The closing of a neighborhood drugstore means the loss of much needed services for residents and business owners in downtown San Jose. The CVS on The Alameda, which closed about two weeks ago, offered a convenient one-stop shop for groceries, basic goods and pharmaceutical needs, but it also became a “magnet” for homeless residents who...
Policy change paves way for San Jose golf course redevelopment
San Jose officials are considering changing an obscure policy that could kick open the door for development of a massive plot of land on the city’s east side. The 114-acre former Pleasant Hills Golf Course has been closed for nearly two decades, and can’t be permitted for development without a special exception under current city rules. But a...
The Biz Beat: Cajun eats and live music define Mama Kin’s success
The first thing you’re likely to notice as you enter Mama Kin in downtown San Jose is the live band onstage, or the line of hopefuls with guitars signed up for the open mic if it’s Tuesday. Music is essential to Mama Kin’s atmosphere—appropriate for a venue named after an Aerosmith song—as is the selection of Cajun...
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San Jose airport expects travel bump over Thanksgiving holiday
San Jose leaders are cautiously optimistic an uptick in air travel over the Thanksgiving holiday is a sign the local airline industry—and by extension, the economy—is rebounding from COVID-19. The Mineta San Jose International Airport predicts about 438,000 passengers will pass through its doors over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. According to airport data, 73,862 passengers...
World Cup a win for downtown San Jose
The United States soccer team may have tied England at the World Cup’s Friday match, but the game was a win for San Jose regardless of the results. World Cup watch parties—organized by the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team, local businesses and the San Jose Downtown Association—have activated San Pedro Square in a way the...
Why East San Jose students are missing school
One East San Jose school district is looking at how post-pandemic challenges are contributing to students skipping school, as chronic absenteeism rises in the local education system. One out of five students in the East Side Union High School District were chronically absent in the 2021-22 school year, missing class as families struggled with financial...
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Thanksgiving in Silicon Valley: A mission to feed the needy
Ivan Diaz spent the last couple nights in his backyard cooking 10 turkeys at a time in a large smoker. But the 63-year-old is not throwing a Thanksgiving extravaganza at his home in San Jose’s Seven Trees neighborhood. He was preparing the meat as part of a feast he and other volunteers whipped up to...
Collins: How is today’s housing market different than 2008?
As the Federal Reserve raises interest rates in an attempt to reduce inflation, there is growing uncertainty in the economy. Some are worried about the increasing interest rate’s impact on “kitchen table issues” such as credit card bills and utilities. However, this anticipated economic downturn looks different from the last major economic decline of 2008....
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‘Almost hopeless’: San Jose homeless residents prepare for winter
While many Santa Clara County residents are gathering for Thanksgiving in warm settings, dozens of homeless people living in tents, RVs or cars in and around San Jose’s Columbus Park are facing a more somber reality. Many residents there claim the city illegally trashed or destroyed their shelters and belongings in recent sweeps, and are hoping...
Op-ed: Speaker Pelosi is stepping down, but her legacy remains
Last week in the chamber of the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered magnificent remarks about our Constitution, our democracy and her decision to relinquish power, as great leaders do. As Bay Area members of the California delegation representing Santa Clara County, we celebrate her decades of consequential leadership and her unparalleled record of...