I grew-up in Palo Alto, left, and returned years later. In that regard, I don’t believe my story is unusual among others who did so. It is more a testimony to the enduring qualities of this community. My father, a naval officer, was sent to Stanford to run its NROTC program while getting a master’s degree. He and my mother fell in love with this town: Its good schools, fine parks, many libraries, tree-lined streets, and moderate weather. Over the years we lived in different homes, most of them Eichlers. It was a good time to be in Palo Alto. Not better than now, just different. Yet in my late teens, I was eager to find my own way, so I moved to San Francisco, found work, and put myself through college. But in the end, I was compelled to come back to Palo Alto; my wife and I having agreed there was no better place to raise our own family. Doing so was challenging, but it also one of the most important and best decisions we ever made.