Short Takes Short Takes (December 24, 2003)

Seat of power

When Atherton Councilwoman Kathy McKeithen won the honorary post of mayor last week, taking up the gavel meant abandoning her chair at the end of the council dais to sit at the center of the council.

"I worked long and hard to maintain this seat," she joked. "Now I get a broken chair. I think there's some symbolism here."

Atherton may be a town of opulent homes and gracious living, but its officials aren't sitting in the lap of luxury. The council members' chairs are rumored to have come from a dumpster in Palo Alto, according to Councilman Alan Carlson, who asked the city manager to put the chairs' repair or replacement on a future meeting agenda.

The audience at council meetings doesn't fare much better than the council members when it comes to seating.

"I've always said that if I win the lottery, I'll buy new chairs for the people out there," said Councilman Bill Conwell, to the applause of onlookers.

No smoking in the sandbox, please

New "no smoking" signs that will soon appear at parks and playgrounds in Menlo Park are not aimed at preschool nicotine addicts. The county's Tobacco Education Coalition is distributing signs prohibiting smoking within 25 feet of playgrounds and tot lots, to protect children from the perils of secondhand smoke and discarded cigarette butts.
A peek at the past

Local history buffs, architecture enthusiasts and anyone wanting to know what all the fuss about historic buildings is about may want to invest in "Woodside: A Glimpse of the Past," a $15 DVD with photos and details about 20 historic sites. Proceeds benefit the Woodside Community Museum, housed in the newly restored turn-of-the-century Mathisen farmhouse. The DVDs are available at Woodside Town Hall, the library, Woodside Elementary School, Buck's restaurant and the Little Store.

Featured sites include the Charles Brown adobe, the Jackling house and the Whittel estate.

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