Recent News
Saturday, April 10, 2021
East Palo Alto leaders weigh traffic concerns, job training opportunities for major proposed office development
Early plans for a massive, 918,000-square-foot development of four office buildings in East Palo Alto appeared to be welcomed this week by City Council members, who also raised concerns about traffic and job opportunities.
Saturday, 2:34 PM | No comments yetThree rapes reported on Stanford University campus
Stanford University Department of Public Safety is investigating reports of three rapes on the campus over a three-week period in March, the department has confirmed in an email.
Saturday, 9:01 AM | 4 commentsAround Town: Libraries will soon reopen for people with appointments
In the latest Around Town column, find out what untraditional trinkets were hidden at Bol Park on Easter day for children to find and learn how Palo Alto's city libraries will return to some normalcy starting Tuesday, April 13.
Saturday, 8:30 AM | No comments yetFriday, April 9, 2021
Palo Alto autonomous flight company sued; competitor claims it stole design
A legal battle is brewing between two local companies vying to create flying autonomous air-taxis, with one alleging that the other poached employees, stole trade secrets and copied its aircraft design.
Friday, 5:13 PM | No comments yetPUBLIC AGENDA: Consideration of impact fees for community amenities, renter protection policies
A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of April 12.
Friday, 10:10 AM | No comments yetVaccine passports in California? Answers to your questions
California has no plans to administer a passport. But the state is sending mixed messages to businesses about the need to verify that people at large events are vaccinated.
Friday, 9:44 AM | 1 commentFacebook to host Menlo Park COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Saturday
Starting April 10, Facebook will convert part of its Menlo Park headquarters into a vaccination clinic for eligible residents of Belle Haven, East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks.
Friday, 8:49 AM | No comments yetAn Alternative View: Palo Alto police have shut their doors
At Monday's City Council meeting, Police Chief Robert Jonsen indicated that he wants to keep in place a new encryption policy that makes it hard to find out about police conduct.
Friday, 6:58 AM | 10 commentsThursday, April 8, 2021
Palo Alto eyes another shake-up to parking policies in commercial areas
Seeking to add flexibility to the city's rigid and confusing parking policies, Palo Alto is preparing to adopt new rules that will give visitors flexibility and steer workers away from residential streets and toward public garages.
Thursday, 3:41 PM | 11 commentsCastro Street could stay closed to traffic after the COVID-19 pandemic
Mountain View's experimental closure of Castro Street during the pandemic has temporarily transformed the city's downtown corridor. But could those changes be made permanent?
Thursday, 8:28 AM | No comments yetWednesday, April 7, 2021
Former Palo Alto math tutor now charged with 52 lewd acts on 16 girls
Prosecutors in the case against former math tutor Mark Allan Hodes filed additional charges of lewd conduct against him on April 5, upping the number of felonies he faces five-fold -- from nine to 52.
Wednesday, 6:00 PM | 36 commentsFacing concerns from College Terrace, city looks to reassert commitment to single-family housing zones
Since Palo Alto launched the "planned home zone" last year to spur housing construction, it has seen steady increases in developer interest and in neighborhood anxieties. On Monday, the council plans to refine its newest zoning tool.
Wednesday, 3:51 PM | 12 commentsThe end of an era: Ann's Coffee Shop to close
After 75 years, Ann's Coffee Shop in Menlo Park, known for its 1950s atmosphere, bottomless carafes of coffee and homemade soups and pies, is set to close April 19, according to the mother-son duo behind the diner.
Wednesday, 3:02 PM | 2 commentsHealth leaders encourage residents to seek COVID-19 vaccination appointments despite short supply
In a continued race to stay one step ahead of the mutating coronavirus, health officials in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties are urging patience and a renewed effort to follow safety guidelines.
Wednesday, 9:39 AM | 6 commentsTuesday, April 6, 2021
East Palo Alto City Council to review proposed office development at 18-acre Bay Road site
The East Palo Alto City Council will review preliminary plans Tuesday for an office development at a 17.8-acre site located at 1990 Bay Road.
Tuesday, 3:17 PM | 3 commentsCalifornia sets June 15 goal for full reopening
The state's plan to fully reopen on June 15 will largely depend on two criteria: Vaccine supply must be sufficient for anyone 16 and up who wants a shot and hospitalization rates must remain low and stable.
