Recent News
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Lyft to open Palo Alto research center for self-driving cars
Palo Alto's Stanford Research Park will soon be home to another company pursuing the Holy Grail of the auto industry: self-driving cars. Lyft, which up until now has been better known as the pink-mustachioed ride-hailing company, announced on Thursday that it would be opening a facility this year in Palo Alto.
Saturday, 10:50 AM | 1 commentPeninsula economy labor growth stalled
A midyear analysis of Silicon Valley and San Francisco Peninsula economic trends shows unemployment at its lowest rate since the dot-com boom, but job growth has slowed and growth in the labor force has stopped, according to a July update by the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies.
Saturday, 8:24 AM | 2 commentsFriday, July 21, 2017
Behind the Headlines: Inside code enforcement
Weekly journalists Anna Medina, Gennady Sheyner and Linda Taaffe break down how code enforcement works in Palo Alto and discuss what the city is doing to strengthen it.
Friday, 6:53 PM | No comments yetFederal judge declines to lift injunction blocking Trump order on sanctuary cities
A federal judge in San Francisco Thursday denied a request by President Donald Trump's administration to lift an injunction blocking the president's executive order on sanctuary cities.
Friday, 2:02 PM | 1 commentCommunity Notebook: Community Resource Fair
Twenty local organizations will provide information on immigration resources available to community members at a community resource fair in East Palo Alto on Sunday afternoon.
Friday, 9:49 AM | 1 commentShop Talk: Nut House's future; mobile market
In this week's retail news, the future of Antonio's Nut House remains uncertain, Facebook will debut its farmers market on wheels and Gymboree is closing at Stanford Shopping Center.
Friday, 9:30 AM | No comments yetCity cracks down on tenants at First Baptist
The city has sent out notices to First Baptist Church and to 11 organizations that rent space within the Old Palo Alto neighborhood workship place, informing them that they are violating the zoning code.
Friday, 6:54 AM | 35 commentsStanford buys homes in College Terrace, raising questions
In order to meet the housing needs of its faculty, Stanford University has stepped up buying single-family homes throughout Palo Alto and other nearby cities in the last two years, according to county records.
Friday, 6:54 AM | 29 commentsNew affordable-housing project proposed in Ventura
The nonprofit Palo Alto Housing is hoping for a better reception -- and outcome -- for its new proposal: a 67-unit development on El Camino Real, in the Ventura neighborhood.
Friday, 6:54 AM | 23 commentsPUBLIC AGENDA: proposed dog park; Stanford GUP application
A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of July 24.
Friday, 6:53 AM | No comments yetThursday, July 20, 2017
Maybell Avenue development moves ahead
A developer's plan to build 16 homes on a former orchard site on Maybell Avenue scored a major victory Thursday morning, when Palo Alto's Architectural Review Board signed off on the project.
Thursday, 9:53 AM | 10 commentsAround Town: staged protest; brick and mortality
In this week's Around Town column, find out why the city has butted heads with the San Francisco Mime Troupe and other tidbits collected by the Weekly staff.
Thursday, 9:15 AM | 19 commentsRape reported at Stanford University student residence
The Stanford University Department of Public Safety is investigating an alleged rape that occurred at a student residence on campus early Wednesday morning.
Thursday, 8:22 AM | 9 commentsWednesday, July 19, 2017
Pastor accused of molesting teens pleads not guilty
A pastor from East Palo Alto pleaded not guilty Tuesday to allegations that he molested three minors in the church office between 2011 and 2015, according to San Mateo County prosecutors.
Wednesday, 1:50 PM | No comments yetMaybell housing project nears final approval
A long-debated proposal to build 16 homes at a former orchard site on Maybell Avenue could win a key approval Thursday morning.
Wednesday, 9:53 AM | 17 commentsCommunity Notebook: Eshoo town hall meeting
Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, will be stopping by the 18th Congressional District to meet with constituents for a town hall meeting on Saturday in Saratoga.
Wednesday, 9:23 AM | No comments yetSteel worker injured at Facebook construction site
A steel worker was injured Tuesday morning after falling at the construction site of a new Facebook building in Menlo Park, fire officials said.
Wednesday, 8:51 AM | 1 commentTuesday, July 18, 2017
Proposal to change strict water-leak policy gains traction
Several members of the Utilities Advisory Commission expressed support this week for a new policy that would provide some relief to customers whose bills were inflated by undetected water leaks.
