SAN JOSE — Developers hope to gallop to the finish line to finish a San Jose hotel in time for a significant Nvidia conference that filled downtown with throngs of tech staff and visitors last 12 months.

The hotel under construction in downtown San Jose, developed by Bay Area real estate firm Urban Catalyst, would add 176 rooms to the town's lodging offerings when accomplished.

The hotel is positioned at 495 West San Carlos Street, just a number of blocks from the San Jose Convention Center and down the road from the SAP Center, where Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang delivered a keynote address for the tech giant's 2024 conference.

“We expect to open the hotel in March,” said Eric Hayden, founder and managing partner of Urban Catalyst.

The Urban Catalyst subsidiary that owns the hotel site received a $48 million loan from Poppy Bank in 2023 to finance construction of the eight-story hotel, in accordance with documents filed with the Santa Clara County Recorder's Office available.

San Jose-based Urban Catalyst has taken steps to make sure hotel construction progresses quickly enough to be accomplished in time for the Nvidia events in downtown San Jose.

“We received planning permission on Saturday to speed up the work,” said Hayden.

According to a post on the corporate's website, Nvidia GTC is scheduled to happen in San Jose from March 17 to 21 this 12 months.

The conference was expected to attract 16,000 participants to San Jose in March 2024, although some estimates put the actual number higher.

In any case, the 2025 Nvidia GTC event in San Jose is anticipated to generate a big economic boost, particularly in the town center, as attendees seek lodging, meals and entertainment before or after the event. This was the case for the 2024 event, but exact figures weren’t available.

“It could mean $500,000 in revenue if we can open in time for this conference,” Hayden said.

SANTA CRUZ – The Dolphin Restaurant, which has called Santa Cruz Wharf home for greater than 50 years, was demolished piece by piece Wednesday to make way for needed repairs to the damaged south end of the greater than 100-year-old picket structure.

“The reason for the demolition of the Dolphin is that numerous pilings beneath the restaurant were damaged or lost during the storms,” said Santa Cruz Development Manager Norm Daly at the positioning of the demolition. “It is impossible to replace these piles without removing the building.”

RELATED: Capitola Wharf's 'grand reopening' celebrates rebuilding from catastrophic 2023 storm

Daly explained that the city-owned constructing the Dolphin called home was in-built the Nineteen Sixties and is “functionally obsolete.”

“It was really about time something happened there anyway,” Daly said. “This was a great opportunity to remove the building and then repair the pilings underneath.”

Massive waves inundated the coast in December 2023, causing town of Santa Cruz to briefly close the complete Santa Cruz Wharf and a number of other beaches. Although the wharf reopened later the identical day, the viewing holes and the Dolphin Restaurant at the top of the wharf were closed until further notice and remain closed attributable to damage.

With the constructing removed, completion of the repair work is now in sight and is anticipated to be accomplished in March 2025. After the constructing is demolished and the positioning is cleared, construction crews can begin replacing about 60 piles.

“The number of missing or damaged items we found was slightly higher (over 60),” Daly said. “But these piles were adjacent to intact piles and it was determined that they did not need to be replaced and the structural integrity of the wharf would continue to be complete.”

Daly, together with other members of the media, accompanied the Sentinel behind the fence at the top of the wharf on Wednesday to look at the demolition in motion, drawing attention to the damaged and bowed areas on the east and west sides of the wharf.

“This damaged area is similar to the other side,” Daly said, pointing to the east side of the wharf. “This is a temporary repair to support this section of the wharf. Once the posts are gone, there is no longer any support under the decking, so this metal I-beam bridges the distance where the posts are missing. And the iron rods coming up from the bottom actually accommodate a bend, which is a large part of the scaffolding. We eliminate the bend and prevent it from sagging any further.”

Daly explained that the wharf, which celebrates its a hundred and tenth birthday this December, has about 4,400 pilings and 180 arches keeping it afloat. He identified that every bend is numbered, with the primary bend near the doorway of the structure and the last bend (183) at the top. He mentioned that longshoremen use the assigned curved numbers to speak problems on and under the structure.

