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San José Spotlight
San Jose sweeps Columbus Park after homeless return
Emotions ran high at a homeless encampment near a San Jose park as the city began sweeping the streets that unhoused residents called home. Two years ago, the city cleared the sprawling homeless encampment near Columbus Park that sits under the flight path of Mineta San Jose International Airport, after the Federal Aviation Administration threatened... The post San Jose sweeps Columbus Park after homeless return appeared first on San José Spotlight.
Failed contract prompts San Jose hotel worker strike
Frustrated San Jose hotel workers launched a three-day strike over Labor Day weekend against the Signia and DoubleTree after more than two months of failed contract negotiations with Hilton Hotels & Resorts. Unite Here Local 19 hotel workers in San Jose chose to strike Monday night and picket through Tuesday, a union representative told San... The post Failed contract prompts San Jose hotel worker strike appeared first on San José Spotlight.
East San Jose businesses to launch growth plan
East San Jose businesses are partnering with the city to launch a plan to drive more shoppers into the Tully Eastridge neighborhoods and breathe new life into its diverse economy. The business owners want to create a business improvement district as a way to draw more foot traffic to the area for upcoming events such as farmers markets... The post East San Jose businesses to launch growth plan appeared first on San José Spotlight.
Urbanowski: Santa Clara County is steeped in rich, diverse cultures
Santa Clara County’s unique identity and greatest strength is our diversity – a diverse economy, a diverse landscape and a rich diversity of cultures. As we live and work together it is through sharing our arts and culture practices and traditions that we begin to understand each other and establish foundations for collaboration and increasing community health.
Fight brews over San Jose’s Vietnamese garden
Some Little Saigon activists are in uproar after a San Jose councilmember’s office changed the locks and the rules for reserving events at the Vietnamese Heritage Garden. Councilmember Bien Doan announced those new rules last month after becoming the center of political divide over anticommunism earlier this summer among older Vietnamese Americans. The divide has partly played... The post Fight brews over San Jose’s Vietnamese garden appeared first on San José Spotlight.
Santa Clara water agency wins lawsuit against its director
Santa Clara Valley Water District has won its lawsuit against one of its directors who took thousands of pages of internal documents. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Ellen E. Williams has ordered Valley Water Director Rebecca Eisenberg to return a roughly 2,000-page report to Valley Water officials within five days. The report was the... The post Santa Clara water agency wins lawsuit against its director appeared first on San José Spotlight.
San Jose officials want rebate for electric leaf blowers
Advocates and politicians have worked for years to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in San Jose. A new incentive could be the answer. Although the state has banned the purchase of new gas leaf blowers as of this year, the city is pushing to get existing gas-operated leaf blowers out of circulation. The program funded by San Jose Clean Energy would rebate commercial landscaping companies $500 for every electric leaf blower purchased to encourage users to switch out the equipment. In April, Mayor Matt Mahan and City Councilmembers David Cohen and Dev Davis proposed the $500 rebate plan.
Santa Clara preps stadium security ahead of Super Bowl
In what regional leaders call a first for American sports arenas, Levi’s Stadium will host World Cup matches and the Super Bowl in the same year — and the costs of making history are taking shape as Santa Clara officials work to secure the venue from threats. World Cup public safety costs could hover around... The post Santa Clara preps stadium security ahead of Super Bowl appeared first on San José Spotlight.
Historic San Jose building in need of major repairs
The San Jose Chamber of Commerce building is in need of some urgent upgrades, and the organization has launched a foundation to raise the funds. Built in 1942, the historic building that fronts the corner of West Santa Clara and Market streets is in need of a new cooling and heating system, water pipes and... The post Historic San Jose building in need of major repairs appeared first on San José Spotlight.
San Jose hotel for homeless residents fails to meet needs
Last year, a renovated San Jose hotel on The Alameda reopened with much fanfare to house homeless residents. But problems have cropped up from the start, according to people who live there. The city tapped nonprofit HomeFirst to provide supportive services and supervision of residents at the Arena Hotel, which was repurposed as a low-barrier... The post San Jose hotel for homeless residents fails to meet needs appeared first on San José Spotlight.