Tuesday, 12:20 PM | 8 commentsMonday, July 17, 2017
Keene names new deputy city manager
Palo Alto City Manager James Keene went well outside Silicon Valley to hire the latest addition to his leadership team, tapping Michelle Poché Flaherty to serve as one of his two new deputies.
Monday, 5:20 PM | 30 commentsJewish day school hires former Palo Alto Unified tech teacher
In a push to create good digital citizens, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School has hired Smita Kolhatkar, a former educational technology teacher on special assignment at Palo Alto Unified School District, as its new director of technology and innovation.
Monday, 5:18 PM | 1 commentFive-story hotel eyed for Su Hong site
The latest hotel proposal on south El Camino Real in Palo Alto calls for a five-story hotel to take over a site currently occupied by the popular Chinese restaurant, Su Hong.
Monday, 3:25 PM | 25 commentsSunday, July 16, 2017
Civil grand jury recommends new parcel tax exemptions processes for school districts
A Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report stated that the Palo Alto Unified School District is among the 22 school districts that have been asked to improve their parcel tax application and renewal procedures.
Sunday, 9:14 AM | 29 commentsTrio rescued after boat capsizes, sent to Stanford Hospital
Two men and a child rescued Saturday evening from San Francisco Bay after their boat capsized near the Dumbarton Bridge were sent to Stanford Hospital, according to Menlo Park Fire Protection District officials.
Sunday, 6:39 AM | 2 commentsSaturday, July 15, 2017
Award-winning Stanford math professor dies
Stanford mathematics professor Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to win the Fields Medal, mathematics' leading award, has died of cancer at the age of 40, according to Stanford News Service.
Saturday, 6:39 PM | No comments yetOff Deadline: 'Contagious hope' is powerful antidote to 'suicide contagion'
A three-person panel speaking in late June to a modest audience at Kepler's bookstore in Menlo Park presented some simple-sounding but challenging approaches to Palo Alto's nagging fear of being a "suicide contagion" capital.
Saturday, 9:26 AM | 7 commentsFriday, July 14, 2017
Behind the Headlines: 'Way Cool' open-space events for summer
Listen in on a discussion about the abundance of different and fun ranger- and docent-led activities in local open space areas from fishing with rangers to boating, twilight hikes and moth and spider hunts.
Friday, 7:13 PM | No comments yetSchool board on sex assaults: 'A change in culture' is 'needed'
Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education President Terry Godfrey wrote a message Thursday updating parents on the district's response to numerous reports of student sexual violence on and off its campuses over the last several months.
Friday, 9:56 AM | 21 commentsCode enforcement: one of City Hall's most controversial, and misunderstood, jobs
For a team that consists of just three people, Palo Alto's code enforcers have been facing an unprecedented level of public scrutiny of late.
Friday, 6:54 AM | 37 commentsEnforcement reflects the community
More than perhaps any other City Hall program, code enforcement is a custom-built operation that mirrors its community.
Friday, 6:50 AM | 7 commentsWhy the bad rap?
Code enforcement officers deal with all the most vexing issues of the day - zoning violations, gas-powered leaf blowers, too much construction noise, etc. - and are often seen by residents as the last line of defense in resolving problems.
Friday, 6:50 AM | 1 commentEditorial: Facebook's proposed 'village'
It's hard to imagine a better example of how messed up our region's planning processes and development policies are than Facebook's latest proposal.
Friday, 6:48 AM | 62 commentsPUBLIC AGENDA: planned office demolition; proposed public art
A preview of Palo Alto government meetings for the week of July 17.
Friday, 6:47 AM | No comments yetThursday, July 13, 2017
Teen arrested for alleged robbery at Caltrain station
A 17-year-old boy is under arrest for allegedly snatching a cell phone from a man's hand at the University Avenue Caltrain station early Thursday morning, Palo Alto police said in a statement.
Thursday, 6:38 PM | No comments yetCooking oil sparks fire, burns apartment kitchen
Hot cooking oil left on a kitchen stove ignited a fire at a Palo Alto apartment late Wednesday night, leaving an estimated $20,000 to $30,000 in damage, a fire battalion chief said.
Thursday, 11:51 AM | 3 commentsNew lot lines pave the way for Buena Vista's sale
Palo Alto's planning commission on Wednesday endorsed a change at Buena Vista Mobile Home Park that is both invisible to the naked eye and critical to preserving the park as a site for affordable housing.
