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Santa Clara County News, Traffic & Weather


All the Santa Clara News, Traffic and Weather, with directories of local Government, Community Groups & Nonprofits in one place!
Image caption: Detail from The New York Times Magazine cover for June 4, 2023.
The California Effect and CalMatters

The New York Times Magazine spends an entire issue explaining why California matters, and CalMatters wins gold for giving the state the coverage it deserves.

Image caption: California ranks seventh in wind power, with 3.5 percent of all U.S. wind energy produced here.
California Inches Toward Renewable Energy Goal

Renewable energy sources provided 37 percent of California electricity in 2021, a new record for the state as it moves toward its 2045 goal of 100 percent clean energy. Battery storage will play a huge role in reaching that goal.

Image caption: Clinicians will have two weeks to decide whether a mentally ill person qualifies for the CARE Court system.
Mental Health CARE Court System Debuts in October

California’s new CARE Court system that compels treatment for people with severe mental illness is set to roll out in seven counties this October, despite efforts by civil liberties groups to stop it.

Image caption: Service members stand in formation during a Memorial Day service.
Memorial Day & the Death Penalty: Member Newsletter, 05/29/23

Let’s face some hard facts—and still be able to celebrate the beginning of the best season of the year.

Image caption: Members of Teamsters, CSUEU, UAW 4123, and CFA faculty gathered to ask for fair wages outside the CSU Chancellor’s office in Long Beach on May 23.
Report: Cal State Has $1.5 Billion Funding Gap

A new analysis shows that the California State University system doesn’t make or receive enough money to cover its costs, even with state support. The report and lawmakers urge the system to increase tuition, but even that might not be …

Image caption: How many innocent people have been executed? There is no way to know for sure.
Death Penalty Mistakes: When the State Kills the Innocent

More than 4 percent of death penalty convicts have been wrongfully convicted, data shows. But courts including the U.S. Supreme Court have failed to provide protections for the innocent facing death at the hands of the state.

Image caption: The death chamber inside San Quentin. Gov. Newsom has ordered the facility dismantled.
Is California’s Death Penalty Finally Dead?

The death penalty remains legal in California, but Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a moratorium on executions in 2019. Will capital punishment end in the state? Here’s what’s happening.

Image caption: California’s 1,000 megawatts of power from the Colorado River’s Hoover Dam have been in jeopardy.
California To Cut Colorado River Water Use

California will cut use of water from the Colorado River drastically under a new agreement announced by the Biden Administration on May 22. Nevada and Arizona have also agreed to the cuts.

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CALocal Wins Two Big Journo Awards

You probably know that The Newsletter goes out only to California Local members and subscribers. Today I am writing to bring the good news that we have just been given two big awards.

Image caption: Your elected representatives want to hear from you.
Tips on Contacting Your Elected Representatives

Voting is just the beginning. Stay connected with your representatives to make sure your government is working for you.

Image caption: Time to step up and speak out.
Conveniently Contacting Your Elected Representatives

We've made it one-click convenient for members to contact their elected representatives.

Image caption: Then-Santa Cruz County Supervisor Ryan Coonerty speaks at a TEDx event in 2020. “As a local official, every day I get to wake up and try to take action to make our community a little bit better place.”
An Interview With Ryan Coonerty

On the Santa Cruz City Council, then as mayor, and then as county supervisor, Ryan Coonerty learned to love politics.

Image caption: The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails

The California Supreme Court has kept the state at the forefront of legal issues surrounding abortion, the death penalty and same-sex marriage, starting in its earliest days in the Gold Rush era.

Image caption: A farmworker takes a break from picking raspberries inside a hoop-house in the Salinas Valley.
California Agriculture & Immigration

The state’s most important industry relies on workers who are not given a chance to obtain legal status.

Image caption: Gary Gragg examines buds on one of the mango plants he's growing in the Sacramento Valley.
Mangoes and Agave in the Central Valley?

The future of farming in California is changing as the planet warms, altering the rain and heat patterns that guide which crops are grown where. “We’re adjusting for survival,” one grower said.

