Earlier this year the United States Postal Service informed the Town of Atherton that they were exercising their right to close the Atherton Contract Postal Unit, commonly referred to as the Atherton Post Office, effective June 25, 2026.

This means that after June 25, 2026 Atherton residents will no longer be able to purchase postage of any kind from the Front Desk in Town Hall.

Mail will still be picked up from the drop box inside Town Hall, but only in the mornings when mail is delivered to the Town. This time fluctuates based on mail routes that day, but it is generally 11:00 am, Monday through Friday.

Residents should adjust to using the several Post Offices nearby in Menlo Park and Redwood City.  Any questions can be directed to (650) 752-0500 or Town@athertonca.gov.

Post Offices within 2 miles of Atherton:

Oak Grove
655 Oak Grove Ave
Menlo Park

West Menlo Park
2120 Avy Ave
Menlo Park

Menlo Park (Main Station)
3875 Bohannon Dr
Menlo Park

Woodside Plaza
364 Woodside Plz
Redwood City

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On a morning walk InMenlo contributing photographer Robb Most spotted lots of tadpoles swimming in Sharon Pond. We know the pond is filled with frogs later in the spring, so we did a little research on

Tadpoles typically turn into frogs within 3 to 4 months after hatching. This metamorphosis time varies by species and environmental conditions, with some taking just a few weeks in warmer conditions, while others, like bullfrogs, can take one to three years to complete the process.

Key stages of development:

• Hatching (approx. 2 weeks): Eggs hatch into aquatic tadpoles with gills and tails.
• Leg growth (5–9 weeks): Hind legs appear first, followed by front legs.
• Metamorphosis (3-4 months): Gills are replaced by lungs, the tail is absorbed, and they become carnivorous, emerging onto land as froglets.

Photo by Robb Most (c) 2026

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Emails Founder and Program Director Melissa Fabreo – Montelongo (pictured):

“Over the last 18 months we have created wellness programming for houseless women in Palo Alto through collaboration with Heart and Home Collaborative and we are 1.5 years into our trauma-informed specialized wellness programming from the women of Elmwood Detention Center. The classes are filled and on a waitlist.

“These women are completing their sentences and preparing to reenter society. Many are our neighbors in Fair Oaks, West Menlo Park, Redwood City and East Palo Alto. We are teaching them so many valuable self care tools to help them ease back into society and to understand the importance of community.

“Of course we still have our ongoing contract with Menlo Park  Rec offering a roster of free wellness classes every month.”

Buy tickets to the benefit online.

The post The Banyan Tree Women’s Collective benefit — Branches of Hope —set for April 23 appeared first on InMenlo.

The City Hall PV systems are part of Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE)’s Solar and Storage for Public Buildings Program. In partnership with PCE, solar is being installed at four facilities (Arrillaga Gymnastics Center, Belle Haven Child Development Center, City Hall and Menlo Park Library) at no up-front cost.

These efforts support the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) goal to be carbon neutral by 2030. Specifically, they support CAP Strategy No. 5 which is to eliminate fossil fuel use from City operations by securing affordable electricity prices for City facilities that will be switching from gas to all-electric appliances for cleaner air, improved health and reduced costs.

Visit menlopark.gov/citysolar to learn more about the solar projects. For questions, please reach out to sustainability@menlopark.gov.

Interested in learning more about City sustainability initiatives? Attend the next Environmental Quality Commission meeting on April 15 at 6:00 pm. Find meeting details at menlopark.gov/EQC.

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On Sunday, April 12, come to the Belle Haven Library (100 Terminal Ave.) from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm, to celebrate National Poetry Month with a hands-on activity.

Words, scraps, a bit of glue, and magic: inspired by blackout poetry and mixed media collage, junk poetry is all about finding and creating meaning out of scraps.

Join local poet Dina Klarisse to create poems from the unexpected.

Materials will be provided, but feel free to bring and share from your own collage stash.

For ages 7-Adult. Ages 7 and below welcome with a guardian.

This free event received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.

