Winchester Mystery House hosts Oddities Market for holiday shopping

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:11 GMT

Shopping for holiday odditiesHoliday shoppers whose tastes skew toward “The Nightmare Before Christmas” might want to check out the Yuletide ODDventure Residency at the Winchester Mystery House presented by Menagerie Oddities Market.On Saturdays from Nov. 25 to Dec. 30, noon-9 p.m. each day, the Winchester Mystery House will play host to a differently themed show. Shoppers can partake in a Dark Victorian Christmas on Dec. 2, the fifth annual Holiday Oddities Show on Dec. 9 and a Victorian Peddler’s Street Faire on Dec. 16. Procrastinators can shop a Bizarre Bazaar on Dec. 23, and the series wraps up with a Soul Spa Re-enchantment Metaphysical Faire on Dec. 30.In addition to 45 artisans, creators and purveyors of the strange and unusual, the market will feature DJs, live music, fortunetelling, burlesque performers, circus act performances by Renegade Circus and the Misfit Toys, and a doll part ornament-making class in Santa’s workshop. Dr. R. Snick will present his exhibit and ...

Sunnyvale Historical Society hosts holiday teas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:11 GMT

Holiday teas at the museumThe Sunnyvale Historical Society is taking reservations for its 15th annual holiday teas on the first two weekends in December.Period clothing is encouraged for the Victorian-themed teas, set for Dec. 2-3 and 9-10, 2-4 p.m., at the Heritage Park Museum, 570 E. Remington Drive. Doors open at 1 p.m. to allow guests to browse the museum exhibits and the store.Reserve a table by calling 408-749-0220.League seeks volunteersThe League of Women Voters Cupertino-Sunnyvale has several committees that need coordination and additional members, including voter service, communications, online access and activities. For more information, visit https://lwvcs.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=42&club_id=604588.Bringing the heatSunnyvale ranked third among California cities in a recent study of most affordable cities to heat a home in winter. Overall, the study by HVAC Gnome determined that 94 of the most affordable cities to heat in the country are in California. Th...

Opinion: Santa Clara County leads locally on climate change

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:11 GMT

It’s been said that the best time to act on climate change was yesterday, and the next best time is today. I agree.My work on climate change began in earnest in the California State Legislature. As a member of the state Assembly, I coauthored (with then-State Sen. Byron Sher) the landmark 2002 Renewables Portfolio Standards bill, which required California electricity providers to acquire at least one-fifth of their power from clean, renewable sources like wind, solar, and geothermal by 2017.Some years later, as a state senator, I chaired the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality; in that role I coauthored and helped guide the passage of the California Global Warming Solutions Act (also known as AB 32, coauthored by Assemblymembers Fabian Nunez and Fran Pavley). The law established the state’s most aggressive effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.To make sure we’d actually achieve those goals, I wrote legislation moving the deadline for 20% renewable energy use up to 2010, wh...

Milpitas rings in the holidays with tree lighting ceremony

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:11 GMT

Tree Lighting CeremonyMilpitas residents can ring in the holidays with the city’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, set for Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Milpitas Civic Center Plaza, 457 E. Calaveras Blvd. Santa will be on hand for photo ops, and the Milpitas Community Concert Band will provide seasonal music.For more information, call 408-586-3210 or visit Milpitas.gov.Senior pet adoptionsHumane Society Silicon Valley is waiving all adoption fees on animals 6 years and older through the end of November.“It’s a common misconception that older animals end up in shelters because there is something wrong with them,” Humane Society’s senior director of operations Kristen Jahnke said in a statement. “In truth, most enter shelters through no fault of their own.“When you adopt an adult animal, you’re truly giving them a second chance at a happy life with a loving family.”According to the Humane Society, among the advantages of adopting a senior pet are that many are already trained, their hab...

