In the midst of a global pandemic, it’s a nerve-wracking time to be over 60. But Dominique Pacolba, recreational supervisor at Seven Trees Community Center in San Jose, is determined to bring a little positivity to seniors’ lives through her nutrition program. With a nifty drive-thru system, Seven Trees serves up to 60 meals for...
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Homeless, advocates protest lack of protections in Silicon Valley shelters
More than a dozen homeless advocates and unsheltered individuals protested at a rally in San Jose on Friday against Santa Clara County’s approach to protecting unhoused people from the novel coronavirus. The county is pushing unhoused individuals into shelters instead of the safer option of sheltering them in hotel and motel rooms, protestors said. It...
Unsung heroes of Silicon Valley: Olympia Williams
Olympia Williams is proud to call San Jose home. As program manager of Beautify SJ in the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS), she channels her pride and passion into keeping the city clean and beautiful through trash pickups, graffiti abatement, and the like — all services that continue during the coronavirus...
FPPC looks into 49ers, Santa Clara for potential Measure C violations
Santa Clara’s contentious Measure C was defeated on Super Tuesday, but investigations into alleged violations made before polls closed March 3 are still pending. The Fair Political Practices Commission has opened investigations into actions by both city officials and the San Francisco 49ers, who were opponents of the measure, which would have split Santa Clara into three...
Hunger at Home: Feeding those who fed others in Silicon Valley
A long line of cars waited at Hunger at Home’s headquarters Wednesday morning to receive a family meal and a bag of groceries, which can mean the difference between feeding their families and going hungry. Hundreds of cars have come each day to the food bank on Berger Drive in San Jose since the coronavirus...
How San Jose supermarkets are keeping customers, employees safe
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, supermarkets have taken new steps to protect customers and employees, from installing plexiglass dividers at checkout counters to placing stickers on the floor reminding people to stand 6 feet apart and around-the-clock sanitizing. Although many businesses have been closed due to the pandemic, supermarkets are deemed essential and...
UPDATED: San Jose approves rent freeze, extends moratorium on evictions
San Jose city leaders approved a citywide rent freeze after an hours-long debate that ended in a 7-4 vote Tuesday night. The vote comes after last week’s attempt to implement a rent suspension for San Jose families financially affected by COVID-19 was quickly struck down over concerns the proposal violated the Constitution. Councilmembers Raul Peralez...
California governor outlines new ‘milestones’ before loosening stay-home order
Californians will remain sheltered in place for weeks and when those restrictions are gradually loosened, life will not likely return entirely to “normal” until there is a vaccine, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a sobering news conference Tuesday. State officials are watching multiple “indicators” and are aiming to hit several key milestones that will help...
Developer KT Urban submits plans for 20-story towers in downtown San Jose
Development in the Bay Area has slowed or halted entirely in recent weeks, but that hasn’t stopped developers from forging ahead. KT Urban on Monday unveiled plans for a nearly 3-acre site at 280 Woz Way that could bring 1.8 million square feet of office and retail space across a pair of 20-story towers near...
As courts largely close to the public, advocates fear power abuses and deaths
A judge’s decision to limit public attendance to court hearings because of the COVID-19 crisis has advocates and others worried about potential abuse of power and harmful consequences for defendants. “We don’t do secret judicial proceedings in the United States,” said David Snyder, executive director for the First Amendment Coalition. “When courts or any other...