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BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT Daily Post Staff Writer
The Palo Alto Unified School District investigated board member Rowena Chiu for racism against an employee throughout most of last year, according to Chiu.
Chiu said she was vindicated by the investigation, and she wants to know how much money the district spent and why the results weren’t publicized.
mindset, but the feedback that I’ve had from the community so far has made me feel very unsafe,” Chiu said.
That’s when Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Danae Reynolds jumped in to suggest that Chiu was uncomfortable, but not unsafe.
“I worry about the word ‘safe’ as a person who has to worry about my husband driving and coming home if he gets pulled over,” Reynolds said.
Crowd members jeered and laughed at the meeting when Chiu asked about offering Ethnic Studies as an elective.
“I am attempting to maintain an open
“Not very many people were aware of this investigation,” Chiu said on Monday. “I mentioned it recently to the other board members, and they also seemed surprised. This seems to have very much been an internal thing.” The investigation looked at Chiu’s social media activity after a meeting on Jan. 23, 2025, about mandating Ethnic Studies.
BISHOP ARRESTED: Pope Leo XIV says a Chaldean Catholic bishop, Emanuel Shaleta, has resigned after he was arrested while trying to leave the U.S. following accusations that he embezzled $270,000 from his San Diego parish.
STATE FARM REFUNDS: A proposed settlement would keep some State Farm property insurance rates from rising again in California, and would give refunds to some customers.
GOING STRAIT: The U.S. says it has taken out most of Iran’s warships even though Iran is threatening to block the region’s oil exports in the Strait of Hormuz.
IRAN ATTACKS DROP: The U.S. says Iran’s missile attacks have fallen 90% and one-way attack drones have decreased 83% since the war began.
MARKETS STABILIZE: U.S. stocks held steadier as Wall Street waited for
[See THE UPDATE, page 8]
After the meeting, Chiu reposted a social media account, Asians Against Wokeness, that called out Reynolds. Reynolds was sub-
[See REPORT, page 22]
BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ Daily Post Staff Writer
As other police agencies on the Mid-Peninsula are turning off their license plate readers, Atherton police have received support from council and residents to keep using the cameras.
Councilman Eric Lane asked McCulley if he wanted to retain the town’s 53 Flock cameras’ data for longer to help investigations. Atherton’s cameras currently retain data for 30 days, but that seems too short for other agencies to access it, Lane said. McCulley said it would cost
[See TOWN, page 23]
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT Daily Post Staff Writer
Palo Alto Mayor Vicki Veenker wants the city to hire an executive assistant to help council members with travel arrangements, scheduling and expense reports.
“It would be more efficient, because
right now I feel badly. I bug an awful lot of different people with different tasks … Everything is decentralized,” Veenker said at a council meeting on Monday.
The proposal was supported by council on a 5-2 vote. Councilmen Keith Reckdahl and Pat Burt voted no
because they said the city is facing budget cuts on July 1.
“We’re singling out ourselves to have a position added when we’re cutting positions throughout the organization. And I think it’s a wrong signal,” Burt said. Veenker said when she goes to a
[See ASSISTANT, page 23]
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BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ Daily Post Staff Writer
San Mateo County Supervisor Noeila Corzo told Supervisor Jackie Speier that her eye rolls were disrespectful during the board meeting yesterday.
“Supervisor Speier, please be respectful. I’m getting frustrated with the constant eye rolls, honestly,” Corzo said after Speier agreed to look into some of Corzo’s concerns about a proposed set of rules Speier wants passed related to e-bikes.
Speier’s response to Corzo wasn’t audible over the county’s video feed of the meeting.
Corzo was concerned that the proposed rules would criminalize e-bike riders from being on sidewalks when they feel unsafe riding next to cars.
Under the proposed rules, e-bike and e-scooter riders will not be allowed to carry another passenger, be on sidewalks or exceed 750 watts, allowing them to be ridden at 50 mph. The new
policies would be enforced by the Sheriff’s Office. A rider, including minors, who does not follow the rules could be fined $100 for the first violation, $200 for the second, and $500 for the third. If a minor violates the rules, their bike may be impounded. Each city council would have to pass the county’s ordinance for e-bikes to be regulated.
Corzo said she was also concerned about not having a diversion program before the rules were passed.
With minors being at risk of being ticketed, it could lead them to jail, Corzo said.
Speier, a former congresswoman, said she would be open to changing the proposed rules. Corzo said she appreciated her openness to make changes, but also asked her not to roll her eyes.
Supervisor Ray Mueller said he was ready to pass the ordinance, but since the board was split on whether to move forward, he volunteered to have his district used
as a pilot. Mueller represents Atherton, Belmont, Half Moon Bay, Menlo Park, Pacifica, Portola Valley, San Carlos, Woodside and unincorporated areas like West Menlo Park.
Corzo said that moving forward with the regulations would put low-income residents at risk of being fined for mistakenly buying an illegal e-bike without the opportunity for a diversion program.
The board didn’t vote on the e-bike rules yesterday as Corzo and Supervisor David Canepa had questions about the fines and rules while Mueller and Speier were ready to approve them. Supervisor Lisa Gauthier was absent, so she was unable to break the board’s tie.
The proposed rules come after a 16-year-old died in Half Moon Bay while riding an e-bike on Feb. 9.
In Burlingame, children riding an e-bike crashed into a car, resulting in a chain-reaction collision that resulted in the death of a 4-year-old who was on the sidewalk on Aug. 8.
