Friends, it has been a really crazy week and I know it's hard to keep track of everything happening both nationally and locally, so I'm going to make a little ICYMI thread of some of the South Bay stories from the past week or so in case it's helpful! Strap in!
Let's start with the newest first. Santa Clara and the 49ers have found themselves in the midst of a legal battle again, this time over whether the city had the right to take away the NFL team's right to make purchases for Levi's Stadium. sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-an…
The talented @_katielauer reports today that Santa Clara County BOS unanimously approved an ordinance requiring the safe storage of firearms within residences on unincorporated county land. sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-co…
Santa Clara, in the midst of a lawsuit over whether its longstanding election system is fair to minority voters, just approved a ballot measure on the matter that some say is what the people want, while others worry it will get the city in hot water again. sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-of…
Just a note about the above tweet, that is my rundown of the major highlights from the Santa Clara City Council meeting this week. I do that basically every week when the council meets so you can know about the most important or controversial topics discussed.
Speaking of lawsuits, Cupertino's Planning Commission Chair, R Wang, threatened a former resident with a lawsuit for making what he alleges are false, defamatory posts on social media site, NextDoor. This story is part of a larger saga that I explain here: sanjosespotlight.com/cupertino-comm…
Dozens of Spanish-speaking San Jose residents talk about solutions to the housing crisis affecting more than half of the city’s Latino community. @n_llopez was there and wrote a really important story about what she heard. sanjosespotlight.com/east-san-jose-…
Do you like food and live music? Well, have I got some news for you! Santa Clara planning commissioners approved a beer/liquor license & live music for a new restaurant to open in Santa Clara Square. This kind of live music approval is rare in Santa Clara. sanjosespotlight.com/new-restaurant…
This nonprofit is connecting the Valley's millionaires & billionaires w/local nonprofits, bridging a longstanding gap in an area that has tons of prosperity but comparatively minuscule local giving. Some of the region's most prolific givers have signed on. sanjosespotlight.com/amid-growing-i…
Here's a big story that I think didn't get enough attention last week: A new audit shows that the former Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce may owe the city more than $500K in over-charges from when the chamber managed the convention center. sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-to…
It's travel season! @theLoanAnhLede wrote about San Jose's busy and growing international airport and how it is adapting to the region's economic/development boom. She's got some good tips for travelers, too. sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-inter…
Do you have questions or concerns about Google's massive proposed development on the west side of San Jose's downtown? Well, here's your chance to ask away and make your voice heard! Don't miss out! sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-kicks…
As tech companies make big housing commitments, promising billions in land value, grants and loans to spur new affordable home development in the region, Apple's latest announcement is more complicated than it seems. sanjosespotlight.com/apples-san-jos…
Have you read this month's In the Spotlight profile yet? This is one of my favorite profiles I've written. Chuck Davidson has made literally an uncountable number of contributions to Silicon Valley, he's warm and funny. But he insists he's no saint. sanjosespotlight.com/charles-davids…
And here's the first column in our new “In Your Backyard” series, which features the voices of Silicon Valley’s formerly #homeless residents. Hear from Ralph Duran about the day that changed his life. sanjosespotlight.com/duran-the-day-…
That was just a sampling of some of the amazing work @SJSpotlight has done in the last couple weeks. It's all free to read, though of course, not free to produce. I hope you'll read these stories, share them and if you like what we're doing, that you'll consider supporting us.✌️
