Scores of people in colorful dress basked in the light of lanterns of San Jose’s History Park, as fragrant white smoke from grilled pork skewers scented the air in celebration of the Lunar New Year, also known as Tết. The Year of the Dragon might bring greater representation to residents with the potential election of...
Community
Community
Deal falls through at former San Jose Safeway
An empty commercial space in downtown San Jose where a Safeway was previously located is still vacant nearly five years later, after an oral wellness company backed out of a deal to move there last summer. Downtown advocates and residents remain hopeful another grocery store can fill the space, but officials say that could still...
East San Jose store’s fight to sell booze takes bizarre twist
An East San Jose convenience store’s simple application for a permit to sell alcohol has spiraled into a tangled knot of controversy and accusations of foul play. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday denied a conditional use permit that would have allowed Fast Mart, a small store at 1484 S. White Road, to sell...
Angelou’s in downtown San Jose reopening on First Street
Fans of hearty burritos and saucy enchiladas may have felt a pang of absence when Angelou’s Mexican Grill closed its doors at 21 N. Second St. in downtown San Jose at the end of 2023. But devotees of the San Jose institution can take comfort knowing Angelou’s is set to resume slinging Cali burritos, carne...
A historic election could split Silicon Valley’s Vietnamese voters
Little Saigon may be on the precipice of electing its first-ever Vietnamese American to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and a potential key voice in decisions on homelessness, mental health services and law enforcement spending. The two candidates seen as frontrunners in the race for the District 2 seat are Vietnamese American women: Betty...
What’s next for blighted former church in San Jose?
Months after work crews removed tattered tarps and worn wraps from a languishing, historic former church in downtown San Jose, preservationists are worried city officials have lost urgency around protecting the building for the long term. The former First Church of Christ Scientist near St. James Park has been exposed to public view since late...
Silicon Valley Vietnamese community organizes its political voice
Democratic members of San Jose’s Vietnamese community are building a club to mobilize its political front. The Vietnamese American Democratic Club of Silicon Valley wants to be chartered within the Santa Clara County Democratic Party to organize and empower like-minded members within its community. The party’s executive board gave approval in December, sending the the...
San Jose nonprofit boards lack Latino leadership
When it comes to sitting on a San Jose nonprofit board, Hispanics and Latinos are still being ignored—even though they are more than a third of the city’s population. Data collected by Latinos LEAD highlights this disparity, showing that Latinos make up only 12.5% of nonprofit board members in the San Jose metro area, which...
Private management of San Jose park sparks concerns
Two businessmen are working to take over management of one of San Jose’s most beloved parks—but concerns are mounting behind the scenes about how the pair will wrangle power over a popular public space. Dan Pulcrano—owner of the Weeklys media group which publishes a dozen newspapers including Metro Silicon Valley—has partnered with PR guru Dan...
Student homelessness grows in San Jose school district
The number of homeless high school students and families in one East San Jose school district has increased threefold in just three years. The East Side Union High School District has approximately 900 unhoused students, compared to 300 in 2020. Officials said the number continues to climb and cite inflation, cost of living increases and...