When is comes to dining out, you might think of Los Gatos and Saratoga or places further up the peninsula before San Jose comes to mind. Restaurants are not often clustered in San Jose as they are in San Pedro Square in the downtown core. That makes it difficult to scout places to eat in...
From the editor
From the editor
Editorial: Use old San Jose City Hall for one-stop homeless services
In a week’s span, two decisions were made that on the surface had absolutely no correlation. Yet in a circuitous way, they did. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to authorize an additional $1 million to the Vietnamese American Service Center. The center which opened last October is a phenomenal success. The new...
Editorial: VTA needs a culture change to improve worker morale
One year ago today, nine people lost their lives in a mass shooting among more than 100 workers on site at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency. They ranged in age from 29 to 63. They left families, friends and co-workers who would never hear “good morning” or “good night” again. From that moment on,...
Editorial: San Jose’s gun ordinance isn’t going to work
In about 90 days, San Jose’s gun harm reduction ordinance is supposed to take effect. The policy, the first of its kind in the nation, will apply to all San Jose residents who own firearms. Individuals will be required to pay a $25 annual fee and have liability insurance. San Jose officials said the program will raise...
Editorial: San Jose’s Winchester Urban Village Plan could get messy
San Jose has a three-mile vision for the west side of the city that will change Winchester Boulevard forever. The Winchester Urban Village Plan stretches from Interstate 280 to just shy of E. Hamilton Avenue. The goal is to seamlessly develop this portion of the Winchester Boulevard corridor with compatible architecture, open space and expansive...
Help Wanted: An election reader panel for San José Spotlight
Election season is here, and we’re looking to put together a reader panel to talk about the key issues, contests and what matters most to you. We want to know what your top pritoties are as you head to the polls in June and November. What do you want to see in your next mayor?...
Editorial: Santa Clara County’s one-size solution fails homeless residents
Rats. Trash. Desperation. Mental illness. Humanitarian crisis. These words define the conditions at the sprawling Columbus Park homeless encampment in San Jose. No matter how many millions of dollars San Jose and Santa Clara County throw at homelessness, if the premise to the solution is flawed, then the problem cannot be fixed. And therein lies the...
Editorial: Hey San Jose City Hall, how about thinking outside the box?
Pastor Ralph Olmos wasn’t worried about city permits when he opened his food stand—Lighthouse Ministries Food Pantry—at the corner of E. Julian and 17th streets in San Jose. Olmos was worried about people going hungry. He knew parents were choosing to feed their children, while they went without. He knew covering rent, utilities and medication came first...
From the CEO: The next phase of San José Spotlight’s growth
Four years ago, I rushed home to the Las Vegas apartment I shared with my husband Josh and blurted out the words quickly and breathlessly. The idea had been percolating all day in my mind. I was obsessed with it. I couldn’t think of anything else. “Let’s start a nonprofit news organization in San Jose,”...
Editorial: San Jose redistricting riddled with confusion, needs reform
Once a decade, San Jose redraws its political boundaries in order to achieve a level playing field. The process aims to ensure the city’s 10 council districts have equal representation. It reviews whether minorities, businesses and neighborhoods are fairly aligned. It works to ensure that those who govern do so not just for the betterment...