash and "get out of the hotel business," Palo Alto officials agreed Monday night to end the city's "Destination Palo Alto" contract. Instead, the city will promote local hotels through a regional "Tourism Business Improvement District." (Tuesday, 2:58 AM)

High-speed-rail ridership figures challenged
The agency charged with building California's controversial high-speed rail system is basing its ridership and revenue forecasts on a deeply flawed model that hasn't been adequately reviewed, a Palo Alto-based watchdog group is alleging. (Tuesday, 1:48 AM)

Monday, February 8, 2010
Two injured in East Palo Alto shooting
Two male victims were injured in a shooting in East Palo Alto on Saturday night, police said Monday. (Monday, 10:29 PM)

Alvarez case: 'Evil killer' sentenced to death
Convicted cop-killer Alberto Alvarez showed little emotion in a packed Redwood City courtroom Monday morning as a judge handed him a death sentence for the Jan. 7, 2006, murder of East Palo Alto police Officer Richard May. (Monday, 5:14 PM)

Palo Alto meeting today to focus on high-speed rail
Residents concerned about the design of the proposed high-speed rail system will have a chance to get an early look at the various design alternatives at a special meeting in Palo Alto at 3:30 p.m. today (Tuesday). (Monday, 5:06 PM)

Hunger crisis hits local counties, survey shows
One in four people are at risk for hunger in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, according to a report to be released by the nationwide hunger-relief charity "Feeding America" in mid-March. (Monday, 9:17 AM)

Sunday, February 7, 2010
Small earthquake hits northeast of Milpitas
A 2.5 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Milpitas at 7:40 p.m. Sunday night, according to the United States Geological Survey. (Sunday, 10:58 PM)

'Destination Palo Alto' may be scrapped, replaced
Visitors to Palo Alto's largest hotels may soon be asked to subsidize the Palo Alto's effort to market itself as a world-class visitor destination -- if the City Council tonight decides to drop its lackluster "Destination Palo Alto" efforts. (Sunday, 4:34 PM)

Judge sentences Alberto Alvarez to death
Alberto Alvarez should die for killing East Palo Alto police Officer Richard May in 2006, Judge Craig Parsons of San Mateo County Superior Court decreed this morning -- upholding a jury's recommendation. (Sunday, 4:33 PM)

Friday, February 5, 2010
Cooley Landing
The city's history of dreams began in 1849 at this spot. (Friday, 3:54 PM)

Cooley Landing workshop to be held Saturday
The City of East Palo Alto is hosting a workshop Saturday (Feb. 6) to solicit community input on Cooley Landing, an 8.5-acre peninsula at the end of Bay Road, surrounded on three sides by the San Francisco Bay. (Friday, 3:47 PM)

VIDEO/MULTIMEDIA
A compilation of video content from the Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Online staff. (Friday, 10:27 AM)

PUBLIC AGENDA: City Council, closed-door session on labor negotiations
The Palo Alto City Council plans to hold a closed-door session Monday morning to discuss labor negotiations. (Friday, 10:22 AM)

Feature story: The antitrust advocate
At 60, Gary Reback is a Valley legal celebrity, having had a hand in nearly every big antitrust case here since he moved from the East Coast to practice law in 1981. Now he's taken aim at Google's ambitious plan for a digital library. (Friday, 10:17 AM)

Expert: Treat junk food like cigarettes
America will solve its obesity problem when eating junk food becomes as socially unacceptable as smoking cigarettes. That was the message of David Kessler, former chief of the Food and Drug Administration, who famously took on the tobacco industry when he was commissioner in the 1990s. (Friday, 9:55 AM)

Palo Alto police launch texting tip line
A new anonymous tip line that allows police to receive cell phone text messages and e-mail communications from the public was launched Thursday, Palo Alto Police announced. (Friday, 9:49 AM)

Five Atherton homes hit by daytime burglars
A home was burglarized Thursday (Feb. 4), the latest in a string of bold daytime burglaries in Atherton over the past week. (Friday, 8:43 AM)

Thursday, February 4, 2010
Zumot's bail request hinges on recordings
Bulos Zumot, the Palo Alto man whom police said strangled Jennifer Schipsi and burned down the house the two of them shared last October, allegedly told at least two people that he was at the scene of crime before it was reported, a Santa Clara County prosecutor said Thursday afternoon. (Thursday, 5:22 PM)

2010 Tall Tree award honorees named
Palo Alto's 2010 Tall Tree awards will recognize suicide-prevention and mental health advocates Victor and Mary Ojakian; local developer and Junior Museum and Zoo board member Roxy Rapp; transitional-employment program Downtown Streets Team; and longtime Palo Alto business Stern Mortgage Company. (Thursday, 5:00 PM)

