This centerpiece is made out of wine barrels by Bob Dixon at RE Designs,Inc. For more information or to place an order for custom made wine barrel furniture, contact Bob Dixon at robertdixon158@comcast.net.

Ken Dauber for Palo Alto School Board

While the Presidential race and California ballot measures are consuming most of the oxygen this election season, there are also important local races. One of the most critical is for the Board of the Palo Alto Unified School District, which has drifted in recent years and ceded too much authority to the Superintendent and his staff. Four candidates are running for three seats. I'm most enthusiastic about Ken Dauber and I urge you to support him too. You can learn more about Ken at Ken Dauber for School Board. Ken is a data-centric software engineer at Google, who also has deep experience with education policy and advocacy. He's been a consultant about education data and achievement for the Education Trust, Gates Foundation and U.S. Department of Education. His five kids have attended many local schools, including Barron Park, Nixon, JLS, Terman and Gunn. And for the past two years he's led successful local parent advocacy about student emotional health and achievement. Ken wants our schools to enable all students to thrive academically, social and emotionally. His priorities -- student achievement and health, transparent and accountable governance and data-driven innovation and planning -- make sense to me. Over the past few weeks Ken has mounted one of the most energetic local campaigns I've ever seen. He's earned key endorsements from 7 current City Council members, many other local officials and dozens of community leaders. The Palo Alto Weekly has endorsed Ken. So has Palo Alto High School's student newspaper, the Campanile: "We feel most compelled to support non-incumbent Ken Dauber . . . . Dauber has helped shape homework policy, drive discussions on student well-being and Project Safety Net and more." Last year, my now-graduated daughter Meghan was the Opinion Editor of the Campanile, so I know first-hand how seriously the students take their endorsement responsibility. Thanks for considering this special request to vote for for a special candidate: Ken Dauber.

Pancake breakfast to benefit Project Safety Net Palo Alto firefighters to serve flapjacks at fundraiser Saturday From Palo Alto Online Project Safety Net's first annual Pancake Breakfast is scheduled for Oct. 20. The fundraiser is the brainchild of Palo Alto firefighters, who had been looking to forge a relationship with a local charity. "We felt a connection with PSN (Project Safety Net)," Palo Alto Fire Department Captain Carter French said. Referring to the youth suicide cluster in 2008-2009, he said, "When those suicides were happening, we had to deal with that. It was difficult." Carter said that the partnership with PSN "is the perfect connection. We want to help bring awareness and funding to this organization," he said. Facebook chefs will also be on hand for the breakfast event and plan to do the actual pancake cooking. Other activities include a fire engine show, a jaws-of-life demonstration, door prizes and a safety fair. It takes place Saturday, Oct. 20, at Fire Station 6 on the Stanford campus, 711 Serra St., starting at 9 a.m. Tickets are $5. Friday, October 19 is the 3rd anniversary of Will's death. We love and miss him dearly. The partnership of PA Firefighters and Project SafetyNet (PSN) is wonderful. If you are in the area, please support the partnership by attending the 1st annual Pancake Breakfast at the fire station on Stanford Campus this Saturday. Janet Dixon-Dickens

Richard's Signature Salad-Nicoise Use the following steps to make the salad: 1. Cooks the potatoes and make the herb dressing 2. Prepare and assemble the salad Ingredients 2 lb potatoes salt and pepper 3/4 lb green beans 6 eggs 1 lb medium tomatoes 10 anchovy fillets 2 6 1/2 oz cans solid light tuna 3/4 cup black olives For the dressing 3 garlic cloves 7-10 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 bunch of fresh chervil 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar 2 tsp Dijon-style mustard 1 1/2 cups of olive oil Preparation Peel and boil potatoes Make dressing Peel and finely chop garlic cloves, strip thyme and chervil leaves from the stems, finely chop the chervil leaves. In a bowl, whisk the wine vinegar with the mustard, chopped garlic, salt and pepper, slowly whisk in the olive oil Drain the potatoes, rinse with warm water, drain again, cut potatoes into chunks and put them in a large bowl Briskly whisk the herb vinaigrette. Spoon 5-6 tbsp over the potatoes, stir thoroughly and let cool Top, tail and cook the beans for 5-7 minutes, drain, rinse with cold water, drain again. Put the beans in a bowl and whisk the rest of the dressing and add 3-4 tbsp to the beans tossing so they are coated with the dressing Hard boil eggs, peel and cut lengthwise into quarters Peel and cut tomatoes into 4 wedges each Flake the tuna with a fork, whisk the dressing and add 5-6 tbsp to the tuna Arrange potatoes in a large, shallow serving bowl Put the green beans in the center, then spoon the tuna on top Alternate a few egg and tomato wedges on the tuna and the remaining wedges around the edge of the bowl. Briskly whisk the remaining dressing and spoon it over the salad Arranges the olives and crosses of 2 anchovy fillets inside the egg and tomato border. Serve

