Daily Post 2-23-26 by Daily Post

Vendors, food trucks face regulation

BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ Daily Post Staff Writer

Braving the bitter cold at 5 a.m., Guadalupe Martinez and Jasmine Gonzalez set up their stand near the YMCA in East Palo Alto to sell homemade tamales and atole — a traditional hot drink made from corn. They were both laid off from their jobs and to make ends meet, they are now selling food on the street.

Martinez and Gonzalez will be among the street vendors affected if East Palo Alto Council decides tomor-

row to require vendors to have insurance, regulated hours and locations.

Both women live in East Palo Alto and were laid off after the taco truck they worked at closed in December. This is their first time selling food on the street, but they are open to complying with any potential regulations, Martinez said in Spanish.

Income needed

Martinez’s husband is the breadwinner in her home, but she said his hours have been cut. So Martinez started

— SELL SMART —

staying up late, preparing ingredients to cook a large batch of tamales in the early morning, and selling them at 5 a.m.

“We both can’t be jobless. We need to find a way to care for our children,” Martinez said.

Council in December postponed the decision to enforce policies to hear from street vendors. Councilmen Webster Lincoln and Mark Dinan were ready to pass the enforcement and begin a policy saying they were concerned about customers’ health.

There are two types of vendors, those who walk around and those at a fixed location, according to Assistant City Manager Denise Garcia.

Hours of operation

The ordinance would restrict vendors to selling only in residential areas from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., require them to have their own insurance, trash can and a permit to sell, according to Garcia. The city is looking to enforce the ordinance by having a $100 fine for a first

[See VENDORS, page 10]

Time Again for Gold?

First Lady Melania were at the White House at the time of the incident.

RATINGS SUCCESS: NBC’s Olympics coverage was averaging 24 million viewers across afternoon and primetime coverage through Friday. That marks a 94% jump from the 2022 Beijing Games.

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TRADER JOE’S RECALL: A Portland, Ore., company is recalling nearly 3.4 million pounds of frozen chicken fried rice sold as Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice because the packages may contain pieces of glass.

PRECHECK STILL RUNNING: TSA said yesterday that its PreCheck program would remain operational. The development contradicts an earlier announcement from Homeland Security that PreCheck was being suspended during the partial government shutdown.

HELP FOR GREENLAND: President Trump says he is sending a U.S. Navy hospital ship to Greenland because people there are sick and lack care due to problems with Denmark’s free public health system. Denmark denies there’s any problem.

CITIZENS ONLY: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development wants to limit public housing to citizens, which some say would lead to the evictions of thousands of illegal immigrants.

EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION: New Mexico’s attorney general has reopened an investigation into illegal activity at Jeffrey Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch, where it is believed that two underage girls were buried after they were brutally raped.

BANK ADMITS BUMPING TRUMP: JPMorgan Chase now confirms it closed Donald Trump’s bank accounts after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump sued last month for $5 billion and says the closures hurt his businesses.

Births

Readers have asked why our birth announcements are delayed several months. None of the Mid-Peninsula hospitals provide lists of new births. So the Post gets the births from the state Department of Health, which provides the information at a delay. All births and deaths are public record under state law.

El Camino Hospital in Mountain View: July 22

Jordan Tijs Angeles, a boy

Theo Basch, a boy

Luke Enhao Bercovich, a boy

Ayra Bhargava, a girl

Sylvia Doan, a girl

Kelvin Boris Foertsch, a boy

July 21

Dhanush Rajan Karunanithi, a boy

Titus Richard May, a boy

Judah Thomas Rattei, a boy

Rustyn Makana Rice, a boy

Kiara Agrawal, a girl

Rashy Ramy Attalla, a girl

Jasper Yihao Bartolotta, a boy

Treyaksh Saxena Das, a boy

Ella Clara Keeble, a girl

Ayansh Keremane, a boy

Yuvraj Ajinkya Kohok, a boy

Advaith Mehendale, a boy

Anay Parimal Sangekar, a boy

Srishti Sikdar, a girl

Avni Wagle, a girl

July 20

Noah Jay Bissani, a boy

Gloribella Cruz Gonzalez, a girl

Amora Ailajoann Dalcanto, a girl

Ahana Eswaran, a girl

Emerson Congyi Guo, a boy

Christian Ezekiel Hipolito Escamilla, a boy

Mukta Aniket Lawande, a girl

Agastya Shrutanviparag Nakhwa, a boy

Aarv Ambar Paudel, a boy

Fenja Shae Perkasa, a girl

Alice Miao Qi, a girl

Evan Wu Su, a boy

Gwan Hong Yang, a girl

July 19

Sebastian Mateo Celiz, a boy

Myra Damera, a girl

Elizabeth Hill Freese, a girl

Shlok Shah Gupta, a boy

Everett James Hamilton Hartford, a boy

Yunus Khan, a boy

Syed Zuhair Mehdi, a boy

Luca Yanze Wang, a boy

Jessie Xu, a girl

Vaanya Garg, a girl

Raya Jiah Jain, a girl

July 18

Safiya Bint Arham, a girl

Yairet Bautista Ordonez, a girl

Anthony Michael Cammarata, a boy

Jayce Theodore Cance, a boy

Elonie Hoang, a girl

Esme Cao Li, a girl

Aryan Jaydeep Rane, a boy

Kiyoshi Takeo Sonoda, a boy

July 17

Mason Mehta Dieterich, a boy

Timothy Michael Donahue, a boy

Isabelle Grace Hoover, a girl

Rameil Lazar, a boy

Chloe Danielle Massicotte, a girl

John Francis Sherman, a boy

Chervik Suhas, a boy

Arul Padmanaban Surya, a boy

Nicolas Eduardo Valencia, a boy

Logan Donald Yang, a boy

School board settles suit, supe exits

The Palo Alto school board’s decision to pay $3.25 million to a teacher wrongfully accused of rape seems to me to have been the final straw for Superintendent Don Austin.

