Sign up for Express
New from Palo Alto Online, Express is a daily e-edition, distributed by e-mail every weekday.
Sign up to receive Express!

Login | Register
Sign up for eBulletins
Click for Palo Alto, California Forecast

Feature story: All the world in a single classroom
Fully one-third of Palo Alto's 12,300 public school students report that they speak a language other than English at home. Mandarin is predominant, followed by Spanish, Korean, Hebrew, Russian and Japanese. Many of those students are fully bilingual in English as well. Related stories:
At JLS Middle School, a global crossroads
In their own words


TownSquare
Palo Alto's online gathering place

TODAY'S TOP POSTS     VIEW ALL POSTS
Group seeks to change Palo Alto smoking ordinance
On the heels of a toughened smoking ordinance adopted in Mountain View Tuesday, Breathe California, a San Jose tobacco-prevention organization, is looking to Palo Alto as the ...
Last comment from Martha, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, 1 hour ago (Comments: 10)

Caltrain ponders tax increase to fund operations
A year after barely avoiding draconian service cuts, Caltrain officials have several reasons to feel optimistic even as they continue to scramble for new funding sources to ke...
Last comment from psa188, a resident of Los Altos, 59 minutes ago (Comments: 17)

Proposed downtown 'gateway' building hit with setback
A looming tower made of glass and connected to a new five-story building could soon become one of the most prominent features of downtown Palo Alto -- if the development can m...
Last comment from Rod, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, 4 minutes ago (Comments: 25)

Palo Alto braces for battle against housing mandates
If one believes regional projections, Palo Alto will have to build 12,500 new homes by 2035 to accommodate job growth and meet California's ambitious green goals. Count the Ci...
Last comment from Margie, a resident of the College Terrace neighborhood, 15 minutes ago (Comments: 36)

Palo Alto approves AT&T's antenna plan
AT&T's controversial plan to install 80 antennas on utility poles throughout Palo Alto surged forward Monday night when the City Council approved the first phase of the compan...
Last comment from Anon, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, 1 hour ago (Comments: 34)


JAY THORWALDSON'S BLOG
editor emeritus
On Deadline blog: Impacts of Proposition 13 to be explored Feb. 10 at Silicon Valley conference
A third of a century ago California voters enthusiastically supported Proposition 13 as a way to cut taxes and curtail the costs of "runaway" government. The "tax revolt" foll...
Posted on Jan 24, 2012 at 3:41 pm
(Comments: 32)

READ MORE OF JAY THORWALDSON'S BLOG
READ PAUL LOSCH'S COMMUNITY BLOG
READ REBECCA WALLACE'S AD LIBS BLOG
READ STEPHEN LEVY'S ECONOMY BLOG


LOCAL BLOGS & WEBSITES
Read blogs from people in the community or create a link to your own blog. Want to check out other local websites or link to yours from Palo Alto Online — Here's how
PhotoGallery
Share your photos with the community

"Snow caps"
This plant in Portola Valley looks to be wearing little caps of snow on Feb. 26, 2011.

Submitted by Nathan Hanley on Feb 26, 2011

CommunityCalendar
A sample of events happening today from your posts on the Palo Alto Online Master Community Calendar
'The Legend of Rex Slinkard' (Exhibits)
'Marvin's Room' (On Stage)
Media Center Video-Production Workshop (Classes/Workshops)
'Moon for the Misbegotten' (On Stage)

ShopLocal
Discover and enjoy the rich diversity of Palo Alto businesses at ShopPaloAlto.com, the new online guide to all local businesses featuring listings, customer opinions, web links, photos, maps, coupons, special deals, gift certificates, promotional event listings and much more.
logo

HolidayFund
Support our Kids, with a gift to the Holiday Fund
Holiday Fund Logo

Give to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund and your donation is doubled. You give to non-profit groups that work right here in our community. It's a great way to ensure that your charitable donations are working at home. You can also see the list of last year's recipients.

Donate Online


Arts&Entertainment
Ad LibsWeekly A&E editor Rebecca Wallace goes backstage with a blog on the Midpeninsula's vibrant arts scene. Check out 'Ad Libs' for updates, insight, and audio and video files.
Holiday 2011
LocalHeadlineNews
from the Palo Alto Weekly and the Palo Alto Online staff

Dead man found at Stanford construction site
A man's body was found in a grove near a construction site on the Stanford University campus on Thursday morning, according to the university's Department of Public Safety. The man was found at approximately 11:45 a.m. near Palo Road adjacent to Hoover Pavilion.

