Author: punchwpadmin

Y es, I’m just that content. In fact, if you look up the definition of contentment, you’ll find my name: Dre. Okay, I’m kidding, but it’s only because the dictionary writers haven’t met me yet. If they had, they’d also include my name under the definition of “true mutt” because I’m believed to be a mixture of Dachshund, Beagle and Border Terrier with perhaps a dash of Corgi. It must be a winning combination because a photo of irresistible me is what brought me to my forever home. Four years ago, my family (Ben, Kelly, Kogan and Bo) had just moved to Menlo Park, and as Kelly tells the story, Ben was so excited about their new big backyard that he thought it would be “brilliant” to surprise her with a puppy. “Before I knew it,” Kelly says, “I had a two-month-old puppy and a four-month-old baby on my hands—I cried.” Just imagine that, crying with happiness at the sight of me! Kogan, who was four at the time, instantly fell in love and proclaimed me “Draymond Green,” after his favorite Warriors player. Draymond turned into Dre, and I grew up keeping a close watch on baby Bo. One time, he cut his finger and needed stitches and I felt so badly for him that I yelped and moaned right alongside him through the entire ordeal. Mostly though, I’m always smiling ear to ear. In fact, neighbors who pass us on walks take one look at my gleeful grin and always comment, “Wow, that’s one happy dog!” Content, happy Dre—that’s me, whether I’m officially in the dictionary or not

Words by Sloane Citron

My family, except for our son who lives in Israel, was finally all getting together to light the candles on the last night of Hanukkah, the holiday of the miracle. It’s called that because 2,200 years ago, after the Maccabean Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple, there was only enough oil for one night for lighting the Temple lamp and yet it lasted eight nights.

The 14 of us planned to assemble early on Sunday afternoon after my daughter Arielle, her husband Danny and their two sons (one a newborn) flew in from their home in Los Angeles. It was a day that I had been looking forward to, since I knew that this year the two older grandchildren, having recently turned three, were mature enough to have some understanding of what we were doing, be able to sing the prayers and songs and enjoy opening their presents.

While the clean-up is a bit onerous and falls to me, I love the absolute commotion of these get-togethers. My wife was smart and ordered a bouncy house for the backyard, since, with six grandchildren, it was definitely a party. One family after another arrived, the kids streaming inside to see their cousins, their aunts and uncles, their safta and saba. The house reverberated with the cacophony of voices, screams and singing.
The bouncy house was a big hit, and the kids spent close to an hour cascading off the sides of the air-filled play towers, the netted walls and each other. An occasional collision caused some momentary tears before the affected were quickly back into action. Except for the newborn, they all loved rolling around, shooting balls into the rubber hoop and jumping into each other.

When the sun went down around five, we calmed the children down a bit and prepared for the big event—lighting the candles. There was one Hanukkiah for each family, four in all. Thanks to my kids and their spouses, their children already have a good grasp of the prayers and songs that are all part of the lighting ceremony. Seeing all nine candles (one is used for lighting) brightly burning, the overhead lights turned off for effect, was a spectacular sight and a special spiritual moment for us all.

One of the challenges for little Jewish kids is learning the difference between birthday candles, which, of course, they get to blow out, and the candles for Shabbat and our holidays, which decidedly they do not get to blow out. So there is a moment of indecision for the children when their initial inclination is to blow and their parents have to yank them away so that the candles can burn down naturally.

Once this was done, it was time for presents. We are not really a “wrapping” family and each family—oldest child Josh and wife Adara going first—took their turn handing out their gifts. This meant, though, that each child received six or more exciting new things to pore over, from books to stuffed animals to Paw Patrol backpacks and Thomas train sets. Of course, it was too much, but there was great joy in seeing their happy faces. Then it was time for dinner, which, because no one wanted to take away time from the gettogether, we ordered in from a local restaurant. Lots of salmon, salad and fries. Of course, we had latkes and applesauce, and dreidels and gold chocolate coins were flying everywhere.

Late that afternoon, however, before the candle lighting, we had decided to go on a walk around the block, a good way to have the kids burn off even more of their unlimited energy and a pleasant way to enjoy the autumn coolness. As we readied for the walk, however, my daughter Talia realized that she had accidentally forgotten to bring shoes for her youngest child Levi. I suggested she search her car to see if there were any hidden away, and after rummaging around she found one right foot shoe, but only that single one. My kids are easygoing about such things, which I think is a wonderful trait, and Talia and her husband Sam were fine with little Levi riding in a wagon with no shoes.

“Just wait a minute,” I told them, and I ran upstairs to our attic and pulled out the first cardboard box resting there, full of old children’s clothes stored for some 25 years. I dumped the entire contents onto the floor, and there it was, one—and only one—little shoe, a left-footed boys desert boot that looked to be about the right size. I grabbed it and ran down to the front yard and placed it, Cinderella-like, onto Levi’s foot, where it fit perfectly.
It was a magical moment, one that could not be planned or ever duplicated. We all laughed hysterically and agreed wholeheartedly that this was the true Hanukkah miracle of 2021!

Words by Silas Valentino

If Jan Null is stirred from his slumber in the middle of the night due to the patter of rain outside, he can forget about catching any more Zs.
“For most meteorologists, when the weather wakes you up, you can’t get back to sleep,” he admits. “The worst is if it’s raining and I didn’t forecast for it …”

The meditative sound of falling rain is not the sonic of relaxation for Jan; instead, it represents infinite drops of data that he intently studies.
Through his efforts, Jan has become the go-to source for weather information in the Bay Area. If you’ve checked a weather report on the Peninsula in the last 47 years, there’s a good chance that Jan had some part in its analysis.

Following 23 years at the National Weather Service where he ultimately served as the lead forecaster for the Bay Area, Jan struck out on his own in 1998 with a consulting company called Golden Gate Weather Services.
Jan provides forensic meteorology services to assist legal and insurance professionals (his wife Susan Hollis jokes that he does “CSI: Weather”) and he’s been retained in over 600 cases while testifying in some 40 trials.

Elsewhere in his career, Jan established an oft-consulted weather index, created one of the first (if not the first) National Weather websites and he’s even renamed a regional wind pattern; following the 1991 Oakland firestorm, he dubbed what was once the Santa Ana winds as the Diablo wind to describe hot, dry wind from the northeast.

