Arden Margulis

Palo Alto

Reporter at The Almanac

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Articles

Gunn High graduates 'go big' as they celebrate commencement

3 weeks ago | paloaltoonline.com | Arden Margulis

Hundreds of Henry M. Gunn High School students tossed their caps in their air on Thursday and reflected on a year of challenges and triumphs as they picked up their graduation diplomas in a commencement ceremony. The “go big or go home” class of 2025, as coined by Principal Wendy Stratton, received their diplomas while donning black robes on a clear summer evening. Stratton said she decided on the phrase “go big or go home” after consulting teachers and staff about what makes this class special.
Community briefs: sudden oak death survey, students win mock trial, shuttle to budget meeting

3 weeks ago | almanacnews.com | Jennifer Yoshikoshi |Arden Margulis

The 2025 Sudden Oak Death Blitz survey is taking place from June 7-9. An 30-minute online training and sign-up must be done at sodblitz.org before collecting samples starting at 10 a.m. on June 7. The survey aims to discover outbreaks of new and potentially aggressive form of the pathogen that causes sudden oak death.
Flood Park’s makeover opens to public with new amenities and playgrounds

3 weeks ago | almanacnews.com | Arden Margulis

Since 2015, San Mateo County Parks has been working to “Reimagine Flood Park.”. After 10 years, the first phase of this comprehensive renovation is complete, upgrading the 21-acre Flood Park with new infrastructure and redesigned amenities aimed at attracting visitors from throughout the region. “As far as I know, this is the largest, most comprehensive renovation of an existing park in our system that we’ve undertaken,” said Nicholas Calderon, director of the San Mateo County Parks Department.
Supporters and opponents weigh in on Menlo Park parking lot ballot measure

3 weeks ago | rwcpulse.com | Arden Margulis

It’s official. Save Downtown Menlo can start collecting signatures for its initiative to protect the downtown parking lots and block Menlo Park’s planned affordable housing project. City attorney Nira Doherty finalized the ballot measure title and summary on May 29. The ballot measure would require voters to approve repurposing the downtown parking lots for affordable housing, as the city council had originally planned.
Supporters and opponents weigh in on Menlo Park parking lot ballot measure

3 weeks ago | almanacnews.com | Arden Margulis

It’s official, Save Downtown Menlo can start collecting signatures for its initiative to protect the downtown parking lots and block Menlo Park’s planned affordable housing project. City attorney Nira Doherty finalized the ballot measure title and summary on May 29. The ballot measure would require voters to approve repurposing the downtown parking lots for affordable housing as the city council had originally planned.
Coyotes nearly snatch two pets

3 weeks ago | paloaltoonline.com | Arden Margulis

In the early morning of Friday, May 23, Menlo Park resident Christian Le Cocq was in his yard when he noticed his dog was no longer following him. A coyote had entered his backyard by digging under his fence near Sharon Park. “I hadn’t heard anything,” Le Cocq said. “(The coyote) was very light on its feet.”Le Cocq’s 3-year-old Havanese named Penny scared off the coyote, in the nick of time as the coyote got within feet of Penny.
After the death of a beloved coach, Atherton police say traffic enforcement is a priority

3 weeks ago | almanacnews.com | Arden Margulis

On May 7, Dylan Taylor, paraeducator and athletic coach for Menlo Park and Atherton students, died after a collision on Middlefield Road with a GreenWaste truck while he was riding his bike. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Since then, the Atherton Police Department has said it will be focusing more on traffic enforcement involving bicycles, especially near the site of the crash. “There’s now an emphasis on bicycle-related enforcement actions.
Coyotes nearly snatch two Menlo Park pets

3 weeks ago | almanacnews.com | Arden Margulis

In the early morning of Friday, May 23, Menlo Park resident Christian Le Cocq was in his yard when he noticed his dog was no longer following him. A coyote had entered his backyard by digging under his fence near Sharon Park. “I hadn’t heard anything,” Le Cocq said. “(The coyote) was very light on its feet.”Le Cocq’s 3-year-old Havanese named Penny scared off the coyote, in the nick of time as the coyote got within feet of Penny.
U.S. Homeland Security targets Mountain View, Menlo Park over immigration policies

4 weeks ago | mv-voice.com | Arden Margulis

The cities of Mountain View and Menlo Park, as well as San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, have been sent notice they are out of compliance with federal immigration statutes as part of an executive order President Donald Trump signed on April 28, 2025.
Community Briefs: Goats at Sharon Hill Park, and mountain lion cubs moved

4 weeks ago | almanacnews.com | Arden Margulis |Jennifer Yoshikoshi

A tribe of goats are at Sharon Hills Park in Menlo Park for a limited time only. The goats help the city trim grass, weeds and poison oak which could be fire hazards. Sharon Hills Park is on a hill and difficult to use landscaping equipment on. The long running program is an eco-friendly alternative to herbicide, which Menlo Park does not use in any parks. The goats are from Ecosystem Concepts Inc., a goat-based weed-mitigation company based in Dixon, Calif.