Palo Alto Online · Palo Alto, CA
When Palo Alto’s elected leaders convened in January 2023 for a special retreat to set goals for the year, they kicked things off with an unusual exercise. Every council member was asked to create an aspirational headline that they would like to see run in the paper on the last day of that year. Not surprisingly, housing was on top of everyone’s mind. Vicki Veenker, who was completing her first month of council duties, offered: “Wave of Paly and Gunn alums move to Palo Alto.” That would mean, among other things, that the city has net its goal for making housing affordable at all levels, Veenker explained. Councilmember Ed Lauing, who had also just joined the council for the first time, suggested a headline about Palo Alto securing $250 million for an affordable housing fund.
San José Spotlight · Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto’s most iconic bike boulevard is slated to get a hefty upgrade next year, with city officials approving a suite of traffic circles, curb extensions and other improvements on Bryant Street. Following nearly two years of design work, analysis and neighborhood outreach, the City Council signed off Monday on a list of road improvements in the Professorville neighborhood. Collectively, they aim to further enhance the allure of Bryant Street for local cyclists. Bryant Street made history in 1982, when it became the nation’s first “bike boulevard” behind the leadership of former Vice Mayor Ellen Fletcher. The newly approved projects include traffic circles at the Bryant Street intersections with Lincoln and Kingsley avenues and an update to the existing traffic circle at Bryant and Addison avenues. Bryant Street will also be furnished with high-visibility crosswalks between Homer Avenue and Embarcadero Road.
Palo Alto Online · Palo Alto, CA
This week, guitarist Ray Obiedo brings Latin and contemporary jazz to Meyhouse and piano concerts pop up around Palo Alto. Plus open studios, original member of The Doors Robby Krieger, "The Wizard of Oz" on stage and more.
Palo Alto Daily Post · Palo Alto, CA
, a beloved husband and father, exceptional space engineer, and creative inventor, passed away in October 2026 in Palo Alto, California, at the age of 91. Allen earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 1963, where he was also a member of the Theta Chi fraternity. He was proud to have served in the Army through ROTC, active duty, and the reserves. Allen spent his entire career as a research scientist at Lockheed Missiles and Space, bringing curiosity and resourcefulness to his work. He was an early champion of electric vehicles. In the 1970s he built his own electric motorcycle and rode it to work, gaining the attention of the Palo Alto Times and Electric Auto Association. An adventurous outdoorsman, Allen was an enthusiastic scoutmaster for Troop 14 and a leader at Camp Oljato. He planned and led week-long backpacking trips in the Sierras.
Palo Alto Online · Palo Alto, CA
The Palo Alto Board of Education wants to place a new parcel tax on the May 2027 ballot, a move that would help ensure the district has ample time to gauge support for tax and provide public outreach, as the district struggles to balance its budget.
Daily Mail · Palo Alto, CA
An outraged millionaire mom has sued her son's elementary school over a bad report card. Weiwei Luo filed a civil lawsuit against Palo Alto Unified School District after claiming her son's teacher, Holly Harrison, had been unfair in her comments on his 2025-2026 report card. Harrison, a teacher at Walter Hays Elementary School, wrote that Luo's son, named only as KL, is 'working on his responses to peers when he is frustrated or upset.' She also wrote that '[KL] is developing his ability to listen to others’ perspectives and collaborate with humility. We will keep working on this!', and that the boy needed to work on 'showing respect and cooperating with others.' Luo, who lives in a $5.6 million Palo Alto home, claimed that this was an unfair characterization of her son based on an incident that saw KL stick his tongue out at another boy while playing tag during recess.
Yahoo · Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto is no stranger to historic homes: More than half the city's housing stock is over 50 years old, and close to 400 properties here have been listed on the Palo Alto Historic Inventory. But not every historic house has a history like the Squire House. This video created with the assistance of AI. This mansion has everything a good story needs: ties to not only one of the United States' biggest companies of the early 20th century, but also to Stanford University and to a U.S. president. There's also its famous (and famously cheeky) architect, its near demise - and unlikely rescue - and its status today as a registered landmark and legally protected property. Now, Squire House's next chapter is beginning: As of this November, 900 University Ave. is for sale for the first time since 1999, asking $19.988 million.
