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Three months ago Dr. Marty Fenstersheib was pressured to reopen the economy in San Benito County. He knew COVID-19 cases would surge if he bowed to the pressure. Hours after a high-stakes confrontation with county supervisors, he quit. Now, he is the COVID-19 testing guru in Santa Clara County where he is credited for the...
Report details how a Santa Clara County trustee discriminated against women
A new report obtained by San José Spotlight through a records request revealed Santa Clara County Board of Education trustee Joseph Di Salvo was “dismissive and disrespectful” toward women and attempted “to undermine or to intimidate a woman into changing her opinion.” Earlier this month, Di Salvo was censured by the board in a split...
Haircuts and pedicures on Santa Clara sidewalks raise new challenges
Sean Nguyen finally picked up his electric razor again. “It feels weird to be honest,” Nguyen said Tuesday after finishing his first appointment since March. “But at least I got a client.” A barber with 13 years of experience, Nguyen was in high demand. His shop, Sean’s Barber Shop, always had “a line of people waiting” but...
Silicon Valley educators worry about data privacy as classes remain online
Local educators say students could be at risk of data breaches as schools continue online classes amid the pandemic. “We need to protect our communities,” said Roxana Marachi, a San Jose State University professor of education. “Especially communities of color, who are the most vulnerable to data exploitations,” Big tech companies in Silicon Valley have eyed the...
Santa Clara County education leader censured for gender discrimination
In a split vote late Wednesday night, the Santa Clara County Board of Education censured trustee Joseph Di Salvo for alleged gender discrimination, a decision that prompted the embattled educator to abruptly cut off his camera during the virtual meeting. As San José Spotlight first reported Tuesday, Di Salvo became the subject of an independent...
Santa Clara County education trustee faces censure for gender harassment
The Santa Clara County Board of Education will vote Wednesday night on whether to censure trustee Joseph Di Salvo after an investigation substantiated allegations of gender discrimination against him. Two board members and two employees accused Di Salvo of engaging in “gender and racial harassment” in January, according to the resolution summarizing the investigation. The resolution did not...
Californians worry that shelter-in-place is relaxing too quickly: poll
As the number of hospitalizations from the novel coronavirus continues to soar, Californians are increasingly worried that the state is reopening too quickly, according to a new survey. The poll, conducted between June 26 and June 30 by California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), surveyed 1,156 residents in the state who are at least 18 years old. The interviews,...
As masks become a new political weapon, Silicon Valley is mostly supportive
On a recent sunny, 80-degree afternoon, downtown San Jose started to regain its foot traffic. Small businesses, restaurants and coffee shops settled into new routines after months of shutdown. Their patrons, nevertheless, are getting used to a new summer accessory: A face mask. “It’s necessary,” said resident Rylee Dietz with a bandana over her face...
‘A new stage’: Santa Clara County issues new order asking state to reopen nail, hair salons
After nearly four months of closure, Santa Clara County gyms, spas, hair and nail salons are set to reopen later this month — if the state says yes. But things will look much differently inside those businesses than before the COVID-19 pandemic closed their doors in mid-March. Personal care businesses are among the last to reopen....
UPDATE: Santa Clara County declares racism as a public health crisis
Amid a national reckoning over racism and civil unrest that’s swept the country, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously adopted resolutions to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement and declare racism a public health crisis. “A resolution is only as good as the actions that follow it,” said Supervisor...