Six days after the settlement was revealed publicly, the board announced Austin would be leaving the district. A statement from the school board emphasized that it wasn’t a firing, but a “mutual decision.”

But in a “mutual decision,” if the employer thinks the employee should go, and the employee wants to stay, which side wins? I don’t think the employee can veto the employer’s wishes in a mutual decision. To me, “mutual decision” is a B.S. term to paper over something more harsh.

Frequent controversies

Austin’s eight-year tenure was marked by one controversy after another. His top-down leadership style was a bad fit for a community that felt it should have more input into school district decisions. In the past year, parents had circulated two petitions calling for his termination.

Austin told the Post on Friday that there was no single event that led to his

departure. “It’s just one day you wake up and think, ‘Maybe I’ve gone as far as I’m going to go here,’” he said. Well, at least he could read the room.

Shocking settlement

Still, the $3.25 million settlement came as a shock. It was the largest legal payout in the history of the district, which has seen its share of lawsuits.

Many in the community had come to believe teacher Pete Colombo raped an 11-year-old Jordan Middle School student in 2001. Never mind that the DA dropped charges against him after the police department’s case fell apart. When he got his job back, parents picketed outside his school, saying they didn’t want him around their kids.

Colombo sued, saying the district botched the investigation into the allegations, deprived him of due process and retaliated against him. He said the district smeared his reputation.

The board approved the settlement Feb. 14 during the closed portion of the school board meeting. When the open part of the meeting resumed, board President Shounak Dharap said the board had voted 5-0 to settle a case that he only identified by case number.

He never said the word “Colombo” out loud. Unless you memorize case numbers, you wouldn’t have known that they were settling the Colombo lawsuit. And Dharap never mentioned that the settlement cost $3.25 million.

The next day, lawyers on both sides submitted a document to court saying the board had ratified the settlement agreement and it has been signed by both sides. They said the case should be dismissed by April 10.

Settlement shouldn’t be secret

Under the Brown Act, the state law that regulates government meetings, the board is supposed to immediately release copies of all agreements approved in closed session.

When the Post found out about the settlement on Friday, Feb. 13, nobody at 25 Churchill would release the agreement. Remember, at this point, the public didn’t know the amount was for $3.25 million.

Then, on Saturday, Feb. 14, Colombo’s attorney, Evan C. Nelson of Walnut Creek, put the $3.25 million settlement on his webpage, where he lists cases he won.

The school district still won’t release the settlement agreement. Dharap said last week that the agreement “has not been fully executed at this time and the case is technically still pending.”

Yet the district told federal Chief

Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins, who is handling the case, they had all the necessary signatures to finalize the agreement.

The agreement can’t be final and pending at the same time.

Let’s talk about it

Instead of playing hide the ball, the board should have had a public discussion about the Colombo case. Topics up for discussion: How do we prevent this from happening again? What can the board do differently to prevent employees from being wrongfully accused.

Hiding behind technicalities doesn’t inspire trust in the board.

One more thing. According to Dharap, the board agreed on Friday to part ways with Austin, and they approved a separation agreement in another closed-door session.

Under the Brown Act, that agreement should have been released immediately after the meeting. The district didn’t turn it over on Friday. We’ll see if they release it today.

In November, two of the five board seats will be undefended by incumbents. Dharap and Shana Segal won’t be running again. If you think you can do a better job, you should run.

Dave Price’s column appears on Mondays.

Dave Price

AUSTIN

OPINION

Victim’s father speaks

Dear Editor: I’m the father of four incredible kids. One of them, our dear Summer Devi Mehta, tragically died on the Caltrain tracks on Feb. 3.

After Summer passed away, we were embraced with love by friends, neighbors and strangers. The Children’s Theater opened its doors without question for our Celebration of Life. Flowers adorn every part of our house. The community has had food on our patio every night.

Thousands of people contributed to Summer’s parting wish — to raise $1 million for the Trevor Project to reduce LGBTQ youth suicide. Incredibly, we are coming up on 70% to our goal.

We couldn’t be more grateful for this town and for all of you.

Yet, this is also a town that feels cursed. One of the wealthiest and most highly educated cities in the Bay Area also seems uniquely dark. Suicides. Suicide attempts. Mental health challenges. All happening with seemingly no action until recently. It took the work of parents such as Debbie Mukamal, Linda Henigin, Rani Jayakumar, Mare Lucas and Steven Lee and countless Paly students to drive the current changes being contemplated.

I don’t know about you, but Palo Alto sometimes feels like the haunted town of Hawkins, Indiana, in “Stranger Things.” But it shouldn’t be this way.

I don’t have the answers. But I dread the idea of another funeral for someone too young. I want all of your kids and all of you to thrive.

It’s too late for our Summer and other children who left us. But it’s not too late for all of you to get the city you deserve.

