News Briefs: Fire board candidates face voters at Wednesday forum News Briefs: Fire board candidates face voters at Wednesday forum (September 28, 2005)

Voters in the Menlo Park Fire Protection District will get a chance to hear candidates for seats on the fire district board state their positions and answer questions at a two-hour candidate forum Wednesday, September 28, at 7:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County, the forum will be held in the Menlo Park Council Chambers, 701 Laurel St.

There are nine candidates for three open seats; all are expected to participate except incumbent Peter Carpenter, who will be out of town.

The candidates are: incumbents Carpenter and Ollie Brown; former board member Steve Kennedy; and challengers Gerry Andeen, Rex Ianson, Sarah Rankin, Jack Nelson, Scott Freiermuth and Terry Kent.

The forum will be broadcast live on cable Channel 29. It will be rebroadcast on Channel 27 at 10 p.m. October 2; 2 p.m. October 3; 7:30 p.m. October 5; 11:30 a.m. October 6; 9 a.m. October 15; 9 p.m. October 27; and 1 p.m. October 28.

The Media Center, the nonprofit Palo Alto-based group that produces community television programs, is co-sponsoring the forum and is underwriting the cost of live broadcast that evening.
Ice cream truck robbed in Menlo

Two men, one armed with a handgun, robbed an ice cream truck at the intersection of Ivy Drive and Chico Street in Menlo Park about 1 p.m. Sunday, September 25.

The driver, a Redwood City man who had advertised that his truck was for sale, was lured to the intersection by the suspects posing as potential buyers, said Sgt. Van Trask of the Menlo Park Police Department. One man entered the truck and engaged the driver in conversation then pulled a gun and robbed him of his cash. No one was injured in the incident, police said.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the incident are asked to call the Menlo Park police at 330-6300.
Kevin Starr to talk on 1906 earthquake, fire

Former California State Librarian Kevin Starr will launch a six-month lecture series exploring the implications of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake with a talk on Thursday, September 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Stanford's Kresge Auditorium.

The series, during the centennial of the earthquake and fire, will be held at Stanford and UC Berkeley.

Mr. Starr's talk on "Lessons Learned" is free and open to the public. For information, go to quake06.stanford.edu.

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