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San Mateo County Coroner: March 9
George P. Rukavina, 89, no hometown listed
March 8
Teela Elizabeth Huntkin, 40, of Union City
Allan Reyes Avila, 57, of Daly City
Joanne McDonald Marion, 70, of Redwood City
Ronald Wilson, 36, no hometown listed
March 7
Jesus Rodriguez, 89, of Belmont Katsue Onoda, 89, of Daly City
March 6
Liang Tu Xue, 97, of Millbrae
Leonard Joseph Eagono Jr., 82, of San Mateo
Mary Elizabeth Lowe, 96, of Redwood City
El Camino Hospital in Mountain View: Aug. 2
Nevaeh Rose Gonzalez, a girl
Aug. 1
Alistaire Jude Akbari, a boy
Shruthi Bharath, a girl
Varad Amogh Joshi, a boy
Owen James Kindelberger, a boy
Rosalie Munoz, a girl
Adrian Aug.o Quiej Xiloj, a boy
Tarush Prashil Sureja, a boy
Cassia Isabel Yamout, a girl
Connor Chun Yee Yeung, a boy
July 31
Chaiya Charnmanee, a girl
Meera Chitrangada Chelamkuri, a girl
Aveer Gupta, a boy
Julianna Jordan Kanagaki, a girl
Athena Anh Manuel, a girl
Agastya Priyanka Murgai, a boy
Yuvraj Patel, a boy
Aarohi Patwa, a girl
Kiaan Pooja Vishrut Ranade, a boy
James Thomas Rosenberg, a boy
Ruhitha Sirpa Kirubaharan, a girl
Ayan Kandha Vadivelan, a boy
Anirudh Prasad Visvanathan, a boy
July 30
Alexander Archer Caraway, a boy
Eleanor Simone De Soi, a girl
Leo Gudipati, a boy
Tara S Karthik, a girl
Utkarsh Krishna, a boy
Logan Jiajun Lio, a boy
Okitondo Maximiliano Munganga, a boy
Avika Sarda, a girl
Ayesha Shah, a girl
Hibiki Leon Tomomatsu, a boy
July 29
Fawad Ahmed Alvi, a boy
Jenica Avalyn Arava, a girl
Sadie Belle Hernandez, a girl
Yusra Aaqib Mansurie, a girl
Vidhitsa Narisetty, a girl
Evelyn Man Nhi Nguyen, a girl
Rachelviolet Jesus Perez, a girl
Johana Ramos Santiago, a girl
Raghav Saxena Srivastava, a boy
Klio Kay Stanitsas, a girl
Sebastian Azael Torres Guerra, a boy
Yosef Weinfeld, a boy
Loui Zhou, a boy
July 28
Pablo Eduardo Alcantara, a boy
Daylani Dasun Colston, a girl
Ryan Ruihan Fu, a boy
Aashritha Gaddam Ajay, a girl
Bianca Honorio Banci, a girl
Eleanor Kiyoko Forsyth Irino, a girl
Ziva Kanavihalli, a girl
Amaia Jade Konadu, a girl
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Castilleja School has reached a multi-million dollar settlement with former students after they accused the school of ignoring complaints regarding a tutor who allegedly molested them.
The all-girls private middle and high school has agreed to a $2.25 million settlement with three former students who were alleged victims of Mark Hodes, a math tutor accused of sexually assaulting them during tutoring sessions as far back as 2002.
Numerous allegations
A lawsuit accused the school of dismissing numerous complaints brought by students against Hodes and concealing his behavior from authorities and the school community. Castilleja recommended Hodes to students as a tutor and allowed him to use school facilities for his tutoring sessions up until his arrest in 2020.
“This settlement is a clear acknowledgment of a failure that began decades ago,” Lauren Cerri, an attorney for the former students, said in a statement. “We hope it moves Castilleja to finally address the harm caused to every survivor.”
Castilleja has denied the accusations of its liability in the alleged assaults.
While three former students brought the lawsuit against Castilleja, more than a dozen other women have come forward alleging they were also victims
of Hodes. The criminal case against Hodes is ongoing.
According to the complaint against Castilleja, the three women were allegedly molested by Hodes on a weekly basis for several years while they were students. Hodes conducted tutoring sessions on campus and at his home.
Hodes’ behavior was well-known around campus, with some students giving him nicknames such as “Horny Hodes” and “Molesting Mark,” according to the complaint.
At one point, a Castilleja employee notified the administration of the accusations. Instead of taking appropriate action and reporting Hodes to law enforcement, Castilleja allegedly tried to resolve the concerns by moving his tutoring sessions into a more public area.
“The trauma these women carry was entirely preventable had the school prioritized student safety over its institutional reputation,” said Mary Alexander, an attorney for the women.
Criminal case
Hodes is facing 55 charges related to sexual abuse with minors. In 2022, a judge ruled in a preliminary hearing that there was enough evidence to move forward with a trial.
A hearing to set a trial date began last month and will be continued to April 21, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT Daily Post Staff Writer
A homeless shelter that moved between Palo Alto churches for over 30 years has shut down to make way for a new shelter east of Highway 101.
Hotel de Zink, which allowed 10 homeless people to stay at a different church each month, was replaced by a Sunnyvale motel at the end of February, LifeMoves VP of Programs and Services Anat Leonard-Wookey said in an interview yesterday.
“They’re able to stay in their own rooms all day every day, versus being a bit more limited within the night shelter,” she said.
The residents of the Sunnyvale motel will move into the Palo Alto Homekey shelter at 1237 San Antonio Road when construction is done in late spring, Leonard-Wookey said.
Shelter history
Hotel de Zink was named after a Depression-era shelter that housed over 50,000 men in Palo Alto from 1931 to 1934, originally named after police Chief Howard Zink. The shelter closed after residents complained about diverting too much charity to out-of-towners, according to the Palo Alto Historical Association.
Urban Ministries of Palo Alto started the modern iteration of Hotel de Zink in 1989, according to the First Congregational Church of Palo Alto.
The nonprofit InnVision, now called LifeMoves, took over operations in 2002.
Since March 2013, Hotel de Zink provided shelter to 698 people, more than half older than 55, LifeMoves spokeswoman Maria Prato said yesterday.
About 19% of them moved on to a better situation, similar to other congregate shelters for single adults in Santa Clara County, Prato said.
Churchgoers cooked meals for the homeless, and the churches set up cots from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night.
Hotel de Zink scaled down from 20 to 10 people during the pandemic, Leonard-Wookey said.
Homekey shelter
In August 2022, the city and LifeMoves received $26.6 million from the state’s Homekey program, which gave local governments federal Covid relief funds to build shelters and convert hotels into housing.
