Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How will the new Mitchell Park fire station change your neighborhood?

Also check out Inspirational Talk on Effective Prayer: Finding healing and wholeness in divine Love on the Palo Alto Patch calendar

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Saturday January 10th Patch AM
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Hello Palo Alto! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How will the new Mitchell Park fire station change your neighborhood?
  • Will Palo Alto’s new city-run fiber really beat AT&T and Comcast?
  • Why new rainbow benches just appeared outside Palo Alto’s high schools

Also on today's calendar: Inspirational Talk on Effective Prayer: Finding healing and wholeness in divine Love and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Saturday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 60 and low of 40 degrees.
  • Sunday: Sunny to partly cloudy, temps: high: 63, low: 38.
  • Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 64 and low of 40 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Palo Alto breaks ground on new Mitchell Park fire station (paloaltoonline.com) — Palo Alto has officially broken ground on a new Mitchell Park fire station at Middlefield Road and Meadow Drive, with completion targeted for summer 2027. The $18.2 million project replaces a seismically deficient 1950s station, restores full fire service to the neighborhood, and adds modern emergency operations space as the city prepares for population growth and future disasters.
   

2. Palo Alto set to launch new fiber service as critics warn of risks (paloaltoonline.com) — Palo Alto is rolling out its long-awaited municipal fiber service, starting with a pilot area near Greer Park where residents could begin signing up as soon as March. City utilities staff tout local control and faster speeds, while commissioners and residents are sharply divided over whether the costly Fiber to the Premises expansion can compete with AT&T and Comcast or risks wasting tens of millions of dollars.
   

3. Seats of pride: Palo Alto residents show LGBTQ+ support (paloaltoonline.com) — Palo Alto parents and advocates have painted transit benches in front of Palo Alto and Gunn high schools in bright pride colors to signal visible support for LGBTQ+ students amid a painful youth suicide cluster. Led by mental health advocate Steven Lee, the project complements town halls, teen center advocacy, and other grassroots efforts to make local youth feel seen, welcomed, and supported.
   

4. Donor Insights for Scholarships (insidephilanthropy.com) — A national scholarship guide highlights QuestBridge, a major nonprofit based in Palo Alto that connects talented low-income students with top colleges and full-ride aid. The piece explains how donors can target scholarships toward first-generation, low-income, and community college students, and points to organizations and strategies that can make giving more equitable and effective.
   

📸 Around Palo Alto

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • My elderly parents (ages 97 and 94) have several investment properties - an 8-unit apartment building and a duplex.
    My father called me today to say they were notified by a letter and a phone call that their insurance policy will be cancelled because California is… (Nextdoor Barron Park)
  • Barn cat programs aims at providing homes for Feral cats while addressing rodent control.
    Contact The Dancing cat , Oakland Animal services, Paw Works, Marin Humain. (Nextdoor Barron Park)
  • KIPP Public Schools Northern California posted a job opening for Athletics Coach (Flag Football) - Elementary & Middle School in Palo Alto. Apply here.
  • Tender Greens posted a job opening for Shift Supervisor 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: I sea you!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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