BRAVO John! I couldn't agree more, and with your entire message.
Thank you for your eloquence and wisdom.

Carol Fitzgerald

On May 17, 2007, at 2:59 PM, John J Geibel wrote:

>
> I think that all of you are putting far too much into this episode.
> Yes it is frightening to have this happen nearby. And yes we all
> want a safe neighborhood for our families. But we are far safer in
> this neighborhood than when driving on the freeway. My daughter,
> wife, and a friend were driving back from SF the other day and just
> missed a tire that came over the divider on the freeway. The car
> behind her hit it and it flew 30 feet into the air and went over to
> on coming traffic where it caused a series of accidents and brought
> the whole freeway to a stop. Let us keep things in proportion. We
> all stand a much greater risk of being killed on the freeways then
> by being shoot to death in the neighborhood.
>
> Please do not consider any rash actions in response to the
> shooting. Over the last 30 years the area has become much safer.
> Also the police where right on top of this and caught the guys.
> That will go a long way toward keeping these kinds of activities to
> a minimum. Cell phones are great in this respect. The minute that
> we observe illegal activities, we can call 911 and report it. So
> stay allert and call the police when you do see illegal activities.
> Practice reading and remembering license numbers. It is good for
> the brain and helps if you ever witness activities like this.
>
> I also agree with the Mesters. The statements about East Palo Alto
> boarder on profiling and are racist which all of the liberals out
> there should find troubling and unacceptable.
>
>
> John J. Geibel - Statbio
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Ann Ryals <ryalshousehold@mac.com>
> To: mester <Mester@relgyro.stanford.edu>
> Cc: WillowsNeighborhoodWatch@yahoogroups.com;
> willows_neighborhood@yahoogroups.com;
> willows_block_captains@yahoogroups.com; city.council@menlopark.org;
> willowsmomsandbabes@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 8:54:43 PM
> Subject: [willows_neighborhood] Re: [willowsmomsandbabes] For All
> Concerned About the Chester Street Shooting
>
> Thank you so much! That has been a concern of mine looking at the
> response to a very frightening reality. My daughter's boyfriend's
> family lives in East Palo Alto along with many similar wonderful
> families who have to (and have had to for some while) live with
> this reality.
>
>
> I think it would be great to have a coalition of our communities
> working together both for the welfare of our families and for the
> future of the youth who have been ensnared in a lifestyle where
> violence is an acceptable form of self expression.
>
> Ann
> On May 15, 2007, at 9:51 AM, mester wrote:
>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> We have been away and just read the reports of the shooting this
>> weekend. We are grateful for the information circulated, and we are
>> relieved that no one, including the victim, was injured in this case.
>> We live on Arnold Way and have two small children. We enjoy taking
>> evening walks. Any of us might have been harmed or any of our
>> neighbors as well.
>>
>> We too are frightened, angry and deeply concerned about the safety of
>> OUR streets, our children, and our neighborhood. Expedient AND
>> carefully considered steps must be made together to insure safety and
>> peace in our lives.
>>
>> At the same time, statements such as "these people," "all the
>> residents involved were from East Palo Alto" and "protecting the
>> residents of the Willows...with street closures at the border" are
>> equally alarming and disturbing not to mention offensive and
>> incendiary. Are we to condemn an entire city and all its residents?
>> Is this what we wish to teach our children?
>>
>> Let's remember many of the residents of East Palo Alto work in our
>> neighborhood, take care of our children and are our friends,
>> colleagues and valued members of our community. In searching for a
>> solution to the extremely troubling incidents that have occurred in
>> the Willows, let's not cloud the issue with blanket statements that
>> lead to even greater problems.
>>
>> Let's find a way to work together and address the root issues here
>> which have more to do with the presence and threat of guns in our
>> community, the fear of related violence and criminal activity
>> REGARDLESS of residency of the victims or perpetrators, and the basic
>> need for safety in our neighborhood and the surrounding communities
>> than the need to exile an ill-defined enemy in the form of "these
>> people of East Palo Alto."
>>
>> We believe directly involving the East Palo Alto Police Department,
>> the East Palo Alto city council and the East Palo Alto community will
>> improve our chances of finding a solution that works for everyone.
>> It can be done without violence and hatred and walls.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> The Mesters
>>
>> >Thank you Terry for the report.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Quite frankly it does not matter to me whether this is gang
>> related or
>> >domestic violence. The fact is these people were racing down my
>> street and
>> >shooting a gun out of a car window a few feet from where my son
>> was sitting
>> >in our home, in front of his bedroom window doing his homework.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >He could easily have been the victim in this case.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Are we going to wait until one of our children is killed by a
>> stray bullet
>> >before we see some action from the City in mitigating how these
>> people end
>> >up in our neighborhood?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >These shootings are no longer isolated incidents.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Had there been no access down Chester Street from East Palo Alto
>> this
>> >shooting would not have occurred at this intersection. All the
>> people
>> >involved in this shooting lived in East Palo Alto. It is a
>> straight get-away
>> >for them to drive down Chester to Willow and disappear.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >It is time for us as a neighborhood to put a stop to the easy get
>> away
>> >routes and cut through traffic that traverses the Willows. I
