Recent News
Friday, May 26, 2017
Western Allied's Angela Simon named VP of national contractors' association
Angela Simon, president of the Menlo Park-based Western Allied Mechanical, a heating and air conditioning contractor, has been named the first female vice president of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association.
Friday, 11:08 AM | No comments yetMore carpool and express lanes on 101?
How to manage congestion on U.S 101 in San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County is the focus of two public meetings in San Mateo and Redwood City on May 31 and June 5.
Friday, 11:03 AM | 8 commentsQualified by life
Ginny Maiwald, the Menlo Park City School District's director of student services, is qualified not just by her education and her work experience -- but by her life as a single mother who raised two deaf children to be thriving young adults.
Friday, 9:58 AM | 2 commentsThursday, May 25, 2017
Menlo Park Rotary Club awards $125K in scholarships
More than 100 students from four local high schools received scholarships and academic achievement awards during the Rotary Club of Menlo Park's scholastic achievement awards ceremony at the Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center on May 22.
Thursday, 5:00 PM | 1 commentTonight in Portola Valley: Caring for trees after long drought, then heavy rain
Recent years have been rough on Peninsula trees. Even the end of the drought this winter had consequences. Heavy rain, new growth and saturated soil represent a threat to heritage oaks and other trees.
Thursday, 2:37 PM | No comments yetAtherton's new police chief likes 'customer service' focus
Atherton's new police chief, Steven McCulley,says he was drawn out of retirement by Atherton's job description, which focused on customer service.
Thursday, 7:37 AM | 3 commentsMenlo Park gives preliminary approval to 'Safe City' ordinance
For what was at least the third time, a group of adults and kids sat in on the Menlo Park Council meeting, many of them supporters of two ordinances and a resolution laying out policies on how people who have immigrated illegally to the U.S. should be treated in Menlo Park.
Thursday, 7:18 AM | 15 commentsWednesday, May 24, 2017
Man indicted for cyberattack on Almanac website appears in court
A San Francisco man accused of a cyberattack on AlmanacNews.com and other websites owned by Embarcadero Media appeared in federal court in San Jose on May 24.
Wednesday, 4:39 PM | 3 commentsWoodside sues residents, alleges substantial construction was done without permits
In two suits filed against residents, the town of Woodside alleges substantial construction was done without permits and that homes were improperly used for Airbnb short-term rentals.
Wednesday, 4:13 PM | No comments yetFedEx driver arrested in connection with Atherton, Menlo Park burglaries
A Hayward man and convicted felon working on contract as a FedEx driver was arrested by Menlo Park police May 23 in connection with three home burglaries during daylight hours -- two in Atherton and one in Menlo Park.
Wednesday, 11:27 AM |
7 comments
A Hayward man and convicted felon working on contract as a FedEx driver was arrested by Menlo Park police May 23 in connection with three home burglaries during daylight hours -- two in Atherton and one in Menlo Park.
Wednesday, 11:27 AM |
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Tonight: Immigration policy panel discussion in Menlo Park
A free, open-to-the-public panel discussion about recent changes in immigration policy will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, in Menlo Park.
Wednesday, 5:23 AM | 5 commentsThursday: Belle Haven meeting on traffic woes
A community meeting to talk about traffic problems in Belle Haven is scheduled for Thursday, May 25.
Wednesday, 5:22 AM | No comments yetPlea deal on charges after high-speed chase from Menlo Park to Belmont
A 19-year-old East Palo Alto man has pleaded no contest to two felonies -- assault with a metal object and evading the police -- following a high-speed chase from Menlo Park to Belmont, when he allegedly drove at speeds exceeding 100 mph and struck two police cars, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Wednesday, 5:21 AM | 5 commentsMenlo Park: Many prefer tunnel under tracks at Middle Avenue
At a recent community meeting held to discuss a bike and pedestrian crossing of the railroad tracks at Middle Avenue in Menlo Park, many people expressed preference for an undercrossing (a tunnel) rather than an overcrossing (a bridge).
