Another Milpitas politician is yearning to go to Sacramento. Milpitas Councilmember Anthony Phan filed papers Wednesday to run for an open California Assembly seat in District 25, a contest that has now garnered interest from every single member of the Milpitas council — except Bob Nunez. But Phan, 26, told San José Spotlight in an...
Major changes planned for Santa Clara County foster care system
Santa Clara County is proposing sweeping reforms to how it treats children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse and neglect. If implemented, the reforms would result in a major expansion and overhaul of the county’s foster care system and concentrate efforts to reunite children with family members. The proposed reform package,...
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo raises eyebrows with Mike Bloomberg endorsement
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s announcement Tuesday that he’s endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, just one week after his last pick, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., dropped out of the race is raising eyebrows from critics. Some are questioning the Silicon Valley mayor for backing a billionaire after Harris dropped out because she didn’t have enough capital...
UPDATE: Lawmakers approve San Jose mayor’s spending plan for proposed tax
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s support for a real property transfer tax has been gaining more traction, as several community leaders, housing advocates and formerly homeless people lined up to speak next to the mayor at a news conference Tuesday to support using the funds generated from the tax toward affordable housing projects and homeless...
Santa Clara officials push forward plan to reimagine north side neighborhood
Santa Clara officials Tuesday night pushed forward a new land use and zoning plan that will help transform an industrial neighborhood of the city into a dense, mixed-use hotspot. The Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan, which will be studied for its environmental impacts through 2020, encompasses the city’s northernmost neighborhood on the border of Sunnyvale,...
San Jose lawmakers to discuss transforming BART stations into transit communities
The Valley Transportation Authority has spent years developing a plan to create new, vibrant communities around transit hubs, especially at a time when BART is expanding its reach in Silicon Valley. On Tuesday, the San Jose City Council will hear a report highlighting VTA’s major goals for Phase II of BART’s Silicon Valley expansion project, just...
San Jose leaders consider backing mayor’s plan for PG&E ratepayer takeover
With growing support from a host of 114 elected leaders in 58 cities and 10 counties, Mayor Sam Liccardo recently announced that his vision of turning PG&E into a customer-owned utility has received widespread recognition statewide. Nearly a month after introducing the proposal to the California Public Utilities Commission — which will ultimately decide on...
Hefty rent spike at Santa Clara County Fairgrounds could push out longtime business
As the underutilized Santa Clara County Fairgrounds tries to balance its fate with a challenging financial budget, one longtime family business might have to get out because of a proposed rent hike. Santa Clara Paintball, which boasts 12 fields for paintball and outdoor activities, paid $9,630 a month for its 9 acres in 2019. But a new amended...
San Jose: World AIDS Day is a time of remembrance, hope
Dennis Pitt-Clute takes 31 pills a day to combat his AIDS diagnosis, but when the 70-year-old works at PACE Clinic, a primary care facility dedicated to serving those who HIV, he’s more concerned about whether clients take their medications and make their appointments. “Some people really have difficulty getting to PACE, and I don’t understand...
In Silicon Valley fashion, Salvation Army red kettles tap into electronic donations
Red kettles and ringing bells are a familiar scene during the holidays, but now there’s new ways to give during the Salvation Army’s annual fundraising campaign — and it’s perfect for techy Silicon Valley. Shoppers across the nation now have the ability to donate electronically through Apple and Google Pay, a first for the longtime...