With construction wrapping up at the Palo Alto shelter, LifeMoves decided to ramp up to a larger program than Hotel de Zink, Leonard-Wookey said.
The Sunnyvale hotel currently houses 22 families and 58 single adults, including all 10 people who were at Hotel de Zink, she said.
They’re connected to the shelter through a hotline and wait list managed by Santa Clara County.
The new Homekey shelter will have space for 24 families and 58 single adults, Leonard-Wookey said.
Residents are technically allowed to stay for 90 days, but LifeMoves will offer unlimited extensions if they’re working to improve their situation, Leonard-Wookey said.
Trade Wars and Currency Wars are accelerating worldwide.
The old monetar y system is failing. Indebted national currencies are depreciating in a see-saw race to the bottom. So much worldwide debt is in default or is being masked with more debt. Politicians posture at each other, but they all created the situation by buying power and favors while mor tgaging your children’s future.
Stocks and bond markets, long suppor ted by Central Banks, may be challenged going for ward as governments have exhausted their debt expansion tools. Recent new highs in equities, due to some promising companies, may be more post-election hope than substance. Cr yptocurrencies had their run, but the hope for a sounder and more private fiat system remains challenged while a past price bubble for the majority has been costly. Bitcoin is an example of those still per forming among the thousands of currencies & tokens in this young experiment.
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the next signal on when the war with Iran may
WOMEN ONLY: Uber is launching a feature that will allow both women riders and drivers across the U.S. to be matched with other women for trips, expanding a pilot program aimed at addressing concerns about the safety of its ride-hailing platform.
TICKETMASTER SUITS: A New York federal judge is urging over two dozen states to settle their antitrust claims against Ticketmaster after the Justice Department reached a deal and dropped out of an ongoing trial. The states, including California, are saying no way.
PANDEMIC HANGOVER:
Young students are still struggling to bounce back academically from the pandemic, even though many were babies at the time. In new data from research and testing company NWEA, first and second graders are scoring below kids prepandemic in math and reading.
STAR IS BORN: Ebuka Okorie had committed to Harvard, one of the few programs to seriously recruit him before he connected with Stanford and decided to go West instead. Now he’s a freshman basketball star leading the Cardinal into the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament against Pittsburgh with a chance to finish as the ACC’s top scorer.
SAVE PLAN KILLED: A federal appeals court has ordered the end of the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan, the Biden administration-era repayment program that brought lower monthly bills to millions of student loan borrowers who were on the verge of defaulting. The Department of Education will tell borrowers about how they can move into a legal plan.
MOLTBOOK SOLD: Meta is acquiring Moltbook, a social network where AI agents post and chat with each other. Meta says it is hiring Moltbook’s co-founders and expects the experimental platform could open new ways to develop AI agents.
BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ Daily Post Staff Writer
Mateo County taxpayers. He did not have an estimate as to how much a second trial would cost.
Former San Mateo County Community College Chancellor Ron Galatolo is relieved he will keep his pension after the San Mateo County District Attorney has decided not to retry the 18 felonies that a jury deadlocked on in the case, his attorney said yesterday.
Galatolo was at risk of losing his pension of $500,000 a year if he had been found guilty of a felony related to his former job, according to his attorney Chuck Smith.
“Luckily, he was not convicted of anything related to his performance, so this will mean a hopefully secure financial future for him,” Smith said.
Jury’s verdict
Galatolo, 62, of Menlo Park, was found guilty of eight felonies on Jan. 20, including four counts of tax evasion and four counts of perjury. The jury was deadlocked 9-3 and 10-2 for guilty on the remaining charges, which include misuse of public funds, perjury and conflicts of interest.
District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said he decided not to retry the remaining charges due to the high cost to San
Galatolo faces a maximum of 10 years in prison on the eight guilty verdicts, according to Wagstaffe. Galatolo remains out of jail on $150,000 bail and will be back in court on June 5 for sentencing.
Smith said he hopes to get the charges reduced to misdemeanors at sentencing.
Galatolo’s trial started on Oct. 29 and closing arguments ended on Jan. 7, with the jury deliberating for nine days.
Galatolo was charged with taking bribes from contractors, tax fraud, misappropriation of public funds, conflict of interest, and embezzlement over a 10-year period while he was chancellor. Galaolo served as chancellor from 2001 until 2019, overseeing the threeschool district comprising Canada in Redwood City, College of San Mateo, and Skyline in San Bruno.
During his time as chancellor, voters approved bond measures totaling nearly $1 billion. The bond measures were intended to fund new construction and renovations to existing buildings. The DA accused Galatolo of taking bribes from the contractors on those projects.
BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ Daily Post Staff Writer
A Palo Alto man who was a coach at a now-closed North Fair Oaks school has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with two students, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
An investigation into Anthony Gutierrez Molina, 31, began after a student from Summit Everest, which closed last year, came forward in January, spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker said in a statement. The student was 16 at the time of the alleged incident, Spiker said.
The student volunteered in the community engagement program where Gutierrez Molina worked as a manager, from March 2023 to August 2025, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
During the investigation, police found out another student also had a sexual relationship with Gutierrez Molina while volunteering from April 2023 to May 2024, Wagstaffe said.
Since the school closed last year, Gutierrez Molina has not worked for another school, Spiker said.
Gutierrez Molina was arrested Thursday and is charged with 21 felony counts for having a sexual relationship with two minors. He was in court Friday and pleaded innocent, according to the DA. He will be back in court March 25.
A man has been arrested for allegedly breaking into work vans in parking lots at several tech companies, Mountain View police said yesterday.
Juan Gallegos, 27, of San Jose, allegedly committed auto burglaries in Mountain View, Santa Clara, Sunny-
vale, San Jose and Milpitas since February. Gallegos allegedly smashed windows and stole contractors’ tools and supplies, police said.
Gallegos was pulled over and arrested on Feb. 24. He’s due back in court on April 21, records show.
