News digest News digest (November 12, 2004)

Gas rate increase proposed

Palo Altans' gas rate bills could increase substantially next year.

The City of Palo Alto's Utilities Department and Utilities Advisory Commission are proposing increasing gas rate bills 14 to 19 percent starting Jan. 1, 2005.

The increase is proposed to offset heightened natural gas prices, due to several factors including damage caused by Hurricane Ivan to production facilities.

An 8.5 percent electricity rate increase is already scheduled for next year.

The City Council's Finance Committee will discuss the proposed increase on Tuesday night.
-- Bill D'Agostino

New school district business manager

Gerald Matranga, of Sunnyvale, has been hired as the Palo Alto Unified School District's permanent business manager. Matranga, 62, who has been the San Jose Unified School District's business chief for 10 years, will start in Palo Alto on Jan. 17. Matranga fills the position vacated last month by Bob Golton, who retired. Matranga, who began his career as a teacher, has served on the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as president on the Board of Directors for the Pacific Autism Center for Education. He will start his position at an annual salary of $174,000.

Stem-cell committee gets Stanford dean

A Stanford dean was appointed by State Controller Steve Westly to a stem-cell oversight committee that will help oversee research in California, the controller's office reported.

Westly named Philip Pizzo, dean of Stanford's medical school, to the independent citizens' oversight committee that will govern the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, established by Proposition 71.

Pizzo has been the dean of Stanford's school of medicine since April 2001. He was physician-in-chief of Children's Hospital Boston before that. He received an MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and a bachelor's degree from Fordham University, the controller's office reported.

Westly will make five appointments to the committee and nominate two people to serve as chair and vice chair, according to the controller's office. Westly will also serve as a member of a second panel established by the initiative, the citizens' financial accountability oversight committee, and appoint one of its members.

Appointees serve six-year terms with a maximum of two terms.
-- Bay City News Service

Man killed on Caltrain tracks near Stanford

A man was struck and killed on Caltrain tracks near Stanford University on Saturday, Caltrain spokeswoman Jayme Maltbie Kunz said.

Kunz said a train passing near the Stanford University station hit the man around 5:30 p.m.

Kunz said the station was closed, as it is used only during special events at the university, so the man "had to be making a real effort to be on the railroad tracks.''

The train was probably traveling at about 40 mph, she said.

A Santa Clara County medical examiner's spokeswoman said Sunday that tests this week could help determine the identity of the man, who is believed to be in his 50s.

Caltrain service was halted for about one hour and slowed for the rest of the evening, Kunz said.

The train operator has been offered time off as well as peer and professional counseling, she added.
-- Bay City News Service

Antonio's Nuthouse patio bid put on hold

A request by Antonio's Nuthouse owner Tony Montooth to put tables and chairs outside of his bar on California Avenue has been put on hold by Palo Alto's Architectural Review Board. Local residents had protested the idea, saying it would create noise and exacerbate tense relations between neighbors and the establishment.

Montooth appeared before the board with the request last week, saying the tables and chairs would be taken in at 10 p.m. The patio is about 300 feet from the nearest neighbor.

Antonio's had had a patio for years, until the city determined Montooth had not received city approval for it, and it was removed this summer.

John Abraham, a Palo Alto resident who does not live near the bar, spoke at the meeting on behalf of the neighbors. "It's a back-door attempt to legitimize this particular problem. The neighbors are astounded," he said, suggesting that, at best, the patio furniture should be removed at 8 p.m.

The board voted 4-1, however, to continue the application until a date when Montooth could submit a more detailed architectural plan for the patio. Some members also felt the issue of noise was not within the scope of the board. Board member Drew Maran opposed the motion.

The five-member board elected Judith Wasserman as its new chair and Kenneth Kornberg its new vice-chair.
-- Jocelyn Dong

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