About two dozen people will likely end up back on the streets of San Jose, after one of the largest tech companies in the world failed to keep its promises. A nine-month motel program paid for by Apple and managed by nonprofit Homefirst ended on Monday, causing panic for a group of homeless people. While some individuals have moved...
San Jose cyclists want to show residents the road to bike safety
Bicycle safety is an ongoing challenge in the Bay Area, but San Jose is working to change that. “When residents are asked why they don’t bike, the No. 1 answer is safety,” Shiloh Ballard, executive director of the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, told San José Spotlight. Within the first five months of this year, five...
San Jose national quality of life ranking gives critics pause
This week, San Jose moved up the ranks to become one of the Bay Area’s two best places to live in the United States. But for researchers crunching similar statistics, vaulting onto the top 10 list is a bona fide head scratcher. According to the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Places to Live in...
Santa Clara County spurs more affordable housing
Santa Clara County has seen a number of milestones in its effort to increase the affordable housing inventory this month, including a first in a decade development for North San Jose. The county and cities like San Jose and Santa Clara are racing to build more housing—especially affordable and supportive residences—to help address a housing crisis that...
Valley Fair parking fees a burden for San Jose student workers
A coalition of mall workers and San Jose State University college students are fighting to be heard at Westfield Valley Fair. On Thursday, the group known as Low Income Versus Elite protested in front of the mall on Stevens Creek Boulevard against its employee parking fee policy. For retail workers who make minimum wage, having...
Reader Panel: San Jose voters discuss election priorities
San Jose voters have a full plate of decisions to make locally and countywide, when casting their ballots in the June primary. Residents will have the opportunity to vote for mayor, sheriff, county supervisor, five councilmembers, district attorney and assessor. Each candidate can appeal to voters by addressing hot-button problems like homelessness and housing, but also by touching on overlooked issues, according...
Silicon Valley fire officials gear up for future blazes
For George Huang, the fire chief for Cal Fire’s Santa Clara Unit, the term “fire season” is no longer in his vocabulary. It’s now simply “the fire year.” “We are facing another terrible, terrible fire year,” Huang told San José Spotlight. As of last week, 95% of California—including Santa Clara County—was in either severe or extreme...
Silicon Valley Democrats demand candidate drop misleading mailer
The Santa Clara County Democratic Party is accusing a local candidate of using misleading campaign flyers to make it appear he has the party’s endorsement—when he doesn’t. Party Chair Bill James issued a cease-and-desist letter earlier this week demanding San Jose Planning Commission Chair and District 5 City Council candidate Rolando Bonilla stop using logos...
UPDATE: San Jose voting rights for non-citizens won’t make November ballot
San Jose will wait until fall to review extending voting rights to non-citizen residents, effectively shutting down any chance for the plan to come before voters this year. The Rules and Open Government Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to set a study session on the voting rights proposal in September after more than 30 residents urged...
San Jose’s Measure B will increase voter turnout, supporters say
Latina leaders want one San Jose election to change its date, which they say would level the playing field for political equity and access for people of color. Local politicians and community leaders wearing Rosie the Riveter red bandanas held a rally Tuesday to urge the city’s Hispanic residents to vote “Yes” on Measure B for the...