The ax is falling on jobs and social services in Santa Clara County’s next fiscal budget. Struggling to manage a massive deficit, supervisors debated for nearly six hours Aug. 21 before approving the budget 4-1, with Board President Cindy Chavez casting the sole dissenting vote. The budget gap largely stems from decreased revenues from both...
Silicon Valley unemployment sees slight decline in July
People are starting to go back to work in Santa Clara County but unemployment is still alarmingly high. After unemployment reached a historic peak of 11.6% in April, it declined to 9.3% in July, according to a study released Aug. 21 by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a group that provides analysis on the Silicon Valley...
South Bay families cling to hope of more aid as demand doubles at food banks
Tracy Tran and her husband fear they may soon have to file for bankruptcy. Tran works as a manicurist at La Orquidea Nail Salon and Spa in Los Gatos. Her husband runs the business, and Tran is one of 23 employees. The couple filed for unemployment benefits shortly after the salon shut down in March....
Debate heats up as vote nears on San Jose ‘linkage fee’
As the long-awaited decision to charge commercial developers fees for affordable housing heads to the San Jose City Council Sept. 1, a feasibility study — along with a global pandemic — suggest the fee could be a death knell for business growth. Nevertheless, proponents of the Commercial Linkage Fee are turning up the heat. They...
Silicon Valley donors open wallets in response to COVID-19
The ultra-rich are a dime a dozen in Silicon Valley. A recent tally counted 76,000 millionaires and billionaires living here, and nearly a third of adults are considered “upper income,” according to recent data from the Pew Research Center. Although many of those are generous to charity, it has been difficult to channel that largesse...
How a new plan could revitalize downtown San Jose storefronts
The San Jose Downtown Association unveiled a plan Friday morning at its first public meeting since February to hasten the neighborhood’s economic recovery from the devastating effects of COVID-19 — with a focus on filling empty storefronts and keeping existing commercial tenants in business. Through a grant from the Knight Foundation, SJDA hired Progressive Urban...
Outdoor services offer lifeline to South Bay salons struggling to survive
Denise Russell hasn’t paid rent at her 3,600 square-foot San Jose beauty salon in six months. Dustin David Salon’s landlord is sending rent collectors to his home in Los Gatos. He’s several months behind. Although they’re now able to provide services outdoors, South Bay salons are reeling over the state’s months-long flip-flops on whether they...
Santa Clara County takes steps to connect older adults to technology
Santa Clara County leaders this week set in motion a plan to connect older adults to technology, a need that has become more urgent since widespread shelter-in-place orders went into effect. Concerns about the impact of social isolation have grown as the majority of senior services have transitioned online. The increasing use of telehealth and...
Santa Clara County pledges another $7.1 million to get students online
A lack of access to technology and the internet meant Sylvandale Middle School teacher Brenna Rodriguez lost communication with 80% of her students when COVID-19 shuttered schools in March. Teaching English and English Language Development within the Eastside’s Franklin-McKinley School District since 2008, Rodriguez said last year was the first time each of her students...
South Bay malls turn to open-air shopping during COVID-19
As COVID-19 shut down malls, Westfield Valley Fair reinvented shopping with an open-air market. A row of red and white popup tents beckon customers to peruse the latest fashion, watch an art demonstration or grab a snack from a food truck. Luxury brands like Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and Versace offer viewings by appointment in...