The fight for San Jose’s District 10 City Council seat — being vacated by outgoing Councilmember Johnny Khamis — just got a little more crowded. Helen Wang, a longtime business owner and registered nurse, told San José Spotlight she’s running for the Almaden Valley seat to “protect and enhance” the district’s safety, public services and...
San Jose measure to shift mayoral elections moves forward
Top labor leaders from the South Bay gathered in front of San Jose City Hall Wednesday morning to push support for a proposal they say will put a cap on money in local politics and boost voter turnout by shifting mayoral elections to presidential election years. Leaders are racing to enact the sweeping reform called...
Santa Clara County officials beef up law enforcement presence after Gilroy shooting
In the wake of a shooting rampage in Gilroy that left three people dead, Santa Clara County law enforcement officials are ramping up security at public events — including the upcoming county fair and San Jose jazz festival. Sheriff’s deputies patrolling the fairgrounds in South San Jose when the 75th Annual Santa Clara County Fair...
Cupertino policymaker in hot water for past sexual harassment lawsuit
After making headlines for encouraging people to contact pro-growth activists’ employers to get them “reprimanded,” Cupertino Planning Commission Chair R “Ray” Wang is in hot water again — this time for a sexual harassment lawsuit that was buried for more than a decade. Rosanne Foust, a top transportation leader, accuses Wang of sending sexually explicit...
San Jose opposes bill to ban towing vehicles
A handful of California lawmakers want to bar cities from towing cars over unpaid parking tickets and other fees that disproportionately harm low-income families and people living in their cars. But in San Jose, officials are pushing back stating that the bill will exacerbate existing parking woes and excessive abandoned vehicles on city streets. The...
How you can help Gilroy Garlic Festival’s youngest victims
A day after a gunman opened fire on a crowd enjoying the Gilroy Garlic Festival, tributes poured in for the rampage’s youngest victims — Stephen Romero, 6, and Keyla Salazar, 13. Katiuska Pimental Vargas, a community organizer with San Jose-based nonprofit Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) posted on Facebook that her niece —...
Competing with tech, Santa Clara County cities balance budgets with need for talent
Salaries and benefits at public agencies can be a contentious issue from who decides on raises to how many resources are divvied out between departments and how the public benefits from it all. But inside the various city halls around Silicon Valley, cities are facing their own challenges when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. Silicon...
Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting: San Jose councilman fled amid gunshots
In the hours after a shooting rampage Sunday at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, South Bay lawmakers responded with an outpouring of grief and support to the neighboring city — and one San Jose councilmember described the harrowing experience of rushing for cover amid the gunshots. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, three people are dead...
International competition launches to create a Silicon Valley icon
Silicon Valley has no icon. For more than 50 years the area has had an international reputation as the world’s leading region for technology, business innovation and venture capital. In all that time, no monument has been built to symbolize its prestige. But this week, a group of local philanthropists launched Urban Confluence Silicon Valley,...
The city has forgotten this ‘hidden treasure’ of North San Jose, residents say
Alviso was one of California’s first American cities, and as such, it’s got a rich history, quirky character and an irresistible charm. But it’s got big problems too, and residents of the quaint, working-class, bayside community say they’ve been forgotten by the city that incorporated them more than 50 years ago. “It’s a hidden treasure,...