Please join Executive Producers Donnie Eiland and David Mosqueda for a special virtual viewing of…
54: The Story Of The First Planned Integrated Community In The Country
History of the Sunnyhills Neighborhood Association
Sunnyhills was the first planned racially-integrated community in the United States in 1956, arranged by a Union co-op of the United Auto Workers. Today, Sunnyhills still has one of the highest levels of integration of any neighborhood. More detailed version.
K’Meyer related the story of how the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker social action organization, and the United Auto Workers union cooperated in the early 1950s to build Sunnyhills, an intentionally integrated community, to provide housing for the Black and white workers at the Milpitas Ford factory—one of the first interracial housing developments in the nation. Copies of her book are available from the Neighborhood Association and The Milpitas Historical Society.
The Untold Stories of Sunnyhills, Where History Was Made
By Rhoda Shapiro
February 14, 2019
Story how Milpitas resident Donnie Eiland came up with the idea to film a history of Sunnyhills, the neighborhood he grew up in. Back in January, 2019, Eiland flew Ben Gross’ son, Benjamin Gross, Jr., out from Minnesota to take part in the documentary. During his stay, Benjamin spoke at a couple of community events to share fascinating stories about his father, who passed away in 2012, and what it was like to grow up in Sunnyhills.
Sunnyhills…and The Soviet Union?
After the Kitchen Debate, Ben Gross (senior) had been in constant contact with Walter Reuther (President of the UAW), and asked that Reuther extend an invitation to Khrushchev to visit Sunnyhills. Gross wanted the Soviet leader to see an integrated community with his own eyes.
Khrushchev accepted and, once in Milpitas, made a special stop.
The Grosses threw a barbecue in the backyard to welcome the Premier. Khrushchev, his son, and five other officials came out to their Sunnyhills home. A visit to five different homes in the neighborhood was also set up, so that Khrushchev could witness the integrated neighborhood in action.
The event was not disclosed to the media. In fact, Russian security officials confiscated Benjamin’s camera, which is why no photos of the Premier’s visit exist.
I <3 Ol’ School Milpitas!
For those who grew up in, went to school in, spent time in, or love somebody from Milpitas. Please keep ALL posts about memories of people and events from Milpitas.
History of Milpitas: the 1900s
On January 26, 1954, Milpitas residents incorporated as a city that included the recently built Ford Auto Assembly plant.
Sunnyhills United Methodist Church History 1957-1982
Sunnyhills United Methodist Church was officially dedicated in January of 1959. Sunnyhills has been blessed with excellent and varied styles of leadership.
The City of Milpitas has been recognized with a “Smart 50” Award. The annual Smart 50 Awards are given to cities that stand out for having innovative and influential “Smart City” projects, per a partnership between Smart Cities Connect and the Smart Cities Connect Foundation. The term “smart city” refers to cities that are advanced in terms of information and communication technology.
Milpitas has long nurtured its Smart City infrastructure program, part of which has meant constructing new sustainable microgrids while enacting far-reaching water and energy conservation initiatives.
Said a press release from the City, “Delivered in collaboration with ENGIE North America, 10 water and energy infrastructure improvement measures in the construction phase of the initiative are either complete or nearing completion. Combined, these measures will enhance community services and safety, contribute to the City’s Climate Action Plan and resiliency goals, and reduce its operations, maintenance, and utility costs.”
Capital Improvement Program
Milpitas will preserve its close-knit community and rich cultural diversity as it moves with innovation into the future by supporting sustainable growth and development, ensuring public safety, enhancing the environment and natural landscape, and nurturing family and community connections. Large document containing plans for Milpitas’ future.
City of MilpitasBicycle/Pedestrian & Trails Plan
The City of Milpitas is in the process of updating its Trails and Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plans. These plans will provide the City with a vision and action plan to make it safer and more convenient to walk, bike, and roll in Milpitas. Visit MilpitasPhase2.altaplanning.cloud to provide feedback! Visit the interactive map at the link above to comment on proposed recommendations for bicycling and walking in Milpitas. Your feedback will inform recommended improvements around the city and help prioritize future investments.