Impressive achievements all, but Jan’s proudest contribution is the decades of research he’s generated on Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke, leading to countless children’s lives saved from overheating inside calescent cars.
As a devotee to data, Jan’s output for local meteorological research is essentially unquantifiable; however, he and his career are illuminating data points for understanding the weather, and how we’re always getting better at doing so.

“I’m coming up on 47 and a half years and probably the thing I’ve noticed that’s changed the most is the accuracy of forecasts,” he says. “Back when I started, there was only a three-day forecast and that was considered cutting-edge. Now we’re up to seven days in a forecast—we’ve gained a day each decade of my career!”

The daily routine of weather analysis begins at 5AM when Jan typically awakens and heads into his home office with a banana and a glass of juice in hand. His favorite coffee mug was from a swag table at a meteorology conference. It simply says “Integrity” and Jan takes sips with intention.
He combs his hair neatly to the side and cuffs both ends of his jeans. Sometimes he has a pair of Apple AirPods sticking out of his ears as he attends to the latest novel from Michael Connelly. Jan is an avid reader, habitually consuming two works of fiction at a time to help balance his day of reading scores of nonfiction journals and data sets.

In 1993, Jan was at the National Weather Service and noticed how the Internet was quickly integrating into daily life. He believed it was only logical for the weather to be on it as well and used HTML to develop a simple web page. It has since morphed to become what is now weather.gov.

“I have a communicator-slash-public service gene for sharing information,” Jan reveals of his motivation to create and share. “And there are a fair number of introverts in the weather service, so I’m the one who picks up when the media calls. I think at some point I’ve talked to every journalist in the Bay Area.”

Pronounced Jan with a hard J (as in, not Yawn), he’s a father of two kids who are both still living in the Bay Area, now with children of their own.
Over the course of his life, Jan has amassed each of the major regional area codes: 415, 510 and 650. He was born in Oakland, raised in Castro Valley and worked in Redwood City for the National Weather Service. He’s lived in Saratoga but recently relocated to Half Moon Bay.

After serving three years in the Army, including 11 months in Vietnam, Jan graduated from UC Davis in 1974 with a degree in Atmospheric Science. He’d go on to earn his master’s in 1992 from San Jose State University with a thesis titled A Climatology of San Francisco Rainfall. He’s been deciphering and communicating weather data to the Bay Area ever since.

“I learned early on that people’s weather memories are … suspect at best,” he says with a humble laugh. “I’ll hear how, ‘This is the biggest we’ve ever had,’ but if you look at the numbers, it’s actually the 20th biggest storm. This is why I quantify the data.”

To make sense of our storms, Jan developed the Bay Area Storm Index (BASI), which measures the strength of wind and rain events in the region. Each storm is rated on a scale of 10.

For instance, the atmospheric river in October 2021, when rain was persistent for days, was considered by some as the “storm of the century,” but Jan has the data to decipher between facts and hyperbole.

“The only 10 on BASI ever recorded was in December 1995 when there were 103-mile gusts on Angel Island,” he notes. “This past storm in October was a 9.7. There was a 9.8 before and now we’ve had three 9.7s. I’d call this past storm a ‘once in a decade’ storm.”

Since high school, Jan has celebrated his unique perspective for the natural world by capturing images or moments in time. On his Instagram profile, he shares what he calls his, “serious (okay obsessed)” amateur photography.
He began by shooting sports such as basketball using a Hasselblad (the same Swedish camera that the Apollo astronauts had) before upgrading to a Leica camera. He always keeps a camera nearby and while serving in the Army, he’d slip the Leica inside his munitions pouch.

Describing himself as a “snap shooter,” Jan finds an everyday moment in nature and begins tinkering with composition before he shoots. He remains an amateur (“I already have a good job. I don’t want a new job,” he reasons.) but this doesn’t mean he’s not published.

Upon their move to Half Moon Bay, Jan and Susan actively sought ways to give back to their newly-adopted community. One such method was to support the Coastside Women’s Club and the nonprofit’s annual holiday boutique. Jan donated 35 of his photographs that were bundled together in an anthology. All copies of Treasures of the Coastside by Jan Null sold out within an hour, directly funding scholarships for the local high school.

“It’s a very active community and it’s nice to be part of it,” he says. “We just finished a major remodel and apparently we didn’t get the memo that when you are older, you downsize … now we have a guest room for our grandkids.”

Last year, Jan gifted his grandson a rain gauge and as the rains kept coming down last October in that once-in-a-decade storm, to Jan’s delight, his grandson ventured out into the elements to collect his own set of weather data.

Words by Kate Daly

Linda Jackson is proof that you can be called a living legend even if you’re only in your 60s. She may split her time between homes in Menlo Park and Pescadero, but this summer you will find her on a global sprint as she accompanies the team of elite professional women cyclists she founded after ending her own competitive career.

A member of Cycling Canada’s Hall of Fame, Linda inspires women cyclists every day, especially the swarm wearing bright pink helmets and jerseys emblazoned with the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB logo. Her team is one of just 15 licensed to compete at the highest level, the UCI WorldTour, which is presenting the women’s Tour de France in July 2022—the first in more than 30 years.

In another first, Linda’s team will be earning what men do at the WorldTour level. Although women’s WorldTour teams are only obligated to pay women a predetermined minimum salary, team sponsors EF Education, TIBCO and SVB are matching the men’s significantly higher minimum. From July 24 to July 31, the Tour de France Femmes will be televised live, following cyclists as they race from the iconic Eiffel Tower, past charming medieval towns, through Champagne country and all the way to the summit of La Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges Mountains.

Bringing the women’s Tour de France back “is a game-changer for women’s cycling,” Linda says. And she should know based on her own experiences of competing in a similar event, Tour Cycliste Feminin, back in the ’90s. However, Linda acknowledges that she wasn’t born to ride—in fact, it happened rather unintentionally.

Born in Nepean, Ottawa, Linda swam in high school and college, but after working at Morgan Stanley and then earning her MBA at Stanford, she switched to biking as an easy way to get around town. “I didn’t drive at the time,” she says. “At age 28, I commuted on my bike in jeans and running shoes.” Then, during a ski trip to Lake Tahoe in the early ’90s, she lost control on the slopes. As Linda slowly and painfully recovered from an ACL and meniscus tear (which required bone-to-bone reconstruction), cycling became a major part of her rehab routine.