Tuesday, 12:56 PM | 3 commentsCity Council clashes over appointments to new housing panel
Palo Alto's effort to craft a new housing vision got off to a rocky start Monday, with the council at odds over appointments to a citizens group before approving the roster through a partisan process.
Tuesday, 11:47 AM | 62 commentsPeninsula Creamery Dairy Store, Rick's Ice Cream ransacked two days apart
Break-ins were reported at two local ice cream stores in the space of two days last week, including one in which the ashes of two members of a longtime business were stolen.
Tuesday, 9:24 AM | 12 commentsAfter police encrypt radios, City Council looks for ways to restore transparency
The City Council has pushed back against the Police Department's abrupt move to encrypt all radio communications, with several members suggesting that the policy should be revised or reversed.
Tuesday, 12:31 AM | 4 commentsMonday, April 5, 2021
Fresh off national victory, Stanford women's basketball returns to hometown welcome
It's been 29 years since Stanford University women's basketball landed a national title -- a cause for celebration on Monday when the team paraded through campus and downtown Palo Alto.
Monday, 5:45 PM | 4 commentsJohn C. Martin, pioneer of single-pill HIV treatment, dies unexpectedly
John C. Martin, 69, who helped develop the first once-a-day pill to treat HIV while serving as CEO of Gilead Sciences, died on March 30 after suffering head injuries from a fall the previous day.
Monday, 3:24 PM | 1 commentState and federal funds will help local school districts with reopening costs
Schools will soon receive money to help with safety measures they're taking to reopen, along with additional academic, mental health and social-emotional supports needed because of the pandemic.
Monday, 1:41 PM | No comments yetSunday, April 4, 2021
Around Town: Palo Alto Adult School marks 100 years of educating the community
In the latest Around Town column, news about the Palo Alto Adult School celebrating its centennial, children joining a protest against anti-Asian hate and the departure of an assistant city manager.
Sunday, 8:45 AM | 1 commentSaturday, April 3, 2021
Is California blowing it on unemployment reform?
The state went deep into debt to keep jobless benefits flowing during the pandemic. And if it doesn't fix its $48 billion unemployment problem, that could derail COVID-19 recovery.
Saturday, 11:04 AM | 5 commentsFriday, April 2, 2021
East Palo Alto youth nonprofit meets fundraising goal to purchase site
After fundraising for just a few weeks, Youth United for Community Action was able to raise $1.2 million to purchase the nonprofit's site and secure its future in East Palo Alto.
Friday, 10:49 AM | No comments yetFormer schools employee arrested for child pornography
A Redwood City man who has worked at Palo Alto schools was arrested on Thursday for allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.
Friday, 9:49 AM | 2 commentsOngoing vaccine site available to East Palo Alto residents starting Friday
All East Palo Alto residents 18 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School, a new vaccination clinic, starting Friday.
Friday, 9:32 AM | No comments yetEditorial: When police control what the public learns about its activities, there can be no accountability
At a time when the need for public scrutiny of police conduct has never been greater, we can't afford to make that transparency worse.
Friday, 6:54 AM | 22 commentsThe power outage: From a lemon to lemonade
At 5 p.m. on March 27, my power went out, along with 7,000 other Palo Altans. What followed is a fun tale of how people react to a power loss. Read more from the blog "An Alternative View."
Friday, 6:54 AM | 5 commentsHate incidents in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County jump dramatically
While there are far fewer known hate crimes, the number of incidents is likely in the hundreds or thousands in the county, and most of the crimes and incidents go unreported.
Friday, 6:53 AM | 15 commentsHer worst fear comes true: Daughter loses both parents to COVID-19
Christine Walker had just said her final farewell to her father on Dec. 26, when three weeks later, she found herself saying goodbye to her mother, who died on Jan. 17. Both died from COVID-19.
Friday, 6:53 AM | No comments yetSnapshots of retirement: New book looks at how baby boomers are changing the formula
With greater affluence than their parents' generation, boomers are reinventing retirement with more activity, more passion and more experimentation, says Woodside resident Richard Haiduck.