Milpitas Economic Development
Responsible for helping maintain and promote growth in the City of Milpitas. We move at the speed of business to help keep your project on track and on time. We also take pride in “linking opportunities for commerce and community,” helping our businesses grow and succeed, increasing our job base for residents, and improving the economic well-being and quality of life for all. 408-586-3058 econdev@ci.milpitas.ca.gov
Milpitas Metro Specific Plan
The Milpitas Metro Specific Plan (formerly Transit Area Specific Plan) is a plan for the redevelopment of an approximately 437-acre area in the southern portion of the City that currently includes a number of industrial uses near the Great Mall shopping center. Based on City Council direction, the Draft Preferred Plan currently proposes redevelopment of this area with 7,109 dwelling units, 993,843 square feet of office space, 340 hotel rooms and 287,075 square feet of retail space centered around the proposed Milpitas BART station and the VTA Light Rail system. Update on October 29, 2021 in Milpitas Beat.
Milpitas Metro Specific Plan – Land Use and Density Policies
Agenda Report Attachment prepared for the City Council Meeting on January 19, 2021. This plan was originally scheduled to conclude in April 2021, however it has been extended in order to provide planning and environmental review for housing development in order to comply with RHNA and property owner interest in housing development in the Great Mall Subdistrict.
Milpitas Midtown Specific Plan
This updated Milpitas Midtown Specific Plan (2010) provides a new vision for an approximately 589-acre area of land which is currently undergoing changes related to its growing role as a housing and employment center in Silicon Valley
Milpitas Parks and Recreation Master Plan
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will provide both a long-term vision for the City’s park system, and specific policies and standards to direct day-to-day decisions. It will set forth a framework that will allow the City to respond to new opportunities as they arise, and to ensure that adequate parks, facilities and recreation programs meet the needs of the City’s future residents, employees and visitors.
Apple signs big industrial lease in Milpitas
Apple Inc. has signed a major lease for nearly 314,000 square feet of industrial manufacturing space at McCarthy Creekside, a brand-new, multiphase development in Milpitas, according to real estate records. 407 N. McCarthy Blvd.
“This [country] will in a few years become a…colony; instead of [their] learning our language, we must learn theirs, or live as in a foreign country.”
– Advice to German immigrants from Benjamin Franklin, publisher of die Philadelphische Zeitung, the first German newspaper in America, 1751.
Immigrants speaking other languages have been arriving in Santa Clara County for about 2 centuries contributing to our diverse ethnic history. Eventually they learn English, and begin to call themselves hyphenated-Americans, and become part of this wonderful melting pot. But is being a hyphenated-American a good thing? Does it imply not being 100% American?
Our Ethnic Heritage
Knowledge of Immigrant Nationalities of Santa Clara County
Unless we all start from the premise that we are innocently ignorant of the background and conditions of the rich cultures in our midst, and are challenged to rise to new levels of human understanding and humane relations, we suffer the possibility of engaging in insensitive or even discriminatory behaviors.
Silicon Valley Cultures Project
A fifteen year ethnographic study of the cultures living and working in the hi-tech communities of Silicon Valley.
A History of Black Americans in California
Although Afro-American people were comparatively few in number before World War II, they were settled throughout the state and made significant contributions to its development and growth. National Park Service.
Angel Island: Immigrant Journeys of Chinese-Americans
Between 1910 and 1940, there were as many as 175,000 Chinese immigrants detained and processed at Angel Island, San Francisco Bay, California. Unlike Ellis Island in New York’s harbor, Angel Island is a visible reminder of a shameful period in U.S. immigration history.
