B. Sakura Cannestra - San José Spotlight

B. Sakura Cannestra (she/they) is a reporter covering politics and government in the cities of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara for San José Spotlight.

She has experience covering a variety of topics, including tech innovations and policies, Berkeley’s housing crisis, social movements and politics at the state and city levels. Previously, she reported for POLITICO California and the Daily Californian.

Cannestra obtained a bachelor’s degree in English from UC Berkeley in 2020 and graduated from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in 2023. They are learning more about maintaining houseplants and have kept a bullet journal for over five years. Cannestra was hired through the California Local News Fellowship program.

Economy Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale City Council Chambers with all seven councilmembers sitting at their dais and city employees sitting in front

April 24, 2024April 25, 2024by B. Sakura Cannestra

Sunnyvale voters likely to support property transfer tax

Sunnyvale officials may have found a new source of revenue, with a green light from residents to place a proposed tax measure on the November ballot. A city survey collected responses from 444 Sunnyvale voters, 63% of whom supported a possible property transfer tax measure after hearing the pros and cons. The details in the...

Development Sunnyvale

Stone walkway between slat-walled townhomes and slat-walled apartment building

April 24, 2024April 25, 2024by B. Sakura Cannestra

Sunnyvale affordable housing project opens near downtown

Dozens of affordable homes near Sunnyvale’s downtown are ready to welcome hundreds of residents. City officials celebrated the opening of Meridian Apartments on Tuesday. The 1.44-acre all-affordable 89-home project is a mix of apartments — from studios to three-bedrooms — and seven townhouses located within walking distance of the city’s downtown and Caltrain station. Rents...

Santa Clara Transportation

The Santa Clara Transit Center sign by the sidewalk, with a fenced-in open plot of land

April 23, 2024April 26, 2024by B. Sakura Cannestra

UPDATE: Prep begins for Santa Clara BART extension

BART’s expansion through Silicon Valley is taking shape as pre-construction work gets underway in Santa Clara. VTA workers have started on-site preparations for phase two of BART’s expansion at the Newhall Maintenance Facility. That includes setting up temporary field offices, bringing in equipment and preparations to begin drilling the tunnel. The 6-mile extension, most of...

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