El Camino bell to grace El Palo Alto site
Bellmaker John Kolstad put the finishing touches Wednesday on a new "El Camino Real bell" that will be officially dedicated in Palo Alto this weekend to mark the site of the historic El Palo Alto, the city's namesake tree. The dedication ceremony will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Alma Street entrance to El Palo Alto Park. Video by Martin Sanchez and Tyler Hanley. (Thursday, 3:55 PM)

Judge to consider 'competence' in Walgreen's arson case
New evidence about the possible mental incompetence of convicted Walgreen's arsonist Donald Ray Williams leaves open the possibility of overturning his conviction, U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel said Thursday morning in San Jose. During a scrappy, often contentious hearing with Williams' defense attorney Susan Steiger Dondershine, Fogel agreed to a hearing to possibly overturn Williams' conviction based on Constitutional grounds. (Thursday, 2:59 PM)

REAL ESTATE: Barron Park
The days of summer ice-cream socials held to welcome new neighbors, spring gatherings in the park and winter parades complete with marching band and donkeys, have gone by the wayside -- unless you live in the community of Barron Park. Visit PaloAltoOnline.com/real_estate for the complete story, as well as a map of homes for sale, neighborhood guides, virtual tours and more. (Thursday, 12:27 PM)

Stanford doctors in Haiti: 'Apocalyptic scene'
Two Stanford physicians who just returned from performing round-the-clock relief efforts in Haiti described it as "the most intense and rewarding experience of our lives." (Thursday, 9:53 AM)

Retired high-tech marketing exec Harry Lewenstein dies at 83
Harry Lewenstein, a retired electronics industry marketing executive, died Wednesday (Feb. 3), four days after his 83rd birthday. He died at home, his family reported, of complications from treatment for a bone marrow cancer. A memorial gathering will be held Friday (Feb. 5) at 4 p.m. at the Hyatt Classic Residences in Palo Alto, where Lewenstein and his wife of 54 years, Marion, have lived since 2005. (Thursday, 9:51 AM)

Allied Arts Guild gives $110,000 to hospital
The Allied Arts Guild Auxiliary recently donated $110,000 to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. The auxiliary owns and operates the Allied Arts Guild complex in Menlo Park and runs it for the benefit of Lucile Packard Hospital. (Thursday, 9:09 AM)

Will big development clog Menlo Park streets?
Several major land-development projects in the works could mean greatly increased traffic on several streets in Menlo Park and Atherton. (Thursday, 8:33 AM)

Police release sketch in Mountain View sex assault
Mountain View police are asking for help in catching the man who sexually assaulted a woman last month outside her home on the 800 block of East El Camino Real. He is described as a white or light-skinned Latino man in his late 20s, more than 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build. (Thursday, 8:23 AM)

Morning accident stalls Bayshore in Palo Alto
A morning commute-hour crash briefly closed three southbound lanes on U.S. Highway 101 early this morning. (Thursday, 7:59 AM)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Walgreen's arson judge runs out of patience
U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel has reached the end of his patience with delays in a hearing to overturn the conviction of Walgreen's arsonist Donald Ray Williams, court papers reveal. "I'm sorry to be irritable, but this case is starting to get to me," Judge Fogel tells attorneys. (Wednesday, 10:01 PM)

Palo Alto family displaced by kitchen fire
A family of four was temporarily displaced from the family home on Iris Way by a kitchen fire Monday night, fire officials said. There were no injuries reported. (Wednesday, 9:35 AM)

Flora, fauna and sculpture
While a new self-guided podcast tour of the Stanford campus' plants, animals and science art often urges walkers to check out birds and trees -- and mingles human voices with birdsong -- much of it is about the relationship between science and art. Photos by Ron Evans. (Wednesday, 8:45 AM)

Obama's budget boosts NASA Ames
The announcement of President Obama's new direction for space exploration has caused rancor in other parts of the country, where NASA's flagship moon program will be lost. But in Mountain View, NASA Ames' programs will be getting a boost, officials say. (Wednesday, 8:14 AM)

Students jump for world record
Just before 9 a.m. Monday morning, more than 500 Mountain View students in blue-and-yellow gym uniforms stood at attention on the blacktop, jump ropes at the ready. Then all at once they began whipping their neon ropes around in an attempt to make history. (Wednesday, 8:10 AM)

Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Developer, 88, says Palo Alto stalling till he dies
Developer Harold Hohbach, who wants to build 84 apartments and a research-and-development facility on Page Mill Road, has filed a federal lawsuit against Palo Alto, claiming that city officials are illegally stifling the controversial project. Hohbach, 88, claims the city is stalling until he dies. (Tuesday, 4:51 PM)

'Hot Zone' author cancels local talk
Richard Preston, author of "The Hot Zone" and "The Wild Trees," will no longer be speaking at the Wallace Stegner Lecture Series in Mountain View. Preston was set to start this year's series with a talk on Feb. 8, but has canceled after breaking a hip while skiing. (Tuesday, 4:34 PM)

