Recent News
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Bay Area's largest real-estate firm? It's a New York startup
Compass, the venture-funded real-estate startup that launched its first office in the local market just over two years ago, became the Bay Area's largest residential brokerage firm this month after acquiring Peninsula powerhouse Alain Pinel Realtors for an undisclosed amount on March 9.
Saturday, 7:51 AM | No comments yetFriday, March 22, 2019
In East Palo Alto, a microcosm of the state's heated charter school debate
As California's charter school movement booms and polarizes public education, educators, elected officials and researchers on both sides of the debate, including in the Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto, are grappling with how the two systems can co-exist.
Friday, 4:51 PM | No comments yetIn it to win: Menlo College's freshman wrestling phenoms fight tough
Menlo College is home to California's only all-women collegiate wrestling team, which won the championship title earlier this month.
Friday, 11:40 AM | No comments yetEarthquake drill scheduled Saturday in Woodside
Passersby who see a lot of emergency activity in Woodside Saturday morning (March 23) will probably just be noticing an earthquake drill taking place at the Mounted Patrol grounds at 521 Kings Mountain Road from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Friday, 10:49 AM | 1 commentMenlo Park: City could explore further development downtown
While the Menlo Park City Council decided to put off making any major decisions about the city's El Camino Real/downtown specific plan until a later meeting, it was clear at the March 12 council meeting that people are interested in participating in the process of reviewing the plan.
Friday, 8:41 AM | 9 commentsThursday, March 21, 2019
Menlo Park: Pioneering pediatric transplant surgeon Oscar Salvatierra dies
Dr. Oscar Salvatierra, renowned for his breakthrough work that profoundly improved kidney transplantation for children, died March 16 in his Menlo Park home at the age of 83.
Thursday, 4:56 PM | No comments yetSafeSpace offers mental health support line app
Youth seeking mental health support can now download a free app provided by a local nonprofit.
Thursday, 11:35 AM | No comments yetBuildings, RV destroyed in two-alarm North Fair Oaks fire
No one was injured in a two-alarm fire in North Fair Oaks on Tuesday morning (March 19) that Menlo Park fire district officials say consumed backyard structures built without permits.
Thursday, 10:52 AM | 3 commentsMenlo Park: Planning Commission supports 140-unit affordable apartment complex
A proposal to build a large affordable housing complex in Menlo Park cleared another hurdle March 12 when the city's Planning Commission gave the project a thumbs-up.
Thursday, 8:40 AM | 5 commentsWednesday, March 20, 2019
Embattled Ravenswood superintendent forced to resign
Three weeks after placing the Ravenswood City School District's controversial superintendent on paid administrative leave, the Board of Education quietly -- and unanimously -- accepted her resignation in a special closed-session meeting on Tuesday night.
Wednesday, 1:40 PM | 2 commentsMenlo fire board OKs study of district's property needs after $30M in spending
After spending nearly $30 million on real estate acquisitions since 2006, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District's board has voted to undertake a space needs study to find out how to best use the properties the district now owns.
Wednesday, 11:52 AM | 7 commentsWednesday: Atherton considers license plate readers to combat crime spree
In response to a rash of burglaries in town, the Atherton Police Department will ask the City Council at its meeting on Wednesday, March 20, to direct staff to study installing license-plate readers around town to "detect, solve, prevent and deter" crime, according to a staff report.
Wednesday, 9:50 AM | 11 commentsDeputy pleads not guilty to excessive force charges
A San Mateo County sheriff's deputy accused of using excessive force on inmates at the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Wednesday, 8:43 AM | 1 commentTuesday, March 19, 2019
SamTrans hosting annual youth art contest
SamTrans is holding its annual youth art contest that will end with the winning entries displayed as a wrap on a bus for an entire year, according to the transit agency.
Tuesday, 8:11 PM | No comments yetPolice calls: 500-pound safe that was bolted to closet floor stolen in Woodside
In this week's police reports: Menlo Park police are looking for the owners of five suitcases found on the side of the road, while in Woodside a 500-pound safe that had been bolted to the floor was stolen.
Tuesday, 11:08 AM | No comments yetFormer president of Peru arrested in Menlo Park
A former president of Peru was arrested Sunday, March 17, in unincorporated Menlo Park on suspicion of being drunk in public, San Mateo County sheriff's officials said Monday.
Tuesday, 9:36 AM | 3 commentsMenlo fire board meets Tuesday to discuss board's job
The Menlo fire district's board meets Tuesday night, March 19, to discuss how the board should best operate and prepare for the future.
Tuesday, 7:06 AM | 1 commentMonday, March 18, 2019
Chicken tests positive for contagious disease
An Alameda County rooster tested positive for a highly contagious disease at a veterinary clinic in Redwood City Thursday, March 14.
