California passed 11,000 COVID-19 deaths on Friday as the virus’s deathly toll in the state continues to grow at a nearly record-high pace, even as hospitalizations declined in the state. Counties reported 151 new COVID-19 fatalities Friday, bringing the state’s total to 11,149 deaths. The new fatalities were slightly higher than the state’s seven-day average the previous day of 139 daily fatalities, which is down slightly from a peak seven-day average of 145 daily fatalities set on August 6. California reached that grim new milestone just over a week after passing 10,000 fatalities on August 6, with the virus on track to be the third-leading cause of death in the state after only heart...

2146 Bella Vista Place, Livermore; $1.625 million; 5 bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms in 3,398 square feet; built in 1999 on 0.38 acres; south-side custom house boasts an outdoor space with a pool, a bocce court and a horseshoe pit; also includes 75-vine vineyard: 25 Cabernet, 25 Malbec, 25 Petite Sirah; downstairs features an en-suite bedroom, a remodeled kitchen that opens to the family room, a fireplace and windows that overlook the backyard; kitchen has double ovens, a 6-burner stove, and a large granite island with seating; also features a formal dining room, a living room with fireplace and a 500-bottle wine refrigerator; custom iron banister leads upstairs to large bonus family room and 4...

210 Yale Ave., Kensington; $1.9 million; 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms in 2,933 square feet; built in 1936 on 0.12 acres; located in the heart of Kensington, this house offers original details as well as modern updates — and stunning views of the Golden Gate and Bay bridges, Alcatraz and Mt. Tamalpais; master suite, which boasts an open-concept loft space, spans the top floor; main level has two bedrooms, a full bathroom, updated kitchen, living room with gas fireplace, formal dining room and an expansive deck; kitchen features white shaker cabinetry, stone countertops and stainless-steel appliances, including a gas range; lower level includes a second master suite with a sitting room and...

Each year Cupertino’s CREST Awards (Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken) honor residents and businesses that have gone the extra mile to help improve the city. This year’s winners include parents who recognized their son’s dream of an inclusive playground, a group of seventh-graders who designed a free automated sports equipment checkout system at Memorial Park and a woman who has been active in the Cupertino community for 56 years. Lifetime AchievementRoberta Hollimon In their nomination letter Elaine Manley and Tracey Edwards, co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Cupertino-Sunnyvale, pointed to Hollimon’s 56-year history of community service, which encompasses education, the...

Cruising through downtown Los Gatos on a recent Sunday afternoon revealed a vibrant lunchtime scene at Old Town, something sorely missing for many months. Umbrella-shaded tables were set up all around Steamer’s, and all the parking spaces were taken in front and in the Old Town parking lot. A sea of diners was seen perched at their tables on the massive deck outside of the Wine Cellar, which has expanded to take over much of the vast outside area that was once the oak-shaded domain of California Cafe. Steamer’s is now open for lunch Fridays and Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and for dinner every night but Monday, beginning at 5pm. The Wine Cellar is now open for lunch and dinner, on...

California’s new online privacy legislation just took effect on Jan. 1. The Attorney General’s office didn’t announce it had received approval of final regulations for the law until Friday. But that didn’t stop advocates from trying to update the law by qualifying an initiative for the Nov. 3 ballot. It’s simply the wrong way to try to go about settling an immensely complex issue. Vote no on Proposition 24. The state law passed by the Legislature in 2018 was widely viewed as one of the toughest in the nation. California needs more time to evaluate it before attempting to deal with any perceived problems. And if improvements are needed, they should first try the legislative process before...

LIVERMORE — If you don’t wear a mask in Livermore you could pay a fine. The city has taken its cue from some Bay Area counties that have authorized the financial penalties to back up enforcement of public health orders that aim to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It may be the only city in Alameda County and possibly the Bay Area to take that step. City officials say code enforcement officers will be out this weekend to enforce Alameda County’s order that residents must wear a face mask or covering when in public. Doug Martin, the city’s inspection and neighborhood preservation manager, said in an interview Friday that code enforcement has been warning residents for weeks to wear masks...

Kamala Harris looks like the Bay Area. She is Black and Asian-American, born in Oakland to a mother from India and a father from Jamaica who met in graduate school at UC Berkeley. She is Baptist, with a Sanskrit name that means “lotus” from her Hindu heritage, but is known to her Jewish stepchildren as “Momala,” a play on her first name and an endearing Yiddish term for “little mama.” She also looks like the future of America, where demographers say, by 2043 white people are expected to be a minority group. The number of multiracial Americans is expected to triple by 2060 to about 26.7 million. Yet, it took less than 48 hours from Joe Biden’s naming Harris his running mate for her blended...

In late May, just before coronavirus cases exploded across the Bay Area, Santa Clara County officials turned to the state for help beefing up their contact tracing team. With the Latinx population comprising a growing proportion of the county’s COVID-19 cases, local officials needed bilingual staff to reach sick patients and their families and friends — and they needed it fast. The county’s own hiring was falling short, so it asked that 150 workers it requested from the state speak Spanish, and another 50 speak Vietnamese. But none of the contact tracers the county ultimately received were bilingual. And the situation is the same across the Bay Area, with counties lacking enough contact...

When a glove-first infielder arrived in the majors on May 27, 2011 and delivered a stunning, go-ahead grand slam against the Milwaukee Brewers, the San Francisco Giants found their shortstop of the future. Brandon Crawford’s debut performance set the stage for an incredible run that’s made him one of the top all-around infielders in franchise history, but in the midst of a challenging 2020 season, the veteran shortstop is now struggling to remain the shortstop of the present. “He wants to be in there everyday,” first-year manager Gabe Kapler said of Crawford Friday. “He’s fighting for that opportunity.” Twenty games into a condensed 60-game schedule, Crawford isn’t winning that fight. The...