Recent News

Saturday, October 20, 2018

Around Town: Getting acquainted; downtown denial

In this week's Around Town column, the Ventura Working Group holds its first meeting, a proposed downtown project faces a fresh obstacle and three leaders are recognized for thei work at VA Palo Alto.

Saturday, 6:34 AM | No comments yet

Crescent Park traffic report analyzes depth of concerns

Seeking to persuade the Palo Alto City Council to take traffic congestion seriously, Crescent Park residents have conducted their own survey to gauge feelings, identify the problems and to offer some potential solutions.

Saturday, 6:34 AM | 8 comments

Friday, October 19, 2018

PUBLIC AGENDA: Traffic town hall; school goals

A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of Oct. 22.

Friday, 6:28 PM | No comments yet

Webcast: East Palo Alto Election 2018

Weekly journalists discuss the East Palo Alto City Council race and the city's Measure HH commercial business tax, which could bring funding for building new housing and job training.

Friday, 5:33 PM | No comments yet

Local priests accused of sexual misconduct

Eight priests with ties to Midpeninsula parishes are among the 15 clergy members accused of sexual abuse against children dating back to the 1960s, according to a list released Thursday by the Diocese of San Jose.

Friday, 9:55 AM | 14 comments

Housing advocates seek seats on Palo Alto's planning commission

Thirteen Palo Alto residents, including two former mayors and numerous prominent housing advocates, are vying for two seats that will soon open up on the city's Planning and Transportation Commission.

Friday, 9:39 AM | 7 comments

Palo Alto neighbors may see relief from noise

A Menlo Park business that nearby Palo Alto residents say has been a nuisance for three years must cease holding events at its offices, Menlo Park officials said in a letter to the company.

Friday, 6:54 AM | 10 comments

Editorial: Re-elect Sheriff Laurie Smith

In spite of her shortcomings, which include an uninspired and weak administrative record over her two decades in the office, we believe Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith is the better choice.

Friday, 6:54 AM | 2 comments

Off Deadline: A bigger, faster train is barreling toward Palo Alto — ready or not

While some residents and civic leaders have been sounding an alarm about the impacts of more frequent trains for years most residents of Palo Alto and other Peninsula communities haven't caught on enough to actually do something.

Friday, 6:54 AM | 41 comments

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Palo Alto High robotics coach resigns after complaints

Paly computer science teacher and robotics coach Kathleen Krier, who had been placed on paid leave following complaints about her behavior with the robotics team, has resigned, Superintendent Don Austin confirmed.

Thursday, 6:04 PM | 29 comments

Shop Talk: Su Hong to close; eco-friendly apparel

In the latest Shop Talk column, read about the longtime Su Hong owner David King's retirement plans and a new clothing store at Town & Country Village.

Thursday, 8:17 AM | No comments yet

Community Notebook: City's first black church celebrates centennial

Little could a handful of African-American church organizers know when they met in 1918 that their effort would result in the University African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, which this weekend is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Thursday, 8:15 AM | 11 comments

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Plan for train trench faces obstacles in south Palo Alto

Palo Alto city officials are narrowing down options for separating Charleston Road and Meadow Drive from the train tracks, with the hopes of coming to a big decision in early 2019.

Wednesday, 1:58 PM | 62 comments

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Palo Alto looks to scrap outdated fees

It's been a while since Palo Alto has hosted a rodeo, approved a new billiard parlor or welcomed the circus to town, but one wouldn't know that from looking at the city's list of fees.

Tuesday, 10:21 PM | 9 comments

Supervisors back new $222M psychiatric hospital for kids

Calling it a much-needed resource for youth in crisis, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday gave a full-throated endorsement of plans to build a new psychiatric facility aimed at serving children and teens.

Tuesday, 9:50 PM | 3 comments

Firefighters, police brass get raises in new contracts

Palo Alto's firefighters will receive significant salary increases between now and 2020 as part of a new three-year contract agreement that will also require them to contribute more toward their pension and health care costs.

Tuesday, 4:48 PM | 4 comments

Supervisors gear up for negotiations with Stanford

As Stanford University is preparing to kick off negotiations with Santa Clara County on an unprecedented development agreement to guide the university's long-term growth, Palo Alto's school officials and residents are growing increasingly alarmed about being left out.