San José Spotlight · Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto’s plan to transform a stretch of San Antonio Road into the city’s newest residential community received a boost Monday, when the City Council reviewed and largely supported a proposal to demolish three commercial buildings and construct a 200-apartment complex next to the Mountain View border. Located just north of Middlefield Road in an area dominated by commercial and industrial uses, the proposed building at 720 San Antonio would feature parking and other amenities on the bottom two floors and apartments on the upper six floors. It would also include a fitness room, a pool lounge and club room, according to project applicant. In a nod to the recent shifts in work habits, the apartment complex will also include a co-working space. “The co-working space is for the residents to do the work from home in this new era,” said John Kosi, principal at BDE Architecture, which designed the project.
The Stanford Daily · Palo Alto, CA
Stanford and the City of Palo Alto hosted a Veterans Day celebration at MacArthur Park on Nov. 9, honoring veterans, active service members and their families. Ceremonies were led by Capt. Chris Rieping M.S. ’27, and included a keynote speech by Lt. Col. Tyler J. Jensen of U.S. Army Special Forces. The event’s location was especially significant — MacArthur Park was built in 1918 as a Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) hostess house for soldiers and their families during World War I. One year after World War I concluded on Nov. 11, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson established the date as Armistice Day. The holiday was then renamed to Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all American veterans of all previous wars. Michelle Landrey Cline ’93, MBA ’98, current president of the Stanford Alumni Association was in attendance. Landrey Cline said in her speech that 45 graduate degree recipients were veterans or active duty service members last June.
Patch · Palo Alto, CA
Families can learn about the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe through storytelling, crafts and educational programs. PALO ALTO, CA — Palo Alto libraries will celebrate Native American Heritage Month with storytelling, crafts and educational programs highlighting Indigenous history and culture. The November events include a presentation about the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, traditional crafts and a virtual book discussion, according to a Palo Alto City Library announcement. The programs include: Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch. Nov. 10: A virtual Brown Bag Book Club discussion of "The Sentence" by Louise Erdrich. Nov. 14: Storytelling and a clay pinch-pot craft activity at the Children's Library. Nov. 21: A presentation by the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation, followed by storytelling and crafts at Mitchell Park Library.
Patch · Palo Alto, CA
The city is offering project budgets of up to $20,000 for installations at its 2027 Code Festival. PALO ALTO, CA — Palo Alto is seeking artists to transform downtown public spaces with interactive displays of light, sound and technology for its 2027 Code Festival. Through its Public Art Program, the city is accepting applications from artists and teams worldwide for two opportunities: a featured installation at Lytton Plaza and up to five additional artworks downtown. The Lytton Plaza installation has a $20,000 project budget. Organizers want an interactive artwork that uses technology to engage visitors, particularly at night. Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch. For the other installations, selected artists or teams can receive project budgets of up to $9,000 each. The temporary artworks may incorporate light, sound, motion, projections or other interactive technology in downtown plazas, alleys and public spaces.
Patch · Palo Alto, CA
The proposed roadway could shorten bus trips by up to five minutes and improve pedestrian and bicycle access. PALO ALTO, CA — Palo Alto residents have until Nov. 5 to weigh in on plans for a new transit connection designed to reduce bus travel times and improve access to the city's transit center. The Quarry Road Transit Connection project would create a dedicated roadway for buses and shuttles between El Camino Real and the Palo Alto Transit Center, according to a city announcement published Tuesday. City officials estimate the connection could shorten bus trips by three to five minutes by allowing transit vehicles to bypass congested areas near University Avenue and University Circle. Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch. The project also includes protected bicycle lanes, upgraded pedestrian crossings and improved pathways through El Camino Park.
