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Boys Varsity Baseball: M-A Evens Season Record with 9-4 Victory over San Mateo

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:18:46 PDT

Menlo-Atherton took full advantage of six walks, four hit batsmen, and four San Mateo errors to bury the Bearcats 9-4 on Saturday afternoon, March 13, at M-A. Jeff Keller led an eight-hit M-A attack with a triple, double, 2 RBI, and two runs scored. Michael Abramson, Chase Warren, Nils Gilbertson, Kyle Zirbes, and Cam Rowland also drove in runs for M-A, which evened its season record at 2-2. Gilbertson pitched four strong innings to earn the victory, scattering seven hits while striking out three and giving up just three earned runs. Zirbes pitched three scoreless innings of relief, striking out two San Mateo batters. M-A shortstop Casey Eason helped preserve the victory when he made a diving stab on a vicious line drive and then flipped to teammate Chris Gow to double the San Mateo runner off second base in the 5th inning. M-A returns to action on Tuesday afternoon, March 16, against Menlo.

County holds free H1N1 clinics

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 08:35:26 PDT

San Mateo County officials will hold several free H1N1 vaccination clinics through the end of the month after high turnouts at clinics in February. New cases of the H1N1 virus have dwindled, but county officials say they are remaining vigilant. There have been 10 H1N1-related deaths and 95 people hospitalized with the virus in the county since last year, officials said. Among the clinics planned is one on Tuesday, March 23, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at St. Anthony�s Padua Church at 3500 Middlefield Road in North Fair Oaks. A list of clinic times and locations is available at http://www.smhealth.org/flu/vaccines

At Woodside High: Murder mystery drives musical comedy

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:59:59 PST

Fans of just about every theater genre should find something to like in Woodside High School's upcoming production of "Curtains," a musical comedy whodunit that will have its Peninsula premiere at Woodside High School's Performing Arts Center on March 5, 6, 7, 12 and 13. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/story.php?story_id=9262 posted Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 12:00 AM

My View: Our so-called lives -- Is techno-chatter replacing relationships?

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:55:16 PST

About the author: Samantha Bergeson of Portola Valley is a freshman at Menlo School in Atherton. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/story.php?story_id=9280 posted Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 12:00 AM

Robotics Team 100 Hoping to Repeat San Diego Win at Silicon Valley Regional March 19-20

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:13:33 PST

Laura Rhodes, mentor, FIRST Robotics Team 100, submitted this story. The aspiring young scientists and engineers of Team 100, the Wildhats � a collaboration of Woodside, Carlmont, and Sequoia High Schools � WON the San Diego FIRST Robotics Regional Championship on Saturday March 6th. They shared this achievement with their two alliance partners, Team 294 from Redondo Beach, CA and Team 359 from Waialua, HI. Twenty-three students represented Team 100 in San Diego where they competed against 48 teams from all over California, as well as from Hawaii, Alaska, Michigan, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. Their 2010 robot, "HammerHead" was one of the most versatile robots at the competition - it successfully kicked soccer balls the length of the field, excelled in ball control, traveled over the steep bumps and suspended itself from the tower at the end of the match to gain bonus points. This win, an accomplishment requiring many late nights and weekends of labor, has earned Team 100 a spot in the FIRST Championships competition in Atlanta, Georgia on April 15 -17 where they will compete against all the other Regional winners. Team 100 will be competing again this coming week at the Silicon Valley Regional, trying to repeat their victory in San Diego. Other SF Peninsula robotics teams competing are 253 (Mills), 751 (Woodside Priory), 840 (Aragon), 766 (Menlo-Atherton), 2144 (Sacred Heart), 114(Los Altos), 8 (Palo Alto), 192 (Gunn), and 1700 (Castilleja). FIRST brings the excitement of a sporting event to science and technology via robotics competitions. Fifty teams will be competing in the FIRST Robotics Silicon Valley Regional at the Event Center at San Jose State University on Friday March 19 and Saturday March 20. This is a great family event and is free and open to the public. Qualifying matches will take place between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Friday and on Saturday morning beginning at 9:00 a.m. The final elimination matches will be from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 on Saturday. Each year, the robotics team, which consists of students from Woodside, Carlmont and Sequoia High School, enters the FIRST Robotics Competition. This program provides a fascinating real-world engineering experience for the students and helps them discover the value of education and careers in science, technology, and math. Students have the opportunity to learn first-hand about mechanics, electronics, fabrication, programming, animation, web-site design, and more, as part of this club. Go to http://www.usfirst.org to find out more information about the FIRST robotics competition and the details about the Silicon Valley Regional.

