The shift, made this week, is accompanied by a new court calendar reserved for people who discover they are the subject of bench or arrest warrants, and until now had to submit to jail booking — and possible detention — just for the chance to argue to a judge why they shouldn’t be in custody.

According to the court and attorneys involved in shaping the new policy, the change had been in the works for several months. The issue gained added public pressure in July when the ACLU and the Stanford Law School Criminal Defense Clinic sued the court over the previous practice.

The plaintiffs — led by a man who discovered he had a warrant for a minor offense, then spent three days in jail only to be released at arraignment — called the system a “bail or jail” test that unfairly burdened poor people.

“Our hope is that this allows people to avoid truly unnecessary incarceration,” said Emi Young, a staff attorney at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California. “That’s something that never should have happened. It was extremely harmful to individuals and was bad public policy.”

The Superior Court declined to offer any comment other than to assert that the lawsuit was not the catalyst for the policy change.

Under the new protocol, people who learn they are wanted for a warrant now have the option, through an attorney, to request an arraignment date on the court calendar. They would still have to submit to an “informal booking” requiring a photograph and fingerprint recording, but they would head to court from there instead of being faced with posting bail or going into jail custody. In its initial stages, the reserved calendar for these cases will be on the second and fourth Mondays of the month.

A judge still has the final say on whether someone will be released, based on a person’s individual case and history. The kinds of cases on this calendar will typically involve minor and nonviolent offenses for which there is a good chance that someone will be ordered released while their case is adjudicated.

Meghan Piano, a county deputy public defender who was involved in drafting the new protocol — joined by representatives for the court, pretrial services, the district attorney’s office and the sheriff’s office — said the change is an important step toward leveling court access.

“Prior to this calendar, if you were poor and could not post bail, you sat in jail, whereas your wealthy neighbor would never step foot into a cell,” Piano said. “What matters is that we are here addressing this gaping hole of inequity.”

In several ways, this new calendar is a return to form. A similar practice was instituted as an emergency measure near the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. But in July 2022, Criminal Division Supervising Judge Daniel Nishigaya sent an email directive to judges stating that continuing to calendar unserved arrest warrants created an “administrative difficulty” that muddied recording, tracking, and reporting of cases.

Brandon Cabrera, supervising deputy district attorney for his office’s court diversion and mental-health unit, said a series of meetings followed in which there was a consensus to move away from forcing jail stays for people whose situations meant they would likely be released by a judge anyway.

“We got all the right people finally together to have a conversation about this,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera said that led to discussions about how to tackle those “administrative difficulties,” which ultimately led to the court agreeing to reserve a court session on two Mondays a month, when the arraignment calendar is the least busy, and the sheriff’s office agreeing to staff those Mondays at the county jail specifically to handle the warrant bookings.

What resulted, partly at Piano’s urging, was a “one-stop shop” system in which someone could get booked at the jail and go to court on the same day to see a judge and argue for release.

The new system is currently in a pilot phase, starting with one case this past Monday, and continuing with a full 10-case calendar Nov. 27.

Piano, who supervises the Pre-Arraignment Representation and Review program at her office, said she is already getting a flood of inquiries from people about the new court calendar.

“Just in the past week I have received numerous phone calls from people who really want to take care of their case but are petrified, and rightfully so, of having to sit in custody while they do so,” she said.

“It’s this unexpected complete interruption in life. All the main staples of what people have to hold on, their housing or their job or their family situation, they get ripped away from all that,” De-Bug cofounder Raj Jayadev said. “Even if the jail stay is only a couple of days, some of those things might never come back.”

Cabrera added that the new policy helps streamline the court system by incentivizing people to resolve their warrants, and allow cases to move along rather than wait for an unserved warrant to get activated by a happenstance encounter with law enforcement.

“If we can avoid someone waiting two to three days in jail and we know they don’t need to be there, this is a perfect solution,” he said.