Nick Mehta Palo Alto

Irish history

Dear Editor: The Oscars air in March, interpreting our history for us. The favorite seems to be “Sinners,” which features an Irish vampire. Yep. A line from the film keeps doing a jig in my head: “Irish Beer, Italian Wine,” as if that is all Ellis Islanders brought to the table. This is a serious matter. A new law makes ethnic studies manda-

tory for high school graduation. Perhaps my poem can be part of the course. Jim Clifford Redwood City

False youth survey

Dear Editor: Summer Mehta’s suicide (“Teen loved to make others happy,” Feb. 7-8) is a tragedy of magnitude for his relatives and for anyone who knew him. I do not mean to minimize that tragedy in any way.

I do insist on a proper understanding of the Trevor Project and its involvement in LGBT suicides. The project has been a driving force in popularizing the fable that LGBT youth are driven towards suicide by societal pressures, that is, by opposition to LGBT lifestyles. And, falsely, that suicide rates in this group, especially trans individuals, are hugely greater than in other youth.

The aggressive advocacy of the Trevor Project has produced opt-in surveys that attract youth to claim suicide tendencies and rates orders of magnitude above the actual body counts. The survey data is publicized to misinform the public, parents and transgender persons themselves towards the idea that suicide is a major danger for trans youth. The idea that suicide threats can be effectively used to empower youth over parents attracts potential trans youth. Schools, medical institutions, and counselors use the false survey data to get parents to provide misinformed consent to “affirmative care” treatments.

Raymond R. White Mountain View

Judge candidates

Dear Editor: Brian Donnellan offers deep local roots and a long record of public service in San Mateo County. Raised here and raising his family here, he has spent more than two decades serving as a prosecutor in our county, working with law enforcement, defense attorneys, victims, families and community organizations. That sustained local experience matters for someone seeking to serve on the bench.

Donnellan has earned broad support

[See LETTERS, page 8]

Everyday Support, Elevated

LETTERS –---

from across the local legal community, including defense attorneys, civic leaders, prosecutors, and judges who have observed his professionalism and fairness.

Jay Boyarsky has lived and worked in Santa Clara County and chose not to run this year in two open judicial elections there. While Boyarsky highlights his administrative leadership role, Donnellan continues daily courtroom work and has conducted significantly more jury trials.

After a second judicial election loss in 2024 — to a subordinate — this newspaper noted that Boyarsky applied for judicial appointment in 2007 and again recently. He was not selected following review by the Governor’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. He also ran for judge in 2008 and finished fourth. In 2025, he applied to be a court commissioner in San Mateo County but didn’t even receive an interview. That history does not disqualify anyone from future service, but it

provides fair context for voters evaluating experience and competence. San Mateo County deserves judges who are deeply invested in our community. Based on experience, local commitment and professional reputation, Brian is the easy choice.

Al Giannini Belmont

School shutdowns

Dear Editor: School shutdowns during the Covid pandemic contributed to higher rates of anxiety and stress among students. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institute of Health, said he would never call for shutdowns again. Yet Democratic Party leaders recently called for a National Shutdown Day, demanding “No work, no school, no shopping.” Some students walked out of their classrooms and took to the streets. Are these school shutdowns contributing to the anxiety and stress of other students?

Skip Justman Palo Alto

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New judges named

Karen Schulz, of San Mateo County, has been appointed to serve as a judge of the Santa Clara County Superior Court. She has served as an immigration judge at the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review since 2021.

She received a law degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Julianne Sylva.

Carl Chamberlin, of San Francisco

violation and increasing it for repeat offenses, according to Denise Garcia.

In January, the city spoke to 11 vendors who said they were willing to comply with the rules with support and guidance, Denise Garcia said. If the city moves forward with the ordinance, it will help vendors get equipment and permits by allocating a $125,000 grant. Vendors were concerned about the proposed hours, Denise Garcia said.

Warnings over hours

Katherine Garcia said in Spanish that she has received warnings from city employees for being out too late or too early. Katherine Garcia, a single mother of a 1-year-old son living in East Palo Alto, has been selling pupusas, tamales and hot dogs at the stand for a year.

The business owner has made adjustments required by the city by adding a fridge and a hand-washing station, but has also cut hours from Katherine Garcia’s shifts. Having a fridge and a portable stove has caused the owner to worry about the expenses.

Before receiving the warnings, Katherine Garcia would set up in front of the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church along Pulgas Avenue, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Most people, like

& Occupational Therapy

County, has been appointed to serve as a judge of the Santa Clara County Superior Court. He has served as the lead appellate court attorney at the 1st District Court of Appeal, 1st Appellate District since 1999.

He received a law degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Drew Takaichi.

The job pays $244,727.

construction workers, would come to her stand for breakfast, lunch and dinner. More than 20 people would stop by each day, but now she works from noon to 9 p.m., serving fewer people and earning less money.

Flexible, well-paying job

Katherine Garcia said her job at the food stand pays for her rent, her son’s necessities and helps her put food on her table. Losing her flexible, well-paying job is her biggest fear, she said.

“Thankfully, my boss pays me, but he may think about closing the business with the new regulations and extra fees,” Katherine Garcia said.

Insurance for street vendors can range between $30 and $90 per month, depending on the type of coverage. The permit costs $252, but council could decide to lower it to $126 to make it more affordable to vendors.

San Mateo County requires every vendor to have a permit to sell food, according to county spokesman Preston Merchant. The county only manages food safety by requiring an annual permit issued after an inspection, but doesn’t regulate hours or locations, Merchant said. Business licenses are issued by the city where they want to sell and do not involve the county.

