Hours before the sun rose and turkeys went in the oven, a ceremonial fire illuminated traditional dancing and drum at the Mexican Heritage Plaza early Thursday morning. Organized by local Aztec dance group Calpulli Tonalehqueh, the 8th annual UnThanksgiving event in East San Jose was a way to honor the history of indigenous peoples in...
Silicon Valley Turkey Trot returns for its 15th year
Bright and early on Thanksgiving, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation will hold its 15th annual Silicon Valley Turkey Trot in downtown San Jose with more than 25,000 runners from across the country. The Turkey Trot has become the largest in the world, serving different charitable programs that model the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation’s...
Willow Glen community steps up after chef loses everything in blaze
A chef at a Willow Glen cafe lost everything in a fire that struck his Campbell home last week, but now the community is rallying to help get him back on his feet. Antonio Gutierrez was working a second job at a restaurant in Campbell last Sunday when he learned the apartment he shared with...
Groundbreaking for Vietnamese service center in San Jose kicks off with a bang
The Vietnamese American Service Center in San Jose kicked off construction in a groundbreaking ceremony Saturday morning, marking a milestone in Vietnamese American history after the first wave of immigrants came to the U.S. nearly half a century ago. The 30,000 square-foot center, located on Senter Road, is slated to open its doors in late...
San Jose airport receives $10 million to kickstart plans for expansion
It’s Christmas in November for airports across the country. On Friday morning, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren announced the Department of Transportation is awarding San Jose’s Mineta International Airport $10 million to revamp its Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting building. “That’s really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of new stuff coming right behind it,”...
San Jose lawmakers voice support for Laura’s Law for mentally ill
For years, a San Jose lawmaker has been advocating to implement Laura’s Law to help the growing number of mentally ill people in need of treatment living on the streets. Now, for Councilmember Johnny Khamis, that hope might become a reality. On Wednesday, the council’s Rules and Open Government Committee unanimously voted to draft a letter to...
After heated debate, San Jose approves drafting new property tax measure
San Jose lawmakers Tuesday voted 8-2 to put a new property transfer tax applying to all properties valued at $2 million or more on the March 2020 ballot, following a heated debate on tax burdening residents and how city funds are used to solve the region’s housing crisis. Councilmembers Johnny Khamis and Sergio Jimenez voted...
San Jose leaders split on how to spend housing tax revenue
San Jose lawmakers on Tuesday are expected to approve drafting an affordable housing tax measure for the March 2020 ballot, but differ on how to divvy up the funds that the tax will generate — a frequent dilemma among a City Council that is often at odds with one another. In a memo to their...
Audit: Team San Jose exceeds revenue and tourism goals
In the last year, Team San Jose — a nonprofit that manages the city’s tourism, arts and cultural centers — exceeded its targeted revenue goals by more than $19 million, qualifying for an additional $200,000 in funds from the city as a result. According to an annual audit, the nonprofit outperformed its goals across all...
Amid growing income disparities, Silicon Valley nonprofit aims to redirect donors to their own backyards
Nearly one-third of Silicon Valley adults are considered “upper-income,” outpacing every other region in the country, according to Pew Research Center data. But local philanthropy is lagging, nonprofit leaders say. “Silicon Valley is home to more than 86,000 millionaires and billionaires – and many are incredibly generous – but not nearly enough of Silicon Valley...