Palo Alto Online
June 1, 2018
COOLING TEMPERS ... When the Cool Block Program made its debut in 2016, its aim was to bring neighbors closer together and get them talking about things like preparation, carbon reduction and community building. A.C. Johnston, a member of the Utilities Advisory Commission, lauded the achievements and experiences of his group, which over the course of the program has replaced incandescent light bulbs with LEDs, reduced water usage, greatly increased composting, purchased emergency supplies and designated secure locations for storing these supplies, according to a letter he wrote this week to the council. The program, he said, also has “fostered a sense of community” and created a sense of accountability and group support. “There is no pressure like peer pressure to encourage behavioral change!” Not everyone, however, is convinced that the pilot program is worth spending public funds on. In March, several residents, including leaders of the umbrella group Palo Alto Neighborhoods, criticized a proposal to spend $100,000 on the next phase of the program, which would target 30 new blocks. Faced with criticism, the city has scaled back its commitment to the program. On June 11, the City Council will consider a revised proposal for the third pilot program (known as Beta 2 Pilot), one that reduces the commitment of public expenditures to $25,000 (plus about $75,000 in staff time) and that calls for the city’s nonprofit partner, Empowerment Institute, to pay for program management ($25,000), research ($15,000)
and communication ($25,000). The nonprofit will also cover the $75,000 salary for the effort’s subconsultant, Sandra Slater.
MUSICALLY INCLINED ... Two Palo Alto High School students have graced listeners of NPR’s “From the Top,” a radio program highlighting classical musicians, with their musical stylings on an episode airing locally on Sunday, June 3. Pianist Cameron Akioka, 18, and guitarist Nicholas Padmanhaban, 17, were among the young performers who played for a live audience during a taping at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music on March 4. The two local teens each have plenty of accomplishments to their names. Akioka has been inducted into the Young Artist Guild of the Music Teachers’ Association of California and has received awards at music contests, including the San Jose International Piano Competition. For the radio show, the 18-year- old performed III. Allegro con `brio, ma non leggiere from Piano Sonata No. 4, Op. 29 by Sergei Prokofiev and Concert Etude no. 2 in F minor, “La Leggierezza” by Franz Liszt. Padmanhaban is a National Young Arts Foundation merit winner for two years running and has twice received the top prize at the Sierra Nevada Guitar Competition. He played Prelude and Gigue — Double from Suite in C minor, BWV 997 by Johann Sebastian Bach. The public can enjoy their performances by listening to a stream now available at fromthetop.org or tuning in to KDFC at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
HONORING VETERANS ... At the invitation of Defense Secretary James Mattis, Gunn High School junior Audrey Li attended the National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, May 28. Li sat at the secretary’s box accompanied by her mentor, Palo Alto Family YMCA Executive Director Lee Pfab. The teen was selected for starting Students Partner with Veterans, a youth- led nonprofit where students interview veterans, share their stories, host events with veteran organizations and invite veterans to speak at schools. Since launching in 2016 with help from the Y, the organization has eight club branches across the country, including 300 participating students in the Bay Area. The nonprofit helps connect students with adult role models and honors veterans, according to the Y.
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