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Coffee may lower risk of dementia

Drinking two to three cups of coffee daily could reduce the risk of dementia, according to new observational research published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers analyzed four decades of data from more than 130,000 doctors and nurses, finding that moderately caffeinated coffee and tea intake can lower the risk of cognitive decline, according to the UK news agency SWNS.

The analysis revealed that not only did participants with the highest intake of caffeinated coffee have a lower risk of dementia, but there also appeared to be a “sweet spot” where it was most effective.

Previous findings on the relationship

between coffee and dementia have been inconsistent due to limited follow-up data. To address this, researchers used information from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, tracking healthcare professionals from midlife through older age.

Over a follow-up period of up to 43 years, the team analyzed self-reported dietary patterns collected through questionnaires administered every four years.

The analysis revealed that participants with the highest intake of caffeinated coffee had an 18% lower risk of dementia compared with those who reported little or no consumption.

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

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STANFORD JAZZ WORKSHOP OFFERS AN UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER EXPERIENCE FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS. Students dive into the world of jazz, learning from worldclass instructors on the stunning Stanford campus. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, the program provides hands-on workshops, ensemble performances, and masterclasses to hone your skills. It’s a chance to explore jazz performance, improvisation, and collaboration in a supportive, creative environment. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to grow as a musician and connect with peers who share your passion. Programs run June through August. Visitstanfordjazz.org for details or call (650) 736-0324 to register. Jazz up your summer at Stanford!

CULTURE JAPAN BRINGS AUTHENTIC JAPANESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE EXPERIENCES TO PALO ALTO. Their programs include Japanese

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SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

conversation classes, calligraphy, origami, and seasonal workshops for all ages. Each class connects local families and students with Japan’s traditions and creativity, taught by native instructors from Japan. Want to read Japanese manga in the original language? You can! Planning a trip to Japan? Learn simple travel phrases and make your journey even more enjoyable. Culture Japan offers a fun and welcoming way to experience Japan right here in the heart of Silicon Valley. Learn more at culturajapan.com. Shown in the photo is Asako Sato, Director of Japanese Language & Cultural Programs.

NEW TO WATER POLO OR HAVE EXPERIENCE? Stanford Water Polo has a camp for you. Half-day and full-day options for boys and girls ages 8 to 14. There will be two sessions: June 8–11 and June 15–18. All camps provide fundamental skills, scrimmages, and games. Learn more at stanfordwaterpolocamps.totalcamps.com.

Times shown are when a report was made to police. Information is from police department logs. All of the people named here are innocent until proven guilty in court.

PALO ALTO

WEDNESDAY

7 a.m. — High school student says a man came up to him and tried to rob him of his phone at the bus depot at the Downtown Palo Alto Caltrain Station. When the boy refused to give up his phone, the man put a blanket over his head and punched him in the head. Roderick Henry Perkins, 60, of East Palo Alto, arrested for attempted robbery, child abuse, resisting arrest and falsely identifying himself to police.

9:50 a.m. — Vandalism, 300 block of El Camino.

8:56 p.m. — Auto burglary, 400 block of Sherman St.

9:15 p.m. — Auto burglary, 400 block of Sherman Ave.

MENLO PARK

FRIDAY

11:42 a.m. — Burglary, 200 block of Waverley St.

1:42 p.m. — Vehicle collision causes injuries, Menalto Ave. and Durham St.

8:17 p.m. — Burglary, 900 block of Continental Drive.

SATURDAY

12:46 p.m. — Car crash causes injuries, Newbridge and Chilco streets.

8:09 p.m. — Vehicle collision causes injuries, El Camino and Roble Ave.

10:16 p.m. — Electric bike stolen, 1100 block of El Camino.

STANFORD

FEB. 13

3:39 p.m. — Bicycle stolen, 500 block of Memorial Way.

3:51 p.m. — Auto burglary, attempt, 400 block of Museum Way.

11 p.m. — Bicycle stolen, 300 block of Jane Stanford Way.

MOUNTAIN VIEW

FEB. 6

12:38 a.m. — Eleazar

Maciel, 37, transient, cited for possession of stolen property and drug paraphernalia, 400 block of Thompson Ave.

1:01 a.m. — Lisa Briones, 45, transient, cited for possession of stolen property, El Camino and Showers Drive.

3:10 a.m. — Kamal Ameen, 49, transient, cited for possession of drug paraphernalia, 1-99 block of E. El Camino.

5:46 a.m. — Joseph Rivas, 25, of Mountain View, cited for battery and vandalism, 400 block of Moffett Blvd.

10:45 a.m. — Kris Klackowski, 45, of San Francisco, cited for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia and on a warrant, 500 block of Showers Drive.

1:18 p.m. — Andrade Sanchez, 40, of Mountain View, cited on a warrant at Mountain View Police Dept., 1000 Villa St. FEB. 9

8:42 p.m. — Auto burglary, 200 block of Castro St.

9:15 p.m. — Auto burglary, 400 block of Hope St.

9:32 p.m. — Auto burglary, 1900 block of W. El Camino. FEB. 10

12:25 a.m. — Zichun Wang, 27, of San Jose, cited for speeding at over 100 mph, highways 237 and 101.

2:30 a.m. — Angel Carmona Ochoa, 28, of San Jose, cited for drug possession and on a warrant, San Rafael and Terra Bella avenues.

4 a.m. — Vehicle stolen, 100 block of Moffett Blvd.

8:10 a.m. — Robbery, 100 block of Mayfield Ave.

