The Sunnyvale Sun

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Rents up
slightly from
a year ago

Apartment rents and vacancy increased slightly in Sunnyvale between July 2007 and December 2007, according to a survey released by the city.

The vacancy rate in the 14,871 apartments surveyed was 2.72 percent, higher than the January 2007 rate of 2.37 percent.

Meanwhile, median rents and average rents increased slightly between July 2007 and January 2007, continuing a climb from a low point in 2004 and 2005.

The survey triggers an increase in the city's below market rate rents, which will be 80 percent of median rent, or $798, $1,328, $1,634 and $1,912 per month for studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, respectively.

City services
for Presidents
Day holiday

Sunnyvale city offices will be closed on Feb. 18 for the Presidents Day holiday, according to a city statement. Other city activities will operate as follows:

All traffic and parking regulations will be enforced except for parking where signs specifically exempt holidays.

The Sunnyvale Public Library will be closed.

All recycling and solid waste services will operate on a normal schedule.

The Community Center and Senior Center will be closed. No classes will be held.

Raw milk
makes a
comeback

The state Assembly Agriculture Committee approved an urgency bill on Jan. 16 to repeal a limit of 10 coliform bacteria per liter of milk that it passed last year.

Most coliform are harmless but they can indicate overall sanitation, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, which called for the limit.

The state's two raw milk producers, Organic Pastures of Fresno and Claravale Farm of San Benito County, said they were given no notice of the regulation before it was approved. It went into effect Jan. 1.

Whole Foods lobbied hard to roll back the bacteria limit. Its Cupertino store stocks a small amount, and some loyal customers, who believe the milk improves their health, occasionally clear the shelves.