July 30, 2021
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The Mosaic Inspiring Tomorrow’s Journalists
Volume 28
Fish and wildlife fight to survive as drought dries out waterways Animals dependent on Santa Clara County water struggle to adapt to drying creeks By Daniela Bravo Berumen Mosaic staff writer
Susy Ferreira, a Santa Clara County resident, was recently taking her regular stroll along the Los Gatos Creek trail and discovered 30 dead fish lying on the creek. “I was in shock,” Ferreira said. “There was one fish and another and another and a horrible smell.” For over two years, Santa Clara County has been facing below-average rainfall and extreme weather, causing a decrease in the reservoirs that keep the creeks full, according to the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Both the creeks and fish are suffering as a result. Jae Abel, a biologist at the water district, said water is stored in the reservoirs during the wet season and is released during the dry season to maintain steady streamflow. This has lessened during the drought. “No reservoirs were spilling this last winter that I’m aware of, and most of them entered the dry season at very much reduced storage. So we’re really watching every drop in a
EDNA JARETH CEDILLO - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The water level of Lexington Reservoir in Los Gatos, shown in July, has dropped substantially during the drought, which means less water for the creeks – and the fish – that rely on the reservoir. bucket of water that comes out of those reservoirs,” Abel said. The water district says that as of now, there is not enough water to support the fish. The district is only
able to release a small amount of water from the reservoirs into the creeks, just enough to keep them wet. It is expected that wildlife dependent on the creeks will have to adapt to the severe weather conditions and move
upstream, or perish. The water district is limited with how they can help the fish, since relocation may create additional problems. Continued on page 8
‘This is a historic place’: Looming development worries longtime vendors at San Jose Flea Market Thousands of homes, more than 3 million square feet of commercial space planned in Berryessa area By Maya Barrientos Mosaic staff writer
On a warm and sunny day, friends and families stroll from shop to shop at the San Jose Flea Market, soaking in the colorful atmosphere around them. Food stands overflow with fresh fruits like opuntia, or prickly pear, and mamey sapote, a tropical, sweet fruit with bright orangey-reddish flesh as smooth as an avocado. They sit next to spices like chile de árbol, all combining to fill the air with strong scents. Racks with secondhand and vintage clothing are on display at the booths of friendly vendors to excited customers from all over the region. For many vendors, the market — affectionately known as La Pulga — is a community unto itself that flourishes with a predominantly Latino-influenced culture that reflects their own. The 61-year-old market provides not only a community space for gathering, shopping, and eating, but also serves as a rich hub of culture that holds an essential place in San Jose’s history. Many vendors now fear much of this will soon come to an end. The Bumb family, owners of the flea market property, have decided to sell most of the land to a developer with plans to construct a massive urban village that includes housing and huge swaths of commercial space, which would displace many of the vendors who have been working there for years.
The plans call for 3,450 residential units and up to 3.4 million square feet of commercial space according to Erik Schoennauer, a representative of the Bumb family. The San Jose City Council recently voted unanimously to approve plans for the property, which will be sold and the majority of vendors relocated. Five acres will be dedicated to an “open market,” Schoennauer said. However, the lingering question among the flea market community is where the rest of the vendors will go, as the current 61-acre site accommodates about 430 vendors. Schoennauer said the developers haven’t finalized plans to relocate other vendors. “The next step is to work together with the flea market advisory group – that’s the city, the vendors, and us – to come up with a plan,” Schoennauer said. The Bumb family will contribute $500,000 to this group as well, he said. Without clear plans for vendors, however, many fear their uncertain future. Miriam Justo has been working at La Pulga for about six years. She began by selling secondhand clothing, but then shifted to selling accessories, keychains, jewelry and other novelties. For her, La Pulga is an important place to earn additional income. “It’s very sad,” she said. But even as a plan for the future is unclear, Justo still believes the city of San
KEVIN DO - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Natalia Rodriguez looks at items for sale at the San Jose Flea Market on July 21. Vendors may be displaced under city redevelopment plans. José is “doing everything they can.” Continued on page 11
High schools report an increase in failing grades during pandemic connected to online learning Grading policies changed, state bill adopted to help students who struggled to complete assignments during virtual year By Naomi Baron Mosaic staff writer
Rachel Fletcher, a rising senior at Homestead High School in Cupertino, used to be organized and on top of her work. Then she lost motivation to complete assignments due to distance learning during the pandemic. “It was a struggle for me to get through some of my classes,” Fletcher said, adding that while she’s typically a straight A and B student, she uncharacteristically got a C in her math class.
Fletcher is not alone — trends of overall poorer performance were seen in high schools across the country. At Homestead, data presented to the school board in October showed a dramatic, across-theboard increase in the number of Ds and Fs on the first progress report of the 2020-21 school year. According to the non-profit news site EdSource, the number of students at Sequoia Union High School District in San Mateo County receiving more
than one failed grade increased by 9% from the fall of 2019 to the fall of 2020. At Mount Diablo Unified School District in Contra Costa County, the portion of students receiving more than one failed grade increased from 19% to 31% over the past two school years. In Los Angeles, the number of D’s and Fs in high school increased by 8.7% this fall over the previous one. Even if a student did not fail, they may have seen their grade drop, as Fletcher did. Rising junior Esha Nag
from Santa Clara High School reported such an experience. “I do think my grades were impacted by the virtual format. Being in a classroom and socializing was everything I loved,” Nag said. Educators say students who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds, whose first language is not English, or who have learning disabilities were hit the hardest by the virtual format. Continued on page 10
KEVIN DO - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Schools reported that more students had failing grades during the COVID-19 pandemic, when most students learned in virtual classrooms instead of in person.