Walkscore.com has given San Jose an average score for its walkability. Some neighborhoods are simply better than others, with Buena Vista, Burbank, Rose Garden, and Downtown topping the list of the city’s most walkable neighborhoods. While San Francisco topped the list, San Jose was beaten by cities such as Cleveland, Milwaukee, and even Los Angeles.
Articles by Danny Wool
The engineer who first leaked the confidential memo about Google’s raise for all employees has been fired. While Google refuses to comment on the issue, observers wonder how the company hoped to keep an across the board raise for 23,000 people a secret for long. Some are suggesting that the raise was an attempt to curb a brain drain to rival companies such as Facebook.
Sixteen suspected gang members were arrested early Tuesday morning in a police sweep targeting a Bay Area gang. The raids occurred in 22 locations throughout the Bay Area, including San Jose, and resulted in the confiscation of over a ton of marijuana, ecstasy, firearms, and about $100,000 in cash.
In an email to Google’s employees, Eric Schmidt announced that the company has decided to give all of its employees a 10 percent raise and a $1,000 bonus, effective January 1. Schmidt explained the decision as a reward to “the best employees in the world.” Outsiders wonder whether it is an attempt to counter a growing brain drain at the company.
Some sixty medical marijuana activists and supporters took up their complaints with City Council on Tuesday night. They spoke out about recent police raids and the atmosphere of fear surrounding medical marijuana dispensaries. The Mayor was sympathetic to their cause, but said that the raids were conducted by the county and outside his jurisdiction.
On Saturday, Sacred Heart Community Services began registering families to receive food and gifts for the holiday. Thousands of people lined up, so many, in fact, that Poncho Guevara, executive director of Sacred Heart Community Services, says that it is the most that he has ever seen—an estimated 6,000 people.
At the Corporate Philanthropy Awards on Thursday night, local companies were honored for giving back to the community and the world. Applied Materials was honored for donating $5.2 million dollars to charitable causes, while other companies and firms received recognition for the money and time they donate to help others.
The High Speed Rail Authority has decided that the first line to be laid will be between Merced and Bakersfield, not San Francisco and San Jose. For unions this means the loss of tens of thousands of potential construction jobs, while Caltrain will have to postpone its switch to electric trains. Because it does not connect major population centers, the new line will not have any trains running on it when it is completed.
Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina aren’t the only women who have had an impact on Silicon Valley. Some of the most successful companies here count woman as their majority shareholders. Between 2008 and 2008, the top 25 companies owned by women have either maintained the same revenue stream in 2009 that they had in 2008 or succeeded in growing their revenue.
The Tech Awards will be handed out this Saturday for outstanding technological advances in Environment, Economic Development, Education, Equality, and Health to benefit humanity. Queen Rania of Jordan will receive the prestigious James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award in recognition of her worldwide efforts on behalf of children.