As she grew stronger, she proudly remembers biking with a group of friends up Old La Honda Road in Woodside and being the first one to reach the top using flat pedals as opposed to clip-ins. After riding well in her first official race in 1991, Linda was hooked. By then, she was working for an investment bank, and her training included regular rides through the Los Altos hills to her office in San Francisco.

In 1993, at 35, she gave up her finance job to take a run at the 1996 Olympics. Initially training on her own and then with a few different teams, she earned a spot at the Summer Games in Atlanta. However, the international competition resulted in a heartbreaking outcome. “My parents were there to watch, and on the first lap of the road race, a woman wiped out and it was the domino effect,” she recounts. “I went flying into a mailbox.” Unable to shift gears with one arm, Linda had to pull out of the race and burst into tears during her trip to the hospital. About a week later, she competed in a time trial and came in ninth. Linda continued to rally back and won bronze later that year at the World Cycling Road Championships in Lugano, Switzerland.

The year 2000 ushered in big changes for Linda—she retired from pro cycling, got married and returned to a banking career. When a group of young women cyclists reached out to Linda to coach them, she decided to give up her six-figure salary and fully embrace her passion. Linda searched for team sponsors and organized galas and auctions at various clubs and private homes on the Peninsula to raise funds.

Today, Linda oversees a team of 14 women from six countries, and a staff that includes a director, high performance director, two mechanics, two soigneurs who provide massages and general care for the riders and a part-time nutritionist. With the exception of a 17-year-old junior road and cyclocross world champion from Great Britain who just signed up to join the team as a trainee, the cyclists range in age from 19 to 36 and include a doctor, a concert pianist and what Linda describes as “well-educated, well-balanced individuals who are interested in something other than cycling.”

Many of the women are based in Europe, but at the start of each season, they come together to train as a team with Linda. Last February, they spent two weeks in Spain, and Linda rode with them on what she calls the “easy day.” After getting hit by a car on Skyline Boulevard back in 2013 and suffering multiple injuries, she is understandably more cautious. “I swore I’d never ride again—it was too dangerous,” she says. But, within a month, she was back on a trainer. “I didn’t give it up but I was really afraid, especially on the descents.”

These days, Linda rides about 300 miles a week to keep in shape and admits to being a bit frustrated that she can’t do what she used to do, such as ascending Old La Honda in just over 16 minutes. Nowadays, it takes her more like 20. But rather than dwelling on her own performance, Linda finds fulfillment in discovering and supporting female athletes. Through her Silicon Valley Cycling Foundation, for example, she sponsors a development team in Seattle.

As Linda looks to the future, she believes that with women finding increasing equality in sports, “little girls can aspire.” Linda and her team will keep blazing that trail with their feet on the pedals and their eyes on the prize.

Words by Emily Mcnally

Although I’ve lived in Half Moon Bay, just down the street from Poplar Beach, for the last eight years, I’m barely considered a local in a town where families mark time in generations. But beaches have become part of my daily routine. I’ve learned whom to call when I find a beached seal (the Marine Mammal Center), how to spot a whale (look for flocks of seabirds over the ocean) and when to schedule our next boogie board or tidepool excursion (tide-forecast.com). The San Mateo Coast gladly welcomes visitors from all over the world to this unique stretch of sandy beaches, forested bluffs and rolling, green farmland. The ocean here is unpredictable and potentially dangerous, so always check safety conditions—riptides, waves and bacteria levels—before entering the water. What follows are highlights from some of my favorite spots (along with tips from other locals), but the mercurial coast is most rewarding when you’re open to what it presents at any given moment. A gusty day provides the thrill of frothing waves crashing over rocky outcroppings. A perfect calm interrupted by low-flying pelicans or the barking of distant sea lions crystallizes a memory. Unexpected delight is always more rewarding than any plan could possibly be.

Bean Hollow State Beach

Highway 1 (17 miles south of Highway 92)
Great for: tidepooling, wildlife, nature walks, romantic sunset viewing, leashed dogs
Amenities: small parking lot, portable toilets, picnic tables

Bean Hollow is made up of two small cove beaches that include Pebble Beach to the north and Bean Hollow to the south. They are connected above by a trail through coastal vegetation or by rock scrambling (preferred by many a kid) below. From above, enjoy the trails from which you can view groups of seals on the rocky outcroppings and rugged native plant life like yellow bush lupine, lizard tails and seaside daisies. From below, relish the seclusion of the sheltered beach while you watch the drama of the crashing waves. The tidepooling at Bean Hollow is excellent, allowing up-close-and-personal encounters with anemone, crabs and sea stars. Arcangeli Grocery Co. in Pescadero has all manner of picnic supplies, including deli sandwiches and addictive, freshly-made artichoke bread. Bean Hollow is a great spot for kids, but it may be best enjoyed as a romantic spot to cuddle up with a blanket in a cozy cove and watch the sun set.

“I love Bean Hollow for the sheltered beaches. It’s a great place for a romantic stroll at sunset.” – John McNally

Mavericks Beach

West Point Avenue, Half Moon Bay (5 miles north of Highway 92)
Great for: tidepooling, dogs, ocean views, expert surfing and spectating
Amenities: restrooms, free parking, trails

Located at the southern point of Pillar Point Harbor Beach is magical Mavericks, named for the famous big wave surf competition held between November and March when conditions permit. Because of the stretch of rock formations under the water, this is also a great spot to view a wide swath of creatures and plants in the intertidal zone. The beach isn’t large, but the views of crashing waves, sheltered by high bluffs, never disappoint. On the walk from the free dirt parking lot, nesting herons and egrets can be seen in the spring. I routinely visit this beach when I need to be reminded about how epic coastal beauty can be. Leashed dogs are permitted here and it’s a favorite spot of mine for an early morning walk with our family pup, Athena.