Wednesday, 5:21 AM | 2 commentsTuesday, May 23, 2017
Tonight: Menlo Park meeting on Willow Oaks Park upgrades
Options to renovate the dog park and add new bathrooms at Willow Oaks Park, located at 490 Willow Road in Menlo Park, will be discussed by the Parks & Recreation Commission on Wednesday, May 24.
Tuesday, 11:07 PM | 1 commentWoodside: Village Bakery & Cafe plans July opening
If things go as expected, a new restaurant â€" The Village Bakery & Cafe â€" will open in Woodside at 3052 Woodside Road in the third week of July.
Tuesday, 10:40 AM | 5 commentsPolice calls: Crime reports from Atherton, Portola Valley, Woodside, Menlo Park
These reports are from the Menlo Park and Atherton police departments and the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.
Tuesday, 10:36 AM | No comments yetTonight: Menlo Park may adopt 'Safe City' ordinance
The Menlo Park City Council will discuss again tonight (May 23) which policies it should adopt regarding how city staff members, including police, interact with undocumented immigrants.
Tuesday, 10:30 AM | 28 commentsEditorial: Vote yes on Atherton's Measure A to fund new civic center
Atherton's Measure A asks voters whether the town should supplement private donations and existing dedicated funds with available non-dedicated money from the general fund to build a new complex to replace the decrepit set of buildings and trailers that now serve as the Town Center.
Tuesday, 8:41 AM | 4 commentsMonday, May 22, 2017
Feds approve $647M grant to electrify Caltrain
Caltrain's electrification project can move forward as the Federal Transit Administration plans to sign a $647 million grant agreement to fund the long-awaited work, the agency said Monday.
Monday, 1:34 PM | 18 commentsDeputy DA again facing state bar sanctions over alleged dishonesty
Melissa McKowan, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney and the subject of a March 2013 sanction by the state bar over dishonesty in connection with the prosecution of psychiatrist and convicted child molester Dr. William Ayres, is again facing sanctions by the state bar over a charge of dishonesty.
Monday, 11:57 AM | 6 commentsTonight: Event for Menlo Park Rotary Club scholarships, awards
Tonight, the Rotary Club of Menlo Park is expected to award $125,000 in college scholarships to students at Menlo-Atherton High School, Eastside College Preparatory, Menlo School and Sacred Heart Preparatory.
Monday, 11:24 AM | No comments yetAtherton's Judy Sleeth receives Lifetime of Achievement Award
As a teacher, a docent and the founder of the nonprofit Art in Action, Judy Sleeth has inspired a love of art in thousands of students, for which she has received the Avenidas Lifetime of Achievement Award.
Monday, 9:51 AM | 3 commentsSunday, May 21, 2017
Spare the Air Alert Monday in the Bay Area
A Spare the Air alert for smog in the San Francisco Bay Area has been issued for Monday, officials with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said Sunday.
Sunday, 9:15 PM | 1 commentAlmanac wins six awards in statewide news contest
The Almanac staff won six statewide awards in the California Newspaper Publishers Association contest, it was announced Saturday.
Sunday, 11:11 AM | 2 commentsFriday, May 19, 2017
Risk of heat-related illnesses rise as temps expected to jump
The possibility of heat-related illnesses prompted the National Weather Service to issue a weather advisory for Saturday and Sunday in parts of the San Francisco and Monterey bay areas.
Friday, 2:31 PM | No comments yetFacebook proposes changes to expansion plan
Facebook wants permission from Menlo Park to make changes to its expansion project at 301-309 Constitution Drive, which the City Council approved last November.
Friday, 11:49 AM | 9 commentsThursday, May 18, 2017
One-day count shows decline in number of homeless people
A one-day count by 350 volunteers showed the number of homeless people observed in San Mateo County this year was 1,253, a drop of 16 percent from a count in 2015, the county's Human Services Agency reported May 11.
Thursday, 4:49 PM | No comments yetOfficials break ground for tech high school in Menlo Park
A ceremonial groundbreaking took place Wednesday for a new tech-oriented public high school in Menlo Park.