Monday, 3:01 PM | No comments yetMenlo Park firefighters rescue kitten from pipe 14 feet underground
A tiny black kitten that slipped into a drain pipe and ended up 14 feet underground was rescued by persistent Menlo Park Fire Protection District firefighters in Atherton on Friday, March 15.
Monday, 11:15 AM | 6 commentsNew Woodside school board members are district parents with business backgrounds
There's some new blood on the Woodside Elementary School District Board of Trustees: Peter Bailey and Jenny Hayden, parents of district students, officially joined the board on Jan. 15.
Monday, 8:17 AM | No comments yetSunday, March 17, 2019
Safe reported missing in Atherton home burglary
Atherton Police reported Sunday night that someone shattered a rear window of a home on Mulberry Lane and stole a safe from inside the house sometime between Friday, March 15, and Sunday, March 17. It was the eighth home burglary this year, police said.
Sunday, 8:53 PM | No comments yetWoodside's Carroll Ann Hodges: An 'irrepressible force of nature'
A celebration of the life of former Woodside Town Council member Carroll Ann Hodges, who died at the age of 82 on the evening of March 2 after a long illness, is set for Sunday, March 31.
Sunday, 12:43 PM |
1 comment
A celebration of the life of former Woodside Town Council member Carroll Ann Hodges, who died at the age of 82 on the evening of March 2 after a long illness, is set for Sunday, March 31.
Sunday, 12:43 PM |
1 comment
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Fire breaks out at Family Farm Saturday
A one-alarm fire at Family Farm, located at 1400 Portola Road in Woodside, was contained Saturday morning with no injuries reported, according to Dan Ghiorso, chief of the Woodside Fire Protection District.
Saturday, 12:35 PM | No comments yetRemembering Woodside: Dolores Degnan's memories of eight decades in the town she loved
In the weeks before her death, Dolores Degnan shared her memories of nearly eight decades of living in Woodside with reporter Barbara Wood.
Saturday, 10:44 AM | No comments yetFriday, March 15, 2019
Sunday: Ceremony for new 'Menlo Gates'
In a tip of the hat to Menlo Park's Irish roots, a St. Patrick's Day ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held to formally recognize the completion of the new "Menlo Gates" that sit near the intersection of Ravenswood Avenue and Alma Street, near the Menlo Park Library.
Friday, 3:14 PM | No comments yetPortola Valley makes it easier to add second living units
Fulfilling its goal of encouraging more housing in Portola Valley, the Town Council on March 13 unanimously gave preliminary approval to a new ordinance offering more flexibility to add additional living units on properties.
Friday, 11:10 AM | 7 commentsA death on the tracks
Nobody saw what happened to 22-year-old Connor McElroy late last year between the time he stepped off the train at the Menlo Park Caltrain Station at about 1:06 a.m. and the time the train left the station, when he was run over and killed by a rear car of the train.
Friday, 9:30 AM | 7 commentsPolice calls: Two unlocked vehicles stolen in Menlo Park
Two vehicles, both unlocked and with the keys inside, were recently stolen in Menlo Park.
Friday, 8:31 AM | No comments yetCounty calls on Stanford to ramp up faculty housing
Santa Clara County may require Stanford University to nearly quadruple the number of units it has to produce for faculty and staff to secure permission for its ambitious campus-expansion plan.
Friday, 8:11 AM | No comments yetThursday, March 14, 2019
State report: Local roadside clearing a top wildfire prevention priority
Clearing vegetation from the side of Kings Mountain Road in Woodside above Huddart Park is ranked as the second most important project in California to reduce the risk of wildfires in a new state report.
Thursday, 3:06 PM | No comments yetPressure over college admissions 'out of control'
A multimillion-dollar college admissions bribery scandal that involved both Palo Alto area parents and hundreds of thousands of dollars was shocking -- but not wholly unexpected, said local parents, high school students and college counselors.
Thursday, 2:06 PM | No comments yetSchool board OKs new administrator position despite outcry
After a bristly back-and-forth between the Las Lomitas Elementary School District school board and a group of parents and teachers, board members unanimously voted Wednesday night (March 13) to give a district administrator a new title and pay hike.
Thursday, 11:56 AM | 34 commentsMenlo Park: Council takes steps to support anti-homelessness efforts
The Menlo Park City Council held a one-hour discussion on March 12 to listen to community experts respond to three primary questions about homelessness in the city.
Thursday, 11:28 AM | No comments yetWoodside approves 30-foot-tall water tank off Skyline despite neighbors' protest
In a debate described as pitting the needs of the larger community against those of individuals, Woodside's Town Council voted Tuesday night to allow Cal Water to put a new, much larger water storage tank in a neighborhood off Skyline Boulevard, rejecting an appeal by neighbors of an earlier approval.
