Armed with his Ibanez guitar and a harmonica around his neck, Joseph Cañas happily strummed protest songs on May 29, boosting morale and lifting spirits amid a chorus of Black Lives Matter chants. The 25-year-old was one of hundreds of demonstrators marching on the first day of weeklong protests in San Jose over the police...
Team San Jose – once the marketing giant for the city and the managing force behind its conventions – has pivoted its in-house catering to provide meals to shelters housing people impacted by COVID-19. The city of San Jose converted Parkside Hall and South Hall, both part of the McEnery Convention Center which is operated by...
A San Jose lawmaker learned someone is always listening over Zoom — and he revealed not-yet-public plans to ban rubber bullets by city police to break up crowds. Councilmember Raul Peralez was overheard discussing a plan with Mayor Sam Liccardo to restrict rubber bullets in crowds after he left himself unmuted on Zoom during the City...
A San Jose schoolteacher asked city leaders at Tuesday’s City Council meeting if Police Chief Eddie Garcia thought it was OK for teachers to use rubber bullets on students throwing water bottles in class after the city’s top law enforcement leaders justified officers’ use-of-force at recent protests. Following a presentation on police use-of-force, the comment...
The United Way Bay Area officially has a new CEO, but the group’s new leader will be a familiar face for Silicon Valley housing, philanthropy and business insiders. Kevin Zwick, currently the CEO for the Housing Trust Silicon Valley, will oversee the United Way Bay Area starting July 6. The move will mark the end...
Facing the perils of a looming $71.6 million deficit, a San Jose lawmaker is proposing to divert councilmembers’ unused district funds into the city’s budget. For the 2019-2020 fiscal year, each councilmember received $661,272 to pay for staff salaries, supplies, services and programs for residents in their districts. But the funds, which are replenished every year,...
As more pandemic-related restrictions are lifted in Santa Clara County, city and county libraries are looking to turn a new page as well — beginning with curbside book checkouts and drop-offs later this month. Santa Clara County Librarian Jennifer Weeks says community and employee safety is her biggest concern, but she understands that libraries can...
Major changes are coming to one of San Jose’s most powerful commissions after lawmakers earlier this month approved long-awaited reforms to make it more inclusive. After facing widespread criticism stemming from San José Spotlight’s reporting on the lack of geographic and ethnic diversity on the San Jose Planning Commission, the City Council approved expanding the...
The San Jose Police Department won’t be defunded anytime soon if Mayor Sam Liccardo has his way. Instead, the mayor is pushing for reform through policy changes and a critical review of the department’s use-of-force policies. A proposal introduced Friday would require the department to explain its decision to use rubber bullets, tear gas, riot gear, batons, flash-bangs and other...
Adolfo Gomez had driven just five minutes away from his downtown San Jose restaurant, Mezcal, when he got a call from a friend that the doors to the business had been broken and people were looting. His friend’s daughter had recorded and shared the action on her phone after what started as a peaceful protest...