Image caption: They help feed the whole country, but life for California’s farm workers remains a struggle.
How California Feeds the Country

California stands as America’s agricultural powerhouse, growing half of its fruits and vegetables. Here’s how California farming has shaped the state, from the early missions to today’s “factories in the field.”

Image caption: State Sen. Scott Wiener reminds us that for generations, California has welcomed people to be who and what they are.
Scott Wiener; Weird Comix; Water Rights

How the SF state senator was changed by California; how our great state spawned a cultural phenomenon; how many Californians are being denied life's most basic necessity.

Image caption: Rip Off Press, once located in San Francisco's Sunset District and now headquartered in Auburn, was part of a movement that blossomed in California.
Graphic Content

Comics may have been born in New York, but they came of age in California. And there’s more to the story than San Francisco comix.

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How Free Trips Lead to Bills

Members of the California Legislature took nearly $1 million worth of trips sponsored by interest groups in 2022. The California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy accounted for 40% of the travel spending. Over the years, some of its …

Image caption: Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) delivers the keynote address at the  Brookings Institute's Future of the Middle Class Initiative in May, 2019.
Why Democrats Should Pay Attention to California

Ezra Klein talks to state Sen. Scott Wiener about why progressive policies have failed in a state with no Republicans in power.

Santa Clara County Newsletter

Weekly digest of curated state and local news, upcoming government meetings and community events.

California Local Pin Marker   Bulletin Board
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05/16/2023

Birth

Aaron Hieu Tran, who attends Ann Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill, has been named a 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholar.  Hieu Tran was one of 161 high school seniors nationwide named to the 59th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars—who are honored for their accomplishments in academics, the arts and career and technical education fields.

📌
05/11/2023

New Job

Jaclyn Muro has been named executive director of Gilroy Foundation, taking over from Donna Pray, who is retiring. Muro worked for Christopher Ranch for more than a dozen years, where she was surrounded by the family’s philanthropic efforts to improve educational opportunities for young Gilroyans.

📌
05/11/2023

Gratitude

Not many organizations can boast a century-long longevity, but FRFG (Freely Receive, Freely Give) can. To commemorate the book and study club’s 125th anniversary, the second floor of Old City Hall was adorned with blue and white decorations for a celebratory luncheon that took place on May 5.

📌
05/10/2023

Congratulations

Morgan Hill resident Bryant K. Wong, who plans to pursue a career in pharmaceutical science, has been named a National Merit Scholarship finalist, according to the organization that selects and awards the annual scholars. Wong is a student at Valley Christian High School in San Jose.

📌
05/10/2023

Congratulations

The Gilroy Assistance League announced its 2023 grant recipients at a luncheon and presentation held April 19 at Eagle Ridge Golf Course. Recipients were recognized for their efforts on behalf of South Santa Clara County children. During the 2023 grant cycle, GALs awarded a total of $31,939.41 in funds to 12 local organizations.

📌
05/02/2023

Caltrans “complete streets” update and new draft design guidance open for public comment

Caltrans HQ is proposing new design guidance (titled DIB-94) related to "complete streets" to make design for walking and biking on certain state routes easier to accomplish. These proposed change...

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Downtown Committee
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CLOSED SESSION: Los Gatos Town Council Meeting
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Emergency Communications Committee Meeting
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City Council
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Library, Culture and Arts Commission
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Los Gatos Town Council Meeting
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Monte Sereno City Council Meeting
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Sp. Finance Committee Meeting
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Council and Authorities Concurrent Meeting
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Sunnyvale City Council Meeting
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City of Campbell
Campbell City Council Meeting
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City of San Jose
Downtown Parking Board
Wednesday June 7 2023   10:00 AM

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City of Mountain View
Development Review Committee Meeting
Wednesday June 7 2023   2:00 PM

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City of Los Altos
Zoning Administrator Meeting
Wednesday June 7 2023   4:00 PM

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City of Santa Clara
Development Review Hearing
Wednesday June 7 2023   4:00 PM

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Parks and Recreation Commission
Wednesday June 7 2023   5:30 PM

