Santa Clara County: Don’t take chances, even if you feel fine Did you know Santa Clara County has one of the highest rates of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in the country? It’s true. But it doesn’t have to remain that way, according to officials with the County of Santa Clara’s Public Health Department. LTBI and…
Clean water: Santa Clara County fights trash
Federal Clean Water Act focuses on stormwater runoff No one likes seeing litter snagged in the willows edging the creeks winding through the County of Santa Clara’s parks. But that’s exactly what they’d see every time were it not for the federal Clean Water Act and the County workers who enforce it. The County of…
Composting workshops: a cornucopia
Do it for your yard, garden — and planet Summer is a time of rapid growth in your yard and garden. What better time to attend one of the many composting workshops and start that compost pile you’ve been thinking about for years? Luckily, there are several backyard composting workshops scheduled conveniently throughout Santa Clara…
Santa Clara County summer: So much to do for everyone
Summer activities offer fun, affordable ways to spend days Opportunities for adventure, entertainnment and enlightenment abound in the long days of summer stretching out before us like a beach blanket. Many of us have already made our bigger plans — a trip to Lake Tahoe, or to see relatives in Pennsylvania, maybe a cruise to…
Bernal Ranch: Unlikely cowboy recalls his youth
World War II turned Patrick Joice into an unlikely cowboy, forcing him to grow up on what is now preserved as historic Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch at Santa Teresa County Park in south San Jose.
2020 Census: ‘Trusted messengers’ on front lines
Respected leaders fight fear, mistrust, apathy The Santa Clara County Office of the Census has spent months preparing “trusted messengers” to help hard-to-count populations understand it’s in their communities’ interest to fill out next year’s federal Census 2020 form. With distrust of the federal government soaring among many immigrant groups, the County knows it is…
250 flock to first ‘raptor encounter’
Native birds of prey showcased at Calero County Park The first “raptor encounter” to be jointly hosted by Santa Clara County Parks and the Peninsula Open Space Trust could scarcely have been more perfect — especially if you like surprises. Mostly sunny afternoon skies and mild temperatures greeted the estimated 250 people who showed up…
Ending child sexual abuse: Speak out
Santa Clara County symposium fights culture of silence Each year more than 200 people in Santa Clara County are charged with child molestation, and prosecutors know that the actual number of people who are molesting children in the county is much, much greater. “Research has shown that fewer than 10% of child victims actually ever…
Wildfire preparations: Ready, Set, Go
Defensible space is key Visit County Fire’s wildfire preparations page, Ready, Set Go! Need help getting ready? The FireSafe Council of Santa Clara County has resources. Interview with Santa Clara County Fire Chief Tony Bowden
Visitor survey: Parks wildly popular
Regular visitors can’t get enough The Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department has long sensed that park users are pretty happy with their experiences. Now there’s fresh data to prove it. The department recently issued the results of its 2018 visitor survey — the second it has ever done — and found that its…