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San Jose-Evergreen Community College District sees enrollment growth

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:24 GMT

For the second straight semester, the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District showed significant enrollment growth compared to the previous year. The back-to-back enrollment increases come following double-digit reductions in student headcount during the COVID-19 pandemic.Fall semester classes started on Monday, Aug. 28, at Evergreen Valley College and San Jose City College (SJCC). Evergreen’s early enrollment numbers show an increase of 19.6% compared to last year, while SJCC’s early enrollment reflects an increase of 17.2%. A similar increase was seen in enrollment numbers at both colleges during the spring 2023 semester.Regaining enrollment lost during the pandemic has been a point of emphasis for the district. Among the enrollment strategies has been a program providing free tuition and no fees to qualifying students enrolled in at least six units at either campus.Both colleges have also increased dual credit offerings in partnership with local high schools, which allow st...

Parkside in Los Gatos waits on parklet before opening

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:24 GMT

The long-awaited Parkside is inching closer to fruition in the former Boulanger building in downtown Los Gatos.Owner Darren Matte says he’s waiting on the parklet to be completed before opening, which could mean the end of September. Once concrete is poured, it needs to cure for two weeks before construction on the parklet, which absorbs six parking spaces, can commence. Able to accommodate 50 people, who will sit on woven rope chairs, its mandatory concrete planter boxes, which act as safety barriers, will be faced with the same brick as the building exterior.Inside, Parkside is nearly complete, with natural lighting from enormous windows along with overhead fixtures and wall sconces. Matte says lighting is critical: Even the underside of the bar, with its hooks and outlets, is illuminated.The interior is relaxing and comfy, with a mix of dark leather seating, blue-gray wainscotting, warm walnut tables and matching paneling. The gleaming white three-sided marble-top bar is deep eno...

Young Beyonce fans celebrate her tour stop with party at Milpitas Library

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:24 GMT

Young fans of Beyonce met at the Milpitas Library on Aug. 29 in honor of her concert at Levi’s Stadium the following day. The show was part of Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour, and the library celebrated the event with a craft and dance party featuring her music.Keerthi, 6, walked in the activity room attracted by her favorite songs playing through the speakers. She was wearing a red sparkly dress in honor of Beyonce and was ready to decorate a hat to complete her Beyonce outfit. Librarian Norma Rubio was hosting the event and provided Keerthi and the other 20 fans in attendance with a wide variety of materials, from pompons to googly eyes, not forgetting glitter decoration, markers and glue.Henny Serber, 9, and her dad, Avi Serber, shared her favorite song, “Single Ladies.” Henny was excited to show the hat she was designing to family friends who flew from New York to attend Beyonce’s concert.An Chen joined the party to enjoy quality time with her daughters Bella, Josie and C...

Roof, window rebates available to some Saratoga residents

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:24 GMT

Roof and window rebatesRoofs and windows are two of the most vulnerable parts of a structure during a wildfire. Saratoga Wildland Urban Interface property owners who install a Class A roof and multi-pane, tempered glass windows are eligible for rebates of up to $10,000. For more information and to apply, visit www.saratoga.ca.us/WUIrebate.Saratoga poetry contestK-12 students who live or attend school in Saratoga are invited to participate in the Saratoga Loves Poetry contest. Winners in different age categories will receive prizes and have their poems showcased by the city in November. Submissions are due Oct. 1. Visit www.saratoga.ca.us/poetry for more information and to submit your poem.New city websiteThe city of Saratoga recently launched its new website. The new site at www.saratoga.ca.us features a clean, modern design as well as an enhanced search tool, improved navigation and chatbot that utilizes artificial intelligence to provide visitors with 24/7 support to locate inform...

New book goes ‘Behind the Barrels’ at Ridge Winery

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:24 GMT

In her account of the birth of Ridge Winery, Sue Crane recounts the madness of those early years, when she and her husband Hew, along with Fran and Dave Bennion and Blanche and Charlie Rosen, risked life, limb and poison oak to reclaim a scrappy vineyard remnant on Monte Bello Road in Cupertino and turn it into an iconic and well-known brand worldwide.Crane wrote “Behind the Barrels: The Women of Ridge” with her good friend, Helen Park Bigelow. The book was self-published late last year.Crane, the last remaining Ridge founder, says she has no interest in making money from the book, only in sharing her story of a remarkable group of friends and their lives together.“That was my past and it is my heritage and story,” she says. “It was very important to write of my life and that time at the beginning of Silicon Valley.”Hew Crane, Charlie Rosen, Howard Zeidler and Dave Bennion were all working on a variety of projects at Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park—including magnetic circu...

