In the latest Around Town column, news about a proposed “safe storage” law for firearms that’s heading to the City Council, white coat ceremonies for first- and second-year medical students at Stanford and upcoming transit changes.

SAFETY NET … Eight months after two Palo Alto City Council members proposed adopting a “safe storage” law for firearms, the council is preparing to do just that. Responding to a memo that council member Alison Cormack and then-Mayor Adrian Fine issued in December 2020, the council is scheduled to adopt on Aug. 30 an ordinance that would require any firearm that is stored in a residence to be secured with a trigger lock or in a locked container, when not on one’s person.

In proposing the new requirement, Cormack and Fine’s memo noted that 2020 had seen a record-setting number of firearms purchases, many of them to first-time owners who may not be familiar with proper safety and storage practices. “A safe requirement can help prevent the theft of firearms and may reassure and protect our public safety personnel,” the memo stated.

Palo Alto isn’t the only city to consider and, in some cases, adopt gun-safety measures. Sunnyvale has recently raised the minimum age for purchasing a semi-automatic rifle to 21, while Redwood City approved an ordinance mandating safe storage, with a violation classified as a misdemeanor. The Palo Alto ordinance would similarly set a maximum penalty for violations at $1,000 and six months of imprisonment.

A memo from City Attorney Molly Stump‘s office notes that the ordinance is “not intended to criticize firearm owners nor abridge the rights protected by the Constitution.” “This sort of safe storage law constitutionally balances individuals’ rights with the City’s interest in reducing gun-related injuries,” the memo from Stump’s office states. “By protecting firearms from theft and misappropriation, this ordinance is a common-sense measure that can save lives and prevent injuries in Palo Alto.”

WHITE COAT SEASON … The Stanford University School of Medicine campus buzzed with excitement last weekend when it held white coat ceremonies not just for first-year students on Aug. 20, but also for second-year students on Aug. 21 who couldn’t have their own celebration last year because of the pandemic.

Each class was formally inducted at their respective outdoor ceremonies, where guests had to wear masks and provide either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test, according to a Stanford Medicine article. Some students wore accessories and outfits from their ancestral homelands, including a bow tie created from West African kente cloth and a dress from Oaxaca, Mexico, according to the article.

The incoming students received coats with their names embroidered on one side and the Stanford Medicine logo on the other, plus a stethoscope. The second-year students already had their coats and stethoscopes, which were distributed last year in a parking lot, but the meaning behind those items grew during the ceremony held in the company of family, friends and faculty.

“The old white coat feels different this morning,” second-year student Blynn Shideler said in the article. “We can wear them for our parents who worked their butts off so we’d have a chance to be here today.”

AT YOUR SERVICE … Two major public transit agencies are getting ready to increase service of their fleets before the month comes to a close.

After a three-month hiatus, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority expects to welcome back passengers on its light-rail trains, which are expected to open their doors for the public by the end of this week, according to a blog post. As of Aug. 24, the agency was in its third phase of restarting light-rail service, which includes inspecting tracks, testing trains and recertifying and retraining employees. Test trains will continue to operate under the fourth phase, which is expected to last one to two days. Light-rail operators will run the trains down their regular routes without support staff or passengers. People can once again ride trains in the fifth phase, which is expected to start by week’s end.

On Aug. 30, Caltrain plans to provide service that will “surpass pre-pandemic levels,” according to a press release. The new schedule includes 104 trains in use every weekday and the return of Baby Bullet express trains, which will help pick up more passengers during the peak commute hours of 6-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. The changes come as more people head back to the office and classroom.