Asian-Nation
Your one-stop information source on the historical, political, demographic, and cultural issues that make up today’s diverse Asian American community. You can almost think of Asian-Nation as an online version of “Asian Americans 101.”
Chinese Historical & Cultural Project
Based in Santa Clara County, California, it was founded in 1987 as a non-profit organization to promote and preserve Chinese American and Chinese history and culture through community outreach activities.
A History of Chinese Americans in California
Amid the increased numbers of Chinese immigrants in recent years, it should be remembered that not all Chinese Americans are recent arrivals.
Filipino
The colonial context of Filipino American immigrants’ psychological experiences
In Santa Clara County, 60% of randomly surveyed Filipinos cited economic problems as the main reason they left the Philippines. Fifty three percent also reported a desire to reunite with family. Similarly, 65% of public benefits recipients cited family reunification as the main reason they left their home country. The Filipino community is scattered in the suburbs of San Jose, Milpitas, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale. While most speak English, many do not consider it their first nor most frequently used language.
Germans & Swiss
Die Deutschen in Kalifornien: Germans in Urban California, 1850-1860
A scholarly thesis by Carole Cosgrove Terry. The society that the European and American newcomers created in urban California was a combination of individual, ethnically-centered but unstructured cultural communities where the German-Californians were an influential and important segment of the citizenry.
Johann August Sutter
General Sutter, as he was generally known, was forced to flee his creditors in Switzerland at the age of 30. Ten years later, in California, he was the “ruler of the Saccramento Valley, founder of New Helvetia, a small sovereign.” After the discovery of gold on his land, he lost everything.
The WWI Home Front: War Hysteria & the Persecution of German-Americans
Anglo-Saxons had their own definition of what was “American”, and anything that did not conform was an undesirable deviation, perhaps even dangerous. And they were having trouble understanding why German-Americans would not willingly give up their German culture.
Hispanic
Early History of Santa Clara County
Although Mexico broke with the Spanish crown in 1821, it was not until May 10, 1825, that San Jose acknowledged Mexican rule. On May 13, 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico. Captain Thomas Fallon, leading 19 men, entered San Jose on July 14, 1846, and raised the United States flag over the town hall.
A History of Mexican Americans in California
The roots of the Chicano experience stretched back some three centuries to 1519 when Spaniards and their Indian allies carried out the conquest of the Aztec Empire in central Mexico and established what they called “New Spain.” National Park Service.
Irish
California and Bay Area Irish History: The Murphy Family
Martin and his family, Irish immigrants whose search for religious and educational freedom led them to California, were the first English speaking family to settle in Santa Clara Valley in 1849. From his home, Martin introduced the area’s first orchards and modern farm equipment and helped to establish the state’s first schools. In Milpitas we have a park named “Murphy.” The Shaughessy-Murphy Milk Shed still exists at the sewage pump facility near Coyote Creek.
The Irish in California
It is fashionable today, in some circles, to ignore, or at least minimize, the contributions of anyone from Europe. My intent is to point out, in a small way, how important the Irish were to the development of this state.
Japanese
History of Japantown, San Jose
Japanese, new to the country, eventually chose to build their wooden buildings next to Chinatown. Because the Chinese had already settled there, the environment was more familiar to them.
A History of Japanese Americans in California
How the National Park Service selects sites to show the history and contributions of Japanese in our state. A site both to find history and directions to historical sites.
Japanese American Museum of San Jose
Step into the past and help us honor our community’s stories of sacrifice, hardship and resilience. We invite you to come and engage with the firsthand experiences of Japanese Americans who experienced the racial tension and hysteria of WWII.
Japantown, San Jose
San Jose’s Japantown (Nihonmachi) developed from where the immigrant Japanese first settled in Santa Clara Valley. More than a century following its humble beginnings, it remains one of the last three historical Japantowns in the United States.
History of the Ohlone Indians, the indigenous people who inhabited the south San Francisco Bay region of California.
