One of San Jose’s oldest parks that laid the ground for presidential speeches, memorials and even lynchings wants to remake history again after more than 150 years. St. James Park, located on nearly seven acres in the downtown core, is getting a complete makeover through a partnership between Levitt Foundation, Friends of Levitt Pavilion San...
San Jose and SJSU want to keep talent in the city
San Jose State University and San Jose City Hall are partnering in a bold endeavor—a marketing campaign to help students feel more connected to the city and keep them local after graduation. They are each investing $100,000 in a citywide branding strategy and student fellowship program to create an easier path to employment for students interested in...
Stroll: Santa Clara County voter guide should facilitate, not hinder elections
The county voter information guide aims to help registered voters pick candidates. For some races, it facilitates this. For others, however, it’s an impediment. The problem is the steep cost to appear in the guide for certain candidates, including candidates for Congress, the state Legislature and a plethora of local offices. Only the independently wealthy...
San Jose approves hike in mayor race donations
Mayoral candidates in San Jose will soon be able to raise more money for their campaigns—if just slightly. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $100 increase to campaign contribution limits for the mayoral race. Come March 2024, individuals will be able to donate up to $1,500 per mayoral candidate. This small change comes as...
San Jose pilot program to tackle blight
San Jose streets are blighted with trash, broken windows and graffiti—and instead of waiting for residents to point it out, the city wants to find and fix it first. The city is launching a pilot program where its employees will conduct blight inspections and enforcement in downtown and other areas for six months, starting in...
San Jose school district puts safety onus on each campus
The San Jose Unified School District has denied a community petition to form a task force to shore up safety demands after a string of threats were made toward students at various schools. Abraham Lincoln High School parent Trudi McCanna and English teacher Elizabeth Neely petitioned the school board to create a communication plan and...
Slater: Older adults need our help managing mental health
The number of older adults with mental health disorders is expected to nearly double by 2030. One factor exacerbating this is isolation, which more than doubles the risk of depression compared to those that do not or rarely feel lonely. The issue has become so prevalent that in May, the U.S. Surgeon General proclaimed a...
Dilapidated San Jose church repairs put on hold
A plan by San Jose officials to protect a historic former church that has been all but ignored by its owner is now in limbo. The roughly 120-year-old former First Church of Christ Scientist near St. James Park in downtown may continue to be allowed to wither, as a proposal to spend $200,000 of city money...
Santa Clara County makes cuts to tackle huge deficit
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is cutting hundreds of vacant positions to close a looming deficit—paving the way for the passage of a $11.3 billion budget for 2023-24. Supervisors addressed the $120 million deficit last Thursday by not only cutting 600 positions, but also shifting more money into county reserves, totaling $218.6 million,...
Silicon Valley celebrates Juneteenth
This year marks the third year since Juneteenth became a federal U.S. holiday, but one Silicon Valley group has been recognizing it for decades. San Jose’s SoFa District was home to the 42nd annual Santa Clara County Juneteenth in the Streets Festival last Saturday. The event, hosted by the African American Community Services Agency, averages...