Superintendent search limited to insiders

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:12:32 PST

The field of candidates for the next superintendent of the Sequoia Union High School District has significantly narrowed less than a month after Superintendent Patrick Gemma announced plans to retire at the end of June. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/story.php?story_id=9311 posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 12:00 AM

St. Raymond excels at academic decathlon

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:34:52 PST

St. Raymond School in Menlo Park beat all but one of its competitors in the 14th annual Academic Decathlon, held Saturday (March 6) at St. Pius School in Redwood City. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6240 posted Thursday, March 11, 2010, 6:36 PM

Downtown parking: Change brewing

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:17:49 PST

A consulting firm outlined possible changes to downtown parking rules in Menlo Park at a meeting attended by some 35 residents and business owners Thursday, March 11. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6245 posted Friday, March 12, 2010, 11:27 AM

The bell tolls for Steve Jobs' Jackling house

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:01:21 PST

A San Mateo County judge has given Apple Corp. chief executive Steve Jobs the green light to demolish the Jackling house, a Spanish colonial style mansion that preservation-minded people have been trying to save for years. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6243 posted Friday, March 12, 2010, 11:35 AM

Ormondale principal to retire

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:44:31 PST

Ormondale Principal Eva Gal has decided to retire in June after guiding the Portola Valley elementary school for the past 20 years through reorganization, modernization and recognition as a California Distinguished School — four times. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/story.php?story_id=3649 posted Wednesday, February 14, 2007, 12:00 AM

MP district will take all Tinsley students next year

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:52:24 PST

The Menlo Park City School District voted to enroll its full allotment of Tinsley transfer students from the Ravenswood school district. The school board voted unanimously at the March 10 meeting to enroll its usual 24 students, plus 10 "backfill" students for the coming school year. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6246 posted Friday, March 12, 2010, 11:49 AM

Menlo-Atherton Boys Varsity Tennis Team Rolls to Victory over Carlmont

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:48:09 PST

The M-A Bears continued their dominant ways in league tennis with a convincing win over visiting Carlmont. The Bears lost only one set on their way to a shut-out victory. M-A is now 4-0 and next plays St. Francis on 3/12 at M-A, starting at 3:30 pm. Singles -- Haley (MA) d. C. Pang, 6-2, 6-1; Mitchell (MA) d. B. Pang, 6-0, 6-1; Sarwal (MA) d. Kahn, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5; Oliver (MA) d. Eakin, 6-1, 6-3. Doubles -- Brown-Giordano (MA) d. Wamato-Rak, 3-6, 6-2, 10-3; J. Perkins-C. Perkins (MA) d. Soriano-Wealer, 6-4, 6-3; Menninger-Shah (MA) d. Sidell-Soriano, 7-5, 6-4. Records: Menlo-Atherton 4-0

Richard Merk finds Venezuela rich in featheredfauna and cultural surprises

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:43:07 PST

Global warming may eventually change the migration patterns of North American birds, but for the present many of them still head to South America when the weather up here turns cold. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/story.php?story_id=3672 posted Wednesday, February 21, 2007, 12:00 AM

Court may decide fate of Menlo Park pit bull

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:34:32 PST

A Menlo Park woman is invoking the U.S. Constitution and state law in contesting a San Mateo County official's ruling that her pit bull be euthanized. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6203 posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 6:27 PM

Deputies' ploy nets burglary suspects in Westridge neighborhood of Portola Valley

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:57:27 PST

Alert observation followed by a little deception -- it was all in a day's work for sheriff's deputies patrolling the Westridge neighborhood in Portola Valley. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6234 posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 6:38 PM

MP school board OKs teacher layoffs

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:28:51 PST

Teachers in the Menlo Park City School District could start seeing preliminary layoff notices in their inboxes this week. Last night, the school board voted to end nearly 12 full-time equivalent positions in the K-8 district as a cost-cutting measure. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6236 posted Thursday, March 11, 2010, 10:54 AM

Kenyan school project flourishes with community support

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:28:03 PST

It all started as a fairly modest plan: Raise about $300,000 to pay for construction of a boarding high school in a Kenyan city to help the Catholic community there educate girls in the region -- an idea that caught fire with Margo McAuliffe (photo) of Menlo Park. ==I Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac.== Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6217 posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 7:10 AM

Portola Valley seeks pro tennis instructor

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:56:17 PST

The Town of Portola Valley plans to offer group tennis instruction as part of its class offerings beginning in late spring and throughout the summer. If there is significant interest, the program will likely be offered on a continuing basis, with the possible addition of more classes in the future. The Town is seeking a qualified tennis pro to teach both youth and adult programs. If you are interested, please review the Request for Proposals http://portolavalley.net/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=3044 and submit your proposal no later than March 25, 2010 to be considered for this opportunity.