KRON4 · Palo Alto, CA
(KRON) — The U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office opened investigations into two Bay Area school districts for allegedly violating parents’ rights. Some students were instructed to participate in “Wheel of Power/Privilege” activities as part of ethnic studies and answer very personal questions, according to USDE. Palo Alto Unified School District and San Francisco Unified School District are accused of requiring students to reveal “intimate details about themselves and their families without parental consent or knowledge,” federal education officials wrote. “These invasive questionnaires require students to identify personal information such as their sexual orientations, gender identities, mental and physical health conditions, family economic status, race, and more. Students are then asked to determine their ‘privilege status’ based on the information they provide,” USDE wrote.
NBC Bay Area · Palo Alto, CA
A private school in Palo Alto uses AI to help students while also making sure to take the technology away. Alpha School is located right in the heart of Palo Alto and is one of the 40 Alpha Schools throughout the country. For this school, AI is on the agenda every morning, even for young kids. Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are The school uses AI to guide students in the right direction. Each student's lesson plan is shaped by AI to be as efficient as possible, the opposite of students packed into a classroom with one teacher. Kids study math and science for two hours a day before moving on to other social skills. "Our kids being able to get all of their academics done in the morning enables them to spend the rest of the school day building on the skills that allow for, what I would consider, true human flourishing,” Alpha School co-founder Mackenzie Price said. There’re not chatbots, just enough AI in the background to help each student on their individual learning path.
Hoodline · Palo Alto, CA
An 8-year-old boy's little finger was permanently severed after an unknown man allegedly skated over it during the Barron Park 2026 Ice Skating Party at Winter Lodge in Palo Alto. The boy's mother, Laylo Rubina, has filed an unlimited civil lawsuit against the California State PTA, Winter Lodge and the city of Palo Alto, alleging negligence, reckless conduct and a failure to keep the rink safe for children. Rubina filed the suit in Santa Clara County Superior Court, according to Palo Alto Online, after the city attorney's office denied an earlier attempt to pursue a claim against the city. The skating party was advertised for Barron Park Elementary students and their families, but the lawsuit alleges the man who struck the boy's hand was not part of that invited school community. Emergency Surgery Failed To Save The Finger The boy was rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery in an attempt to reattach his finger, but the procedure was unsuccessful.
Palo Alto Online · Palo Alto, CA
Calling it a necessary move to protect vulnerable community members from dangerous overreach by the Immigration and Custom Enforcement, Palo Alto adopted on Monday a temporary ban on detention and custodial facilities within city limits. In unanimously adopting the one-year ban, the City Council is joining cities such a San Jose, Mountain View, Los Altos and Gilroy, which have recently adopted similar restrictions. The moratorium applies to all detention and custodial facilities, operated by any entity, that are used to “detain, confine, process or house persons in custody under process of law.” The moratorium is just the latest in a series of actions that the council has taken in response to increased immigration enforcement by the Trump administration. These include filing briefs in support of numerous lawsuits that challenge the federal administration, including a recent amicus brief in a Santa Clara County lawsuit contesting a recent plan to build a detention center near Gilroy.
Palo Alto Online · Palo Alto, CA
An 8-year-old boy took to the ice at Winter Lodge for the Barron Park 2026 Ice Skating Party in January when an unknown man allegedly skated over his finger and permanently severed it. Now, his mother Laylo Rubina is suing the California State PTA, the ice rink facility and the city of Palo Alto, which owns Winter Lodge, for negligence, reckless conduct and failure to keep the ice rink safe. Rubina filed the suit with the Santa Clara County Superior Court on Friday after an attempt in May to pursue a claim against the city was denied by the City Attorney’s office. One of the primary issues outlined in the complaint is the fact that the ice skating event was advertised for Barron Park Elementary students and their families, a group that did not include the man who allegedly severed Rubina’s son’s little finger.
