The hills will be alive all day Saturday with the sounds of local music, when a new summer music festival launches in Portola Valley. The first PV Palooza, organized by the Portola Valley Cultural Arts Committee, takes place June 11, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Portola Valley Town Center, with stages on the soccer field and the lawn next to the library.
The festival is funded by local businesses and private donors, according to the event's website.
PV Palooza highlights the abundance of local talent, with bands featuring musicians from Portola Valley and neighboring towns such as Woodside performing a wide variety of music, including bluegrass, rock, jazz, Americana and alternative. The lineup features Windy Hill, Krim Band, Bundy Browne Band, Ginger + Bandits, Indygo Rhythm Section, Pathetic Honey, Whiskey Hill Billies, The Bubbles, Up and to the Right, Salty Licks and Christopher Normann.
PV Palooza will also showcase young musicians and student ensembles, with kids' performances following each band in the main lineup.
The Portola Valley Town Center is located at 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley. For more information, visit pvpalooza.com.
Read more about the festival at almanacnews.com.
—Heather Zimmmerman
All Five preschool expansion complete
The long-awaited new buildings at All Five, a preschool and infant/toddler program in the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park, are finished, according to a June 2 newsletter. The preschool will celebrate a grand opening of the new construction on Friday, Aug. 26, from 3 to 6 p.m. to mark the start of the school year.
The construction included a new playground and retrofitting of buildings to classrooms to ensure they meet fire code requirements. Construction also added bathrooms, running water and configured rooms to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The new classes come through a lease agreement with the Ravenswood City School District — adjacent to its campus at 1391 Chilco St.
Founded in 2015, All Five was open to 2- to 5-year-olds but, with the extra space, will now be able to expand and serve infants (six weeks and older) and toddlers.
"The new structures are a model facility for all early childhood education programs," All Five Executive Director Carol Thomsen said in the newsletter. "Expanding enrollment has been a long and tumultuous endeavor and everyday we observe the new children we serve growing, learning, and thriving. There is no question high-quality early childhood education improves an individual's lifetime academic, economic, and health outcomes. We could not be more grateful for your partnership in providing this transformative experience for more children and families wanting a better future."
Learn more about All Five at allfive.org.
New electric bus fleet comes to Menlo Park school district
The Menlo Park City School District has received grant funding for three electric school buses and charging stations, which district Transportation Supervisor Wilfin Morales applied for and won.?
"He (Morales) is an eco-champion to me, and these buses will serve as a daily reminder to our children that our team is acting to preserve their environmental future," said Trustee Francesca Segr? in her newsletter.
The $1.2 million grant comes from the Carl Moyer Funding/Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Process. The PG&E EV Fleet Program also provided grant funding for the charging stations.
The district presented one of the new buses during a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 2 to mark the district's commitment to sustainable transportation. The Board of Trustees also recognized the district's transportation team for securing the buses.
