Underneath the city of San Jose runs 2,000 miles of sanitary pipe that serve more than 1 million people. Each year, those in the city’s Department of Transportation’s Sanitary Sewer division clean more than 900 miles of pipe and complete more than 500 repairs. The dangerous work is done underground with sharp tools at depths of 40...
Unsung heroes of Silicon Valley: Michael Catalana
From coaching high school sports to serving as a community service officer in the San Jose Police Department, Michael Catalana is a team player through and through. Since the coronavirus hit the South Bay, Catalana and his fellow CSOs have been out in the neighborhoods handling non-emergency calls, collecting crime scene evidence and interviewing witnesses....
San Jose: Battle over Fair Elections Initiative goes to court — but who will pay?
After admitting to errors counting signatures for a contentious San Jose ballot initiative, top Santa Clara County elections officials are suing the city to demand it pay for a recount of nearly 100,000 signatures. The lawsuit — filed by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters — aims to reverse a decision the office made in March when...
Silicon Valley Holocaust remembrances keep memories alive — virtually
Tamar Jacobs has for years recounted memories of living in Nazi Germany alongside family, friends and Jewish community members. This year she took part in Holocaust Remembrance Day while standing in front of a camera. Sheltering at home during COVID-19 mitigation efforts in Santa Clara County, the 91-year-old Holocaust survivor was interviewed for one of...
As Earth Day turns 50, Silicon Valley leaders celebrate virtually
Not even a pandemic can stop Silicon Valley from celebrating Earth Day, hundreds of residents and local leaders proved Wednesday. Nearly 700 attendees tuned in for an Earth Day Zoom call hosted by environmental advocacy group, Green Foothills, where speakers from youth activists to politicians talked about local environmental protection efforts and the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic’s...
After much debate, VTA and BART see eye-to-eye on Silicon Valley project
Bringing Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to Silicon Valley has proven difficult due to costs and because BART and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) officials haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but on Friday the agencies made a breakthrough. Officials have agreed to use what is known as a “single bore stacked platform configuration,” meaning...
UPDATE: Lawmakers vote to expand WiFi to East San Jose
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved expanding the city’s community wireless network plan and prioritizing its distance learning strategy to provide every student with a computer, broadband access and digital literacy. In the wake of COVID-19, schools across the nation have shuttered until fall, forcing classes online. But with 1 in 10...
Unsung heroes of Silicon Valley: Dominique Pacolba
In the midst of a global pandemic, it’s a nerve-wracking time to be over 60. But Dominique Pacolba, recreational supervisor at Seven Trees Community Center in San Jose, is determined to bring a little positivity to seniors’ lives through her nutrition program. With a nifty drive-thru system, Seven Trees serves up to 60 meals for...
Unsung heroes of Silicon Valley: Olympia Williams
Olympia Williams is proud to call San Jose home. As program manager of Beautify SJ in the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS), she channels her pride and passion into keeping the city clean and beautiful through trash pickups, graffiti abatement, and the like — all services that continue during the coronavirus...
Hunger at Home: Feeding those who fed others in Silicon Valley
A long line of cars waited at Hunger at Home’s headquarters Wednesday morning to receive a family meal and a bag of groceries, which can mean the difference between feeding their families and going hungry. Hundreds of cars have come each day to the food bank on Berger Drive in San Jose since the coronavirus...