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Although 2024 included visits to the Midpeninsula from presidential candidates going into a general election of major consequence, a mix of stories also drew readers — on local housing, education and business issues — to The Almanac.
Here’s a look back at the most-viewed stories over the past 12 months.
10. National election-related stories: Trump supporters rally in Palo Alto, Woodside / President Biden is met with protesters in Portola Valley, Palo Alto
Presidential candidates made visits to the Bay Area for fundraising events during the year, including President Joe Biden before he decided to drop out of the race.
Almanac reporters headed to protests and rallies around the events, documenting the frenzied affairs with photos and interviews of attendees.
When Las Lomitas Elementary School District teachers went on strike this fall they mentioned that they didn’t understand how they couldn’t get raises when the district was spending on luxury trips. This led to our freelance writer to review over 600 transactions made by top administrators on district credit cards. He also found that the district had spent money on Michelin-star restaurants and 4-star hotels.
The investigation, in part, has led the school board to initiate an outside financial audit.
8. Opposition grows for massive ‘builder’s remedy’ project at former Sunset Magazine site
Menlo Park residents continued to form opposition to the controversial proposal to construct towers on the former Sunset Magazine headquarters in Menlo Park.
More than 700 people have signed a change.org petition by Brielle Johnck of Menlo Park in protest against the ambitious mixed-use complex at 80 Willow Road proposed last year as a “builder’s remedy” project by the development company N17.
7. Dutch Goose forced to close by health inspector, back open on Friday
The Dutch Goose in Menlo Park was forced to close on July 17 by San Mateo County Environmental Health Services due to the presence of live cockroaches, according to the department’s website.
An inspector with the department cleared the restaurant, located at 3567 Alameda de las Pulgas, to open on the morning of July 19 and it was back open that day.
6. M-A boys varsity basketball coach placed on leave
Mike Molieri, Menlo-Atherton High School special education teacher of 21 years and boys varsity basketball coach of 12 years, has been placed on administrative leave by the Sequoia Union High School District for an undisclosed reason. Students say they’re devastated to lose a teacher and coach who acted as a mentor and safe space for many on campus.
Molieri is still on leave.
5. New restaurant in Menlo Park pays homage to old Silicon Valley
A new restaurant called Sand Hill Sundeck opened at 3000 Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park on July 7. The restaurant is located within the Sand Hill Collection, a 48-acre indoor-outdoor workspace poised at the top of Sand Hill Road.
4. ‘Lies and abuse of power’ plague San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, investigation finds
One of the biggest stories of the year was the turmoil in the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
A 408-page report released in November by county supervisors Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller called for the immediate resignation of Sheriff Christina Corpus and the immediate firing of her then-Chief of Staff Victor Aenlle due to what Judge LaDoris H. Cordell describes that “lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation and abuses of power,” are “hallmarks” of the Corpus’ administration.
The report detailed a multi-year affair between Corpus and Aenlle that allegedly involved Aenlle gifting Corpus thousands of dollars worth of jewelry and accompanying her on a trip to Hawaii, all while Corpus fast-tracked pay increases for Aenlle.
3. Former Sequoia staffers accuse district of discrimination
Almanac reporter Jennifer Yoshikoshi spent four months investigating working conditions in the Sequoia Union High School District, interviewing eight former and current staff members. Each referred her to another former staff member with similar experiences, indicating a potential pattern of discrimination.
The high cost of housing remains a major challenge for San Mateo County residents.
A report from the California Association of Realtors found that you need to make $518,400 annually to afford a median-priced home in the county.
San Mateo and Santa Clara counties require the highest minimum incomes in the state for a median-priced home.
1. Menlo Park police find that Teslas don’t appear to be ‘patrol cars of the future’
In August, the Menlo Park City Council received an update on the Menlo Park Police Department’s Tesla pilot program, which aims to see whether Teslas, or other electric vehicles, could be used as patrol vehicles.
Over the course of the program, police staff found that while “Teslas are useful within the department for patrol and non-patrol operations, (they) do not appear to be the ‘patrol cars of the future,’” due to officer safety concerns, lack of off-roading ability and limited space for gear, personnel and detainees.
In 2021, the City Council implemented the Tesla patrol car pilot program as part of the city’s effort to be carbon neutral by 2030.
