On the campaign trail On the campaign trail (October 01, 2003)

DEBATES INITIATE ... Tonight is the first official debate in the City Council and school board races. Got Space?, a new group advocating for more playing fields, will be hosting candidates from both elections at Palo Alto High School theatre from 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. Tomorrow night council hopefuls will meet with neighbors in north Palo Alto at the Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium on Newell Road from 7-9 p.m. Other debates and events will be announced here. Keep watching.

CLOWNING AROUND ... Palo Alto might have the only honest candidate for governor of California. Bob Cullenbine, a Democrat who opposes the recall, came to a taping of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" last week wearing a clown outfit, complete with purple hair and yellow bow-tie. According to news reports, he also handed out business cards reading: "Absolutely as unqualified as the other clowns."

REAL(TOR) ENDORSEMENTS ... The Silicon Valley Association of Realtors have endorsed four candidates for Palo Alto City Council -- incumbents Dena Mossar, Bern Beecham Judy Kleinberg and challenger Harold "Skip" Justman. The endorsement comes with a $500 campaign contribution. "We want to support candidates who are good on homeowners' issues," said Natalie Cardenas, the association's government affairs director.

CANDIDATES FEELIN' NEIGHBORLY ... Palo Alto Neighborhoods recently released the City Council candidates' responses to a questionnaire the neighborhood associations sent out. The answers to the neighborhoods' 14 questions can be viewed at www.wematter.com/paloalto/pan-questionnaire.htm. Some questions asked for each candidates' background, while others were highly technical questions about future planning, like whether candidates would consider proposed projects that are bigger than the city's codes allow if it would bring about a public benefit.