New theater season on the Peninsula features music, mirth and mystery

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:24 GMT

Music, mirth and mystery are on the bill as Peninsula theaters open their first productions of the 2023-24 season.Palo Alto Players, Los Altos Stage Company and Pear Theatre all open their first fall productions on Sept. 8.PAP’s 93rd season begins with the hit Broadway musical “Matilda” based on the well-known book by Roald Dahl. The 29-member cast of both adults and children are under the direction of Janie Scott.“Matilda” runs for 10 performances through Sept. 24 the Lucie Stern Theater in Palo Alto. Tickets are $30-$60 at www.paplayers.org or 650-329-0891.  PAP recommends “Matilda” for ages 8 and older.LASC opens with the lesser-known play “Significant Others” by Joshua Harmon. The company staged Harmon’s “Admissions” a few years ago.The comedy centers on Jordan, a single young professional who has a lot of close female friends who slowly drift away after getting married He searches for his own Mr. Right, recognizing that he’s lonely and not getting any younger.The show runs thro...

Latest line: A good week for Mike McGuire, a bad week for Mark Ridley-Thomas

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:24 GMT

Mike McGuireModerate Democratic state senator whose district runs from Marin County to Del Norte County is elected by his colleagues as the next leader of the California Senate, succeeding Toni Atkins of San Diego, who will be termed out next year.    Mark Ridley-ThomasOnce a towering figure in Southern California politics, the former LA city councilman is sentenced to 42 months in prison after being convicted of felony bribery and fraud for trying to extract benefits from USC for himself and his son.   Cal and StanfordAfter the collapse of the Pac-12, the two elite Bay Area schools finally find a home in the ACC. But the closest ACC school is Louisville, 2,300 miles away, and student athletes will have disruptive, long journeys to play on the East Coast. 

Are bats roosting on a Ben Lomond home a sign of good luck or bad?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:24 GMT

DEAR JOAN: We have bats in the roof apex. They are no bother, and we rarely see them. Sometimes the bats go the wrong way and crawl into the house. So we leave the doors open and they fly out!Are they damaging the house? They are so delicate, we don’t want to hurt them. Some say the bats bring luck!— Patty, Ben LomondDEAR PATTY: While it’s good to have bats in the neighborhood, it’s not a good idea to have them living in or on your home.The biggest risk is rabies. It’s unlikely you’ll be bitten by a rabid bat, but you could expose yourself to rabies, if you handle it with bare hands.The other, more common risk is histoplasmosis, a lung infection caused by breathing in a fungus that grows on bat guano and bird droppings. Symptoms include fever and cough, and it can last for months.Guano can also cause structural damage to wood and other building materials, which can lead to roof leaks and weaknesses that can eventually become an issue.Guano can accumulate anywhere the bat...

Deputies in Douglas County investigating robbery and kidnapping

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:24 GMT

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) -- Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating a robbery and kidnapping that occurred Sunday. Just before 5 a.m. Sunday morning, deputies said a person from Highlands Ranch called to report he was robbed at gunpoint by two people.The victim said it happened in the area of Colby Canyon Drive and Hyacinth Road just southeast of Chatfield State Park. The man said his cell phone was stolen as well. Deputies said he also reported that he witnessed a woman taken into a white SUV.DCSO said they went after the alleged suspect's car and were led into Jefferson County, Lakewood, and into Denver. Denver Police were assisting and looking for the suspects for about an hour to no avail.DCSO said they are working to verify what happened but are calling this a robbery and kidnapping.

Denver weather: Hot again before afternoon storms

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:24 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) - The heat sticks around through the middle of the holiday weekend with highs in the 90s and the chance for some afternoon and evening thunderstorms.Weather today: PM storms and 90sWith early sunshine, high temperatures in Denver will climb into the lower 90s with light winds. Showers and storms are possible in the high country and the Front Range in the afternoon and evening hours.Weather tonight: Clearing skiesClouds from the late-day storms will clear overnight with winds slowing. Low temperatures tonight will dip into the lower 60s, keeping us above average.Looking ahead: Not as hot and drierLabor Day is another hot one with highs staying in the lower 90s and the chance for rain is lower. Tuesday is the pick of the week with partly to mostly sunny skies and highs in the lower 80s. Seasonal highs return for Wednesday, hitting the middle 80s, with mostly sunny skies.Thursday brings some heat to the Front Range with highs in the upper 80s and abundant sunshine. Skies...