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...
San Jose expands community use at Viet Heritage Garden, after years of dispute
After sitting empty for six years due to a lack of funding, a garden honoring San Jose’s vast Vietnamese community sprouts signs of life. San Jose announced in late December it is expanding a community garden program at the Viet Heritage Garden located at 1499 Roberts Ave. The Viet Heritage Garden, which spans four acres and...
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....
San Jose council candidate leads protest against redistricting proposal
More than 20 people gathered in front of San Jose City Hall Tuesday evening to protest a redistricting map they say is divisive and discriminatory. The protest, organized by District 7 City Council candidate Bien Doan, calls for the rejection of the Unity Map—a proposal brought forth by a coalition of local civil rights, labor...
Danny Sanchez wants to change the lives of East San Jose youth
East San Jose native Danny Sanchez grew up surrounded by violence, absent parents and broken dreams. He spent his adolescence and young adult years in and out of prison, tangling up in gang activities and staring down a path of self-destruction. At age 29, on the verge of death in his mom’s bathroom after taking...
Digital food hall could be economic boon for downtown San Jose
San Jose business leaders have high hopes for a digital food hall to spice up the heart of downtown. City Storage Systems, a real estate company owned by former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, is constructing a new location for several delivery-oriented restaurants in downtown San Jose. The historic building at East Santa Clara and South Third...
UPDATE: San Jose’s Thomas Fallon statue to be removed
The Thomas Fallon statue in downtown San Jose is riding off into the sunset and into storage. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to remove the bronze sculpture, which sits atop a three-foot concrete pedestal at the downtown intersection of Julian and St. James streets. It depicts Capt. Thomas Fallon raising the U.S....
UPDATE: East San Jose community farm receives 25-year extension
Residents relying on fresh food from an East San Jose community farm won’t have to worry about produce anytime soon thanks to a 25-year extension from the city. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved a 25-year contract Tuesday with Veggielution, a local nonprofit that runs an urban garden at Emma Prusch Farm Park. Veggielution...
Legal woes still halt San Jose park revitalization
A lawsuit continues to obstruct plans to breathe life into a troubled park in downtown San Jose. Local residents approached a national foundation nearly a decade ago with an idea to build an outdoor music venue at St. James Park, with the hopes it would turn the space into an iconic downtown destination. But as...
The Dragon Mountain still closed after Santa Clara County shutdown
Santa Clara County shut down a local, privately-owned park in 2019 over a number of land use and permit violations. The property owner is now claiming county officials are delaying and stonewalling his efforts to fix these issues. For several years, South Bay resident Keith (Kiet) Ngo watched thousands of people from all over the...