Recent News
Friday, May 24, 2019
Community Notebook: What's closed and how to get around on Memorial Day
With Memorial Day quickly approaching, we've compiled a list of public city agencies and services that will be operating normally or with limited services this Monday, May 27.
Friday, 9:05 AM | No comments yetPalo Alto Unified relented after standoff with Stanford
When Palo Alto Unified trustees saw the first draft of an agreement with Stanford related to the university's planned growth, they expressed concern about a provision that would ultimately spell the undoing of the deal.
Friday, 8:54 AM | 1 comment'This is not saying we're anti-charter.' Ravenswood school board backs state charter bills
The Ravenswood City school board unanimously approved Thursday night a charter school moratorium that throws their support behind a raft of state legislation that they insist is not anti-charter but rather favors local control.
Friday, 8:29 AM | 2 commentsThursday, May 23, 2019
County supervisors OK $5M more to help victims of gender-based violence
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to earmark $5 million in annual, ongoing funding to help survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
Thursday, 12:14 PM | No comments yetWednesday, May 22, 2019
As statewide tensions continue, East Palo Alto district eyes charter school moratorium
The Ravenswood City School District Board of Education could become the latest public agency to lend its voice to the divisive fight against charter school growth in California.
Wednesday, 6:39 PM | 5 commentsDespite Stanford objections, county calls for more housing in campus expansion
Stanford University would be required to build more than 2,000 housing units and to offer nearly half of them at below market rate to secure permission for its expansion plan under conditions that Santa Clara County released Wednesday.
Wednesday, 5:39 PM | 25 commentsTeens accused of robbing Palo Alto woman tracked down in San Jose
Two teenage boys accused of robbing a woman in her Midtown Palo Alto home on Tuesday and last seen fleeing in her vehicle were arrested in San Jose, where one of them allegedly burglarized another home, police said Wednesday.
Wednesday, 5:25 PM | 23 commentsBy pleading guilty in college-admissions scandal, Menlo Park father could face prison time
A Menlo Park father charged with taking part in a nationwide college-admissions scam to get his daughter into a top-ranked university pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and honest services mail fraud on Wednesday morning.
Wednesday, 4:44 PM | 15 commentsStanford, county supervisors give conflicting accounts of talks to restart negotiations
Stanford University has disputed the accounts of two county supervisors that the university's top staff offered lesser benefits to the Palo Alto school district in order to restart suspended negotiations with the county.
Wednesday, 12:18 PM | 4 commentsCity set to pull the plug on sewage-burning incinerators
Palo Alto will celebrate its most significant environmental milestone in years on June 5, when the city retires the two incinerators that have been burning local sewage in the Baylands for nearly half a century.
Wednesday, 9:54 AM | 1 commentWorld-famous architect Frank Gehry helps East Palo Alto students imagine future cities
Architect Frank Gehry brought the same concepts he has used with teams to design renowned buildings, including the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Facebook campus in Menlo Park, to an East Palo Alto classroom Tuesday.
Wednesday, 9:40 AM | 3 commentsTuesday, May 21, 2019
Robbers invade Midtown home, steal elderly woman's jewelry, money, car
Two men who broke into a Midtown home alarmed a woman in her 70s, who was forced to hand over her jewelry, money and other personal property before they left in her car Tuesday afternoon, Palo Alto police said.
Tuesday, 7:54 PM | 27 commentsFor sufferers of a disease that has confounded researchers, a glimmer of hope
A blood test that can diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome and that could potentially help identify treatments for the baffling illness has been discovered by Stanford University School of Medicine and U.C. Irvine researchers.
Tuesday, 4:51 PM | 1 commentScharff set to return to City Hall — this time as utilities commissioner
Former Palo Alto Mayor Greg Scharff will return to the dais at City Hall -- this time as one of the newest members of the Utilities Advisory Commission. Scharff was one of nearly a dozen residents to win commission appointments Monday.
Tuesday, 4:39 PM | 3 commentsTo get more housing built, Palo Alto looks to loosen rules on San Antonio Road
Months after Palo Alto revised its zoning rules to encourage new housing in downtown and around California Avenue, the City Council is preparing to extend the development incentives to San Antonio Road.
Tuesday, 9:53 AM | 52 commentsFood allergy clinics a test of faith for desperate families
New clinics are opening and offering food-allergy treatment to desperate families, but some researchers say it's too soon to guarantee patient safety or even that it will work as promised.
