Downtown San Jose, Calif., to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo Without Street Festival.

Byline: Anne Martinez

May 3--For the first time in 17 years, downtown San Jose will celebrate Cinco de Mayo without the grand street festival that was once known as the largest of its kind in the nation.

With the festival organizer and city still wrangling over an unpaid bill for police services, other Latino organizations shied away this year from hosting a downtown bash.

"It's just a matter of respect," said Fernando Zazueta, board chairman of the Mexican Heritage Corp., which manages San Jose's Mexican Heritage Plaza. "You don't go into someone's turf and take it over."

The San Jose G.I. Forum, which began organizing the downtown event …