Short Takes Short Takes (November 09, 2005)

Please ignore the body language

It took some goading to get Rob Flint, a member of Woodside's Open Space Committee, to stand up and address the Town Council at a recent meeting, but it turns out it was not without good reason.

Mr. Flint was sporting a gaping tear in the posterior of his pants.

After completing his comments and withdrawing to his seat in the back of the room, Mr. Flint was surreptitiously approached by Town Engineer Kent Dewell, who whispered in his ear. Mr. Flint called out to the council, "The town engineer has just informed me of something I already knew. I caught my trousers on the door of my car," he said.

"It was not meant as a gesture of disrespect to the council," he added, as the room dissolved into laughter.

"You give new meaning to 'open space,'" Mayor Paul Goeld told him.
Where's Walnut?

In Menlo Park's Willows neighborhood there is an otherwise ordinary street that apparently is having some sort of identity crisis.

Almanac reporters are still scratching their heads over the correct identity of the road running parallel to O'Keefe and Elm streets between Pope Street and Menalto Avenue.

The street sign says it's Walnut. A slightly aged AAA map lists it as West O'Connor St., Google Maps agrees that it's Walnut Street, and Menlo Park police Sgt. Mike Amaral says it's Walnut, but it used to be called Elm. The 2004 Thomas Guide says Walnut Street doesn't exist in Menlo Park.

Perhaps a kind resident of that street could send an e-mail to Short Takes editor Andrea Gemmet at agemmet@almanacnews.com and clear up the mystery. That is, if they are not caught in some sort of rift in the time/space continuum that precludes Internet use.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.