Tuesday, 9:07 AM | 4 commentsSpurned by the FAA, Palo Alto may sue over airplane noise
With a new airplane route poised to increase traffic and noise over Palo Alto, the City Council agreed on Monday to consider suing the Federal Aviation Administration, which has a poor track record in responding to local concerns.
Tuesday, 12:29 AM | 42 commentsMonday, May 20, 2019
Shop Talk: Greek-Turkish eatery, vegan cafe, women's boutique open
In the latest Shop Talk column, read about two new local restaurants, including one with a 100% plant-based menu, and a new women's clothing store.
Monday, 2:29 PM | 4 commentsSunday, May 19, 2019
East Palo Alto celebrates grand opening of U.S. Highway 101 overpass
A new walkway connecting East Palo Alto neighborhoods on the east and west of U.S. Highway 101 debuted on Saturday. Construction of the $14 million project took 18 months from start to completion.
Sunday, 8:51 AM | 21 commentsSaturday, May 18, 2019
Around Town: Outsmarted; Affordable Housing Week
In the latest Around Town column, read about a special proclamation approved by the city of Palo Alto that recognizes its efforts in approving affordable-housing projects.
Saturday, 8:30 AM | 13 commentsFriday, May 17, 2019
Fond memories of a friend, a series of bake sales and one boy's hope to fund a cure to cancer
Addison Elementary School fifth-grader Nathan Carlsen died of a rare brain cancer on March 19, 2018. Now, his friends are raising funds for research into a cure.
Friday, 8:05 PM | 2 commentsWebcast: RV parking program takes off
Alicia Garcia of the nonprofit Project WeHope talks about East Palo Alto's pioneering new Safe Lot program, which is giving people living in their RVs a safe place to park overnight, along with offering them critical services.
Friday, 4:24 PM | 14 commentsPUBLIC AGENDA: Airplane noise discussion; proposed budget review
A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of May 20.
Friday, 10:35 AM |
No comments yet
A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of May 20.
Friday, 10:35 AM |
No comments yet
Rare eye cancer is the focus of 'Lookin' for a Cure' 5K run
For Dr. Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, a specialist in treating and researching eye cancer, nothing would make him happier than to be put out of business.
Friday, 9:31 AM | No comments yetWith artificial intelligence looming, debate over 'basic income' heats up
Proponents say universal basic income could help end poverty, but others argue that it would be prohibitively expensive and de-incentivize people from working.
Friday, 6:58 AM | 25 commentsThe $3.8 trillion question
Universal basic income, rolled out across the U.S., would cost $3.8 trillion annually, or 21% of the nation's gross domestic product, if every American citizen were to receive $12,000 a year (the current threshold for poverty).
Friday, 6:51 AM | 25 commentsThree questions about basic income
While arguments go back and forth about the feasibility of universal basic income and its potential merits, there are at least three sets of questions that need to be answered through experiments.
Friday, 6:51 AM | 25 commentsEditorial: A parking strategy drowning in complexity and frustration seeks a lifeline
A new report on Palo Alto's residential preferential parking programs is vulnerable to failure due to the lack of stable and adequate staff resources.
Friday, 6:51 AM | 4 commentsGuest Opinion: Palo Alto needs a citywide municipal fiber-to-the-premises utility
The medium of choice for wired telecommunications networks is fiber optics. But the telecom incumbents are reluctant to abandon their copper-based networks as long as customers are willing to put up with them.
Friday, 6:50 AM | 18 commentsThursday, May 16, 2019
Report: Santa Clara County sees big surge in homeless population
New data released by Santa Clara County shows that homelessness is a rapidly growing problem, with thousands of additional residents living on the streets compared to just two years ago.
Thursday, 2:49 PM | 78 commentsContentious state housing bill punted to 2020
Controversial Senate Bill 50 suffered a setback Thursday when the state Senate Appropriations Committee chair announced that the bill will not be brought for a hearing until 2020.
Thursday, 2:22 PM | 20 commentsArrest in 1970s cold-case murder points to serial killer
DNA evidence has led investigators to accuse John Arthur Getreu, 74, of Hayward, of the 1974 killing of 21-year-old Janet Ann Taylor near the Stanford University campus.
Thursday, 11:10 AM | No comments yetArrest in 1970s cold-case murder points to serial killer
Nearly six months after a Hayward man was charged in another murder that had gone unsolved for decades, DNA evidence has led investigators to accuse him of the 1974 killing of a 21-year-old woman near the Stanford University campus.
Thursday, 11:03 AM | 10 commentsWhat $9 million won't get you in Old Palo Alto: A house on a lot
A quarter-acre property for sale in Palo Alto is turning heads for what's not included in its $9-million price tag: a house.