Bloody Island Massacre
To this day, the US Army, State of California, or County of Lake, have made no attempt to apologize for nearly annihilating the innocent Pomo people of Bodanapotti.
California Cultures: Native Americans
At the time of Spanish colonization in the late 1700s, California was home to more than 300,000 indigenous people in more than 200 tribes. Their centuries-old way of life was brought to an end relatively quickly: native Californians soon established regular trading relationships with the Spanish, increasing coastal groups’ power and prestige, giving them greater leverage in dealings with inland groups.
California Indian Heritage Center
After a long search for an appropriate site, the California Indian Heritage Center Task Force and California State Parks secured a new location along the Sacramento River in West Sacramento.
Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park
The park features the beautiful Uvas Creek and a wealth of cultural artifacts including bedrock mortars and petroglyphs left by the Ohlone Indians. Visit the park.
Federally Recognized California Tribes
The BIA only give the tribe’s legal name — often that of its little rancheria — so I added the tribe or tribes included for each. I’ve grouped the rancherias by tribe, and arranged the groups roughly from north to south.
First Californians
What happened to the first Californians? Before 1769, over 300,000 Native Californians lived in the state. This population was made up of over 100 tribes that practiced diverse cultural and linguistic traditions. In 1870, 22 years after the discovery of gold in California, less than 30,000 were left.
A History of American Indians in California
Unlike the present population of California, the Indians lived well within the capacity of their environment. They developed religious systems and social norms, and they traded with their neighbors for goods or services not available in their own communities. National Park Service.
California Slaughter: The State-Sanctioned Genocide of Native Americans
One has to wonder – if traditional life in the pre-contact Indian villages on the Monterey Peninsula was so great, and the game so plentiful, and their spiritual life so satisfying, what in the world possessed these contented Indians to voluntarily, sometimes it seems, even eagerly, enter a Catholic mission in the first place?
In the Land of My Ancestors – Kanyon “Coyote Woman” Sayers-Roods and POST
The film is about the life and work of the mother of Kanyon “Coyote Woman” Sayers-Roods, Anne Marie Sayers, and her work stewarding Indian Canyon, the only Federally recognized Indigenous land in the Bay Area, located just south of Hollister. Kanyon will share more about her story, the film, and other issues related to Indigenous communities of the Bay Area.
Indian Canyon
The free, non commercial, Indian Created and Managed information site on Costanoan/Ohlone and California indigenous people.
Indigenous History in the Bay Area, Part 1: Overview – Mark Hylkema and POST
Before the Spanish arrived here and before California became a part of the United States, the Bay Area was one of the most densely populated and linguistically diverse areas in North America. This session provides a broad overview of historic Indigenous communities in our area based on what we know of archaeological studies and oral histories. Participants will learn a basic framework for understanding the complex and varied native communities of the Peninsula and the South Bay. Session 2 and Session 3.
Indigenous Populations in the Bay Area
It is critical to recognize the Bay Area’s Indigenous populations, past and present. Despite the atrocities of colonization and genocide, Native communities persist today and are active in efforts to preserve and revive the culture. According to the U.S. Census, the Indigenous population in the Bay Area is 18,500 strong and is projected to grow over the next few decades.
Ishi Collection
Ishi, born probably about 1860, spent most of his life in hiding with his family, avoiding the assaults of white settlers moving into Yahi territory. Finally, on 29 August 1911, Ishi walked into the nearby town of Oroville, CA. Apparently, all the members of his family, along with the rest of the Yahi, had perished
Linda Yamane’s Apprenticeship Blog
Ohlone feathered baskets involve a labor-intensive three-rod coiling technique. In addition to the delicate work of incorporating fine mallard duck feathers throughout the outer basket wall, the baskets are adorned with quail topknot feathers and abalone shell dangles.
