As long as the city doesn’t spend any money on it, they can have PA day all they want.

According to my dictionary, it is not a holiday unless people get the day off work. Are city employees getting an extra day off? How much is that going to cost taxpayers?

I had to check the date since the Weekly is usually good at giving April Fools prank articles!

All I can say is that if this doesn't give others the right to call us Shallow Alto, nothing will.

According to the city memo, this is a recognition with no impact to city staff, not a "holiday". Is the holiday statement in the newspaper article some fake news clickbait that they made up?

@Resident. Fair point. It's a day of recognition, not a holiday. I clarified the story.

Thanks,

Gennady

Thank you Councilwoman Holman for your leadership on this issue, and Members DuBois and Kou too. About time that we finally will have a civic day of celebration - or “Recognition” - whatever. I look forward to a rousing party next year!

Huzzah!

I'm pleased to see that Palo Alto shares its birthday with other notables such as Hugh Hefner and Jenna Jameson.

Palo Alto is in great company!

"But after a late-night debate..."

Shouldn't the city council be concentrating on more important issues other than some kind of city civic day? Seems like they have a lot of time on their hands.

The article left out Councilmember Wolbach's request, in contradiction to statements made earlier in the evening by City Historian Steve Staiger, that Palo Alto Day commemorate the founding of Palo Alto, rather its incorporation.

I agree with several other readers that no money should be spent on Palo Alto Day. If the budget is in shortfall extra activities like the May Fete
parade, Palo Alto Day, Chili Cook Off should not be done. If the City can get sponsorships to cover the costs of the events that would be fine.

Well that was a waste of time, energy and likely our money. Why doesn't the council spend the time on something important like deciding on a new color for street signs and man-hole covers?

What about that bike bridge over 101, karen?

Is anyone going to celebrate? I have to ask WHY??

Why? To celebrate obscene wealth that drives out the middle and working class?

What the heck do they need a PA day for?
I was born and raised in PA, and USED to LOVE the place... It isn't even close to being the type of little city it used to be - even just within the last 10 years.
-It's over crowded and city council is still trying to expand upwards
-Schools are too crowded
-Traffic has gotten unbearable
Again I say, I'm glad we moved out. Mtn View is much more "regular people" friendly! What PA used to be, I laugh when I hear people say "Shallow Alto"!

I think we should change the name of Palo Alto Day to "Indigenous Peoples Day" In honor of the Indians that inhabited our area before the Spaniards enslaved them.

Yes, we can use a day to recognize that the leaders of Palo Alto are superior to everyone else.

I hope you have a big party. I was born in the old Palo Alto Hospital and would love to come back for the celebration.

I told one of my adult sons about this new day of celebration. His comment was "Isn't every day Palo Alto day?" He now lives in L.A. He has fond memories of life here but does think it over rated. I have to laugh at all the comments from people saying, "Palo Alto isn't what it used to be, glad I moved, etc"

When I arrived in 1974 I heard the same thing: "Palo Alto's best days are over, you missed the best. We used to have good housing at a decent price." My favorite was "You missed all the protests." Nope....I marched on Washington. Didn't miss a thing! I grew up with my parents lamenting the end of so much they had grown to know. I vowed not to do the same...so even though I could complain, I'd rather say, TG there's espresso everywhere now. I love it! When I got here there was one place to get espresso: the movie theatre on University by the underpass that showed only adult films...I think Palintir is there now. From erotica to NSA..oh my! I'll celebrate Palo Alto, quirks and quarks alike.

Dear Mayor Kniss, Vice Mayor Filseth, and City Council Members,

Thank you very much for listening to the community last night, for recognizing that policy changes are necessary to preserve the most important values of our community, and for taking decisive action to begin to address the housing crisis in Palo Alto.

1. You listened to the community.

As many speakers made clear during the public hearing, people throughout Palo Alto have suffered for many years because too few homes have been built in Palo Alto that people of all income levels can afford.

2. You understood that actual change is necessary.

It has been nearly a decade since the Palo Alto City Council has approved a new affordable housing project. You acknowledged that diversity of many kinds — including income diversity — is an important value in our community, but you didn’t stop there. You did not rest after merely articulating that value. Instead, you went on to acknowledge that something needed to be done to protect and to advance that value. You recognized that current zoning laws have been overly restrictive and needed to be changed through concrete legislative initiatives.

3. You took action.

Last night, by a 7-2 vote, you demonstrated that you truly care about the needs of all members of our community. A strong majority of the City Council took the first steps to forge powerful new tools that will allow Palo Alto Housing and other groups to build the broad range of more reasonably priced homes that individuals and families throughout Palo Alto need.

On the 124th anniversary of Palo Alto’s incorporation, you celebrated some of the best parts of Palo Alto’s heritage. As one speaker observed last night, in decades past Palo Alto has been recognized as a leader in affordable housing. In the future, we can do even better. You demonstrated great leadership and courage by doing more than simply saying that you support affordable housing: you took decisive action to begin to actually address the housing crisis in Palo Alto.

Thank you very much for doing the right thing last night.

Respectfully submitted,

John Kelley