Editorial: School cuts or school taxes?

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:17:08 PST

In just a few weeks, voters in the Menlo Park City and Portola Valley school districts will decide whether to approve a modest parcel tax to help their schools get through a spurt in enrollment and financial meltdown that were not of their making. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/story.php?story_id=9303 posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 12:00 AM

Menlo students shape new speaker series

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:41:46 PST

The school has hosted prominent speakers for years, but the programs were primarily talks, followed by a short Q&A. With this new series, the guests are interviewed by a student "Charlie Rose-style." ==B Photo:== Menlo School senior David Harris, right, interviews Mark Hurd, CEO of Hewlett Packard, on Nov. 30 at Menlo School in Atherton. ==I Photo by Pete Zivkov.== Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6169 posted Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 7:08 PM

Sign Up to Play in the USTA Redwood City Junior Team Tennis League

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:09:51 PST

Media Contact: Stacia Kirby stacia@speakeasy.net SPRING LEAGUE ANNOUNCED Sign Up to Play in the USTA Redwood City Junior Team Tennis League REDWOOD CITY, CA. (March 2010) Spring and tennis go hand in hand. Following on the heals of a very successful fall league season, the USTA announces it�s time to sign up for the Redwood City Junior Team Tennis League and let the fun begin. Offered by local tennis organizations and volunteers, the junior tennis league program from the United State�s Tennis Association, Northern California (USTA Northern California) is open to local area youth, ages 6-10. Perfect for the beginner player, the spring team tennis league is an excellent introduction to a sport they can enjoy for a lifetime. Learn to play tennis and have fun with your friends. Any beginner children from ages 6-10 are eligible to join our USTA league. Each child may choose one friend to be on their team. There will be 6 kids per team and they will play a different team each week. Redwood City Junior Team Tennis League Registration and Details Where: Peninsula Community Center, 3623 Jefferson Ave, Redwood City Time and Dates: The season runs March 14-April 25. Practices will be every Sunday from 4-4:30 followed by a match from 4:30-5:30 (except April 4). Participants: All boys and girls ages 6-10 Open house will take place on February 28 at 5 pm Registration: Please register at the Peninsula Covenant Club Costs: $53 for PCC members & $58 or non members. Scholarships available. Fee includes team uniform, tennis equipment, 1 year USTA membership, award and end of season play party. The Redwood City Junior Tennis League depends upon volunteer coaches, assistant coaches, and administrators to run the Junior Team Tennis League. If you have any questions or if you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please contact Alex Martin at http://www.tennis@peninsulacovenant.com 650-364-6272. USTA Northern California, located in Alameda, California, is a non-profit volunteer-based organization with over 37.000 adult members, over 10,000 junior members and approximately 650 organization members throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada. USTA Northern California is one of the 17 sections of the United States Tennis Association. For more information on USTA Northern California, log on to .norcal.usta.com. For information on how to join USTA Northern California, go to http://www.letsrallypeople.com .

Thursday meeting on downtown parking issues: Loosen time restrictions? Install meters?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:00:18 PST

People interested in the parking situation in downtown Menlo Park are invited to attend a meeting Thursday, March 11, at 7 p.m. in the Menlo Park Presbyterian Social Hall, behind ACE Hardware. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6219 posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 6:45 PM

Schools boards vote on layoffs

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:55:30 PST

Tonight, Wednesday, March 10, school boards in Portola Valley and Menlo Park are slated to vote on teacher layoffs and other budget cuts for the coming school year. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6221 posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 11:45 AM

Grant will help police enforce alcohol law

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:43:28 PST

A $6,000 grant from the state will enable Menlo Park police to employ underage decoys to try to bait people into buying alcohol for them. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6207 posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 11:27 AM

Guest opinion: Tax-free ride online costs everyone

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:44:05 PST

While economists nationwide argue over whether we have begun to recover from the Great Recession, one financial reality is beyond dispute. Our state is facing the biggest budget challenge in decades. Even in a slowly rebounding economy, California is faced with a projected mid-year budget shortfall of $6.3 billion, which means that local governments — even if they raise school and property taxes — are going to be cutting support for such essential services as policing, firefighting, and schools. Read the full story here http://www.almanacnews.com/story.php?story_id=9300 posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 12:00 AM