The contractor chargeable for driving the brand new piles into the seabed is Power Engineering Construction. Grace Bowman, the corporate's project engineer, explained how construction crews will drive the roughly 60- to 70-foot-long picket columns into the seabed.

“We’re going to bring a crane here and position it so it doesn’t fall through the dock,” Bowman said. “There’s a set of lines and a hammer. They pick up the stack (with the crane) and put it through the hole in the deck where it belongs. You put the hammer on, and it’s a diesel-powered impact hammer that drives it into the ground.”

Wharf Manager Britt Hoberg and Santa Cruz Wharf Recreation Coordinator Annalize Bryant took the Sentinel and other media members under the wharf on a small boat Wednesday to survey the damage. Bryant explained that she was working on the wharf last winter when the storms destroyed and damaged quite a few pilings.

“We were near the edge where the damage occurred and were discussing the plan to close the end of the wharf when we heard this loud crack,” Bryant said. “Nothing collapsed, but it was a sound I never want to hear again.”

“You hear a lot of noises out here,” Hoberg added. “But you know when you’re really feeling bad.”

When construction is complete next spring, the dolphin is probably not back, but community members can rest assured that the favored sea lion viewing holes will remain. A series of community outreach meetings over the following six to nine months will determine what will probably be populated on the south end of the wharf master plan once construction is complete, in line with economic development asset manager David McCormic, who also serves as director .

“In addition, in January, the Santa Cruz City Council approved the revised wharf master plan, which outlines the future of the wharf,” McCormic said. “There was a concept in the plan for a heritage building, but that was scrapped in favor of a public process to determine what happens next out here.”

McCormic said town of Santa Cruz received about $6.9 million from the California Coastal Conservancy in February for projects within the Wharf Master Plan.

“We will be finalizing construction plans for a new multi-use path along the east side – the East Promenade – building new viewing areas, widening the end of the wharf and relocating parking garages to reduce traffic and create an entrance.”

McCormic mentioned other projects including two latest boat docks on the structure, one for small vessels and the opposite for larger vessels similar to the O'Neill Sea Odyssey and the Chardonnay charter boats. At the southern end of the wharf, McCormic expects to have a industrial component, similar to a restaurant, in addition to “recreational and cultural improvements.”

“There could be a visitor center,” McCormic said. “We could think about moving the surf museum. It’s a process and the community will determine what happens next.”

Originally published: October 25, 2024 at 5:59 am

The world's coral reefs are like underwater cities teeming with fish and marine lifetime of all types. Coral reefs cover lower than 1% of the ocean, but they support An estimated 25% of all marine speciesincluding many vital fish species. The economic value of the services provided by these complex ecosystems is over 3.4 billion US dollars annually within the USA alone

Today, rising sea temperatures threaten the survival of many reefs. If the ocean water stays too warm for too long, corals push out the colourful symbiotic algae called zooxanthellaethat live of their tissues – a process called coral bleaching. These algae provide food for the corals, so bleached corals are vulnerable to starvation and disease and may die if the water doesn't cool quickly enough.

With global ocean heat at record levelsScientists have confirmed that a world coral bleaching is underwaySince the start of 2023 Corals are dying within the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, each north and south of the equator.

The current bleaching event in the broader Caribbean region is longer and more severe than any previous bleaching event for the reason that first global event in 1998. I’m studying large-scale climate and ocean dynamics and analyze how biological connections between coral reefs – sometimes extending over great distances – might help reefs recuperate from heat stress.

Reef relationships

As the oceans rapidly evolve, scientists are working to develop response strategies, including making corals more heat-resistant, restoring damaged areas with healthy corals, moving coral nurseries to cooler areas, and operating coral nurseries. Breeding “super corals”“that are more resilient to those stresses; and the development natural chemical signals And Sound signals to draw coral and fish larvae to damaged reefs.

