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 LGBTQ icon Thaddeus Campbell dies
Thaddeus Campbell, the LGBTQ icon credited with bringing back the Silicon Valley Pride parade, died on Sunday, the organization announced Tuesday. Campbell served as Silicon Valley Pride’s CEO and board president for the past six years. “The Silicon Valley Pride board is heavy-hearted on the news of the recent passing of our beloved Board President,...
Sam Liccardo endorses Jim Zito over his colleague Sylvia Arenas
Self-described fiscal conservative Jim Zito is eyeing San Jose Councilmember Sylvia Arenas’ seat and a powerful coalition of endorsements — including from Mayor Sam Liccardo — might help him score a spot on the 11-member council. The mayor joined Zito to officially kick off his campaign to unseat Arenas last week at the Curry Pizza...
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 education leader revokes City Council endorsement
In a stunning move Sunday night, a leading Evergreen education leader revoked her endorsement of San Jose City Councilmember Sylvia Arenas, who is facing re-election in 2020. Evergreen School Board President Bonnie Mace announced she’s withdrawing her support for Arenas and opting instead for a sole endorsement of her challenger Jim Zito, also an Evergreen...
Dueling endorsements in San Jose City Council race
San Jose Councilmember Sylvia Arenas and her opponent Jim Zito have nearly nothing in common. She’s a progressive Democrat. He’s a fiscally-conservative Republican. He’s earning the backing of the business lobby, including the Silicon Valley Organization, while she continues to be a labor union favorite. They differ ideologically on some social issues, how the city...
San Jose approves plan to double electric charging stations
As greenhouse gas emissions hike up the earth’s temperature, San Jose leaders eagerly push for greener energy initiatives to combat the region’s increasingly warmer climate. As a result, the City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of implementing the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP), a state-sponsored program that allows qualifying cities across California to...
Evergreen trustee Jim Zito is running for San Jose City Council
San Jose Councilmember Sylvia Arenas dodged a rival earlier this month when Rose Herrera confirmed she won’t challenge Arenas’ re-election next year. But that relief didn’t last long. About a week later, a new, formidable opponent jumped into the San Jose City Council District 8 race — Republican Jim Zito. He told San José Spotlight...
National and state leaders endorse San Jose’s fair elections initiative
State and national lawmakers from Silicon Valley gathered in front of San Jose City Hall on Friday to announce their support for an initiative top labor leaders in the South Bay say will put a cap on money in politics and increase voter turnout by shifting mayoral elections to presidential years. The measure, called the...
San Jose legislator’s bill to ban tiny toiletries signed into law
Those tiny bottles of shampoo inside California hotel rooms will soon be a thing of the past after Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a landmark bill crafted by a Silicon Valley legislator. Assembly Bill 1162, authored by San Jose Assemblymember Ash Kalra, bans single-use plastic bottles used for personal care products in an attempt...