10:35 a.m. — Alexis Harper, 27, of Mountain View, arrested on a warrant, Rengstorff Ave. and California St.

10:51 a.m. — Robbery, 1900 block of W. El Camino.

12:49 p.m. — Anita Quiroz, 38, of San Jose, arrested for robbery, theft of someone else’s lost property, possession of a fake driver’s license and burglary tools, conspiracy to commit a crime and on warrants, Latham St. and Escuela Ave. A charge is added later for bringing drugs into a jail.

2:45 p.m. — Burglary at a business, 2600 block of Bayshore Parkway.

3:14 p.m. — Theft at Best Buy, 715 E. El Camino.

4:33 p.m. — Jarrod Houx, 42, transient, arrested for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements and on a warrant, San Antonio Caltrain Station.

7:35 p.m. — Battery, San Antonio Caltrain Station.

8:49 p.m. — Theft at Marshalls, 1040 Grant Road.

FEB. 11

2:37 a.m. — Yesit Paing, 28, of Mountain View, arrested for illegally carrying a loaded gun, 1900 block of Hackett Ave.

5:43 a.m. — Battery at the U.S. Post Office, 211 Hope St.

6:06 a.m. — Auto burglary, 1200 block of Charleston Road.

11:29 a.m. — Sir Alexander, 41, of Mountain View, arrested on a warrant, 900 block of W. El Camino.

11:38 a.m. — Battery, Mountain View High School.

8:24 p.m. — Auto burglary, 400 block of Bryant St. FEB. 12

6 a.m. — Vehicle stolen, 1900 block of California St.

6:20 a.m. — Roy Williams, 64, of Mountain View, arrested for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements, 500 block of Castro St.

5:15 p.m. — Theft at Target, 555 Showers Drive.

6:43 p.m. — Theft at Goodwill, 855 E. El Camino.

10:48 p.m. — Battery, 500 block of Yosemite Ave.

ATHERTON

SATURDAY

9:01 p.m. — Home burglary, Austin Ave.

REDWOOD CITY

TUESDAY

8:13 p.m. — Yonni Morales Garcia, 24, of Redwood City, arrested for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia and on a warrant, 2700 block of El Camino.

11:06 p.m. — Rocebel Yanes Sarceno, 21, cited for driving with a suspended or revoked license, Arguello and A streets. Citation given by San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies.

WEDNESDAY

7:48 a.m. — Six trucks broken into and tools and testing meters stolen, E. Bayshore Road.

7:58 a.m. — Juan Jose Antonio Vanegas, 30, arrested for embezzlement at 24 Hour Fitness, 1050 Broadway.

8:01 a.m. — Michael John Gunderson, 69, of Redwood City, arrested on warrants, 800 block of Woodside Road.

9:30 a.m. — Vicente Alsonso Gomez, 43, of Redwood City, arrested on a warrant, 600 block of El Camino.

10:08 a.m. — Caller says a woman is sitting in her car and drinking a bottle of wine, 1200 block of Jefferson Ave. Beatrice Carole Ceccato, 69, of Redwood City, arrested for public drunkenness.

12:45 p.m. — Gabriel Eliseo Sequeira Garcia, 27, of San Francisco, cited for shoplifting at Target, 2485 El Camino.

4:54 p.m. — Indecent exposure, Broadway.

5:11 p.m. — Petty theft, Walnut St.

7:48 p.m. — Mark Thomas Johnson, 48, of Redwood City, arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, 300 block of Main St. Mayra Brambila, 38, of San Bruno, arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence and probation violation.

10:59 p.m. — Nicole Marie Elizabeth Holland, 50, cited on a warrant, Woodside and Middlefield roads. Citation given by San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies.

BELMONT

FRIDAY

10:49 a.m. — Theft from a vehicle, 1200 block of Geraldine Way. 12:35 p.m. — Theft, 1100 block of El Camino.

Real Estate

closed Dec. 8 (last sale, $1,800,000, 09-26-23)

PALO ALTO

2500 Columbia St. #317, 94304, 2 bedrooms, 1021 square feet, built in 2018, Diyi Yang to Stanford University for $782,000, closed Dec. 9

2600 Columbia St. #406, 94304, 2 bedrooms, 1245 square feet, built in 2018, Jonathan Gienapp to Stanford University for $1,031,000, closed Dec. 10 (last sale, $839,500, 1002-20) 1635 Amherst Court, 94304, 3 bedrooms, 2217 square feet, built in 2017, The Leland Stanford Trust to Timothy De Silva for $1,660,000, closed Dec. 12

961 Channing Ave., 94301, 2 bedrooms, 960 square feet, built in 1924, Dongyu Qin to Zhongjue and Zhao Wang for $1,820,000,

MENLO PARK

1127 Madera Ave., 94025, 3 bedrooms, 1540 square feet, built in 1947, Cristina Perez to Orloff Family Trust for $1,250,000, closed Jan. 8

1236 Hoover St., 94025, 3 bedrooms, 1632 square feet, built in 2013, Giudicessi Trust to Danielle Shin for $2,700,000, closed Jan. 5 (last sale, $2,625,000, 03-28-22)

LOS ALTOS HILLS

23423 Toyonita Road, 94024, 5 bedrooms, 4054 square feet, built in 1946, Forster Family Trust to Ying Family Trust for $5,475,000, closed Jan. 22 (last sale, $2,500,000, 05-13-11)

