Happy 150th Birthday, Alum Rock Park!

Come join me at the Alum Rock Park 150th Anniversary Celebration this Saturday between 11am and 4 pm! To celebrate this historic anniversary, Alum Rock Park is encouraging residents to enjoy the park’s nature and learn more about its history at special events planned through October 2022. All events are FREE, family-friendly and held on weekends! Event registration is required, and space is limited. Residents can learn more and register for events at this webpage.

Established on March 13, 1872, Alum Rock Park is the oldest municipal park in California, and served as a nationwide destination for decades.

With 13 miles of trails and approximately 720 acres of diverse parkland in the foothills of the Diablo Mountain Range, Alum Rock Park has been a beloved outdoor space in San José for over 150 years and offers residents of all ages, economic status, and abilities the chance to connect with family, friends, and nature.

Alum Rock Park is integral to the history of San José and many of the park’s historical elements remain today, such as 18 mineral spring grottos, the gazebo built in 1889, remnants of a once working zoo and aviary, and the railroad trestle, which was part of a railway system that connected from downtown San José to the park for over 30 years. The San José Conservation Corps is currently in the process of excavating and restoring some of these sites along with a number of trails that have been covered by erosion over the years.

San José Budget Process Continues

Part of the annual budget process for the City of San José includes extensive public outreach and input where residents from neighborhoods all over the city can voice their priorities and concerns. Community budget meetings give the City Council and City staff valuable insight that is vital to ensuring the upcoming year’s budget reflects the needs of San José. Residents are invited to lend their thoughts and help shape San José’s budget at community meetings happening throughout the month of May both in-person and over Zoom.

Saturday, May 21 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

• Tully Library
• 880 Tully Rd, San José, CA 95111
• To join remotely on Zoom click this link: https://sanjoseca.zoom.us/j/87582706706 

Monday, May 23 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

• Mexican Heritage Plaza
• 1700 Alum Rock Ave, San José, CA 95116
• To join remotely on Zoom click this link: https://sanjoseca.zoom.us/j/81002409695

In case you missed the Mayor's Community Budget meeting on February 10, 2022, check it out here: https://youtu.be/e1KTIkNuwwE

• We want to hear from you! Tell us your budget priorities using the online "Balancing Act" budget tool.
• The Balancing Act tool is available in 
• English:https://sanjose.abalancingact.com/2022english
• Español: https://sanjose.abalancingact.com/2022spanish
• Vietnamese: https://sanjose.abalancingact.com/2022vietnamese

• ALUM ROCK PARK 150TH CELEBRATION
• SJ CLEAN ENERGY - A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
• MAY PARK VOLUNTEER EVENTS

SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY BY APPLYING TO A BOARD OR COMMISSION

The City of San Jose is always on the lookout for residents who have an interest in joining a board or commission. Their purpose is to advise the city council and to provide ongoing input into policies and issues that affect the future of our City. Applications are accepted year round and if you'd like to be more civically engaged, I'm sure there's a board or commission that matches your interests. Visit here to see a full list. 

We are currently in search of applicants for the Planning Commission. This commission serves as one of the most vital and foundational advisory bodies to the City Council and staff. This commission deals with General Plan amendments, rezonings, tentative maps, appeals of environmental impact reports, and more. Please email my office if you have any further questions. You can also apply directly by going here.

In addition, we have a vacancy on the Library and Education Commission. We will be accepting applications over the next few weeks so we can appoint somebody by the end of June. 

The Berryessa Community Center is also in need of board members. The last 2 years of pandemic have created unique challenges for the community center and we're looking for new leadership to help spearhead efforts to evolve existing programs and create new ones that reflect the changing needs and requirements of the community. Please email Karen Aguirre if you're interested in being a Board Member.

MAY PARK VOLUNTEER EVENTS 

Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services is hosting several volunteer opportunities though the month of May. Please sign up to volunteer and help keep our District 4 parks beautiful!

Register for the Sunday in the Park - Brooktree Park event

Alum Rock Trail Crew

15350 Penitencia Creek Rd.

San José, CA 95127

Date & Time

Saturday, May 14

8:45 a.m. - noon

40 volunteers max

Register for the Alum Rock Trail Crew event

Community Day at Commodore Park

N. Jackson Ave. & Commodore Dr. San José, CA 95133

Date & Time

Saturday, May 14

8:45 a.m. - noon

40 volunteers max

Register for the Community Day at Commodore Park event

Community Cleanup at Northwood Park

Autumnvale Dr. & Lakewood Dr. San José, CA 95132

Date & Time

Saturday, May 28

8:45 a.m. - noon

40 volunteers max

Register for the Community Cleanup at Northwood Park event

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022 @ 5:00 P.M.

SLAM VIRTUAL YOUTH CONFERENCE

Please join the AACI (Asian American for Community Involvement) Youth Program for their annual youth SLAM (Sports, Leadership, Arts, Media) Conference on May 20th and 21st. 

