Thursday, May 17, 2012
State Senate and Assembly candidates will focus on education and education funding.
A forum for State Senate and Assembly candidates gives voters in Cupertino and surrounding areas an opportunity to ask questions of the candidates in a Friday night assembly at Cupertino Community Hall. This forum, which will be livecast online, will focus on education and education funding issues and is the first to take into account the “top-two” open primaries format along with the newly redistricted Assembly and Senate seats. As a result of redistricting, Cupertino falls in Assembly District 28 and Senate District 15. (Redrawn districts can be found at HealthyCity.org.) Assembly district candidates who will be at the forum include incumbent Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-Palo Alto) who represents currently drawn District 22, and Los Gatos…
Late hours at new bar approved, and Bollinger Road Project stays at 5 homes.
It was a marathon meeting Tuesday night for the Cupertino City Council, which didn’t adjourn until nearly 2 a.m. Wednesday. The big item on the agenda taking up nearly six hours was the Main Street development. After a lot of back and forth it was approved after 1:30 a.m. But there were other issues on the agenda as well. Here’s our wrap-up. Islands Fine Burgers and Drinks Coming later this year to Cupertino: Big Wave Burgers, Island Fries, Chocolate Lava and a bar serving Big Island Iced Teas, Shipwrecks and Lava Flows (sense the tropical theme?). Islands Fine Burgers and Drinks successfully countered an appeal by Councilmember Barry Chang to reverse an earlier Planning Commission approval of a conditional use permit for a bar and late …
The Cupertino City Council votes unanimously for the downtown-style development, despite concerns.
The long and winding road traveled by the Main Street downtown-style development took a major turn Tuesday night when the Cupertino City Council voted unanimously to approve the project, but not without some twists. The unanimous vote was more about unity of the council over the project on Stevens Creek Boulevard at Finch Avenue getting built as soon as possible, than it was about agreement on the components of the development or the timing of construction. And despite voting in favor of the project including a senior housing complex in the back along Vallco Parkway, the council left open a door for developer Peter Pau and his Sand Hill Property Company to possibly come back later and ask for loft-style unrestricted-age apartments. Council…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Bill by State Sen. Joe Simitian would boost fines for using cell phones while driving.
The California State Senate Monday passed a bill authored by Sen. Joe Simitian that would increase the fines on motorists who talk or text while driving. The bill, SB 1310, passed on a 24-9 vote, and increases the fines for breaking the hands-free and no texting laws from $20 to $30 for a first-time offense, and from $50 to $60 for subsequent offenses. The extra money from the tougher law would be used to fund a distracted driving education program in the California Office of Traffic Safety, according to a statement released by Simitian’s press office Monday. The total cost of a first offense, including penalties, would rise to roughly $199, depending on the county. Second offenses would cost about $371. Also, a second violation would add …
Monday, May 14, 2012
May 21 is the deadline to register to vote in the state's June 5 primary election, and the deadline to submit a request to vote by mail is May 29.
With all the campaign commercials, stump speeches and baby kissing, it might be difficult to actually remember to register to vote in California's upcoming June 5 primary election. That's why Cupertino Patch is here to remind you that the deadline for voters looking to cast their ballots in the election season's first round is Monday, May 21. To register to vote in Santa Clara County, voters can pick up a registration form from the Cupertino City Clerk's office, located inside City Hall, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday. Registrants can also call the Santa Clara Registrar of Voters at 1-866-VOTE. For those who wish to vote by mail, the deadline to submit a request for a …
To help warn homeowners against scams, law enforcement agencies take advantage of the Mountain View community access television studio.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office and Mountain View-based KMVT 15 have partnered to created public service announcements that could help prevent crimes. Recently, Deputy District Attorney Janet Berry and Gilroy Police Department Sgt. Chad Gallacinao taped a segment about landscaping scams taking place in the south county city. "We are thrilled with this situation," said Sean Webby, media coordinator for the DA's office. "We don't have the skills or experience to do even an amateur job." According to Webby, some landscapers have targeted elderly people in Gilroy and do a mediocre—if not bad job—and then leave with the victim's money, without rendering good service. These public service announcements, he explained, would …
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Need to travel north or south on Highway 85 from Los Altos, Mountain View, Sunnyvale or Cupertino? Be ready to detour at certain spot beginning as early as 7 p.m. and through the night.
For people who love to hate the bumpy commute on Highway 85, things are about to get a little better, Caltrans says. But first they have to close off ramps and roadways overnight, in a project that will extend from April to July. Most lane and ramp closures will begin at 8 p.m. and end before 5 a.m. on weekdays. On weekends, most closures will end by 10 a.m., according to a news release issued earlier this month by Caltrans spokesman Bernard Walik. For the weekend of May 12-13, however, the closures are actually an hour earlier and an hour later, according to Caltrans' daily lane closure report made available to the media. Lane and Ramp closures, Saturday through Sunday, May 12-13 Highway 85 Southbound: Highway 85 Northbound The work …
Friday, May 11, 2012
Eshoo’s legislation boosting safety of children’s medication clears key committee.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Ready for a long season of thick, heavy, smog?
As the warm weather arrives, so, too, do high levels of toxic ozone pollution. To kick off this year’s Spare the Air season, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is celebrating Clean Air Week by encouraging locals to reduce their driving. The largest source of smog in the Bay Area is tailpipe exhaust. “Reducing the number of cars on our roads remains the biggest air quality challenge we face in the Bay Area,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District. “We are urging residents to re-think their commute and leave their car at home at least twice a week - take transit, work from home, carpool or bike to work instead of driving alone.” Monta Vista High School did its part Wednesday with its Walk/Bike to School Day, …
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The Cupertino City Council makes the name change of McClellan Ranch Park official, as well as voting on other issues Tuesday night.
The Cupertino City Council breezed through its meeting Tuesday night, taking a formal vote to change the name of McClellan Ranch from “Park” to “Preserve”, adopting community block grants, among other issues. Coming up on a future agenda: a possible ban on Styrofoam containers. Two members requested it be included on an upcoming agenda, after three Homestead High School students made a case for a ban. Here’s a wrap-up of the meeting. McClellan Ranch Preserve After an informal straw vote on April 3 indicating the council was in favor of changing the name of McClellan Ranch Park to “McClellan Ranch Preserve”, the council took a formal vote on Tuesday making the change official. A council majority also voted in favor of renaming the …
Anne Ernst
7:34 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
A little more Cupertino nightlife is on its way, folks. more ›