I’m a high school junior, which means I’ll be putting on a cap and gown next year. But before I do, I’d really like to see California formally integrate digital wellness into existing health education classes. 

San Mateo County is at a pivotal crossroads. As local leaders explore ways to address our region’s staggering child care crisis, several funding mechanisms are under consideration. Most notably, the county is currently commissioning a poll (conducted by McGuire Research) to gauge resident su…

The death of 4-year-old Ayden Fang in August of 2025 after an e-bike collided with a compact SUV that veered onto a Burlingame sidewalk is an enormous tragedy.

While the eyes of the nation are on the horror unfolding in Minneapolis at the hands of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, our democracy itself and voting rights in particular, are also under increasing and insidious attacks. I do not say this lightly. The threat is coming directly…

Your phone pings at 2 a.m. Heavy rain has been falling for hours. Water is rising in the street. Your neighbor is loading up the car. Someone online says your area is about to lose power. 

This year, the NAACP San Mateo County Branch marks 100 years of unwavering service; one century of standing firm in the face of injustice, challenging inequity wherever it shows up, and fighting for the dignity and rights of every resident who calls this county home.

These are the facts and they are undisputed.

As members of the Leagues of Women Voters of San Mateo County, we are deeply alarmed by the recent and escalating use of force by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the threat of domestic military engagement in our country.

I write to you as someone who understands the evangelical world you come from because I grew up in it too. I know the Bible stories, the altar calls, the sincere prayers and the genuine belief that we are called to follow Jesus. That shared background is precisely why I feel compelled to wri…

Recently I was driving down El Camino Real toward San Mateo and I found myself surrounded by three Waymo taxis.

Academic achievement in school is important, but kids need much more to succeed in today’s world. Equal attention should be given to social-emotional education, especially for young teens. Without a strong emotional foundation and the skills needed to navigate relationships, academic success…

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

As we head into 2026, it already feels clear that 2025 will be remembered as a turning point: the year artificial intelligence became a regular part of daily life. ChatGPT is now as ubiquitous as Google, Waymo cars are a familiar sight on big city streets, and distinguishing between real and…

On a late wintry afternoon recently, I was in my childhood neighborhood and I drove by my old elementary school — Meadow Heights — in San Mateo. I stepped from the car and peered through the black cyclone fence that bordered the school. The playground was empty, and standing there, my eyes s…

Even those of us who don’t pray might be willing to pray now. Because we need all the help we can get to remember we aren’t alone and are more powerful than we know.

Across California, Christmas morning looked familiar: wrapping paper everywhere, parents filming and kids tearing into boxes. This year, some of those boxes held something new — and far more dangerous than most are willing to admit: electric bikes. 

How did our regional housing supply get so out of balance and how does that impact our cities?

The winter holidays are over. Decorations are stored. A list of New Year’s resolutions has been made. A bright new year approaches. You might feel that you can relax since you’ve made it through another busy season.

As a faith leader, and as a human, what I am thinking about this holiday season are the faces of all those so deeply impacted by the high cost of housing — the woman working three jobs who still can’t afford rent, the teacher forced to move two counties away from the students she loves, the …

Dear Editor — I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Getting into college is harder than ever. Every year, Americans spend about $500 million on “educational consultants” who help students navigate applying to college. Most first-generation, low-income students don’t have access to those resources. 

In San Mateo County, we are fortunate to live in a community that gives generously financially, civically and personally.

I have been fascinated by weather my entire life. That fascination led me to study climatology, then into a career as a geologist studying how water, weather and terrain create landslides across the Bay Area. 

At the close of the year, local government entities across San Mateo County collectively have a $9.1 billion endowment; slightly bigger than Dartmouth College’s and slightly smaller than Cornell’s. Unlike those endowments which are treated as long-term assets and invested accordingly, we tre…

Two years ago, San Mateo residents made a significant and forward-looking choice. By approving the city’s Stormwater Initiative, we collectively agreed to invest in long-overdue storm system upgrades to reduce flooding risk, protect neighborhoods and better prepare for increasingly intense w…

At first the plan for the property a block from UC Berkeley was modest: build a two-unit accessory dwelling behind a pair of small apartment buildings.

