As San Jose considers a new identity for one of its oldest public spaces, residents are beginning to weigh what — and who — the city’s downtown plaza should represent for generations to come. Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services officials held a Wednesday meeting to kick off plans to rename Plaza de César Chávez, inviting residents...
San Jose Vietnamese community reeling following statue theft
San Jose leaders are pledging a swift response following the brazen weekend theft of a portion of a war memorial housed at the Vietnamese Heritage Garden. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan, whose district includes the garden located in the Kelley Park neighborhood, and several police officials gathered at the site...
East San Jose school district redraws its boundaries
An East San Jose school district’s redistricting plans have left some community members frustrated. The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees has redrawn its boundaries, shifting from at-large trustees to trustees representing specific areas of the district. The board on May 20 voted 3-2 — with Trustees Corina Herrera-Loera and Minh Nguyen voting...
Bien Doan leads in San Jose District 7 council race
Early election night results show San Jose Councilmember Bien Doan with a commanding lead in the race for the District 7 seat on the San Jose City Council. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Doan has 48.5% of the vote or 3,580 votes, followed by Van Le, an East Side Union High School District trustee, in...
Peter Ortiz maintains lead in San Jose District 5 race
Early results show incumbent Councilmember Peter Ortiz leading the pack of candidates seeking the District 5 seat to represent East San Jose on the City Council. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Ortiz is ahead with 44% of the vote or 3,363 votes, while former state lawmaker and District 5 Councilmember Nora Campos is in second...
Burned East San Jose youth center could be rebuilt
An East San Jose youth center that burned to the ground last year has only made the community more determined to raise it from the ashes. The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees on Thursday voted 4-1 to enter an exclusive negotiating agreement with SOMOS Mayfair and the School of Arts and Culture,...
East San Jose neighborhood hit by stray golf balls
For residents living next to Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course in East San Jose, errant golf balls flying over the course’s catch nets and into the surrounding neighborhoods is a fact of life. “I kept the basket on my patio, so when the golf balls came through, I collected them,” Donnette, a resident living in...
San Jose library could restrict archive access due to budget cuts
Access to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library room housing archives of San Jose and Santa Clara County’s rich history is about to become more limited if proposed cuts to the city’s budget pass. The California Room inside the library may close its services to the public as the city looks for ways to...
Santa Clara County looks to fund Latino ‘health promoters’
Latino community health workers in Santa Clara County, known as promotores de salud or “health promoters,” have for years knocked on doors that others couldn’t. Now the county needs them again — and has plans to make them a permanent part of the region’s public health system. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously...
Is struggling hotel a bellwether for downtown San Jose?
With the Signia by Hilton San Jose seemingly set to be put on the market, questions are swirling about the future of San Jose’s largest hotel — and what it will mean for downtown. BrightSpire Capital, the owner of the 541-room hotel at 170 S. Market St., signaled to investors in a recent sales call...