Midpeninsula Post

21/08/2024

Picnic blankets in hand, Gunn High School seniors met up in Los Altos Hills early Saturday morning for senior sunrise, an annual senior tradition to mark the start of their final year.

Along with lots of picture taking, seniors also wrote letters to their future selves, which will be distributed at the end of the school year during senior sunset.

Click the link in bio for the full photo story.

Photos by Grace Gao (.123) and A***n Kawatra ().

08/03/2023

The Los Altos History Museum’s permanent exhibit, “Making Connections: Stories from the Land,” which opened in early February, highlights the history of Los Altos using new interactive touchscreens and artifacts. The exhibit also pays tribute to different cultural communities that have shaped the town’s history.

Click the link in bio for the full story.

Reporting by Cassady Gammons (). Photos by Mike Zhao (.z.photos).

19/01/2023

We’re looking for general assignment reporters, beat reporters, photographers, graphic designers and a business manager. Swipe for more information on job descriptions, qualifications and time commitment.

Visit the link in bio to apply.

18/11/2022

Mountain View High School will offer four new courses next school year: Business Management, Work Exploratory, Architectural Design II, and Health Careers.

The course proposals were unanimously approved by the Mountain View-Los Altos School District board on Thursday, and align with the district’s push for career technical education, which integrates academic knowledge with technical and occupational knowledge. Next, the courses will be submitted for A-G approval, which will allow them to count toward meeting UC and CSU college preparatory course requirements.

Click the link in bio for the full story.

Story and photo by Naina Srivastava ().

30/09/2022

123 seniors in the Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District and Palo Alto Unified School District have advanced to the semifinalist stage of the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Click the link in bio to read the full story.

Reporting by Grace Gao (.123). Photo by Arya Nasikkar ().

29/09/2022

Leo Muñoz is one of few who have truly experienced the old adage that “for every end, there is a new beginning.”

Muñoz is the founder and owner of Paper Platez, a Latin food truck located in Mountain View. For 32 years, Muñoz’s family ran Taqueria La Bamba, a locally-prized stop for Latin food that closed down in 2020 due to COVID-19. Muñoz decided to continue the family business legacy by opening a food truck.

Click the link in bio to read the full story.

Reporting by Dan Honigstein (.honigstein). Photos by Eason D**g ().

27/09/2021

Since we’ve founded the Post, our only operational costs have been our domain and website hosting, which our founders covered in the hopes of launching a successful outlet. Now, to continue delivering on our promises to our readers, we need your help.

https://fundrazr.com/midpenpost?ref=ab_9Aagne_ab_2HPjqKTdsI22HPjqKTdsI2

We're looking to expand on our mission of bringing local journalism to our community — especially high schoolers — and we need your help.

27/09/2021

You don’t need to know all the details of the Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District’s mental health infrastructure to ask for help. For some, though, knowing what’s there in the first place might make it easier.

Here’s a guide to all the district’s mental health resources, and how to access them.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/09/26/mvlas-mental-health-resources-explained/

STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN, PHOTO BY ARYA NASIKKAR You don’t need to know all the details of the Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District’s mental health infrastructure to ask for help. For so…

23/09/2021

From chic, modern line art to blossoming flowers and vibrant colors, Morgan Bricca’s murals add flair, character and a sense of togetherness to the walls of her community. You may have glimpsed her work at schools like Egan Middle School, Blach Middle School and Almond Elementary.

Read about Bricca, a local muralist who will deliver a talk at the Los Altos History Museum tomorrow.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/09/22/how-a-local-muralists-work-brings-color-to-her-community/

STORY BY AVNI RAJAGOPAL, PHOTO COURTESY LOS ALTOS HISTORY MUSEUM From chic, modern line art to blossoming flowers and vibrant colors, Morgan Bricca’s murals add flair, character and a sense of toge…

21/09/2021

A number of teachers in the Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District have suggested that the board limit the number of Advanced Placement courses students can take per year to three, said teachers’ union president Dave Campbell in a Monday address to the board.

Campbell said that capping AP courses was a suggestion posed by teachers in a recent survey about homework free weekends; the suggestion was part of Campbell’s summary of that survey, rather than being a formal union stance or request of the district.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/09/19/mvla-teachers-talk-of-capping-ap-courses-union-president-says/

STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN, PHOTO BY ARYA NASIKKAR A number of teachers in the Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District have suggested that the board limit the number of Advanced Placement cou…

21/09/2021

In a unanimous move, the Los Altos City Council last week adopted a fi****ms safe storage ordinance, requiring all fi****ms in Los Altos residences to be stored in locked containers or disabled with a trigger lock.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/09/21/city-of-los-altos-adopts-firearm-safe-storage-ordinance/

STORY BY NAINA SRIVASTAVA, PHOTOS BY ARYA NASIKKAR In a unanimous move, the Los Altos City Council last week adopted a fi****ms safe storage ordinance, requiring all fi****ms in Los Altos residence…

