Short Takes Short Takes (September 29, 2004)

Rocky marmot high

No one knows for sure if the yellow-bellied marmot discovered last week in West Menlo Park a mere block away from the Almanac office ended up so far from home because it crept into a car's engine block in search of an antifreeze buzz. However, this Almanac reporter is pinning the blame for her car's unexplained coolant leak squarely on the furry shoulders of the stowaway from the Sierra. Is there a 12-step group for marmots with ethylene glycol addictions?

With friends like these...

It must be nice to be a City Council candidate -- out pounding the streets, full of moxie and handshakes --when you hear you've scored a major endorsement.

It must be less nice to have your endorser spell your name wrong.

Last week, the county's Democratic Party sent out a press release endorsing Kelly Fergusson and Andrew Cohen for the Menlo Park council. Seems no one told them that "Fergusson" has two S's.

Then the Tri-County Apartment Association, a nonprofit representing the rental housing industry, announced its council endorsements.

This time, candidates Michael Lambert and Lorie Sinnott got the nod, but "Lorie" was spelled with two R's.

Why editors cut from the end of a story

The first paragraph of an item about Brian Crawley, who wrote the book and lyrics for the current production of 'A Little Princess,' went missing in the print version of last week's Almanac, doubtlessly leaving readers befuddled.

It should have read: "There's always a local angle, most seasoned newspaper editors say. And the local Portola Valley connection extends to TheatreWorks' world premiere of "A Little Princess" at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts."

Playwright Brian Crawleyis the son-in-law of Denise and Jim Stanford. He spent much of the summer in the Stanfords' home in Portola Valley getting ready for the play's opening.

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