Thursday, 4:27 PM | 3 commentsWoodside school board rescinds action Almanac cited as Brown Act violation
The governing board of the Woodside Elementary School District has rescinded actions taken at a May 1 meeting that the Almanac had challenged as violations of the state's open meeting law known as the Brown Act.
Thursday, 3:58 PM | 1 commentMenlo Park school superintendent to join Ravenswood district
Maurice Ghysels, the superintendent of the Menlo Park City School District, will take on a new role as chief innovations officer in the Ravenswood City School District.
Thursday, 10:22 AM | 2 commentsMenlo Park: New GOP chair focuses on local elected offices
In a county where Democratic registered voters exceed Republican by three to one, former Menlo Park Councilman John Boyle has taken on a challenge: getting Republicans elected to local offices.
Thursday, 8:02 AM | 7 commentsIn Trump's wake: Locals take leadership role in campaigns to elect Democrats
The Republican party controls 33 state legislatures, dominance that did not happen overnight or by accident, but the election of Donald Trump may have been the last straw for Democratic and politically progressive voters, including some in Portola Valley and Woodside.
Thursday, 7:55 AM | 28 commentsWednesday, May 17, 2017
Volunteer says Woodside's ethics probe violated her constitutional rights
A former volunteer in Woodside has filed a claim against the town and its current and previous mayors, alleging that her constitutional rights were violated by the way the town handled allegations that she had violated the town's ethics code.
Wednesday, 8:43 PM | 1 commentLaw firm to investigate how district handled sexual-assault reports
The Palo Alto Unified Board of Education, facing pressure from parents and media reports of repeated sexual assaults by a Paly student, decided Tuesday to hire a law firm to investigate district administrators.
Wednesday, 3:05 PM | No comments yetMore enforcement of Bay Area commuter benefits program on its way
Enforcement of the Bay Area's commuter benefits program is being stepped up and unregistered employers may be fined and face violations, officials with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said Tuesday.
Wednesday, 1:40 PM | No comments yetAffordable housing: County plans to spend $44 million over two years
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to spend more than a quarter of the $160 million from the Measure A half-cent sales tax revenues over two fiscal years to increase the supply of affordable housing for seniors, formerly homeless veterans and working families.
Wednesday, 10:35 AM | 4 commentsMenlo Park: Project launched to rebuild Willow/101 interchange
Work has officially begun on a project to rebuild the Willow Road and U.S. 101 interchange, following a groundbreaking event held Tuesday, May 16.
Wednesday, 9:43 AM | 6 commentsThursday: Airport noise study focus of county meeting
Results of San Mateo County's year-long study of ways to reduce the noise from aircraft using the San Carlos Airport will be presented at a community meeting on Thursday, May 18.
Wednesday, 8:07 AM | No comments yetVolunteers sought for school district committees
Applications are due by Friday, May 26, for openings on two Menlo Park City School District committees: finance and audit, and technology.
Wednesday, 7:11 AM | No comments yetEditorial: School district's lapse undermines public trust
The Woodside Elementary School District is doing the right thing this week by setting on a more transparent path in filling a board vacancy after earlier stumbling on a course of action that raised many questions about the openness of the process.
Wednesday, 7:05 AM | No comments yetTuesday, May 16, 2017
Portola Valley: Windmill School moves ahead on new campus
Windmill School, a play-based preschool, recently received a building permit to move ahead with construction of a new campus for its preschool and Family Education Center on a 1.69-acre site at 900 Portola Road, adjacent to Our lady of the Wayside Church in Portola Valley.
Tuesday, 2:45 PM | 1 commentToday: Blood drive in Menlo Park
The Menlo Park Fire Protection District and the city of Menlo Park are sponsoring a blood drive on Thursday, May 18.
Tuesday, 2:44 PM | No comments yetToday: Groundbreaking on Willow Road/U.S. 101 interchange project
A groundbreaking for the Willow Road/U.S. 101 interchange project will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at the intersection of Willow Road and Pierce Road in eastern Menlo Park.
