Long after all of us are gone, Yasir Afifi’s fourth amendment lawsuit will be studied by law students and invoked in cases of unwarranted searches. That’s because the ultimate outcome of the Santa Clara man’s case – which may well find its way to the Supreme Court – will influence whether the police and FBI … Read more
For almost 40 years the Santa Clara Ballet has been an integral part of the South Bay arts scene, thanks to the dedication and perseverance of the company’s founders, Josefa Reyes and her late husband Benjamin Reyes. The Reyes’ hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, the San Francisco-based Isadora Duncan Dance Awards – … Read more
In the more than seven decades that she lived in Santa Clara, there were few public questions that Santa Clara community leader Josephine Rowen didn’t make her voice heard on. But one thing she’ll always be remembered for is the landmark court case that set precedent for interpreting California’s Brown Act – the law governing … Read more
Proving there’s nothing like vaudeville for escaping a grim economy, this weekend’s annual Santa Clara Showtime offered plenty of entertainment for about half the price of a first-run movie ticket. Audiences enjoyed a live bill of original melodrama, the comedic talents of Mad Hatter duo Lou Bamberger and Bill Cannon, and an operatic close from … Read more
In Jewish mysticism, the number three represents harmony that comes from the synthesis of seeming opposites. Certainly, the number three was an important one for Tom Sparacino, who died suddenly on February 22, 2011 at the age of 67 in his Santa Clara home. Born in Santa Clara on June 17, 1942, Sparacino was the … Read more
Named for California state assemblyman Ralph M. Brown and enacted in 1953, the Brown Act mandates that public agencies conduct their business in a way that is open to public scrutiny. “The people, in delegating authority,” the law’s introduction says, “do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the … Read more
The upcoming Santa Clara County Camellia show at the Santa Clara Community Recreation Center (CRC) is the Camellia Society’s 70th. But could it be only the 69th? While officially 2011 is billed as the event’s 70th anniversary, a report in the March 15, 1947 San Jose Evening News implies otherwise: “Some 150 varieties of camellias … Read more
Depending on whom you ask, Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to shutter California’s redevelopment agencies (RDAs) would return billions to local governments and schools, or stifle the economy because redevelopment is California’s most – some would say its only – significant economic development program. One attraction of redevelopment for cities is undeniable: local RDAs receive 100 … Read more
Run For Your Wife, the latest production by the Santa Clara Players, opened on Friday, February 18 at the Triton Museum Hall Pavilion. The description of the show in the program states, “This superb example of the classic farce had them rolling in the aisles in London and New York. A taxi driver gets away … Read more
It’s getting to be that time of year again. Show Time, that is. For the 29th year in a row, sponsored by the Santa Clara Women’ League, Showtime’s intrepid players will take to the Santa Clara Recreation Center stage to benefit senior health services. As always, the action takes place in Showtime’s perennial geography, Doomstown … Read more