Many fish species present in coral reefs play a crucial role in maintaining the health of those communities. For example, algae compete with corals for space and light-weight and infrequently take over reefs after coral bleaching events.

Corals stay healthier and recuperate faster when surrounded by fish that eat various kinds of seaweed, akin to Parrotfish, surgeonfish and rabbitfishBecause of their role, these species are sometimes referred to collectively as grazers.

Sea cucumbers – leathery bottom dwellers, distantly related to starfish and sea urchins – are also vital partners of the reefs. They feed on bacteria and other organic materials in marine deposits and thus clean the environment of the reefs.

My colleague from Georgia Tech Mark Hay recently published a study showing that removing sea cucumbers from reef communities led to a rise in organic waste and a 15-fold increase in coral deathsProtecting sea cucumbers, that are overfished as a food source, could contribute to the health of coral reefs.

The role of ocean connectivity

Coral reefs should not isolated outposts. When fish and corals spawn, they release thousands and thousands of larvae that drift with the present and are exchanged across the reefs. Mixing and transport processesThis exchange represents the connection between coral reefs.

Some reefs supply larvae to many others. Other reefs are more isolated, so scientists might have to artificially introduce larvae to assist reefs recuperate from coral bleaching and other threats.

Studies show that well-connected reefs recuperate faster from stresses akin to bleachingThe abundant supply of coral and fish larvae washed up from distant by ocean currents helps restore bleached areas and maintain diverse reef communities. Maintaining this connectivity is critical to protecting reefs.

But measuring connectivity is time-consuming and expensive. Researchers collect coral samples from reefs which may be connected and analyze the corals' DNA to reconstruct their genetic history, constructing an image of how strongly different populations are connected.

We also use computer models to simulate ocean currents that carry virtual larvae from their release points to the places where they settle. But currents should not fixed in a single place like highways: their strength and direction change over time, depending on the season and yr. To study reef connectivity, multi-year model simulations have to be carried out that cover small areas intimately, which requires plenty of computational work.

Insights from machine learning

Now, machine learning offers a brand new approach to analyze reef connections. This branch of artificial intelligence enables computers to learn tasks or relationships without being explicitly instructed. Instead, they use algorithms to perform various tasks.

My research group has developed a tool that uses details about ocean currents from satellite data to generate a network of ecoregions, or areas where ecosystems are generally similar. calculates their connectivity during the last 30 to 40 yearsWe then discover higher connected reefs using PageRank centrality – the algorithm developed by Google to measure the recognition of internet sites.

Once we have now defined a network of ecoregions, we are able to determine how “popular” – that’s, how connected – known reefs are. And we are able to check that our algorithms are working well by observing whether “popular” reef communities contain more diverse and healthy coral populations.

We have found that in The Coral Triangle of Southeast Asia – the biggest biodiversity hotspot on Earth – periodic fluctuations between the El Niño and La Niña climate patterns promote biodiversity and are more likely to have done so. within the last 5 to 7 million years. Connectivity during El Niño events may be very different from that in La Niñas because ocean currents are different. These dynamics help reefs by ensuring that they receive larvae from many various locations in several years.

Understanding which coral and environmental characteristics help reefs grow to be more resilient and linking this information to connectivity networks opens up latest opportunities to assist corals survive longer. Together, these approaches show how and where monitoring and restoration efforts ought to be prioritized.

In the long run, the one approach to stop coral death and protect reefs which are home to a lot marine life is Limiting water pollution and mitigate climate change. But localized measures to make reefs healthier should buy them a while and maybe make them more resilient to warming oceans.

By Gregory Wallace | CNN

Federal authorities and Boeing try to find out why a rare, unsafe rollover of a 737 Max 8 occurred during flight.

The oscillating motion is often known as a “Dutch roll” and a characteristic described by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the form of a figure eight through the nose of an aircraft.

There were no injuries on board Southwest Airlines Flight 746 on May 25, based on the airline and a preliminary report from the FAA. The report said the crew “regained control” and the plane landed safely.