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“Exercise your brain,” experts advise people hoping to stave off dementia. But how? Stretching your brain might be the better description.
Do a crossword puzzle a day and you may just get good at crosswords. Instead, research increasingly shows that a variety of habits and hobbies are like a cognitive workout, building knowledge and skills that may beef up parts of the brain as we get older.
One recent study linked a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline to lifelong learning, meaning intellectually stimulating experiences — reading and writing, learning another language, playing chess, solving puzzles, going to museums — from childhood into retirement.
“They kind of like stretch your brain and your thinking. You’re using your
different cognitive systems,” explained neuropsychologist Andrea Zammit of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who led that study.
If you didn’t embrace what Zammit calls cognitively enriching activities early in life, it’s not too late to get started. Middle age offers an important window for protecting brain health, and scientists are examining ways to stay sharp, from taking up music to birdwatching and brain-training games.
“It’s not just one activity. It’s more about finding meaningful activities that you might be passionate about,” Zammit said — and sticking with them.
There’s no magic recipe to prevent either dementia or the normal cognitive decline of aging, cautioned Dr. Ronald Petersen, an Alzheimer’s specialist at the Mayo Clinic. But lifestyle changes offer a chance to “slow down the arc of deterioration,” he said.
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Crave | THE EVENT: Sound Bath Friday, March 13 | 7:15pm - 8:15pm
Join Paitra as she weaves vocals and EarthTones crystal bowls together to help you reconnect with that inner wisdom, including parts of yourself that may have been resting and are now ready to rise. Through sound and stillness, she’ll support the nervous system, allowing clarity and connection to unfold naturally.
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved a generic medication for a rare brain disorder, while walking back statements by President Trump and other administration officials that the drug showed great promise for people with autism.
The agency said it approved leucovorin for children and adults with a genetic condition that limits delivery of folate to the brain. FDA officials estimate the condition impacts fewer than 1 in a million people in the U.S.
Drug review narrowed
“It might be 20, 40, 50% of kids with autism,” Makary said at the news conference.
But senior FDA officials told reporters Monday that their review was narrowed to focus on the strongest evidence, which only supported the drug’s use by patients with the rare mutation that impacts folate levels in the brain.
The FDA officials also pointed out that one study supporting the drug’s use for autism was retracted earlier this year.
It’s a major step back from comments made at a White House news conference in September, when Trump and FDA commissioner Marty Makary announced the drug was under review to benefit patients with autism, some of whom have a form of the vitamin brain deficiency.
FEB. 27
1:35 p.m. — Child abuse alleged, Clark Way.
MARCH 1
3:37 p.m. — Grand theft, 1500 block of Walnut Drive.
MARCH 2
8:10 p.m. — Hate incident, 1200 block of College Ave.
MARCH 4
4:39 p.m. — Pedestrian hit by a vehicle, 2500 block of Park Blvd.
4:52 p.m. — Vehicle accident causes injuries, Middlefield Road and Seale Ave.
THURSDAY
12:49 p.m. — Violation of a court order, 2100 block of Waverley St.
SUNDAY
1:28 p.m. — Barbara Weatherly, 72, of Menlo Park, cited for shoplifting, 800 block of Santa Cruz Ave.
5:41 p.m. — Vehicle collision causes injuries, Coleman Ave. and Willow Road.
8:38 p.m. — Simon Tuese, 30, of East Palo Alto, cited for battery, 600 block of Alma St.
MONDAY
11 a.m. — Fraudulent checks cashed, 700 block of Santa Cruz Ave. 11:16 a.m. — Theft, 1300 block of Willow Road.
2:28 p.m. — Person taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, 200 block of Ivy Drive.
MARCH 2
9:19 a.m. — Alberto Castillo Millan, 50, of San Bruno, cited for driving with a suspended or revoked license, Page Mill Road and Hanover St.
1:31 p.m. — Petty theft, Comstock Circle.
8:57 p.m. — Electric bike stolen, 500 block of Jane Stanford Way.
FRIDAY
12:27 p.m. — Fidel Galeana Delgado, 21, and Kevin Maaylugo, 21, both arrested for robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime, Fair Oaks Lane. Arrests made by San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies.
SUNDAY
11:53 p.m. — Noise complaint, Ridgeview Drive.
MARCH 1
7:23 p.m. — Abelardo Landeta, 34, arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, battery, vandalism and child endangerment, 1200 block of Terra Bella Ave.
10:22 p.m. — Edwin Villanueva, 28, arrested for robbery, battery that causes serious injuries, assault with a deadly weapon, being under the influence of drugs and various weapons and other related charges 600 block of N. San Antonio Road.
MARCH 2
10:26 a.m. — Coco Bennett, 43, arrested for being under the influence of drugs, battery against police and resisting police, 800 block of W. El Camino.
10:45 a.m. — Irving Tellez Sotelo, 34, arrested on a warrant at Mountain View Police Dept., 1000 Villa St.
10:55 a.m. — Vandalism, 2000 block of California St.
1:17 p.m. — Jarrett Stewart, 45, arrested on a warrant, 2500 block of Leghorn St.
3:27 p.m. — Eric Arnold, 19, arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and battery that causes serious injuries, Bush and Velarde streets.
3:38 p.m. — Burglary at a business, Crittenden Lane and Stevens Creek Trail.
4:15 p.m. — Auto burglary, 1000 block of Independence Ave.
4:46 p.m. — Home burglary, 2100 block of Junction Ave.
7:18 p.m. — Sex crime, 100 block of Castro St.
7:40 p.m. — Home burglary, 800 block of Rebecca Privada.
7:57 p.m. — Maria Roldes Vargas, 32, arrested for domestic violence, 100 block of Gladys Ave.
8:26 p.m. — Home burglary, 400 block of Ortega Ave.
THURSDAY
12:45 p.m. — Anthony Gutierrez, 31, arrested for sex acts with a minor, Marshall and Winslow streets.
FRIDAY
1:42 a.m. — Jeremiah Malachi Ornelas, 23, arrested for robbery, domestic violence and child endangerment, Fifth Ave.
