It is time downtown San Jose residents took back Saint James Park. Unlike the glory days of almost a century ago, when presidents and unions held massive rallies in the square, neighbors and downtown workers now describe the park as an unfortunate eyesore.

One might have wondered if law enforcement was targeting the homeless Tuesday morning, as people were cleared from Saint James Park. One would have been wrong in that assumption. According to reports, emergency personnel were responding to a package covered in white powder at Saint James Park Post Office on North First Street. The substance was not anthrax or another chemical weapon but an herbal remedy from Taiwan, ordered by a man for his child.