>> highly doubt
>> >that the Vintage Oaks or Felton Gables neighborhoods have
>> domestic violence
>> >and gang related (as was the case on Laurel) shootings occurring
>> on their
>> >streets. It is time that the City steps up to the plate and
>> protects the
>> >residents of the Willows by eliminating the spill over crime from
>> East Palo
>> >Alto with street closures at the border.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >I plan to co-ordinate a meeting very soon.
>> >
>> >Please contact me off line: thprop@earthlink.net if anyone is
>> interested so
>> >I gauge interest and find a suitable venue.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Penelope
>> >
>> >903 Arnold Way
>> >
>> >(650) 281-8028
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > _____
>> >
>> >From: WillowsNeighborhoodWatch@yahoogroups.com
>> >[mailto:WillowsNeighborhoodWatch@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
>> Molakides,
>> >Terri W
>> >Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 3:41 PM
>> >To: WillowsNeighborhoodWatch@yahoogroups.com
>> >Cc: willows_block_captains@yahoogroups.com;
>> >WillowsNeighborhoodWatch@yahoogroups.com
>> >Subject: RE: [WillowsNeighborhoodWatch] RE:
>> [willows_neighborhood] incident
>> >on Chester?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >All-
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Last night, May 12, 2007 at 8:53 p.m., a shooting occurred on the
>> 400 block
>> >of Chester in the Willows. Quick thinking residents called Police
>> Dispatch
>> >(9-1-1) to report gunshots being fired from one vehicle towards
>> another
>> >vehicle and provided an excellent vehicle description. The
>> suspect vehicle
>> >was described as a White Jeep Cherokee, and was last seen traveling
>> >westbound on Arnold.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >This information was provided to responding police units and a
>> few minutes
>> >later Menlo Park Officer Douglas saw a vehicle matching the
>> description in
>> >the area of Willow Rd and Middlefield Rd. When Officer Douglas
>> attempted to
>> >stop the vehicle, the driver failed to yield and continued north on
>> >Middlefield. The driver finally yielded to the police at
>> Middlefield and
>> >Oak Grove. All of the occupants of the suspect vehicle were
>> arrested and
>> >booked into San Mateo County Jail on a number of charges related
>> to the
>> >shooting. Also recovered in the vehicle was the handgun believed
>> used in
>> >the assault.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >The victim of the shooting returned to her residence in East Palo
>> Alto and
>> >reported the incident to the East Palo Alto Police Department.
>> Although the
>> >victim did not receive any injuries, her vehicle was struck
>> several times by
>> >bullets. This was not gang related, but a family disturbance. All
>> parties
>> >were East Palo Alto residents.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Great job to those who called in to the PD, without the calls it
>> is doubtful
>> >that the suspects and weapon would have been located so quickly.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Terri Molakides
>> >
>> >Menlo Park Police Department
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > _____
>> >
>> >From: WillowsNeighborhoodWatch@yahoogroups.com on behalf of
>> Penelope Huang
>> >Sent: Sun 5/13/2007 11:43 AM
>> >To: 'cmlawrence'
>> >Cc: 'Eric Johnson'; willows_block_captains@yahoogroups.com;
>> >WillowsNeighborhoodWatch@yahoogroups.com
>> >Subject: [WillowsNeighborhoodWatch] RE: [willows_neighborhood]
>> incident on
>> >Chester?
>> >
>> >Hi Craig
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >You are correct.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >There were 4 shots fired in the 300 block of Chester.
>> >
>> >The police found shells on the sidewalk on the east side of
>> Chester Street
>> >close to the traffic circle at Arnold Way.
>> >
>> >There was also a lot of broken glass.
>> >
>> >The assumption is that someone shot out of the passenger window
>> of a car, at
>> >another car driving northbound on Chester towards Willow Road.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >As you know we live across from you at the intersection of
>> Chester and
>> >Arnold. My son was in his bedroom which is on the corner, sitting
>> at his
>> >desk in front of the windows when the shots were fired. If this
>> incident had
>> >happened just a few feet further towards the intersection he
>> could have been
>> >killed by a stray bullet as he sat in his bedroom doing his
>> homework.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Enough is enough.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >This is the third shooting incident in as many months (a couple
>> of weeks ago
>> >on Menalto Avenue gunshots were reported and an actual shooting
>> on Laurel a
>> >couple of months ago). It is an accepted fact that crime follows
>> traffic,
>> >while there remain easy get away routes such as the access to
>> Willow Road
>> >down Chester, Durham, O' Keefe, Gilbert, I doubt we will see any
>> reduction
>> >in this type of crime. This same sentiment was echoed as we were
>> standing
>> >outside with the police.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >I think it is time for a neighborhood meeting to discuss this.
>> >
>> >Penelope
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > _____
>> >
>> >From: willows_neighborhood@yahoogroups.com
>> >[mailto:willows_neighborhood@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
>> cmlawrence
>> >Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 10:50 AM
>> >To: willows_neighborhood@yahoogroups.com
>> >Subject: [willows_neighborhood] incident on Chester?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >All,
>> >
>> >My wife and I heard what we thought were gunshots Saturday night
>> >(5/12) on Chester near Arnold. We noticed some police cars there a
>> >little later on.
>> >
>> >Anyone know what happened?
>> >
>> >Craig & Kim
>> >407 Chester
>> >
>> >
>>
>> --
>> John Mester
>> Hansen Experimental Physics Lab
>> Stanford University
>> Stanford, CA 94305
>> Phone 650-723-4227
>> Fax: 650-725-8312
>> Email: mester@relgyro.stanford.edu
>>
>
>
>
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Received on Fri May 18 13:05:00 2007