Tuesday, 4:38 PM | 6 comments

Editorial: Karen Holman for Midpeninsula Open Space District Board

After 46 years representing the Palo Alto area as an elected board member of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD), Palo Alto resident Nonette Hanko has decided to step down when her term ends this year.

Tuesday, 12:03 PM | 46 comments

Khoury's Market set to open in College Terrace

Palo Alto shoppers won't have any trouble knowing which family is in charge of the new College Terrace supermarket. Khoury's Market was approved by the City Council on Monday as the neighborhood's newest grocer.

Tuesday, 9:15 AM | 18 comments

Council intrigued by San Antonio condo plan

Palo Alto City Council members see a residential development proposed for a site on San Antonio Road as a promising sign that their recent pivot toward housing is bearing fruit.

Tuesday, 12:50 AM | 23 comments

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Four shot, two dead at Halloween party

Two people have died and two others were injured after an argument at a Halloween party quickly escalated into a shooting early Sunday morning, East Palo Alto police said.

Sunday, 7:41 PM | 9 comments

Around Town: This spot is taken; set the expectation

In the latest Around Town column, learn why Uber's taking more parking spots near California Avenue, how Paly students are taking a stand against sexism and violence and a new policy concerning tennis and pickleball players.

Sunday, 10:11 AM | 3 comments

Saturday, October 13, 2018

Following student complaints, Paly robotics coach placed on paid leave

The school district has placed Kathleen Krier, Palo Alto High School computer science teacher and head robotics coach, on paid leave following concerns about her behavior, voiced by members of the robotics team.

Saturday, 11:30 AM | 52 comments

City proposes retention basin under Bol Park

A Palo Alto proposal to put a stormwater-retention pond under Bol Park would serve to remove hazardous chemicals from runoff water before potentially using the water for park irrigation, according to city plans.

Saturday, 8:44 AM | 30 comments

Friday, October 12, 2018

Webcast: Palo Alto City Council race

Weekly journalists preview the City Council election with a discussion about Palo Alto's five candidates and their stances on some of the city's most urgent issues.

Friday, 4:57 PM | No comments yet

County officials weigh $222M youth psychiatric hospital

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is scheduled on Tuesday to discuss plans for a youth inpatient psychiatric hospital, which could fill a chronic unmet need in the region.

Friday, 12:49 PM | 5 comments

Paly robotics students clash with new coach

Students on Palo Alto High School's competitive robotics team are clashing with a new head coach whose communication around changes to the student-driven program has created what some students describe as a hostile educational environment.

Friday, 12:07 PM | 60 comments

PUBLIC AGENDA: Rezoning proposal; grade-separation options

A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of Oct. 15.

Friday, 6:56 AM | No comments yet

Election 2018: Council contenders

This year's five candidates for Palo Alto City Council offer a blend of the familiar and the new.

Friday, 6:54 AM | 13 comments

Pat Boone

As a newcomer to the Palo Alto City Council's race, Pat Boone is quick to admit that he is still refining his positions on city issues.

Friday, 6:52 AM | No comments yet

Alison Cormack

If elected to the Palo Alto City Council, candidate Alison Cormack said she would apply her measured, research-heavy approach to tackling the city's most urgent problems.

Friday, 6:52 AM | No comments yet

Tom DuBois

For Tom DuBois, the past four years on the Palo Alto City Council have been the best and worst of times, in that order.

Friday, 6:52 AM | No comments yet

Eric Filseth

When Eric Filseth ran for Palo Alto City Council four years ago, he talked about limiting office development, fixing downtown's parking congestion and preserving Palo Alto's suburban feel.

Friday, 6:51 AM | No comments yet

Cory Wolbach

On July 30, City Councilman Cory Wolbach shocked Palo Alto's political world by doing two things: throwing his support behind a citizen effort to curb office development and staying completely silent.

Friday, 6:51 AM | No comments yet

Council candidate, city employee get into altercation

An argument over the hot-button issue of banning oversized vehicles in East Palo Alto turned into a shouting match that nearly became physical between a candidate for the City Council and a city employee during a city meeting on Sept. 19, according to witnesses.

