Sunday May 4

Palo Alto LEEDs the way?

Los Altos yet to cough up financial disclosure forms

By The Phantom

LEED MACHINE: It turns out there's only one building in all of Palo Alto that's fully certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, system. And it's not where you might think it is. According to Chief Building Official Larry Perlin, only pharmaceutical company Roche's Environmental Health and Safety Support Building has the certification within city limits. But eight more are reportedly in the pipes.



VERY CLEAN ENERGY: Currently a visiting scholar at Stanford University, Prince Moulay Hicham Ben Abdallah of Morocco spoke Thursday about Al Tayyar Energy, his renewable energy company. Among his string of successful projects, he did note that one early effort to produce biodiesel from tallow - inedible animal fat - hit a momentary road block.

"All it produced was soap," he said. These days, though, the plant successfully turns the tallow into fuel.



IT'S A TOUGH JOB ... : It's difficult being an East Palo Alto City Council member. So tough sometimes that exhaustion could set in at any moment, like when Council Member Peter Evans cops yawns during meetings. During a special session Tuesday night that lasted less than two hours, the firebrand politician yawned six times, the first of which came as he entered council chambers at 6:30 p.m. At least he covered his mouth for five of them.



FOLLOW THE MONEY: While most local cities have completed Fair Political Practices Commission forms in binders for public consumption at city hall, Los Altos doesn't have the required paperwork aimed at keeping public servants and elected officials honest - the forms list individual investments and campaign expenditures - on display and readily accessible. In Los Altos, the forms currently are not available on demand.



Leave a message for The Phantom at 650-391-1337, or at phantom@dailynewsgroup.com.