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The number of San Jose homes and businesses with overdue water bills spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many could see their taps run dry when the state ban on water shutoffs ends in December. At least 1,160 customers have unpaid bills totaling a combined $1.1 million with the San Jose Municipal Water System as...
San Jose still in negotiations for purified water project
San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley Water District pumped the brakes earlier this year on a plan to purify and recycle more water in the city. Since then, progress has slowed to a trickle. On Wednesday, members of the city’s Rules and Open Government Committee decided to select a third party to facilitate negotiations between the...
Rising heat threatens Silicon Valley’s vulnerable populations
Extreme heat is dangerous and sometimes lethal—and it’s becoming difficult to escape in the age of climate change. In Silicon Valley, some residents struggled to stay cool during a heat advisory earlier this month. About 50 people gathered at three public cooling centers in San Jose from July 9-11, according to Daniel Lazo, spokesperson for...
Will San Jose’s Vietnamese Heritage Garden ever blossom?
When a group of Vietnamese leaders came up with the idea of a heritage garden almost 40 years ago, the vision was grand. The Viet Heritage Garden in San Jose was supposed to be a cultural oasis featuring mini-replicas of different historical Vietnamese landmarks, a reflection pond and a pathway to a community center. Today, the garden...
San Jose’s urban forest plan baffles, angers stakeholders
An ambitious plan laying out the future of San Jose’s urban forest is riddled with errors, omissions and a lack of vision, according to stakeholders who say they were left out of the process. In March, the city published a draft of its community forest management plan. The document, which reflects two years of work...
A tale of two San Jose rose gardens
When visitors hear “San Jose Rose Garden,” they likely picture a lush field of roses growing over a well-manicured lawn. But that’s not what they see at the Heritage Rose Garden, which has fallen victim to neglect, vandalism and even arson over the last year. “We desperately need a few new serious volunteers who will...
Silicon Valley reps back bay restoration bill
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The San Francisco Bay could get a $125 million boost to help improve its water quality and restore surrounding wetlands. The House of Representatives passed the San Francisco Bay Restoration Act last month and the Senate recently referred it to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), who co-sponsored the bill,...
Bloom Energy sues Santa Clara over permits—for a second time
Bloom Energy filed suit against Santa Clara last week—marking the second time the San Jose-based energy company has sued the city to issue permits for its fuel cell boxes. “Climate change is rearing its ugly head,” Santa Clara Councilmember Suds Jain told San José Spotlight. “My main opposition to Bloom Energy is that their carbon footprint...
Dam project leaves Santa Clara County’s largest drinking water source dry
A new earthquake retrofit project will render Santa Clara County’s largest drinking water source out of service for the next decade. Amid a massive drought that’s forced local officials to impose 15% water use reductions, the Santa Clara Valley Water District held a ceremonial groundbreaking on its latest project Wednesday—a large outlet tunnel at Anderson Dam in...
Santa Clara County fears July 4th will jumpstart fire season, toxic air
Santa Clara County officials have a simple request of residents celebrating this Fourth of July weekend: Please don’t burn the county down. “Fireworks are a greater danger in Santa Clara County than ever before,” said county Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention Hector Estrada. “They result in deaths, injuries and property damage. And unfortunately, year after year,...