Gabriela Chavez-Lopez learned about the power of organizing from an early age. Born and raised in the Central Valley, the birthplace of the farmworker movement, Chavez-Lopez grew up hearing stories about Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. She was inspired by their ability to mobilize the community to aid farmworkers and create policy change. “Here are these...
East San Jose nonprofit welcomes new leadership
Two inside hires will head up a major East San Jose nonprofit following the departure of its longtime leader—who leaves big shoes to fill in a part of the city hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. After 11 years at the helm, SOMOS Mayfair Executive Director Camille Llanes-Fontanilla is leaving to join Sobrato Philanthropies as vice president...
East San Jose airport switches to unleaded fuel as demands for closure escalate
Amid a contentious fight to close an East San Jose airport, officials announced Monday it will switch to unleaded fuel — but the move might not quell opponents’ concerns. The announcement came Monday from the Community and Airport Partnership for Safe Operation. The organization, which has fought to keep the airport open, reportedly received the...
East San Jose airport switching to unleaded fuel after years of demands
Representatives from the local aviation community will announce Monday that planes at Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose will run on unleaded fuel, marking a victory for environmental and community groups that have complained for years about the dangers of leaded fuel. Officials from the Community and Airport Partnership for Safe Operation, a nonprofit committed to...
Mentor program sows seeds for San Jose Vietnamese youth
Alexander Nguyen was asked at the first session of a summer mentorship program why he was there. Seven weeks later, standing in the backyard of the Viet Museum on a blazing hot Saturday, he said he finally found an answer. “For 10 years, I have shut out my community,” he told a crowd of about 20 people. “This...
Art installation could bring economic growth to downtown San Jose
San Jose is counting on a new art installation to help spark economic growth downtown. City officials hope the Serpentine Pavilion, a curvaceous, temporary structure constructed of fiberglass blocks, will revitalize the downtown area by attracting art shows, speaker series and other performances. Originally designed by Bjarke Ingels for the annual Serpentine Galleries architecture competition in London, developer...
Should East San Jose vaccination site reopen?
At least one city official believes a major vaccination site in East San Jose was shut down too early, but local community leaders aren’t so sure. Rolando Bonilla, chair of the San Jose Planning Commission who nearly died of COVID-19, is sounding the warning call about the growing number of positive coronavirus infections in East San Jose...
Will San Jose’s Vietnamese Heritage Garden ever blossom?
When a group of Vietnamese leaders came up with the idea of a heritage garden almost 40 years ago, the vision was grand. The Viet Heritage Garden in San Jose was supposed to be a cultural oasis featuring mini-replicas of different historical Vietnamese landmarks, a reflection pond and a pathway to a community center. Today, the garden...
Water shut off for East San Jose tenants without warning
Tenants at Foxdale Village Apartments in East San Jose went without water for two days after management failed to tell them of a ruptured water main. According to several residents, taps went dry at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Saturday with no notice for when they could expect to bathe or flush their toilets. Mayra Peterson, director of asset...
San Jose’s Vietnamese community struggles with its political voice
In a city with the largest Vietnamese population in the nation, Vietnamese Americans are still struggling to find their voices in politics. The lack—and loss—of Vietnamese representation in San Jose politics is the result of a number of factors, community leaders say, including an inherited distrust in politics and a generational and ideological division in the...