“I love Roosevelt Beach because it’s peaceful. Some beaches have powerful crashing waves, but at Roosevelt the waves are relaxing. My daughters love roaming around the little cliffs (mom-approved) and jumping off them.” – Rebecca Goodell

Gazos Creek State Beach

Highway 1 (23 miles south
of Highway 92)
Great for: beach hikes, birding, tidepooling
Amenities: free parking, restrooms

This wide, windswept beach brings the drama. With the picturesque Pigeon Point Lighthouse to the north and a creek running through it to the south, you can literally walk for miles. Birds shelter and breed near the pooling water of the creek flowing to the ocean, so snowy plover, gulls, migrating sparrows and low-flying pelicans can be counted on to make an appearance. This beach is not necessarily pretty in the traditional sense of the word and the surf here is notoriously rough, so don’t turn your back, but sometimes a wild, windy walk is exactly what you need to clear your head and open your heart. Highway 1 Brewing Company, along with a gas station, is located across from the parking lot, so you can fill your tank and your belly in one fell swoop.

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

200 Nevada Street, Moss Beach (6.5 miles north of Highway 92)
Great for: naturalists, kids, tidepooling, hikers
Amenities: restrooms, a limited parking lot and picnic area, a small educational visitors center

When my kids were little, I took them to this tranquil, tucked-away beach almost every week. From the fairy forest of soaring cypress and eucalyptus trees on the bluffs, you can watch the antics of a large population of harbor seals. The extensive and excellent tidepooling here is not to be missed, with sea stars, sponges, mollusks, crabs and even the occasional octopus all representing. It’s not surprising that Fitzgerald is recognized as one of the best marine habitats in Northern California. Routinely manned by rangers, this is a wonderful place to really dig into the flora and fauna and learn about everything from the life cycle of a mollusk to the fragile ecosystem of the surrounding marshlands.

“I love Montara State Beach for the picturesque mountains, the sand, the crashing waves! It’s so beautiful. I love beach glass and occasionally you might see a few good pieces there too. Honestly, the prettiest and cleanest beach for miles.” – Christina Frediani

Poplar Beach

At the end of Poplar Street in Half Moon Bay (1.5 miles south of Highway 92)
Great for: gatherings, hikers, birding, leashed dogs, horses
Amenities: parking lot ($10 per day), portable toilets

When I see the triangle of cypress trees framing the place where sea meets sky, I know I’m home. Poplar is a wide, long beach, which extends from Half Moon Bay State Beach to the north to the southern rocky point where you can view the Ritz Carlton. It’s the perfect spot for animal lovers, with both leashed dogs and horses allowed. Because of its size and stunning views, Poplar is the ideal beach to bring a picnic, an umbrella for shade and a frisbee, volleyball or Spikeball set to make a day of it. Please watch the surf here! Riptides and rough waves can make this a dangerous beach for swimming or water sports, but if you get restless on the beach, take to the bluff trails above for some excellent birding. Peregrine falcons, red-shouldered hawks, ravens and herons all make frequent fly-bys. To grab arguably the coast’s best sandwiches on the way, hit up Garden Deli Cafe at San Benito House on Main Street. Because it’s so good, it’s always busy, but ordering ahead will streamline the process.

“I’m partial to our local treasure, Poplar Beach. As a local, I’m blessed to be able to visit any day of the week and any hour of the day. And it never disappoints, with beautiful views, whether from the bluffs, the sand, the water or even above the ocean from my drone.” – Steve Maller

Mirada Surf Beach

Magellan Avenue and Mirada Road, El Granada (3 miles north of Highway 92)
Great for: swimming, surfing, boogie boarding, kids
Amenities: parking can be found on Highway 1 (directly adjacent) or in the lot across the street from the beach

We informally call the beaches in this area “Swimmers Beach” (South) and “Surfers Beach” (North). Because the surf here is a little more predictable and there are fewer rocky outcroppings that can cause hazards, this is the best spot to take young ones eager to try their hand at boogie boarding, body surfing or just some low-key time in the waves. It’s often a little sunnier in the heart of El Granada, so that can be a perk if you’re hoping to warm up after some time in the water. It’s also a great location to watch serious surfers test their skills. If you get inspired, consider taking a lesson from Pillar Point Surf School or Blue Swell Surf School and enjoy the rush for yourself.

San Gregorio State Beach

San Gregorio Road and Highway 1, San Gregorio (11 miles south of Highway 92)
Great for: kids, driftwood, hiking, cave exploration
Amenities: picnic tables, BBQs, restrooms, large parking lot, bluff trails

There’s a fairytale quality to San Gregorio Beach that will immediately captivate you—from the towering sandstone bluffs inviting you into the lush fields of succulents and wildflowers to the driftwood structures meticulously crafted by mystery sculptors to the brackish lagoon created by the marriage between San Gregorio Creek and the crashing ocean. Explore the hidden mysteries in the caves north of the creek or examine the life cycle of the steelhead that breed in fresh water before making their way to the salty ocean. The lagoon can provide a fun, safe spot for young kids to splash around, but check on bacteria levels in the water that can make swimming unsafe. San Gregorio General Store, just a mile inland, is a great spot for snacks or a cup of coffee if you need to stock up before you hit the beach.

Photos Courtesy: Jennifer Fraser, Andrea Ou (Paws & Play Studio), Robb Most, Steve Maller

Words by Johanna Harlow

For light international bites, nibble your way through these exceptional offerings.

palette tea garden

San Mateo

Make a quick stop if you must—but if you have the time to indulge in a full meal, this modern Chinese restaurant is well worth the visit. With a menu that encourages sampling, you might opt for taro puffs shaped like black swans, multi-colored palette soup dumplings presented in a bamboo steamer, seared black pepper Wagyu bao served on a bed of grilled onions or any number of other handcrafted dim sum and Canton-inspired bites. Kudos to the interior designer who had fun with this space. A ceiling in one room looks like the rippling surface of a pond, while a table in another features a miniature river and live fish. If you want to impress your date, here’s your spot. 48 Hillsdale Mall. Open Monday to Thursday from 11:30AM to 3PM and 5:30PM to 8PM; Friday from 11AM to 3PM and 5:30PM to 8PM; Saturday and Sunday from 10:30AM to 3PM and 5:30PM to 8PM.

stix korean corndogs

Burlingame

You might have been introduced to corndogs during the carnivals of your youth but have you tried Korean corndogs? This trending snack goes beyond basic breading, adding additional ingredients for extra oomph. That means your corndog might come coated in cornflakes, French fry chunks or even ramen. With a selection of dipping sauces served on the side, STIX Korean Corndogs serves up an adventure both in taste and texture. Balance out your savory meal with a sweet milk tea or croffle (AKA croissant-waffle). 1355 Broadway. Open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from Noon-6:30PM; Friday through Sunday from Noon-7PM; closed Wednesday.

venga empanadas

Redwood City

Think of the empanada as the Latin-American cousin of the Italian calzone, its flaky crust concealing a tasty savory filling within. Located in downtown Redwood City, Venga Empanadas is a compact yet cozy restaurant blending Spanish, Argentine and South American cuisine. Take a peek into Venga’s well-stocked display case and admire row upon row of half-moon-shaped empanadas with neatly crimped edges—then go ahead and select one (or two, or three) stuffed with Argentine chorizo, five-pepper manchego, spicy beef or one of the many other meat and veggie fillings. Everything is made in-house—and the same goes for the soups and agua fresca drinks. 822 Main Street. Open Monday to Friday from 10AM to 3PM and 5PM to 8PM; Saturday from 10AM to 3PM.

