Dear Neighbor,

This newsletter, I want to honor the nine innocent public servants who lost their lives at the VTA Railyard from such a senseless and horrible act of violence. The people who work for VTA have dedicated themselves to public service. Because of their service, their pain is our pain.

Below are their names:

Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63

Adrian Balleza, 29

Alex Ward Fritch, 49

Jose Dejesus Hernandez III, 35

Lars Kepler Lane, 63

Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40

Paul Delacruz Megia, 42

Taptejdeep Singh, 36

Timothy Michael Romo, 49

My heart goes out to all the families and friends who lost a loved one. If you are a VTA rider, please remember to demonstrate kindness and compassion to the men and women who keep it running. They continue to work for all of us as they deal with their own pain. Let us ensure that they do not have to suffer through it alone.

Best,

Dev

I want to give a shout-out to Robert Hernandez and his wife, Kristin, founders of Pitmaster, for their very generous efforts in helping the Willow Glen Little League with donations of baseball gloves this season. It's partnerships and sharing connections and information in our community that keeps us resilient and strong! Here's the story in Robert's own words:

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I want to emphasize what Robert said, "Absolutely amazing what people can do together!" If you need a connection or resource, please contact my office and we'll do the best we can to partner with you!

Save the date for a COVID-Modified Rose, White & Blue Parade! The committee is working with the City and County to ensure all COVID health and safety guidelines are followed. Sign-up to receive updates at rwbsj.org.

All types of fireworks, even those labeled 'safe and sane' are illegal in San José and most of Santa Clara County. The illegal fireworks hotline number is 408-535-5600. You can also report online here.

The fines for using fireworks were increased in December 2020 and are now:

-$1,000 for a first violation

-$2,000 for a second violation (within 18 months of the previous violation)

-$3,000 for a third violation (within 18 months of the previous violation)

The sale of fireworks may result in a fine of up to $50,000 plus jail time, depending on quantity.

Starting Monday, June 7, the San José Public Library (SJPL) will reopen eight additional branch libraries, as well as offer its annual free Summer Food ‘grab and go’ program for families at select locations. The Bascom Branch location in D6 is included in this phase!

Library customers will be able to browse the bookshelves, check out materials, access public computers and receive support from SJPL librarians, our local information experts. These eight locations will also open at 50-percent capacity and are part of the second set of branches outlined in SJPL’s phased approach to reopen its buildings. Residents can still access the Express Pickup service at closed locations, indoor Tech Access at select locations, and online chat service 7-days a week.

For more information and details about the Library’s reopening, visit www.sjpl.org/reopening.

The City of San Jose invites interested members of the community to participate in the process of City Government by serving on one of several Boards and Commissions. All positions are voluntary and most appointed by the City Council. The time commitment for each board or commission varies, with some meeting on a regular schedule, while others meet on an as needed basis. Additional time obligations may include pre-meeting preparation or subcommittee attendance. Once appointed, attendance at regularly scheduled meetings is critical.

Vacancies and applications here.

San Jose Public Library is kicking off its Summer Food Program from June 7 to August 13, which offers free healthy ‘grab and go’ meals for children and teens, ages 2-18, and their families. Last year over 5,000 families picked up meals at the four locations the program was offered. See the list of participating library branches below.

People can also participate in the Library’s virtual programs, sign up for Summer Learning, SJPL’s annual reading program, and show off their creative skills by joining the Graphic Novel Making Contest for a chance to win prizes (ends July 31). To learn more about these programs, visit www.sjpl.org/summerlearning.

For details, read here.

Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful is hosting a creek cleanup Father's Day weekend! The cleanup is on Saturday, June 19, at 9:00 AM. Due to the current city health restrictions we will be having rolling start times every 5 minutes. Each group of 25 people will be directed to different areas of the park to maintain the safety of all volunteers.

Register here.

2021 marks the fourth year of SEEDS (Student Engagement and Education for Development and Success), a summer youth program hosted by the Vietnamese American Roundtable to train and grow future community leaders who can address community issues through hands-on programming experience. Register here.

