Community Corner
š± Patch AM: Officials To Exterminate Ground Squirrel Overpopulation At SMC County Park
And check out Gilles Vonsattel: "Encountering Beethoven" on the Menlo Park Patch calendar

Greetings Menlo Park! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☕️️
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In today's newsletter:
- USDA to fumigate Flood County Park's booming ground squirrel population
- What's really at stake with Menlo Park's 80 Willow Road skyscrapers?
Also on today's calendar: Gilles Vonsattel: "Encountering Beethoven" and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: What has a tail, but no body? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Tuesday: Partly sunny and not as warm, with a high of 77 and low of 57 degrees.
- Wednesday: Partly sunny, temps: high: 75, low: 60.
- Thursday: Areas of low clouds, then sun, with a high of 77 and low of 56 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• Officials To Exterminate Ground Squirrel Overpopulation At SMC County Park (patch.com) — Menlo Park residents who frequent Flood County Park will soon see federal wildlife crews fumigating ground squirrel burrows after the rodents damaged walkways, oaks and redwoods. San Mateo County Parks is partnering with the USDA to use sodium nitrate and charcoal fumigation on Wednesdays in September and October, with trapping safeguards for non-target animals and possible follow-up control next spring.
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• 'We've done everything we can:' Menlo Park mayor invites Bonta to see controversial skyscraper project site (paloaltoonline.com) — Menlo Park's mayor is pushing back on state pressure over the 80 Willow Road skyscraper proposal, inviting Attorney General Rob Bonta to see traffic and environmental concerns firsthand. Residents and housing advocates are split, with some warning of gridlock and others calling the project a consequence of the city's slow housing production. The City Council continues closed‑session talks as a lawsuit deadline looms.
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📸 Around Menlo Park
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🗓 Upcoming Events in Menlo Park
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Gilles Vonsattel: "Encountering Beethoven" →
Martin Family Hall, 50 Valparaiso Ave, Atherton
7:00 pm - Gilles Vonsattel: Beethoven Piano Sonatas →
Spieker Center for the Arts, 50 Valparaiso Ave, Atherton
4:00 pm - Redwood City Library Foundation's 5th Annual Upscale Pub Crawl →
Redwood City Public Library, 1044 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City
5:00 pm
Friday September 18
Saturday September 19
Wednesday October 7
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Silas Herman & The Tone Unit supporting The... →
The Guild Theatre, 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
6:00 pm - Third ANTHEM San Francisco Location in Menlo Park Grand Opening →
871 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park - Copa del Menlo, Round Two →
Arrillaga Family Recreation Center, 700 Alma Street, Menlo Park
7:00 pm - This Is Now with Angie Coiro: Casey Gerald →
Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
7:00 pm - Springline Oktoberfest →
Springline Menlo Park, 1300 El Camino Real, Menlo Park - Whirling Meditation Workshop →
Feldman's Books, 1075 Curtis Street, Menlo Park
6:00 pm - 2026 Coastal Cleanup Day at San Francisquito Creek →
1 Alma Street, Menlo Park
9:00 am - Ragnarocktoberfest 2026 3-Day Nerf Event →
Independence High School, 617 N Jackson Ave, San Jose
12:00 pm - Up and Away Botb Annual Fundraiser →
Domenico Winery, 1697 Industrial Rd, San Carlos
6:30 pm
Wednesday September 16
Thursday September 17
Friday September 18
Saturday September 19
Friday October 2
Saturday October 3
📣 Menlo Park Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Hi neighbors!
My name is GraceAnn, and I recently moved back to Menlo Park. I just graduated from the University of Oregon and am now pursuing my master's degree… (Nextdoor Central Menlo) - ⚠️ Magnitude 2.49 earthquake reported
Sep 13 at 5:44 PM PDT: 2.49 magnitude earthquake occurred near Woodside, CA. More than 179 neighbors felt it. (Nextdoor )
- Tickets.com posted a job opening for 2023 Legends Memorabilia Collection Stadium Auction Sales Contractor - Stanford in Stanford. Apply here.
- Brookdale Senior Living posted a job opening for Wellness Director LVN/RN in Redwood City. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Menlo Park here.
🗞 Nearby News
Atherton
- See What Your Housing Budget Buys in Every ZIP Code (lmtonline.com)
- The Land, the Backlash, and the Watchers: Inside AI's Real Estate Reckoning (realtytoday.com)
Stanford
- The Real-Life Love Story Behind Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathé's Marriage (goodhousekeeping.com)
- The Value of Open Minds (stanfordmag.org)
- Duke Unveils 2026-27 Fencing Schedule (goduke.com)
Ok Menlo Park! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Coin (Thank you John W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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