Original story printed in Winter 1997 edition

"Palo Alto Goodwill" Is A Contradiction In Terms

Non-profit and still not interested in
offering the best goods to customers

By Nathan Foster
Palo Alto Weakly Staff Writer

  Let's say you want to donate some old clothes to your local Goodwill store.  The clothes aren't in bad condition, in fact, you're donating them knowing that they've actually got some years left in them.  You take some amount of pride in knowing that the profits Goodwill makes will go to help the needy and you also believe that someone less fortunate than you will be able to afford some decent clothes.

  Well, think again.  "They're only out for the money like everyone else," says Lauri Smith, a long time Goodwill shopper (and part-time employee of Palo Alto Weakly).  Lauri was looking for Levi's jeans at the local Goodwill store on El Camino Real.  She would look every time she went in, for more than six months and could never find a single pair.  "I went back to the stock area and asked if they ever got Levi's jeans in donations," Lauri recounts, "a lady pointed to a large barrel stuffed full of blue jeans and told me that they're all saved to sell to a man who takes them overseas and sells them for a huge profit."

  A little confused and definitely frustrated, Lauri went home and called the main office of Santa Clara County Goodwill Industries to inquire about the store's policy.  She talked to Carol Marrs, General Manager of Store Operations who told her to "mind her own business."  and then hung up on her mid-sentence.

  "I wonder if people know that some of their donated clothes aren't being offered to the people who need them the most?"  Good question Lauri, but after all, it's money that makes the world go 'round.

Shocking follow up story printed in Fall 1998 edition

Woman Questioned by PA Weakly News Takes Her Own Life

Woman appeared in exclusive story concerning fraud at P.A. Goodwill Store

By Nathan Foster
Palo Alto Weakly Staff Writer

  In a bizarre twist to a story reported here nearly one year ago, a woman in upper management at Goodwill Industries has committed suicide rather than face charges of Criminal Conspiracy for the embezzlement of millions of dollars from Goodwill stores here in Santa Clara County - including the Palo Alto Goodwill store on El Camino Real.

  Carol Marr, General Manager of Store Operations was contacted by an associate of the Weakly concerning possible fraud at the Palo Alto location.  When asked about a suspicious business practice at the store Ms. Marr became very irate and promptly hung up.

  On behalf of our associate Lauri Smith, we took it upon ourselves to contact the other Palo Alto Weekly and the San Jose Mercury News.  The Weekly had no response and when the Mercury finally did a story of their own, it ended up sounding like a paid advertisement for Goodwill and all of it's fine managers.

  The District Attorney estimates that an embezzlement network operated under the watchful eye of Carol Marr and several store owners for more than 8 years.  Police found over $350,000 in cash at Marr's residence, along with bank and investment statements totaling more than $850,000.  The search also located $55,000 cash in her office at Goodwill Industries and a receipt for her $25,000 car, which was paid in full and in cash.

  Three days after the search, Carol Marr killed herself.  Leaving her husband and the other store owners to face charges all on their own.

  The ring was broken up when police received a tip from an insider who was being left out of the illegal profits due to his divorcing one of the Goodwill store owners.  Another man questioned by police admitted that his sister, another store owner, gave him merchandise to sell outside of the store (blue jeans anyone? - see previous story) for more than 7 years.  He estimates that he was making "only" $500 to $700 a week in extra cash.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Headlines
Hewlett-Packard Ran Escort Service
Palo Alto Cable Co-op a Sham

Palo Alto Goodwill Store
Investigative Report by P. A. Weakly
Follow-up: Suicide of Goodwill Executive!

The Demise of University Avenue
Rodeo Drive North

Stanford PHD Uses Sex to Sell Religion
Tits and Ass for Jesus

Palo Alto Police Gazette
Child Abuse Ignored by Police Dept.
Hit & Run Victim Ticketed by Cop.
Prostitution Sting or Police Entrapment?

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?

Palo Alto Weakly was published and distributed to local coffee shops, donut shops, train stations and libraries in and around the city of Palo Alto during the spring and summer of 1997.

The publishers moved on to bigger and better things (outside of Palo Alto of course).