It would be hard to question Habana Cuba Restaurant’s authenticity: it was founded by Ciro Calvo, the personal chef to the island’s former president, Fulgencio Batista, who fled the country when the dictator was deposed in 1959. Located inside First Street’s SoFA Market food hall, Habana Cuba faithfully recreates Calvo’s recipes, serving dishes with street...
San Jose council candidate accused of mortgage fraud
A San Jose police officer running for a seat on the San Jose City Council is being sued for mortgage fraud, marking another chapter of legal trouble for the political hopeful. Tam Truong, a sergeant with the San Jose Police Department who’s worked in law enforcement for two decades, allegedly defrauded an employee of Orange...
‘Generous and warm’: Silicon Valley philanthropist dies
Michael E. Fox Sr., a longtime Silicon Valley philanthropist, has died. Fox, 87, died of respiratory complications while ill on Nov. 3, according to his oldest son, Michael Fox Jr. Fox Sr. founded M.E. Fox & Company in 1965 alongside his wife, Mary Ellen Fox, and grew it to become one of the county’s largest...
Silver Taube: The NLRB shifts to union and worker-friendly standards
According to the National Labor Relations Board, the agency that enforces private sector labor laws, there were 1,249 union elections in fiscal year 2022, a nearly 50% increase from the year before. Workers voted in favor of unionizing in 72% of those elections, up from 61% in 2021. In recent months, the National Labor Relations...
Silicon Valley leaders question nonprofit on alleged discrimination
Two Santa Clara County city councils aired grievances to HomeFirst officials following a range of concerns related to services and allegations of racial discrimination. The Sunnyvale City Council heard a presentation Tuesday from HomeFirst Chief Executive Officer Andrea Urton and Chief Program Officer Kelly Vazquez about the nonprofit’s city support services and broader metrics countywide....
San Jose aviation director turns in his wings
San Jose Aviation Director John Aitken’s bags are packed and he’s ready to go. The head of San Jose Mineta International Airport for the last six years isn’t leaving on a jet plane, though. Aitken is planning to retire in March after a 31-year career with the airport. Aitken worked his way up from airport...
Shaw: The elephant in the room
I have written about many experiences with HomeFirst. Most of the time it concerned the nonprofit’s rules and policies, and the negative effects these have had on its clients. Many unhoused advocates knew of these effects long before I did, and they tried to get people to listen and give the unhoused a voice. I...
San Jose apartment complex converting to affordable housing
San Jose leaders are green lighting a developer’s initiative that includes converting a market-rate apartment complex on The Alameda into affordable apartments. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved a financing package Tuesday allowing Larkspur-based Catalyst Housing Group’s nonprofit arm to buy the complex. Councilmember Dev Davis was absent. The council signed off on Catalyst...
How to participate in Milpitas City Council meetings
One of the simplest ways to engage with your local community is to keep up with your city’s public meetings. In a 2022 reader survey, San José Spotlight readers told us they wanted to be more civically engaged and involved in local policymaking. Earlier this year, we compiled a guide on how to engage with...
San Jose starts preparing for wet winter weather
San Jose officials are gearing up for a wave of expected atmospheric rivers this winter as the rainy season hits the region. The rain has started light, but San Jose leaders say they are preparing for another abnormally wet season. The National Weather Service indicates Wednesday’s rain will continue through the weekend, bringing in nearly...