A spacious house located in the 100 block of Prospect Avenue in Los Gatos has new owners. The 3,514-square-foot property, built in 1948, was sold on Nov. 1, 2023. The $5,563,500 purchase price works out to $1,583 per square foot. This single-story house presents a roomy floor plan, featuring four bedrooms and four baths. Outside, the home presents roofing composed of tar and gravel materials. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. The property is equipped with forced air heating and a cooling system. Additionally, the home includes a two-car garage, offering generous space for vehicles and storage requirements. The property’s backyard also boasts both a spa and a pool.

Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include:

• A 4,273-square-foot home on the 100 block of Kimble Avenue in Los Gatos sold in June 2023, for $4,320,000, a price per square foot of $1,011. The home has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.
• On Euclid Avenue, Los Gatos, in August 2023, a 1,422-square-foot home was sold for $1,600,000, a price per square foot of $1,125. The home has 2 bedrooms 1 bathroom.
• In October 2023, a 2,680-square-foot home on Grove Street in Los Gatos sold for $3,000,000, a price per square foot of $1,119. The home has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.

The forecast for Wednesday called for half an inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain between about 5 a.m. and midnight in Oakland, San Francisco, San Mateo County, Santa Cruz County and the East Bay Hills, as well as an inch in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

By 3 p.m., it was apparent that the rainfall total by the end of the day was likely to be considerably less.

“It’s slower than we thought,” NWS meteorologist Dylan Flynn said around midday Wednesday, referring to a storm cell that was the second in three systems expected to pass through the region before Sunday. “It’s going to turn into a nighttime event.”

Once the rain begins to fall, he said — Flynn estimated that the storm would arrive around 6 p.m. Wednesday — “we’ll have to see” just how much there is. He said the Friday system continues to appear as the heaviest storm of the three, and that the rain for the rest of the week is expected to last through Saturday.

“The only thing we can say with any confidence at this point is that it will dry out on Sunday,” Flynn said.

Strong winds will pair with the rain overnight, with gusts reaching more than 20 miles per hour and perhaps as high as 32 mph in some places. They’re expected to be particularly strong in the South Bay, with San Jose gusts possibly hitting 26 mph, but could reach 22 in Livermore and parts of the East Bay, 18 in Concord, and 25 in San Francisco.

In addition to the rain, Wednesday afternoon will bring stronger southerly winds. Here's a look at the maximum gusts (mph) expected through the day. pic.twitter.com/D6UiCsRTRW

— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) November 15, 2023

Early Wednesday, strong winds blew through the Salinas Valley and created dust storms and reduced visibility on the roadways, according to the weather service.

“Just a few miles where we are in Monterey, there’s barely a breeze,” Flynn said. “The winds are very isolated.”

This is a developing report. Check back for updates.

In total, 11 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $2.7 million, $1,173 per square foot.

The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Nov. 6 even if the property may have been sold earlier.

10. $1.7 million, condominium in the 100 block of Altura Vista

The sale of the condominium in the 100 block of Altura Vista, Los Gatos, has been finalized. The price was $1,700,000, and the condominium changed hands in October. The condominium was built in 1975 and has a living area of 1,440 square feet. The price per square foot was $1,181. The condominium features two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

9. $2.2 million, single-family residence in the 300 block of School Court

The sale of the single family residence in the 300 block of School Court in Los Gatos has been finalized. The price was $2,200,000, and the new owners took over the house in October. The house was built in 2017 and has a living area of 2,026 square feet. The price per square foot was $1,086. The house features three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

8. $2.3 million, detached house in the 200 block of Mary Alice Drive

A sale has been finalized for the detached house in the 200 block of Mary Alice Drive in Los Gatos. The price was $2,280,000 and the new owners took over the house in November. The house was built in 1961 and the living area totals 1,579 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $1,444. The house features four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

7. $2.4 million, single-family house in the 18500 block of Vina Drive

The 3,178 square-foot single-family house in the 18500 block of Vina Drive in Los Gatos has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in November and the total purchase price was $2,400,000, $755 per square foot. The house was built in 1900. The house features three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

6. $2.5 million, condominium in the 500 block of Hubbell Way

The property in the 500 block of Hubbell Way in Los Gatos has new owners. The price was $2,500,000. The condominium was built in 2016 and has a living area of 2,164 square feet. The price per square foot is $1,155. The condominium features three bedrooms and four bathrooms.

