SF Assemblyman Matt Haney has high praise for downtown San Jose

For San Jose, it’s always nice to get compliments from a neighbor. And it’s even nicer when that neighbor happens to be state Assemblyman Matt Haney from San Jose’s fog-laden neighbor to the north.

“As a San Franciscan who represents downtown San Francisco and lives in downtown San Francisco, I’m both jealous and humbled by all you are doing here,” Haney said Friday morning at the San Jose Downtown Association’s annual meeting at the Signia by Hilton hotel.

He had just heard statistics about downtown San Jose’s post-COVID recovery and efforts by the association, its partner organizations and the city to bring more people downtown, introduce new lighting elements to spruce things up and improve safety and bring services to the homeless.

“You’re bringing back downtown San Jose with creativity, teamwork, collaboration, joy, fun and arts,” said Haney, who chairs the Assembly committee on downtown recovery. “All of the things we’re trying to do in San Francisco and across the state. I think San Jose has a lot to share with the state.”

After the meeting, Haney took a walking tour of downtown with San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Downtown Association CEO Alex Stettinski. They peeked in at the new San Jose State student housing in the former Signia annex and got a preview of Eos & Nyx, the impressive new restaurant that’s expected to open next month in the former Camera 12 space on the Paseo de San Antonio.

The group passed by some vacant storefronts as they made their way to Post Street and the Qmunity district, catering to the city’s LGBTQ+ crowd.

Curtis Manzano, general manager of the 55 South cocktail lounge, and Blair Carson, owner of Pageboy salon, talked about efforts to revitalize the street with events (and, many hope, with a permanent closure between First Street and Lightston Alley).

“I love being part of this street. It’s one of my favorite streets downtown,” said Carson, whose salon had a grand re-opening this week to celebrate the addition of a retail component. “It’s the ‘queer district,’ but I think of it as a good representation of all of San Jose.”

Haney said the state needs to lead collectively and share solutions so cities aren’t left to figure out their recovery on their own.

“It is not just a San Jose challenge. It’s a California challenge,” he said. “If our downtowns are not doing well in our state, our state is not doing well.”

For his part, Mahan thanked Haney for visiting San Jose and keeping downtowns on the agenda in Sacramento. “San Jose is the smallest big city in the country,” he said, “but when we come together as a community and set goals, we can do great things.”

MAKING AN IMPACT: More than 400 people attended Notre Dame High School’s 16th annual Women of Impact luncheon on Friday, which honored Rue Mapp, founder and CEO of the Oakland-based nonprofit Outdoor Afro, and “Star Trek: Enterprise” actor Linda Park, a 1996 alumna from the girls Catholic school in downtown San Jose.

The fundraiser for tuition assistance, which approximately 25 percent of Notre Dame’s students receive, was coincidentally held on the International Day of the Girl. The two honorees attended a school assembly before the luncheon at the Signia by Hilton hotel.

Upon seeing early photographs of the school, which was founded in 1851, Park said she thought about what those Notre Dame students would think of the event she was being honored at. “I think they would be amazed at how far women have come,” she said.

YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW: Marv and Bonnie Bamburg were honored with the Valley Legend award Thursday night at the Valley of Heart’s Delight dinner at History Park, and while they’ve both done a lot to preserve San Jose history, they aren’t exactly stuck in the past. The couple and their family members showed up to the History San Jose fundraiser in Marv’s Tesla Cybertruck, which was a head-turning juxtaposition next to the park’s historic buildings and antique vehicles on display.

Soccer legend Brandi Chastain, who also was honored at the event with the History Maker award, also had her on the future. Figuring her young grandkids might not be as wowed by Handheld Catering’s buffet dinner as everyone else was, she showed up with a pie from Pizza My Heart for them. She definitely scored a goal with them.

HONOR ROLL: Siobhan Kenney, Applied Materials’ former senior director of global philanthropy, will be honored with the Glenn George Heart of Philanthropy at the Silicon Valley Philanthropy Day luncheon on Nov. 1 at Villa Ragusa in downtown Campbell.

The Silicon Valley chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals also will honor Sheri Sobrato (Outstanding Philanthropist), Susie Richardson (Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser), Lillian Lincoln Foundation (Outstanding Foundation Grantmaker), Gilead Foundation (Outstanding Corporate Grantmaker), Summit League (Outstanding Philanthropic Organization), Carols for a Cause (Outstanding Philanthropic Youth Organization) and Beth Williams (Outstanding Professional Fundraiser).

Tickets are available at svpd2024-11-01.eventbrite.com for $100 until Oct. 20 when the price goes up.