Friday, 6:53 AM | 10 commentsThursday, April 1, 2021
PUBLIC AGENDA: Study session on policing; update about community conversations around race
A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of April 5.
Thursday, 3:44 PM | No comments yetWith COVID-19 variants on the rise, Santa Clara County faces race to vaccinate
Santa Clara County has seen an increase in residents infected with COVID-19 variants, a sign that efforts to curb the pandemic remain precarious, county public health leaders said Thursday.
Thursday, 2:45 PM | 18 commentsJ&J vaccine encounters glitch as state expands eligibility
Word of Johnson & Johnson's manufacturing glitch comes just as California expands vaccinations to people 50 and older.
Thursday, 9:44 AM | 2 commentsAs police encrypt their radios, Palo Alto eyes new measures to boost transparency
Facing a fresh claim of excessive force by a police officer and ongoing concerns about transparency within Palo Alto police, the City Council will consider on Monday new measures to improve oversight in the department.
Thursday, 9:15 AM | 14 commentsState earmarks funds for Santa Clara, San Mateo counties to punch up vaccine access
As California anticipates a massive expansion in COVID-19 vaccine supply, the state will provide $7.6 million to nine Bay Area counties to build out vaccination sites in some of their hardest-hit communities.
Thursday, 9:14 AM | 5 commentsAfter a year of 'enormous turmoil,' district and teachers union negotiate raises
After one of the most disruptive years in public education, Palo Alto Unified and its teachers union are negotiating salary increases, with the union asking for a higher raise than the district has proposed.
Thursday, 8:35 AM | 47 commentsWednesday, March 31, 2021
Vaccine appointments may be backed up for several weeks
Californians frustrated by the never-ending hunt for COVID-19 vaccine appointments may have to wait several weeks until appointments are more readily available, Blue Shield's CEO said.
Wednesday, 8:52 AM | 2 commentsTuesday, March 30, 2021
More scrutiny but no charges for Palo Alto officer after dog attack
The recently released video of a Palo Alto police dog attacking a man who was sleeping in a backyard shed has brought fresh scrutiny to the agency's K-9 program but no charges for the dog's handler.
Tuesday, 5:13 PM | 50 commentsEighty applicants vie for seats on Palo Alto's new housing panel
Seventeen volunteers, including residents, activists and property owners, will be chosen from 80 applicants for a complex task: drafting a roadmap for expanding Palo Alto's housing supply.
Tuesday, 3:54 PM | 24 commentsSanta Clara County launches program to help victims who are strangled in domestic violence attacks
Some of the most violent and lethal attacks in domestic violence cases often go unnoticed and unreported, putting the health of victims at risk and allowing assailants to avoid prosecution.
Tuesday, 2:05 PM | 2 commentsAmazon settles claims of false advertising, unfair competition for $2M
Santa Clara County was part of a six-county alliance of prosecutors who worked together to wrest a $2 million settlement from Amazon.com Inc. over alleged false advertising.
Tuesday, 9:25 AM | No comments yetBecker calls for expanding vaccine eligibility to hard-hit communities ahead of April 15
Becker wants the state to allow vaccinations for residents 16 and up in places like East Palo Alto, which has had higher infection rates.
Tuesday, 9:04 AM | No comments yetCastilleja School forced to revise redevelopment plan
Castilleja School suffered a setback Monday to its plan to rebuild and modernize its Bryant Street campus when a skeptical City Council demanded major revisions to the school's application, including a redesign of its parking garage.
Tuesday, 1:13 AM | 31 commentsSunday, March 28, 2021
Around Town: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula marks one year of feeding the community
Read a report on the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula's meal distribution efforts, background on a new planning commissioner and news of Stanford alumna Issa Rae visiting her alma mater.
Sunday, 8:59 AM | No comments yet
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A fond farewell from the Peninsula Foodist
By paloaltoonline.com | 10 comments | 3,216 views
Palo Alto Utilities breeds mistrust with lack of transparency around outages
By Sherry Listgarten | 28 comments | 3,043 views
Palo Alto has an escalating transparency problem -- the police have shut their doors
By Diana Diamond | 6 comments | 1,382 views
Porn
By Chandrama Anderson | 2 comments | 652 views
