On Oct. 31, families will gather at the Mexican Heritage Plaza for Avenida de Altares, our annual Día de los Muertos celebration. In the weeks leading up to Avenida de Altares, artists will transform La Plaza with altares honoring loved ones who have passed — beautiful, deeply personal works filled with photographs, marigolds, candles and...
Editorial: California bill reaffirms why nonprofit local news matters
National news saturates the airwaves on a daily basis and oftentimes people tune out — but when it comes to local news people want more. Residents yearn to know what’s happening in their backyard. They want to know which city councilmembers voted for a multistory housing development in the middle of a single-family neighborhood? Why...
Philbrick: How can we stop pedestrian deaths?
On Sept. 14, San Jose recorded its 18th pedestrian death of 2026. That sobering milestone came during California Pedestrian Safety Month. While “18th pedestrian death” sounds abstract, it is important to realize that this statistic tells us something crucial: Traveling on foot or using a mobility device — one of the most fundamental ways we...
Lopez: We are not staying quiet on the 49ers spending millions in Santa Clara elections
I run a grocery store in Santa Clara, and I can tell you exactly what’s happening to families here. Carts are smaller. Shoppers are putting items back at the register. People are choosing between filling the gas tank and filling the fridge. At Arteaga’s, we’ve built our business around this community, serving many Latino and...
Heindel: San Jose should calculate economics of increasing parking meter rates
Before raising downtown parking rates, San Jose should know whether the additional parking revenue will exceed any resulting loss in downtown economic activity. In crafting the 2026-27 fiscal year budget, City Manager Jennifer Maguire asked each department to provide recommendations on savings to close the $50 million budget deficit. The Department of Transportation (DOT) did...
Li: San Jose airport’s closure of vital bike route exposes hollow traffic safety pledge
San Jose touts its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic fatalities. But instead of preserving safe commuter routes, airport and city officials are pushing forward with a permanent closure that will force cyclists into dangerous, high-speed traffic. Early this year in April, San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) posted 30-day notices announcing the permanent closure...
Collins: Will AI replace your human real estate agent?
While many artificial tools can help with home searches, can artificial intelligence truly replace the personal judgment and local expertise of a human Realtor? Despite its endless capabilities, AI has clear boundaries. AI excels at delivering broad market data, but it falls short when analyzing specific micro-market nuances. Realtors, especially those who leverage AI tools,...
Brennan: San Jose should look beyond internal candidates for its next park director
When San Jose selects its next director of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, it should conduct an open, competitive national recruitment — not presume the position will be filled from within the department. Qualified internal candidates who have demonstrated success in change management and possess relevant operational skills should be encouraged to apply and be...
Bramson: A plan that promises progress, not miracles
There is an increasingly popular story being told about homelessness: We’ve tried everything. We’ve spent billions of dollars. Nothing works. It’s an understandable conclusion. Anyone who lives in Santa Clara County can see that homelessness remains painfully visible. Our latest count found 10,711 people experiencing homelessness on a single night. And for every household we...
Li: Baby Boomers changed how we live — it’s time to change how we age
Baby Boomers have spent their lives challenging the status quo. They reshaped our workplaces, families, culture and expectations for how we live. Now, as this generation ages, we face a question we have spent far less time considering: Have we built a system that allows people to grow older the way they actually want to?...