Friday, 6:51 AM | 17 comments

Meet the Ravenswood school-board candidates

Come Nov. 6, voters will be presented with two distinct narratives from six newcomers and three incumbents running for three open seats on the Ravenswood City School District Board of Education.

Friday, 6:51 AM | 1 comment

Guest Opinion: Stanford GUP should not be negotiated in secret

We hope many others in the community will speak up and let the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors know what we think about closed-door deal-making on Stanford University's general use permit.

Friday, 6:50 AM | 1 comment

Editorial: Filseth, DuBois and Cormack for City Council

For a more productive council that hopefully will focus on solutions rather than political gamesmanship or personal insults, we recommend the election of Eric Filseth, Tom DuBois and Alison Cormack to Palo Alto City Council.

Friday, 6:50 AM | 169 comments

Previous editorials on city issues

Friday, 6:49 AM | No comments yet

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Police seek man in attempted robbery

Palo Alto police are searching for a man who shoved a woman to the ground in a local park and attempted to rob her on Wednesday night.

Thursday, 3:21 PM | 24 comments

Planning panel backs downtown roof decks

Roof decks would be allowed at some of downtown Palo Alto's tallest buildings under a proposal that the city's Planning and Transportation Commission endorsed on Wednesday night.

Thursday, 1:45 PM | 3 comments

To spur housing production, Palo Alto rewrites zoning rules

Palo Alto officials are preparing for a significant revision to the city's zoning code with the goal of lowering some of the highest hurdles facing housing developers.

Thursday, 9:53 AM | 93 comments

Local nonprofit aims to transform the lives of motivated, low-income kids

Leaders and community supporters of Palo Alto-based nonprofit Peninsula Bridge are determined to change statistics surrounding first-generation students leaving college without a degree.

Thursday, 9:29 AM | No comments yet

Divisive downtown project suffers setback

Elizabeth Wong's plan to build a four-story mixed-use building on a University Avenue site that once housed the popular Shady Lane boutique is facing a fresh setback from the Architectural Review Board.

Thursday, 9:17 AM | 16 comments

Indecent exposure reported at Stanford University

A female walked in on a man masturbating inside an elevator at Quillen Highrise apartments at Stanford University on Wednesday morning, campus police said.

Thursday, 8:51 AM | 8 comments

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Early-bird voting opens in Santa Clara County

Voting for the Nov. 6 election began Tuesday in Santa Clara County, with early-bird voting open and about 640,000 mail-in ballots sent out to county residents.

Wednesday, 9:32 AM | 5 comments

Update: District vendors donate $35K to Ravenswood school board race

Three companies currently engaged with the Ravenswood City School District -- a construction management company, architecture firm and utility construction company -- have made large donations to campaign committee formed to support three school board incumbents running for re-election.

Wednesday, 9:12 AM | 30 comments

Woodland Park residents forced to show ID to pay rent

Tenants of East Palo Alto's largest affordable apartment complex are being made to show identification if they want to pay their rent, about 50 protesters said on Tuesday evening.

Wednesday, 8:43 AM | 8 comments

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

School board discusses policy on access to records

The Palo Alto school board discussed on Tuesday a board policy that has been revised to comply with a 2017 state Supreme Court decision that local officials' communication about public business on private accounts and devices is subject to the California Public Records Act.

Tuesday, 9:35 AM | No comments yet

Monday, October 8, 2018

Paly recreates 1918 march

More than 200 current and past Palo Alto High students recreated a historical moment on Sunday, walking from what is now Channing House to the school as students, teachers and staff did 100 years ago for their first day of school at their new campus.

Monday, 9:56 AM | 8 comments

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Felony charges against armed men in rap video dropped

Felony charges against two convicted felons accused of brandishing guns in a music video while on probation for criminal activity were dismissed in San Mateo County Superior Court on Friday, San Mateo County prosecutors said.

Sunday, 8:38 AM | 5 comments

East Palo Alto's Measure HH seeks housing, job training funding

A $2.50-per-square-foot annual parcel tax on large office developments could raise at least $1.67 million in annual revenue for East Palo Alto, according to city estimates, if voters approve the tax on Nov. 6.

Sunday, 7:52 AM | 13 comments

Volunteers band together to revive recycled-bouquet program

Avenidas Blooms, a group that recycles bouquets, is made up of 30 or so volunteers who rearrange and distribute floral arrangements to the sick, the elderly and those in need of some spontaneous cheer.

