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The Santa Clara Board of Education will appoint a new trustee next month to fill a seat recently left vacant. “There are families even in District 2 which need services just as much as any families in the county,” said Anjali Kausar, CEO of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and a candidate for the open...
Will San Jose move its mayoral election to 2024?
San Jose could soon change the date of its mayoral elections to coincide with presidential election years. Residents overwhelmingly spoke in favor of moving San Jose’s mayoral elections at the Charter Review Commission meeting last night. “The current system results in low voter turnout in mayoral elections and gives undue power to corporate special interests...
Can San Jose’s segregated housing be fixed?
Housing in San Jose is racially segregated, and it’s not going to be easy figuring out how to integrate it. “The challenge is how do we integrate these spaces, and not whether or not they should be integrated,” said Mathew Reed, policy manager at housing advocacy nonprofit [email protected] “We have a moral foundation and a...
State rent relief program serves South Bay residents
When California started its COVID-19 rent relief program in April with a plan to disburse $33 million in federal funds to San Jose residents, the city and Santa Clara County decided to run their own joint program for extremely low income households. But this hybrid approach creates problems, state officials say. “We have two programs in...
From fields to the frontlines: Chava Bustamante inspires next generation
Salvador “Chava” Bustamante was first arrested for civil disobedience in 1979 at the age of 28. The labor organizer, who recently stepped down as executive director of Latinos United for a New America (LUNA), was striking with the United Farm Workers in Salinas. He was sentenced to three months in Monterey County Jail for the strike, and...
A tale of two San Jose rose gardens
When visitors hear “San Jose Rose Garden,” they likely picture a lush field of roses growing over a well-manicured lawn. But that’s not what they see at the Heritage Rose Garden, which has fallen victim to neglect, vandalism and even arson over the last year. “We desperately need a few new serious volunteers who will...
Santa Clara County sees increase in value of taxable properties
The value of taxable properties in Santa Clara County rose by 4.6% since last year—showing that the pandemic’s economic impact had a limited reach. “This was not a normal business cycle,” Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone told San José Spotlight. “This was a self-imposed recession, based upon the health crisis.” The total value of...
Bloom Energy sues Santa Clara over permits—for a second time
Bloom Energy filed suit against Santa Clara last week—marking the second time the San Jose-based energy company has sued the city to issue permits for its fuel cell boxes. “Climate change is rearing its ugly head,” Santa Clara Councilmember Suds Jain told San José Spotlight. “My main opposition to Bloom Energy is that their carbon footprint...
Silicon Valley pedals closer to region’s first bicycle superhighway
Santa Clara County is planning the region’s first bike superhighway—but a route still needs to be selected. “I don’t see a bicycle superhighway going down El Camino,” Erik Lindskog, a member of VTA’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, said at Wednesday’s meeting. “I think a bicycle superhighway needs to be a little more separate from...
Cost of lumber leads Silicon Valley builders to embrace new tech
The cost of lumber skyrocketed during the pandemic, but local builders say things are looking up. “It’s still above (the) norm, but it’s coming back down,” said Russell White, general manager of Lendlease America’s design-build division. “We expect the volatility to come back within normal constraints.” The price of lumber is $756 per thousand board...