Words by Christina Chahal

If you’re getting out and about this summer, you may have spotted an eye-catching twist on an old favorite: the picnic! Today, the reimagined picnic is an elevated, elaborate experience, complete with beautiful dishware and decor, perfect for socializing outdoors. Thanks to the creativity of party planners like Jocelyn Chin and Coco Chan of San Mateo-based Picnic ‘n Chill, the picnic is being transformed into an elegant way to mark life’s special moments. “A lot of people really enjoy what we do because we make it so lavish and luxurious that you want to dress up for it,” says Jocelyn. “It’s special.”

Launched during the pandemic to help out a friend whose wedding needed a venue, Picnic ‘n Chill picked up traction after going viral on TikTok and then being featured on Good Morning America and CNBC. Now, they are planning dozens of events per month and earning a nice income. “Our clients are mostly young professionals looking for a fun, safe and photo-ready way to celebrate,” adds Coco. “We take our picnics and events to another level.” In order to do that, the two learned how to make balloon arches and flower centerpieces, even enlisting their families to custom build low, portable picnic tables designed specifically for ground-level seating.

“We made our own picnic baskets and created our own conversation-starter card game. We pushed our limits and had to think outside of the box,” shares Coco. “We weren’t scared to try something different, and we also weren’t scared to learn how to do something we’ve never done before.”

Born and raised on the Peninsula, Coco and Jocelyn have been close friends for about five years, meeting through mutual friends and then hanging out every weekend. Before Picnic ‘n Chill, Coco worked at Facebook as an event coordinator and Jocelyn was a marketing associate at a startup. Jocelyn also owns her own Happy Lemon boba tea shop in San Jose. On their own time, the two close friends enjoy discovering new trends and share a passion for shopping and decorating. They love scrolling through Pinterest, making mood boards and cite Wifeoftheparty, Mindy Weiss and the Kardashian parties as inspiration.

The energetic duo also draws inspiration from their clients. “It’s really amazing being a part of someone’s special day—from weddings and birthdays to baby showers and baby’s first birthday,” Coco observes. Adds Jocelyn, “I love taking the stress away from the client and taking care of all the little details that they wouldn’t think of. It’s nice to see them arrive and actually enjoy the party.”

Their go-to location for picnics is Leo J. Ryan Park in Foster City, which has expansive grass lawns and views of the lagoon. And yes, they always get permits. A typical Picnic ‘n Chill table will have a table runner, either fresh floral bouquets or a pampas grass bouquet, flatware, chargers, plates, cutlery, hand-woven placemats, assorted candles and themed soft throw pillows. They have three different packages for a party of two and do special set-ups for large groups.

To make the events memorable, they provide the essential luxury items plus a long list of options such as a bubble machine, donut wall, sip ‘n paint kit, jumbo games and lots of customization. One client booked a 40-person picnic for her son‘s birthday party with a teddy bear theme, so they started with a color scheme of neutrals, baby blues and white, then made teddy bear balloon centerpieces and mixed them with handcrafted pampas flower bouquets. They added personalized menus for every person and included an eternity balloon ring, a dessert cart (handmade by grandpa) for the cake stand and a charcuterie board that spelled out the boy’s name. Also part of the fun: a photo gallery panel and a custom ball pit for all the kids.

As their business has grown, Jocelyn and Coco have added more options to keep up with the latest trends in event planning. For example, they came out with Picnic ‘n Cruise, a service where they decorate a Duffy boat on the Foster City inlets so clients can luxuriate out on the water.

Coco and Jocelyn partner with a chef and local restaurants to provide food selections and continue to build out their community. They even developed a ‘charpoocherie’ board with pet-friendly treats. The pair credit nostalgia with helping drive their success. Picnics, they say, are the perfect way to bring back your childhood. “As a kid, you grow up going to the park, celebrating the small things in life,” notes Coco. “What’s better than sitting on the grass with friends and family?”

Hello, my name is Indie! I’m a Chihuahua mix who was found with my littermates in a field in Reedley, California. Thankfully, a local rescue group called Copper’s Dream saved us and brought me to an adoption event at Unleashed in Menlo Park where I found my family, Josh and Suzanne. They are big fans of indie music and named me Indie because I’m unique and independent too. My most recognizable features are my white paws and large ears, which I keep in a one-up and one-down position. I like to think of it as if I am always giving a happy wave with my ear! My favorite outing is going to my neighborhood park with my bestie, Juno. I get so excited seeing my friends and getting snacks. I especially enjoy playing hacky sack (Josh is particularly good at kneeing the ball to me!) and chasing tennis balls. When I’m tired after a busy morning of running around, I enjoy wrapping myself tightly in a blanket and taking a nice long snooze. I also love my nightly walks but I won’t go unless we all go together. I’ve been told I have “herding tendencies,” but family is everything to me, so I would never leave Josh or Suzanne behind.

If you’d like to bring a fun pup like me into your life, check out coppersdream.org.