12690 Dianne Drive, 94022, 6 bedrooms, 7199 square feet, built in 2003, Achint and Anupama

Wadhwa to Iyer Trust for $8,355,000, closed Jan. 22

ATHERTON

273 Austin Ave., 94027, 5 bedrooms, 7134 square feet, built in 2021, 273 Austin Ave Holdings LLC to Casa Artha LLC for $28,250,000, closed Jan. 6 (last sale, $20,880,000, 11-09-21)

PORTOLA VALLEY

855 La Mesa Drive, 94028, 3 bedrooms, 1980 square feet, built in 2009, Timothy Dyer to Giudicessi Trust for $4,800,000, closed Jan. 7 (last sale, $1,995,000, 04-01-11)

REDWOOD CITY

2825 Marlborough Ave., 94063, 2 bedrooms, 1020 square feet, built in 1925, Lopez Living Trust to Samantha and Evelio Arreaga for $1,050,000, closed Jan. 6 (last sale, $145,000, 1201-91)

700 Baltic Circle #732, 94065, 2 bedrooms, 1301 square feet, built in 1996, Karen Goodfriend to Cheng Han for $1,100,000, closed Jan. 9 (last sale, $585,000, 02-18-10)

42 Saint Marys Place, 94063, 5 bedrooms, 2290 square feet, built in 1948, Reardon Living Trust to Sifu and Xin Li for $1,700,000, closed Jan. 9 (last sale, $865,000, 01-02-08)

351 Jeter St., 94062, 3 bedrooms, 1952 square feet, built in 1948, Jianbin and Sharon Hao to Ayumi and Lawrence Chu for $2,510,000, closed Jan. 6 (last sale, $1,800,000, 02-07-18)

263 Belmont Ave., 94061, 2 bedrooms, 840 square feet, built in 1942, Sadeghian Maskan LLC to Li and Sheng 2022 Trust for $3,625,000, closed Jan. 9 (last sale, $1,170,000, 04-01-21)

Avenidas, a leader in serving and connecting older adults across the San Francisco Bay Area Mid-Peninsula, will be honoring two couples and four individuals selected for the 2026 Lifetimes of Achievement Awards. This group of seven has dedicated their lives to community building, education, philanthropy, and international advocacy. This year’s honorees are: Michael Chang, Ph.D., Kathleen Foley-Hughes & Tony Hughes, Sue Krumbein, Nancy Ginsburg Stern & Rick Stern, and Kathy Torgersen. In addition to honoring these special individuals, Avenidas is presenting a Lifetimes of Service Award to Downtown Palo Alto Farmers’ Market, for their steadfast support of Avenidas for more than 40 years, while bringing fresh food to our community.

“When I think about the lasting impact of this year’s honorees, I am struck by their lifetime of service, leadership, and care for others,” said Kristina Lugo, President and CEO of Avenidas. “They have shaped this community in lasting ways -- their work and willingness to step forward again and again have made us stronger, more compassionate, and connected.”

Back row,

Michael Chang, Ph.D., Kathy Torgersen, Lee Carlson (representing

Farmers’ Market), and Sue Krumbein

Photo credit: Avenidas/Janet Hu

The Lifetimes of Achievement Awards Garden Party to formally celebrate this year’s honorees, will be held on Sunday, May 17, from 3 to 5 pm. The event is open to the public, and all are welcome to join in celebrating the remarkable contributions of these honorees. To purchase tickets, go to www.avenidas.org/ lifetimes2026 or contact Donor Engagement & Event Manager Frances Freyberg English at 650-289-5472 or ffreybergenglish@avenidas.org.

AFFORDABLE, TRANSFORMATIVE TRAINING FOR FUTURE THERAPISTS. Located in the heart of Palo Alto, Sofia University’s MA in Counseling Psychology (MACP) program offers a deeply personal, whole-person approach to clinical education. Designed to prepare students for licensure in California, this WSCUCaccredited program combines academic rigor with transpersonal development and real-world practicum training. Sofia stands out as one of the most affordable graduate psychology options in the Bay Area—making meaningful career change more accessible. Spring Term begins April 6, 2026. Apply by March 16, 2026. Visit www.sofia.edu or email admissions@sofia.edu.

GOT TAX-RELATED QUESTIONS? Please feel free to contact Omar Mousa, founder of Alliance

Accounting and a Certiﬁed Public Accountant (CPA), at (650) 2403751 or info@ accountingalliance. com. Alliance Accounting is a Peninsula-based CPA ﬁrm that provides tax preparation, bookkeeping, and consulting services to businesses, estates, trusts, and individual investors.

GILFIX & LA POLL ASSOCIATES LLP has been a leader in elder law and estate planning since 1983. Their firm has helped thousands of families protect their assets and legacies while saving clients significant amounts in taxes and long-term care costs. Michael Gilfix and Mark Gilfix

welcome the opportunity to serve you and your family. To schedule an initial consultation with their team, please call (650) 683-9200.

FAMILY-OWNED SPANGLER MORTUARIES

HAS SERVED the Peninsula for nearly 90 years, providing end-of-life services with respect and compassion. Kevin Hutchison and his dedicated staff

are committed to ensuring your family understands the funeral planning process, helping you make informed decisions with the support you need. For more information, please contact one of their locations: Mountain View Chapel: (650) 967-5546; Los Altos Chapel: (650) 948-6619; and Sunnyvale Chapel and Crematory: (408) 736-6294

PALO ALTO APPRAISAL SERVICES OFFERS local, experienced, and certiﬁed residential appraisals. Mark Nanevicz, a Certiﬁed Residential Appraiser and graduate of Menlo College with a degree in Accounting and Finance, provides real estate valuation services throughout Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Alameda Counties. To discuss your appraisal needs, please contact Mark Nanevicz at (650) 7997923 or via email at mnanevicz@gmail.com.

