Results last updated: Nov. 3 at 10 p.m.
Booze, ballots and an uncertain future for downtown Menlo Park’s Measure P
Election night results show Menlo Park’s Measure P — which would require voter approval to redevelop eight city-owned downtown parking lots — trailing by more than 300 votes, with 47.8% in favor (3,474 votes) to 52.2% against (3,799 votes) on election night.
Voter Guide 2026
Get to know the candidates and measures on your ballot with The Almanac’s 2026 Voter Guide, including in-depth profiles, issue comparison grids and campaign finance coverage.
View the Voter Guide ➔City Council Forum
Menlo Park City Council candidates debated the future of downtown, Meta’s role in the city and how to fix issues with Belle Haven’s new $65 million community campus at The Almanac’s candidate forum on Oct. 8.
Latest Election News
More Local news
Portola Valley Measure N is headed for approval
Measure N, Portola Valley’s charter town initiative, appears to be headed for approval. Early results show that it is leading with a 64.2% yes vote as of 10 p.m. on election night, while no votes are trailing with 35.9%.
Menlo Park’s Measure P narrowly trails in early returns
Measure P, which would require voter approval for changes to eight city-owned parking lots in downtown Menlo Park, was narrowly trailing in preliminary election results released Tuesday night.
Menlo Park Council: Tight race between Combs and Velagapudi in District 2
Incumbent Drew Combs is neck-and-neck with Vamsi Velagapudi for the District 2 seat on the Menlo Park City Council, according to election night results released in the early hours of Wednesday, Nov. 4. Velagapudi had 50.3% (721 votes) to Combs’…
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Food
New Palo Alto froyo spot draws long lines
The summer’s East Coast froyo craze has finally trickled to the Peninsula with the debut of Yiaya Greek Yogurt.
Abrupt closure of 98-year-old Cook’s Seafood rattles Menlo Park community
For 98 years, Cook’s Seafood provided fresh fish and seafood to Menlo Park and surrounding communities. Its abrupt closure came as a shock to both patrons and its roughly 45 employees across the two restaurants who lost their jobs without…
Belmont at 100: Where to eat, explore and uncover local history
A midsize Peninsula city that just celebrated its centennial, Belmont offers a rich history and more to discover than meets the eye.
Arts & Culture
Author and doctor Abraham Verghese discusses his works at Kepler’s
The bestselling writer and Stanford physician will appear in a Nov. 16 event at the Menlo Park bookstore.
What’s up this week: ‘The Addams Family,’ Dracula told through dance, The Psychedelic Furs, a virtual film festival and more
This week, a grownup Wednesday Addams brings home a “normal” boyfriend at Palo Alto Players and The Psychedelic Furs hit the heartbreak beat at The Guild. Plus an iconic vampire’s tale told through dance; a New York State of Jazz…
In ‘surf noir’ thriller, ‘Nearshore,’ Steve Hawk brings conspiracies, tech-fueled peril to the coast
A surfer teams with Stanford academics and finds something frightening brewing on the coastline, courtesy of Silicon Valley, in author’s debut novel .
Spotlight
Forecasting toxic metals
Wildfires can turn natural metals in soil into toxic, airborne particles. Stanford researchers are working to predict where these metals travel and warn people in harm’s way.
Cardinal football is back — here’s what you need to know
New coach, upgraded stadium, standout players and plenty of Cardinal spirit—here’s what to watch this Stanford football 2026 season.
Community Calendar
Did you miss
Humans in the age of AI
Artificial intelligence is alternately billed as the most consequential technology in history or a speculative bubble that will pop and lead to economic chaos. For this project, a collaboration with photojournalist Mark Tuschman, we spoke to local residents and professionals…
Friends, family remember Jakub Solovsky, cyclist killed in Woodside head-on collision
Larry Abrahams remembers the rainy day that was the last time he rode with East Palo Alto resident Jakub Solovsky, a member of Western Wheelers who died July 11 in a head-on collision on Skyline Boulevard.
Real Estate
San Mateo, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties are state’s priciest housing markets, but not its least affordable
San Mateo County remains California’s most expensive housing market, with buyers needing an annual household income of $578,400 to afford the median-priced home of $2.27 million, according to the California Association of Realtors’ Third Quarter 2026 Housing Affordability report, That’s…
November tips for your Peninsula garden: Spring bulbs, broccoli, dahlias — and garden critters
What should you be doing in your Peninsula garden this November? This month’s tips include planting spring-blooming bulbs, keeping aphids off your broccoli and preparing dahlias for winter. Plus, learn how to identify what’s digging around in your yard.
For Palo Alto renters, saving for a down payment could take 50 years
Bay Area households that rent and hope to buy their first home could need decades to save enough for a down payment and closing costs on a starter home. The estimated time is 28 years in the San Francisco metropolitan…
The Six Fifty
From crafts and ofrendas to live music and dancing, here’s how to celebrate Día de los Muertos in Silicon Valley
Remember and celebrate the dead at these festivities now through early November.
Peninsula Photo Contest winners capture colorful moments and human connection
Human connection was a major theme in this year’s batch of Peninsula Photo Contest winning entries. All of the winning entries are on exhibit Oct. 23-Dec. 13 at the Palo Alto Art Center.
A new Peninsula business offers rentals of curated baby and toddler toys
A desire to avoid filling up her house with unwanted stuff that her daughter would soon outgrow led Redwood City resident Amy Bearman to start her business BurbleBox.
Blogs
State News from CalMatters
