The oldest municipal park in California just celebrated its 150th birthday, and yet its upkeep doesn’t get the love and respect it deserves. Nestled amid the rugged foothills of the Diablo mountains, Alum Rock Park offers 720 acres for residents and became critical open space during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were stuck indoors. Children who...
Santa Clara County mine project threatens wildlife
A proposed sand and gravel mine in South County could spell danger for the land and local wildlife, but the landowner isn’t calling it quits just yet. On Friday, Santa Clara County released a draft environmental impact report for the mine proposed at Sargent Ranch, just south of Gilroy. The land is called Juristac in the language...
San Jose mayor travels to France on environmental group’s dime
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo took an all-expenses paid trip to France this past week, and the timing is raising some eyebrows. The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and Terre & Cité, a French environmental nonprofit, paid $3,021 for the mayor’s trip to Plateau de Saclay, a town just south of Paris. Liccardo and...
Santa Clara County to spray for West Nile virus
Mosquitoes with West Nile virus have been found in Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. The County of Santa Clara Vector Control District has confirmed the presence of West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in ZIP codes 94085, 94086, 94087 and 95051. To reduce adult mosquito populations, Vector Control will be spraying these areas with truck-mounted equipment on Monday,...
No more parking incentives for electric cars in San Jose
Despite San Jose’s lofty goal to reduce its carbon footprint, City Hall is eliminating a program that incentivizes people to drive electric vehicles. The city’s clean air parking permit program that provides free parking for electric vehicles at city-owned parking lots and on-street parking meters, is sunsetting at the end of June. The program began in 2001. But...
San Jose opens cooling centers amid extreme heat
On Friday, San Jose and Santa Clara County opened cooling centers as a major heat wave hit the region. With temperatures reaching highs of 95 degrees, San Jose made three air-conditioned spaces available in its Roosevelt, Mayfair and Camden Community centers. Santa Clara County also opened five cooling centers. In addition to air conditioning, these...
Experts advise South Bay residents remove lawns to fight drought
Santa Clara County residents are being asked to reduce water usage and local water authorities are offering incentives to help homeowners and businesses achieve this goal. In mid-May, Valley Water officials said county residents are going in the wrong direction in their use of water. Valley Water reported residents reduced water by 15% last October...
Valley Water settles with San Jose residents over 2017 flood
Valley Water has agreed to pay $8.25 million to the victims of a devastating 2017 flood in San Jose, marking the conclusion of a four-year lawsuit. The water district recently announced the settlement in a joint statement with the plaintiffs on its website, noting all parties are pleased to have reached a resolution. “From the onset, both sides sought...
Decade of violations documented at Silicon Valley cement plant
A controversial Santa Clara County cement plant has accumulated more than 2,100 violations from different regulatory agencies over the past decade, according to a new report. Supervisor Joe Simitian recently announced the county has compiled the first comprehensive list of all local, state and federal violations that took place at the Lehigh Southwest Cement property between...
San Jose animal shelter struggling with cat overflow
Spring is here and cats are birthing kittens throughout San Jose. It’s a source of stress for Jenna Skinner, who says the city’s main animal shelter is understaffed and ill-equipped to take care of the growing number of kittens. “This is nothing like I’ve seen in 12 years I’ve been in animal rescue,” Skinner told...