Thursday, 9:49 AM |
No comments yet
In a debate described as pitting the needs of the larger community against those of individuals, Woodside's Town Council voted Tuesday night to allow Cal Water to put a new, much larger water storage tank in a neighborhood off Skyline Boulevard, rejecting an appeal by neighbors of an earlier approval.
Thursday, 9:49 AM |
No comments yet
Menlo Park: Cross Bay Transit Partners hosts Q&A about Dumbarton rail project
Representatives from Cross Bay Transit Partners, a partnership formed between Facebook and the infrastructure investment company Plenary Group, answered questions about the future of the Dumbarton rail corridor before a standing-room-only crowd at the Menlo Park Senior Center on March 2.
Thursday, 8:51 AM | No comments yetWednesday, March 13, 2019
Another home burglary reported in Atherton
Another home burglary in Atherton was reported earlier this week, the latest in a string of such crimes that started in late 2018, according to an Atherton Police Department press release.
Wednesday, 4:43 PM | No comments yetWilliam 'Rick' Singer, head of college-admissions scam, had many local connections
William Singer, the Newport Beach man at the head of an elaborate fraud to get students of wealthy families into top-rated colleges by cheating on college admissions exams and bribing coaches and admissions officers, has a long history of dealing with Silicon Valley clients.
Wednesday, 11:52 AM | No comments yetMenlo Park council hopes to partner with nonprofit on tenant fund
Given limited staff availability and a lack of expertise, the Menlo Park City Council agreed on Tuesday (March 12) to explore whether the nonprofit Samaritan House would consider administering the city's planned $100,000 fund for renters in the city who are forced to relocate and are facing homelessness.
Wednesday, 11:33 AM | No comments yetProposed administrator pay bump, new position raise teacher concerns
Some Las Lomitas Elementary School District teachers are concerned about a proposal on the school board's March 13 agenda to give a district administrator a new title and a “more than substantial" pay bump.
Wednesday, 9:09 AM | 34 commentsTuesday, March 12, 2019
Feds: Parents paid tens of thousands to game the admissions system
The 204-page federal complaint filed by the United States Attorney's Office on March 12 in the case of a nationwide college-admissions scam details the lengths to which wealthy parents of high school students were willing to go to get their children into elite universities.
Tuesday, 8:53 PM | 4 commentsSecondary living units back on Portola Valley agenda Wednesday
A topic that has become contentious in Portola Valley -- new regulations governing secondary living units -- will return to the agenda for a public hearing when the Portola Valley Town Council meets on Wednesday, March 13, starting at 7 p.m. in the historic schoolhouse at 765 Portola Road.
Tuesday, 3:42 PM | No comments yetLocal parents, Stanford coach indicted in college-admissions scandal
Numerous local parents and a Stanford University coach are among the dozens indicted in a nationwide college-admissions investigation that involved alleged bribes totaling $25 million in exchange for help getting students into top universities, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston announced Tuesday.
Tuesday, 11:55 AM | 40 commentsTuesday: Busy night ahead at the Menlo Park council chambers
The Menlo Park City Council has a busy night ahead, if it sticks to an ambitious agenda laid out for its March 12 meeting, with plans to cover the topics of homelessness, the city's downtown plan, an updated travel policy, and the potential creation of a fund to support low-income displaced renters.
Tuesday, 11:52 AM | No comments yetCaltrain launches Bikes Board First program
Caltrain riders with bikes are now allowed to board first onto designated bike cars.
Tuesday, 11:09 AM | 6 commentsMonday, March 11, 2019
Tonight: Woodside neighbors appeal approval of CalWater tanks near Skyline
An appeal of the approval for CalWater to install a new 250,000-gallon steel water tank to replace two leaking 60,000-gallon tanks in the Skywood Acres neighborhood near Skyline Boulevard is on the agenda of the Woodside Town Council when it meets Tuesday night, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Independence Hall, 2955 Woodside Road.
Monday, 12:52 PM | No comments yetFormer New York Times executive editor visits Kepler's Books for radio interview
A large audience turned out at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park on Feb. 27 to listen to Angie Coiro, who runs the radio program "In Deep with Angie Coiro," interview former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson.
Monday, 11:00 AM | No comments yetMPCSD preschool is expanding in next school year
A new preschool in the Menlo Park City School District will expand during the 2019-20 school year, Superintendent Erik Burmeister told the district's school board at a Feb. 12 meeting.
Monday, 7:54 AM | No comments yetSunday, March 10, 2019
Downtown's observer-on-wheels receives an uplifting gift to keep him rolling on
Menlo Park residents and downtown visitors are likely to have observed a man regularly wheeling along Santa Cruz Avenue sidewalks, helmet on his head and a hand on the controls of his electric wheelchair. He certainly will have observed them.
Sunday, 8:06 AM | No comments yet
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