Inside
Lantern song Milpitas festival lights up with Vietnamese arts and traditions. 9
OPINION
4
OBITUARIES
26
CLASSIFIED ADS
27
LEGAL LISTINGS
28
Reported stabbing Fremont PD reports fifth homicide of the year. 5 TRICITYVOICE.COM
VOL 24 NO 39
SEPTEMBER 23-29, 2025
Beloved barber
School district holds public meeting on textbooks
Rick’s Sundale Barber Shop marks 50 years. 10
● Newark Unified has adequate textbooks in compliance with state law
Art abstraction
By Roelle Balan The Newark Unified School District recently confirmed they have enough textbooks for every student in the district. Every school board in California that receives textbook funding from the state has to hold a public hearing confirming whether or not there are enough textbooks for each student enrolled in the district. This is according to Education Code (EDC) 60119 found on the California Legislative website. It says the public hearing has to take place before the end of the eighth week since the first day of school. According to a Newark school board report for Sept. 16’s meeting, all school principals in the district confirmed they have enough textbooks for each student. The books are used for reading/language arts, math, science and history-social science classes, and they — More on page 11
Courtesy of Priya Talreja
Fulbright-National Geographic award co-recipient Priya Talreja first visited the Azores in Portugal as a conservation researcher and will study EV infrastructure there this fall.
FUSD teacher demos abstract painting in gouache. 13
EV OVERSEAS Priya Talreja has studied computer science, community advocacy, sea floor mapping, and now will work with EV infrastructure in the Azores.
Fremont scholarship winner ● Fulbright-National Geographic scholarship winner Priya Talreja offers inspiration to young graduates By Connie Cheung
I
n the Atlantic Ocean, a thousand miles west of the Portuguese coast, lies an archipelago lush with valleys, steep cliffs and stunning high-altitude lakes. The Azores will soon be the new home of Priya Talreja, a Fremont native who won a Fulbright-National Geographic scholarship to research electrical vehi-
cle (EV) infrastructure in the eco-friendly region. A 2019 graduate of Fremont’s Mission San Jose High School, Talreja studied environmental policy analysis and planning at the University of California, Davis, and is the first from her alma mater to win the 2025 National Geographic award offered to Fulbright scholars. Only five recipients were selected this year, with
conservation projects ranging from trekkers in Nepal to sea cucumbers in Tanzania. Talreja’s work will focus on developing EV charging infrastructure and collaborating with local community members to map optimal areas for chargers in the Azores islands of Portugal. Having begun her career working on EV incentives in California, Talreja is well-positioned to bring her experience to the A zores, which she describes as “a living lab for EV policies.” The topic is crucial to the ongoing de velopm ent of — More on page 8
Colts flag football Logan HS girls’ inaugural team is 8-0. 24
Ace players Charity poker gives back to young athletes. 25