There was a major street closure in San Jose on Sunday, but not because of road work or a crash, but for a community event. A big stretch of Alum Rock Avenue was closed to cars so people could bike and walk on the street for the Viva Calle event in east San Jose. “The event is all about gett ing outside and connecting with community while improving your health and improving the environment,” said Arlene Gonzalez with the City of San Jose. Another goal was improving connections with local businesses. “For me, it’s a very good impact because it brings a lot of people and these people can see our businesses, and know that we are here,” said Juan J., a business owner. However, not everyone was always thrilled with the road closure; some business owners in the strip mall, including Abe’s Liquors’, said the road closure prevented some customers from driving up, hurting their bottom line. At Alum Rock Pure Water, the owner admits very few customers stopped by, which is why he is glad he had a back-up plan: selling ice cream on the sidewalk. “For customers, this shopping mall was almost empty, but for me with the option of ice cream, it was really good,” Jacob Salas said. Another Viva Calle is already scheduled for June. Organizers say the event will center around the FIFA World Cup and focus on welcoming people to the city. ...read more read less