5. $2.7 million, single-family home in the 1400 block of Elwood Drive

The 1,854 square-foot single-family residence in the 1400 block of Elwood Drive, Los Gatos, has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in October and the total purchase price was $2,675,000, $1,443 per square foot. The house was built in 1966. The house features four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

4. $3 million, single-family house in the 16500 block of Marchmont Drive

The property in the 16500 block of Marchmont Drive in Los Gatos has new owners. The price was $2,958,000. The house was built in 1947 and has a living area of 1,844 square feet. The price per square foot is $1,604. The house features two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

3. $3.1 million, detached house in the 100 block of Belridge Drive

The property in the 100 block of Belridge Drive in Los Gatos has new owners. The price was $3,135,000. The house was built in 1965 and has a living area of 2,448 square feet. The price per square foot is $1,281. The house features five bedrooms and three bathrooms.

2. $3.2 million, single-family residence in the 100 block of Auzerais Court

The property in the 100 block of Auzerais Court in Los Gatos has new owners. The price was $3,200,000. The house was built in 1981 and has a living area of 4,576 square feet. The price per square foot is $699. The house features four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

1. $5.6 million, single-family home in the 100 block of Prospect Ave.

A sale has been finalized for the single-family house in the 100 block of Prospect Ave. in Los Gatos. The price was $5,563,500 and the new owners took over the house in November. The house was built in 1948 and the living area totals 3,514 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $1,583. The house features four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Los Gatans can make it a spicy New Orleans-inspired Thanksgiving with The Bywater’s dinner package that includes house-smoked turkey, braised greens, andouille sausage and oyster stuffing, honey pecan yams, Bywater macaroni salad, cranberry sauce with winter spices and turkey gravy. They’ve made it easy to add on a Manresa Bread pie or pumpkin tart, too.

Preorder at https://www.exploretock.com/thebywater by Nov. 19, and pick up on Wednesday, Nov. 22.

Grocer + Goddess offers a pre-brined turkey that you roast yourself, along with all the prepared trimmings, including mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole with fried leeks, whole berry cranberry sauce, maple brown sugar yams, bread rolls with whipped butter and a pumpkin pie. The meal goes for $600, plus tax and tip, and is meant to serve eight. Order by Nov. 17 and pick up on Nov. 22 or 23. Side dishes like corn pudding and desserts like pumpkin cheesecake and cranberry pie also available for preorder at https://grocerandgoddess.com/holiday-menu%3Athanksgiving

Looking for indulgent cookies and snacks that can stand up to shipping? Manresa Bread’s sable collection includes vanilla, salted butter, chocolate and coffee, and the snack tin contains pastry chef Stephanie Prida’s caramel corn, cheddar sables, zaletti, caramels and cocktail nuts with subtle meaty spice that will compliment a strong Negroni or an old-fashioned with orange bitters. New this year is the cinnamon roll baking kit ($149) with everything needed to make six pillowy-soft Christmas morning cinnamon rolls. Owner and founder Avery Ruzicka’s technique of scalding the flour and milk mixture in advance is the secret sauce. She also has a baguette baking kit  for $159.

Order your Thanksgiving pies (Dutch apple and rye pecan), pumpkin tarts, butter rolls, babkas and panettones at https://www.manresabread.com/preorder-1. Pick them up on Nov. 21 or 22. Orders can also be shipped nationwide.

A Thanksgiving Day Buffet is planned for Nov. 23, 4-8 p.m., at Aroma in Ben Lomond, helmed by Chef Mario Ibarra, formerly of Ristorante De Mario in Saratoga. The buffet, priced at $30 and exclusive of drinks, dessert tax and tip, will include whole stuffed turkey with mushrooms and cream sauce, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, two vegetarian dishes, garlic broccoli, pork ribs and mixed garden salad.  Reservations are highly recommended to 831-609-6596.

