Drayage Brokersin San Jose, CA

When I was growing up in San Jose in the 1970s and ‘80s, Cinco de Mayo meant parades and festivals, with mariachis, charros on horseback and lots of Mexican food.

It looks like San Jose is going back to those traditions with this weekend’s two days of celebrations, taking place downtown and in East San Jose.

A lot of this has been the work of San Jose City Councilmembers Omar Torres and Peter Ortiz, as well as many businesses, community partners and other elected officials. Last year, there was a lot of blowback after law enforcement closed streets and freeway exits and a sense the city wasn’t making as much an effort to embrace Mexican American culture for Cinco de Mayo as it could.

That’s definitely changing this year.

On Saturday, there’s a lowrider show planned in front of SAP Center and part of Barack Obama Boulevard, starting at 9 a.m. and running to 3 p.m., with mariachis, folklorico dancers, food trucks and a beer garden. A Salsa Festival will start at Plaza de Cesar Chavez at 1 p.m., with live cumbia, salsa and old school music until 8 p.m.

Then on Sunday, May 5, two parades are planned. A lowrider parade will take it low and slow along King Road from Alum Rock Avenue to Story Road, starting at 10 a.m. and culminating at a festival at Emma Prusch Farm Park at noon.

There’ll also be a downtown parade at 9 a.m. starting at San Jose City Hall at Sixth and Santa Clara streets and going to Plaza de Cesar Chavez. A festival there, running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include music, food, vendors and lucha libre wrestling.

All that’s missing is the charros riding on horses. Maybe next year.

IT’S TACO TIME: Another Cinco de Mayo-adjacent event Saturday is the inaugural Taco Throwdown at Blanco Urban in San Jose’s San Pedro Square. Nineteen different eateries as diverse as Sushi Confidential, LB Steak, Rollati Ristorante and El Halal Amigos will be providing their taco interpretations in this inaugural event supporting the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley.

Is it a competition or a food festival? It seems like it’ll be a little bit of both. A general admission ticket includes five tacos, but you can also get an all-you-can-eat or all-you-can-eat-and-drink pass. The audience will help judge who leaves with the Taco Throwdown championship crown.

The festivities run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and you can check out the lineup and get tickets at www.tacothrowdownsv.com.

NIGHT AT THE IMPROV: City Lights Theater Company never fails to throw an entertaining party, and there are always a few surprises. Its Black & White Time Warp Gala at the Westin Sainte Claire in downtown San Jose on Saturday night was a great example.

Executive Artistic Director Lisa Mallette was just launching into a speech about artists when she was interrupted by Toby McChesney, vice provost for graduate programs at Santa Clara University. As they were heading into the fund-a-need portion of the evening, she playfully chided him and said the interruption was going to cost him a $1,000 donation, which he happily agreed to.

Then another person interrupted her for $1,000. And another. Before long — and well before Mallette could finish her speech — auctioneer Matt Roben had to step in to make sure everyone’s impromptu donations had been properly accounted for. Who knows? Maybe “Interrupting Lisa” will turn into a new fundraising tradition for City Lights.

A new restaurant is opening in downtown San Jose at the site of a former meeting hotspot for local politicos.

Home Eat, a Chinese restaurant chain with locations in Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Fremont, is slated to open sometime next week under a five-year lease with the city. The restaurant will fill the vacant site on Fourth Street where Flames Eatery & Bar used to be, giving politicians and students another option for a quick bite.

Home Eat owner Marcus Yang said the San Jose location will help expand the restaurant’s footprint throughout the Bay Area. He aims to bring authentic Sichuan, Hunan, Taiwanese and fusion cuisine to the city’s downtown, something he believes it’s lacking.

The downtown restaurant, which opened its first location in Cupertino about a year ago, will be open from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. every day and serve dishes such as hot woks, pork off the bone and mapo tofu.

“When (people) taste Chinese food and learn a little Chinese culture, we want to keep that part. But also we will add some dishes (that) will have more American flavors,” Yang told San José Spotlight.

Home Eat is expected to funnel approximately $31,225 a month into the city’s general fund, raising 3% each year. After its lease is up, Home Eat could renew its five-year contract twice, meaning the restaurant could be there for 15 years.

The roughly 11,000-square-foot, city-owned site sat empty for nearly a year-and-a-half when Flames shuttered in December 2022 after pandemic rent moratoriums expired and it was unable to make its overdue rent.

A short walk from San Jose City Hall and San Jose State University, Flames was a popular meeting spot for local politicians such as former District 3 Councilmember Raul Peralez. He said he often frequented the restaurant for fresh air with constituents outside his office and is glad the space is being filled, especially since he lives near downtown.

“We don’t want to keep our vacant spaces vacant too long,” he told San José Spotlight. “It’s important that the city sets an example.”

Vacancies in downtown San Jose extend beyond the former Flames site. Some property owners have neglected their buildings, and last year the area had 73 vacant storefronts due to the lingering effects of the pandemic.

