Short Takes Short Takes (October 12, 2005)

'Bad Boy' candidate raises fists, not finger

Steve Kennedy just can't seem to stay out of trouble. After a recent televised forum for candidates running for the Menlo Park fire district board, candidate Kennedy reinforced his bad-boy image by raising his dukes and almost coming to blows with a retired fire captain who told him he should be ashamed of himself.

John Rohrer had booed Mr. Kennedy after the candidate, who served on the board until losing his bid for re-election two years ago, made a disparaging remark about firefighters during the forum. The remark should have surprised no one: During his four-year term on the fire board, Mr. Kennedy was censured three times by his colleagues for behavior that included "flipping off" a group of on-duty firefighters and the deputy fire chief.

After the forum ended, the camera was turned off, but the heat was on, beginning with an angry verbal exchange. Mr. Kennedy soon threw his eyeglasses to the floor and was loosening his jacket as Mr. Rohrer emptied his hands in preparation for the fisticuffs.

But fire was reduced to smoke when candidates Sarah Rankin and Ollie Brown, standing nearby, stepped in. "Come on you guys," Ms. Rankin said, at which point Mr. Rohrer walked away. Mr. Kennedy lowered his fists and picked up his glasses from the Menlo Park council chambers floor. And the district's firefighter/paramedics were spared a trip to the council chambers that evening.
Horses don't like balloons

Woodside's Day of the Horse appeared to go off without a hitch, with a steady stream of people attending the free fair on Saturday. But there was one small glitch -- helium balloons handed out at Independence Hall had to be handed back because they were spooking the horses pulling the Wells Fargo stagecoach.

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