An East San Jose school is receiving millions in state funding for early learning education, which officials say will provide crucial support for students, especially those from communities of color. The Cesar Chavez Early Learning Center is getting $7 million through the California Department of Education’s State Preschool program. The Alum Rock Union School District site...
Closed San Jose golf course may become housing
East San Jose residents are raising alarms over the potential development of a massive former golf course. An obscure policy change recommended by the city’s Transportation and Environment Committee could lay the foundation for the 114-acre former Pleasant Hills Golf Course to be built out with housing, commercial space or both. The committee is pushing...
San Jose church tackles teacher housing
Grace Chaverini’s morning commute is a walk right across the street to St. John Vianney’s Catholic school, thanks to the church’s innovative approach to teacher housing. The Catholic parish transformed its convent into teacher housing for 16 people in an effort to offset living costs for educators. The East San Jose church is looking for...
Event highlights East San Jose streetwear
A movement to elevate streetwear and promote local artists is bringing cultural pride to East San Jose. Rap artists, hip hop dancers and live painters entertained crowds at KixCon, an inaugural event held at the Eastridge Center mall last weekend. Featuring brands born from hip hop culture, the goal of the event was to uplift...
San Jose home hit by cars 23 times
Ray Minter was drifting off to sleep when a loud boom shook his East San Jose home. A moment of panic set in as he shuffled out of bed to understand what jolted his house like an earthquake. He knew it was too short to be an earthquake and too intense to be something heavy falling off a shelf....
East San Jose council candidates speak on homelessness, police
Candidates vying to represent San Jose’s East and Central districts gathered downtown to sound off on their priorities at a recent forum. The Friday morning forum, hosted by the San Jose Downtown Association, featured District 5 city council candidates Nora Campos, a former state assemblymember, and Santa Clara County Board of Education President Peter Ortiz, as...
East San Jose receives millions for road safety
East San Jose streets are on track to becoming safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike. Assemblymember Ash Kalra handed a $10 million check to San Jose leaders today for the installation of more street lights, bike lanes and other protective measures around Senter Road. The state funding qualifies the city to compete for additional grants. The...
Night market invigorates East San Jose
An idea for an open air pop up market on Tully Road is reinvigorating an East San Jose community. The Tully Night Market, located by the Tully Road Ballfields and community library, has become a local food, art and music destination for residents on Wednesday nights. Councilmember Maya Esparza pushed for the idea as a way...
A San Jose airport had 11 crashes in 10 years. How does it compare statewide?
A recent plane crash at Reid-Hillview Airport is renewing calls for its closure, even though federal data shows the number of crashes at the East San Jose facility aren’t higher than other busy airports in the state. An analysis by San José Spotlight found Reid-Hillview Airport, one of the busiest non-primary airports in California that...
San Jose dedicates funds to maintain its oldest park
The oldest municipal park in California just celebrated its 150th birthday, and yet its upkeep doesn’t get the love and respect it deserves. Nestled amid the rugged foothills of the Diablo mountains, Alum Rock Park offers 720 acres for residents and became critical open space during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were stuck indoors. Children who...