It may be hard to imagine now, but there was a time when a majority of San Jose and Santa Clara County voters rejected an opportunity to ban discrimination against the LGBTQ people among them. “’Gay people are so disgusting they deserve no rights, and we don’t even want them in town.’ That was the...
Author: Lorraine Gabbert (Lorraine Gabbert)
San Jose police department insider named top cop
San Jose officials on Tuesday announced their pick for the top police job—department insider Anthony Mata will be the city’s new police chief. Five of the candidates were either current or former officers with the SJPD, with four of them, including Mata, still with the department. Mata replaces former Police Chief Eddie Garcia, who retired...
Nathan Ganeshan feeds the hungry, serves the homeless in San Jose
After years of serving those without homes on the weekends, Nathan Ganeshan was sure the simple act of feeling clean and refreshed would not only renew their spirits but grant them dignity. He set out fundraising and planning. Then, as he watched a truck hauling a trailer with showers into the First Presbyterian Church’s parking...
Alum Rock Union School District to close San Jose schools
One-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Santa Clara County
After weeks of waiting, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine just arrived in Santa Clara County. Today, the county received 7,500 doses of the new COVID-19 vaccine, according to public health officials. Additional doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are expected to arrive in Santa Clara County on March 23. The highly-anticipated Johnson & Johnson’s...
COVID-19 pushes Santa Clara County dropout rate up
Distance learning has led to an increase in students dropping out of high school in Santa Clara County. The 2021 Silicon Valley Index, released by nonprofit Joint Venture Silicon Valley’s Institute for Regional Studies, showed this was especially true for homeless youth, English-language learners, Hispanic and low-income students. Rachel Massaro, vice president and director of...
San Jose police plans to expand new approach to mental health calls
Phil Watkins was 23 when he was shot to death by San Jose police after he called 911 saying he was going to kill himself and was holding children hostage. Sharon Watkins said her son was shot 10 times when he ran toward officers holding a pocket knife. Recalling the confrontation six years ago, she...
East San Jose education leaders at odds with push to reopen schools
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s efforts through his new advocacy organization to reopen San Jose schools is sparking frustration for some — particularly communities of color. Liccardo launched a petition through Solutions San Jose — sending two emails within 24 hours — to gather signatures demanding COVID-19 vaccines be prioritized for teachers and to reopen...
New petition calls for opening San Jose businesses
In the year since Santa Clara County issued its first shelter-in-place order to curb the spread of COVID-19, businesses have faced a rollercoaster of directives — open, close, open and close again. But one former lawmaker says it doesn’t have to be that way. Other states have less restrictions and allow businesses to open with...
In socially distant times, a downtown San Jose social venue struggles to open
Before the pandemic, two downtown San Jose bar owners joined forces with a vision for an entertainment venue in San Pedro Square. What they had in mind was a place where people would come together and socialize. It would have a bowling alley, a karaoke bar and an arcade. Co-owners David Mulvehill and Mike Messinger...