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🌱 Patch AM: Why a hidden Baylands levee could reshape Palo Alto’s flood defenses

Coming up on the Palo Alto Patch calendar: Herbal Tea Party

Tuesday August 25th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Hey hey Palo Alto! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Why a hidden Baylands levee could reshape Palo Alto's flood defenses
  • Will PAUSD rethink Chromebooks and AI after parent petition?
  • Why this Old Palo Alto home fetched $21.7 million

Also on today's calendar: Herbal Tea Party and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What did one strawberry say to the other strawberry? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Tuesday: Areas of low clouds, then sun, with a high of 82 and low of 59 degrees.
  • Wednesday: Partly sunny, temps: high: 86, low: 61. 🌶 Hot!
  • Thursday: Areas of low clouds, then sun, with a high of 87 and low of 61 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Horizontal Levees Are Spreading Across the Bay Area (reasonstobecheerful.world) — Right now at Palo Alto's Baylands Nature Preserve, a new "horizontal levee" is quietly testing how green infrastructure can both buffer local flooding and clean treated wastewater from the city's treatment plant. Researchers will track habitat, water quality, and recreation impacts over five years, and the results could shape how Palo Alto and other Bay Area communities prepare for sea-level rise and stronger storms.
   

2. Palo Alto Parents Push for Limits on Classroom Tech (sanfranciscopost.com) — Palo Alto parents are urging PAUSD to curb classroom screen time, pushing for tighter cellphone rules, more shared devices, and clearer limits on generative AI. Their 200-signature petition asks the district to spell out when technology truly improves learning and when students should instead rely on paper, discussion, and hands-on work, echoing similar moves in Los Angeles Unified.
   

3. Former home of famed mountaineer sells for $21.7M in Old Palo Alto (paloaltoonline.com) — A historic Old Palo Alto property once owned by famed mountaineer Nicholas Clinch just sold for $21.7 million, reflecting intense demand for rare, oversized lots in North Palo Alto. The one-story 1947 ranch home sits on nearly three-quarters of an acre, with conceptual plans already drawn for a custom rebuild, underscoring ongoing redevelopment pressure in one of the city's most coveted neighborhoods.
   

4. Google Fast Facts (kq2.com) — Palo Alto gets a brief but notable mention as the site of Google's first real office in 1999, before the company moved to Mountain View later that year. The broader piece walks through Google's evolution, legal battles, and recent AI and antitrust milestones shaping the tech landscape today.
   

📸 Around Palo Alto

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Saw a black and white speckled dog (around 20 pounds) running up loma Verde, at the intersection with Louis, at 10:35 PM.
    I don't think this is the dog that has had "LOST DOG" signs posted all around town for the past month or two - it had a longer snout. (Nextdoor Palo Verde)
  • I'm Hayden Jung-Goldberg, a former college baseball player with 2 years of D1 experience and a current player for the Swiss National Team🇨🇭
    I'm offering private baseball lessons in Palo Alto focused on: -Hitting -Infield & Defensive Skills -Baseball IQ & Game Situations Whether you're… (Nextdoor Leland Manor)
  • Sweetgreen, Inc. posted a job opening for Palo Alto - Kitchen Lead in Palo Alto. Apply here.
  • Compass Group, North America posted a job opening for Executive Chef - PLANT-FORWARD CULINARY INNOVATION LEADER in Palo Alto. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Palo Alto here.

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: If you weren't so sweet, we wouldn't be in this jam! (Thank you Patti F. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what's happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

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