Tuesday, 11:38 AM | 1 commentMenlo Park: Neighbors oppose affordable housing plan
A proposal by nonprofit developer MidPen Housing to rebuild and expand an affordable apartment complex, yielding a maximum of 150 affordable housing units in the 1300 block of Willow Road in Belle Haven, met with resolute opposition from residents of the Menlo Park neighborhood.
Tuesday, 11:26 AM | 12 commentsWednesday: Menlo Park meeting on Willow Road traffic woes
A community meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at Laurel School Upper Campus (275 Elliott Drive) for residents to get an update from Menlo Park city staff about construction on the Willow Road/U.S. 101 interchange project and talk about how to reduce cut-through traffic.
Tuesday, 11:23 AM | No comments yetWednesday: Atherton reconsiders business license tax
Something Atherton's City Council has considered several times in the past -- making changes to the town's business license tax -- will be on the agenda again when the council meets Wednesday, May 17.
Tuesday, 10:45 AM | No comments yetWednesday in Atherton: Measure A backers' event will provide info on civic center
Members of the "Yes on Measure A" committee, who favor the ballot measure that would allow the town to spend more public money on a new civic center, have scheduled an event to share information about the civic center plans on Wednesday, May 17, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, 10:40 AM | No comments yetWoodside Elementary School District spends $584,000 to dismiss teacher
Woodside Elementary School District spent more than $584,000 in taxpayer funds to dismiss a teacher after an administrative law panel unanimously dismissed all charges against him
Tuesday, 10:32 AM | 10 commentsMenlo Park police calls: Safeway employee punched while attempting to stop robbery
Crime reports for Menlo Park.
Tuesday, 10:19 AM | No comments yetMonday, May 15, 2017
Driver and motorcyclist identified in DUI-related collision on I-280
The woman arrested on charges of drunken driving after a Sunday morning (May 14) collision with a motorcyclist on northbound Interstate 280 near the Woodside interchange was Harjot Atwal, 27, of San Ramon, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Monday, 11:46 AM |
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The woman arrested on charges of drunken driving after a Sunday morning (May 14) collision with a motorcyclist on northbound Interstate 280 near the Woodside interchange was Harjot Atwal, 27, of San Ramon, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Monday, 11:46 AM |
No comments yet
Business, community leader Duncan Matteson dies at 82
Duncan Matteson, a longtime Menlo Park resident and a leader in business, philanthropy and community service, died peacefully at home in Palo Alto May 12 after a prolonged struggle with heart disease. He was 82.
Monday, 11:42 AM | 1 commentTuesday: Woodside Elementary board to reconsider board vacancy
The governing board of the Woodside Elementary School District on Tuesday will reconsider actions it took at a special May 1 meeting -- actions challenged as violations of the state's open meeting law, the Brown Act.
Monday, 11:20 AM | No comments yetMenlo Park: Pedestrian hit by car at Marsh Road/U.S. 101
A man from East Palo Alto was struck by a car and suffered major injuries while crossing Marsh Road westbound at the northbound U.S. 101 intersection around 5 a.m. on Monday morning, May 15.
Monday, 10:52 AM | No comments yetSunday, May 14, 2017
Local hero: Woman honored for helping create Kenyan school for girls
Margo McAuliffe, a Menlo Park resident and former trigonometry teacher at Menlo-Atherton High School, is being honored as one of six "local heroes" by the Midpen Media Center for her work establishing a school for girls in Kenya.
Sunday, 11:15 PM | No comments yet
Cherries and Berries
By Laura Stec | 3 comments | 1,423 views
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength . . .
By Chandrama Anderson | 2 comments | 806 views
Meeting Other New Parents
By Cheryl Bac | 0 comments | 606 views
We need some volunteers.
By Stuart Soffer | 1 comment | 271 views
One more week to vote!
Don't forget to cast your Readers' Choice ballot online. Voting ends May 29th. Stay tuned for the results in the July 19th issue of The Almanac.
