A longtime Silicon Valley trade school that trains essential workers such as electricians, mechanics and nurses could soon close its doors, the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic that’s swept the world. But its leaders are fighting for a chance to survive another year. Officials from the Metropolitan Education District (MetroED) are asking the city of San Jose and...
Business
Business
Downtown San Jose restaurants struggle to survive amid pandemic, protests
Adolfo Gomez had driven just five minutes away from his downtown San Jose restaurant, Mezcal, when he got a call from a friend that the doors to the business had been broken and people were looting. His friend’s daughter had recorded and shared the action on her phone after what started as a peaceful protest...
Manufacturing is big business in San Jose, and it’s ready to get back to work
Virag Saksena’s whisky, which he makes at 10th Street Distillery in San Jose, is sitting in barrels ready to bottle, but his hands have been tied for months due to the shelter-in-place order that prohibited nonessential manufacturers from operating starting in mid-March. He set aside whisky making for producing hand sanitizer, but now Saksena is...
Silicon Valley economic slowdown brings positive news for environment, safety
With more than 2,800 cases of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County resulting in 144 deaths, and unemployment at almost 12 percent, a source of positive news can be found in the effects of quarantine on the environment and traffic safety. Significant decreases in travel by car should prove advantageous for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in...
Hapless thieves target San Jose dispensaries for brazen burglaries after curfew
Two San Jose cannabis dispensaries were burglarized early Tuesday morning by groups of thieves hoping for a big score — the latest crime spree in a trend of looters, burglars and robbers targeting dispensaries in the Bay Area and nationwide. The pattern emerged as major cities, including San Jose, enforced curfews to control protests against...
Chamber CEO set to lead San Jose councilmember office
Nick Kaspar, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce, is leaving the world of business and stepping into politics at San Jose City Hall. Kaspar will be Councilmember Maya Esparza’s chief of staff starting June 15, leaving behind a daunting three years at the helm of the Santa Clara-based chamber. “The...
Santa Clara County tattoo artists itching to get back to work
Before tattoo machines begin to buzz at State of Grace tattoo shop in San Jose’s Japantown, artists’ stations are wiped down, sanitized and wrapped in plastic, while single-use gloves, needles and ink are laid out with freshly washed hands. None of that is new protocol for battling COVID-19, according to shop owner and renowned tattooer...
In pricey Silicon Valley, homebuyer perceptions — not prices — have changed
Silicon Valley’s notoriously expensive residential real estate sales may have seen a slump in March and April during the region’s restrictive shelter-in-place orders, but industry insiders say it’s still a seller’s market. The major change in the market during the pandemic has been perception by those hoping the novel coronavirus has helped to plunge sky-high...
San Jose-based Cisco promises $5M for charities fighting racism, discrimination
As nationwide protests over racism and police brutality continue into a second week, Silicon Valley companies are starting to jump into the fold — with cash. San Jose-based Cisco Systems Inc. was the latest Monday to announce it would give $5 million to charities fighting racism and discrimination, a decision announced by CEO Chuck Robbins...
Goodwill opens two San Jose stores to walk-in customers
With added safety measures in place such as required face coverings and daily employee temperature checks, Goodwill of Silicon Valley is now letting customers inside two of its San Jose stores. The nonprofit thrift store chain, which includes 18 stores in the Silicon Valley region, opened its Willow Glen and Alum Rock locations earlier this...