DO YOU NEED A PLUMBER NOW? Don’t wait—call Express Plumbing at (650) 343-9477. Family-owned and operated since 1989, they are available 24/7, including weekends and holidays, to assist with all your residential and commercial

plumbing needs. Owner Nick Bechwati says, “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” Express Plumbing is located at 307 N. Amphlett Blvd., San Mateo.

A RENOWNED CARILLONNEUR, PIANIST, ORGANIST, AND COMPOSER, Boudewijn Zwart is internationally acclaimed for his musicianship and pioneering mobile carillon concerts. Currently serving as the city carillonneur for numerous Dutch cities, including Amsterdam, Apeldoorn, and Ede, Zwart has received top awards in all categories at the prestigious Queen Fabiola International Carillon Competition, widely regarded as the foremost competition for carillonists. He will perform at All Saints Church alongside resident carillonneur Annie Gao. In 2025, she was selected to receive The Diapason’sinternational “20 Under 30” Award, honoring young musicians at the forefront of organ, harpsichord and carillon performance. Come check it out on Feb. 27, 555 Waverley St, Palo Alto!

OLYMPICS ––––

overtime to hand the U.S. its third Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey.

One day before the Olympic women’s hockey final, Knight proposed to American speedskater Brittany Bowe.

The couple first revealed the news by posting a video on Instagram with the caption, “Olympics brought us together.” The video shows Knight dropping to one knee and presenting Bowe with a ring. A surprised Bowe nods yes, and Knight then slips the ring on her finger.

“It’s been in the back of my mind for a few months now,” Knight said later, after the Americans’ final practice before they face Canada for the gold medal.

“We met through the Olympics and just being a part of the Olympic spirit and the journey, I thought it would be a really full-circle moment for both of us considering it’s our last time through to be able to celebrate it here and tie the knot,” added Knight, who was born in Palo Alto and has since moved to Salt Lake City to be close to a U.S. team training facility.

Knight’s final games

The 36-year-old Knight previously announced these would be her team-record fifth and final Games. And she will leave Italy with a record fifth medal. It’s the fourth and final Olympics for the 37-year-old Bowe, a two-time bronze medalist.

The couple met at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. And they grew closer at the 2022 Beijing Games — where they were limited to the athletes’ village because of Covid-19 restrictions — by taking long walks together between competitions.

Knight said she long ago bought the ring and made the decision to propose at the Olympics, but didn’t have a specific day. She finally decided on Wednesday so the couple could celebrate while their families and friends were still in Milan.

Knight found a quiet spot outside the athletes’ village to pop the question.

She also had help getting the ring to Italy. Rather than risk Bowe finding the ring box in their luggage, Knight had Bowe’s sister bring it separately. They made the exchange during a gathering after a hockey game.

“The sister knew but our families, we didn’t tell them,” Knight said. “We didn’t want anything to get out there because everyone would be super excited about it.”

Knight’s teammates were thrilled. “I almost fell off the table this morning when she told me,” forward Kendall Coyne Schofield said. “I’ve been like a little kid all morning. We haven’t seen Brit yet, but I can’t wait to see her, so we’re very excited.”

FLOCK –----------------

the data by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Mountain View Police Chief Mike Canfield announced Feb. 2 that he was shutting down the city’s 30 Flock cameras after data breaches were discovered.

“While the Flock Safety pilot program demonstrated clear value in enhancing our ability to protect our community and help us solve crimes, I personally no longer have confidence in this particular vendor,” Canfield said in a letter to the community.

‘National lookup’ was turned on

One data breach was from August to November 2024, just after Mountain View’s first license-plate reading camera was installed. During that time, a “national lookup” setting was turned on in Mountain View’s system, without the city’s knowledge, and several federal agencies searched data from the one camera the city had installed at the time. Those included Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives offices in Kentucky and Tennessee and Air Force bases in Virginia and Ohio, among others — but ICE wasn’t involved, the city said.

According to the city, Flock wasn’t able to determine how the national lookup feature was turned on, or how it was turned off. A Flock spokeswoman told the Post previously that the settings “are always under the control of the agency.”

California law bans sharing data from automated license plate readers with federal agencies and those outside of the state. Flock Safety disabled the national lookup feature for all California agencies in March 2025.

And although sharing data with other California agencies is allowed, Mountain View requires those agencies to first get permission and sign an agreement with the city.

But starting in August 2024, a “statewide lookup” feature was turned on that gave California agencies access to the city’s license-plate data without getting permission. Mountain View police discovered the issue in January 2026 and turned the feature off.

“At no time during the implementation calls, meetings, tutorial, onboarding, or related presentations was a statewide or nationwide lookup tool discussed, demonstrated, or presented to MVPD as a configurable feature,” Canfield said in a report to council for tomorrow’s meeting.

The city has paid Flock $154,650 since starting the program.

Canfield said the system has helped investigators in 87 commercial burglary cases, 65 car burglaries and 42 residential burglaries. The system helped Mountain View police identify or arrest 41 suspects. And license plate data used while working with police in other cities helped resolve a number of serious cases, including a domestic violence-carjacking case where the suspect was arrested in San Francisco and the rescue of a kidnapping victim in San Jose.

