Leaders across the West Valley are pushing for a greener future in one of the country’s most polluted areas, but it could be more challenging after a controversial ruling on the use of gas. Campbell and Los Gatos recently explored ways to limit nitrogen oxide emissions caused by gas. The Campbell City Council unanimously approved a...
San Jose farm park advocates accuse city of retaliation
Supporters of an East San Jose farm say they’ve been trying for years to get the city to invest more in the beloved community park. Instead, city parks officials responded by cutting off the relationship with the group. The 40-year-old Emma Prusch Park Foundation is alleging San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services hasn’t been...
East San Jose official wants funds to fix blighted parks
San Jose city parks have a problem — there’s a huge backlog of needed repairs and insufficient funds to bring them up to standard. One councilmember may have a solution, but it’s going to take time. District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz is proposing a 2026 ballot measure to fund park maintenance, and has requested the...
Silicon Valley water agency addresses impact of homelessness
Santa Clara County’s largest water district is weighing how to address the hundreds of homeless people living along local waterways — including potential penalties for those camped on district land. Valley Water officials on Friday hosted the Unhoused People and Environment Summit featuring district staff, housing nonprofits and county officials to discuss challenges and how...
Los Gatos homeowners risk losing fire insurance
Los Gatos resident Rob Stump never knows when he might get that dreaded insurance company call. Stump, who lives in a home nestled along one-way winding roads in the tree-covered Los Gatos hillside, needs wildfire protection — but he doesn’t know if State Farm will renew his coverage next year as major insurers abandon California....
South San Jose utility project could threaten wildlife
A proposal to strengthen Santa Clara County’s electrical grid could become an environmental hazard and threaten efforts to protect Coyote Valley wildlife from being killed along busy roads south of San Jose. That’s the warning from local environmental advocates, who spoke out at a Wednesday community meeting held by the California Public Utilities Commission to...
San Jose officials want rebate for electric leaf blowers
Advocates and politicians have worked for years to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in San Jose. A new incentive could be the answer. Although the state has banned the purchase of new gas leaf blowers as of this year, the city is pushing to get existing gas-operated leaf blowers out of circulation. The program...
Sunnyvale officials delay vote to ban artificial turf
The debate between using artificial turf or natural grass on government-owned athletic fields in Sunnyvale has been pushed into the future, leaving environmental activists and youth sports groups in limbo. The Sunnyvale City Council declined to decide on banning artificial turf after a 4-2 vote, with Mayor Larry Klein and Councilmember Richard Mehlinger dissenting and...
East San Jose gets funds to clean lake
Arvind Kumar and his husband Ashok Jethanandani spend their Saturday mornings pulling weeds and protecting plants native to California, but not in their yard at home. Instead, they’ve spent the last 20 years volunteering at Lake Cunningham Park in their East San Jose neighborhood — working to undo years of neglect and unsafe water. For...
San Jose could lose thousands of trees to invasive beetle
An invasive beetle killing a dramatic number of Southern California trees has found its way to San Jose — and it could threaten the urban forest that shades and cools Silicon Valley. Santa Clara County officials aren’t sure when or how the species, known as the shothole borer beetle, arrived in San Jose. The non-native...