East San Jose parents are calling for Alum Rock Union School District officials to reinstate a principal who was put on leave amid a sexual assault scandal involving a teacher. More than 50 parents, teachers and students rallied in freezing rain Thursday evening, calling on the district to bring back Maria Guadalupe Gutierrez, principal of Adelante...
Silicon Valley water agency makes Lunar New Year a paid holiday
California took an important step last year when it recognized Lunar New Year as an official holiday. Now, one Santa Clara County agency is giving it the same treatment at the local level. The Valley Water board of directors unanimously voted last week to recognize Lunar New Year as a paid holiday. The move goes...
UPDATE: East San Jose school district chooses a new trustee
Just two weeks after an East San Jose school board member quit, the board has chosen a replacement – and it’s a familiar face. After two hours of deliberation, Andrea Flores Shelton was named the Alum Rock Union School District’s newest trustee at a special board meeting Monday night. Flores Shelton beat out three other...
Vietnamese business gala draws doers and dreamers together
Vietnamese business owners came together Saturday for a glittering gala, with an emphasis on the community’s strength and contributions to its city. The Vietnamese American Business Association’s annual gala drew in hundreds of residents for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, with speeches from elected officials across California. The event serves as an opportunity for...
UPDATE: Senior housing tower heads to San Jose City Council
The San Jose Planning Commission has given a stamp of approval to a developer seeking to gut a historic building downtown, and put up a high-rise apartment building for older adults. Despite some concerns about a lack of parking in the project, and the fate of existing businesses who will be pushed out of their...
Google could delay millions in San Jose community funds
Time is money, and in Silicon Valley, that saying is exceedingly true. So when news got out that Google could postpone construction on its highly-anticipated San Jose megacampus, it raised eyebrows and concerns. At stake is roughly 25,000 jobs and $155 million for a community fund that will be used to pay for education, job...
East San Jose school board member steps down
Alum Rock Union School District board member Ernesto Bejarano has abruptly stepped down as the East San Jose district deals with a sexual abuse scandal. Bejarano, first elected to the school board in 2018, submitted his letter of resignation last week. He cited personal reasons for his departure. Bejarano won his 2022 election campaign for a two-year term....
San Jose schools prioritize student wellness over cops
Two of Santa Clara County’s largest school districts took police off campuses in the wake of the 2020 killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Three years later, advocates said that decision has allowed schools to focus on student wellness. The districts have expanded mental health programs and other services in lieu of funding contracts...
Downtown San Jose theater faces final curtain call
A San Jose art institution in downtown is closing its curtains later this year. The Tabard Theatre is closing indefinitely on April 2, according to Jonathan Rhys Williams, executive artistic director of the Tabard Theatre Company. “After three years of battling increasing costs, decreasing ticket sales and the ongoing effects of a global pandemic, we are...
Glitches spark controversy at San Jose flag ceremony
A flag raising ceremony has sparked concern about respect for San Jose’s Vietnamese residents. The city-sponsored event was held on Jan. 25 to celebrate the previous Lunar New Year weekend. Leaders said technical glitches and a lack of communication leading up to the ceremony were signs of inattention to the Vietnamese community. Dozens gathered last Saturday...