Sheriff grapples with Flock issues, too Santa Clara County supervisors will hear a report tomorrow on automated license plate readers, including privacy issues, potential data misuse and contract cancellations.

Sheriff Robert Jonsen is also asking supervisors if his office should have one surveillance policy for using the license plate readers in Los Altos Hills, Saratoga and Cupertino, rather than having a separate policy for each. Those jurisdictions paid for the license plate cameras on their own and have been letting the sheriff’s office use them.

Before Los Altos Hills shut down its Flock license-plate readers in January, the town had cameras at 31 locations, including every street entrance into town. The town gave residents a way to opt-out of having their license plate data collected if they submitted proof that their vehicle was registered to a Los Altos Hills address.

The sheriff’s office proposed policy explains information the license-plate cameras may collect. In addition to taking a photo of a vehicle’s license plate, the system may also provide details on the vehicle’s make, model, color, year and features such as window stickers or roof racks.

Live video, audio or vehicle speeds won’t be recorded, the policy states. Integrating the systems with facial recognition software is prohibited.

Data collected by the cameras is to be purged within 30 days, unless it’s needed for an investigation.

The policy also bans the use of the cameras for tracking people involved in peaceful demonstrations or protests.

LATEX –--------

bottle of lighter fluid and a hammer in his car and was planning more attacks.

He told police that he was after “latex people” who can take over the bodies of other people.

Ahlport’s notebook contained “disjointed, incoherent thoughts, delusions of grandeur and fatalistic statements,” including mentions of President Trump, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk.

Ahlport graduated from Los Altos High School and has a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University. He worked as a market data analyst at Adobe until losing his job in August 2024.

Toxic when playing video games

His wife, Grace Hsiung, told police that Ahlport can be “toxic” when playing video games but isn’t a violent person. She also wrote a letter to the court supporting her husband.

Grace Hsiung and Ahlport started dating in 2015 and married in November 2021.

Undersheriff Chris Hsiung said he welcomed Ahlport into the family and entrusted him around his children, who were 12, 9, 9 and 7 at the time and affectionally referred to Ahlport as “Uncle David.”

“His kind and patient demeanor, especially when engaging with them over shared interests like video games, left no doubt about the positive role he played in their lives,” said Hsiung, who worked in Mountain View for 28 years.

In his letter, Hsiung said he’s dealt with many individuals who were ag-

gressive or dangerous, including on homicide and assault investigations.

Hsiung said Ahlport never struck him as dangerous — instead he was consistently caring, dependable and gentle.

Ahlport’s mental health deteriorated throughout 2024, and he started getting into heated arguments on Facebook, his longtime friend Adam Kalachman said in another letter to the court.

A doctor diagnosed Ahlport with schizophrenia in August.

Attorney Marsanne Weese included the letters and diagnosis in an Oct. 1 application for mental health treatment rather than a criminal sentence.

Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney William Bobseine argued against releasing Ahlport because he “is far too likely to try to kill more people and cannot be safely treated in the community.”

Judge Meghan Piano granted the diversion on Jan. 13 and told the Santa Clara County sheriff to release Ahlport to the treatment facility on Feb. 10, court records show.

City may remove some parking near Kelly Park

Menlo Park City Council will decide tomorrow whether to remove parking on the south side of Pierce Road near Kelly Park.

The plan is to remove 160 parking spots from Carlton Avenue to Del Norte Avenue and replace them with a protected bike lane and turn Pierce Road from a two-way street into a one-way street.

The maximum number of cars observed parked on the south side of Pierce Road in December is 25.

will

The

(www.mountainview.gov)

or about March 6, 2026. If you have any questions, please contact Chong Hong at (650) 903-6311. Comments may

e-mailed to public.works@mountainview.gov.

To place an ad contact Brandon Heinrichs at (650) 328-7700

Design Coordinator (San Carlos, CA)

Prep & coordinate technical drawings, diagrams, construction docs & 3D models for design projects; as-built drawings; prep construction drawings.

architectural or interior design or closely related. AutoCAD, Revit, Adobe Creative Suite); visualization & documentation skills, including SD, DD, CD & as-built drawings; design portfolio; building codes, ADA requirements & general safety compliance.$72,301/year. Resume & CL: Regent 5, LLC, 1300 Industrial Rd, #12, San Carlos, CA 94070.

Bot can simulate the dead

Menlo Park-based Meta has patented an AI system that allows users to think they’re communicating with the dead.

The Large Language Model bot uses the deceased person’s posts, comments, likes, chats and voice messages as part of its training, according to Business Insider.

This allows the bot to predict the next word in a sentence in much the same way as the user did, a technique called natural language processing.

Voices recreated

And it could even let friends and family hear the voices of the

dead by cloning a person’s voice to simulate audio and video calls using deepfake technology.

Meta first filed the patent in November 2023 and will expire in 2043. Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s chief technology officer, is listed as the primary author of the patent.

Meta, parent of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, has no plans to use the patent, a company representative said.

Holograms of the dead

However, the patent has raised the possibility of utilizing 3D modeling and holograms to re-create the deceased person.

Microsoft patented a similar bot model in 2021. The company later scrapped the idea, with leadership saying it was “disturbing.”

Nonetheless, startups are charging into the AI-powered afterlife industry. Two deadbot generators are Replika AI and 2wai.

The patent says the bot could replace a person who takes a long break from social media. Such a break could have a detrimental impact on their followers.

The patent adds: “The impact on the users is much more severe and permanent if that user is deceased and can never return to the social networking platform.”