Supporting small businesses is important to our local economy. Traditionally, November hosts Small Business Saturday. This year, Small Business Saturday is November 27th. It's a chance for us to put down the computers, and go out into our community and patronize our local businesses. They need our support now more than ever as we are all recovering from a pandemic.

I've had a chance to visit local businesses lately and I was happy to visit my friends at the School of Visual Philosophy (left) and the Billy de Frank LGBTQ Center (right).

If you're interested in painting, blacksmithing, or printmaking, sign up for a class with the School of Visual Philosophy today!

Billy de Frank's in-person Rainbow Bingo nights have returned. They will be hosting this game night every Wednesday at 7pm. No need to register for this weekly event -- simply show up and have fun! Check out their Bingo schedule and many other activities they offer here.

I am very excited about the upcoming November events included in this newsletter and hope to see you at one of them. An important community meeting regarding a homeless housing site in District 6 is included. I hope you can attend because I want to hear your input.

Best,

Dev

The light and musical art installation makes its return to San Jose City Hall by popular demand.

You may remember the colorful Sonic Runway from 2017 when it first arrived at San Jose from the Burning Man Festival. If you weren't able to see this art piece in all of its wonderfulness then, now is your chance!

Come celebrate its return with me this Friday, Nov. 5 from 6-9 pm at City Hall. There will be live music and many food trucks to enjoy this Friday evening.

Can't make it this Friday? No worries. The Sonic Runway will be at City Hall through 2028!

Make sure your bike tires are full of air this weekend because Viva Calle is back! And, this time the active neighborhood event will be in our district. Join many of your neighbors and fellow San Joseans this Sunday, Nov. 7, from 10am-3pm.

Biking around the many wonderful streets of District 6 is one form of transportation you can take this Sunday. Walking, skating, and running are also encouraged! Below is an image of the Viva Calle route, so that you can best prepare if you are driving this weekend. My staff will have a booth and will be giving out free tote bags and first aid kits -- make sure to stop by and find us for these gifts!

Each ticket provides the purchaser one entry into a drawing for the season tickets. Tickets can be purchased for $100 per raffle ticket. Only 1,000 raffle tickets will be sold. Buy your tickets now before they sell out!

Willow Glen Kiwanis is holding a Turkey and Canned Food Drive on Sunday, Nov. 14, from 12noon-4pm.

Small Business Saturday is quickly approaching on Saturday, Nov. 27. I hope you take that weekend to support our local businesses in Willow Glen and on The Alameda.

Small businesses are important parts of our neighborhoods, so let's show them our love by visiting them on Saturday, Nov. 27!

A couple of weeks ago, I emailed you about the Homekey program that authorizes city staff to apply for grant funding from the state’s $1.45 billion-dollar Homekey program. This item was approved unanimously by City Council.

San Jose's Housing Department is hosting a virtual community meeting next Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 6pm to discuss the Project Homekey application for funding to acquire the Arena Hotel, located on the Alameda. Registration for this virtual meeting is required. Register here.

The funds from this program will “address housing needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness."

We will soon be creating an advisory group for the new homeless housing site at The Arena Hotel on The Alameda. The goal of this advisory group will be to help foster communication between residents and program staff and enable concerns to be addressed quicker.

I invite anyone to join who lives near the Hotel to share their ideas on how we can use the Homekey program funds. Please watch out for my email in the coming months on how to join this advisory group.

Together, we can tackle the challenge of homelessness without sacrificing the quality of life for the surrounding neighborhoods.

This week I proclaimed November as National Adoption Month. My long-term colleague and Director of the Kinship, Adoptive, and Foster Parent Association (KAPFA), Denise, joined me on Tuesday to accept and celebrate this proclamation.

As a mother who adopted both of my children, this proclamation is very personal to me. I encourage everyone to open their hearts and homes to the many children and teens in foster care in Santa Clara County.

I am happy to report another supportive effort for those in foster care. San Jose and Santa Clara County have collaborated to begin constructing a new community center for foster youth. This center will be called the HUB and is located on Parkmoor Avenue.

The HUB will offer a safe, welcoming environment with resources to increase the health and welfare of youth in foster care.

I hope to see you at the grand opening of the HUB in the future to show foster care youth our support and love.

Parents and guardians should visit http://sccfreevax.org to sign up for an appointment or to find a convenient walk-in location.

Those who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago are eligible for their booster shot. View walk-in sites or book an appointment for your third dose here.

The current draft maps substantially change the boundaries for District 6 and move part of North Willow Glen out of District 6 into District 7. You can view the map drafts or submit your own draft here.

The Redistricting Commissions will have two virtual meetings this month where you can provide feedback on the maps. View the meeting dates below. There will be two special meetings. Registration for these Zoom meetings is required. Please register here.

SPECIAL MEETING: Monday, Nov 08 @ 6pm

SPECIAL MEETING: Wednesday, 11/17 @ 6pm

Although it’s better to attend the meeting and comment publicly, you can also send an email to the Redistricting Commission. The District 6 Redistricting Commissioner is Andrew Ditlevsen. If you have any questions or suggestions about how the City should redistrict boundaries, you can email Andrew.

After a long pause because of the pandemic, programming to keep our 50+ population active is back!

Virtual and in-person classes are available. Get your muscles moving with Tai Chi, aerobics, or line dancing. Or, keep your mind stimulated by attending a painting or creative writing class.

Check out the available classes and locations here.

Through the City of San José’s BeautifySJ program, funds are available for neighborhood clean-up efforts in your neighborhood! The new application deadline is Friday, November 5. Apply for a grant here.

Those who didn’t file taxes in the last 2 years need to fill out a simple form to begin receiving monthly payments. The form and more information are available here.

Even with helpful numbers at the bottom of plastic containers, it can still be hard to figure out whether an item is actually recyclable.

In San José, many common plastic items are accepted in our curbside recycling program but, unfortunately, not all plastics have viable markets to be reprocessed into new products.

See the comprehensive list on the left detailing which items belong in the recycling and which belong in the garbage.

Do you have questions about trees on your street? My friends at the Department of Transportation are here to help! Check out the quick Q&A above to learn how to care for local trees. If you have more tree questions, please contact them at arborist@sanjoseca.gov

If you are interested, apply here.

If you or someone you know is looking for a new job opportunity, Caltrans is hosting a career fair on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 10am-2pm.

For more information on what to bring to the career fair and which positions are available at Caltrans, click here.