Morning Palo Alto! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☕️️
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In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: August Tour of Elizabeth Gamble House and Garden and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: Why did the man leave his watch in the bank? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. City may put the homeless in city buildings during inclement weather (padailypost.com) — Palo Alto is weighing whether to expand its bad-weather shelter program beyond the downtown library, potentially opening more city buildings, churches and nonprofit spaces to homeless residents. The proposal would swap security guards for social workers, operate about 30 nights a year during severe weather or heat, and respond to past concerns from neighbors who felt blindsided by the library shelter's launch.
2. Council split over letting homeowners sell backyard cottages (padailypost.com) — Palo Alto City Council narrowly voted to send a proposal on selling backyard cottages, or ADUs, to the Planning and Transportation Commission instead of approving it immediately. The commission will study whether homeowners should be allowed to sell these up‑to‑1,200‑square‑foot units separately and report back by year's end.
3. Castilleja students to start school year in a construction zone (paloaltoonline.com) — Castilleja School students will return this week to a heavily fenced, construction-filled Palo Alto campus as a two‑year, city‑approved renovation moves into full swing. Neighbors are watching closely to see whether the new underground garage and traffic‑mitigation rules actually reduce parking spillover and congestion on nearby streets while classes continue in temporary "Casti Village" classrooms.
4. Northern California school district sued over mosque field trip (kansascity.com) — Parents and former students from Palo Alto Unified have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over a 2025 Social Justice Pathway field trip where Palo Alto High School students visited a Santa Clara County mosque. The suit claims the district failed religious neutrality and student privacy, while district officials and the invited speaker defend the trip as educational and misrepresented.
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Ok Palo Alto! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: So he could save time! (Thank you Lorraine S. for sending it in!)
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