After seven and a half years of talking about bringing a Sharks-led ice hockey and skating facility to Gilroy, city officials have decided the idea is economically infeasible — effectively killing development of the recreation space. The City Council last month unanimously agreed to an ad hoc committee’s findings that the ice skating facility proposed...
The Biz Beat: Popular San Jose Mexican bakery opens 4th location
The October opening of Panapolis Bakery No. 4 in San Jose was perfunctory. Owner Aldo Ortiz had a photo taken with his family under a balloon arch, then thanked the crowd for its patience and cut the ceremonial red ribbon. There was no time for the scheduled remarks from District 2 Councilmember Pamela Campos or...
San Jose police chief refutes claims of ALPR inconsistency
San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph has made his first public response to a simmering controversy centered on his past claim that the city’s automated license plate reader data had never been improperly disclosed. In recent weeks, vocal critics have pointed out that claim — made during March council deliberations — appears to be at...
Incoming Silicon Valley water district CEO donates to board candidates
Multiple candidates are vying to be on the board of directors for Santa Clara County’s largest water supplier. The outcome could chart a new course for the water district’s future. With three competitive seats up for grabs in Valley Water Districts 1, 6 and 7, patrons have poured money into preferred candidates in recent months leading...
Santa Clara County jails see influx of ICE agents
Santa Clara County officials are standing back while the presence of federal agents escalates around county jails, even after the county declared its properties off limits to immigration officers. On Wednesday at about 10 p.m., Rapid Response Network volunteers confirmed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had pursued a car leaving Elmwood Correctional Facility carrying two...
San Jose State unveils mural honoring Filipino American history
Filipino students at San Jose State University are finally receiving the recognition they’ve been fighting for. After years of advocating for permanent artwork to commemorate Filipino laborers who contributed to the farmworkers rights movement, SJSU students are celebrating the creation of a Filipino American history mural on campus. The four-sided panorama, painted by artist Francesca...
Gilroy to review plans to help homeless residents
Despite recent numbers indicating Gilroy’s homeless population appears to be in decline, the city remains without a plan for how to handle unhoused residents — and officials are divided on the best solution. City Administrator Matt Morley said there is no policy in place to address Gilroy’s homeless community, which the most recent point in...
San Jose school leaders fed up with colleague’s behavior
A controversial San Jose school official has been rebuked and asked to resign, but he won’t step down. The board of the Franklin-McKinley School District on Tuesday voted 4-1 to censure Trustee Marc Cooper and requested his resignation for making remarks it considered hateful toward Muslims. Cooper cast the lone no vote. The decision was...
San Jose abandoned vehicle program frustrates residents
A new city audit has awarded high marks to San Jose’s program for clearing abandoned or inoperable vehicles from city streets. But the finding has met with skepticism and renewed calls for reform from residents and city leaders who say the longstanding problem is still far from being solved. The report from the City Auditor’s Office...
Dolores Huerta’s legacy will forever shape Silicon Valley
Dolores Huerta, the pioneering labor organizer who co-founded the United Farm Workers and spent decades fighting for farmworkers’ rights, has died at 96, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape San Jose and the South Bay. Huerta’s influence in the region lives on through generations of organizers who fought alongside her, community groups inspired...