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“Yes, he knows English,” a paralegal I worked with at a small law firm answered resentfully. At least once a week, a client would ask the paralegal if I knew English once they learned “Richard Nguyen” was their assigned attorney. Unbeknownst to these clients, the paralegal was also Vietnamese American. They assumed he was white....
Venture capitalist bringing green to downtown San Jose
The 96-year-old Bank of Italy building in downtown San Jose is one of the area’s most recognizable structures—a relic of Rennaisance Revival architecture in the middle of modern high rises. Soon, venture capitalist real estate developer Gary Dillabough, 58, will add a series of hanging gardens to the building’s facade. “We’re hoping to leverage experiences and...
San Jose rejects sanctioned homeless encampments
The San Jose City Council won’t be authorizing sanctioned encampments like advocates had hoped for. Councilmembers voted unanimously Tuesday to reject a sanctioned homeless encampment plan. Sanctioned encampments are designated places where homeless people could live and gather without fear of being cleared out. The city would provide sanitation and hygiene services such as portable...
Zimmerman: Generation Z pushes for climate action through education in Santa Clara County
Elected officials or political pundits often refer to “future generations” when debating the negative social, political and economic consequences of climate change. This completely ignores the fact that climate change has been impacting us for years. And we know it. Levels of eco- or climate anxiety have risen sharply in all age ranges, but most...
San Jose man faces restraining orders, court battle after watching police
A San Jose resident faces a restraining order and a winding legal battle with police after they arrested him for legally documenting their activity during a traffic stop. The man is due in court next month to fight against a restraining order police issued against him—what his attorneys call a delay tactic by City Hall. On a...
UPDATE: San Jose approves new $10,000 fine for illegal dumping
Dumping a couch on the side of the freeway in San Jose will soon come with a $10,000 penalty — one of the highest in the nation. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to increase first-offense fines for illegal dumping to $10,000. Currently, the city has three levels for illegal dumping fines: $2,500...
Where can kids get vaccinated in Santa Clara County?
Adolescents age 12 through 15 can now receive COVID-19 vaccinations in Santa Clara County, and they don’t even need an appointment. “Everything is lined up and in place to make getting a vaccine as simple and hassle-free as possible,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, COVID-19 testing and vaccine officer. “We have the vaccine supply, we have...
San Jose Flea Market vendors demand lawmakers reject development plans
The San Jose Planning Commission’s recommendation for a development plan that dramatically shrinks the size of the flea market was not the outcome vendors and their families wanted. More than 20 vendors and advocates gathered in front of San Jose City Hall on Tuesday to demand Mayor Sam Liccardo and other councilmembers reject plans for...
Santa Clara County advances to yellow tier, eases COVID restrictions
Santa Clara County is easing local COVID-19 restrictions weeks before the state is set to fully reopen. County health officials Tuesday announced the move to the least-restrictive yellow tier of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The change, effective Wednesday, will allow most businesses to operate indoors with minimal modifications, including bars that don’t...
San Jose lawmaker floats ‘Good Doctor’ tax
ABC medical drama “The Good Doctor” is set in San Jose, but doesn’t actually film here. One city official jokingly said City Hall should capitalize on that. The television show stars an autistic savant aspiring surgeon played by English actor Freddie Highmore who does his residency at the prestigious—but fictional—San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. The...