Downtown nightlife venues with ties to San Jose’s political elite have flouted city regulations by staying open past midnight without permits for more than a year — incensing other nightclub owners who pay steep to play by the rules. San Pedro Social and Kaizen Lounge in downtown San Jose have operated without conditional use permits...
Santa Clara County immigrants are self-deporting
Across Santa Clara County, a new phenomenon is happening: immigrants are choosing to self-deport. It’s something immigration attorney Richard Hobbs has never seen in his 35-year career. There’s only been two people so far who have contacted his office to inform him of their decision — but Hobbs said other attorneys have told him people...
Silicon Valley officials rally to defend immigrants from ICE
San Jose resident Adilene Alvarez never expected her husband to be grabbed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while driving their two young children to day care in April. She never expected him to be held in the Bakersfield Federal Detention Center or to be threatened by federal agents that her children would be...
The Biz Beat: Mommy’s Bánh Mì in San Jose knows best
The seeds for Mommy’s Bánh Mì in San Jose were sown when owner Curtis Lai joked to his mother — who was obsessively pursuing the perfect Vietnamese sandwich — she was making so many she should sell them. Little did he know she would take him at his word. “She was always saying, ‘Try this,...
Tordillos declares victory in San Jose special election
San Jose Planning Commissioner Anthony Tordillos has declared victory in the special election for the District 3 City Council seat. Tordillos, 33, made the announcement Thursday, after a Wednesday results update showed him maintaining a wide lead over Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez. Tordillos holds 64.3% of the vote, or 5,328...
UPDATE: Anthony Tordillos maintains lead in San Jose special election
The next election results update is expected Thursday, June 26 at 5 p.m. Early election night results show San Jose Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos, 33, leading by double digits in the race to represent downtown San Jose and replace disgraced former District 3 Councilmember Omar Torres. As of 4:17 p.m. Wednesday, Tordillos holds 64.3%...
Tordillos grows fundraising lead ahead of San Jose special election
The special election for the District 3 San Jose City Council seat is Tuesday, with stakeholders spending their final dollars to help elect the next downtown representative. In campaign finance filings posted Monday, Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos grew his lead to almost $100,000 ahead of Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez....
East San Jose cultural district nets $50K grant
The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza is gearing up to launch San Jose’s first distinct cultural district. Housing Trust Silicon Valley, a nonprofit community development group, announced on June 11 it will award a $50,000 grant to the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza. As the plaza celebrated...
San Jose landmark project dropped
Silicon Valley nonprofit leaders are going back to the drawing board after recently announcing the cancellation of a long-anticipated San Jose landmark project. San José Spotlight reported in May that nonprofit Urban Confluence raised more than $3.3 million over several years to build a towering art installation dubbed “The Breeze of Innovation” within Plaza de Cesar...
East San Jose youth center garners support for remodel
Community efforts to save the Mexican American Community Services Agency youth center in East San Jose are paying off. The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees on Thursday voted unanimously 4-0, with Trustee Minh Nguyen absent, to extend the deadline for deciding the youth center’s fate. This will allow time for forging a...