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One year ago today, nine people lost their lives in a mass shooting among more than 100 workers on site at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency. They ranged in age from 29 to 63. They left families, friends and co-workers who would never hear “good morning” or “good night” again. From that moment on,...
Editorial: San Jose’s gun ordinance isn’t going to work
In about 90 days, San Jose’s gun harm reduction ordinance is supposed to take effect. The policy, the first of its kind in the nation, will apply to all San Jose residents who own firearms. Individuals will be required to pay a $25 annual fee and have liability insurance. San Jose officials said the program will raise...
Editorial: San Jose’s Winchester Urban Village Plan could get messy
San Jose has a three-mile vision for the west side of the city that will change Winchester Boulevard forever. The Winchester Urban Village Plan stretches from Interstate 280 to just shy of E. Hamilton Avenue. The goal is to seamlessly develop this portion of the Winchester Boulevard corridor with compatible architecture, open space and expansive...
Editorial: Santa Clara County’s one-size solution fails homeless residents
Rats. Trash. Desperation. Mental illness. Humanitarian crisis. These words define the conditions at the sprawling Columbus Park homeless encampment in San Jose. No matter how many millions of dollars San Jose and Santa Clara County throw at homelessness, if the premise to the solution is flawed, then the problem cannot be fixed. And therein lies the...
Editorial: Hey San Jose City Hall, how about thinking outside the box?
Pastor Ralph Olmos wasn’t worried about city permits when he opened his food stand—Lighthouse Ministries Food Pantry—at the corner of E. Julian and 17th streets in San Jose. Olmos was worried about people going hungry. He knew parents were choosing to feed their children, while they went without. He knew covering rent, utilities and medication came first...
Editorial: San Jose redistricting riddled with confusion, needs reform
Once a decade, San Jose redraws its political boundaries in order to achieve a level playing field. The process aims to ensure the city’s 10 council districts have equal representation. It reviews whether minorities, businesses and neighborhoods are fairly aligned. It works to ensure that those who govern do so not just for the betterment...
From the editor: We’re growing our team — led by longtime San Josean
After celebrating our two-year anniversary in January, San José Spotlight is growing its news team and kicking off 2021 with an experienced leader at the helm. Leslie Griffy, a longtime San Josean and veteran journalist and editor, is our new managing editor and newsroom leader. She replaces Simar Khanna, who stepped down in December. Leslie,...
From the editor: San José Spotlight named finalist in national journalism awards
San José Spotlight is a finalist for two national journalism awards, including the prestigious Publisher of the Year, the Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers announced last week. The honor recognizes San José Spotlight among the top local news websites in the U.S. San José Spotlight, which launched its ad-free, paywall-free website Jan. 2019, is...
From the editor: Welcoming a new leader in our newsroom
I’m excited to announce that San José Spotlight has hired a seasoned managing editor to lead our award-winning newsroom. Simar Khanna joins our team after a distinguished 25-year career in Bay Area journalism. Simar spent 16 years at the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner where she served as an editor in nearly every...
From the editor: What was the point of that 9-hour City Council debate?
Regardless of what side of the political aisle you sit on, one thing is clear. The split City Council vote Wednesday to put a measure on the November ballot that would award Mayor Sam Liccardo two more years and expand his powers was political theater. The councilmembers spent 9 hours debating the issue. That’s not...