The Canning Industry in San Jose

Feb 20, 2006, by Leonard McKay Comments (11)

The canning industry got its start in 1871 when Dr. Dawson and his wife canned some fruit over an old cook stove in their backyard on The Alameda.  From this humble start, a huge industry developed right here in San Jose for three basic reasons: the fruit was grown here, there was a ready supply of labor and two railroads, Western Pacific and Southern Pacific, built rail sidings right to the canning plants.

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New Google Version Installed in Mayor’s Office

Feb 17, 2006, by John McEnery IV Comments (13)

Watchdog Groups Fear Censorship

Hot on the heels of Google’s successful implementation of their internet-censoring product in China, Mayor Gonzales has ordered the popular new totalitarian version of the search engine’s “Great Firewall” software to be immediately installed on his City Hall net servers. All internet searches originating within the city will now be routed through this new google.com/rg network.

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Right Wrongs Nobody

Feb 16, 2006, by Eric Carlson Comments (21)

Mark the 25th of March on your calendar, PDA, or forearm. On that day, the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) will be in Alviso for a monument dedication, and everyone is invited, even Alvisophobes. The plaque will commemorate the port and town of Alviso. Yes, Alviso was a port, and though it was illegally subsumed into San Jose in 1968, it is for all practical purposes still a town, in appearance like a Mexican village (not counting a few rows of $700,000 townhouses).

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The Race for Mayor

Feb 15, 2006, by Tom McEnery Comments (58)

Well, here we go—the race for mayor is on. With the addition of David Pandori, the field is now at six. Or is it? 

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Single Gal and Late Night Clubbing

Feb 14, 2006, by Single Gal Comments (30)

After a Friday night out in San Jose that consisted of a Sharks game and a trip to O’Flaherty’s for a few drinks, my group of friends and I decided that we wanted to go dancing.  But, since it was nearly one o’clock in the morning, did the desire to dance in San Jose mean I needed to take my life into my own hands? 

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The First State Legislature

Feb 13, 2006, by Leonard McKay Comments (6)

The “Legislature of a Thousand Drinks” is the unmerited sobriquet remembering the first State Legislature of California held here in San Jose in late1849 and early 1850.  The elected senators and assemblymen were all very young men—most of whom had been in California for less than two years—with little or no training in law, and yet they made some of the most important laws governing our state, most of which are still in effect today.  The total budget for the first year of operation was $348,000.

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