Dear Neighbor,
In 2021, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9. Although some of us are very far from our mothers, and some mothers live on in our memories and stories, or some of our mothers are not related by blood and instead are connected by love, we are all unified by their presence.
When I reflect on how much my mother has shaped me into the strong woman I am today, it makes me think about motherhood is a choice you make every day. A choice to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is, and to forgive yourself when you make a mistake.
Thank you to all mothers for your sacrifices, your commitment, and for shaping kiddos' lives everywhere!
May is also Skin Cancer Awareness Month! With over 5 million cases diagnosed in the United States each year, skin cancer is America's most common cancer. Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer. Therefore I encourage you all to purchase zinc-based sunscreen at your local store.
Zinc oxide is a better sunscreen ingredient, as it offers the best UVA protection of all current sunscreen chemicals. Some other benefits are that Zinc oxide does not irritate sensitive skin and is not absorbed into your body; it stays on your skin where you put it and where it can protect you from the sun, kind of like an invisible shirt protecting you from the sun's rays. Stay Safe while having Fun in the Sun!
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Cinco de Mayo is a holiday commonly celebrated in the United States and locally celebrated in the State of Puebla, although other regions will also participate in the holiday. Erroneously, many people think it is the Mexican day of Independence, which is celebrated on September 16th.
The day commemorates the Battle of Puebla, a battle won by Mexican forces against all odds. For many Mexicans, the day is symbolic of our ability to persevere! San José tends to celebrate the holiday through parades, parties and by proudly cruising our streets, showcasing the Mexican flag.
I encourage you all to learn more about the Battle of Puebla and to celebrate responsibly, especially as we face the tail end of this pandemic. As we say, ¡al mal tiempo, buena cara!
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Love is in the Air! We're talking BIG LOVE! All Dogs over 30 pounds, at the San Jose Animal Care Center,
are now just $10, unless they've been here over 2 weeks then their adoption is FREE! See ALL their loveable animals and give them a forever home.
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Since the pandemic first began, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department has confirmed 118,541 cases and 2,070 deaths among individuals with COVID-19. In California, we have had 3.8 million confirmed cases and 62,000 deaths. In the United States, 33 million cases and over 579,000 deaths.
The County of Santa Clara has administered 1,140,548 vaccines since mid-January. For three months, only over 65+ were allowed to get the vaccine, and The County has administered 79% of vaccines to that age group! In total, 45% of residents ages 16 and over are fully vaccinated. A critical feat.
We must do more! We must continue to break down the misinformation that is targeting our Latino community. We must continue to have pop up clinics on evenings and weekends.
Just this month, my staff has organized pop up clinics at our Foxdale Apartments and Children of Rainbow Park in the Gramercy area. Over all, we have vaccinated over 500 East Side areas, especially in two areas hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To prevent the fourth surge, stay vigilant by wearing a mask, maybe a two, washing your hands, and maintaining six feet apart, especially if you have received the vaccine.
We must work juntos to make sure we keep our communities safe and healthy.
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San José had a very busy April. We began the month by voting to accept the "Delano Manongs Park" as the newest park located in East San José. It is situated on the Gimelli Way area by Capitol Avenue. It is at the edge of the District. The park is named in honor of our Filipino Farmworkers who marched with our very Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. The movement contributed to the passage of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act in 1975, which established collective bargaining power for farmworkers statewide. The park is in the 95133 zip code, where over 35% of Filipinos call that area home. We are looking forward to the opening of this beautiful open space!
We have been active on the Housing front as well. We approved numerous affordable housing projects in our City. We also made sure various affordable housing apartments continued to house our neighborhoods. We all know our community continues to be squeezed out. One of those projects is the Kelsy Ayers project that will help house our residents with intellectual disabilities. We have to continue to make sure we build housing for our most vulnerable communities. We want to continue to make sure our communities stay in San José.
We also discussed and directed staff to research and return to Council ordinances that strengthen our local campaign finance regulations and organize a City Council Study Session in Spring 2021 and invite campaign finance legal experts to explore innovative approaches to limiting corruption, or the appearance of corruption, of corporate and special interest spending on municipal elections.
We extended March 6, 2020, Director of Emergency Services' proclamation declaring the COVID-19 pandemic to June 25, 2021. We also had a Study Session on how we will transition into recovery from COVID-19 for our City, our businesses, and our residents. We must plan to make sure we have a firm plan for the City of San Jose's post-COVID-19 recovery.
If you would like to attend a City Council meeting, please go to:
How to provide spoken Public Comment during the City Council Meeting:
1) By Phone: (888) 475 4499. Webinar ID is 913 2537 8626. Click *9 to raise a hand to speak. Click *6 to unmute when called. Alternative phone numbers are: US: +1 (213) 338-8477 or +1 (408) 638-0968 or (877) 853-5257 (Toll Free)
2) Online at: https://sanjoseca.zoom.us/j/91325378626 a. Use a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30+, Firefox 27+, Microsoft Edge 12+, Safari 7+. Certain functionality may be disabled in older browsers including Internet Explorer. Mute all other audio before speaking. Using multiple devices can cause an audio feedback. b. Enter an email address and name. The name will be visible online and will be used to notify you that it is your turn to speak. c. When the Mayor calls for the item on which you wish to speak, click on "raise hand." Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak. d. When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted.
