The proposed Sargent Ranch sand and gravel quarry in lower Santa Clara County presents the Bay Area with a unique opportunity to help the region develop a sustainable, locally-sourced vital building material while ensuring long-term protections for ecological and tribal resources. The construction-grade sand at the site is a key ingredient for the concrete we...

A headline in the New York Times on Oct. 28 reads, “Exxon and Chevron Racked Up Giant Profits.” Is it ethical to charge outrageous prices while selling huge volumes of polluting gasoline, to maximize profits, when the world is fighting climate change and inflation? The November 2015 issue of National Geographic pulled the climate issue together...

After a 2 1/2-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of Santa Clara County’s best in-person tours is open to the public again. I’m thrilled to announce that residents can now register for an in-person tour of the award-winning Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center in San Jose. This tour provides guests with a...

The holiday season will look different across the U.S. this year. Rising prices are hitting wallets hard and nearly a third of Americans plan to spend less on gifts and decor. At the same time, local businesses are still recovering from the pandemic’s economic impacts, while also balancing supply chain challenges and a slowing economy....

In Santa Clara County and throughout California, young mothers do not have equitable access to child care or economic opportunities. In a study conducted by the Young Women’s Freedom Center and Alliance for Girls, young mothers in Santa Clara County said their main barriers to child care were high costs, service ineligibility for parents under 18, lack...

San Jose councilmembers voted 7-4 on Dec. 5 to fill two vacancies through an appointment process by the end of January. We’re grateful to Councilmembers David Cohen, Sergio Jimenez, Dev Davis, Sylvia Arenas, Maya Esparza, Raul Peralez and Magdalena Carrasco for honoring their positions and doing what’s right for San Jose. Their decision ensures residents...

The 2022 elections in San Jose taught us once again that candidates fail to address the housing and homelessness issue at their peril. Cindy Chavez actually had a better housing program than Matt Mahan did, but it appeared that Mahan cared more deeply about the issue, because he kept hammering on it. Although Chavez clearly...

Growing up an immigrant from the United Kingdom, San Jose and the South Bay have always been a breath of fresh air compared to the larger cities and metropolitan areas I would later in life explore. To say we don’t have any world class landmarks isn’t true. We have the Lick Observatory, the “block” from...

“In this household, we believe Black Lives Matter, Women’s Rights are Human Rights, My Body My Choice, Science is Real, Love is Love, No Human Being is Illegal, Kindness is Everything.” Variations of the yard sign with this message are common throughout lawns on the peninsula. There is one in the yard of a landlord...

After the November general election, two vacancies were created on the San Jose City Council, leaving the residents of Districts 8 and 10 in limbo. In January, Sylvia Arenas will vacate her District 8 council seat to take office as county supervisor and Matt Mahan of District 10 will vacate his council seat as he...