Mezcal Restaurant in San Jose specializes in authentic Oaxacan cuisine, from the mole negro and mole coloradito—two of the seven famed Oaxacan chocolate sauces—to the chapulines, or grasshoppers sauteed in garlic, lime and salt. Umm… grasshoppers? “Why not?” owner Adolfo Gomez told San José Spotlight. “It’s a traditional item for us. People say we’re trying...
Latino leaders who shaped Silicon Valley
Hispanic or Latino residents make up about 31% of San Jose’s population and 24.7% of Santa Clara County, according to U.S. Census data—and the impact of local leaders is visible across the region. Activists have worked for decades to give Latino residents equity, representation and access to services. The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican...
San Jose foster youth hub ready for construction
An affordable housing development centered on homeless foster youth will break ground in San Jose next month. The San Jose City Council approved nearly $40 million in state bonds on Tuesday to construct 81 affordable apartments—with half reserved for foster youth ages 15-24—on Parkmoor Avenue near San Jose City College. The remaining apartments will be...
San Jose workers are not returning to downtown
The San Jose metro area ranks in the top 10 among the lowest in the country for employees returning to the office. San Jose sits in the ninth spot at 40.7% for return-to-office rates, according to a recent study by Kastle, a facilities security firm that tracks office visits by analyzing keycard swipes at buildings...
East San Jose school district to tackle violence
An East San Jose school district is responding to community safety concerns after a string of violent campus incidents, but teachers and parents want long-term preventive measures. East Side Union High School District Superintendent Glenn Vander Zee has agreed to establish a school safety task force comprised of teachers, administrators, parents, students and board members...
A win for San Jose: VTA approves homeless housing site
After a monthslong debate between local leaders, North San Jose is set to receive 200 temporary homes for homeless residents. The VTA board of directors unanimously approved building the homes at its Cerone bus yard on Thursday. The consensus by the 12-person board comes as a surprise after deep political divides and ongoing disputes threatened...
San Jose wants to stop bad police behavior before it happens
San Jose is spending half a million dollars to identify potentially problematic police officer behavior sooner—and work to swiftly correct it. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a three-year, $479,000 contract with Chicago-based Benchmark Analytics for its Police Early Intervention Solution system. Councilmembers also approved a $50,000 contingency for any possible change orders, bringing...
Will downtown San Jose church become historic landmark?
A downtown San Jose church is on the cusp of becoming a historic landmark, potentially ending a yearslong battle to shield the 1940s-era building from redevelopment. The San Jose City Council will vote in the next few weeks to designate Grace Baptist Church as a historic landmark—protecting it, ideally, indefinitely. Councilmember Omar Torres’ request for the...
Philbrick: How many people will die on our roads this year?
Stop for a moment and think of 40 people you know. Think of their names, their faces. Now imagine them gone from your life forever. Forty people have died this year in San Jose in road collisions. Last year, 42,795 people—the population of a small city—died in collisions across the United States. When we read these...
San Jose will grow urban canopy with federal funds
San Jose is about to get greener thanks to a federal grant to help expand its urban tree canopy. The U.S. Forest Service awarded San Jose $6.6 million on Sept. 22 to plant, maintain and restore trees across the city. It’s part of a $1 billion program funded by the U.S. Inflation and Reduction Act giving...