Sure, California can swear off fossil fuels and shut down its nuclear plants, powering itself entirely with wind, water, and sun. 

Recently, U.S. and local housing and government leaders traveled overseas through the Global Policy Leadership Academy’s Social Housing Field Study to Austria to witness Vienna’s housing model at work.

It has been reported that the Trump administration is ready to allow drilling off the California coast.

“Writing is the social act of the solitary man.” Tobias Wolff shared this reflection on Faulkner at IAVA’s inaugural Beyond the Uniform speaker series which launched this month in Atherton, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump rarely agree on anything. Their feud has played out for years on immigration raids, wildfire relief and the moral direction of American democracy. 

In San Mateo County, we proudly celebrate our natural beauty, diversity and innovation. Behind our scenic shoreline, bustling downtowns and tree-lined neighborhoods lies a quieter and even more essential force: the small, locally owned businesses that give our communities their character, re…

In San Mateo County, we pride ourselves on being a place of innovation. We build companies that change the world. We cultivate creativity, invest in early learning and celebrate diversity. Yet when you look closely at how our students are learning to read, you see a story that does not match…

Silicon Valley is known worldwide for innovation, talent and economic strength. It is a region where bold ideas take shape and industries are born. Yet it is also a region where far too many of our neighbors struggle to meet their most basic needs.

A few days ago a friend said to me: “You’re an architect. What do you think about this whole East Wing flap?”

I live in a small town in Northern California. I’ve given back to my community as a volunteer, planning commissioner and councilmember, currently serving as Brisbane’s mayor.

With deep admiration and respect for the fantastic staff at Peninsula Clean Energy and for my fellow dedicated members of PCE’s Community Advisory Committee, I am disappointed: the PCE Board of Directors will soon consider “sunsetting” the CAC.

Certain buildings reveal more than bricks and mortar. They show who we believe deserves investment. In San Mateo, the Martin Luther King Community Center tells that story. 

The hum of an electric motor is becoming as common as the rattle of a skateboard in Foster City, as children and teens increasingly embrace the speed and convenience of e-bikes. They zip along the Levee Pedway, cruise to school and meet friends across town with a new, powerful independence.

As a former councilmember and mayor of the city of San Mateo, I advocated strenuously — and successfully — for an increase in the minimum wage. This was done in an effort to uphold the dignity and improve the lives of many worthy members of our local community who were struggling to just get by.

Our sacred responsibility of living in a democracy is demanding a great deal of us these days.

When Congress failed to fund the government at the beginning of October, students seeking federal financial aid were plunged into a bureaucratic nightmare. As political leaders bicker over a spending bill, California students and families are left to navigate a financial aid process made eve…

During my recent hectic week in London, I managed to attend a delightful program at The Royal Albert Hall. The Scottish Philharmonic Orchestra performed Brahms Symphony No. 2, conducted by Ilan Volkov.

The people of our country built the White House shortly after our Revolutionary War with England, and in 1792, the cornerstone of the White House was laid.

San Mateo is on the verge of one of the largest redevelopment projects in its history. The longtime owner of the Hillsdale Mall, Bohannon Development Company, has brought in Northwood Investors, an out-of-state private equity firm. Together, they are big developers with big pockets, looking …

In an era saturated with data, opinions and noise, it’s easy to question your inner voice. We’re taught to defer to experts, wait for consensus and downplay our instincts in the name of objectivity. But history shows that meaningful change often begins with a quiet sense that something isn’t…

Indigenous peoples are believed to have migrated from Asia across the Bering Sea becoming the earliest Native Americans in what we now call North America.  Since the Europeans colonized the early states, we have been a nation of multi-cultural immigrants. Immigration has been the cornerstone…

In my vision of a perfect future in San Mateo, Samaritan House is out of business. Sounds harsh, right? 

Is mental health care considered “care” in the first place? One in five U.S. adults struggle with mental illness and, for many individuals, receiving care begins in crisis state events.