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President dines in Woodside with tech elite

President Obama dined in Woodside on Thursday night with high-tech leaders. He arrived around 5:40 p.m. at San Francisco International Airport and flew by military helicopter to Woodside for a dinner at the home of venture capitalist John Doerr.

The helicopter landed at Canada College in Woodside, and the president traveled by motorcade to Mr. Doerr's home.

Almanac reporter Miranda Simon captured the scene near Roberts market where about 35 people gathered, waiting to get a glimpse of the president:

"I don't think (I'll see President Obama). They're probably not going to turn the lights on and roll down the window," says Sue Bishop.

Justin Pretre, 5, looks at a laminated black-and-white poster with pictures of all the presidents of the United States.

"He wants to see George Washington and Abraham Lincoln" says Tina Lount, his mother, carrying 3 year-old Landon on her shoulders. "Why do you like Abraham Lincoln?" she asks Justin.

"Because it's his birthday soon," he responds.

The two toddlers are wearing matching green raincoats. Their cheeks are flushed because of the cold.

Ms. Lount points to President Obama on the poster. "If you look real cute," she says, "maybe he'll wave at you."

Lauren Giurata, 15, says she was getting dinner with her dad when they saw the sheriff's patrols and asked them what was happening. When they heard the president was coming they decided to stick around.

Just then, the motorcade comes through: An ambulance, two armored vehicles and a few black Escalades. People start whispering, "That's them, that's them"

After the motorcade, Ms. Lount says Justin was disappointed he didn't get to see Obama.

"It was only cars," says Justin.

"What did you expect to see?" asks his mother.

"The whole president!" he says, raising his arms.

"I think I might have caught a glimpse of him," says Mia Ferrari and excused herself immediately: "I have to Facebook this!"

Guest list

Here is list of those invited to dine with Mr. Obama (many are residents of Atherton or Woodside): John Doerr, partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers; Carol Bartz, president and CEO, Yahoo; John Chambers, CEO and chairman, Cisco Systems; Dick Costolo, CEO, Twitter; Larry Ellison, co-founder and CEO, Oracle; Reed Hastings, CEO, NetFlix; John Hennessy, president, Stanford University; Steve Jobs, chairman and CEO, Apple; Art Levinson, chairman and former CEO, Genentech; Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO, Google; Steve Westly, managing partner and founder, The Westly Group; Mark Zuckerberg, founder, president, and CEO, Facebook.

Posted by Dorothy, a resident of the Woodside: Woodside Heights neighborhood, on Apr 7, 2011 at 5:29 pm

An african american guy in whitebread woodside, did he get arrested?

Posted by POGO, a resident of the Woodside: other neighborhood, on Apr 7, 2011 at 5:35 pm

Dorothy -

I suggest you step off the yellow brick road and look in the mirror.

Posted by R.Gordon, a resident of another community, on Apr 7, 2011 at 5:44 pm

And I think you are going to have to do some explaining and even have a bit of courtesy when Dorothy says something amusing and not far from the truth in this rather racist part of San Mateo County.

You and Menlo Voter must examine your lack of humor especially when I unveil a rather disconcerting message momentarily.

Posted by Joe, a resident of the Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park neighborhood, on Apr 7, 2011 at 5:47 pm

Not that Woodsiders or the Sheriff's Department are any more or less prejudiced or suspicious or paranoid than the rest of us, but exactly how many African American or Hispanic people live in Woodside, Pogo?

I suspect that this yellow brick road you speak of really does have yellow bricks when viewed from the other side of the freeway, and by freeway I don't mean I-280.

If there is no guilt in Woodside, there should be. It should come with the territory and should be reflected in the tax code, as it once was.

Posted by POGO, a resident of the Woodside: other neighborhood, on Apr 7, 2011 at 5:52 pm

Sorry, but I don't accept the premise.

Final answer.

Posted by Joe, a resident of the Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park neighborhood, on Apr 7, 2011 at 6:31 pm

Why am I not surprised?

Posted by Dorothy, a resident of the Woodside: Woodside Heights neighborhood, on Apr 24, 2011 at 7:41 am

Come on, that was a joke...quit being so uptight.

Now if Obama visited E. Palo Alto, I think that would be pretty cool but the residences there don't have money to help his re-election efforts. At lease the local school shuttles a few minority students in as tokens.

It's about trading favors and you can't be true to your values when greed and fear takes over, and yes I am on the yellow brick road,literally.

Posted by POGO, a resident of the Woodside: other neighborhood, on Apr 24, 2011 at 1:39 pm

Dorothy -

Behind your veneer of folly are troubling racist overtones.

You should be a bit more introspective before making such ridiculous and incendiary comments.