Words by Kate Hammond

Driving along Interstate 280, you will cross the beautiful Doran Memorial Bridge spanning the Crystal Springs Dam. Located in Hillsborough, directly to the west of the “Flintstone House,” the 400-foot-high bridge was built in 1969 and holds the distinction of being the tallest bridge on I-280. Originally known as the San Mateo Creek Bridge, it was later renamed the Eugene A. Doran Memorial Bridge after the Hillsborough police officer who was killed in the line of duty during his early morning patrol near the site in 1969. Across from the bridge near the entrance to the Sawyer Camp Trail, a plaque honors Doran’s heroism. Renamed again in 2004, the landmark also honors Doran’s son who died in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. Caltrans architect Warren S. Ludlow designed the bridge with help from renowned architect Mario Ciampi, who also designed the Berkeley Art Museum and the United Nations Plaza in San Francisco. The two used modified gothic arches and left the bridge a natural concrete color, contouring the surface of its piers to blend into the surroundings. Three days before the May 28, 1969 opening ceremony, more than 30,000 people crossed the bridge on foot on “Pedestrian Day.” The bridge has many accolades, including receiving a “most beautiful” designation from the American Institute of Steel Construction in 1970. The most scenic way to view the bridge is from below: Drive to the trailhead for the Sawyer Camp Hiking Trail to see the dam on the left and the bridge overhead.

Photo Caption: In addition to capturing the current image of Doran Memorial Bridge, Menlo Park photographer Robb Most snapped a “Pedestrian Day” photo back in 1969 with a Nikon camera his father brought back to him from Japan. 

Words by Lexi Friesel

Did you know there’s a place in San Mateo County where the 19th-century chapter of your history textbook comes to life? Don’t let the straightforward architecture and modest sun-dried bricks of Pacifica’s Sánchez Adobe fool you. In truth, this old two-story Spanish building boasts a colorful (and scandalous!) history. Originally the site of an Ohlone village, the land on which the adobe now resides was claimed as a mission outpost by Spanish explorers in 1786. After an epidemic ravaged the area just six years later, the land remained abandoned for decades until the former mayor (alcalde) of San Francisco, Don Francisco Sánchez, was granted the parcel and utilized the area as a rancho to raise cattle. Although Sánchez might have resurrected the adobe, it long outlived him. As the 20th century dawned, the adobe’s owner converted it into the lively Hotel San Pedro, playing host to travelers disembarking from the Ocean Shore Railroad. Throughout the 1900s, the building donned many hats—ranging from an artichoke packing shed to a Prohibition speakeasy (with whiskey stills hidden in the artichoke fields) to a bordello to a hunting lodge. A much more family-friendly attraction these days, Sánchez Adobe hosts the annual Rancho Day Fiesta (mark your calendar for September 17), when visitors can experience life on a historic rancho through dancing, stamping leather, candle-making and other hands-on activities. A quilt show with live music is also held on the property each fall. Sánchez Adobe is free to visit Tuesday to Thursday from 10AM to 4PM, Saturday and Sunday from 12PM to 4PM.

Words by Emily McNally

On a cool, sunny day at Surfer’s Beach in El Granada, Ella Catalano-Dockins, the owner of Blue Swell Surf School, gathers a group of beginners around her. “You have to believe you can stand up,” she encourages. “It takes confidence to make it happen.”

At just 20 years old, Ella is young to be heading up a business that teaches groups and individuals of any age to catch waves, but she has years of valuable experience behind her. A successful competitive surfer throughout her teen years, Ella started surfing for the Half Moon Bay school district when she was 11 and is a former instructor at Pillar Point Harbor Surf School.

Now, having launched Blue Swell Surf School with her sister Lily and her mother Cristina, she runs the only women-owned and -operated surf school on the San Mateo County coast. “I feel like that makes us special,” Ella states, adding that she is ready to share her deep love of surfing with a larger population. “I just start where people are comfortable and work from there. Surfing is for everyone.”

Ella’s coastal roots run both local and deep. “We grew up here. My grandparents still live in the house my dad was raised in. Montara Beach was our playground, and I remember my mom making me run up and down the dunes to wear me out when I was a kid,” she says. Ella adds that her mother is originally from Sarasota. “So I have beach people on both sides of my family,” she notes with a smile.

In spite of those early ties to beach life, Ella didn’t gravitate to surfing until she broke her arm when she was ten. “I couldn’t play softball anymore,” she recounts. “It was a year before I could hit a ball again, so I was bouncing off the walls.” Her dad sent her to the beach with Ion Banner, a longtime family friend and Mavericks legend whom she credits with helping shift her focus. “Anything new I’ve ever done on the water, from jet ski rescues to toe surfing, he’s been there to support me,” she says.

Ella grew her confidence in the water at Junior Lifeguards of Half Moon Bay, a demanding summer program where kids aged 9 to 15 learn the critical elements of water safety. “I learned all the important basics,” she summarizes. “How to rescue, doing CPR, what to pay attention to when you’re on the water, like swells and riptides.” As a young teenager, she critically put those skills to use: “I saved a guy’s life when I was 13. I still see him around all the time. I’m glad to know I can perform a rescue under real pressure.”

While attending Mercy Burlingame High School, Ella surfed for Half Moon Bay High under coaches Carrie Kemp and Mike Wallace. She was one of only two girls on a team of about 15. In her freshman year, she placed fifth in the state championship. “Everyone was a head or two taller than me. They were all seniors. The waves were huge and terrifying, but I would just go for it,” Ella recalls. “I’ll never give up that trophy.”

Ella compounded her success by winning first place in Pacifica’s Big Chill Out Longboard Contest in 2017 and in the Women on Waves Longboard Contest in Santa Cruz in 2018. But as she examined the life of professional surfing, she experienced doubts about her place in that world. “I just couldn’t figure out how to have enough money to stay in Portugal for two weeks waiting to surf,” she admits. “I’m a competitive person, but at the end of the day, I surf because it makes me happy.”

In the midst of juggling two jobs while attending Skyline Community College, Ella was alerted by the owner of The Mavericks Experience where she worked that he was ready to sell the surf school. He wondered if she’d be interested in purchasing it. Ella took the offer to her family. “My mom and dad have been in partnership running a construction company for years,” she shares. “They understood how to go about setting up a business.”

The basic elements came together quickly. Ella’s mother designed the website and suggested the name, and her sister created the logo and supports Ella in group lessons. She’s had the business up and running for private and group lessons since November and is planning a full roster of camps for the summer.

Though Ella pursued surfing ferociously, she has little interest in turning out professional athletes as an instructor. Instead, she hopes she can foster the same satisfaction she finds every day when she heads out with her board under her arm. “The most consistent thing in my life is that when I surf, I have a better day,” she explains. “When I see that joy in my students, it’s everything.”

