Karl Mondon

1 day ago | sanluisobispo.com | Karl Mondon

Cars fill parking lots behind the Santa Cruz Avenue shopping district in Menlo Park, Calif., Friday, March 28, 2025. Plans to replace the parking with low-cost housing are proving controversial. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Karl Mondon TNS Despite ongoing lawsuits and a possible ballot initiative, the Menlo Park City Council is moving ahead with plans to convert downtown parking lots into affordable housing.

2 days ago | sanluisobispo.com | Karl Mondon

VTA bus drivers wave to each other at Diridon Station in San Jose, Calif., after a judge ordered the return of service following a week’s long strike, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Karl Mondon TNS SAN JOSE — The union representing Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority workers ratified a new contract with the agency, two months after a judge ordered them back to work from their historic strike without a new contract.

4 days ago | sanluisobispo.com | Karl Mondon

GILROY, CALIFORNIA - NOV. 30: The Sargent Ranch in Gilroy, Calif., fills the foreground of this view eastward toward Pacheco Pass, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. The owners of the ranch are proposing a sand mine on a portion of their land that lies west of Highway 101, just north of the San Benito County line.

5 days ago | sanluisobispo.com | Karl Mondon

Jakob Conry, a 23-year-old student at San Jose City College, waits for class after makin the hour-long journey by bus from his HomeFirst group shelter to school, Friday, May 16, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Karl Mondon TNS Jakob Conry is the type of college student who always takes a seat at the front of the class.

5 days ago | sanluisobispo.com | Karl Mondon

Oakland’s historic California Hotel rises up behind Interstate 580 on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Originally a whites-only hotel and then a hub for African-American travelers and musicians -- including Billie Holiday and James Brown -- the building was renovated for a second time in 2014 and provides subsidized housing. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Karl Mondon TNS The California Hotel in Oakland, one of the East Bay’s most recognizable landmarks, has seen better days.