Some Los Gatos and Saratoga restaurants will be closed on Thanksgiving, including the Wine Cellar, Steamers, Parkside, Teleferic Barcelona, Flowers and Hero Ranch Kitchen.

VEHICLE TAMPERING: 8:31 a.m. on Blossom Hill Road. The oil was drained from a motorcycle parked at Kings Court. Prior to the incident, an employee asked motorcycle’s owner about the make and model, then looked something up online.

SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE: 11:30 a.m. at Karl and Vineland avenues. The caller was walking his dog and noticed a white BMW 325i driving through neighborhood and stopping at various houses. The caller’s son saw one person go into mailboxes and another taking pictures of houses.

PETTY THEFT: 11:45 p.m. at Safeway on N Santa Cruz Avenue. A woman was loading groceries into her car when two men approached her to talk to her then stole her credit cards, which were subsequently used.

VEHICLE CODE VIOLATION: 4:28 p.m. at Ridgecrest and Beck avenues. The caller said drivers continue to drive fast on Ridgecrest, and she wanted an officer to call prior to going out for traffic enforcement. Dispatch explained that officers generally don’t call ahead, but she could provide the times when the drivers primarily speed so that officers could focus on those hours. the caller got upset, asked why she couldn’t speak to an officer and informed me she would hang up. She did.

JUVENILE DISTURBANCE: 6:36 p.m. at Blossom Hill Road and North Santa Cruz Avenue. Three juveniles were seen speeding on electric bikes and not following the rules of the road.

Nov. 11

GRAND THEFT: 5:03 p.m. at Walgreens on North Santa Cruz Avenue. Two suspects came into the store and stole two large bags full of items in two separate incidents.

MUNI CODE VIOLATION: 5:04 p.m. on Broadway. Two dogs were reported as barking next to a older-model black sedan. The caller said this occurs every weekend while the vehicle owner is working as security for a bar.

The region’s ZIP codes make up 37 of the top 100 most expensive ZIP codes in the country, according to a new 2023 ranking by real estate data company PropertyShark that examined median home sales prices.

“The two biggest reasons Bay Area housing stands above the rest of the country are high incomes and limited homes,” said Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow. “There have not been enough homes built in the Bay Area to keep up with demand, which is true in much of the country but made worse in the Bay Area because there isn’t a whole lot of space available to build. That dynamic where demand is greater than supply has led buyers to compete for what’s available. And because there are a lot of high earners living in the Bay Area, there is extra heft behind those bidding wars.”

While the housing market nationally has experienced a slowdown, some wealthy, in-demand areas — including in the Bay Area — have seen prices tick up.

“The most exclusive areas in the country are still experiencing growth, defying the overall trend of declining prices,” according to the PropertyShark report.

Atherton’s tony 94027 ranked at the top of the list for the seventh year in a row, with an eye-popping median sales price of $8.3 million, an increase of 5% from last year’s $7.9 million. The city, just five square miles, is a hamlet for tech industry power players, as well as celebrities, including billionaire venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.

Those notable names have created a cachet around Atherton, the San Mateo County town with one of the highest per capita incomes in the country.

“The level of sophistication of the people where we live is a big draw,” said Katy Thielke Straser, a real-estate agent with the Straser Silicon Valley Team with Compass.

The communities around Atherton on the Peninsula also command top dollar because of their proximity to top schools, both private and public.

“There’s just not a lot of dirt to build on, and everyone wants to be there,” said Thielke Straser. “Even with interest rates as high as they are, people are still trying to get into a house here, and that puts pressure on the market.”

Most lots in Atherton are more than an acre in size, about 43,560 square feet on average. Meanwhile, the average lot size in neighboring Menlo Park is closer to 10,000 square feet, said Veronica Kogler, an agent on the Peninsula with Coldwell Banker.

“Atherton’s larger lots allow people to build larger homes and offer homeowners greater privacy,” she said.

