Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How new rules could change Palo Alto’s reliance on consultants.

Be sure to catch Ragnarocktoberfest 2026 3-Day Nerf Event on the Palo Alto Patch calendar

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Hi Palo Alto! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How new rules could change Palo Alto's reliance on consultants.
  • Want to know who's flying into Palo Alto to study biotech policy?
  • How a Palo Alto startup just raised $145M for AI hardware.

Also on today's calendar: Ragnarocktoberfest 2026 3-Day Nerf Event and 10 more events.

Today's riddle: What do you call a belt that is made of watches? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Plenty of sunshine, with a high of 85 and low of 56 degrees.
  • Friday: Partly sunny and very warm, temps: high: 88, low: 55. 🌶 Hot!
  • Saturday: Blazing sunshine and hot, with a high of 95 and low of 61 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Palo Alto looks to rein in consultants, with a little help from one (paloaltoonline.com) — Palo Alto officials are rolling out new "best practices" to tighten how the city hires and manages consultants after public frustration over costly contracts and uneven work. The guidelines aim to boost transparency, emphasize local expertise, and even weigh the role of AI, while still relying on consultants for major projects like area plans, bike upgrades and wastewater improvements.
   

• Bio-Strategies & Leadership Congressional Leadership Accelerator For Biotechnology (hoover.org) — Mid- to senior-level congressional staff can apply now for a 2027 biotechnology policy accelerator that brings them to Stanford, with lodging provided in Palo Alto and all travel covered. Over two intensive days, participants will hear from leading biotech and biosecurity experts, join lab visits, and explore how emerging technologies shape federal policy and governance.
   

• CScale Exits Stealth and Raises $145M Series C for AI Optical Interconnect (unite.ai) — A Palo Alto-based startup, CScale, has come out of stealth with a $145 million Series C round to develop optical interconnects that link thousands of AI accelerators in massive data centers. With backing from major investors and strategic partners like NVIDIA and Intel Capital, the company plans to grow its local headquarters and advance technology that could shape future AI infrastructure.
   

📸 Around Palo Alto

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Palo Alto

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📣 Palo Alto Shout Outs!

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • If this is your dog, he was running around community center about 30 mins ago.
    He ran across Middlefield at Addison and I tried to catch him with treats and a tennis ball near Addison and Fulton but he knew what I was trying to… (Nextdoor Community Center)
  • Hello!
    New to the area and considering switching my Kaisier medical to the Bay Area. I'm in my early 60's and need to also continue PT from a shoulder… (Nextdoor Midtown)
  • Macy's posted a job opening for Retail Merchandising Support Associate, Stanford Shopping Center - Full Time in Palo Alto. Apply here.
  • Urban Outfitters, Inc. posted a job opening for Free People Assistant Store Manager in Palo Alto. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Palo Alto here.

🗞 Nearby News

Los Altos Hills

  • Wildcat Watch: Bella Panaccione (villanovan.com)
  • Meet the landscape artist blurring the line between indoor rooms and outdoor spaces (rwcpulse.com)

Stanford

Redwood City

  • A Divided City Council Backed A New Bay Area Transit Tax Despite Worries On Oversight In Redwood City (patch.com)

Ok Palo Alto! 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: A waist of time. (Thank you Martin L. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what's happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

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