A string of blackouts has hit the Bay Area in recent months, but residents of one West San Jose community suspect they’ve had it worse than most. Now they’re calling for Pacific Gas and Electric to address what they said are longstanding grid reliability issues in their neighborhood. Residents of Mossbrook Circle — a U-shaped...
Santa Clara County could charge for property value appeals
Santa Clara County homeowners have the power to challenge how much they pay in property taxes every year. But it could start costing hundreds of dollars to appeal. County leaders are considering charging single-family home and condo owners $290 to appeal the county assessor’s determination of their property’s value, which in turn determines the taxes homeowners pay...
New brewery coming to The Pruneyard in Campbell
A new watering hole is moving into The Pruneyard six months after Rock Bottom Brewery closed. Laughing Monk Brewing will open its fifth location in Campbell, where Rock Bottom Brewery was housed for 30 years. Unlike its national chain predecessor, Laughing Monk is a local brewery with four locations in the Bay Area — Sunnyvale,...
Palo Alto braces for lean years as financial outlook worsens
In light of the regional economy downturn, federal cuts and an uncertain political future for the country, Palo Alto leaders are staring down the barrel of years of budget deficits totaling more than $80 million, according to a new financial forecast. While the budget allocation process doesn’t truly begin until next month during the mid-year...
Shuttered South Bay mental health program charts new course
When a longstanding program offering grief counseling and mental health support services in the South Bay lost funding and had to shut down in December, two women who served the organization for years began making their own plans. “We wanted to figure out a way to continue doing the work,” Janet Childs, who co-founded the...
Aztec mural designed to protect San Jose firefighters
An East San Jose artist is invoking an Aztec deity to keep a new fire station and its firefighters safe from harm. Artist Jesse Hernandez has created two metal murals featuring Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god, displayed on the exterior of Fire Station 8, slated to open later this year. The new 5,500 square-foot, two-story...