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Fruit trees in Sunnyvale, Walnut Creek under siege by rats

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:10 GMT

DEAR JOAN: I have been a gardener for many years now, and this is the first year I have seen this. My dwarf Meyer lemon tree, normally filled with lemons, has been attacked by what I think are rats. They have eaten all of the lemon rinds completely off and left the whole lemon, pith and all, totally intact. I have no lemons at all, however new ones are growing.They have done this to my son’s lemon tree as well. He lives in Walnut Creek. His orange tree also has been attacked, however (the rats) have eaten their way through the rind, leaving a gaping hole, and completely eaten the inside of the orange.I set rat traps, and for one week, the rats were gone. Then they returned. ARGGGG! Any suggestions?— Judy, SunnyvaleDEAR JUDY: While it might seem like the rats of suburbia have a personal vendetta against you and your son, it’s really nothing personal, unless your great-great grandfather once wiped out King Rat in an epic rodent-human war. Probably not.Eating lemon rinds an...

TasteFood: Salad days of summer – spotlight on couscous

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:10 GMT

The star of this summer salad is Moroccan couscous. Couscous is often referred to as a grain, but this is a misnomer. These tiny morsels are grainy in appearance, but they are made from semolina and water and rolled into tiny granules. So, in fact, couscous is a type of pasta (and not gluten-free).To confuse matters further, there are several types of couscous. Israeli or pearl couscous consists of larger globules, about the size of small pearls or peppercorns. They are toasty and chewier. Lebanese couscous is an even larger variation and less commonly found in the supermarkets. Moroccan or North African couscous is the finest and easiest to cook, due to its size. It merely needs to steam or steep in hot water for several minutes to soften. It has a mild and slightly nutty taste that provides a blank slate for absorbing flavor.Couscous is also notable for its versatility. Add a smattering of spices to the hot water in which it steeps, and the couscous will obligingly absorb the arom...

Wanna see the future of Bay Area transportation? You’re in luck.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:10 GMT

For decades, Bay Area transportation geeks have been waiting for this moment.Caltrain’s new electric fleet — a project in the works since the early 1990s — will soon be open to the public for the very first time, with tours on July 29 allowing Bay Area residents to witness the first-ever transition from diesel locomotives in the American West, according to the transit agency.What was once a fever dream turned into a reality nearly half a decade ago, when the Swiss-made red-and-white emblazoned trains were first revealed at their factory in Salt Lake City, offering a glimpse into one of the biggest makeovers to the region’s transportation system in years.Set to come online for passengers in fall 2024, the trains are packed to the brim with sleek new features: dedicated Wi-Fi, an increased number of power outlets near seats, an upgraded system for announcing stops and a baby-changing station inside the bathrooms. Drab seat designs will be replaced with cleaner, futuristic-...

Wish You Were Here: Oklahoma City from museums to Bricktown

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:10 GMT

Globetrotting readers have been making up for that long, pandemic-era dry spell by traveling all over the place this year. They’ve gazed upon Rio’s sights, strolled Australian beaches and explored British naval history at Portsmouth’s docks. And they’ve shared their stories — and practical travel tips — along the way.Today, we’re hearing from a Berkeley couple who took a cross-country road trip this spring.Wish You Were HereOKLAHOMA: Berkeley residents Reed Holderman and Rissa Coplan took an epic road trip this spring — in their Subaru plug-in hybrid, proving that eco-friendly cross-country travel is do-able. “After covering 7,000 miles and 24 states, it’s surprising that Oklahoma City was one of our favorite stops,” Reed says. “Sure, Glacier National Park, Zion and the Grand Canyon, Chicago, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were incredible, but OKC held its own and was full of surprises.Berkeley residents Reed Holderma...

Mauricio Dubón’s homer in the ninth inning lifts Astros past A’s 3-2

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:10 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Mauricio Dubón homered with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, and the Houston Astros held off the Oakland Athletics 3-2 on Sunday.Yainer Diaz had two hits including his 11th home run for the Astros, who have won four of five and remain 3 games behind the Rangers in the AL West.Jeremy Peña drew a one-out walk off Chad Smith (1-2) but missed a sign and was caught trying to steal second base. Dubón, hitless with two strikeouts in his previous four at-bats, then powered a 1-2 slider to center for his fifth home run of the season, tying his career high from the previous two seasons.A versatile infielder who was traded to the Astros from San Francisco on May 14, 2022, Dubón has given Houston’s infield some stability after eight-time All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve went on the injured list with a left oblique strain in early July.“I waited my whole life for this,” Dubón said. “I got people behind me that help me a lot and it keeps m...

