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...
Coyote Valley preserve south of San Jose will be easier to access
With a multimillion-dollar funding infusion, Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve will become more accessible to those with disabilities through enhanced amenities. As part of a $1.4 million public access improvement plan, the Heart’s Delight Trail will be resurfaced with concrete, asphalt or decomposed granite to make it more navigable for people with disabilities, including wheelchairs,...
UPDATE: San Jose drops parks maintenance tax measure
San Jose city officials have delayed plans to put a measure to fund parks maintenance on the November ballot after multiple surveys showed it would likely fail to gain support from residents. The San Jose City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to reconsider the idea for the 2026 election, or possibly later. The proposed ballot...
San Jose water rate hikes could drop
The for-profit company feeding water to six Santa Clara County cities may agree to walk back its plan for a 22% water rate hike over three years. State officials are in the process of developing a settlement with the San Jose Water Company that would adjust its controversial January proposal, after residents during hearings this...
Los Gatos park improvements to fill equity gaps
Dead, dry grass and tree stumps covering a corner of a popular Los Gatos neighborhood park will be transformed into a new grove thanks to a financial boost. Live Oak Manor Park, a roughly 4.1-acre, narrow strip of land nestled between homes and utility poles, will be replanted with a centennial grove and a meandering...
Sunnyvale drone show replaces fireworks on Fourth of July
In the heart of Silicon Valley and the middle of a heat wave, one city hopes to use new technologies to emulate a classic Fourth of July tradition. Instead of fireworks, Sunnyvale is hosting a drone light show at Baylands Park at 6:30 p.m. City officials said the drone show will be safer and more...
Heat scorches East San Jose playground equipment
An 18-foot-tall chicken named Chiquita overlooks children racing across the playground, while Alexandra Villalobos sits on a picnic blanket with her 12-year-old son Max at Emma Prusch Farm Park in East San Jose. Her two younger children are using the newly renovated playground, and Villalobos has warned them to avoid the sizzling-hot metal slides and...
Fourth time’s a charm: Water board OKs San Jose waterway plan
The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board has green lit San Jose’s plan through 2027 to tackle homeless encampment trash going into city waterways — further ensuring the city’s compliance with environmental regulations. Deputy City Manager Kip Harkness said at a Monday San Jose City Council meeting that the city is going to...