Blue Swell Surf School’s lessons begin on the beach with basic stretches and a couple of practice attempts at ‘pop-ups’—a quick jump from belly to board to fully upright. Once in the water, Ella directs you into a wave and you get a shot at catching it. “You don’t realize how tiring it’s going to be until you’re in there,” she acknowledges. “The board is hard to control. You have to learn to work with it so you don’t lose your energy.” Under Ella’s expert guidance, over the course of an hour and half lesson, students start to feel that cresting a wave with the board still under them is within reach. “It takes time, but eventually, everyone will stand up,” Ella says. “And it’s the best when you give someone a chance at that thrill.”

According to Ella, aside from confidence, the most critical element for successful surfing is balance: “Moving a tiny smidge up or down your board can make a huge difference in your stability.” Now, as a student majoring in marine biology and a fledgling business owner, she recognizes the need to cultivate that same balance in her life. “I’m definitely juggling a lot of pieces right now,” she admits. But Ella keeps herself anchored to her deepest purpose. “When I surf, it makes me happy, and I leave my problems behind,” she reflects. “I have a love for the ocean that’s never going to end.”

Blink all you like, but you’re seeing me clearly. I do indeed have two different-colored eyes—one haunting blue, the other warm brown. They are just one of my signature features, along with my impressive blue merle (multi-colored marbled) coat, fluffy tail and incessant, happy smile. By way of a more formal introduction, I’m Worf, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, and I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. Don’t be fooled by my low-to-the-ground carriage. I’m actually quite agile and athletic, and in fact, my ancestors have been herding sheep in Wales for over 3,000 years. However, you can usually find me romping in Menlo Park with my beloved family Peter, Lava and August. Credit goes to August for giving me my name. He’s a Star Trek fan and was always impressed by Lieutenant Worf’s high sense of honor and strict warrior code on Star Trek: Next Generation. While there’s little chance of an alien invasion on the Peninsula, I’m always on alert for this long-handled aggressive broom that steals the delicious crumbs from the floor. It’s much taller than me, but I’ve learned I can slow it down by playfully attacking the bristles. I’m also quite serious about my role as official greeter at the park. Once I’ve completed my social duties, then I’m cleared to take off on rambunctious games of chase and roll with my buddies.

With all the speculation that goes into what actually happens behind closed doors at behemoth tech companies – from drone testing to #metoo moments and everything in between – it’s a treat to get a peek inside from someone whose actually been there. Enter Anna Yen.

Yen’s new novel, Sophia of Silicon Valley, is semi-autobiographical. The novel is fictionalized for a number of reasons, including the desire to have some creative license to weave into an entertaining yet impactful story. The characters and experiences are inspired by Anna’s real life at some of the largest companies in tech, investor relations and marketing.

Yen was born slightly south of the true Peninsula in Saratoga, but moved to Woodside as a teen and spent most of her life here since. Read on to see how Yen soaks up all the exciting energy for work and life she feels on the Peninsula. Read Sophia, on the other hand, to see how she substantively adds to the current social discussion about corporate ethics and responsibility at the same time she charms your pants off.

What has the local response been to the book?

If you read the Amazon or Goodreads reviews, the response overall has been quite positive. There are certainly some haters out there who claim that I couldn’t possibly live in Silicon Valley or criticize me for being insensitive to the Powell-Jobs family, but in fact part of the point of the book was to show the very human sides of these iconic people who changed the world. Many folks who inspired the book or know the characters who inspired the book have said I nailed it on the head and that it’s actually very accurate.

If the book does well, will you stop working in tech?

I currently work at an Investor Relations (IR) firm and I also just supported the Dropbox IPO.

No, I will not stop working in tech! I have always had a full-time job and love being in the midst of all the innovation that is happening. The buzz and energy of startup world fuels me – I suppose I am an adrenaline junkie! I wrote the book while I had a full-time job and it came out of me fairly quickly. Honestly, I wrote it as if I was just having drinks with a girlfriend.

What does YOUR Peninsula look like? What are your favorite things to do here? Go-to restaurants, activities?

I tried to move away from the Peninsula twice – once to Seattle (with Amazon) and another time all the way to Ireland (also for work). Both times, I came running home. I feel there is an energy on the Peninsula that is exhausting but in a good way. Silicon Valley is a place for vibrant people who are always brainstorming and moving forward.

I have so many favorite places but I have to say, Blue Line Pizza takes the cake…or should I say pie. It happens to be my sister’s restaurant, but I am not just biased… it is delicious!

I tend to be outside a lot – I love Lincoln Park in Los Altos – it’s at Foothill Expressway and Edith.

Ellen Pao became a household name after her landmark discrimination lawsuit against Kleiner Perkins and now running Project Include to help with diversity efforts in tech. You are a woman of color. Were you trying to make a social statement with Sophia’s character and/or were you cognizant of how you represented Sophia because she is a woman of color?

Traditional upbringing was an important part of the story because my culture was much of what shaped me and helped me not only professionally but through the challenges of life in general. I wasn’t trying to make a social statement but I do like to think that my representation of Sophia makes some contribution towards breaking down Asian stereotypes.

I grew up as a Chinese kid in a super white suburb. Growing up, I actually hated being Chinese but now I realize that all the things that I hated about that growing up are the same things that have made me successful now. (Things like lacking a real filter, being so hardworking, etc.)

What’s are the biggest similarities and differences between working as a writer and working in tech?

Well, the similarity is that in both jobs, my role is storytelling. My duty in investor relations is to talk about positioning.

The difference is being behind the scenes vs. being front and center. I have to say that I prefer the former. I actually considers myself very shy!

So many of the people and companies in your book seem to have real-life doppelgängers. Were you worried that readers would focus more on teasing out what’s fact and what’s fiction than on Sophia’s story?

I really didn’t try to hide the people that served as the inspiration behind these characters.

When I worked at Pixar, I described the character as wearing a black turtleneck. Same obvious description goes for my time at Tesla.

And look, I don’t bash these men. My goal was to show that there are many sides to these people – and all people.

Rapid Fire:

Name someone on the Peninsula who shaped you greatly:

Jane Ou – my accounting teacher at Santa Clara

No matter how busy you are, what do you always make time for?

