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Contest winners address struggle of being ‘Be-You-tiful’ in social media age

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

Winning entries by local middle school students in this year’s Be-You-tiful contest, sponsored by the Campbell-based Eating Disorders Resource Center (EDRC), use different mediums to express similar ideas about how social media affects body image and overall well being.The annual contest is open to Bay Area middle and high school students.Emma Xuanyi Ma, a seventh-grader at Kennedy Middle School in Cupertino, won first place in the middle school prose category for “A Fresh Start.” Her poem addresses the stressors teens face in the age of the selfie: “It takes you thirty shots,/Before you get it right,/You’ve made your skin smooth/And your eyes bright;/But you’re not satisfied,/Perfection seems so far,/How come you never have/The beauty of those stars?”Nandika Trivedi, an eighth-grader at Thomas Russell Middle School in Milpitas, used self-portraiture to convey her inner child “that just wants to get out there and roam, no matter what others think about her weight or clothes.”“When I...

State Route 13 in Oakland closed after fatal crash involving pedestrian

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

A fatal crash early Sunday morning shut down all southbound lanes on State Route 13 near Montclair and left one pedestrian dead.The crash, which involved a black Toyota Corolla, occurred sometime after midnight. California Highway Patrol responded to a report of a man crawling in the slow lane near the Park Boulevard onramp after possibly being hit by a car at 1:17 a.m.Oakland Fire Department also responded and confirmed the fatality at 1:33 a.m.. California Highway Patrol ordered the highway closed soon after, diverting traffic onto Park Boulevard.The highway reopened to Southbound traffic at 3:38 a.m.As of June, 4 pedestrians had been killed in Oakland this year.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Head-on collision kills suspected DUI driver, passenger on I-280 in Los Altos Hills Crashes and Disasters | Alameda County DA gives early release to Oakland man convicted of murder in 2003 crash during police chase Crashes and Disasters | Pi...

Negotiating the ins and outs of San Jose Jazz Summer Fest

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

Last year’s San Jose Jazz Summer Fest was arguably a victim of its own success in that so many people turned out to hear the main stage acts that the security checkpoints couldn’t get them through the gates until after the music had started.Festival organizers have taken steps to get folks settled in Plaza de Cesar Chavez for this year’s Summer Fest, taking place Aug. 11-13.“Organizers have both made infrastructure changes and are working closely with fest security on updated gate procedures to ensure a smoother, faster line process at the main gates,” says Summer Fest Operations Director Annie Hermes.Among these changes, a second VIP entrance has been added near the main stage to help alleviate main gate congestion. For everyone else, there’ll be an express line for those who forego camp chairs and come only with clear bags and small purses.Related ArticlesEntertainment | Taylor Swift breaks curfew for second night in a row at Levi’s Stadium Entertainment | ...

Westmont High School junior is a winner in Be-You-tiful contest

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

Be-You-tiful winnerWestmont High School junior Jupiter Polevoi is among the winners of this year’s Be-You-tiful contest, sponsored by the Campbell-based Eating Disorders Resource Center (EDRC). The annual contest asked Bay Area middle and high school students to share their thoughts on how social media affects body image and overall well being.In her winning video, Jupiter sings an original song about a young woman’s struggle with an eating disorder. According to the EDRC, As many as 30% of girls and 16% of boys in American high schools suffer from disordered eating.First-, second- and third-place winners in the Be-You-tiful contest’s  various categories won $300, $200 and $100, respectively.Register for Teal RunRegistration is open for the ninth annual Teal Run, a fundraiser for women and families affected by ovarian cancer. The 5k fun run/walk is set for Oct. 1, 7:30-11:30 a.m., at Campbell Park.The race is hosted by the Teal Foundation, started in 2015 to promote a sense of commu...

