The Los Gatos creator continues to render a unique career as a visual artist and musician.
Read MoreRemembering Black pioneers of the Peninsula and Santa Clara County with historian Jan Batiste Adkins
“The most important thing we can do is to document our history.” A Stanford staff photo of Sam McDonald on campus (date unknown). McDonald worked a variety of jobs on the Stanford campus, eventually becoming the superintendent of the school’s athletic grounds, effectively making him the first African-American administrator at an American university. McDonald would later be known for his preservation of the land in La Honda that is now Sam ...
Read MoreNative son Antonio Lopez, 26, is opening doors by knocking on them…and he wants local kids to do the same. Native son Antonio Lopez will be the newest (and youngest) member of East Palo Alto’s City Council, securing the final seat by less than 100 votes via a grassroots campaign. (Image via Antonio Lopez’s Facebook page) As a small Bay Area city on the Peninsula, East Palo Alto infamously gained national attention ...
Read MoreMeet Lissette Espinoza-Garnica, the nonbinary Chicanx who made Bay Area history on a working-class platform “This movement is something I really want to be a part of — the movement for the working class. It’s shown me how much I can do.”—Lissette Espinoza-Garnica (Image via Lissette Espinoza-Garnica’s Facebook page) As young progressives seek to make their voices heard across the country, many have looked beyond protest signs or social media posts to ...
Read MoreDiscussing health, wildfires and how unprecedented smoke is affecting us long term A view from Twin Peaks in San Francisco—at 8a.m. on September 9, 2020—the day the skies turned orange over the Bay Area. (Photo by Charles Russo) For the past four years, autumn in California has become synonymous with wildfire season. Each year has brought new fires, traumas and complications to the state with far-reaching consequences. This has culminated with 2020 ...
Read MorePeruvian-born artist Claudio Talavera-Ballón talks Redwood City’s history of Japanese internment, farmworking and his addiction to oil painting “This is what I like so much about muralism — it’s that opportunity to reach the most humble, who are the greatest appreciators of art. The least able to afford a framed painting are the most likely to appreciate one.” — Claudio Talavera-Ballón. (Images courtesy of Claudio Talavera-Ballón) It took just over two months ...
Read MoreIt’s not all Zoom and gloom, but it can feel that way as comics adjust to the harsh realities of virtual crowds Menlo Park-based comic Sedric Drake performs at the Dragon Theatre in Redwood City. (Photo courtesy Sedric Drake) “I’d kill for a room with 40 people in it.” Phil Griffiths longs for the crowds, for the chance to work the room and get that up-close response. As a Half Moon Bay-based comedian ...
Read MoreStill punching: Redwood City boxing champs won’t let broken ribs and condo developers crush their Olympic dreams Gladiator’s Boxing Gym was on the verge of displacement before regaining its footing to keep their top fighters on track for 2024. Alexis Gomez (left) & Mariana Gonzalez (right) hitting bags during practice and showing off the photo poses they practiced during their USA Boxing Olympic qualifier experience. (Photos by Danny Acosta) Gladiator’s Boxing Gym in Redwood City is ...
Read MoreThe Oakland-based (two-time) Grammy winner returns with a new album of soulful music during trying times. “If I had a grant, I wouldn’t shut my studio down. I’d load my shotgun up with producers, musicians, beat makers, make my dream happen, which is Motown in Oaktown. It can happen. We can do it.” (Image via Fantastic Negrito’s Facebook page) Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz was singing on the streets just six or seven years ago, fresh ...
Read MoreThe veteran comedian discusses Trump-era America, social media and PC culture in the wake of his recently-canceled Stanford appearance Former SNL Weekend Update host Colin Quinn was scheduled for 4 shows this weekend at Stanford’s Bing Studio. (Image via Loshak PR) If there are milestones in stand-up comedy, chances are Colin Quinn has reached it. The Brooklyn native announced his presence on MTV in the 1980’s. Soon after, he landed an HBO comedy special and ...
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