Facing legal threat, Los Altos School District to ditch at-large election system
The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees has joined a growing number of local elected bodies that are shifting from at-large to by-district elections in an effort to avoid potential lawsuits under the California Voting Rights Act.
More Local news
Voter Guide: What to know about Mountain View’s Measure E charter update
Mountain View is asking voters this November to pass a ballot measure that would modernize the City Charter with changes mostly focused on revising outdated language and making technical clarifications.
‘Spectacular’ fossilized mastodon tooth found in San Mateo County preserve
A molar from an ancient Pacific mastodon was discovered in a San Mateo County open space preserve. The fossil is estimated to be 10,000 years old.
Mountain View pilots AI translation services at public meetings
Access to Mountain View City Council meetings is expanding, with the city launching a pilot program that allows members of the public to follow along in more than 60 languages.
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Food
10 ways to celebrate Oktoberfest along the Peninsula
Get your stein-holding arm and beer bellies ready, because it’s almost Oktoberfest season along the Peninsula. From San Mateo to Los Gatos, a variety of Oktoberfest events are scheduled throughout September and October.
Zac’s Bar & Grill opens in San Carlos
A new bar and grill opened Sept. 1 in the former space of The Office Bar & Grill, a San Carlos staple for 14 years until it closed in March 2025. Created by husband and wife Zaki Massis and Btool…
‘The crumb is crack’: Belmont resident recreates 1969 coffee cake recipe, organizes food market
A monthly Artisan Garden Market at Ladera Garden & Gifts brings together various cottage food businesses.
Arts & Culture
Fall arts preview: A week-by-week guide
What’s coming up in music, theater, art shows and author events this season on the Peninsula
What’s up this week: Author Casey Gerald, a chic French ballet, family-friendly concert and more
This week, author Casey Gerald and “The Great Refusal” at Kepler’s; a rootin’ tootin’ family concert in Redwood City, art on skateboard decks and more.
A bug educator’s life: Meet the ‘Beetlelady’ bringing interactive insect (and other ‘bug’) classes to all corners of Silicon Valley
San Mateo resident Stephanie Dole shares her expertise with kids and adults alike, with the goal of helping folks better appreciate the creepy crawlies around us.
Spotlight
Experience Public Art on Stanford Campus
Stanford’s public art program includes more than 80 works spanning the 19th-21st centuries and reflecting the history, spirit, and dynamism of life on campus.
This California Delta community is drawing Bay Area homebuyers to the water
Bay Area residents understand the value of open space. That’s why it’s no surprise a private waterfront enclave on the California Delta is drawing homebuyers who are ready for a different kind of life.
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…
’We made a home here’: Gamel Way residents face eviction to make way for condos
After yearslong delays, a developer’s plan to demolish a rent-controlled apartment complex to construct a large condo building in Mountain View is getting closer to the finish line, leaving tenants concerned about where they will live next.
Real Estate
New wave of buyers heads to Peninsula — some paying $10M just for ‘dirt’
AI wealth and return-to-office mandates are reshaping the Midpeninsula housing market, bringing new buyers into a market where prices are rising and inventory remains tight. Some buyers are spending $10 million or more for land alone, while others are finding…
After 15 years, a Barron Park couple’s unusable bathroom gets a makeover
For more than a decade, the owners of the 1948 home in Palo Alto’s Barron Park neighborhood lived with an unused bathroom just steps from their bedroom. Water damage and mold from an earlier homeowner’s “fix” had made the room…
How Palo Alto’s newest housing projects are testing the limits of what can be built
Palo Alto has long struggled to add enough housing, particularly affordable homes, under some of the region’s most restrictive zoning rules. Six projects now moving through the city’s development pipeline are using state housing laws, new zoning tools and public-private…
The Six Fifty
20 late summer and fall festivals in Silicon Valley
Some of Silicon Valley’s biggest cultural festivals are held in September and October. Here’s what’s on the calendar.
A new beach park has debuted on the San Mateo County coast. Here’s what to know before you go
Known for its dramatic sandstone cliffs and panoramic ocean views, Don Horsley County Park at Tunitas Creek Beach is a new recreation destination south of Half Moon Bay.
Shop sustainably at this curated secondhand fashion pop-up on the Peninsula
Friends with Denim holds public sales in a variety of locations, where shoppers can hunt for fashion treasures at affordable prices and save them from the waste stream. Multiple vendors participate in each sale, and no two events are the…
Blogs
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