Sunday, 7:52 AM | No comments yet

Top Blogs

Redwood City gets new brewery
By Elena Kadvany | 11 comments | 5,106 views

Non-Player Character: Can you be mistaken for an IRL-NPC?
By Douglas Moran | 6 comments | 2,080 views

Should we get rid of state propositions on the ballot?
By Diana Diamond | 11 comments | 1,341 views

Learning Disabilities and the Struggle to Be Known
By Aldis Petriceks | 0 comments | 1,136 views

A Living Tribute
By Max Greenberg | 3 comments | 517 views

View all local blogs

Recent News

In this week's Around Town column, the Ventura Working Group holds its first meeting, a proposed downtown project faces a fresh obstacle and three leaders are recognized for thei work at VA Palo Alto.

Seeking to persuade the Palo Alto City Council to take traffic congestion seriously, Crescent Park residents have conducted their own survey to gauge feelings, identify the problems and to offer some potential solutions.

A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of Oct. 22.

Weekly journalists discuss the East Palo Alto City Council race and the city's Measure HH commercial business tax, which could bring funding for building new housing and job training.

Eight priests with ties to Midpeninsula parishes are among the 15 clergy members accused of sexual abuse against children dating back to the 1960s, according to a list released Thursday by the Diocese of San Jose.

Thirteen Palo Alto residents, including two former mayors and numerous prominent housing advocates, are vying for two seats that will soon open up on the city's Planning and Transportation Commission.

A Menlo Park business that nearby Palo Alto residents say has been a nuisance for three years must cease holding events at its offices, Menlo Park officials said in a letter to the company.

In spite of her shortcomings, which include an uninspired and weak administrative record over her two decades in the office, we believe Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith is the better choice.

While some residents and civic leaders have been sounding an alarm about the impacts of more frequent trains for years most residents of Palo Alto and other Peninsula communities haven't caught on enough to actually do something.

Paly computer science teacher and robotics coach Kathleen Krier, who had been placed on paid leave following complaints about her behavior with the robotics team, has resigned, Superintendent Don Austin confirmed.

In the latest Shop Talk column, read about the longtime Su Hong owner David King's retirement plans and a new clothing store at Town & Country Village.

Little could a handful of African-American church organizers know when they met in 1918 that their effort would result in the University African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, which this weekend is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Palo Alto city officials are narrowing down options for separating Charleston Road and Meadow Drive from the train tracks, with the hopes of coming to a big decision in early 2019.

It's been a while since Palo Alto has hosted a rodeo, approved a new billiard parlor or welcomed the circus to town, but one wouldn't know that from looking at the city's list of fees.

Calling it a much-needed resource for youth in crisis, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday gave a full-throated endorsement of plans to build a new psychiatric facility aimed at serving children and teens.

Palo Alto's firefighters will receive significant salary increases between now and 2020 as part of a new three-year contract agreement that will also require them to contribute more toward their pension and health care costs.

As Stanford University is preparing to kick off negotiations with Santa Clara County on an unprecedented development agreement to guide the university's long-term growth, Palo Alto's school officials and residents are growing increasingly alarmed about being left out.

After 46 years representing the Palo Alto area as an elected board member of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD), Palo Alto resident Nonette Hanko has decided to step down when her term ends this year.

Palo Alto shoppers won't have any trouble knowing which family is in charge of the new College Terrace supermarket. Khoury's Market was approved by the City Council on Monday as the neighborhood's newest grocer.

Palo Alto City Council members see a residential development proposed for a site on San Antonio Road as a promising sign that their recent pivot toward housing is bearing fruit.

Two people have died and two others were injured after an argument at a Halloween party quickly escalated into a shooting early Sunday morning, East Palo Alto police said.

In the latest Around Town column, learn why Uber's taking more parking spots near California Avenue, how Paly students are taking a stand against sexism and violence and a new policy concerning tennis and pickleball players.

The school district has placed Kathleen Krier, Palo Alto High School computer science teacher and head robotics coach, on paid leave following concerns about her behavior, voiced by members of the robotics team.