Nanci Klein, San Jose’s director of economic development, said Home Eat will help fill the void Flames left for its local patrons.

“It’s super convenient. The food is good, and (there’s) a wide variety of food at a variety of price points,” she told San José Spotlight. “So I believe that we’ll be well served and continue the tradition of having a number of those meetings (there for) either politicians or folks who are going to hear or listen to a (council) item.”

Contact Annalise Freimarck at annalise@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @annalise_ellen on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A wellness center for students at Oak Grove High School. A $13.2 million grant program created 28 new wellness centers and expanded 12 existing ones across the region. Photo by Lorraine Gabbert.

Santa Clara County funds wellness centers for behaviorial health across numerous school districts, but money issues are forcing schools to find ways to keep them open.

A $13.2 million wellness center expansion grant program, approved last June by the county, will help create 28 centers and expand 12 existing ones. While the county is kicking in $12.1 million, about $10 million comes from federal American Rescue Plan Act and state Mental Health Services Act dollars — one-time infusions that are about to dry up as the county wrestles with a $250 million budget shortfall. About $1.1 million comes from Valley Health Foundation.

Grants will be fully dispersed by June. A wellness center is a place for students to relax, receive counseling and get referrals to other health services. The annual cost range per wellness center is $133,333 to $300,000, which typically includes staffing, contracted support services, materials, training and equipment, according to the county.

Susan Ellenberg, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, said school districts must be financially responsible for wellness centers going forward.

“The county dollars were specifically for one-time capital investments to get the facilities set up,” she told San José Spotlight. “It was never our intention to fund the wellness centers in an ongoing way.”

San Jose Unified School District, the largest local district that serves about 25,000 students across 41 campuses, has four wellness centers. Spokesperson Esme Bautista said in addition to offering support on campus, the centers provide community resources to families.

“Students can come to the wellness centers… to see the nurse or counselor and/or use the space to reset and calm down so they are ready to go back to class,” Bautista told San José Spotlight. “We continue to seek grant funding to help with the planning and opening of wellness centers.”

Franklin-McKinley School District, which serves about 5,500 students at 16 schools, has 15 wellness centers. The average cost of operating a fully staffed wellness center is approximately $250,000, Superintendent Juan Cruz told San José Spotlight. Although the district’s budget shortfall for the 2024-25 school year is projected at $12 million, he said there aren’t plans to close any wellness centers. The district will use one-time funds from its own learning recovery grant to pay for workers, and is also seeking additional funding.

Cruz said the centers facilitate student development and the ability to successfully deal with problems, crises, or traumatic experiences.

Santa Clara County views wellness centers as critical resources. According to the 2024 Santa Clara County Children’s Data Book, a 2023-24 California Healthy Kids Survey found 36% of high school students experienced chronic sadness or hopelessness.

“The youth mental health crisis manifests every day in schools, contributing to higher drop-out rates, student disengagement, chronic absenteeism and increased disciplinary actions,” county officials said in a statement.

Ellenberg said students are 21 times more likely to access health services on school campuses than elsewhere. She said some of these services are Medi-Cal reimbursable and covered by students’ health insurance plans.

“The need is high. If students are struggling, or stressed or depressed, or significantly distracted by very real challenges, it’s nearly impossible for them to learn,” Ellenberg said. “Since the county has responsibility for public health and public well-being, particularly for residents who are insured by Medi-Cal… providing those services… and doing it at the schools makes sense.”

Imee Almazan, interim superintendent for Alum Rock Union School District in East San Jose, said the district received a grant of roughly $3.6 million to develop, launch and operate eight wellness centers and expand an existing one at Aptitud Community Academy at Goss. She said the district’s goal is to operate the centers through grant funds in the next fiscal year. The district, which serves about 8,000 students at 22 campuses, is projecting a deficit of approximately $21 million.

“The wellness centers will be a powerful investment in the health and academic potential of ARUSD students and their families,” Almazan told San José Spotlight. “The district is committed to finding the resources and funding streams to provide these critical services and opportunities to our community into the future.”

Campbell Union High School District, which serves about 8,400 students at five campuses, has five wellness centers staffed by district employees and external counselors. Superintendent Robert Bravo said the annual cost of staffing the centers is approximately $1.7 million.

Bravo said wellness centers provide places for students to de-stress and participate in activities like art therapy projects, as well as receive crucial counseling. He said the district doesn’t plan to close any centers despite a decreased budget, and will pay for the centers out of the general fund.

“The board of trustees is highly supportive of these resources and does not want to see any reductions in the 24-25 budget,” he told San José Spotlight.

On Saturday, the county held a youth wellness summit at Oak Grove High School in East Side Union High School District. Santa Clara County Youth Task Force Co-Chair Anushka Tadikonda said wellness centers show students that school administrators care about their health and well-being.

“You just need a place to relax… without having everything suffocating you,” Tadikonda told San José Spotlight.