5:34 p.m. — During an argument over a parking spot, a driver moves the vehicle into the spot, making contact with the victim, who is standing in it, 2600 block of Middlefield Road.
10:04 p.m. — Man seen stealing property of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office at the North Fair Oaks Substation, 3121 Middlefield Road. Miguel Hernandez Rodriguez, 42, cited for petty theft.
SATURDAY
12:44 p.m. — Juan Daniel Morales Aguilar, 28, arrested on warrants, 2700 block of Westmoreland Ave.
FRIDAY
6:47 a.m. — Man confronts three people breaking into his vehicle and they run away, Hillview Ave. The vehicle is damaged and it’s unclear if anything was stolen.
8:01 a.m. — Three vehicles broken into, Topaz St.
9:38 a.m. — Marcelo Enrique Pallais, 47, of Redwood City, arrested for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements and parole violation, 2100 block of Roosevelt Ave.
10:34 a.m. — Man steals chips from a store, El Camino.
4:42 p.m. — Caller says two kids threw a bottle of urine at two customers of a business. Location not disclosed.
5:50 p.m. — Kids on e-bikes reported to be riding through red lights and causing problems. Location not disclosed.
7:06 p.m. — Woman steals a bat and multiple jackets from a store, Walnut St.
SATURDAY
4:50 a.m. — Men with flashlights reported to be looking into cars, Ruby St.
6:02 a.m. — Angel Rodas Esquite, 18, of San Mateo, arrested for burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime and resisting police, 400 block of Sapphire St.
9:59 a.m. — Auto burglary, Sapphire St.
12:23 p.m. — Vandalism, Sapphire St.
5:40 p.m. — Kids on e-bikes reported to be speeding recklessly. Location not disclosed.
SATURDAY
8:59 a.m. — Sandra Anne Mack, 52, arrested for possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia and on a warrant, 100 block of El Camino.
2:15 p.m. — Jesse Tyler Smith, 31, arrested for drug possession and on a warrant, Industrial Road and Commercial St.
SUNDAY
2:06 p.m. — Several open house signs left in the middle of the road, Ralston Ave. and El Camino.
MONDAY
12:38 a.m. — Kevin Adonys Hernandez, 29, arrested for DUI, El Camino and Harbor Blvd.
12:11 p.m. — Catalytic converter stolen from a vehicle, Old County Road.
9:12 p.m. — Drew Emerson Ersland, 39, arrested for possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia, 900 block of El Camino.
The Post prints the latest
716 Ramona St., 94301, 2 bedrooms, 1042 square feet, built in 1978, Set 716 LLC to Jillian Smillie for $1,557,000, closed Feb. 9 (last sale: $1,112,500, 07-12-16)
4173 El Camino Real #44, 94306, 3 bedrooms, 2010 square feet, built in 1992, Lianfeng Shan to Christina Devine for $2,320,000, closed Feb. 11 (last sale: $2,280,000, 01-30-25)
628 8th Ave., 94025, 2 bedrooms, 1020 square feet, built in 1941, Emily and Jason Cornwell to Paul and Kristin Schreiber for $1,770,000, closed Jan. 27 (last sale: $480,000, 03-14-12)
2 Hallmark Circle, 94025, 3 bedrooms, 2680 square feet, built in 1986, Susan and Michael Johnson to Mukul and Anuj Khandelwal for $2,850,000, closed Jan. 30 (last sale: $2,600,000, 05-11-21)
500 West Middlefield Road #18, 94043, 2 bedrooms, 1136 square feet, built in 1971, Shiraishi Trust to Francesca and Sam Ko for $625,000, closed Feb. 9 (last sale: $230,000, 02-13-03)
1945 Mount Vernon Court #16, 94040, 2 bedrooms, 1299 square feet,
built in 1964, Forstner Trust to Toposence Assets LLC for $825,000, closed Feb. 12
215 Horizon Ave., 94043, 3 bedrooms, 1336 square feet, built in 1973, Mcghee-Reichenthal Trust to Woong and Jong Lee for $1,325,000, closed Feb. 12 (last sale: $800,000, 0401-14)
125 Fairchild Drive, 94043, 2 bedrooms, 1323 square feet, built in 2016, Singh Living Trust to Krethikram Gowrisankar for $1,350,500, closed Feb. 9 (last sale: $1,210,000, 06-09-21)
LOS ALTOS
699 Manresa Lane, 94022, 3 bedrooms, 3408 square feet, built in 1988, Anderson Survivors Trust to Avery Family Trust for $3,500,000, closed Feb. 11 1901 Alford Ave., 94024, 6 bedrooms, 4637 square feet, built in 2025, Alford Sterling Homes LLC to Green Houseplant LLC for $7,200,000, closed Feb. 11 (last sale: $3,200,000, 09-05-23)
342 Alameda de las Pulgas, 94062, 2 bedrooms, 660 square feet, built in 1925, Christopher Wright to Gage Family Trust for $1,300,000, closed Jan. 30
106 Camerota Way, 94065, 3 bedrooms, 1363 square feet, built in 1996, Chiossi Trust to Sindhu and Pavan Sridhar for $1,390,000, closed Jan. 28
business, including new construction. He holds the Certified Residential Specialist designation, awarded by the Council of Residential Specialists, the largest not-for-profit affiliate of the National Association of Realtors. He is an Associate Broker with Compass, combining his expertise and knowledge with the cutting edge, high-tech platform of Compass.
