San Jose

San Jose

Troubled restrooms in North San Jose park finally open year-round

Neglected public restrooms in an overlooked part of San Jose are finally getting attention from the city. City workers recently opened the restrooms in Alviso Park next to the public swimming pool. Councilmember David Cohen, whose district includes the park, told San José Spotlight the restrooms have been mostly closed to the public for the...

San Jose commission says city should not allow billboards at airport

A city commission is recommending San Jose not proceed with building two digital billboards at Mineta San Jose International Airport. The San Jose Airport Commission voted 5-1 Wednesday to reject the project for a myriad of reasons, including concerns over community pushback, light pollution, energy use and transparency throughout the process. But commissioners also voted to accept...

Is Cindy Chavez shifting to the right in San Jose mayor’s race?

A recent San Jose mayoral candidate forum left many politicos scratching their heads. Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez—a household name for her work in local labor movements and roots in Working Partnerships USA and the South Bay Labor Council—took two positions that sounded inconsistent to fellow labor-leaning leaders and based on her past policies....

Resource fair brings warm clothes, services to San Jose homeless

Worrying about the living conditions at one of the largest homeless encampments in the Bay Area, a local nonprofit hosted a resource fair this week to bring jackets, snacks and housing and health services to the neediest near San Jose’s Columbus Park. More than 120 people came strolling down Spring Street Wednesday morning for clothes and services. With...

Own a gun in San Jose? Get ready to pay for it

San Jose is now the first city in the nation to mandate gun owners to have liability insurance and pay an annual fee in an effort to curb gun violence. On Tuesday, councilmembers voted to approve the gun control rules requiring San Jose residents who own guns to pay an annual $25 fee per household...

San Jose lawmakers do an about face on food pantry fees

After a costly city permit threatened a downtown food pantry’s operation, the community stepped up to raise more than $18,000. Now, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Councilmember Raul Peralez are asking their council colleagues to step up too. Lighthouse Ministries, located at 309 N. 17th St., fed more than 1,000 people a day, six days a...

San Jose-Evergreen Community College District names interim chancellor

The San Jose-Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) has appointed an interim chancellor after Byron D. Clift Breland’s sudden departure for a job in Southern California. Raul Rodriguez, who most recently served as interim president of Hartnell College in Salinas, started his new role this week. The district’s board of trustees voted unanimously to appoint Rodriguez to the...

Business PAC announces San Jose mayor, City Council endorsements

The 2022 races for San Jose City Council are heating up, with seven candidates scoring endorsements from a local business-backed political action committee. On Wednesday, the Silicon Valley Biz PAC, one of several local PACs representing business interests, announced its support for both Councilmembers Dev Davis and Matt Mahan in the contested San Jose mayoral race. It also...