Fresh from snapping a four-game losing streak last time out, San Jose Earthquakes will do battle against Los Angeles FC at the PayPal Park on Saturday.

The visitors, meanwhile, will be looking to make it back to back triumphs for the first time this season having returned to winning ways in their most recent involvement.

Match preview

© Reuters

Luchi Gonzalez's men fell behind to Hany Mukhtar's opener in the 19th minute before drawing themselves back on level terms just past the hour mark thanks to Jack Skahan.

As a result, the Goonies remain rooted to the bottom of the Western Conference of the MLS table which summarises what has been a disastrous start to the campaign.

Lying in store next is the challenge of an opposing outfit with little to pick between the teams over the last seven matches ending in two wins apiece and three stalemates.

Having scored the fewest goals on home turf in the entire division this term, Saturday's hosts will need to up the ante at the top end of pitch to give their fans reason to cheer this weekend.

© Reuters

Steve Cherundolo's men raced to a two-goal lead thanks to Kamal Miller's own goal and a Timothy Tillman strike but were pegged back by Jonathan Rodriguez and Santiago Moreno before Denis Bouanga grabbed the winner in stoppage time.

With 15 points amassed from 10 matches so far, the Black and Gold sit fifth in the Western Conference standings, albeit just three points behind leaders Real Salt Lake.

Off the back of 10 goals conceded across their most recent four away outings, Saturday's visitors could really do with a show of defensive strength here as they look to win on the road for the first time since February.

San Jose Earthquakes Major League Soccer form:

Los Angeles FC Major League Soccer form:

Team News

Defender Lorenzo Dellavalle remains out of contention for Los Angeles due to a long-term knee injury, which he picked up in September 2023.

The away side will also be without the services of 18-year-old David Martinez, who has sat out each of the last three games with a back problem.

San Jose's JT Marcinkowski is ruled out with a knee issue, while fellow American Alfredo Morales misses out this weekend with a hip injury.

Jack Skahan opened his account for the season off the bench last time out and could be rewarded with a place in the starting lineup here.

San Jose Earthquakes possible starting lineup:Yarbrough; Costa, Beason, Rodrigues, Akapo; Tsakiris, Gruezo, Yueill; Espinoza, Ebobisse, Kikanovic

Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:Lloris; Palencia, Murillo, Chanot, Hollingshead; Tillman, Sanchez, Atuesta; Olivera, Bogusz, Bouanga

We say: San Jose Earthquakes 1-1 Los Angeles FC

Both teams have had their defensive woes of late, and we expect neither to come away with a clean sheet here. We are also backing a share of the spoils with honours even at the end of 90 minutes.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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NWSL midweek action kicks off on Wednesday as Bay FC host Portland Thorns FC at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., for the first time. Bay FC will play their first game against Portland and the expansion side is on a two-game skid as they figure out how to get back in the win column. The Thorns are on a two-game win streak and will try to improve their record on the road. Fans can watch the game on CBS Sports Network.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the game:

Viewing info

Date: Wednesday, May 1 | Time: 10 p.m. ETPlace: PayPal Park -- San Jose, Calif.TV: CBS Sports Network

Players to watch

Racheal Kundananji (Bay FC): The Zambia forward scored in her Bay FC debut last month. In four games this season, she's scored one goal and created three chances. She's had three consecutive starts for Bay FC and played 90 mins in each. Her four shots on target (xG 0.86) have been dangerous but she also plays collaboratively.

Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC): She leads the league in goals scored (five), shots (33), shots on goal (14), and looks more dangerous each week. When she's not scoring, she keeps backlines honest, opening lanes up for her teammates.

Storylines

Bay FC: The expansion side has had a wild start to its inaugural season. Bay have only have two wins through six games and have lost four of their last five matches. Despite the record, their fixtures have been end-to-end action as they are one of three teams (Portland and Kansas City are the others) to have scored and allowed more than 10 goals. They also have the unfortunate honor of conceding 14 goals so far, tied for most in the league with Houston Dash. Defenders Kayla Sharples and Emily Menges will have their hands full going up against Smith and the Thorns attack.

Portland Thorns FC: The Pacific Northwest side has turned a corner after a four-game winless streak to open the season. A coaching shift that promoted former head coach Mike Norris to technical director and elevated former assistant Rob Gale to interim head coach has provided a new spark to the squad. They're now on a two-game win streak, have outscored their opponents 6-1, and lead the league in possession won in the attacking third (51 ball recoveries) during their two consecutive victories. They're also no strangers to bleeding goals and are tied for third with 11 goals conceded this year.

Want more coverage of women's soccer? Listen below and make sure to watch Attacking Third on Golazo Network Monday and Friday for all your USWNT, NWSL and WSL women's soccer coverage.

Prediction

A midweek match with two teams who like to score and concede? Thorns could take this one just based on good form, but rotation and legs may play a factor here so here's to a good old-fashioned midweek draw with plenty of fireworks. Pick: Bay FC 2, Thorns 2