Thursday, 9:25 AM | 22 commentsTransportation projects to get a boost in proposed budget
Signaling a renewed push to address local traffic and parking frustrations, the City Council's Finance Committee endorsed on Wednesday a proposal from City Manager Ed Shikada to add staff to the new Office of Transportation.
Thursday, 9:24 AM | 6 commentsWednesday, May 15, 2019
Caltrain's proposed four-track station could disrupt Palo Alto's rail-redesign plans
Caltrain's plan to expand its system could require the agency to construct a four-track segment in Palo Alto -- a proposal that could have significant ramifications on the city's own plans to redesign the rail corridor.
Wednesday, 1:41 PM | 87 commentsRavenswood board approves contract for interim superintendent
Gina Sudaria will stay on as the Ravenswood City School District's interim superintendent through next year or until a new superintendent is hired under a contract the school board approved for her last week.
Wednesday, 11:02 AM | 2 commentsPalo Alto Unified teachers, senior managers to get 2% raise
The Palo Alto school board unanimously approved 2% raises for its teachers union and senior managers on Tuesday night.
Wednesday, 9:39 AM | 8 commentsWith Stanford offer on hold, school board members voice disappointment — and one goes on the offensive
Three Palo Alto school board members voted on Tuesday night to suspend consideration of a tentative agreement with Stanford University related to its proposed campus expansion, voicing disappointment over the turn of events.
Wednesday, 9:29 AM | 81 commentsTuesday, May 14, 2019
Palo Alto prepares to revamp neighborhood parking programs
Seeking to bring some stability, simplicity and sanity to the city's complex patchwork of residential parking programs, the Palo Alto City Council embraced on Monday a new report that urges significant reforms.
Tuesday, 11:30 AM | 11 commentsCitywide train-tunnel idea hits dead end
After nearly a decade of dreaming, debating and designing, Palo Alto's bid to build a train tunnel from the north end of the city to the south came to a screeching halt Monday night.
Tuesday, 1:03 AM | 49 commentsMonday, May 13, 2019
How much do you and your neighbors pay in state taxes?
Think you pay too much in state income taxes? You'll be surprised to find out how much Palo Alto residents owed, with one ZIP code sending an average $111,415 to Sacramento.
Monday, 4:44 PM | 18 commentsForecast: Back-to-back storms to hit Bay Area this week
Two Bay Area storms this week will be more like winter-season systems as opposed to springtime rain, according to the National Weather Service.
Monday, 12:25 PM | 14 commentsRaises for teachers, managers to come before school board Tuesday
The Palo Alto school board will vote on two major agreements on Tuesday night that, if approved, will give 2% raises to both the teachers union and the district's non-unionized management association.
Monday, 10:41 AM | 21 commentsSunday, May 12, 2019
Grants available for Bay Area's low-income residents for clean air vehicle purchases
Low-income residents of certain Bay Area neighborhoods can get help to replace their old cars with clean air vehicles thanks to a new grant program administered by the region's air district.
Sunday, 9:05 AM | 3 commentsSaturday, May 11, 2019
Hawaii water polo team loses $16K in gear in Palo Alto auto burglary
Twenty members of the University of Hawaii women's water polo team had nearly $16,000 of equipment stolen in a Palo Alto burglary on Wednesday, police confirmed.
Saturday, 12:22 PM | 17 commentsAround Town: The underdog; 'Hope is An Action'
In the latest Around Town column, read about a Paly educator advancing to the "Jeopardy!" Teachers Tournament, actress Glenn Close bringing her mental health initiative to Palo Alto, Gunn High graduates behind a popular animated show a
Saturday, 8:52 AM | No comments yet
Be the first to know
Get the latest headlines sent straight to your inbox every day.
Palo Alto's Taverna to expand next door
By Elena Kadvany | 5 comments | 1,913 views
What Would it Take to Get Tech Companies to Move Jobs Out of the Region and Is This a Good Idea?
By Steve Levy | 28 comments | 1,793 views
A Power Play
By Sherry Listgarten | 12 comments | 1,707 views
Premarital and Couples: Valentine's Day: Annually or Daily?
By Chandrama Anderson | 0 comments | 1,010 views
Piles of artwork
By Cheryl Bac | 0 comments | 654 views
Vote now!
It's time once again to cast your vote for the best places to eat, drink, shop and spend time in Palo Alto. Voting is open now through May 27.
Watch for the results of our 2019 Best Of contest on Friday, July 19.