Photo courtesy of Menlo Park Library

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As the Ravenswood City School District prepares to welcome up to 350 additional students in Fall 2026, Ravenswood Classroom Partners need for community support is greater than ever.

Please consider becoming a volunteer tutor. By giving just a little of your time, you can help students build confidence, strengthen academic skills, and discover their potential.

There will also be a Volunteer Information Session on Wednesday, May 6, at 10:00 am. Email Susan Macleod [susan@ravenswoodclassroompartners.org] for more information and to RSVP.

Photo caption: Long time RCP volunteer and Menlo Park resident Sidney Marks works with a Kindergartener on learning his letter sounds using songs.

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Atherton’s Annual Waste Wise Event with Greenwaste will be on April 11.

The event will be in the parking lot of Holbrook Palmer Park (150 Watkins Ave) from 10:00 am to 1:oo pm, or until the disposal truck is full.

The following items will not be accepted:
– Fluorescent Tubes
– Batteries
– Carbon Monoxide or Smoke Detectors

Atherton residents may bring a maximum of three standard size banker boxes (10″ x 12″ x 15″) for secure on-site shredding. Staples and paperclips are acceptable.

There will also be a compost giveaway.

Full information online.

Photo courtesy of earth.org

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Come to the Belle Haven Library (100 Termina Ave.) on Saturday, April 11 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm for a concert of Hawaiian classics, original compositions, and more performed by Faith Ako, who has been known for over 30 years as the Bay Area’s premier female artist in Traditional/Contemporary Hawaiian music.

Along with fellow musician Tarvin Makia, Faith last year released her first jazz album, the award-winning Ho’okanikapila, Maui (Let’s make music, Maui).

This free event received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.

The post Listen to Hawaiian music with Faith Ako on April 11 at the Belle Haven Library appeared first on InMenlo.

Heat pumps provide comfort and energy efficiency and are an important part of California’s clean energy future, with more homes using them every day. They can replace gas systems with a single unit for heating and cooling, while also improving indoor air quality. Learn more and find local events.

Menlo Park residents may also be eligible for no-cost upgrades or rebates through the City’s Home Upgrade Services program, which helps households transition from gas to electric appliances, including heat pumps. Apply or learn more at menlopark.gov/homeupgrade.

The post Heat Pump Week in Menlo Park set for April 11-19 appeared first on InMenlo.

The Searsville Watershed Restoration Project involves:

• Reestablishing natural free-flowing creeks and sediment transport processes
• Establishing fish passage through a tunnel to be constructed through the base of the Searsville Dam
• Restoring streams and riparian habitats immediately upstream of the dam
• Flushing a substantial amount of sediment currently trapped behind the dam
• Replacing the surface water diversion and storage capacity through modifications to the downstream San Francisquito Creek Pump Station and Felt Reservoir

A new 404 permit application was submitted on January 26, 2026.

Interested parties are encouraged to engage in the process, and comments on the Notice of Intent (NOI) and Notice of Preparation  (NOP) for the environmental documents are currently being accepted.

Two virtual public scoping  meetings will be held on  April 7 and April 8, 2026:

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 1:00 to 2:30 pm

Meeting link: https://kearnswest.zoom.us/j/87367664795?pwd=wnm3EeC2TO6bDTlgPP6PbLf2ib0cuA.1 Dial-in Number:  309-205-3325

Meeting ID: 873 6766 4795

Passcode: 939758

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 6:00 to 7:30 pm

Meeting link: https://kearnswest.zoom.us/j/89869392029?pwd=VaMqVfwbbrvmmAA849OFVhiYPrHWL7.1

Dial-in Number: 309-205-3325

Meeting ID: 898 6939 2029

Passcode: 095441

Click  here  to access the US Army Corps of Engineers Notice of Intent. Comments to the Army Corps are due by  April 11, 2026.

Click  here  to access the Department of Water Resources Notice of Preparation. Comments to the Department of Water Resources are due by April 17, 2026.

Note: Second image is a historical postcard from the days Searsville was open for recreational use.

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