Living on Ohlone Land
The agreement with Planting Justice is a first step in a far more ambitious effort to repatriate East Bay land to Ohlone people. The Sogorea Te Land Trust intends to acquire dozens or even hundreds of parcels in a patchwork throughout the East Bay, partly using funds generated by the “Shummi Land Tax” — a voluntary way for non-indigenous Bay Area residents to acknowledge the theft of Ohlone land and work toward its healing.
Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area
Over ten thousand years ago, before the waters of the Pacific Ocean passed through the gap now spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge and filled the interior valley-basins, the ancestors of the present-day Muwekma Ohlone along with the neighboring tribal groups had established their homes within this changing landscape.
Ohlone Costanoan Esselen Nation
Presently Ohlone Costanoan Esselen Nation represents over 600 enrolled tribal members of both Esselen and Carmeleno descent from at least 19 villages from a contiguous region surrounding Monterey Bay.
The Ohlone People
Ancestors of the Ohlone people wandered into this land of great abundance several thousand years ago.
An Overview of Ohlone Culture
In the 16th century, (prior to the arrival of the Spaniards), over 10,000 Indians lived in the central California coastal areas between Big Sur and the Golden Gate of San Francisco Bay. This group of Indians consisted of approximately forty different tribelets ranging in size from 100-250 members, and was scattered throughout the various ecological regions of the greater Bay Area.
Early California: pre-1769–1840s: Native California
Beginning in the 1840s, leaders and politicians used the phrase, “Manifest Destiny” to justify American expansionism and make it seem preordained. Instead of waiting for the organic, though inevitable expansion of the U.S. population to the West, the federal government took actions to both accelerate and control westward expansion. The goal of “settling” the country from ocean to ocean had a profound impact on the Native Americans, who had no place in this vision of the nation’s destiny.
Shapes and Uses of California Indian Basketry
A basket was worked, and formed of grasses, twigs and fibers into a piece of artistic design–sometimes only to be admired for its artistry, but usually created to serve a further purpose. Baskets were made to serve all the container needs of the early California peoples who had no pottery.
Short Overview of California Indian History
Few contemporary Americans know of the widespread armed revolts precipitated by Mission Indians against colonial authorities. By Professor Edward D. Castillo
Song for the Ohlone by Martha Robrahn: We have walked these hills and valleys long before your time, When the waters ran clear, the forests stood tall, The earth gave us all we could ever need, And we lived our lives in dignity.
Those Who Came Before
Long before the Stanfords built their farm, the Muwekma-Ohlone called this land their own. Now the University is striving to preserve 5,000 years of history.
It’s Thursday. Your ballot is in the mail for the special election to decide whether to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom. Recent polling shows it’s a dead heat.
With some 22 million ballots arriving in Californians’ mailboxes this week, voting has begun in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall election. Between now and Sept. 14, voters will decide whether Newsom, a Democrat who won in a landslide in 2018, should be recalled and replaced — and if so, by whom.
Though the effort to recall the governor was once seen as improbable, recent polling shows it’s now a dead heat, as my colleagues reported on Tuesday. Newsom has raised more campaign funds than all of his challengers combined, and less than a quarter of the state’s electorate is Republican, but neither will matter if not enough Democrats cast ballots in the election to counteract Republican enthusiasm for the ouster. As election season heats up, I’ve got answers to all your questions about voting in the recall.
Estimated Costs to Administer the California Gubernatorial Recall Election
Pursuant to Elections Code section 11108(d), the Department of Finance, in consultation with the Secretary of State and county elections officials, has estimated the costs to administer the recall election of Governor Gavin Newsom to be $276 million.
For more information relating to the costs of the recall election, please see the Secretary of State’s website.
Where’s my ballot?
Monday was the last day for counties to mail out ballots, so yours should be en route if it has not already arrived at your home. As with last year’s presidential election, every active registered voter will receive a ballot in the mail. If you want to know exactly where yours is, sign up for the state’s free ballot-tracking service.
Just two questions: Should Newsom be recalled? And which candidate should succeed him?
