Culture
Historic Faber’s Cyclery Building Burns as Writer Predicted
Apr 26, 2013 by Josh Koehn Business, Culture Comments (2)
A fire gutted the historic Faber’s Cyclery building in downtown San Jose on Thursday night.
Once known as the “mecca for vintage bike enthusiasts,” the historic Faber’s Cyclery building is no more. The 129-year-old building on South First Street was the site of a three-alarm fire Thursday night, leaving the structure with heavy damage and a slight lean to one side. One writer predicted this would happen almost five years ago to the day.
Supervisor Ken Yeager Snubs Mayor Chuck Reed over Marriage Equality
Apr 25, 2013 by Josh Koehn Politics, Culture Comments (16)
County Board of Supervisors President Ken Yeager declined to meet with his former council colleague, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, due to the latter’s opposition to same-sex marriage.
Ever since Chuck Reed was elected mayor of San Jose in 2006, he has held quarterly meetings with the president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. The goal of these meetings is to allow city and county officials to discuss legal disputes without lawyers present. But that all changed last week, when current Board president Ken Yeager snubbed Reed’s request for a meeting.
Guadalupe Trail is a Giant Step Forward
Apr 25, 2013 by James P. Reber Politics, Business, Culture Comments (8)
This landmark marks the newly established Guadalupe River Trail, which now connects downtown to North San Jose.
Last Saturday, a modest group of runners, bicyclists and community leaders gathered on a trail near San Jose’s airport for a quietly auspicious occasion—the completion of the Guadalupe River Trail from San Jose to Alviso.
Taking Back Saint James Park
Apr 25, 2013 by Omar Torres Politics, Culture Comments (12)
A new pilot project by the city of San Jose and Santa Clara County hopes to revitalize the historic Saint James Park in downtown San Jose.
It is time downtown San Jose residents took back Saint James Park. Unlike the glory days of almost a century ago, when presidents and unions held massive rallies in the square, neighbors and downtown workers now describe the park as an unfortunate eyesore.
Clothing Recyclers Oppose Box Ordinance
Apr 24, 2013 by Jennifer Wadsworth Politics, Business, Culture Comments (4)
The city says it has received enough complaints about trash and graffiti near clothing donation boxes that it will consider a new ordinance regulating the drop-off containers.
Enough people have complained to the city about drop-off containers for used clothing, mostly in grocery story parking lots, as being magnets for graffiti and trash, that San Jose’s Planning Commission agreed earlier this year to do something. But some people suspect this is part of a larger strategy by Goodwill Industries, Inc. to put up a little more red tape for companies that own the scattered-about donation boxes. A proposed ordinance is criticized in a letter submitted to the public record for Wednesday’s Rules and Open Government Committee.
Nevada Hospital’s ‘Patient Dumping’ Extends to San Jose, Report Says
Apr 23, 2013 by Jennifer Wadsworth Politics, Culture Comments (4)
The Sacramento Bee reported this month that a hospital in Nevada has been putting psychiatric patients on Greyhound buses going out of state, leaving former patients homeless and lacking medication. At least five of these patients reportedly had tickets to San Jose. (Photo by loop_oh, via Flickr)
At least five mentally ill patients from a Nevada psychiatric hospital took a one-way ticket to San Jose, arriving homeless and un-medicated at the Greyhound Bus Station in downtown. That’s according to a series of disturbing reports this week by the Sacramento Bee, which investigated Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital’s apparent practice of “patient dumping.” The state-run mental health hospital in Nevada reportedly bused out more than 1,500 patients to various major cities across the country during the past five years, according to records of Greyhound bus ticket purchases reviewed by the newspaper.
Conflict Creates Better Education Results?
Apr 23, 2013 by Joseph DiSalvo Politics, Culture Comments (0)
Diane Ravitch objects to the infusion of outside, “entrepreneurial” dollars in public education, but local results show competition has had a positive effect.
The fierce battle for our nation’s schoolchildren is entering a new stage of conflict, and the National School Board Association (NSBA) is reforming itself to take up the fight. Diane Ravitich, a nationally renowned author and keynote speaker at the NSBA’s recent conference in San Diego, delivered a blistering attack against federal education policies and “entrepreneurs” that hurt public education.
Council Looks for New IT Chief, More Developer Fees
Apr 22, 2013 by Jennifer Wadsworth Politics, Business, Culture Comments (7)
The CIty Council on Tuesday will discuss interview questions for applicants hoping to become San Jose’s next chief information officer for the IT department. (Photo by bpsusf, via Flickr)
City officials admit that San Jose’s IT department tails behind other Silicon Valley municipalities, and to change that they want a new department head. In questions geared toward candidates applying for the role of chief information officer, the City Council asks how the applicants plan to make San Jose more competitive and how to improve data access to the public. Other items on Tuesday’s San Jose City Council agenda include a $10 million airport taxiway proposal, a resolution supporting a ban of flavored tobacco sales in San Jose and a possible bump in fees for developers.
County Supervisors to Hear Sexual Assault Report on Incarcerated Youth
Apr 22, 2013 by Jennifer Wadsworth Politics, Business, Culture Comments (0)
An increase last year in the number of sexual assaults of incarcerated youth at Santa Clara County’s Juvenile Hall (pictured) and other county facilities could result in a new grant to address the problem.
The number of sexual abuse cases involving kids behind bars nearly doubled last year when compared to 2011. The disturbing increase occurred in spite of declining populations at Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall and William F. James Ranch. A report on sexual assaults involving incarcerated youth will go before the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Also on the agenda are a number of health and public safety contracts up for renewal.
City Recruits Board, Commission Volunteers
Apr 22, 2013 by Jennifer Wadsworth Politics, Culture Comments (0)
The city needs civic-minded volunteers to sign up for openings on various boards and commissions that advise the City Council on everything from the airport to public art and historical landmarks. Here’s a list of the openings.
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