A Palo Alto proposal to put a stormwater-retention pond under Bol Park would serve to remove hazardous chemicals from runoff water before potentially using the water for park irrigation, according to city plans.

Weekly journalists preview the City Council election with a discussion about Palo Alto's five candidates and their stances on some of the city's most urgent issues.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is scheduled on Tuesday to discuss plans for a youth inpatient psychiatric hospital, which could fill a chronic unmet need in the region.

Students on Palo Alto High School's competitive robotics team are clashing with a new head coach whose communication around changes to the student-driven program has created what some students describe as a hostile educational environment.

A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of Oct. 15.

This year's five candidates for Palo Alto City Council offer a blend of the familiar and the new.

As a newcomer to the Palo Alto City Council's race, Pat Boone is quick to admit that he is still refining his positions on city issues.

If elected to the Palo Alto City Council, candidate Alison Cormack said she would apply her measured, research-heavy approach to tackling the city's most urgent problems.

For Tom DuBois, the past four years on the Palo Alto City Council have been the best and worst of times, in that order.

When Eric Filseth ran for Palo Alto City Council four years ago, he talked about limiting office development, fixing downtown's parking congestion and preserving Palo Alto's suburban feel.

On July 30, City Councilman Cory Wolbach shocked Palo Alto's political world by doing two things: throwing his support behind a citizen effort to curb office development and staying completely silent.

An argument over the hot-button issue of banning oversized vehicles in East Palo Alto turned into a shouting match that nearly became physical between a candidate for the City Council and a city employee during a city meeting on Sept. 19, according to witnesses.

Come Nov. 6, voters will be presented with two distinct narratives from six newcomers and three incumbents running for three open seats on the Ravenswood City School District Board of Education.

We hope many others in the community will speak up and let the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors know what we think about closed-door deal-making on Stanford University's general use permit.

For a more productive council that hopefully will focus on solutions rather than political gamesmanship or personal insults, we recommend the election of Eric Filseth, Tom DuBois and Alison Cormack to Palo Alto City Council.

Palo Alto police are searching for a man who shoved a woman to the ground in a local park and attempted to rob her on Wednesday night.

Roof decks would be allowed at some of downtown Palo Alto's tallest buildings under a proposal that the city's Planning and Transportation Commission endorsed on Wednesday night.

Palo Alto officials are preparing for a significant revision to the city's zoning code with the goal of lowering some of the highest hurdles facing housing developers.

Leaders and community supporters of Palo Alto-based nonprofit Peninsula Bridge are determined to change statistics surrounding first-generation students leaving college without a degree.

Elizabeth Wong's plan to build a four-story mixed-use building on a University Avenue site that once housed the popular Shady Lane boutique is facing a fresh setback from the Architectural Review Board.

A female walked in on a man masturbating inside an elevator at Quillen Highrise apartments at Stanford University on Wednesday morning, campus police said.

Voting for the Nov. 6 election began Tuesday in Santa Clara County, with early-bird voting open and about 640,000 mail-in ballots sent out to county residents.

Three companies currently engaged with the Ravenswood City School District -- a construction management company, architecture firm and utility construction company -- have made large donations to campaign committee formed to support three school board incumbents running for re-election.

Tenants of East Palo Alto's largest affordable apartment complex are being made to show identification if they want to pay their rent, about 50 protesters said on Tuesday evening.

The Palo Alto school board discussed on Tuesday a board policy that has been revised to comply with a 2017 state Supreme Court decision that local officials' communication about public business on private accounts and devices is subject to the California Public Records Act.

More than 200 current and past Palo Alto High students recreated a historical moment on Sunday, walking from what is now Channing House to the school as students, teachers and staff did 100 years ago for their first day of school at their new campus.

Felony charges against two convicted felons accused of brandishing guns in a music video while on probation for criminal activity were dismissed in San Mateo County Superior Court on Friday, San Mateo County prosecutors said.

A $2.50-per-square-foot annual parcel tax on large office developments could raise at least $1.67 million in annual revenue for East Palo Alto, according to city estimates, if voters approve the tax on Nov. 6.

Avenidas Blooms, a group that recycles bouquets, is made up of 30 or so volunteers who rearrange and distribute floral arrangements to the sick, the elderly and those in need of some spontaneous cheer.

Index