Happy Thanksgiving! Anyone looking to get a jump on their holiday shopping—as well as avoid the annual Black Friday tramplings—should check out this nifty Gift Guide featuring only local businesses.

This week, District Attorney Jeff Rosen answered 10 questions selected by SJI staff out of dozens submitted by San Jose Inside commenters. The topics range from how he handled the DeAnza sex case, his hiring of a Mercury News reporter and the timeline for several high-profile cases.—Editor

UPDATE: San Jose Inside has selected reader questions and sent them to DA Jeff Rosen. Thanks to all who participated.
This week, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen has agreed to answer questions from San Jose Inside readers. He is the fifth public official to participate in this series. Questions are selected from online posts to this site.

As the year winds down, you can almost hear the collective sigh coming from City Hall. Or maybe that’s an echoing whoosh from councilmembers, the mayor, city manager and their staffs, who hightailed it for the holidays. Either way, 2011 was a tumultuous year, fierce in the manner civic actors clashed over pension reform, public safety, pot, a potential ballpark, ballot measures, pay cuts, occupations of city property and other issues of varying degrees of importance.

San Jose Inside would like to wish you and yours a Happy Holidays. We will pick back up next week with a special Year in Review.

This week, San Jose Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen answered 10 questions selected by SJI staff out of dozens submitted by San Jose Inside commenters. The topics range from the Little Saigon controversy and Nguyen’s relationship with public safety unions to the city’s legal basis for the pension reform ballot measure.—Editor

UPDATE: San Jose Inside has selected reader questions and sent them to Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen’s office. Thanks to all who participated.
This week, San Jose Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen has agreed to answer questions from San Jose Inside readers. She is the fourth public official to participate in this series. Questions are selected from online posts to this site.

The day San Jose Inside readers have been patiently waiting for has arrived. The busiest guy in town finally turned in his answers to reader questions that were submitted back in October. After detailing how a Q&A with the chief went wrong, Moore sprang into action with a 4,501-word email. Below are the questions and answers, preceded by Moore’s apology to readers for the delay. We’re sure all of you will understand.

UPDATE: Police Chief Chris Moore sent San Jose Inside his answers to the 10 questions Sunday evening. We will be posting them soon. Thanks for your patience.

A number of readers have asked what happened to the weekly Q&A series San Jose Inside rolled out in September. Well, not a whole lot. We waited for our third participant in the series, San Jose Police Chief Chris Moore, to respond to some of your questions. And then we waited a little longer. And then a little longer.

Editor’s Note: The following was written by City Councilmember Nancy Pyle and included in her March newsletter. Pyle represents San Jose’s 10th District. On Wednesday, February 16th I traveled to Sacramento with Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen, Councilmembers Ash Kalra and Donald Rocha and Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Harry Mavrogenes. Our mission was to discuss the governor’s plan to eliminate Redevelopment Agencies statewide.