Still, several Bay Area ZIP codes dropped in the rankings. Last year, the Bay Area had a record 46 ZIP codes in the top 100. San Francisco only had three ZIP codes in the top 100 in 2023, a drop from the 13 it recorded in 2019.

“You hear about how expensive San Francisco is, but the houses in my area would blow the prices out of the water there,” Kogler said. “It’s only certain neighborhoods of San Francisco that command the top dollar amounts.”

Across the nine-county Bay Area, median home prices are up 6.6% from last year, reaching $1.3 million in September, according to data from the California Association of Realtors.

The Bay Area ZIP codes ranking in the top 25 include:

• 94027 in Atherton at No. 1 ($8.3 million)
• 94970 in Stinson Beach at No. 6 ($4.5 million)
• 94024 in Los Altos at No. 12 ($4 million)
• 94022 in Los Altos Hills at No. 13 ($3.99 million)
• 94028 in Portola Valley at No. 15 ($3.8 million)
• 95070 in Saratoga at No. 16 ($3.7 million)
• 94301 in Palo Alto at No. 19 ($3.5 million)
• 94957 in Ross at No. 21 ($3.4 million)
• 94920 in Belvedere Tiburon at No. 22 ($3.2 million)
• 94010 in Hillsborough at No. 22 ($3.2 million)
• 95030 in Los Gatos at No. 23 ($3.13 million)

Other top ZIP codes included 11962 in Sagaponack, New York, in the Hamptons at No. 2 ($8.1 million) and 33109 in Miami Beach, Florida, at No. 3 ($5.5 million).

The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District won a 2023 Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association for its food service program.

In 2019, Los Gatos High School assistant principal Kristi Grasty worked with chef Paul Boundas, owner of Country House Kitchen, to create a plan that would improve the school cafeteria model while enhancing student nutrition and providing a pathway for nutrition-related education. The resulting program, “Edible Learning: Transforming School Cafeterias into Wellness Communities,” was successfully replicated at Saratoga High School.

Serving over 1,000 meals a day, both schools’ cafeterias offer breakfasts and lunches created entirely from scratch, ditching the traditional heat-and-serve method. Because fresh ingredients are more cost-effective than their frozen counterparts, the district also went from spending 55% of its cafeteria budget on food to spending 33% in the 2022-23 school year.

“The cafeteria transformation in the past four years has provided such unprecedented results for our district that could be duplicated by any district in California,” Superintendent Bill W. Sanderson said in a statement. “Students want to eat in our cafeterias. They are receiving healthier meals, learning about nutritional science and applying real sustainable agricultural practices.”

The district will be honored on Nov. 30 at a reception and ceremony during the California School Boards Association’s annual Education Conference and Tradeshow in San Francisco.

Inspired students

Students from both campuses in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District were recognized Oct. 17 for participating in the development of the district’s strategic plan. The board approved the first two phases of the plan, dubbed We INSPIRE!, at that meeting.

The students were members of the Strategic Plan Design Team, which solicited input from a broad-based stakeholder group about the development and implementation of the strategic plan. Student team members from Los Gatos High School were sophomore Prav Balasingam and junior Amitis Hakimi.

The centennial ceremony will include recognition for the History Club of Los Gatos, which donated the tree all those years ago. History Club President Diana Crawford and many club members will be in attendance to commemorate the occasion.

The History Club was established in 1897, and in the years leading up to 1923, the club annually decorated a tree that had been cut and brought down from the mountains. Each year, the tree was placed in the Plaza (then called Lyndon Plaza in keeping with the Hotel Lyndon, which was demolished in 1963), and the club dedicated an annual budget of $15 to this project.

It is documented in the board meeting minutes of Jan. 3, 1923, that the ladies of the History Club discussed the planting of a permanent tree, and Mrs. Estelle Harwood McMurtry moved that a Christmas tree should be planted. McMurtry was duly named chair of the tree committee.

At the board meeting on March 14, 1923, the minutes note that a cedar Deodora had been successfully planted, and a plaque noting its donation by the History Club of Los Gatos still stands at its foot. At the time of planting, the club promised that the tree would grow in size with the population of Los Gatos, which in 1920 stood at 2,317.