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National Mental Health Awareness Month
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May marks National Mental Health Awareness Month as hosted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI, who have been combating mental illness via support services since 1949, as well as the stigmas that surround mental illness by providing education and awareness. Every year thousands of Americans suffer from mental health issues, which have only grown in number since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that has further secluded folks and has seen a rise of mental health issues. At the beginning of 2021, it was reported that 41% of American adults reported symptoms of mental health issues such as anxiety and/or depression disorders (Kaiser Family Foundation). This month's motto from NAMI is "you are not alone" to address how mental health is isolating as well as a topic that needs to be discussed more in public discourse to be normalized. To learn more about what National Mental Health Awareness Month is and for more information on and resources from NAMI, follow this link. https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month
 
This month, the District 5 Office of Councilmember Carrasco is joining NAMI in raising awareness about mental illness and the importance of mental health. Councilmember Carrasco has consistently made political strides to ensure that mental health resources and services are provided to East San José residents. We ask our District 5 residents join us in taking time this month to seek help if needed, educate yourself using NAMI's sources, and/or raise awareness for this important cause that plagues hundreds of thousands of individuals today.
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Fun Spring and Summer Activities
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As summer approaches and our sunny California weather returns in full, we will need to find fun and Covid-friendly ways to enjoy our time off. As more and more people get vaccinated, things are looking up for the Orange-tier opening of fun activities such as theme parks and pools, as well as indoor activities like museums and movie theatres, all fun for adults and kids alike! In Downtown San José, May 29th marks the opening of the Tech Museum and the Children's Discovery Museum is now open on Fridays and weekends with limited capacity. Happy Hollow Zoo is now open with reservations, and for an online alternative, they also have a virtual tour of the zoo with fun facts about the animals and the park. Alternative outdoor and socially distant summer activities could include hiking Mission Peak or Almaden Quicksilver, watching the sunset over San José at Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve, or heading over to Santa Cruz for some socially distanced time at the beach.
However, it must also be noted that we all must continue to do our part to slow the spread of coronavirus by maintaining 6 feet social distancing, not meeting with unvaccinated people, or if you are unvaccinated in indoor places or homes, nor going to large social gatherings even as summer approaches. We must continue to wear our masks in public spaces and wash our hands or use hand sanitizer consistently. Happy Spring!
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May 12, 2021 is National Nurses Day and they have been at forefront of this pandemic keeping us safe and healthy. Let's let the Nurses in your life know your appreciation within a card and a thank you for their continued hard work in getting us all vaccinated. All of us from District 5 want to say thank you for your continued work in getting us vaccinated.
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National Teacher Appreciation Day
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May 4, 2021 marks National Teacher Appreciation day. During this unprecedented time teachers have been resilient in ensuring that our children are getting their education. Make sure you let the teachers in your life and children's life are appreciated for the work they have been doing this year. From all of us in District 5 we want to say thank you to all the teachers in the Eastside for their continued work in educating our children.
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May is Affordable Housing Month, so we're sharing a bunch of events that cover how our region can grow in a climate-smart way. Keep scrolling to see what's coming up in the affordable housing world and don't miss our virtual outings and other fascinating events happening this month.
As part of the Affordable Housing Month celebrations, Greenbelt Alliance hosts an important conversation about the need to build multi-family homes as an important solution to the combined housing & climate crises in the Bay Area.
Join them on to talk about Opportunity Housing, on Thursday, May 27 at 12:00 p.m.
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It can be very difficult for families to navigate services for children with special needs and early intervention is crucial for the long term success for our young children. Families within our UAP region will benefit from this information, so we want to support the staff, social workers, SLS, caseworkers, navigators, promotora's etc., to ensure that that they are knowledgeable and aware of the services available in FMSD and ARUSD for our youngest children.
The following topics will be covered in this 3 part series:
- Supporting families as advocates for their children
- Understanding the referral system
- Legal documents and timelines
- The power of developmental screening
- Agencies that provide ongoing support
- Kindergarten Readiness
- And more!
Topics of Training:
- May 13th Empowering Families for Advocacy
- May 27th The Referral Process in Detail
- June 10th Kindergarten Readiness & Ongoing Support
Please Join Us Via ZOOM! Link: https://sccoe.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkd OugpzgjGtz_Ni0c63ZcpWOwtVD1K0dC Plan time to register prior to the start of the training.
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It's been an honor and a privilege to support the many voices of the Eastside in telling our collective stories. Therefore, we are proud to announce that KOOLTURA has released a new issues of their East Side Magazine. To read their last issue click here https://www.kooltura.com/issue2021ce A message from Kooltura: While many collective conversations have shifted toward mental health, we find it fitting to focus our anniversary issue on "el bienestar." As part of this effort, we invited members of the Eastside community to share your stories of how you are experiencing these collective moments in our history, the contributions toward our collective well-being, and your visions or ideas of how to keep our community vibrant and thriving as we kick off 2021.Join us in this journey of impact, inspiration, and power alongside each other. We can't do it without your support. Most of our operating budget-smaller than what most mainstream magazines spend on a single issue-comes from the generous contributions of people who believe in our mission. The money we raise goes directly into improving the magazine and elevating the stories of our Eastside community.
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