Santa Clara County officials attempted to be as strategic as possible with the services they slashed due to a $787 million deficit predominantly caused by deep federal cuts. The shortfall forces nonprofits on the front line to constrict their services. Nonprofits across the board will be particularly hampered in prevention efforts in order to preserve...
South County rodeo celebrates the region’s agricultural heritage
A nearly 100-year-old South County tradition is making its annual return with a cowboy nod — and the buzz is growing. The Gilroy Rodeo is set for Aug. 7-9 and showcases the community’s cultural history while drawing people from all over the state and as far away as Europe, Australia, Mexico, Washington, Arizona and Colorado....
Downtown San Jose venue faces lawsuit and $50K fine
San Jose has slapped a $50,000 fine on a late night, downtown establishment over allegations that it has been operating illegally. But the owner said protracted efforts to bring his business into compliance have been thwarted by one bureaucratic roadblock after another. Freddie Jackson, owner of Kaizen Lounge on East San Fernando Street, said he...
Santa Clara officials get raises but no performance reviews
Several Santa Clara officials are receiving pay raises following a routine City Council vote that turned into a debate over the city’s handling of performance reviews for its top leaders. Councilmembers on July 6 voted 5-1-1 to adopt updated salary plans for the mayor and council, city clerk, city attorney and city manager to comply with state...
Silicon Valley residents support each other with mutual aid
When systems fail, people often turn toward each other. In Santa Clara County, groups have been meeting each other’s needs through mutual aid efforts. Free meals, community gardens, medical supplies and rental assistance — these are all ways various groups are uplifting each other as social safety nets erode and more people find themselves in...
San Jose stadium to host first live music festival
For more than a decade, PayPal Park has drawn fans for soccer matches, championship games and international tournaments. Next month, the San Jose stadium will welcome a different crowd when thousands of música mexicana fans gather for its first-ever concert. BelicoFest, a festival featuring artists including Tito Double P, Gerardo Ortiz and Santa Fe Klan,...
Court ruling spares San Jose card rooms
San Jose’s two card rooms have been granted a reprieve after a judge overturned pending statewide regulations that could have crippled the local gambling industry, and in the process, eliminated millions of dollars in public funding the city relies on. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Darwin ruled last week that California’s Bureau of Gambling...
Con Azucar Cafe expands into South County
In less than a handful of years, a concept to spread Mexican culture and its traditions by way of a San Jose cafe has blossomed into an ever-growing franchise of stores, with Gilroy among the latest cities to embrace the model in its historic downtown. Con Azucar Cafe co-owners Alejandra Gonzalez, her husband Uriel Soto...
State budget revisions save Santa Clara County from deeper cuts
Santa Clara County officials are exhaling as the state spending plan for fiscal year 2026-27 pares back steep cuts initially proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The state budget signed Monday includes $900 million for homeless services, nearly double what Newsom had initially suggested. The budget also keeps funding intact for in-home care and mobile mental health crisis...
Downtown San Jose scores big with World Cup
Levi’s Stadium may have hosted its final FIFA World Cup match Wednesday, but the tournament’s economic impact is still playing out in downtown San Jose, where thousands of soccer fans continue gathering for watch parties that are bringing business to bars, restaurants and street vendors. As fans streamed into San Pedro Square ahead of the...