An East San Jose public school district is set to explore bringing ethnic studies to its diverse students, a move lauded by some as being a lifeline for struggling students of color. For Adan Perez, seeing himself in the curriculum during ethnic studies courses he took made the difference between dropping out of school and going...
Coronavirus LIVE BLOG: June 4 to June 17
Catch up on our current Coronavirus LIVE BLOG here. 5:35 p.m. June 17: Most San Jose park restrooms open, Communications Hill staircase still closed Most San Jose park restrooms reopened Monday, according to a city news release. While the news release said park restrooms will be cleaned according to their use, the most frequented restrooms will...
‘It feels like Christmas’: Santa Clara County malls finally reopen
After three months of closure during the coronavirus pandemic, Westfield shopping centers in Santa Clara County, including Oakridge and Valley Fair, reopened for business Monday. “Westfield is excited to open our doors again … as we begin our initial recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Leah Heil, vice president of shopping center management. Anticipation ran...
Silicon Valley congressional leaders tackle racism in law enforcement
During a recent House Judiciary Committee hearing, George Floyd’s younger brother implored representatives to enact law enforcement reforms that will protect minorities from police brutality. “I couldn’t take care of George that day he was killed, but maybe by speaking with you today I can make sure that his death will not be in vain;...
South Bay nail salons struggle amid shutdown, despite new state order
When Tina Le first arrived in America in 2003, she took up doing nails as a part-time job. Two years later, she opened a shop in San Jose that she adoringly calls her “second child.” “I love my job, and I’m very proud of my work,” Le said in an interview. “We are here to take...
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Liccardo focuses on police, inequality in San Jose’s $4.1B budget
San Jose’s $4.1 billion budget will be finalized this week, a major annual decision that comes this year in the midst of a pandemic that’s caused enormous projected deficits. But Mayor Sam Liccardo’s focus in a recently-released proposed budget was first on police reforms and inequality. Liccardo’s annual June budget proposal addresses head-on community calls...
BART opens in Santa Clara County after 31 years in the making
It was one of the best days of former San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales’ life. “I feel like a kid at Disneyland for the first time,” he said. But instead of riding the rollercoaster on Space Mountain, Gonzales rode the first BART train departing from San Jose — a moment 31 years in the making....
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San Jose police should wear face masks in public, officials say
As the coronavirus pandemic spread across the nation this spring, police departments in major cities began requiring officers to wear masks and gloves when interacting with the public. The San Jose Police Department added a mask requirement to its COVID-19 response plan March 30. The policy reads: “Effective immediately all personnel will wear all PPEs...
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San Jose got more than $200M in coronavirus aid. Now it’ll have to up its expense tracking
San Jose has led on many of the region’s coronavirus response efforts, but officials are still figuring out how to track the related costs so the city doesn’t foot the entire bill while facing a major budget shortfall. Now San Jose officials are about to hire an outside consultant to monitor and help guide how...
Leaders push to name new BART station after ex-San Jose mayor
A coalition of powerful Silicon Valley leaders want to name the new BART station in San Jose after ex-Mayor Ron Gonzales. After all, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown gave Gonzales the nickname “Mayor BART.” Pete Carrillo, principal of consultancy Silicon Valley Advisors, this month launched an email campaign, gaining support from political leaders, activists...