WE WANT UNCLE BEAR BACK ... Castilleja School students and alumnae have raised a chorus of protest over the unexplained absence from campus of longtime arts, film and drama teacher Bear Capron. "Uncle Bear" Capron, in the midst of overseeing the school's fall production, "Twelfth Night," disappeared from campus in late October. The popular teacher's absence has sparked heartfelt letters to school trustees and a 455-member Facebook group pleading for his return and testifying to his impact on students over two decades. "Anyone who has ever interacted with him cannot help but feel the caring and inspiration that he radiates," wrote Jessica Feinstein from the Class of 2002. Added Melissa Palmer, '09: "Girls that are not so lucky as to quickly find their place on campus can feel alone and overwhelmed unless they are able to find a personal mentor. Bear Capron is one of the most utilized personal mentors on campus." From former student Eleanor Liu: "Mr. Capron made us laugh daily. He comforted us; he taught us — by his stories and through his actions — to act for what we believed in. He taught us to find our hearts, on stage and off." Capron's phone message recording states he is "on leave of absence and will not be checking his voicemail." Head of School Joan Lonergan assured the Castilleja community in early November that Capron "is in good health." "He and I have been engaged in some extended, confidential discussions," Lonergan said, adding that she hoped to share more "in a week or so." More than two weeks later, the school still had no further comment. Urging protesters to continue making their voices heard, Castilleja alumna Paz Hilfinger-Pardo noted to the Facebook throng: "Ms. Lonergan has a picture on the door to her office which says: 'Well-behaved women rarely make history.' Here's to the non-compliance which makes us Castilleja women!"

WHO'S CALLING? ... Palo Alto residents received phone calls this week from someone asking an awful lot of questions. When asked to identify himself, one caller said he was with "Topical Research," a surveying firm. But he claimed not to know the client for whom he was asking the plethora of questions. One might make a reasonable guess, however, based on the tenor of the queries. While starting off in a general fashion ("What do you think is the most important issue facing Palo Alto?") the survey then hones in on the rate of Stanford University's growth, the need for housing in the community and the proposed expansion of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the main hospital. It finally gets down to brass tacks, querying the survey-taker on how generous or stingy he or she would feel Stanford is if the university provided a certain dollar amount of community benefits, such as transportation, affordable housing and free medical services. Lest anyone doubt that a PR campaign is being shaped by the answers to the questions, the survey also asks the resident which groups in town they respect or are suspicious of. Among the choices: all three Palo Alto news organizations.

HAPPY HAULING ... Palo Altans love their garbage collectors. For the fourth year in a row, the city has received a Voice of the People Award for garbage collection from the International City/County Manager's Association and the National Research Center. Public Works Director Glenn Roberts accepted the award, along with a round of applause, at the Nov. 16 meeting of the City Council. The award is based on a survey that the NRC conducted last year. The survey showed 92 percent of surveyed Palo Altans rating residential garbage collection service as either "good" or "excellent."

RECREATIONAL LOTTERY ... It's never too early for Palo Alto parents to start thinking about their children's summer-camp plans. The city's has moved up its randomized registration for summer camps to Jan. 14, about two months earlier than in previous years. On Jan. 15, the city's Community Service Department plans to conduct "The Draw," a random drawing to select participants in the city's broad range of summer camps. Results will be mailed out Jan. 18. To inform residents about the city's summer programs, the department has mailed out the Summer Camps and Aquatics Guide 2010 along with the Winter Enjoy! catalog. Those who miss the deadline for "The Draw" could still register in person, by mail, by fax or online starting Jan. 21 (Jan. 28 for nonresidents). Residents who would like more information may call 650-463-4900.