Experienced
(last sale: $461,000, 1015-99)
SAN CARLOS
3322 Brittan Ave. #11, 94070, 2 bedrooms, 1040 square feet, built in 1973, Thomas Diridon to Claudia Sanchez for $732,500, closed Jan. 26
777 Walnut St. #404, 94070, 3 bedrooms, 1490 square feet, built in 2018, An Nguyen to Kim Trust for $1,825,000, closed Jan. 26
1001 Maywood Drive, 94002, 2 bedrooms, 1420 square feet, built in 1959, Lori and Mark McLaughlin to Fredrick and Yige Hu for $1,800,000, closed Jan. 29 (last sale: $348,500, 05-02-02)
SAN MATEO
1224 Norton St., 94401, 3 bedrooms, 1010 square feet, built in 1953, Kimberly Chaidez to Maricel and Brian Galicia for $1,200,000, closed Jan. 30 (last sale: $695,000, 07-31-24)
516 South Humboldt St., 94402, 1 bedroom, 1080 square feet, built in 1926, Herman Living Trust to Dreams Ecre LLC for $1,308,000, closed Jan. 29 (last sale: $308,000, 1218-98)
23 Treetop Lane, 94402, 5 bedrooms, 2580 square feet, built in 1958, Arsenio Ferreira to Lily and Matthew Humphreys for $3,200,000, closed Jan. 30 (last sale: $2,350,000, 04-14-25)
Symphony San Jose announces its 2026/2027 season, one that will mark such historic milestones as the 25th anniversary of the Symphony, the 100th anniversary of the California Theatre, and the 150th anniversary of the first orchestral performance presented in San Jose. “This 25th anniversary season honors the past, recognizes the present, and looks boldly toward the future,” said Executive and Artistic Director Robert Massey. “It reflects who we are and where we are going. Each program is designed to celebrate the artistry, curiosity, and shared experience that make live music an essential part of our community.” Subscriptions priced from $90 to $672 are currently available online at www.symphonysanjose.org or by contacting the Symphony ticket office at (408) 2862600. Single tickets start at $35 and will go on sale August 17.
Los Altos St. Paddy’s Beer Stroll this Friday March 13th, from 6 to 9 p.m. Experience a night where the luck of the Irish meets the best local craft brews! With 20 tasting sites pouring over 20 different selections from 15 premier breweries, your gold at the end of the rainbow is waiting in every glass. Dust off your finest green attire and enjoy the magic of live music echoing throughout Downtown for a legendary evening of cheers and beers! Participating breweries include Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Canyon Lakes Brewery, Fort Point HenHouse, Gordon Biersch, Laughing Monk Brewing, Otherwise Brewing, Stone Brewing, Sugoi Brewing and many more. For more information and
to purchase tickets, please visit downtownlosaltos. org. Photo by Lighting Up Your Life Studio
NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR UNIVERSITY (NDNU) SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY
ALUMNUS Joe Gutierez has been awarded over $105,000 through the California Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Scholarship Program. Gutierez, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Class of 2018, MS in Clinical Psychology/MFT/LPCC), exemplifies NDNU’s commitment to service, leadership, and advancing mental health care in our communities. The MediCal Behavioral Health Scholarship Program is investing in the next generation of behavioral health professionals by offering up to $240,000 in funding for eligible students. Applications for the current cycle must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. on March 16, 2026. To learn more and review the 2026 Grant Guide, please visit https://hcai.ca.gov/workforce/ initiatives/behavioral-health-bh-connect/mbhsp/
CIVIL WAR HISTORY. PLEASE JOIN DANA LOMBARDY and the Peninsula Civil War Round Table on Tuesday, March 17, at 11:30 a.m. at Harry’s Hofbrau in Redwood City. Mr. Lombardy will be presenting on “Grant’s Early Career,” which is also the subject of his recently published book.
His talk will cover General Grant’s early military experiences, including the Mexican War, the Civil War in the West from 1861 through the end of 1862, and the start of the Vicksburg Campaign.
JOIN DONNA MARIE BALDWIN AND speaker Ron Ricard as they discuss the ins and outs of 1031 exchanges and building generational wealth. Learn how to trade up to your next investment property while keeping your hardearned equity intact by deferring capital gains taxes through a 1031 exchange. This free webinar will take place on Wednesday, March 18, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. DonnaMarie Baldwin, Compass | DRE #00560346. DonnaMarieBaldwin
LOOKING FOR A NEW HOBBY THIS SPRING? Tennis
Town and Country can help you start the pickleball and tennis journey. A family run business who are tennis and pickleball enthusiast, offering their knowledge to support injury free play, equipment customization, and consultation, providing all the information you need to choose the
right equipment for your game. Come say hi to Timi at 855 Town and Country, Ste. 99B.
MAMAHUHU IS NOW OPEN! It’s Chinese-American food cooked using ingredients they’re proud of. They’ve built around the idea that food brings people, communities and cultures together through the joy of shared tradition. Eva can help you place an order for their famous rice plate with crunchy sesame cucumbers and jasmine rice. Order now at 855 Town and Country, Ste. 75.
DO YOU LOVE VIBRANT, EYE CATCHING CLOTHES? Lesley Evers is the place for you, offering midcentury inspired original textile designs for women, including clothing, bags, and accessories crafted to bring you joy! The amazing staff, Caitlin, Dawn, Elizabeth, Ingrid, Angela would be happy to help you try on and find the best outfit for you. Come shop at 855 Town and Country, Ste. 5.
ject to racist comments underneath the post, and Chiu apologized and deleted it.
The fallout from the meeting lasted for months — former school board members and the union for principals and psychologists called for Chiu to resign. Chiu was removed from her committee assignments and said she felt silenced.
Board members Shounak Dharap and Shana Segal tried to pass a resolution condemning Chiu’s social media activity, but board members Josh Salcman and Alison Kamhi said they were satisfied with Chiu’s apology and wanted to focus on students.
‘It’s always on my mind’
The district sent out a survey of its leadership team in February 2025 that asked if they felt supported by the board and whether the incident affected their ability to focus at work.
The vast majority said they were affected, and 34 out of 45 employees said they didn’t feel supported.
“It’s always on my mind,” one anonymous respondent said, according to documents reviewed by the Post.
After the survey, Assistant Superintendent of Equity and Student Affairs Yolanda Conaway sent board mem-
bers a memo calling for them to hold Chiu accountable. Conaway said the board should formally denounce Chiu, enact consequences for inappropriate online behavior and require anti-racism training for themselves.