Los Gatos is looking for a new poet laureate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:11 GMT

Poet laureate applicationsThe Town of Los Gatos is accepting applications for its next poet laureate. The town poet laureate is an honorary position that serves to promote poetry and encourage the appreciation and advancement of literary arts in Los Gatos. The poet laureate will serve a three-year term beginning in January 2024 and ending in December 2026.This honorary position is open to any Los Gatos resident age 18 or older who has either published poetry or has been recognized for their contributions to poetry or other literature. The new poet laureate will replace Jen Siraganian.The deadline to apply is Dec. 4. Applications are available at https://www.losgatosca.gov/2298/Poet-Laureate.Giving Tree donationsSkyland Church is collecting monetary donations for its annual Giving Tree to provide families in the Santa Cruz mountain with gift cards for groceries, clothes and other necessities.Last year church and community members donated to support 26 families at CT English Middle Sc...

Opinion: Saratoga mayor looks back on 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:11 GMT

Last December, my peers on the Saratoga City Council selected me to serve as mayor. The year started with a close look at the city’s budget and fiscal health. Despite inflation, loss of revenues and storm impacts, the council balanced the budget through cost recovery measures and reimagining facility rentals without reductions in services. We also invested in the future of Saratoga, allocating more than $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for important infrastructure projects, including stormwater management and clean water improvements, as well as over $4 million to city roads.The Housing Element update efforts continued this year. The state’s comments on Saratoga’s third draft of the Housing Element required new policies that would increase housing sites and affordability in existing single-family neighborhoods. The city council recently considered these new policies, bringing us closer to a final Housing Element and preventing additional builder’s remedy projects.T...

Cupertino’s Community Tree Lighting set for Dec. 1

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:11 GMT

Holiday happeningsCupertino is set to hold its annual Community Tree Lighting Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. at the Quinlan Community Center. Santa will be at the community center Dec. 2 for breakfast from 8:30 to 11:15 a.m.; the event will also feature photo ops with the jolly old elf.Signing Santa will stop by the community center Dec. 9, 2-4 p.m., to visit with deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families.City commission openingsCupertino residents are encouraged to apply for positions on city commissions and committees that will have vacancies in January 2024. The city’s commissions and committees serve as advisory bodies to the city council by considering public input and providing recommendations to the council.Commissions and committees with upcoming vacancies include the Audit Committee, Parks and Recreation Commission, Public Safety Commission and Technology Information and Communications Commission. The Housing Commission is seeking both a community member and a business represe...

Bay Area high school football: Where to find our complete Week 13 coverage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:11 GMT

Champions were crowned and title game matchups were set in the second week of the section playoffs.Serra routed Wilcox to wrap up another CCS Division I title, and De La Salle won its 31st consecutive NCS title when it came back against San Ramon Valley in the Open championship.Palo Alto’s offense kept on rolling. Pittsburg used a dynamic running back duo to punch its ticket to the NCS Division I title game. Los Gatos wasn’t afraid to open up the playbook to keep St. Ignatius at bay.As always, the Bay Area News Group has you covered.If you have not already, please subscribe here for digital access all season long. Your contributions keep us going.Here is our complete Week 13 coverage.Enjoy.Roundup: Best of Week 13Results: Weekend scoreboard, how Top 25 faredPhotos: Our staff’s Week 13 imagesCougar comeback: Christopher completes incredible comebackNo doubt about it: Serra wins CCS Open titleGutsy play-calls: Los Gatos slips past St. IgnatiusRunning wild: Pirates headed t...

One dead in Oakland after vehicle overturns along I-580

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:11 GMT

(BCN) -- At least one person is confirmed dead after a vehicle overturned along Interstate Highway 580 in Oakland early Sunday morning, the California Highway Patrol said.The crash, which was first reported at 12:36 a.m. Sunday, happened along westbound Interstate 580 at the Lakeshore Avenue offramp. On arriving at the scene, officers noted that the crash victim was bleeding.The victim was given immediate medical attention, but eventually succumbed to "traumatic brain injuries" at 3:43 a.m., the CHP said, quoting a doctor familiar with the situation.Details about the identity of the victim and the circumstances that led to the crash were not immediately available. Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.