Palo Alto Online · Palo Alto, CA
The U.S. Department of Education on Monday opened an investigation on three California school districts, including Palo Alto Unified, to determine whether they violated federal laws by issuing a student “Wheel of Privilege” survey. School Superintendent Jason Glass said the district will fully cooperate with the investigation and has already begun the process of investigating its practices, he wrote in a message to this publication. Palo Alto students are not required to participate in the privilege surveys, he wrote. “Both of our high schools have confirmed that students are not asked to complete the ‘Wheel of Power/Privilege’ or ‘Mapping My Identities’ activities named in the Department’s letter,” Glass wrote.
Palo Alto Online · Palo Alto, CA
Candidates running for Palo Alto City Council almost always profess nonpartisanship, yet the vast majority hold liberal values, raising an important question: How do voters tell the difference between what usually amounts to different flavors of Democrats? The answer often lies in a select few policy issues that tend to divide candidates into distinct camps. Historically, this has been housing, which distinguishes the “residentialist” or slow-growth side from the “nonresidentialist” or pro-growth faction. Beyond housing, areas such as climate policy, public safety and transportation also become salient issues for council races; this year, candidates’ approach to addressing the proliferation of RV homelessness on city streets has emerged as a new issue that will likely play a large role, too. Voters may not have time to read each candidates’ policy platform or attend every forum.
The Stanford Daily · Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) expects an outside review of the projections behind its proposed $33 million budget cut for the 2027-28 school year to be completed by the end of October. The cuts follow increases in staff salaries and voters’ rejection of a $14 million funding measure this summer, and results of the review will inform the district’s recommendations for where the PAUSD board should implement the cuts. “We can’t find $33 million worth of cuts without touching the classroom in some way,” board Vice President Rowena Chiu told The Daily. “It is our responsibility to do what we can to mitigate that.” In June, Palo Alto voters rejected Measure B, a parcel tax that would have raised roughly $14 million for the school district next year. The denial marked the first time in 22 years that voters had rejected a district parcel tax.
Palo Alto Online · Palo Alto, CA
Measure J is misleading. It is not about improving the Cubberley site, as many residents assume, nor is it about authorizing the city to spend $65.5 million to purchase 7 acres from the school district. Rather, Measure J only asks voters to approve a half-cent sales tax increase in Palo Alto, from 9.75% to 10.25%, that will generate $15.6 million each year for years to come – there is no sunset clause. And by law, this tax money must go directly into the city’s general fund; once it’s there, our council and future council members can use money in this fund for anything they desire. And that is the critical problem with Measure J — there is no guarantee that future councils will spend the $15.6 million that the measure will generate every year on Cubberley. In fact, there is a slim chance that five or 10 years from now that money could be spent on new problems, like flooding or shore erosion. City officials acknowledged this.
alamancenews.com · Palo Alto, CA
By Bob Sutton Special to The Alamance News Elon’s football team will be California dreamin’ this week. The Phoenix plays at Stanford on Saturday, with this matchup against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent coming with a different backdrop than many such assignments in the past. “It’s a good opportunity, a good challenge to go out to Palo Alto and play an ACC team,” Elon linebacker Carter Wyatt said. “Immediately, the first thing I thought of was the travel. Going out to play all the way in California. Just an exciting opportunity and something we’ve all been looking forward to.” Past clashes with ACC teams often have come in the early portion of the schedule against in-state opponents. This comes just past the midway mark for the Phoenix (4-3). “It’s different,” coach Tony Trisciani said. “We like opening up the season with these games, but I also liked our schedule this year the way we started.
Palo Alto Online · Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto’s effort to assist people in purchasing affordable homes is hindered by a significant supply shortage and a laundry list of hidden fees that place these residences out of reach for many potential buyers, according to a new report from the City Auditor’s Office. The BMR Housing Purchase Program covers a small subset of the city’s affordable housing strategy — about 10% of all existing affordable units — and was the primary subject of the audit report, which was conducted by Kate Murdock with consulting firm Baker Tilly, which acts as the city auditor. As a general rule, new for-sale housing developments coordinate with Palo Alto on an affordability plan, which may include setting aside BMR units or paying in-lieu fees that go toward a broader affordable housing fund.