My family (including my dog). Also, my hip hop classes at Groovitude in Palo Alto.

What’s your favorite TV show or movie?

Hard question! I could watch Thor: Ragnorok and Melissa McCarthy’s “Spy” anytime.

What’s the favorite piece in your closet?

A very old pair of Ralph Lauren black pumps that are sexy yet walkable.

What is the lesson you value the most:

Persistence!

Goededag, my name is Wubbo and I’m a rare Dutch breed of Kooikerhondje. Given that Wubbo is pronounced ‘Fibbo,’ I’m seldom called the same way twice, but I come happily to any variation. Although my lineage is tied to the Old Country, I’m delighted to make my residence with Lynn and Rick in Palo Alto. Since Rick is an aerospace engineer, he named me after Wubbo Ockels, a brilliant Dutch physicist and shuttle astronaut. With my explorer’s soul, I think I’d make a great candidate for first dog on Mars (Elon Musk, are you listening?) and I dream of playing gravity-free fetch with the astronauts. I love everyone and wiggle exuberantly when I meet my favorite people. My feathery tail, which I wave in the air, is like the plumed hats in Rembrandt portraits. In fact, a few of my ancestors have posed for Dutch Golden Age paintings, including Pieter de Hooch’s Woman with Children (and Kooikerhondje!) in an Interior, which can be viewed at San Francisco’s Palace of the Legion of Honor. I do my best to live up to the family reputation by prancing proudly, dancing on my hind legs and launching onto laps. I also take great pride in my stunning black ‘earrings,’ a breed characteristic. Let it be known, I’m an AKC Canine Good Citizen, and much like the revelers in Dutch paintings, I always seem to be laughing.

Words by Sloane Citron

When I was 15 years old, I was visiting my mother, who had recently moved from Chicago—where she played in the Chicago Symphony—to Houston, where she was recruited to play the third chair of the Houston Symphony, one of the highest positions attained by a woman in those days.

Her apartment was in a development called Yorktown, not far from the famous Galleria, a world-class shopping center where I was to spend many a day over the course of my visits with her. The huge mall sported a skating rink, a never-ending number of stores and a great magazine newsstand, where I could pore over and learn from the hundreds of titles there.

One cold December day, when I was visiting from my prep school, Andover, in Massachusetts, we drove over to the shopping center, as my mom wanted to look at clothes being held for her at Neiman Marcus, her favorite place to shop. I always dreaded these store visits, as my mom felt close to certain sales ladies and would introduce me with great flair, which made me terribly uncomfortable.

After our two-hour binge there, we walked through the center a bit and encountered a large cart where they were selling decidedly-not Neiman Marcus jewelry. We browsed for a moment and my mom picked up a sterling silver Magen David, or Star of David, a common necklace worn by Jews. The star itself was surrounded by a circle with the points of the star touching the border. Smooth, with a brushed look, it was unique. “Oh,” she exclaimed. “This is perfect for you, Sloane!” and she bought it and placed it around my neck.

I had never worn anything on my body (I wasn’t allowed to wear the Omega watch my grandmother had given to me for my bar mitzvah until I was in college—prudent move.) and so at first this felt unusual, but somewhat surprisingly to me, I liked the fact that, even hidden underneath my shirt, I was expressing my Jewish pride. And it also meant a great deal that it was a gift from my mother.

About four months later, after playing frisbee on a large quadrangle lawn at Andover, I discovered that my star was gone. I found this terribly distressing since the piece already felt so special to me. It was an act of unapologetic pride that I wore it in the common bathrooms that we had at school.

Since it was evening when I discovered the star missing, at first light the next day, I was out on the grassy field, scanning the green blades incessantly for the silver flash of the necklace. I searched methodically, walking carefully back and forth. After an hour, starting to give up hope that I would ever see the Magen David again, I spotted it, tucked neatly into an upturned piece of turf. I was surprised and elated that I had found it, since I really didn’t feel there was much of a chance.

I was hesitant to put the necklace back on my neck, afraid to once again lose something so precious. Instead, I hid it away.
Back in Houston during the summer vacation, one day while my mom was at a rehearsal, I walked over to the Galleria and tried to find the jewelry cart. It was not there. I went into a nearby store and asked about it and was told that it was now on a different level, closer to the skating rink.

And, indeed, there it was. I was hoping that they would have the exact same star, but they didn’t. They did have one with a more rugged look that I immediately liked. A brighter silver with no circle, it seemed more masculine. The woman behind the counter brought it out and I carefully examined it, wondering if I would really wear it. I decided that it was made just for me. The kind woman carefully unclasped it and placed it around my neck.

Many years later, even after becoming a more-cautious adult, I still didn’t want to take any chances and continued to wear the replacement star. And it has been around my neck for almost 50 years.

The treasured star that my mom gave me rests carefully in a small box with several other sentimental items such as my dad’s watch and my grandfather’s cufflinks. I look at it from time to time and remember its happy history and the love my mom showed when she bought it for me. One day, I’ll hand it off to one of my sons along with its story, but in the meantime, its stand-in is doing its job just fine.

Words by Johanna Harlow

To mark the 110th anniversary of the Girl Scouts in 2022, stop by the Lou Henry Hoover Girl Scout House, a cabin-like headquarters just a stone’s throw from the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo. Named for the same luminary who established the West Coast’s first troop in Palo Alto, this meeting house is the oldest in continuous use nationally. Lou Henry Hoover might be best known as first lady to our 31st president Herbert Hoover, but she was also a Girl Scout troop leader, an ardent camper and hiker, president of the National Council of Girl Scouts, a physical fitness advocate for women and, in her early years, a Stanford student (the only female studying geology on campus at the time). After donating $500 for the construction of the Scout house, Lou dedicated it in 1926. Renowned Palo Alto architect Birge Clark drew the plans for the structure, but with a mind for design, Lou often collaborated with the architects she hired, also bringing her vision to the Hoover family home on the Stanford campus. Within the headquarters, stonemasons crafted a prominent fireplace using sandstone salvaged from one of Stanford’s Palm Drive arches after its collapse in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. In the entry hall, a display case exhibits a few of Lou’s personal notebooks and early photographs. If Lou were around today, she’d take pride in knowing that the Girl Scouts of Palo Alto have grown 64 troops strong—many of which still meet in Lou’s house.