News Briefs: Menlo's Wessex Books still seeks buyer News Briefs: Menlo's Wessex Books still seeks buyer (March 16, 2005)

While he's hoping to pass the torch to a fellow book-lover who will keep his 30-year-old institution open, Tom Haydon still has not found a buyer for Wessex Books in Menlo Park.

Mr. Haydon has been looking for a buyer for about two months, and time is running out: His lease is up in mid-May, he said in a recent e-mail sent out to friends and customers.

"So, I've decided to lower the price by almost 20 percent, to $175,000," he wrote. Mr. Haydon says he's also offering "extensive training" and "a lifetime of free telephone consulting."

The shop at 558 Santa Cruz Ave. has about 75,000 books, 6,000 records, and a well-used Web site with some 20,000 cataloged titles, according to Mr. Haydon. The store can be reached at 321-1333, and its Web site is www.wessexbooks.com.
Atherton tax qualifies for June 7 ballot

It's official: The question of whether to renew Atherton's parcel tax measure has qualified for the June 7 ballot, San Mateo County elections officials have announced. The deadline to register to vote in the special election is May 23.

Voters are being asked to renew a parcel-tax measure the same as the one currently in place, except that it will last five years instead of four. The majority of Atherton homeowners pay an annual parcel tax of $750.

The tax requires a two-thirds vote to pass. For more election information, call 312-5222 or go to shapethefuture.org.
Police find cache of stolen goods

Area police discovered a warehouse of stolen goods in Redwood City, most of it taken in commercial rather than residential burglaries. Some of the goods may be from burglaries in Menlo Park, police said.

Acting on a search warrant, police from Los Altos, Redwood City and Mountain View found more than 300 stolen items in a warehouse in the 1700 block of East Bayshore Boulevard on Friday, March 4, said Detective Scott Sweezey of the Los Altos Police Department. More than 200 items remain unclaimed, he said.

Menlo Park victims of recent commercial burglaries who want to check the list of recovered items should start by contacting the Sgt. Jill Jensen at 330-6362.
Long-term care is focus of program

The Stanford Health Library is presenting a free program, "Long-term care for you or your loved one," on Thursday, March 24, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the health library, 2-B Stanford Shopping Center.

Don Rush, a counselor with Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, or HICAP, will present the program, which will address such questions as available options for long-term care, the costs, and the role insurance can play. Attendance is limited to the first 25 people who register. Call 498-7826.
Alzheimer's support group

A support group for family members and caregivers of people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease will meet Wednesday, March 16, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the library of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, 975 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park. For information, call Sue Sheehan at 851-0296, or go to alznorcal.org.
Chris Zider scholarship deadline March 25

The deadline to apply for Chris Zider scholarships is March 25. All high school sophomores who live in Portola Valley, Woodside, Menlo Park, Atherton, East Palo Alto, Palo Alto or Stanford, or attend Woodside High or Menlo School, may apply for the $15,000 award, to be presented to one boy and one girl. Applications are available in the schools' counseling offices or from the Beta Group at 233-8700.

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