If you answer one question and not the other, your ballot will still be counted.
Who is running to replace Newsom?
There are 46 candidates for governor on the ballot. A full list of their names is here.
How many votes does Newsom need to stay in office? How many to be ousted?
If a majority of voters answer no to the first question — should Newsom be recalled? — then the governor keeps his job. If a majority vote yes, he’s out.
But then things get a little trickier. If voters choose to replace Newsom, the new governor will be the person who gets the most votes in the second question, even if it is far from a majority.
Here’s how that could play out: The current front-runner, the talk radio host Larry Elder, has around 20 percent support among people who want to recall Newsom, according to recent polling.
Say 51 percent of voters choose to recall Newsom and 20 percent pick Elder as the replacement. Elder would be our next governor.
If I’m voting no on the recall, should I answer the second question?
This one is complicated. Newsom has been urging Democrats to ignore the question of who should replace him.
“One question. One answer. No on the recall. Move on. Send in the ballot,” Newsom said in a news conference over the weekend.
But some Democratic strategists think that’s unwise, as it “could produce a new governor chosen by only a small fraction of the electorate,” The Los Angeles Times reports. There are nine Democrats on the ballot, though none have significant support in the polls.
Newsom’s answer-only-the-first-question strategy is probably an attempt to avoid what happened in 2003, when Gov. Gray Davis was recalled and replaced with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In that election, a prominent Democrat, Cruz Bustamante, was one of the replacement candidates. Some believe that Democratic voters may have voted to recall Davis because they thought he would be replaced by Bustamante, another Democrat.
What do I do with my ballot once I’ve filled it out?
The easiest thing is probably to turn it in at a drop box. Here are links to drop box locations for the state’s 10 most populous counties: Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento, Contra Costa and Fresno. Residents elsewhere should visit their county website for information.
Alternatively, you can mail in your ballot as long as it’s postmarked by Sept. 14. Or you can vote in person anytime between Sept. 4 and Sept. 14.
The vote center in Milpitas will be at the library’s auditorium. More vote center information here.
If Newsom is recalled, how long will his successor be in office?
Newsom’s replacement would govern for about a year, until Newsom’s term ends in January 2023. There will be another election in November 2022 to choose who will serve the next four-year term as California’s governor.
If recalled, Newsom can run again.
For more:
• Read an iIn-depth look at the recall from the Times reporters Shawn Hubler and Jill Cowan.
• Doug Ose, a former Republican representative who is a candidate on the ballot, announced on Tuesday that he would be dropping out of the race after a heart attack, according to The Los Angeles Times.
We had to show proof of vaccination against COVID, but then we were free to mix and enjoy spare ribs and fries, and drinks of our choices.
Chamber Ambassadors?, Marcella Nichols, Henry Nichols, Tamara OverackerTamara Overacker, Pampered Chef, T.O. BookkeepingHenry Nichols, Oh Henry DJ ServicesJonna and Karen JamesFrank J. De SmidtKelly Yip-Chuan Platinum Realty & Finance GroupEvelyn Chua, City CouncilWarren Wettenstein and Rob MeansAnand Kuchibhotla. University of Silicon AndhraSharon Dyson, St. Elizabeth Knight SoundsDarissa Acosta, Poppy Bank
Identify the birds of Santa Clara County and the San Jose – San Francisco Bay Area. Help save the Burrowing Owl, and learn to build nesting boxes for blue birds. Share photos of our Milpitas Bald Eagles’ Nest
My tamed Western scrub jay, No Fear, opens peanuts while sitting on my hand. She either eats them right away or buries them in the yard. I’ve noticed the squirrels watch her carefully, and steal the hidden peanuts when she comes back for another. Taming and handfeeding backyard birds is a fun project.
