July 27, 2005

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Classifieds

Palo Alto Online

Digest

After a six-month investigation, a single "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" charge has been filed against a Gunn High School teacher's aide who failed to halt drinking at her son's party last New Year's Eve.

The aide, Nim Steiner, allegedly failed to curtail drinking of alcohol by minors when she returned home after picking up a second child -- although she did tell the teens to turn in their car keys, according to Jay Boyarsky, supervising deputy district attorney for North County.

But one 17-year-old boy kept his keys, drove away from the party and crashed into a tree. Boyarsky recounted that a neighbor called police as the boy started to stagger away, despite the boy's admonition, "Aren't you concerned about my well-being?"

Boyarsky said the youth had a blood-alcohol reading of .17, more than twice the .08 limit for driving a vehicle.

He said the case was difficult in that Steiner did take some steps to safeguard the teens at the party, and it's clear that she "is not a criminal -- we're not trying to label her a criminal." The single charge could have been several dozen charges, he said.

"But we dont' want people to die -- we don't want our kids killing themselves" by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he said.

He acknowledged that the charge was in part an attempt to set a standard for parental supervision in an often grey area where some parents rationalize use of alcohol in the home as a preferred alternative to their drinking somewhere else. But the consequences of the boy's driving with a .17 blood alcohol level could have been deadly to him or someone else, Boyarsky indicated.

Just weeks ago, a former Gunn star athlete died when he sped northbound on Middlefield Road at more than 100 miles an hour, hit a small rise at a bridge and careened into the Midtown Safeway parking lot. A friend was seriously injured. Some friends at the party reported the athlete was "out of control" drunk at the party.

-- Jay Thorwaldson

Four people robbed near train station

Two men armed with a handgun robbed four people at or near the Caltrain station in downtown Palo Alto at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, according to Police Capt. Dennis Burns.

First, the two men took money from a couple in their 60s sitting on a bench waiting for a train at the downtown Caltrain station. Moments later, the two men robbed two men of money in the University Avenue tunnel underneath the train station, Burns said.

The two suspects were seen running east on University Avenue.

Both were described as black males in their 20s or 30s. One was 5 feet 9 inches tall with a medium build. The second was 5 feet 6 inches tall, dark complexioned, medium build, with a short haircut. Both were wearing loose, baggy clothing.

Palo Alto teachers get first raise in three years

With property tax growth coming in higher than expected, members of the Palo Alto Educators' Association will receive a retroactive raise next month to the tune of 2.23 percent. The last salary increase that Palo Alto Unified School District's teachers saw was in 2002 and was 2 percent.

Last November, the teachers' union negotiated a raise with the district for the 2004-'05 school year that was contingent upon local property taxes. The district had budgeted for a 5.1 percent increase in those taxes, and could only give teachers a raise if the figures came in higher.

Because the final numbers do not come in until July, teachers were waiting all year to find out if they would get a raise. The district has now reported a more than 8 percent growth in property taxes, which means the negotiated salary increase will kick in.

It's an odd thing to get excited about a retroactive raise," said Steve Sabbag, president of the teachers' union. "We were rolling the dice to find a way to come to an agreement with the district."

Members of the district's classified employees' union will also receive the 2.23 percent retroactive raise. The teachers and support staff can expect to see a lump sum check in the mail by next month.

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