Cybersecurity experts are urging public officials to beef up their online security in the wake of San Jose mayor’s Twitter account getting hacked. An unknown person or group briefly hijacked Mayor Sam Liccardo’s Twitter account last week and used the account to promote non-fungible tokens or NFTs—a digital product similar to cryptocurrency. Liccardo’s office referred...
The Biz Beat: Booze and bands at The Note Lounge in Milpitas
If you’re looking for the finest Japanese-born bluesman ever to come out of the clubs of Chicago to play in Milpitas, you’ll find Yoshi Senzaki playing guitar at The Note Lounge, a low-key bar with a unique character and excellent live music. “When The Note reopened after the COVID restrictions were lifted, our band sometimes outnumbered the customers,”...
Cannabis union efforts stop short in San Jose
The legalization of cannabis in California has touched off a wave of unionization efforts across the state, but the movement has been slow in San Jose—a city that has been iffy about growing its small weed industry. According to Jim Araby, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 5 strategic campaign director, only one of...
State bill could give San Jose speed enforcement cameras
San Jose is one step closer to getting speed enforcement cameras to combat a leading cause of traffic fatalities. The California Assembly’s transportation committee voted unanimously Monday to advance Assembly Bill 2336, which would authorize the use of automated speed enforcement cameras in San Jose, Los Angeles, Oakland, Glendale and San Francisco. The bill heads to...
Silicon Valley unemployment declines but disparities increase
Unemployment is in decline across Silicon Valley, but experts say the region’s recovery reflects social inequities. The South Bay’s unemployment rate dropped to 2.8% last month, 0.1% lower than the unemployment rate in March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, according to a new report from Joint Venture Silicon Valley’s Institute for Regional Studies. Employers added...
San Jose legislator wants to extend ADA compliance program
A South Bay lawmaker wants to help small businesses become accessible to people with disabilities by extending a program that funds inspections and building grants. Assembly Bill 2164, authored by San Jose Assemblyman Alex Lee, would allow local governments to continue collecting a $4 fee attached to permits and licenses to fund disability compliance programs....
San Jose group fights water company over rate hike
A small group wants to stop San Jose’s main water retailer from changing its rate structure, arguing this will potentially remove an incentive for conserving water. Water Rate Advocates for Transparency, Equity and Sustainability (WRATES)—a group that advocates on behalf of water customers—challenged San Jose Water Company’s proposed rate hike and is currently in litigation...
99 Ranch Market fills void at South San Jose mall
Thousands of residents flocked to Westfield Oakridge Mall on Tuesday to check out the latest store bringing an expansive variety of pan-Asian produce, baked goods and hot food to South San Jose. The 99 Ranch Market company, one of the largest Asian supermarket chains in the nation, unveiled its newest store this week at Oakridge Mall...
The Biz Beat: Satori Cellars in Gilroy serves award-winning wines
Visiting Satori Cellars’ tasting room in Gilroy is as much about entering an enchanted realm as it is about tasting its award-winning wines. Coming through the round door of the entrance portal next to the vineyard, music, laughter, gentle dogs and the brightest colors in the rainbow are waiting for you there. The atmosphere is...
Etch and protect: San Jose’s plan to stop catalytic converter thefts
A San Jose resident turns on their car and hears a loud roar. They check under the car and confirm their worst fear: their catalytic converter is gone. Catalytic converter thefts have spiked in San Jose in recent years, rising from 84 cases in 2019 to 1,087 in 2021, according to police department data. Filled...