Community briefs: Applications for below-market-rate housing, art contest and more

Applications for below-market-rate housing at Stanford’s Middle Plaza due May 31

Menlo Park announced that applications are now open for below-market-rate rental units at Stanford’s Middle Plaza development at 400a El Camino Real. There are currently four one-bedroom apartments available at the low-income level, with preference for people who work or live in Menlo Park. As of May 2024, the below-market apartments will be rented for $2,600 per month. Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. on May 31, and a lottery will take place after June 7.

Apply for this opportunity at: middleplaza.stanford.edu/living-here/bmr-interest-list

Entries due for Safe Routes to School poster and video challenge on May 31

Menlo Park students are invited to share their school community with the Safe Routes to School Program through the yearly video and poster challenge. Elementary students are asked to share a poster drawing showing how they get to school, while middle and high school students are asked to submit a video to promote safe biking etiquette. 

The winners in each category will receive a $50 gift card to a local business, with second place receiving $40 and third place receiving $30. 

Read the rules and submit your videos or posters online at: tinyurl.com/saferoutespostercontest.

Holbrook-Palmer playground open house on May 29

Join the town of Atherton for an open house to discuss the design for the new playground at Holbrook-Palmer Park. There will be a presentation on the conceptual design, interactive discussions on the proposed features of the playground and opportunities to provide feedback to the town. 

“This is your chance to dive into the creative process and share your ideas and feedback on this dynamic community space,” says a town announcement. 

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 29, from 5-7 p.m. at the park playground at 150 Watkins Ave. 

—Eleanor Raab

Local students awarded National Merit Scholarships

On May 8, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation awarded 2,500 students with $2,500 for its annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Local students from Menlo-Atherton High School (Ajax R. Fu and Sina S. Kassayan), Menlo School (Jackson Deutch, Andrea Li, Eric Li-Len Feng and Samuel Warman), Sacred Heart Preparatory School (Sina S. Kassayan and Noelle B. Mendoza) and Woodside High School (Patrick George Van Hoven and Spencer G. Bergland) were among the list of recipients.

Scholarship winners are judged in each state by their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in college. The students were selected by a committee of high school counselors and college admissions officers who reviewed academic records, test scores, extracurriculars, essay submissions and letters of recommendations. 

Students have been screened for the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Competition since October 2022 when they took the PSAT/NMSQT exam in their junior year of high school. By the end of the 2024 program, over 6,000 students will have earned the “Merit Scholar” title and received a total of about $26 million in scholarships. 

SamTrans summer youth passes

Summer Youth Passes are now on sale for those who are 18 years old and younger. Passes are sold for $40 and offer unlimited rides on any SamTrans route from June 1 through Aug. 31. 

Passes can be purchased on the SamTrans mobile app, online at SamTrans.com/SYP or in person at the SamTrans headquarters at 1250 San Carlos Ave.

— Jennifer Yoshikoshi