19/09/2021

38 seniors in the Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District have advanced to the semifinal stage of the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/09/18/38-mvla-seniors-advance-as-semifinalists-in-national-merit-scholarship-competition/

STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN, PHOTO BY ARYA NASIKKAR 38 seniors in the Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District have advanced to the semifinal stage of the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Progra…

10/09/2021

Santa Clara County has been in a drought emergency — a serious one — since early July. Here’s what you need to know about the current drought, including what it means for community members and what actions you can take to help.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/09/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-drought-and-how-it-affects-santa-clara-county/

STORY BY NAINA SRIVASTAVA AND MELODY XU, PHOTO BY ARYA NASIKKAR Droughts are nowhere near a new phenomenon in California, and it can be easy to tune out the constant stream of emergency declaration…

05/09/2021

Read our copy editor Melody Xu's ranking of the Zone 3 Caltrain stations on her scientifically sound 50-point scale.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/09/05/the-zone-3-caltrain-stations-ranked/

STORY BY MELODY XU, PHOTOS BY TOMOKI CHIEN AND EMILY YAO There comes a certain point in a driver’s-licenseless teenager’s life when they desperately don’t want to be chauffeured around by their par…

03/09/2021

The Los Altos Rotary Club’s most recent public art project has scattered dozens of painted fiberglass bears around the city, some lifesize, and each with a theme unique to the bear.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/09/02/life-size-bears-in-downtown-los-altos-have-residents-growling-with-excitement/

STORY BY NATALIE ARBATMAN, PHOTOS BY MIA BASSETT For an average person, seeing herds of 8-foot-tall bears stalking downtown corners might be frightening, pee-your-pants scary even, but not for the …

31/08/2021

In just two weeks, California voters will decide whether Gov. Gavin Newsom keeps his job — and who replaces him, if not.

Here are some ways teens can support Newsom, as the Sept. 14 gubernatorial recall election looms just around the corner.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/08/30/here-are-some-ways-teens-can-support-newsom-in-the-september-recall-election/

STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN, PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR In just two weeks, California voters will decide whether Gov. Gavin Newsom keeps his job — and who replaces him, if not. Here are some ways …

30/08/2021

Public facilities in Los Altos will reopen for in-person service beginning Sept. 2.

Since Mar. 2020, all city facilities — including City Hall, the Police Department and the Maintenance Service Center — have been closed to the public in adherence with county COVID-19 guidelines, offering services virtually instead of in-person.

Los Altos’s “Return to In-Person Plan” consists of altered facility hours and new safety protocols that align with COVID-19 guidelines.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/08/29/los-altos-to-reopen-city-facilities-in-september/

STORY BY NAINA SRIVASTAVA, PHOTOS BY ARYA NASIKKAR Public facilities in Los Altos will reopen for in-person service beginning Sept. 2. Since Mar. 2020, all city facilities — including City Hall, th…

22/08/2021

The highly anticipated Los Altos Community Center is scheduled to open on Oct. 2.

The 24,500 square foot–center consists of 12 rooms, including a community room, three multipurpose rooms, conference rooms, a dance and fitness room, an arts and crafts room and dedicated rooms for preschoolers, teens and seniors.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/08/21/new-los-altos-community-center-to-open-in-october/

STORY BY NAINA SRIVASTAVA, PHOTOS BY ARYA NASIKKAR The highly anticipated Los Altos Community Center is scheduled to open on Oct. 2. The 24,500 square foot–center consists of 12 rooms, including a…

17/08/2021

Local grower Phil Muller’s home is bursting at the seams with stems and seeds. Every time he latches onto a new plant curiosity, the garden gets a bit more crowded — flats of displaced plants block backyard paths, and his flower cuttings find their way onto bookshelves and neighbors’ kitchen tables.

In his defense, Muller said that spreading tiny seeds always seems harmless in the moment.

“Next thing you know, they all come up and I’m like, ‘I can’t kill them; I’m just going to pot them and see what happens,’” Muller said. “Well, what happens is I end up with twelve flats spread out … and now you have to kind of tiptoe to get to the office.”

Read more about Muller, who started a free nursery on his driveway during the pandemic.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/08/17/neighbors-and-endangered-leafcutter-bees-swarm-local-growers-untamed-garden/

STORY AND PHOTO BY DANA HUCH Local grower Phil Muller’s home is bursting at the seams with stems and seeds. Every time he latches onto a new plant curiosity, the garden gets a bit more crowded — fl…

12/08/2021

The Los Altos History Museum will host a talk by Asian American historian Connie Young Yu in a program titled “Journey to Gold Mountain: Chinese and the Gold Rush” on Thursday, Aug. 12 over Zoom.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/08/11/local-author-to-hold-talk-on-the-chinese-american-gold-rush-experience/

STORY BY AVNI RAJAGOPAL, PHOTO BY ARYA NASIKKAR The Los Altos History Museum will host a talk by Asian American historian Connie Young Yu in a program titled “Journey to Gold Mountain: Chinese and …