However, the aircraft sustained “significant” damage and the FAA classified the incident as an “accident.” The FAA report said an inspection revealed “damage to the standby PCU” (power control unit), which controls the rudder.

It is unclear whether the damaged unit was the reason for the throw or a consequence of it.

The plane has not flown since landing in Oakland, California, following the incident, except to take it to a Boeing facility in Washington state. Boeing didn’t immediately comment to CNN.

The incident occurred nearly three weeks ago and was added to the FAA's database this week. According to the airline, there have been 175 passengers and 6 crew members on board.

CNN has contacted the NTSB, but has not said whether the incident is under investigation.

In February, the FAA required airlines flying 737 Max 8 and similar planes to envision the rudder assembly for loose or missing nuts, washers and bolts. It said the deficiency would prevent pilots from controlling the rudder with foot pedals. Authorities haven’t said whether that condition and the “Dutch roll” attack last month are related.

The-CNN-Wire
& © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery company. All rights reserved.

Seventy-five small homeless shelters are being built on a property in south San Jose owned by billionaire Silicon Valley developer John A. Sobrato.

Sobrato agreed to lease the 2-acre property at Via del Oro and San Ignacio Avenue near Highway 85 to the town for $1 a yr over the subsequent decade. He proposed the thought after learning in regards to the challenges authorities face find viable housing as the town works to accommodate 1000’s of homeless residents indoors.

“We live in an area with the greatest concentration of wealth in the world,” Sobrato said at a groundbreaking event on Wednesday. “It is known as a center of innovation. We should be able to figure out how to solve this problem.”

The Via Del Oro site, the town's newest tiny home location, will accommodate around 150 people in shared cabins and is predicted to be accomplished in the approaching months. Homeless people living inside 1.5 miles of the positioning will initially be offered a bed, and the town could establish an encampment-free zone in the realm.

Unlike traditional dorm-style group housing with strict rules and little privacy, “transitional housing” like tiny homes goals to supply a more stable and welcoming environment for residents to receive supportive services and help finding everlasting housing can. At Via Del Oro, residents have access to personal bathrooms and might move in with their partners and pets.

“It's about stabilizing people more quickly and connecting them to the supportive services that will allow them to regain some control over their lives on the path to self-sufficiency,” said Mayor Matt Mahan, who also recently supported encampment bans near schools and along the Guadalupe River in downtown.

But given the severe shortage of accessible, reasonably priced housing, moving people from transitional housing to everlasting housing is commonly a challenge. Of the roughly 1,500 homeless people housed within the five temporary tiny home communities the town has built over the past three years, about half have found everlasting housing and 70% have remained off the streets, Mahan said. In total, the town has around 500 interim beds.

Last yr, authorities in San Jose counted about 4,400 homeless residents, a decline of greater than 10% from 2022. Mahan called the decline proof that the town's interim housing strategy is working, despite criticism from some homeless advocates who say the authorities should accommodate more everlasting housing resources.

The construction of the Via del Oro site is predicted to cost the town roughly $13.4 million, or about $89,000 per bed. Mahan identified that this is just a fraction of the value of constructing everlasting reasonably priced housing, which may cost nearly $1 million per unit in San Jose. The nonprofit organization DignityMoves, which is developing the positioning, will even contribute about $2.8 million in private donations to cover construction costs.

Opening latest shelters may cost lower than constructing reasonably priced housing, but maintaining the sites could possibly be expensive in the long term. Earlier this yr, San Jose estimated that if plans so as to add about 700 more transitional units go ahead, total operating costs could soon exceed $70 million per yr, about double current costs.

At Wednesday's event, Dignity Moves CEO Elizabeth Funk said that if San Jose continues to expand the interim options, it may lead officials to designate more neighborhoods as no-encampment zones.

“This city is committed to ensuring that there are enough dignified transition options for people so that no one has to or is allowed to suffer unnecessarily on our streets,” she said.