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City of Cupertino
Technology, Information & Communication Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 7 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Mountain View
Environmental Planning Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 7 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Campbell
Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 7 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Morgan Hill
City Council
Wednesday June 7 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Sunnyvale
Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 7 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Monte Sereno
Site and Architectural Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 7 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Saratoga
Saratoga City Council Meeting
Wednesday June 7 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Cupertino
Library Commission
Wednesday June 7 2023   7:00 PM

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City of San Jose
Senior Citizens Commission
Thursday June 8 2023   1:00 PM

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Neighborhoods Commission
Thursday June 8 2023   1:30 PM

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Treatment Plant Advisory Committee
Thursday June 8 2023   4:00 PM

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Civil Service Commission
Thursday June 8 2023   4:00 PM

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Housing and Community Development Commission Meeting
Thursday June 8 2023   5:45 PM

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Appeals Hearing Board Meeting
Thursday June 8 2023   6:30 PM

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Better Streets Commission Meeting
Thursday June 8 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Campbell
Civic Improvement Commission Meeting
Thursday June 8 2023   7:30 PM

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Town of Los Gatos
Finance Commission Meeting
Monday June 12 2023   5:00 PM

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Town of Los Altos Hills
Public Art Committee Meeting
Monday June 12 2023   5:00 PM

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City of Palo Alto
Palo Alto City Council Meeting
Monday June 12 2023   5:30 PM

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City of Mountain View
Rental Housing Committee
Monday June 12 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Santa Clara
Civil Service Commission Meeting
Monday June 12 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Los Altos
Environmental Commission Meeting
Monday June 12 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Sunnyvale
Planning Commission Meeting
Monday June 12 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Gilroy
Downtown Committee Meeting
Tuesday June 13 2023   8:00 AM

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City of Saratoga
Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting
Tuesday June 13 2023   8:30 AM

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Town of Los Altos Hills
SPECIAL MEETING: Enviromental Design and Protection Committee Meeting
Tuesday June 13 2023   3:00 PM

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Town of Los Altos Hills
Enviromental Design and Protection Committee Meeting
Tuesday June 13 2023   5:45 PM

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City of Gilroy
Arts and Culture Commission
Tuesday June 13 2023   6:30 PM

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City of Mountain View
Mountain View City Council Meeting
Tuesday June 13 2023   6:30 PM

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City of Cupertino
Planning Commission
Tuesday June 13 2023   6:45 PM

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City of Morgan Hill
Planning Commission
Tuesday June 13 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Los Altos
Los Altos City Council Meeting
Tuesday June 13 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Monte Sereno
Youth Commission Meeting
Tuesday June 13 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Palo Alto
Policy and Services Committee
Tuesday June 13 2023   7:00 PM

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Town of Los Altos Hills
Open Space Committee Meeting
Wednesday June 14 2023   9:00 AM

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Town of Los Altos Hills
Technology Committee Regular Meeting
Wednesday June 14 2023   5:00 PM

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City of Los Altos
Public Arts Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 14 2023   5:00 PM

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City of Cupertino
Teen Commission
Wednesday June 14 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Mountain View
Visual Arts Committee Meeting
Wednesday June 14 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Santa Clara
Planning Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 14 2023   6:00 PM

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Town of Los Gatos
Planning Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 14 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Gilroy
Library Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 14 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Mountain View
Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 14 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Saratoga
Planning Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 14 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Sunnyvale
Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
Wednesday June 14 2023   7:00 PM

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City of Morgan Hill
City/School Liaison Committee Meeting
Thursday June 15 2023   8:30 AM

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City of Palo Alto
City/School Liaison Committee
Thursday June 15 2023   8:30 AM

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City of Cupertino
Environmental Review Committee
Thursday June 15 2023   9:30 AM

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City of San Jose
Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee (PSFSS)
Thursday June 15 2023   1:30 PM

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Town of Los Altos Hills
SPECIAL MEETING: Los Altos Hills Town Council Meeting
Thursday June 15 2023   5:00 PM

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Town of Los Altos Hills
Los Altos Hills Town Council Meeting
Thursday June 15 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Santa Clara
Downtown Community Task Force
Thursday June 15 2023   6:00 PM

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City of Sunnyvale
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Meeting
Thursday June 15 2023   6:30 PM

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City of Los Altos
Planning Commission Meeting
Thursday June 15 2023   7:00 PM