San José is many things to many people. For me, it’s the cramped apartment in Hoffman-Via Monte that was ripe with graffiti and gang activity, but welcomed my refugee parents who came to this country with one suitcase. It’s the old Thrifty’s (now Whole Foods) where my sister and I snuck out to buy candy....
Standard Blog
Work with HomeFirst brings CEO Andrea Urton “full circle”
Andrea Urton has faced many challenges in her life such as losing her mother, living in a violently abusive home and ending up on the streets — all before she graduated high school. Now Urton is the CEO of HomeFirst, one of the South Bay’s leading nonprofits working to end homelessness. And she’s working toward...
Santa Clara County races: Susan Ellenberg and Sheriff Laurie Smith pull ahead
Santa Clara County voters on Tuesday were asked to choose a sheriff for the first time in 20 years, as well as a member of the five-member Board of Supervisors.
San Jose City Council races: Tam Nguyen narrowly losing re-election, Pam Foley coasts to victory
Maya Esparza is leading the race to oust San Jose Councilman Tam Nguyen, pulling ahead by more than 120 votes Thursday after the one-term councilman appeared to be headed for re-election.
San José flood victims prepare for court battle
Hundreds of families are bracing for an upcoming court battle with the city of San José, Santa Clara County and Santa Clara Valley Water District, nearly two years after their homes were destroyed and lives upended...
Retired? Yeah, right. East Side’s Blanca Alvarado launches two new campaigns
Ten years after East Side matriarch Blanca Alvarado “retired” from politics, the trailblazer shows no signs of slowing down.
The Latest News
- Palo Alto backs away from plan to let RVs remain in neighborhoods August 25, 2026
- Kayak tours highlight San Jose river’s restoration August 25, 2026
- Immigration, tech discussed at annual San José Spotlight festival August 24, 2026
- Utility project forces Palo Alto mobile home residents to move August 24, 2026
- San Jose neighborhood improvement program is back August 24, 2026
- Sunnyvale restaurant celebrates 40 years of feeding the community August 23, 2026