At that time, Los Gatos was known as a bohemian arts colony, attracting painters, musicians, writers and actors. The tree has indeed grown alongside the evolving Los Gatos population, which, according to the 2020 census, has swelled to over 33,000 residents, many of whom have been attracted by Los Gatos’ role within Silicon Valley.

With this influx of new people has come an array of cultures and beliefs, and in more recent times, the tree and its annual lighting has been considered a symbol of the start of the holiday season as opposed to a traditional Christmas tree.

In the intervening years since 1923, the History Club has continued to flourish and thrive, attracting women from Los Gatos and beyond who wish to serve and support the local community through philanthropic work. In recent years the club has supported— both through voluntary work and financial donations—causes including Cancer CAREpoint, Good Karma Bikes, the Bill Wilson Center, SJSU Spartan Food Pantry and Pacific Clinics.

In addition to the positive impact the club has on the community, members enjoy a rich tapestry of social activities and long-term friendships. On Jan. 25, 2024, the History Club will be throwing open its doors for an open house from 7-9 p.m. Visitors can glean an understanding as to how the club has endured for 126 years. Interested parties and potential new members will be given a very warm welcome.

Lisa Harris is a board member of the History Club of Los Gatos. For more information, visit www.historyclublosgatos.org.

There are notes of dried cherry, leather and sandalwood, along with a tangy pomegranate core in Version 7, which is comprised of 47 percent cabernet sauvignon, 40 percent syrah, 7 percent tempranillo, 4 percent petit verdot and 2 percent cab franc. Mashup Version 6, made of 54 percent cabernet sauvignon, 34 percent syrah and 3 percent cab franc, is peppery, toasty, meaty, plummy and large of mouthfeel. Hanke, who remained in California after Robinson moved to Colorado, holds tastings by appointment and during Santa Cruz Mountain Winery Association events at the vineyard he purchased on Mt. Madonna.

A long and dangling harvest persists for many local winemakers, including Los Gatos residents Janice and Joseph Gali. While their estate chardonnay and pinot noir have all been picked for vintage 2023, including some pinot noir being made into base wine for sparkling and rosé, their tempranillo and syrah are still hanging at their Watsonville vineyard. This year’s harvest included their first pick of estate albarino, being made by their new winemaker, Eric Baugher.

If his name seems familiar, Baugher spent 27 years at Ridge before leaving for Merus, a Foley company, in 2020. He met the Galis when he was buying fruit from them for his Santa Cruz Mountains program, prior to his departing Ridge.

Baugher made the 2022 Gali wines, of which two releases are available at their tasting room on West Main Street. The 2022 Gali Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir is beautifully floral and redolent of tangerine, apple and mandarin, with a crisp but weighty palate. The 2022 Pinot Noir Cuvée is a rich and fruit-froward rendition from a very hot harvest, with plenty of backbone to stand up to dark meat turkey and hearty stuffing.

David Bruce Winery raised its head from the proverbial tomb and sent an email out to their ancient mailing list, of which I happen to be a member, with an invitation to come and celebrate harvest. Local viticulturist Ken Swegles who farms Ascona Vineyard on Skyline, says he provided a crew to help his former employer harvest their estate fruit, including a small plot of Riesling he installed while working there as an intern back in the old days. He’d sure like to get his hands on that fruit now.

Alamitos Vineyards near the Almaden Reservoir in San Jose plans to be open every weekend this fall and winter. Reservations are required; 21 and over, please. They offer ample outdoor seating with gorgeous views, but during inclement weather, inside space is very limited. Plan accordingly and make reservations well in advance to https://www.alamitosvineyards.com/visit.

Wrights Station is holding a Friendsgiving Food, Fun and Case Sale on Sunday, Nov. 19, with 50% off whites and 25% off reds. Free for members, $20 non-members; includes a glass of wine. Make reservations at https://www.exploretock.com/wrightsstation. Orders can also be placed online with the code FRIENDSGIVING.