Uphold leadership
“Leadership carries ethical responsibilities that must be upheld with integrity and accountability,” Conaway’s memo said.
Chiu said acting Superintendent Trent Bahadursingh told her about the district’s investigation on May 7, when he was still working as deputy superintendent, and she sat down with the investigator on June 4.
Chiu said her understanding is that Reynolds filed a complaint, triggering the investigation.
Chiu said the investigator interviewed one of her supporters, and she doesn’t know how many district employees.
“I suspect it was quite a lot of people, because the investigation took a long time,” Chiu said.
What investigators found
Chiu said she received a final report on Oct. 6 with a finding that cleared her: “While Ms. Reynolds reasonably viewed the ways you expressed your concerns about her comments as demeaning and unprofessional, the evidence did not substantiate Ms. Reynolds’ allegation that your con-
duct was related to her race or vindictiveness stemming from your dislike of her comments.”
Chiu declined to talk more about the investigation because she was afraid her comments would be seen as retaliation, but she said she wants to release the full report.
No comment
The district declined to comment yesterday.
“After consulting with the district’s legal team, and as this matter pertains to a confidential employee matter, we are unable to provide additional information at this time,” spokeswoman Lynette White said in an email.
Chiu was elected to the board in November 2024 on a platform of improving the district’s transparency and communication.
Former Superintendent Don Austin left the district after eight years on Feb. 20. He received $596,802 in exchange for his resignation, according to a settlement agreement obtained by the Post.
Chiu voted against replacing Austin with Bahadursingh on Feb. 23 because she said she wants a cultural reset.
“There are sections of our community — parents, students and teachers — that do feel really disenfranchised, that have felt that their opinions have been written over, and that their voices have been ignored,” Chiu said at the meeting.
Two of Chiu’s supporters, Leor Melamedov and Avery Wang, are running for the board in November.
conference, she has different city employees sign her up, make travel arrangements, send her information about speaking times and update her calendar.
An assistant could coordinate council’s office hours, set up Zoom meetings and track filings with the Fair Political Practices Commission, Veenker said. “I could do more for the city if I wasn't doing the admin stuff,” Veenker said.
Clerk already does the job
City Clerk Mahealani Ah Yun said her office handles all travel arrangements.
“Council members as a whole don’t travel too often, so it hasn’t necessarily been a burden when it comes to the council as a whole,” Ah Yun said.
Councilwoman Julie Lythcott-Haims said she’s never traveled for the city, but being on council is like a full-time job. She pays someone an hourly wage to help with her calendar.
“We’re not some sleepy little village on a hill where we occasionally do some work. This is constant, and I do think a little bit more support would probably make some of us more effective,” Lythcott-Haims said.
A part-time assistant with no benefits would cost about $59,000 per year, Assistant City Manager Kiely Nose said.
Council voted to try having an assistant for six months to a year before making the position permanent.
more to retain data longer. There is strong resident support for continuing to install Flock cameras, as the majority of Atherton’s cameras were purchased by residents to help police, he said at a March 5 meeting. Unlike Atherton, neighboring cities such as Los Altos Hills, with 18 cameras, and Mountain View, with 30 cameras, have shut off their cameras after finding
data breaches. McCulley said it was unfortunate that they turned it off because it is a useful tool. Federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the inspector general’s office of the U.S. General Services Administration, and Air Force bases in Langley, Va., and in Ohio, were able to access Mountain View’s data. This resulted in a Feb. 24 vote by Mountain View’s council to end its contract with Flock.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors also voted on Feb. 24 to end its contract after Los Altos Hills turned off its cameras.
Audits help
Mountain View is an example of a police agency not having audits set in place, McCulley said. Audits show whether a police agency is using Flock correctly, he said.
“I can never sit here and say we can 100% prevent misuse. But I have full confidence in the officers that we have,” McCulley said.
Flock cameras take hundreds of pictures a second of license plates. When a computer stitches the pictures together, it can provide information about the daily travels of average citizens. The audit to review what requests were accepted in February, June, September and December of 2025 shows that Atherton is using Flock correctly, McCulley said.
Atherton has granted 40 California county sheriff agencies, 12 District Attorney Offices, 14 university campus police departments and 212 city police departments to review its data.
Every request Atherton receives is reviewed to make sure it will only be used for specific criminal investigations, according to McCulley. Flock has put up guardrails to prevent abuse, such as changing settings to not allow national or federal agencies to look at their data, but misuse can still occur, McCulley said.
Meanwhile in Palo Alto...
Palo Alto’s Policy and Services Committee last night was set to discuss whether to have the city’s
Notice is hereby given that the governing board (“Board”) of the Menlo Park City School District (“District”) will receive, by electronic submission, bids for the following project, Bid No. MPCSD-2026-1002 (“Project” or “Contract”): Laurel School Upper Campus HVAC Electrification
The Project consists of:
This project consists of providing cooling and electrified heating to classrooms, breakout spaces, music room, and other common spaces throughout the school by replacing the existing gas heating equipment as well as the necessary electrical upgrades to support this project. Additionally, architectural and structural modifications required to support the HVAC upgrades are included.
To bid on this Project, the Bidder is required to possess one or more of the following State of California contractors’ license(s): B and/or C-20
The Bidder’s license(s) must remain active and in good standing throughout the term of the Contract.
To bid on this Project, the Bidder is required to be registered as a public works contractor with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to the Labor Code.
Contract Documents will be available on or after March 11, 2026, for review at the District Office, and may be downloaded from the District’s website, https://district.mpcsd.org/ departments/mot/2024-bond-program-measure-u/bid-opportunities
The District will only receive bids submitted electronically through the PQ Bids website. Bids will be received until 3:00p.m., April 1, 2026, via the PQ Bids submission portal at https://go.pqbids.com/publishing/project/1021 after which time the bids will be opened and publicly posted on the District website at https://district.mpcsd.org/ departments/mot/2024-bond-program-measure-u/bid-opportunities. Any bid that is submitted after this time shall be nonresponsive and returned to the bidder. Each bidder is solely responsible for timely submission of its bid; the District is not responsible for any technological issues in a bidder’s ability to timely submit its bid or portion thereof. Any claim by a bidder of error in its bid must be made in compliance with section 5100 et seq. of the Public Contract Code. Prior to publicly reading aloud bids at the video conference, the District reserves the right to verify the genuineness of any bid security. Pursuant to Public Contract Code section 20111.5, only prequalified bidders will be eligible to submit a bid for this Project. Any bid submitted by a bidder who is not prequalified shall be non-responsive and returned by email to the bidder.
