Joe Herrera was waiting for his friend, Maria, to return from a 7-Eleven at the intersection of Tully and Senter roads last May. She never made it back. Maria, an unhoused person living on Quinn Avenue, was hit by a car crossing Senter Road around 11 p.m. last year. Herrera, another unhoused person, said by...
San Jose’s Cesar Chavez school shifts focus to early learning
For some East San Jose elementary students, next year will mean moving to another nearby school. The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees voted unanimously on Thursday to turn Cesar Chavez Elementary School into an early learning center for children in preschool through kindergarten next year. Students in grades 1-5 will have to...
San Jose Democrats want candidate to end City Council campaign
Local Democratic groups are calling on San Jose Planning Commission Chair Rolando Bonilla to end his campaign for City Council amid decades-old domestic abuse allegations. Last week, the Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee voted 36-7-6 to ask Bonilla to stop his bid for San Jose’s District 5 council seat and step down from the...
East San Jose school district to repurpose elementary campus
Students from a neighborhood elementary school in Alum Rock Union School District may have to relocate. The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees will vote on April 14 whether to turn Cesar Chavez Elementary School into the Cesar Chavez Early Learning Center for children in preschool through kindergarten. Students in grades 1-5 would...
San Jose mandala ceremony offers universal lesson in change
As chanting filled the main hall of a local Buddhist temple Sunday afternoon, San Jose resident Trang Huynh joined with about 50 people in praying and celebrating a sand mandala dissolution ceremony. “I prayed for my family, our community and the world,” Huynh, a devoted Buddhist for the last four years, told San José Spotlight....
Santa Clara County grant will transform section of East San Jose
With a financial boost from Santa Clara County, a blighted, mostly vacant block of stores in East San Jose will be transformed into a performing arts space, cafe and sorely needed mental health clinic. On Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors approved a $250,000 grant for the School of Arts and Culture, which wants to expand...
San Jose council candidate denies decades-old abuse allegations
San Jose Planning Commissioner and City Council candidate Rolando Bonilla is disputing allegations that have recently resurfaced regarding domestic violence and child support. About 20 years ago, Bonilla’s ex-wife accused him of physical abuse during a custody battle for their son and claimed he failed to pay child support on different occasions, according to media...
UPDATE: Golf course leases could be a hole-in-one for San Jose
San Jose is looking to make more green off its golf courses. On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to find a third party to operate the three city-owned golf courses in an effort to maintain stable income and operations. The city hopes to open bids in the spring and award a contract by the...
East San Jose residents irked by lawmaker’s second office in library
A San Jose lawmaker failed to read the room when she set up a branch office in a local library, upsetting some residents who felt blindsided by the move. East side residents fumed on social media after learning Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco, who represents District 5, is setting up a second office at the Dr. Roberto...
Alum Rock school trustee running for East San Jose council seat
The race for a City Council seat in East San Jose is shaping up to be a stacked contest. The latest political heavyweight to declare for the seat is educator Andres Quintero. The Alum Rock Union School District trustee is the latest candidate running for the open District 5 seat, having filed papers this week....