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‘Nothing ever happens because you don’t have any power’: Meet the faces of Stanford’s new grad workers union
Facing fiscal and housing challenges in one of the most expensive regions in the nation, these students are fighting for a healthy workplace and better living conditions. Stanford grad student and Los Angeles County native Emi Soroka hopes the next step in her career takes her to NASA Ames Research Center after she graduates with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, a program she started in 2021 following her master’s at Stanford in the same subject.
‘These people are insane’: Diving into the ruthless world of kayak polo
Kayak polo is one of the more unusual water sports at Mountain View’s Shoreline Lake. Andrew Irvine first played kayak polo at Shoreline Lake a decade ago. Five minutes in, he told himself that it would be his first and last time trying out the vicious sport. “I was...
Short Story Contest 2023
Short Story Contest winners grapple with forces that threaten family, normalcy. The violence of war juxtaposed with the cocoon of domesticity. International politics that threaten to intrude on the close ties of family. Sudden paralysis as it challenges the human spirit. In each of the winning stories in the Palo...
10 places to watch the 2023 World Cup around the Peninsula
The USWNT roster is stacked with players who have local ties. Catch the games at these bars and restaurants throughout the 650. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, held in Australia and New Zealand, is set to be the biggest women’s soccer tournament yet. It has a predicted television viewership of 2 billion, about a quarter of the global population and almost double the audience of 2019. Games began today (July 20) and the final is exactly one month later. The reigning champion, the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT), plays its first game against Vietnam at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 21.
Half Moon Bay artist Hannah Anderson takes inspiration from the Coastside’s landscape in colorful stained-glass pieces
A former outdoor educator and emerging artist grant recipient, Anderson is an advocate for art in schools and the flourishing Coastside creative community. Half Moon Bay glass artist Hannah Anderson was working at an outdoor preschool in Montara before going remote during the pandemic. As a way to fill her time, she immediately purchased art supplies and started painting. While sifting through her parents’ garage, she also found glass art tools that belonged to her father, an art therapist, which brought back memories of cutting glass in the garage with him when she was younger.
Slow and steady: Menlo Park artist Mitchell Johnson’s latest exhibit ‘It Takes Time’ revitalizes former Pace Gallery in Palo Alto
Featuring scenes from San Francisco to Monaco, his 30 paintings are on view through Aug. 3. Menlo Park artist Mitchell Johnson worked on the paintings in his latest exhibit, “It Takes Time,” over a span of four years from 2019 to 2023. But when Johnson’s planned gallery show in his hometown of New York City was unexpectedly canceled two weeks ago, he was left scrambling for another space to showcase his work.
San Mateo cottage bakery Shru’s Kitchen combines South Asian flavors, modern vegan baking and minimalist designs in made-to-order cakes
Shruti Boddu couldn’t find vegan alternatives to her favorite Indian sweets, so she started replicating those flavors in cakes and selling them throughout the Bay Area.
11 Peninsula trails to keep you cool this summer
As temperatures rise, venture to shady, woodsy and oceanside trails to beat the heat. In order to escape increasing temperatures this summer, we’ve compiled a list of Peninsula trails to keep cool, from shady spots with redwood canopies to breezy oceanside locations nestled in fog. Whether you’re hiking, running, biking, horseback riding or camping, these trails have you covered.
How a homebrewing hobby launched Sunnyvale’s ShaKa Brewing
Hidden in a Silicon Valley industrial park, the microbrewery maintains a small but diverse taplist of approachable beers. The city of Sunnyvale is not known for its breweries. And so it comes as a surprise to find ShaKa Brewing, tucked away in an industrial park, appearing like an oasis in a desert. Nestled unsuspectingly between auto body shops, a medical device company and a firearms dealer, ShaKa Brewing is serving up a small, highly focused menu of brews across a swath of beer styles.
‘Pure flower power’: Getting nosy with Pacifica’s Shen Aroma Farm
Coastside aromatherapist Mary Pancoast crafts her own line of artisan soaps, perfumes, candles and other products, relying on an environmentally friendly ethos. Close your eyes, breathe deep and imagine your favorite botanical scent. Is there an aroma that lifts you up, soothes your spirit or evokes a feeling of bliss? Whatever your preferences (it’s all about the orange blossom, redwoods and bay leaves for me), plants have power, and in the right hands, working with their essences is both a science and an art.
