South Bay food providers are questioning why Santa Clara County has chosen only a handful of restaurants and has served so few meals to needy residents during the unprecedented pandemic. A statewide program — Great Plates Delivered — served 66,730 meals to a little more than 1,000 residents in Santa Clara County as of July...
Author: Carina Woudenberg (Carina Woudenberg)
San Jose residents receive fireworks warnings in error — again
As San Jose residents blasted their way through an arsenal of fireworks on July 4, Charlie Murray was frustrated. The explosions rattled his Blossom Valley home and caused his 4-year-old Golden Labrador — Brody — to cower and whimper in terror. The next morning Murray spotted a bit of chalky ash on his daughter’s car...
San Jose: Illegal fireworks complaints more than triple amid pandemic
There was no escaping the cacophony of bangs, pops and crackles in San Jose on Saturday as cooped up residents let off steam during Independence Day by putting on their own fireworks displays. Some residents admired the amateur pyrotechnics. “East side San Jose (is) putting on a better show than professionals ever have,” one Twitter...
San Jose libraries face $1 million budget cut
The San Jose Public Library will lose more than $1 million in the upcoming budget year, leading to reduced hours and the elimination of dozens of full and part-time positions. The move came in response to the city’s request to scale back on expenses due to the budget shortfall dealt by the coronavirus pandemic. “We...
Santa Clara County suicide helplines see spike in calls amid pandemic
Since the start of the pandemic and orders to stay inside, Santa Clara County has seen a rise in calls to a suicide prevention hotline — a trend that is mirrored nationally. The national Disaster Distress Helpline is receiving a notable uptick in calls during the COVID-19 pandemic with a more than 900% increase in...
Celso Batalha gets low-income San Jose students excited about science
When he’s not instructing students at Evergreen Valley College, physics and astronomy professor Celso Batalha is working with a much younger set — teaching children as young as elementary school-aged that no matter what their background, they, too, can reach for the stars. Batalha came to the Evergreen campus in 2003 just as the San...
Libraries in San Jose, Santa Clara County take first steps to reopen
As more pandemic-related restrictions are lifted in Santa Clara County, city and county libraries are looking to turn a new page as well — beginning with curbside book checkouts and drop-offs later this month. Santa Clara County Librarian Jennifer Weeks says community and employee safety is her biggest concern, but she understands that libraries can...
Goodwill opens two San Jose stores to walk-in customers
With added safety measures in place such as required face coverings and daily employee temperature checks, Goodwill of Silicon Valley is now letting customers inside two of its San Jose stores. The nonprofit thrift store chain, which includes 18 stores in the Silicon Valley region, opened its Willow Glen and Alum Rock locations earlier this...
Officials defend plan to close San Jose hospital’s maternity ward
Citing a declining birth rate in San Jose, Regional Medical Center plans to close its obstetrics department at the end of this month — redirecting patients about to give birth to its sister facility, Good Samaritan, or to county-owned hospitals such as O’Connor Hospital and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. The move, which hospital officials...
SJSU student activists celebrate county’s cannabis-conviction clearance
When Aysha Pathan got word recently that the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office eliminated more than 13,000 cannabis-related convictions, the San Jose State University student was thrilled. “I dropped everything and started reading all these articles,” Pathan said. “I kind of knew something was happening, but I didn’t know the number. I was really...