Santa Clara County Local History News Articles and Digest

Land Use & Development History City of San Jose

New San Jose Non-Profit Seats Board, Reveals Early Concepts for Plaza De Cesar Chavez

12/18/2023
Image for display with article titled New San Jose Non-Profit Seats Board, Reveals Early Concepts for Plaza de Cesar Chavez

The Plaza Conservancy foresees an expanded park with fewer surrounding traffic lanes, a new stage and renovation of the more than century-old greenspace where the majestic old City Hall once stood.

From The Mercury News...

Agriculture, Food & Gardening History

15 Long-Lived Bay Area Restaurants That Departed in 2023

12/18/2023
The Bay Area said farewell to many restaurants, brewers and bakeries in 2023. The ones listed here had been favorites for years, even generations.

From The New York Times...

Water History Sustainability

Who Gets the Water in California? Whoever Gets There First.

12/14/2023
Water fights have shaped California since its infancy as a state, when its abundance seemed limitless. Now, Californians are being forced to confront limitations, and the state that prides itself on creating the future is now reckoning with its past.

From Mountain View Voice...

Business, Economy & Jobs Land Use & Development History City of Mountain View

Mountain View Council Weighs Creating a Downtown Preservation District

12/14/2023
The Mountain View City Council is taking steps to update its Historic Preservation Ordinance and potentially create a downtown preservation district, something that could add costs for owners unless some incentives are added.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Homelessness History Community Service & Support Government

The State of California’s Homelessness Crisis, Updated for 2023

12/11/2023
Image for display with article titled California’s Homelessness Crisis Updated: Here’s Where It Stands Now

Updated data for 2022 and 2023 shows that California’s homeless population is only getting larger.

From San Jose Spotlight...

History City of San Jose

San Jose Community Leader Frank Fiscalini Dies

12/08/2023
Frank Fiscalini, a devoted family man and a San Jose community leader who served in many roles from school districts to City Hall, died at 101 years old.

From SFGate...

Land Use & Development History

Native American Tribe to Get Back 40 Acres of Land from State

12/06/2023
The Fort Independence Indian Community is getting the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at no cost in 2024. Native Americans had lived on this land for centuries before the hatchery’s construction.

From Los Gatan...

Business, Economy & Jobs History

Rural Supply Will Stay With New Ownership

11/30/2023
Image for display with article titled Rural Supply Will Stay with New Ownership

Ken Nelson, who’s co-owned the Rural Supply Hardware store on South Santa Cruz Avenue for decades, had already begun the liquidation sale when he heard the good news: The party that had been trying to purchase the business from them before the landlord decided to put the property up for sale was stepping-in to purchase the building.

From CalMatters...

COVID-19 Elections & Politics History Government

California vs. Florida: Need-to-Know Facts About the Rival States Ahead of Newsom-DeSantis Showdown

11/28/2023
Political wonks in California, Florida and maybe a few states in between, will be glued to their screens Thursday night to watch Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Ron Desantis square off in a highly-anticipated Blue vs. Red State debate that’s been brewing since the summer.

From San Jose Spotlight...

History Resilience County of Santa Clara City of San Jose

‘You Cannot Deny our Existence’: San Jose Tribe Fights for Recognition

11/24/2023
The pain for Indigenous tribes in Santa Clara County is generational, dating back hundreds of years. The county's Muwekma Ohlone people, once a population of 30,000, now number at about 600.

From Mountain View Voice...

History Community Service & Support

For More Than 30 years, Ristorante Don Giovanni Has Been Serving Free Thanksgiving Meals

11/24/2023
Mountain View's Ristorante Don Giovanni served up plates of turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes on Thursday, much to the delight of patrons who lined up outside the front door to celebrate the annual tradition.

From SFGate...

History

Hundreds to Gather at Alcatraz at Sunrise on Thanksgiving

11/22/2023
Hundreds of people are expected at Alcatraz on Thanksgiving morning to commemorate Native Americans occupying the island from 1969-71. The event is known as the Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Gathering.

From Palo Alto Online...

Elections & Politics History City of Palo Alto

Frances Dias, Palo Alto's 1st Female Mayor, Dies at 100

11/22/2023
Frances Dias, who served as Palo Alto's first female mayor during one the city's most politically turbulent periods, died on Nov. 9, according to her family. She was 100.

From Metro Silicon Valley...

Business, Economy & Jobs History State of California

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Scientists Strike

11/21/2023
Image for display with article titled California Department of Fish and Wildlife Scientists Strike

Hundreds of California Department of Fish and Wildlife scientists working for the state to protect water supplies, respond to oil spills, study wildlife and track foodborne outbreaks staged a three-day walkout, in what unions are calling the first strike by state civil servants.

From Palo Alto Online...

Land Use & Development History Housing

To Add Housing, Palo Alto Looks Beyond Historic Height Limit

11/13/2023
As part of a push for more housing, Palo Alto relaxed height, density and parking rules in several sections on the city. One casualty of the change? The city's 50-foot height limit, which has long been seen as sacrosanct.

From San Jose Spotlight...

Elections & Politics History City of San Jose

San Jose’s Mayoral Race Has No Labor Candidate

11/09/2023
For the first time in San Jose's history, the city will align its mayoral race with the presidential election — a move championed by labor leaders to boost turnout and elect a progressive mayor.

From Palo Alto Online...

History Housing City of Palo Alto

After Blowback from Residents, Palo Alto Slows Down Push for 'Historical' Designations

11/09/2023
Palo Alto's contentious effort to update its historic registry kicked off when the Historical Resources Board considered more than 30 buildings for listings. But faced with opposition, it delayed reviews for about 30 others.

From Sacramento Bee...

History State of California

Capitol Gets its First Monument to California’s Indigenous Population

11/07/2023
A statue of Miwok elder William J. Franklin has been installed on California State Capitol grounds. The monument replaces a statue of Father Junípero Serra, which protestors toppled in 2020.

From Silicon Valley Voice...

Business, Economy & Jobs History City of Santa Clara

Major Retailers Closing in Santa Clara

11/07/2023
The Safeway on Stevens Creek Boulevard next to Westfield Valley Fair closed its doors after more than two-thirds of a century serving the Santa Clara community.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Business, Economy & Jobs Environment Health Transportation History

Daylight Saving Time, Explained

11/04/2023
Image for display with article titled Daylight Saving Time, Explained: California Voted for Year-Round DST. Why Do We Still Set Back the Clock?

In 2018, California voted to ditch the twice-annual time shift. But the state still has it. Here’s why.

Santa Clara County Local News: History