Short Takes Short Takes (January 28, 2004)

And the good Samaritan award goes to ...

Kudos to Nativity School's eighth-grade basketball coach John Ferrari, who kindly stopped to rescue a stranded motorcyclist on U.S. 101 near Woodside Road last week, driving him to a gas station and then back to his motorcycle, which had run out of gas.
Like Barnum & Bailey without the elephants

The media circus surrounding the Scott Peterson murder trial may prove a boon to local businesses that cater to the press, but it will likely be a barrier for residents attempting to get to the San Mateo County courthouse in Redwood City on more mundane errands. When you factor in the massive movie theater project under construction nearby, the impending traffic snarls are going to make downtown a place to avoid.

But perhaps the biggest blow to Redwood City's ongoing attempts at a downtown renaissance is the Associated Press's description of the city that once touted itself as "Palo Alto without the attitude." The AP called it "a bedroom community whose downtown is lined with old thrift shops, a handful of newer restaurants and small residential hotels with vacancy signs."
Give a dog a chip

Prevent the tragedy of being pictured weeping on the cover of the San Jose Mercury News by having your beloved animal companions implanted with permanent identification chips. For $20, the good people at the Peninsula Humane Society will be happy to lodge a microchip the size of a grain of rice between a pet's shoulder blades, enabling owners to be contacted should the animal turn up at the shelter. The procedure is available without an appointment. For information, call 340-7022.

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