Thursday, 11:23 AM | No comments yetJudge unlikely to reconsider ban on sanctuary-cities order
A federal judge said Wednesday that he is likely to keep in place a preliminary injunction issued in a pair of lawsuits filed by Santa Clara County and the city of San Francisco that blocked an executive order on sanctuary cities and counties.
Thursday, 9:32 AM | 9 commentsIbuprofen linked to kidney injury in endurance runners
Endurance runners who take the painkiller ibuprofen during very long runs double their risk of acute kidney injury, a study by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine and other institutions have found.
Thursday, 9:05 AM | 10 commentsWednesday, July 12, 2017
Plan to add housing, retail on El Camino gets a boost
Palo Alto's planning commission threw its support behind a plan to construct two buildings with 50 apartments at an El Camino Real site that until recently was occupied by Mike's Bikes.
Wednesday, 11:28 PM | 31 commentsCommunity Notebook: Supervisor Simitian to hold 'sidewalk office hours'
Palo Alto community members can stop by the farmers market this weekend to talk about local issues with Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian.
Wednesday, 11:27 AM | No comments yetJudge grants Edgewood Plaza developer a break from fines
Sand Hill Property Company won a temporary reprieve in its court battle against the city of Palo Alto on June 27, when a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge allowed it to stop paying fines to the city, pending an October hearing.
Wednesday, 9:12 AM | 12 commentsTuesday, July 11, 2017
Union claims high infection rates in Stanford Hospital dispute
Members of the health workers union serving Stanford Hospital claim the high hospital-acquired infection rates are because of inadequate staffing and training, the group said during a press conference on Tuesday.
Tuesday, 9:28 PM | 8 commentsCity set to redraw lot lines at Buena Vista
After reaching an agreement to preserve Buena Vista Mobile Home Park, Palo Alto and Santa Clara County officials are now preparing for their next challenge: the park's long-deferred renovation.
Tuesday, 4:00 PM | 8 commentsHit-and-run collision injures bicyclist on Alma
A bicyclist was left with moderate injuries in a hit-and-run collision Friday on a narrow arterial in Old Palo Alto, police said Tuesday.
Tuesday, 1:44 PM | 55 commentsPalo Alto may revise billing policy for water leaks
Palo Alto may revise a decade-long policy that effectively bans the Utility Department from giving credits to customers whose bills were greatly inflated by water leaks.
Tuesday, 9:43 AM | No comments yetMan pleads no contest to 2012 murder in East Palo Alto
A 26-year-old man indicted as part of Operation Sunny Day pleaded no contest Monday to a 2012 murder in East Palo Alto, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.
Tuesday, 9:18 AM | No comments yetRetail and housing proposed for El Camino site
Two buildings featuring apartments and retail space would replace Mike Bike's former home on El Camino Real under a proposal that is scheduled for review Wednesday night.
Tuesday, 8:32 AM | No comments yetMonday, July 10, 2017
Man wanted for brazen carjacking at gas station
Police are looking for a man wanted for a brazen carjacking at a Palo Alto gas station near U.S. Highway 101 late Sunday morning. The vehicle was recovered Tuesday morning at Stanford University.
Monday, 6:40 PM | 44 commentsHighly anticipated Nobu opens downtown
The first Northern California outpost of acclaimed Japanese restaurant group Nobu officially opens its doors in downtown Palo Alto on Friday, July 7.
Monday, 9:00 AM | 2 commentsSunday, July 9, 2017
Pacific Art League hires exec from media sector
Jon Graves, the new executive director of downtown Palo Alto's Pacific Art League, has a background at tech media companies like Bloomberg and Re/code.
Sunday, 9:10 AM | 2 comments
California Democrats seek to revive the Republican Party; Republicans expected to resist
By Douglas Moran | 28 comments | 2,647 views
Chocolate + Tahini Ice Box Pie
By Laura Stec | 0 comments | 1,072 views
Love is a Verb
By Chandrama Anderson | 0 comments | 650 views
Oh, My Aching Knees
By Max Greenberg | 14 comments | 612 views
Save $5 when you register by Monday, July 24
Registration is now open for the 33rd annual Palo Alto Weekly Moonlight Run and Walk. This family-friendly event which benefits local nonprofits serving kids and families will take place on Friday, Oct. 6 at the Palo Alto Baylands.