Youth from ages 14-24, from high school to college, will engage in curated community spaces, workshops, and planning sessions to learn about current issues impacting the local Vietnamese community, to identify significant issues that are resonant with their own experiences, and to configure sustainable solutions to these issues, such as racial subjugation and discrimination and anti-AAPI hate and violence.

Through the course of the summer-long program, participants under the guidance of professional mentors from VAR will develop potential solutions, equip themselves with and grow pertinent skill sets, as well as learn about strategies for effective advocacy.

At the conclusion of the program, participants will work collaboratively to share a community-engaged, issues-based project of choice at a public showcase open to all family, friends, and community members to attend. Our showcase this year is scheduled for Saturday, August 7th, 2021.

Register here.

Learn more and donate here.

The Sustainability and Compliance Division of the Environmental Services Department is giving away two free LED lightbulbs to any San Jose resident who watches the "Zero Net Carbon Buildings" video and completes the accompanying survey.

This initiative supports the comprehensive program, Electrify San José, which focuses on carbon reductions in existing residential buildings and supports San Jose's aggressive Zero Net Carbon (ZNC) building goals. It is intended to increase awareness of ZNC Buildings, which are designed to meet all its energy needs from carbon-free sources such as solar or wind. ZNC Buildings are important in helping residents and businesses reduce energy use and emissions to support healthy, Climate Smart communities.

Electrify San Jose is funded through a Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Climate Protection grant, and our goal is to reach 500 giveaways by the end of July.

GreenSource is SJCE’s default service offering 40% renewable energy at competitive rates; to receive 100% renewable energy, customers can upgrade to TotalGreen for about $4 more per month for the average home.

SJCE’s GreenSource generation rates are still about 30% lower than PG&E rates and have decreased significantly in 2021 to counteract an increased PCIA. SJCE is advocating for improved PG&E management of above-market costs with the California Public Utilities Commission to give customers more savings.

To learn more about the PCIA, visit here. If you’re fired up about it, you can file a complaint to the California Public Utilities Commission.

Home package delivery is now very common, and online shopping continues to grow in popularity. Doorstep deliveries arrive with a variety of packaging materials including cardboard boxes, plastic or paper mailers, bubble wrap, air pillows and expanded polystyrene (EPS).

EPS – also known as “Styrofoam”, a trademarked name of a unique type of polystyrene – is a problematic material and unfortunately, not accepted in San José’s curbside recycling container.

Residents are instead encouraged to reduce their use of polystyrene whenever possible, or reuse it for future packages or other projects. If you are unable to reduce or reuse, find a drop-off recycling location or throw in the garbage. Learn more about all of these options on this blog about EPS. Unsure of what to do with other packaging? Read this blog about Amazon packaging or check out the recycling guide on SanJoseRecycles.org to learn how to recycle or dispose of all kinds of packaging materials, as well as hundreds of other items.

Recycling reduces waste, keeps recyclable materials out of the landfill and helps protect the environment. Recycling also saves energy and valuable natural resources, and creates jobs. When a community recycles right, it improves quality of life and supports the local economy.

Visit here for program details.

You can look at the pavement projects map for the schedule.

The County of Santa Clara offers support options for people who test positive or have been in contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive. If you need help with food, bills, or a place to stay while you isolate or quarantine, please call 408-808-7770, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily to see what services are right for you. To start the process, please leave a voice message with your name, phone number, and immediate needs in your preferred language. All calls are returned. www.scchelps.org.

Experts agree that the health risks associated with COVID far outweigh the risks of the vaccine. Make an appointment to get vaccinated today! There is also walk-in availability. http://sccFreeVax.org.

Santa Clara County Vaccine Update: Of residents 16+, 71.2% received at least one vaccine dose and 44.7% completed vaccination.

As vaccines roll out, it is important to continue following Public Health Orders. Visit here for more info. Read the full list of what is currently permitted under state guidelines here.