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🌱 Patch AM: What will Palo Alto’s new rail crossings actually look like?

You won't want to miss New Year's Eve Celebration & Dance Party at 4 Star Hotel on the Palo Alto Patch calendar

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Hello Palo Alto! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • What will Palo Alto’s new rail crossings actually look like?
  • Why a stolen SUV chase ended with an arrest in Palo Alto
  • How Palo Alto schools became ground zero in 2025’s academic battles

Also on today's calendar: New Year's Eve Celebration & Dance Party at 4 Star Hotel and 9 more events.

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

Today's riddle: The world champion tongue twister just got arrested! 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

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

  • Tuesday: Plenty of sunshine, with a high of 55 and low of 45 degrees.
  • Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, showers around, temps: high: 55, low: 48.
  • Thursday: Periods of rain, with a high of 61 and low of 55 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Council makes preliminary decisions on railroad crossings (padailypost.com) — Palo Alto is moving ahead with early design work for major Caltrain grade separations at Churchill Avenue, Charleston Road, and Meadow Drive, even as council members question what will ultimately be built. Backed by federal and county funding, the city aims to reach 15% design by mid‑2026, giving enough detail to launch environmental review and refine options that could reshape traffic and rail safety in south Palo Alto.
   

2. Man arrested for two robberies within a half hour (padailypost.com) — A 20-year-old Redwood City man is accused of committing back-to-back robberies in East Palo Alto and downtown Palo Alto, including an attempted purse snatching at Lytton and Webster. Police later chased a stolen SUV through Palo Alto before arresting the suspect, who has pleaded innocent and is due back in court January 9.
   

3. Year in Review: School district tested by academic tug-of-war (paloaltoonline.com) — Palo Alto’s school district spent 2025 locked in fierce debates over ethnic studies, honors biology, and how to define “academic excellence,” sparking recalls, a lawsuit, and leadership turmoil. At the same time, officials advanced new advanced-math offerings, set looser high school phone rules, and revisited suicide-prevention efforts amid another local suicide cluster, directly affecting families across the city.
   

4. City downgrades historic home in Old Palo Alto to enable remodel (paloaltoonline.com) — Palo Alto’s City Council has unanimously downgraded a 1914 home at 1680 Bryant St. in Old Palo Alto from a Category 2 to Category 3 historic site, giving the owners far more flexibility to remodel or even demolish it. City leaders overruled the Historic Resources Board’s split vote, emphasizing the need to activate the long-vacant property and add to the city’s housing stock.
   

5. 13 highly anticipated Silicon Valley eatery openings in 2026 (paloaltoonline.com) — Several new and revamped eateries are headed to Palo Alto in 2026, including the return of The Old Pro as The Pro downtown, La Corneta Taqueria on University Avenue, and multiple spots at Stanford Shopping Center. Additional bakeries and cafes on California and Cambridge avenues promise to turn south Palo Alto into a pastry hotspot, while other notable openings are scattered around the Peninsula.
   

📸 Around Palo Alto

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • German Shepherd Dog Available for Adoption
    Age: Approximately 4 years old Weight: 65 pounds Temperament: Healthy, calm, and playful Condition: Well-cared-for appearance, no microchip found I… (Nextdoor Barron Park)
  • Lost cat?
    We recently moved into the Whisman neighborhood and we’ve seen this kitty a few times.. It finally came to say hello to our cat at the sliding door… (Nextdoor Adobe Meadow)
  • SBM Management posted a job opening for Day Porter in Palo Alto. Apply here.
  • RAVENSWOOD FAMILY HEALTH CENTER posted a job opening for POSTDOCTORAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATE - Bilingual English/Spanish 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 hear they’re giving him a really tough sentence.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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