As the San Jose City Council prepares to fill the vacant District 8 seat on Tuesday, documents obtained by San José Spotlight are raising questions about the character and qualifications of several finalists. The candidates vying to represent Evergreen and East San Jose are Salvador Alvarez, Patricia Andrade, Sukhdev Bainiwal, Domingo Candelas and Tam Truong....
San Jose residents support a special election. Will lawmakers change their minds?
A new poll obtained by San José Spotlight shows an overwhelming majority of residents support a special election to fill two vacancies on the San Jose City Council, more than a month after the council voted against it. And now there could be a new movement to ensure voters pick their next representatives. The poll,...
Biden excludes Santa Clara County from storm relief funds
President Joe Biden landed in Santa Clara County Thursday to assess the extent of federal aid needed following the devastating storms that pummeled the region. The president deplaned Air Force One at NASA Ames Moffett Federal Airfield around noon, following his announcement to expand federal aid to California counties impacted by severe weather conditions. Funds...
San Jose remembers fearless social justice leader
Local activist and community leader Bea Robinson Mendez, 88, died from pneumonia on Jan. 13, but her legacy lives on. Robinson Mendez founded Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, the first bilingual shelter in the country and second domestic violence agency in the state. The organization, which started in a San Jose garage in 1971, provides...
San Jose closes dozens of parks after storms
A historic amount of rain over a three-week period has closed 27 parks and trails throughout San Jose, and it’s unclear when they will reopen. Since Dec. 1, San Jose has received anywhere from 7.5 inches of rain in its downtown core to 16 inches near Almaden Lake, according to the National Weather Service. Rain coupled with...
Social action change-maker to retire from San Jose State University
History shapes people. But for San Jose State University sociology professor Scott Myers-Lipton, people also shape history. Myers-Lipton has taught his students that not only do they live through world events, they have the ability to create change. Now after 24 years, Myers-Lipton is making a significant change in his own life—retiring this summer. “Once...
Recycling hauler sues San Jose for discrimination, contract violations
San Jose’s largest recycling hauler is suing the city, claiming the city profits from contract violations and discriminates against the company because of its owners’ ethnicity. California Waste Solutions (CWS), which provides recycling services to more than 175,000 single-family homes in San Jose, filed a lawsuit in Santa Clara County Superior Court this month. The...
San Jose experiences a ‘Black exodus’
Signs of segregation may not be as brazen as the days of Martin Luther King Jr., but Black leaders in San Jose say racism still rears its head and is why the Black community keeps shrinking. It’s something Silicon Valley Minority Business Consortium CEO Walter Wilson calls the “Black exodus.” Thousands of Black residents have left over time...
Ex-San Jose mayor’s public records reforms spark alarm
In one of his last actions in office, former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo wants to reform how the city complies with transparency laws—a move experts say could limit the public’s access to the inner workings of City Hall. Liccardo, who termed out in December after 16 years in office, is calling for revising the city’s process for responding to...
Here are the 11 finalists for two San Jose council seats
A list of nearly 40 people competing to fill two San Jose City Council seats is down to just 11. The top contenders were named late Friday after current councilmembers voted for their top choices. The two seats are open in Districts 8 and 10 after two former councilmembers won their bids for higher office...