A controversial Cupertino planning commissioner has been booted from his seat. After nearly two hours of heated public comment from more than 60 residents, the Cupertino City Council voted 3-2 to remove R “Ray” Wang from the Planning Commission Tuesday. Mayor Hung Wei, Vice Mayor Sheila Mohan and Councilmember J. R. Fruen voted in favor, while Councilmembers...
Author: Tran Nguyen (Tran Nguyen)
San Jose reveals homelessness data
San Jose is launching a tool to help the public better understand the city’s efforts to address growing homelessness. The Homelessness Program Dashboard lets residents browse different city-run programs and learn more about their results on the city website. The tool shows where funding comes from, which services are being prioritized and how many people are being served. “We can’t expect to solve our...
Silicon Valley official makes bid for county supervisor
Longtime Mountain View Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga has more to give as she looks beyond serving in her city. Abe-Koga, 52, is the first to enter the race for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 5 seat. She announced her bid to replace incumbent Supervisor Joe Simitian at a Lunar New Year event hosted by...
Cupertino official faces calls to quit
A Cupertino official who repeatedly berated city employees and harassed residents may soon be booted from a powerful commission. The city council will consider removing Cupertino planning commissioner R “Ray” Wang at its Tuesday meeting. Councilmember J.R. Fruen, who was elected recently, called for Wang’s removal last month after a slew of residents expressed frustration...
Deadly San Jose road to get makeover
San Jose is gearing up to address safety concerns along one of the region’s deadliest roads. Congressmembers Zoe Lofgren, Anna Eshoo and Jimmy Panetta announced last week San Jose will receive a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help convert Monterey Road from a highway into a boulevard in an effort to...
Silicon Valley politicos could face suspension under new proposal
When longtime Sheriff Laurie Smith faced a corruption scandal in 2021, she kept her job for months with little consequences. County officials want to prevent that from happening again. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to explore a policy allowing the county to suspend an elected official if the person faces charges from the Santa Clara...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County commits to millions in child care services
Santa Clara County is making a historic investment in child care services and workforce development in an effort to stave off an ongoing crisis. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to spend $20 million to help fund three programs run by FIRST 5 and establish a grant program to help reopen day care...
San Jose housed more than 2,500 people — but still falls short
San Jose reportedly had one of its most significant years in housing the homeless, but advocates said the efforts are barely making a dent. In the past year, San Jose helped nearly 2,600 homeless people get off the streets, with 71% of them moving into permanent housing, according to a city report published this month. The...
Coalition calls on San Jose to build park along Coyote Creek
A 50-acre piece of land along Coyote Creek sits deserted and is frequently home to encampments and blight, yet the city still hesitates to support a coalition’s pursuit to turn it into a park for community benefit. Coyote Meadows Coalition, a group comprised of more than a dozen local groups and hundreds of volunteers, has spent the...
Santa Clara County hospital workers struggle with shortage
Santa Clara County health care workers are demanding leaders address ongoing worker shortages they said are leading to unsafe working conditions. Dozens of nurses, physicians, medical assistants and hospital janitorial staff took to the streets in front of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (VMC) in San Jose Wednesday to protest what they said is a longstanding...