San Jose: Vehicle strikes, kills man near Camden Avenue and Highway 85

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:10 GMT

SAN JOSE — One man died Monday morning after he was hit by a vehicle in the area of Camden Avenue and Highway 85 in South San Jose, police said.The man was a pedestrian, according to authorities, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The collision took place around 4:20 a.m.The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with authorities. Police did not provide any further updates.Units are currently investigating a fatal collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian in the area of Camden Av and Highway 85. pic.twitter.com/uke6M7eRuR— San José Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) July 24, 2023The death became San Jose’s 29th traffic-related death of 2023 on city streets.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | One dead after motorcycle crash in eastern Alameda County Crashes and Disasters | Caltrain strikes and kills pedestrian in Santa Clara on Saturday morning Crashes and Disasters | San Jose: Man held on suspicion of DUI after ...

Q&A: Meet Santa Clara County’s new executive, James Williams

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:10 GMT

After more than a decade at the helm of Santa Clara County, longtime public servant and now-former county executive Jeff Smith retired earlier this month, thrusting previous county counsel James Williams into the county’s top role.On July 10, Williams was sworn in to oversee Santa Clara County’s 23,000 employees and a $11.3 billion budget at a time when the county is facing fiscal uncertainty with a growing deficit that could balloon to $158 million by the 2024-2025 fiscal year.Williams has been with the county for almost 13 years now, starting off in the county counsel’s office before moving to the county executive’s office. In 2016, he was appointed to his most recent role as the county counsel.The Mercury News caught up with Williams to chat more about the challenges the county is facing and what he’s most looking forward to about his new job serving the 1.9 million residents living in Santa Clara County.Q: What do you think the biggest issues are fa...

Built-in software ‘death dates’ are sending thousands of schools’ Chromebooks to the recycling bin

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:10 GMT

At a lofty warehouse in East Oakland, a dozen students have spent their summer days tinkering with laptops. The teens, who are part of Oakland Unified’s tech repair internship, have fixed broken screens, faulty keyboards and tangled wiring, mending whatever they can.But despite their technological prowess, there’s one mechanical issue the tech interns haven’t been able to crack: expired Chromebooks.With a software death date baked into each model, older versions of these inexpensive computers are set to expire three to six years after their release. Despite having fully functioning hardware, an expired Chromebook will no longer receive the software updates it needs, blocking basic websites and applications from use.“They’re designed to be disposable,” said Sam Berg, Oakland Unified’s computer science coordinator and designer of the district’s tech repair internship. “It’s like planned obsolescence.”Chromebook sales soared after the start of the pandemic...

Did Taylor Swift’s latest surprise song hint to the next potential ‘Taylor’s Version’ album

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:10 GMT

The inimitable Taylor Swift has been on her record-breaking “Eras” tour and along the way, she’s played a different “surprise song” to change up the setlist at every concert.Taylor Swift performing in Ireland during a 2018 ‘Reputation’ tour concert. On Saturday during her Seattle concert, Swift’s surprise song was an acoustic version of “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” a “Reputation” album track that’s been long-speculated by Swifties to be about Kanye West, who has notoriously clashed in public with the singer through the years.It all started, as if we could forget, when the “Gold Digger” rapper notoriously interrupted Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards while she was accepting the award for best female video.The artists clashed again in a 2016 dispute over whether or not the rapper cleared lyrics with Swift for his song “Famous,” wherein he calls Swift a “b—” and takes credit for her fame.Despite the fact that a handful of songs from the 2017 album are played reg...

Pedestrian dies in San Jose crash near Hwy 85

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:10 GMT

(KRON) -- A fatal crash took place on a Highway 85 offramp Monday morning, according to the San Jose Police Department. Car veers off dead end at Sanchez Street Stairs in SF The crash happened in the area of Camden Avenue and Highway 85. A man who was walking nearby was pronounced dead the the scene. The driver in the crash is cooperating with police. This is the 28th fatal crash and the 29th person to die in a traffic accident on San Jose streets in 2023. SJPD says morning traffic will be impacted by the crash. Drivers are asked to use caution or consider an alternate route.