If you would like to be prequalified for this project, the contractor may do so on the PQ Bids website at https://pqbids.com/menloparkcity-sd/
For a list of MPCSD pre-qualified contractors, visit https://go.pqbids.com/agency/ approved_contractor_list/1508
The last day to submit a prequalification packet will be March 27, 2026. A mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at Laurel School Upper Campus, 275 Elliott Dr., Menlo Park, CA 94025. All participants are required to sign in front of the Front Office Building, 275 Elliott Dr., Menlo Park, CA 94025. The site visit is expected to take approximately 1 hour. Failure to attend or tardiness will render bid ineligible.
auditor audit its Flock cameras. Residents asked the committee to cancel the contract with Flock rather than conduct an audit.
The data collected is controlled by Flock and abuse is inevitable, Robert Snyder said in a letter to the committee.
“There is no need to spend $30,000 to tell us what we already know – Flock Safety is an unreliable partner that does not care about our community’s needs or values if they get in the way of turning a profit,” Tim MacKenzie said in an email to the committee.
Woodside, with 26 cameras, is looking for an auditor to review requests that the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office has received from federal agencies.
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Notice is hereby given that the governing board (“Board”) of the Menlo Park City School District (“District”) will receive, by electronic submission, bids for the following project, Bid No. MPCSD-2026-1001 (“Project” or “Contract”):
Laurel School Lower Campus HVAC Electrification
The Project consists of:
This project consists of providing cooling and electrified heating to classroom, breakout spaces, and other common spaces in Buildings D, E, and F by replacing the existing gas heating equipment as well as the necessary electrical upgrades to support this project. Additionally, architectural and structural modifications required to support the HVAC upgrades are included.
To bid on this Project, the Bidder is required to possess one or more of the following State of California contractors’ license(s): B and/or C-20
The Bidder’s license(s) must remain active and in good standing throughout the term of the Contract.
To bid on this Project, the Bidder is required to be registered as a public works contractor with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to the Labor Code.
Contract Documents will be available on or after March 11, 2026, for review at the District Office, and may be downloaded from the District’s website, https://district.mpcsd.org/ departments/mot/2024-bond-program-measure-u/bid-opportunities
The District will only receive bids submitted electronically through the PQ Bids website. Bids will be received until 2:00p.m., April 1, 2026, via the PQ Bids submission portal at https://go.pqbids.com/publishing/project/1020 after which time the bids will be opened and publicly posted on the District website at https://district.mpcsd.org/ departments/mot/2024-bond-program-measure-u/bid-opportunities. Any bid that is submitted after this time shall be nonresponsive and returned to the bidder. Each bidder is solely responsible for timely submission of its bid; the District is not responsible for any technological issues in a bidder’s ability to timely submit its bid or portion thereof. Any claim by a bidder of error in its bid must be made in compliance with section 5100 et seq. of the Public Contract Code. Prior to publicly reading aloud bids at the video conference, the District reserves the right to verify the genuineness of any bid security. Pursuant to Public Contract Code section 20111.5, only prequalified bidders will be eligible to submit a bid for this Project. Any bid submitted by a bidder who is not prequalified shall be non-responsive and returned by email to the bidder.
If you would like to be prequalified for this project, the contractor may do so on the PQ Bids website at https://pqbids.com/menloparkcity-sd/
For a list of MPCSD pre-qualified contractors, visit https://go.pqbids.com/agency/ approved_contractor_list/1508
The last day to submit a prequalification packet will be March 27, 2026
A mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit will be held on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at Laurel School Lower Campus, 95 Edge Rd, Atherton, CA 94027. All participants are required to sign in front of the Front Office Building, 95 Edge Rd, Atherton, CA 94027. The site visit is expected to take approximately 1 hour. Failure to attend or tardiness will render bid ineligible.
Two men accused of a brutal shotgun slaying of a mother in Sunnyvale in January have been arrested, according to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.
Kembery Chirinos-Flores, a 24-year-old Mountain View mother of a 5-year-old boy, was killed at a mobile home complex on Vienna Drive on Jan. 7.
FBI investigated
The suspects fled and were not immediately located, sparking an investigation involving multiple jurisdictions, including the FBI.
Gerzon Chirinos, also known as Gerzon Chirinos-Munguia, and Alfonso Inestroza, who also goes by Franquin Inestroza-Martinez, were arrested at separate residences on Thursday, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Chief
Dan Pistor said at a press conference Monday. Both were booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of homicide while other potential charges are pending.
Father of her child
Gerzon is the father of Chirinos-Flores’ child, Pistor said, without elaborating on any motive behind the shooting.
Chirinos-Flores was in a vehicle outside one of the homes at the mobile home complex when she was shot about 9:40 p.m.
Inestroza was also wanted on a homicide warrant from New Jersey, Pistor said.
The two were arrested by a Department of Public Safety SWAT team that served arrest warrants at Gerzon’s residence in Sunnyvale and Inestroza’s residence in
Hollister. Pistor said a shotgun allegedly used in the killing was recovered at the scene.
The shooting remained under investigation as of Monday. Anyone with information was asked to contact Detective Eugene Rosette at (408) 730-7110.
Tragic killing
Pistor called the killing “tragic.” He offered condolences to Chirinos-Flores’ family and credited detectives for their persistence in working the case.
“Kembery was in the prime of her life,” Pistor said. “Working two jobs to make ends meet, and she was a loving mother to her 5-year-old son.”
Pistor said the arrests were “an important step towards justice for Kembery and her family.”
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