Week in review

Police Chief Carlos Bolanos is set to address the council next week to offically request the emergency funds.

What began as a small neighborhood meeting last night grew to include more than 100 residents, city management, multiple police officers, many school district officials and nearly the entire City Council.

On July 12, a 21-year-old former gang member was killed in his carport on Redwood Avenue by rival gang members. The alleged killer was 14 and is currently awaiting his trial when he'll be tried as an adult. On Aug. 22, a 16 year old was shot to death when rival gang members drove by and shot at the house where he was standing. The shooters have not been caught. On Tuesday, a known gang member was run over by members of a rival gang and then beat with bottles. He was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive.

Residents fear more murders or attempted murders will occur as retaliation for the crimes committed in the last two months.

Last chapter for independent bookstore

One of the Bay Area's best known independent retail abruptly closed its doors Wednesday morning, shocking employees and customers. Kepler's Bookstore, at 1010 El Camino Real in Menlo Park, held a company meeting 9 a.m. Wednesday to tell employees it would not open its doors. After 50 years in business, the store appears to be giving up its pricey location next to Cafe Barrone after years of increased competition with online book retailers.

Since the dot-com bubble burst, the store struggled to keep a steady flow of customers willing to pay a higher price for books. While there's still a number of people willing to pay the extra money, there are an increasing number of people turning to online stores for cheaper prices and convenience.

Hospital deal inked

A unanimous vote spurred applause and cheer as the Peninsula Health Care District Board approved plans for a new $450 million hospital this week.

The new facility on El Camino Real at Trousdale Drive was approved in July after six years of negotiations, planning and legal hurdles. Construction on the hospital could begin as early as 2007 and take about three and a half years to complete. The paperwork now goes to a state agency for approval. This process could take up to a year and a half and the public vote could be two years away still.

State law requires the reconstruction to fit new seismic standards mandated after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

The district board vote was anticipated last week, but was postponed due to last-minute questions from county counsel and minor word changes needed to the final document.

Teacher gets prison for student tryst

The former Redwood City teacher who bore the child of a former middle-school student "betrayed the trust of a very honored profession" with her "despicable" actions, according to the judge who sentenced her to two years in state prison yesterday.

Rebecca Ann Boicelli, 34, of Menlo Park, dabbed at her eyes as Judge Stephen Hall handed down the median prison term available and ordered her to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.

Under a plea agreement reached in May, Boicelli faced no more than three years in prison and could have received as lenient a sentence as probation. Hall denied the idea outright despite Boicelli's lack of a criminal record and expressed remorse.

Boicelli admitted having sex with the now 18-year-old father once in August 2003. The boy and Boicelli allegedly began their relationship in 2001 when he was a 14-year-old student at a Redwood City alternative school. Boicelli would move on to two different schools but the encounters continued. Often, the boy visited Boicelli at school and interacted with her students. Laura Ginger, a parent of a former student, told the court she believed he was a student aide.

Boicelli gave birth to the baby June 8, 2004 and was arrested Jan. 20 after co-workers contacted police.