Denise Rocchi named new Saratoga postmaster

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

New Saratoga postmasterDenise Rocchi was sworn in July 20 as the new postmaster of the Saratoga Post Office.A 17-year postal service employee, Rocchi started her career in 2006 as an associate supervisor of customer service in Redwood City. She then served as supervisor of customer service at stations in Palo Alto and San Jose. Her latest post was as the manager of customer service at the San Jose Blossom Station.Rocchi comes from a long line of postal workers. Her grandparents, Jean and Bill Croteau, served respectively as clerk and carrier in San Jose, her mother Jeanne Rocchi was a clerk, and both her aunts also worked for the USPS, one as a supervisor and the other as a human resources principal.As the postmaster of Saratoga, Rocchi supervises 41 employees and oversees the retail services and daily distribution of 48,000 pieces of mail and packages to 11,822 delivery stops, 1,814 P.O. boxes, 22 city delivery routes and two rural routes to a community of over 30,163 residents....

Milpitas Library hosts mental health care event

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

Mental health info at libraryThe Santa Clara County Library District is partnering with the County of Santa Clara Health System, National Alliance on Mental Illness Santa Clara County, and Bay Area Legal Aid to educate and empower local residents around mental health care through a series of events taking place at district libraries. The goal is to provide crucial information about accessing mental health care services.A presentation at the Milpitas Library is set for Monday, Aug. 21, 6-7 p.m. The presentation explains how common mental health conditions are and how to recognize signs and symptoms. It’s estimated that one in five adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness. In Santa Clara County that equals about 340,000 adults.Mental health parity requires that commercial insurance plans provide the same level of coverage for mental health services as they do for physical health services. The presentation includes information on rights to mental health care, steps and resources ...

Los Gatos proposes changes for Blossom Hill safety improvements

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

Blossom Hill trafficTown officials are reassuring Los Gatos residents that the increased traffic along Blossom Hill Road won’t be permanent. In response to safety concerns for cyclists and pedestrians near Blossom Hill Elementary School, officials began implementing changes to the road—including reduced speed limits—in July. Since then, there have been some growing pains. But town staff say they are actively monitoring the traffic in the area and will address it however they can, including modifying traffic lights in the area.Parking downtownNext Thursday, Aug. 10, residents interested in the town’s downtown parking programs can attend a stakeholder meeting to discuss recent recommendations to the Town Council about paid parking and employee parking permits. The council is set to discuss the item at its Aug. 15 meeting, but business and property owners—as well as staff who work in the area—are invited to give input in one of two sessions ahead of time. The Chamber of Commerce will h...

San Jose winery named Best New Winery Experience by USA Today readers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

Shaun Coleman is clearly delighted that Alamitos Vineyards, the New Almaden winery he co-owns with Chris Maune, is tops among USA Today readers, who voted it Best New Winery Experience in the latest 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.“We are absolutely thrilled,” Coleman says. “This accolade reflects the hard work and passion that our entire team invests in creating a memorable and enjoyable experience for our visitors.”This honor came about as a result of a visit by Amber Gibson, a travel reporter for Register in the UK, who visited Alamitos about  six months ago, courtesy of Visit San Jose. Her subsequent article, combined with a mini campaign by the City of San Jose to promote #SanJosePride, helped them secure a spot on the 10Best list.“Her story stated that you don’t need to go to SF or LA,” says Coleman. “We have the Winchester Mystery House, Santana Row, La Foret and wineries right here, which is very appealing to European travelers.”He says that since the 10Best story ...

Preliminary 3.5 earthquake hits South Bay

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

(KRON) -- An early morning shaker hit the South Bay city of Morgan Hill on Sunday, according to the United States Geological Survey. Taylor Swift fans break VTA ridership record on Friday night in Santa Clara The earthquake hit around 6:49 a.m. around 8 miles north of Morgan Hill city center.

Verstappen wins Belgian GP to extend huge F1 lead, Red Bull teammate Perez 2nd

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen emphatically won the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday for an eighth straight win and 10th overall of a crushingly dominant season.He finished 22.3 seconds ahead of teammate Sergio Perez to give Red Bull and easy 1-2. It moved Verstappen ominously closer to a third straight world title and his own F1 record of 15 wins from last year. Verstappen is 125 points ahead of Perez after just 12 races, and his next target is matching Sebastian Vettel’s F1 record of nine straight wins with a victory at the Dutch GP when the lopsided season resumes on Aug. 27.Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished in third spot for a third podium of the season, with Lewis Hamilton in fourth for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.George Russell was sixth for Mercedes, with Lando Norris (McLaren), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) completing the top 10.Leclerc started on...