Common and Rare Birds
BIRDS OF THE BAY AREA
Fremont Birding Circle (FBC)
Fremont Birding Circle (FBC) is a group dedicated to promote the birding activities in the City of Fremont, California. Goals of this group are to raise the public awareness of habitat preservation, promote birding ethics, explore hot and not-so-hot birding spots and report rare bird sightings in the city of Fremont. (Note: members of this group also have helped with our eagles project. As there is no Milpitas birding group, join this one for sharing bird photos and field trips.)
Santa Clara County Bird Lists
Bill Bousman and Kendric Smith have kept these lists of bird sightings for several years now on this Stanford website.
BLUEBIRDS
The Bluebird Box
The starting point for finding information about bluebirds and other cavity nesting birds.
California Cavity Nesters Recovery Program
Engages volunteers in building, installing, and monitoring nest boxes in Santa Clara County. Data collected through our monitoring program is then sent on to the statewide California Bluebird Recovery Program.
Nest Boxes and Accessories
Fine-tune the performance of your nest box with these specially designed accessories. Broaden your installation options with poles, brackets and hangers. Deter predators with plates, grilles and protectors to safeguard the box and its precious contents.
BURROWING OWLS
Burrowing Owl Consortium
Primary causes of population declines in California, as elsewhere, are human conversion of habitats and eradication of burrow-generating mammals. The California Burrowing Owl Consortium, formed in 1990, has contributed to increased conservation of this declining species.
CONDORS
People Keep Condors Flying in the Pinnacles
Down to as few as 22 individuals in 1982, the condor population became the subject of one of the most radical restoration efforts ever undertaken — all the remaining wild birds were captured as part of an ambitious captive breeding program.
Bald eagles make majestic return to Milpitas elementary school
Monday, January 15, 2018
MILPITAS, Calif. (KGO) — Rex Yip arrived at Curtner Elementary School in Milpitas Monday evening just moments before two bald eagles came soaring into sight, returning to their nest. He described it as breathtaking.
Our Milpitas Eagles Freed Facebook Group
Continuing coverage of some our favorite Milpitas residents. Unlike the other “Our Milpitas Eagles” group, this group will be free to join for all interested about the Bald Eagle nest at Curtner Elementary School in Milpitas California. Open to all those who wish to post photos of our eagles, write something about them, share lessons and creative endeavors featuring the Milpitas Eagles, or have an affiliation with Curtner Elementary School. No member turned away.
JAYS
The Way of a Jay
I, and several of my Ben Rogers’s Park neighbors have managed to tame one (or several) of these birds to eat peanuts from our hands. This species is quite bold and easy to tame.
MOCKINGBIRDS
Listen to the Mockingbird
Recently a reader emailed me that a mockingbird sings in a tree close to his house each night and keeps him awake. He wanted to know how to discourage this bird from nesting near his house or from singing there at night.
SNOWY EGRET
Snowy Egret
This beautiful little heron, one of nature’s daintiest and most exquisite creatures, is the most charming of all our marsh birds. They can often be spotted along the creeks that criss-cross our city.
Window Hazards
One of the leading causes of death for wild birds is flying into glass windows. A study conducted by Daniel Klem Jr. at Muhlenberg College, estimated that 97 million birds die each year in the U.S. as the result of collisions with windows. Tall buildings that relied heavily on large sheets of glass surface were especially hazardous.
The Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group
A good site for finding more about the endangered (or not) predatory birds often seen in our hills. A resource to agency biologists, industry, and university researchers who require our expertise with problem solving and management of avian species, especially raptors.
Resources
All About Bird Feeders
A recent bulletin from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (CLO) reports that a whopping 43% of U. S. households now feed wild birds. And I know from my perch in the SCVAS office that it’s much the same story here in Santa Clara County. From the Audubon Society.
Milpitas Post founder Mort Levine, with his daughter Deva Luna, reflects on his family’s history in Milpitas, and talks about the life of his wife Elaine Levine, co-founder of The Milpitas Historical Society and original publisher of the Milpitas Post.
