Author: Sonya Herrera (Sonya Herrera)

San Jose youth corps lacks hazard training, audit shows

Since 1987, the San Jose Conservation Corps has enlisted thousands of young adults in job training programs, but nothing prepared them for what they uncovered while cleaning up parks and trails. A recent city audit found that some young adults weren’t trained to handle used needles, broken glass and other dangerous materials, which they encountered...

San Jose residents in fence fight with housing developer

There’s an old saying that good fences make good neighbors, but tensions between nearly a dozen San Jose homeowners and a home construction developer over fence heights have deepened an already strained relationship. Several homeowners living near the redevelopment of the former 15.7-acre Winchester Ranch Mobile Home Park in West San Jose are angry because...

Google’s delay leaves San Jose funds in limbo

The reported delay of Google’s mega-development in downtown San Jose is shaking Silicon Valley, but one city advisory group tasked with overseeing millions in community funds from the tech giant is carrying on. The commission, comprised of 13 voting members who have lived or work experience related to the fund objectives, will have its first...

San Jose college administrator dies on vacation in Mexico

A top official and longtime leader of the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District has died. Vice Chancellor Jorge Escobar died recently while vacationing in Mexico, according to a Tuesday statement from the district. Escobar, 55, was in the running to take over as chancellor from Interim Chancellor and San José Spotlight columnist Raúl Rodríguez, according...

Silicon Valley’s Central Bikeway could be a game changer

Santa Clara County residents could soon ride on the region’s first bicycle superhighway. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority could approve the basic design of the Central Bikeway—a 10-mile stretch of protected bike lanes between San Jose and Santa Clara—as soon as next month. VTA’s bicycle advisory committee voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend the transit...

Can San Jose create a downtown entertainment district?

Providing a fun and safe experience for visitors coming to downtown San Jose are top priorities in a new proposal for an entertainment district in the city’s urban core. Leading this development effort is real estate mogul Gary Dillabough, who believes as safety improves in San Jose it will soon be ready for a central...

Will San Jose ever connect its two transit hubs?

In the year 2030, a woman walks from her apartment in downtown San Jose to Diridon Station, where she zips toward San Jose Mineta International Airport and arrives within five minutes for her flight. This is the future imagined by proponents of the airport connector, a direct shuttle service between San Jose’s main train station...

San Jose food vendor finds novel way to raise money

A popular San Jose food vendor is trying to set up a brick-and-mortar restaurant, but has struggled to get a small business loan from a traditional lender. The owner of Hết Sẩy has found an innovative solution to pay for a more permanent location: an online crowdfunding marketplace with a unique twist for small businesses...