Monday, April 6, 2009

San Mateo Grand Jury rebukes Atherton events rules

Town should not impose restrictions, grand jury says

If Atherton neighbors have a problem with events on the Menlo-Atherton High School campus, they should take it up with the school district and the town should stay out of it. That, in a nutshell, is the conclusion of a San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report issued Monday, April 6, that examines Atherton's controversial special events ordinance.

In 2006, the Atherton City Council passed a broad ordinance regulating events within the town, from weddings and fundraisers to youth sports practices, partly in response to Lindenwood neighborhood complaints about Pop Warner football practices held at M-A. In trying to regulate private, non-school-related events on public school campuses, the town overreached, according to the Grand Jury.

"The Town of Atherton should not impose restrictions on school groups using facilities at Menlo-Atherton High School," the report says. "The Sequoia Union High School District and Menlo-Atherton Vikings Pop Warner Football League have both demonstrated good faith in dealing with Lindenwood residents. Difficulties and differences should be settled directly between the impacted parties whenever possible."

Read the full grand jury report online.



http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=3724

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