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Nancy Lund, Portola Valley town historian and chair of the Historic Resources Committee, quizzes residents on events that happened in 1964, the year the town was incorporated, at the town center on June 23, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
Richard Merk, left, laughs with Jim Lipman, right, during a celebration of the 60th anniversary of Portola Valley’s incorporation at the Town Center on June 23, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
Portola Valley Vice Mayor Judith Hasko addresses attendees at the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the town’s incorporation at the Town Center on June 23, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
Diana Raines, right, chats with Nancy Lund, Portola Valley town historian and chair of the Historic Resources Committee, left, during a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the town’s incorporation on June 23, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
Dianne Schilling, left, smiles along with a group of Portola Valley residents during a celebration of the town’s incorporation 60 years ago at the Town Center on June 23, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
Portola Valley residents chat at a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the town’s incorporation on June 23, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
An attendee of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of Portola Valley’s incorporation smiles while greeting a friend at the Town Center on June 23, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
A button reads “Town of Portola Valley 60 year resident” at a celebration of the town’s incorporation on June 23, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier.
June 23, 1964, was the day that more than 1,000 people voted for the incorporation of Portola Valley. On June 23, 2024, more than 20 people who lived in the town since 1964 gathered at Town Center to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the town.
The people who lived in the town from the beginning, “passed down the legacy to all of us and taught the rest of us about the ethics of Portola Valley. How we blend in rather than stand out and respect the environment and all the creatures that are within it,” said Historic Resources Committee member Nancy Lund.
The event celebrated people who served as significant figures to the town’s history, including 98-year-old Bob Katz, the last surviving member of the first Town Council and Planning Commission, and Martin Ramies, the longest-tenured resident of Portola Valley.
In 1964, Katz educated the community on the importance of voting and created awareness for the election. Lund said he was instrumental in the fact that 80 percent of the electorate voted for the incorporation of the town.
During the event, the Historic Resources Committee hosted a quiz on the history of Portola Valley asking questions about the first town council, planning commission and who the town attorney was. The town residents also reflected on nostalgic memories of life in 1964 with a review of what movies and books were popular, who won the Kentucky Derby, historical events and more.
“I have borne witness and try to record it so that people in the future will know who we are in this era, in the end of one century and the beginning of the next one,” said Lund, who has been a town resident since 1980 and a member of the historic committee since 1982.
The anniversary of the town is celebrated every 10 years and this is only one of the events that will commemorate the 60th anniversary, said Lund. Future events will invite the entire town to celebrate the history of Portola Valley. Plans are still in discussion and will be announced at a later date.
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