Around Town Around Town (June 09, 2004)

BA-BA-BA-BOUNCY! ... The sharp eye of City Auditor Sharon Erickson has tackled the city's laborious planning process, hefty overtime spending and complicated utility risk procedures. Last week she reported on a smaller, less critical target: checks written to the city that bounce. The city currently imposes a $10 fee on anyone who bounces a check, since it gets a $3.50 bill from the bank for each return. But since city revenue collectors spend from seven to 10 hours a week on such checks, and they make approximately $30 an hour, the checks are costing the city $35 apiece. Erickson's solution? Raise the fee to make up for the lost cost. Palo Alto got 311 checks returned last year, totaling $120,955.

THE GREY MISSUS ... The Palo Alto Daily News has inspired an unusual contest from the University South Neighborhood Association: spot the errors in the publication's best-of contest. The goal? Find more than three language mistakes and win an ice cream cone at the shop voted "best of" this year, the association's e-mail newsletter noted. Unfortunately, punctuation errors only count only for a half-point.

FIT OR FIBBING? . . . According to kids who participated in an online poll backed by a Palo Alto-based gaming Web site, they're doing more than developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Out of the 6,000 respondents who participated in one of three Bonus.com's online surveys, 61 percent said they exercised or played sports more than once a day. The survey also asked participants about their junk food consumption and view on their physical fitness. Sixty-six percent of respondents characterized their physical fitness as "great" and 46 percent said they eat junk food "quite a bit." Bonus.com's findings are in stark contrast to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Surgeon General's office. Right now, 15 percent of all children in the United States are overweight, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. At the rate those numbers are increasing, that will soon include one third of all children. One of the biggest contributors: the Internet, according to the U.S. Surgeon General and the health department.

BUSINESS IS BUSINESS ... If reports come true, say good-bye to the Hyatt hotel on El Camino, ciao to the Albertson's grocery store on Alma Street and sayonara to the Volvo car dealer on Charleston Avenue. Amidst all this negative news, Mayor Bern Beecham will hold a forum to discuss Palo Alto's retailers. The discussion will take place Friday, June 11, 2004 at 8:30 a.m. in the City Council Chambers located at 250 Hamilton Avenue. The event is free and open to the public. Beecham established an Ad Hoc Retail Committee in March of 2004, following his State of the City address. The committee has met monthly to discuss issues facing retail businesses and suggest possible courses of action. At the forum, the committee will present ideas for enhancing the sector. Their final recommendations will go to the City Council in the fall.

PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER ... More than 60 volunteers from PG&E helped restore the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve last Saturday. They also helped construct a new native plant nursery. It was all part of Save The Bay's "Community-Based Restoration program," which brings people and communities together to restore Bay wetlands and keep them healthy. PG&E also presented a $10,000 check to the "watershed education program," which helps connect people to the Bay while strengthening community ties through hands-on education, restoration and recreation. The new native plant nursery will be used to propagate native species to be planted next winter and spring at the 6-acre Palo Alto Baylands restoration site.

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