News digest News digest (September 01, 2004)

Stanford gets big gift

Stanford University has received $43.5 million from Charles T. Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and his wife, Nancy B. Munger. The donation will support the university's law school and finance construction of housing for law, business and other graduate students.

The gift is believed to be the largest ever given to an American law school, and is the largest Stanford has ever received to finance housing construction.

"In recent years there have been few more pressing issues at Stanford than the need to construct student housing," said Stanford President John Hennessy.

Plans have not been finalized yet for the housing, which is expected to be built adjacent to the law school.

--Don Kazak
Anti-tax measure campaign begins

A group of Palo Alto residents opposed to the school district tax measure on the Nov. 2 ballot kicked off its campaign Saturday with the announcement that Wayne Martin will chair the campaign and Tom Ashton will serve as treasurer.

Measure I would increase the current $293 per year tax on properties in the Palo Alto Unified School District to $521 a year.

Opponents of the tax measure have already designed proposed lawn signs.
Teenager killed in drive-by shooting

San Mateo County Sheriff's Department detectives reported Monday morning they still don't have any significant leads in the drive-by murder of an East Palo Alto boy last Friday night.

Jamel Mims, 15, was shot from a passing car at 8:52 p.m. while he and a friend stood in the front yard of a house at 2261 Clarke Ave. The boy's friend received a minor wound.

Information about the shooting is sketchy so far, said Sgt. Linda Gibbons, with no description of the assailants. The car might be a 1980s Nissan or similar make.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Gary Ramos at (650) 363-4064, Detective John Munsey at (650) 363-4017, or the anonymous tip line at (800) 547-2700.

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