Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: What sparked Wednesday night’s Tesla facility fire in Stanford Research Park?
Happening soon: GISSV'S German Holiday Market on the Palo Alto Patch calendar

Hello again Palo Alto! We’re bringing you the latest town highlights. Don’t miss out, keep going! ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- What sparked Wednesday night’s Tesla facility fire in Stanford Research Park?
- How will Stanford’s next big growth plan reshape life in Palo Alto?
- How will Palo Alto’s new Baylands levee change our shoreline?
Also on today's calendar: GISSV'S German Holiday Market and 9 more events.
Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 62 and low of 40 degrees.
- Saturday: Mostly sunny, temps: high: 64, low: 43.
- Sunday: Intervals of clouds and sun, with a high of 62 and low of 42 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• Firefighters respond to fire at Tesla facility (paloaltoonline.com) — Palo Alto firefighters rushed to a Wednesday night blaze at Tesla’s Deer Creek Road facility in Stanford Research Park, briefly calling for but then canceling help from Mountain View crews. No injuries were reported, and most units cleared the scene by about 10:30 p.m., though the cause and extent of damage remain under investigation.
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• Stanford proceeds with caution on campus growth plan (paloaltoonline.com) — Stanford is restarting its long-term campus growth plan and is courting Palo Alto and neighboring residents through listening-focused meetings at Lucie Stern Community Center. The university is stressing housing, transportation, and community partnerships, including existing work on youth mental health in Palo Alto, before submitting a new development application to Santa Clara County in 2026.
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• Milestone reached in Palo Alto's levee project to filter wastewater before it reaches the Bay (localnewsmatters.org) — Palo Alto’s new horizontal levee by the Baylands is now built, marking a major step toward cleaner wastewater discharges and better protection from sea level rise. The $7 million pilot will polish a portion of effluent from the Regional Water Quality Control Plant, restore marsh habitat, and serve as a model for future Bay Area shoreline projects.
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📸 Around Palo Alto
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Palo Alto
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- GISSV'S German Holiday Market
Mountain View City Hall, 500 Castro St, Mountain View
11:00 am - FREE WEBINAR | “The Golden Age of Florence”
Online,
11:30 am - Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA!
The Westin San Francisco Airport, 1 Old Bayshore Hwy, Millbrae
7:00 pm
Saturday December 13
Tuesday December 16
Friday January 9
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Fun Friday: Light Up Your Senses!
Arrillaga Family Pavilion (Bldg C) 1st Floor, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303
4:00 pm - Dance Connection presents The Nutcracker!
Smithwick Theatre , 12345 El Monte Rd , Los Altos Hills
7:00 pm - Volunteer Outdoors in Palo Alto: Tree Planting at Esther Clark Park
Esther Clark Park , Old Adobe Rd , Palo Alto
9:00 am - Dance Connection presents The Nutcracker!
Smithwick Theatre , 12345 El Monte Rd , Los Altos Hills
1:30 pm - Festive Watercolor Botanical Cards Workshop
Gamble Garden , Palo Alto
10:00 am - The Nones
Los Altos Community Center , 97 Hillview Ave , Los Altos
11:00 am - Holiday Hike
2560 Embarcadero Rd , Palo Alto
2:00 pm - Mostly Kosher - A Hanukkah Celebration Live Music Show!
Albert and Janet Schultz Cultural Arts Hall (Bldg F), 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303
5:00 pm - Brazil's First Popular Music: Choro!, Music in the Afternoon
Albert and Janet Schultz Cultural Arts Hall (Bldg F), 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303
1:00 pm
Friday December 12
Saturday December 13
Sunday December 14
Tuesday December 16
📣 Palo Alto Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Palo Alto PatchAM possible:
- Amara — (650) 486-1703
A California cuisine restaurant with mediterranean leaning. - Housekeeping With Maria — (650) 400-0715
Family Owned Cleaning Business - Flores Electric — (408) 899-8450
Electrical Safety & Savings for Silicon Valley Homeowners - The Harker School — (408) 345-9200
Magic Happens at Harker - Cool Aid Air Conditioning and Refrigeration — (800) 266-5243
Voted Best HVAC & Refrigeration Company in the Bay Area - Super Brothers Plumbing, Heating and Air - San Jose — (408) 351-1994
Serving San Jose & Bay Area – HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Looking for a forever home for a senior dog.
Hoping someone can help me find a good home for a dog that I am currently fostering. He is around 10 years old, weighs 44 lbs., and I am not sure… (Nextdoor Midtown) - Hi all,
We’re having ongoing mold problems in our rental, and when we raised the issue, our rental agent said the owner isn’t obligated to install an exhaust… (Nextdoor South of Midtown)
- The Gap posted a job opening for Retail Stock Associate (Early Morning) - Town & Country in Palo Alto. Apply here.
- Palo Alto Unified School District posted a job opening for Athletic Coach - JV Softball Head Coach- Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Palo Alto here.
🗞 Nearby News
Stanford
- 7 awesome Bay Area things to do this weekend, Dec. 12-14 (eastbaytimes.com)
- FOSS Weekly #25.50: Linux Power Users, Helium Browser, Two New Linux Phones, Ubuntu Starter and More (itsfoss.com)
- Immune Switch Critical for Modulating Autoimmunity Identified in Mice (genengnews.com)
Los Altos
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 couldn’t put it down.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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