12/08/2021

School’s back in session, and it’s hectic as ever. We sent photographers to Paly, Los Altos and Mountain View to capture the first-day madness.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/08/11/photos-first-day-of-school/

PHOTOS BY MIA BASSETT, ARYA NASIKKAR AND EMILY YAO / SPECIAL TO THE MIDPENINSULA POST School’s back in session, and it’s hectic as ever. We sent photographers to Paly, Los Altos and Mou…

11/08/2021

Read about Launchpad for Life, a nonprofit started by ex-tiger parents to combat Silicon Valley stress — that hopes to develop middle and high schoolers into multi-dimensional and happy adults.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/08/10/tiger-parents-read-meet-the-program-combatting-silicon-valley-stress/

STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN, PHOTO COURTESY ANUSUYA RAO After seeing her kids off to college, Anusuya Rao came to a startling realization. Many of her kids, their friends and similar-aged kids she knew w…

10/08/2021

The Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District board Monday appointed Neena Mand to the role of special education administrator, Fabian Morales Medina to the role of Los Altos assistant principal and Marti McGuirk to the role of Mountain View assistant principal.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/08/10/mvla-appoints-special-education-administrator-assistant-principals/

STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN, PHOTO BY ARYA NASIKKAR The Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District board Monday appointed Neena Mand to the role of special education administrator, Fabian Morales…

02/08/2021

Santa Clara County residents will have to wear masks in indoor public settings effective tomorrow, August 3. The mandate applies to all residents, regardless of vaccination status, and was jointly issued by eight Bay Area health officers today.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/07/28/covid-19-updates/

Monday, Aug. 3: Bay Area counties issue indoor mask mandate Santa Clara County residents will have to wear masks in indoor public settings effective tomorrow, August 3. The mandate applies to all r…

01/08/2021

In just over a week, students in the Mountain View Los Altos High School District will make a full return to campus for the first time in 16 months. It’ll be a full return: but not necessarily business as usual.

Here are the answers to some pretty specific COVID-19 protocol questions you might have, which will hopefully alleviate some of your back-to-school stress — whether because you’ll have a better sense of what school will look like, or just because it’ll give you something confusing to distract yourself with.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/07/31/mvla-answers-to-the-covid-back-to-school-questions-you-might-have/

STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN, PHOTO BY ARYA NASIKKAR In just over a week, students in the Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District will make a full return to campus for the first time in 16 mont…

30/07/2021

For months, Arunim Agarwal and a small band of friends went through the painstaking process of transporting, refurbishing and repainting a piano they found in a dumpster, installed last week as a public art project at Mitchell Park.

But get this: None of them — especially Agarwal — have any idea how to play the piano.

Read how the teens tackled the impressive community art project.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/07/29/gunn-grad-finds-piano-in-dumpster-turns-it-into-public-art-project/

STORY AND PHOTOS BY TOMOKI CHIEN For months, Arunium Agarwal and a small band of friends went through the painstaking process of transporting, refurbishing and repainting a piano they found in a du…

29/07/2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday recommended that even fully vaccinated people wear masks in public indoor settings in counties with substantial or high COVID-19 transmission.

Over 63% of counties nationwide currently fall under this category, including Santa Clara County.

The California Department of Public Health issued a similar recommendation — not mandate — on Wednesday.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/07/28/covid-19-updates/

Wednesday, July 28: CDC reverses, recommends fully vaccinated wear masks indoors; CDPH follows suit The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday recommended that even fully vaccinated peo…

25/07/2021

Read about Los Altos Typewriter & Business Machines, a one-man repair business supported by a deceptively large community of typewriter enthusiasts.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/07/25/los-altos-typewriter-and-business-machines-proves-typewriter-enthusiasts-are-not-alone-in-this-world/

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DANA HUCH The unique aromatic experience inside Los Altos Typewriter and Business Machines (a combination of inks, oils and cleaning fluids) makes the store feel like a portal i…

23/07/2021

Read about the Terrible Adult Chamber Orchestra (TACO), a non-audition group with members ranging from first-time players to veteran musicians.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/07/22/not-so-terrible-terrible-adult-chamber-orchestra-takes-a-different-approach-to-playing-ensemble-music/

STORY BY NATALIE ARBATMAN, PHOTOS COURTESY THE TERRIBLE ADULT CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Wearing casual weekend clothes with their hair down, 70 people sit in folding chairs eating snacks and chatting about…

22/07/2021

The Palo Alto Unified School District will offer students a fully remote learning program for the 2021–2022 school year.

https://midpenpost.org/2021/07/21/pausd-to-offer-remote-learning-option-for-2021-22-school-year/

STORY BY MELODY XU, PHOTOS BY ARYA NASIKKAR The Palo Alto Unified School District will offer students a fully remote learning program for the 2021–2022 school year. While all students are expe…