‘The right person came along and got what it’s about’: After 15 years as a Menlo Park hub, mother-daughter team is handing off Cafe Zoë
Neighborhood Pizza Guy’s Matt Burr will take over the cafe and community mainstay. When Kathleen Daly purchased Menlo Park’s Cafe Zoë in 2008, she just knew the cafe was where she wanted to be, she said. Fifteen years later, she just knew she found the right person to carry it on for her.
From Alex the Flemish Giant rabbit to LiLou the pig, meet the therapy animals of SFO’s Wag Brigade
The airport has welcomed a growing team of trained pets since the program was launched in 2013. Last month, my family and I found ourselves wandering San Francisco International Airport in search of activities to fill a four and a half hour delay on our flight to Chicago when we came across a Pride event, held fittingly at the Harvey Milk Terminal. A golden retriever named Brixton was nestled between drag queens, and he was decked out in Pride attire from head to toe: rainbow sombrero, rainbow sunglasses, rainbow bandana and rainbow armbands.
Martini madness: 5 Peninsula spots to shake up your cocktail hour
From a Coastside distillery to a Palo Alto steakhouse, these establishments make a mean martini. My alcoholic beverage preferences tend to be very hyperfocused for a period of time. In 2022 I sought out every tiki bar that I could find in the Bay Area and beyond. As the calendar turned to 2023, I was ready for a new tipple.
Here’s how you can celebrate the Fourth of July around Silicon Valley
Where to get your fill of fireworks, festivals and food throughout the 650. This Independence Day, enjoy parades, fireworks, artistic displays, live music and much more on the Peninsula. Palo Alto has brought back its popular chili cook-off after several years’ hiatus, while Redwood City is hosting a wide range of festivities, from a pancake breakfast and parade to a chalk art festival. And in Mountain View, the San Francisco Symphony’s annual Fourth of July concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre is capped off by fireworks. Here’s your complete guide to Independence Day 2023:
How a San Jose firefighter became a granola guru
Campbell-based Paul’s Firehouse Granola was inspired by hungry firefighters looking to refuel after a long shift. Paul Marshall didn’t know what he wanted to be when he grew up. At first, he thought maybe he’d be a professional soccer player. But after he transitioned from playing at Soquel High School to Cabrillo Junior College, he decided he should probably come up with a different plan.
Back open after winter storm damage, San Mateo’s CuriOdyssey science museum and zoo is unveiling a new building with bayside views and an interactive exhibit. Here’s what it looks like inside.
A Peninsula institution for families and animal lovers alike, CuriOdyssey has endured financial hardships and tree-toppling storms thanks to unwavering community support. On a recent sunny day at Coyote Point Recreation Area, clear skies blended into the blue of the bay, only separated from each other by the San Francisco skyline in the distance. Dozens of children, each carrying clipboards twice the size of their faces, scampered alongside tie-dye clad camp counselors as they eagerly entered the CuriOdyssey zoo.
Made with Luv: From mail deliveries to food truck pickups, Luv’s Brownies has evolved alongside Silicon Valley
A small business counselor told founder Andrea Lacy her concept wouldn’t work. Decades later, she’s using the lessons she’s learned to fuel aspiring entrepreneurs. Luv’s Brownies was an online-based food business in the internet’s early days, offering brownies for mail deliveries to some of Silicon Valley’s early online companies. Founder Andrea Lacy has since reinvented her brownie business with a dessert truck that highlights her Hispanic heritage.
Take a peek: Here are the 2023 Peninsula Photo Contest’s winning images
This year’s pictures capture chance encounters, abstract scenes and everyday life. A group of pigeons dancing around an accordionist. Icy leaves resting on a crispy field of grass. A celebration on the gridiron of the Palo Alto High School Vikings. The winning images of the 2023 Peninsula Photo Contest celebrate the diversity of the “decisive moment” (to quote the celebrated Henri Cartier-Bresson).
Inside the Peninsula landmark making 100,000 tacos and burgers a year for Silicon Valley tech titans and Stanford fans alike
Founded in 1852 as a roadhouse for gambling and drinking, Alpine Inn is known for its beer garden and Stanford ties. This story is part of an ongoing series about longtime eateries on the Peninsula. Read previous stories about the Loma Mar Store & Kitchen and Millbrae Pancake House. When...
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