#community-stories

#community-stories

In the winter of 2021, as the pandemic pressed life inward, Jenny McBride and Jo Gray began doing what so many did to stay sane: they went for walks. Each day, the couple looped through their Newton neighborhood, circling the same streets, passing the same houses, nodding at the same passersby. At first, the walks felt like freedom, a way to stretch their legs and explore beyond the walls of their duplex.

Mayra Flores and Cristal González Ávila honor their roots through poetry. Flores brings the stories of her East San José community. Her self-published debut, Flores, bridges generations towards change. Ávila, a daughter of farmworkers in Watsonville, has written and acted for the stage for the last 15 years. Her stories explore domestic violence and housing injustice, and recent playwriting credits include La Cortina de la Lechuga and Luz: Senior Stories, commissioned by Teatro Vision.

Twenty hand-painted fiberglass spheres have quietly appeared throughout the neighborhood as part of Walk to the Water 2.0: Hudson Square Storyline , a new public art installation unveiled this week by the Hudson Square Business Improvement District. Created in collaboration with illustrator and data-visualization designer Jenny Goldstick, the project transforms more than 100 stories collected from locals-residents, office workers and business owners-into swirling, data-driven artworks.

To get important local stories, get in the habit of picking up the Post in the mornings. Our print edition serves exclusive local news that competitors often copy.

"At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story."

Every trade tells a story, but behind every trade is a person - full of hope, ambition, and resilience. As we mark our 7th anniversary, it is not just a time to celebrate achievements.