Los Gatos won’t hold council elections in November
There are no elections in Los Gatos this year because no one in town stepped up to challenge the incumbents, guaranteeing two councilmembers another four years in office. Councilmembers Matthew Hudes and Maria Ristow are up for reelection, but with no challengers the Town Council appointed them to the governing body for the next four years in a 4-0-1 vote, rather than host a costly November election. Hudes abstained from the vote.
San Jose has highest home prices in nation
It’s cheaper to rent a home in San Jose than buy one, though renters still pay steep prices in one of the most costly cities in the nation. A report by real estate platform Clever ranks San Jose as the No. 1 most expensive city to buy and rent, out of the 50 most populous U.S. cities. The median buying price for a house in San Jose is about $1.5 million and the median home rental price is $3,331 monthly. The second most expensive city to buy a home is San Francisco at $1.1 million and third is Los Angeles at $925,000.
Honda: Enough with the dirty tricks, Sam Liccardo
Here’s my message to Sam Liccardo — speak for yourself instead of using your supporters to do your dirty work. You had your longtime supporter, Jonathan Padilla, ask for a recount “on behalf of Evan Low” and it backfired. Now you are using your supporter Ann Ravel and her reputation as a former FEC commissioner... The post Honda: Enough with the dirty tricks, Sam Liccardo appeared first on San José Spotlight.
Sunnyvale officials delay vote to ban artificial turf
The debate between using artificial turf or natural grass on government-owned athletic fields in Sunnyvale has been pushed into the future, leaving environmental activists and youth sports groups in limbo. The Sunnyvale City Council declined to decide on banning artificial turf after a 4-2 vote, with Mayor Larry Klein and...
East San Jose gets funds to clean lake
Arvind Kumar and his husband Ashok Jethanandani spend their Saturday mornings pulling weeds and protecting plants native to California, but not in their yard at home. Instead, they’ve spent the last 20 years volunteering at Lake Cunningham Park in their East San Jose neighborhood — working to undo years of neglect and unsafe water.
Op-ed: Pleasant Hills can be something we’re proud of
Most people agree that the best way to address our area’s housing affordability issue is straightforward: build more houses. By some estimates, Silicon Valley’s housing market is at least 100,000 homes short of what is needed to arrest the inexorable housing price increases we have experienced decade after decade. Increasing availability by building more housing, not just affordable housing but also market rate and luxury housing, is imperative to improving the affordability of our city.
AI companies see San Jose as a place for growth
Artificial intelligence lives and breathes thanks to tech innovators of the 1980s and 90s who saw Silicon Valley as the landscape to develop the more than trillion-dollar computer industry. Though AI only recently entered the public vocabulary — with the search term peaking in popularity just last month since Google...
Campbell expands housing policy over commission’s opposition
Campbell is adjusting its affordable housing policy in hopes of creating more homes and raking in more development funds, despite an official recommendation not to. The Campbell City Council voted 4-1 last week to expand its inclusionary housing policy, which would require smaller projects to convert at least 15% of homes into affordable housing or pay into the city’s housing efforts. The change applies to projects with five or more homes, lowering the existing threshold from 10 or more homes, and is expected to bring in about $237,000 annually. Campbell will implement it in about a year. Vice Mayor Sergio Lopez voted no.
San Jose candidate worked for controversial Chinese developer
A leading San Jose City Council candidate worked under a Chinese billionaire arrested on bribery and corruption charges — mainly helping the embattled CEO’s company sell off land from his failed developments in the Bay Area. San Jose Planning Commissioner George Casey, who’s locked in a heated race to replace District 10 Councilmember Arjun Batra,... The post San Jose candidate worked for controversial Chinese developer appeared first on San José Spotlight.
Silicon Valley farmworkers, veterans receive federal help
Two projects in Santa Clara County are receiving federal funds to renovate housing for farmworkers and homeless veterans. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren helped secure $2.6 million for the county, with $1 million going toward repairs on blighted buildings that house homeless veterans, and $1.6 million for housing and electrical upgrades for farmworkers to meet code compliance. Congressman Ro... The post Silicon Valley farmworkers, veterans receive federal help appeared first on San José Spotlight.
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