Richard's Signature Salad-Greek Use the following steps to make the salad: 1. Make the Herb Vinaigrette dressing 2. Prepare the vegetables 3. Cube the cheese and assemble the salad Ingredients 2 lb medium tomatoes 2 medium cucumbers 2 green bell peppers 1 medium red onion 6 oz of feta cheese 3/4 cup Kalamata or other Greek olives for the dressing 3-5 sprigs of fresh mint 3-5 sprigs of fresh oregano 7-10 sprigs of parsley 3 tbsp red wine vinegar salt and pepper 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Preparation Dressing Strip mint and oregano leaves and coarsely chop, whisk together red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil. Add the chopped herbs, then whisk the dressing again and taste for seasoning. Salad Core and cut tomatoes into 8 wedges Peel and scoop seeds out of cucumber,cut in half lengthwise and , cut strips into 1/2 inch pieces Remove bell pepper core, halve the peppers, scrape out the seeds, cut into strips to dice Peel and cut onion crosswise into thin rings Cut the Feta cheese into 1/2 inch strips, cut strips crosswise into cubes Put the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onion rings in a large bowl. Briskly whisk the herb vinaigrette dressing and pour it over the top of the salad, toss the vegetables thoroughly in the dressing, add olives and feta and gently toss again. Allow flavors to mellow for about 30 minutes before serving.

Richard's Signature Soup-Vichyssoise Ingredients 2 leeks chopped 1 onion chopped 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3/4 cup thinly sliced potatoes 2 1/3 cups chicken stock salt to taste ground black pepper to taste 1 1/8 cups heavy whipping cream Directions 1. Gently sweat the chopped leeks and and onion in butter until soft, about 8 minutes. Do not let them brown. 2. Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and peer to taste; do not overdo them. Bring to boil and simmer very gently for 30 minutes. 3. Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Cool. Gently stir in cream before serving.

In August, several dear friends, mother's of kids that were lost to suicide, joined me for lunch at our home in Lincoln, CA. My husband, Richard, made the lunch consisting of his 2 signature salads (Nicoise and Greek) and 1 signature soup (Vichyssoise). Sharing his talented gift of making terrific food and being with our friends made for a lovely Saturday afternoon. The next 3 posts will provide the recipes for Richard's signature dishes. Below is a poem that I have written to honor those grieving the memory of lost loved ones like Will. I know moms Moms that have lost children to suicide. Moms that know that pain day in day out, gut wrenching, one foot in front of the other. Marking time or not. They have found their children shot, hanging in their rooms. They have been told by police that their sons and daughters have died at the tracks by train, the bridge, and asphyxiation. They have endured the greatest loss a mom can and will ever endure. What could I have done, it is my fault, if only… Still, there are those that depend on us, that need us, the ones left behind, we need to be here for them, too! They are living on earth not at peace and no longer in pain as some may say. Alas the pain is right here in the guts and hearts of the survivors. Trying to put on that public face of “don’t worry, I’m (we’re ok)”. We’re survivors- sad & empty dads, broken hearted & crushed moms, sisters and brothers wanting them back here, now just like it was- the perfect world, all on top of our game gone now forever. I know those moms, I love those moms I am one of those moms. J Dixon-Dickens 8/8/2011