While many Santa Clara County residents are gathering for Thanksgiving in warm settings, dozens of homeless people living in tents, RVs or cars in and around San Jose’s Columbus Park are facing a more somber reality. Many residents there claim the city illegally trashed or destroyed their shelters and belongings in recent sweeps, and are hoping...
San Jose art pavilion only opened once
A grand art installation in San Jose’s SoFA district was supposed to stimulate economic growth and revitalize the downtown—but it’s unclear if it will ever do so. The curvaceous, fiberglass art installation and event center known as the Serpentine Pavilion was completed in late 2021, with plans to stay for eight months. It’s been a year, and the pavilion...
Where to find a Thanksgiving meal in San Jose
While Santa Clara County residents may be celebrating the holiday season, with some of the worst effects of the pandemic fading from view, thousands are still facing hunger and financial insecurity across the expensive region. Nonprofit organizations, centers of faith and other community groups are expanding efforts to meet the growing needs of people across San Jose...
How Cindy Chavez lost the San Jose mayor’s race
A veteran public official with a long list of endorsers and major financial backing had almost every Silicon Valley politico betting she’d secure the mayoral seat in the 10th largest U.S. city. Then, she lost. Days after the November election, it became clear Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez had no chance of winning, as...
San Jose Vietnamese residents have representation again
San Jose’s Vietnamese residents hope to see a strong advocate in a newly elected official, after lacking representation on the city council since 2020. District 7, with its sizable Vietnamese American population, is set to watch Councilmember-elect Bien Doan take his spot on the dais come January. Doan will be the fifth Vietnamese American councilmember in...
New San Jose mayor must work with an opposing majority
After a hard fought election, San Jose Mayor-elect Matt Mahan now faces another daunting task with his new job: working with people who didn’t think he could lead. Mahan, first elected to the council in 2020, won his bid to become the 66th mayor of San Jose last week after more than a year of campaigning....
San Jose gun owners need insurance in 2023
San Jose gun owners—get ready to comply with the city’s new gun ordinance come January. Starting next year, all San Jose gun owners will be required to have insurance that covers firearm harm or accidental firings. It’s part of the city’s new gun harm reduction ordinance—a contentious, first-of-its-kind law that seeks to reduce gun incidents by mandating liability insurance...
San Jose pushes electric vehicle use in low-income areas
San Jose wants to boost electric car adoption in low-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods by eliminating “charging deserts” and adding incentives to make juicing up more attractive for residents. As part of a pilot program unanimously approved by the San Jose City Council Tuesday, the city will work with vendors to install banks of electric vehicle (EV)...
San Jose won’t lose homeless funds after Newsom’s threat
San Jose and Santa Clara County won’t lose a dime after Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened to withhold state funding for homeless services. Earlier this month, Newsom announced a halt to the planned distribution of $1 billion from the Homelessness Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program because the plans presented by qualifying jurisdictions would not have done...
East San Jose councilmember ousted by newcomer
Challenger Bien Doan has claimed victory in the San Jose City Council District 7 race, unexpectedly defeating incumbent Councilmember Maya Esparza. Doan finished the race with 53.7% of the vote, or 9,004 votes. Esparza trailed behind, finishing with 46.2% of the vote, or 7,748 votes. The challenger won by a margin of 1,256 votes, with...