Resident calls for probe of Atherton police
An Atherton resident who said he was wrongfully arrested in 2008 on domestic violence charges was exonerated Jan. 14 by a San Mateo County Superior Court judge. Now, he's publicly calling for an investigation into the Atherton Police Department's practices. (Tuesday, 3:06 PM)

SPORTS: Big week for Lin includes a spread in SI
It was a big week for Palo Alto High grad Jeremy Lin, starting with a four-page spread (and a full-page photo of him) on Harvard basketball in Sports Illustrated. While that recognition was great for Lin, the weekend offered something potentially even better. The SI story probably was the highlight of the week as too many turnovers led to an 86-50 loss to Cornell on Saturday. For the complete story, as well as scores, schedules, video and more, visit PASportsOnline.com. (Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 9:15 AM)

Palo Alto votes to fight PG&E 'power grab'
Palo Alto will battle a PG&E-backed statewide ballot initiative that would make it more difficult for public electricity providers to expand service areas and buy new infrastructure. (Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 8:35 AM)

Community colleges prepare for daylong protest
The community college community is using Wednesday and Thursday this week to prepare for a one-day walkout next month over budget cuts, overcrowding, lay-offs and other concerns. (Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 8:32 AM)

Newcomer takes funding lead in Assembly race
A venture capitalist from Menlo Park has surged past two political veterans in the race for campaign fundraising, all but ensuring a tight three-way contest for Ira Ruskin's seat in the state Assembly. Campaign contribution donor lists:
■ Joshua Becker
■ Rich Gordon
■ Yoriko Kishimoto (Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 12:16 AM)

Giving teens a greater voice in Palo Alto
Will students help choose a new principal for Palo Alto High School? Can they have a greater voice in Palo Alto's schools and community in general? These questions will be on the table in a series of three forums planned by teen leaders and community agencies -- starting this Saturday, when organizers hope for a big turnout of young persons. (Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 12:05 AM)

Monday, February 1, 2010
Arrests made in 7-Eleven armed-robbery spree
Mountain View police have three suspects in custody following a spree of armed robberies of 7-Elevens in the city over the past month, including the latest one Saturday night on Rengstorff Avenue. But police do not believe the three are connected with other recent armed robberies in Mountain View. (Monday, February 1, 2010, 2:16 PM)

Taking advantage of clear skies
A runner enjoys the trails at Byxbee Park during a break in the recent storms. Photo by Don Feria/Palo Alto Online. (Monday, February 1, 2010, 9:21 AM)

PUBLIC AGENDA: Architectural Review Board, development at Ming's
The Palo Alto Architectural Review Board is scheduled to review plans for a hotel and restaurant at 1700 Embarcadero Road (Ming's) and a minor addition and remodel of Taco Bell at 910 Charleston Road. (Monday, February 1, 2010, 8:36 AM)

Mountain lion spotted near La Honda
A mountain lion was spotted in an unincorporated part of San Mateo County near La Honda Sunday evening, according to a San Mateo County sheriff's dispatcher. (Monday, February 1, 2010, 8:35 AM)

Missing Menlo Park girl found safe, police report
Jennifer Blair, the missing Menlo Park teenager, has been found and is safe, police confirmed Saturday night. (Monday, February 1, 2010, 8:34 AM)

Chase nets robbery suspect in East Palo Alto
Police have arrested a man linked to a string of armed robberies in Mountain View this month, including one Saturday night. Derreck Stamper, 20, of Newark was arrested after a Mountain View police chase ended in East Palo Alto, where a police dog and his handler apprehended him. (Monday, February 1, 2010, 7:23 AM)

Sunday, January 31, 2010
'Youth well-being' added to Palo Alto priorities
In a day-long retreat marked by thought-out comments and respectful listening, the Palo Alto City Council increased the city's "top priorities for 2010" from three to five. Council members added a focus on "youth well-being" and "land-use and transportation issues," and resurrected a past priority of "emergency preparedness" while quietly dropping "civic engagement for the common good." (Sunday, January 31, 2010, 2:47 PM)

Saturday, January 30, 2010
Zumot challenges constitutionality of bail law
An attorney for accused murderer Bulos "Paul" Zumot argued on Friday in Santa Clara Superior Court that a county statute on setting bail is unconstitutional. (Saturday, January 30, 2010, 6:54 PM)

What a re-leaf!
More than 150 volunteers turned out to re-plant California Avenue in Palo Alto Saturday morning. The community celebration included a Native American blessing ceremony and the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band. Photos by Vivian Wong. See story. (Saturday, January 30, 2010, 2:07 PM)

Volunteers replant trees along California Avenue
The trees are back on California Avenue -- and not without considerable fanfare. What started as a black eye for the City of Palo Alto last September ended as a community celebration of trees Saturday morning, as more than 150 volunteers turned out to re-plant the street. (Saturday, January 30, 2010, 2:04 PM)

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