Golf course architect presents new plan
Golf-course architect Forrest Richardson presented a new plan for reconfiguring Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, which would include three full-sized recreational fields, during a community meeting at Lucie Stern Community Center on Thursday (Jan. 26) night.

'Peeping Tom' frequenting Stanford dorm
A peeper has been pestering women in a Stanford University dormitory since the beginning of January, according to the campus Department of Public Safety.

Apparent 'pipe bomb' linked to Palo Alto juvenile
The suspicious object that resembled a pipe bomb and prompted Palo Alto police to shut down a section of Middlefield Road in August was accidentally dropped on the road by a juvenile who was using it as a game prop earlier that day, police said.

VIDEO: Assemblyman Jerry Hill discusses pipeline safety
California Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, spoke about pipeline safety and the Sept. 9, 2010, explosion in San Bruno that killed eight people during a brief press conference in front of Palo Alto City Hall Thursday afternoon. Video by Veronica Weber/Palo Alto Online.

Group seeks to change Palo Alto smoking ordinance
On the heels of a toughened smoking ordinance adopted in Mountain View Tuesday, Breathe California, a San Jose tobacco-prevention organization, is looking to Palo Alto as the next stage of its campaign to reduce second-hand smoke. Related story:
Mountain View City Council passes smoking ban

Proposed downtown 'gateway' building hit with setback
A looming tower made of glass and connected to a new five-story building could soon become one of the most prominent features of downtown Palo Alto -- if the development can muster up enough "public benefits" to justify its size and density. The city's Planning and Transportation Commission reviewed the updated application Wednesday night but stopped short of approving it.

Man beaten, robbed at Stanford Shopping Center
A man in his 60s was beaten and robbed by several men -- including one armed with a handgun -- near the Macy's Men's Store at Stanford Shopping Center Wednesday afternoon, Palo Alto police said.

Caltrain ponders tax increase to fund operations
A year after barely avoiding draconian service cuts, Caltrain officials have several reasons to feel optimistic even as they continue to scramble for new funding sources to keep the trains running.

Gunn senior Jin Pan among Intel contest finalists
Gunn High School senior Jin Pan said he got hooked on science when he took Casey O'Connell's honors chemistry class his sophomore year. Wednesday, Pan was named one of 40 national finalists in the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search.

SPORTS: SHP boys lose chance to open up a big soccer lead
The Sacred Heart Prep boys' soccer team lost an opportunity to widen its lead in the West Bay Athletic League following a 1-1 deadlock with visiting King's Academy on Wednesday. For the complete story, as well as sports scores, team pages, schedules, video and more, visit PASportsOnline.com.

John Danielson resigns as Atherton city manager
Menlo Park opts not to pay for Flood Park
Eshoo finds few surprises in 'exceptional' State of the Union
Suspect arrested in Duveneck burglary
Rail authority slammed for lax contract oversight
Palo Alto approves AT&T's antenna plan
VIDEO/MULTIMEDIA

Recent headlines from Palo Alto Online
Subscribe to Palo Alto Online News RSS

Have a suggestion for a story? Send it to us!
Want to know what is going on in the community before anyone else? Sign up for Palo Alto Online's free E-Bulletins for local breaking news.

NewsPoll
Do you feel the California high-speed rail project should move forward following the release of the new business plan?

No
Undecided
Yes
Let us know how you feel on this issue in Town Square.

RecentIssues
(Click on Cover)
January 27, 2012

Table of Contents
NEW! Virtual Edition
[Sec 1]
[Sec 2]
PDF
[Sec 1]
[Sec 2]
January 20, 2012

Table of Contents
NEW! Virtual Edition
[Sec 1]
[Sec 2] [Sec 3]
PDF
[Sec 1]
[Sec 2] [Sec 3]
January 13, 2012

Table of Contents
NEW! Virtual Edition
[Sec 1]
[Sec 2]
PDF
[Sec 1]
[Sec 2]


ShortStoryContest
Short Story Contest
Thank you for entering the Short Story Contest. All winners will be notified. Short Story reception for all that entered, the winners and their families, will be held in December.
View last years winners

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Movies
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Whole star Whole star
What may work on the page doesn't always hold up well under the harsh light of the silver screen. Take "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," the Jonathan Safran Foer novel that beguiled many readers but wilts as an Oscar-season drama. Academy Awa...(Read the full review here)

View Local Movie Times
Search Reviews
Search thousands of movie reviews from Palo Alto Weekly.
Enter a movie title or do an advanced search.
   
Post your comments or movie recommendations


Best Website
First Place
2010

 
Palo Alto Online   © 2012 Palo Alto Online
All rights reserved.