Inside
Harvest festival Locals enjoyed crafts and history. 12
TRICITYVOICE.COM
VOL 24 NO 43
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CLASSIFIED ADS
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LEGAL LISTINGS
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Healthy garlic Plant garlic in fall for health and flavor. 6
Fremont survey Possible sales tax measure on ballot. 8
Humanities in Focus builds one-on-one connections with autistic kids.
By Roelle Balan
Courtesy of Humanities in Focus
● Student from Milpitas Correctional Facility earns associate’s degree
— More on page 12
OBITUARIES
OCTOBER 21-27, 2025
Inmate earns degree through Rising Scholars Program
A student from Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas became the first person to receive an associate’s degree from Ohlone College’s Rising Scholars Program. Because of privacy concerns, Rising Scholars did not provide the name of the student, but did share he is a male inmate. He received an Associate’s of Arts Degree in Communication Studies with highest honors and a 4.0 GPA. The Rising Scholars program at Ohlone College started while digital arts and interactive design (DAID) professor Isabel Reichert was on a sabbatical during the 2020 and 2021 academic year. According to the Ohlone Board of Trustees reports, she started a pilot program to give educational opport unities to juvenile detention and adult
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OPINION
No lawn no problem Girl scouts highlight alternatives to artificial turf. 14
HUMANS UNITED Humanities in Focus directors from L to R: Renushree Mandala, Bhavishya Thirumalesh, Danya Sri Anantha Prakash and Amiya Khosla.
Teens advocate for autistic students ● Humanities in Focus uses in-person events and social media to break barriers By Charlene Dizon
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out h-le d nonp rof it , Humanities in Focus, not only brings a voice to the autistic community, but also inclusivity and friendships. Their mission admirably creates an opportunity to educate others on autism and the importance of respect and normalcy. Humanities in Focus was first established in January 2024 by a
group of high school students after witnessing the mistreatment of autistic students at their schools. The directors include Amiya Khosla as founder and social media director (junior at California High School), Renushree Mandala as founder and engineering director (freshman at Mission San Jose High School), Danya Sri Anantha Prakash as founder and volunteer coordinator (junior at California High School), and Bhav-
ishya Thirumalesh as founder and event management director (freshman at Mission San Jose High School). The nonprofit was officially registered in September 2024, and the team dove straight to work. “We began by directly talking to our classmates and peers by letting them know that we’re starting an organization,” says Mandala. “We further explained our cause to spread awareness and educate others on its importance.” Social media became crucial in spreading awareness campaigns based — More on page 10
Shifting perspective Lyndsey Ellis discusses point of view. 18
Tis’ the spooky season Chanticleers Theatre brings witchy energy to the stage. 22