This is a FREE virtual event for Santa Clara County Youth, ages 12-18. The conference will feature Nirvana Soul's co-founder, Be'Anka Ashaolu, Google Sports Analyst and Warriors Game Day Statistician, Annanya Raghavan, filmmaker and Netflix's Gentefied co-creator, Linda Yvette-Chavez, plus a performance by Ashley Mehta. 

Youth will receive a conference kit and can win raffle prizes throughout the two-day event.  Register for this event at tinyurl.com/AACISLAM22

SMALL BUSINESS RENT RELIEF PROGRAM

Attention San Jose business-owners! A new grant program opens May 3!

New grants of up to $15,000 are available, starting May 3. It is designed to help small business owners pay back-due rent that they couldn’t pay because of COVID-19.  

300 businesses are expected to receive a grant with awards varying from $5,000, $10,000 and a maximum of $15,000. This is not a ‘first come first served’ program. A lottery system will be used to select recipients. 

The grant program will be launched at 1 p.m. on Tuesday May 3 and close at 5 p.m. on May 30, 2022. 

Is your business eligible?  

·    You must be able to show outstanding commercial-property rent debt that you owe from March 24, 2020 through August 19, 2021.   

·    Your business must have annual gross receipts less than $3 million.   

·    Your business must have 10 or fewer full-time employees including the business owner.  

·    Businesses must have been in business prior to March 24, 2020.   

How do I apply?   

Submit a complete application online or in-person at the offices of Enterprise Foundation (Access SBDC) before 5 p.m. May 30, 2022. To learn more, please visit the website.

Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests for Everyone: Every home in the U.S., regardless of their insurance status, is eligible to order four free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. Orders ship in 7-12 days. Order free at-home tests at www.covidtests.gov.   

Avoid Fake COVID-19 Tests: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Division of Consumer and Business Education recently issued guidance on how to avoid purchasing fake COVID-19 tests. For more information, visit the FTC webpage. 

Guidance to COVID-19 Testing Options: With the high demand for COVID-19 testing locally, the County Public Health Department offers guidance on what kind of test to use, when a test is needed, and where you should and should not go to get tested. The testing options are a PCR test, typically administered in a clinic or drive-through operation, and an antigen test, which is available for home use. To help inform residents about the COVID-19 testing options, we encourage you to share these social media assets. 

Everyone 12 and older who is six months out from their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two months out from their Johnson & Johnson vaccine, is eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot. People over 50 or those with weakened immune systems can receive a second booster 4 months after they received the first booster. 

No Appointment Necessary for COVID-19 Vaccinations: The vaccine clinic locations listed below do not require advance appointments, however, capacity and wait times may vary. Appointments are strongly encouraged and can be made at www.sccfreevax.org.

Vaccinations are free, and no insurance or proof of immigration status is required. Anyone age five or older is eligible. Staff will be onsite to support language needs and disability access. Individuals seeking vaccination are encouraged to arrive at least one hour before closing time. Additional clinic dates and locations are added frequently, check www.sccfreevax.org for the most up-to-date information. For Santa Clara County locations outside of San José, visit the County’s vaccinations web page.

Vaccination Sites

· Sun Pharmacy (2559 S. King Rd., San José 95122)

· Advance SJ Pharmacy (2331 Montpelier Dr., Suite A-10, San José 95116)

· Dan Hopner MD/Rom Romero PA (2060 Aborn Rd., Suite 100, San José 95121)

· Emma Prusch Park (647 S. King Rd., San José 95116)

· Bay Area Community Health (5504 Monterey Hwy., San José 95138)

· Bay Area Community Health (Rocketship Mosaic) (950 Owsley Ave., San José 95122)

· Bay Area Community Health (1855 Lucretia Ave., San José 95122)

· Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (101 North Bascom Ave., San José 95128)

· Story Road HUB (1775 Story Rd., San José 95122)

· Latino College Preparatory Academy (14271 Story Rd., San José 95127)

Testing Sites

· Santa Clara VTA (OptumServe) (3331 North First St., San José 95134)

· Santa Clara VTA (OptumServe) (3990 Zanker Rd., San José 95134)

· SCC Office of Education (OptumServe) (1290 Ridder Park Dr., San José 95131)

· Valley Medical Center/Valley Health Center East (1993 McKee Rd., San José 95116)

· Valley Water (OptumServe/CDPH Bus) (5750 Almaden Expy., San José 95118)

· Bay Area Community Health - Monterey (5504 Monterey Hwy., San José 95138)

· Costco (OptumServe/CDPH Bus) (2376 S. Evergreen Loop, San José 95122)

· Santa Clara VTA (OptumServe) (2240 S. 7th St., San José 95112)

· County Fairgrounds, Parking Lot A (344 Tully Rd., San José 95111)

· Grand Century Mall (OptumServe/CDPH Bus) (1111 Story Rd., San José 95122)