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Dear Neighbor,
The month of October is a ceremonial month for many causes, and one of the causes that is important for us to maintain vigilance over is Domestic Violence. Often a silent or quiet trauma, Domestic Violence is an incredible threat to the safety, security, health and wellness of our neighbors and their children, and it's one that I am especially concerned about.
I am happy to say that the City has made some strides recently in the area of Domestic Violence intervention, and my hope is that the rebuilding of our core services will bring more opportunities for our staff to become engaged in methods of education and outreach - two important aspects of prevention. The City is in the process of accepting almost $1 million dollar award of a Department of Justice grant to help our police officers and criminal justice staff properly report and effectively prosecute domestic violence offenses. Almost a month ago the City accepted a Justice Assistance Grant that offered an allocation for Domestic Violence services as well. Additionally, through the last budget process I advocated for $50,000 to be allocated for Domestic Violence prevention services.
There is plenty of research to indicate that children that experience violence in their home or community are at a higher risk for becoming underage parents, participating in abusive relationships, or becoming abusive themselves. I am very proud of our Police Department's high level of skill in leveraging our dollars with Federal funds to make our communities stronger. They are often awarded many grants for a variety of prevention and intervention strategies for different types of crime, and I am pleased to see that our City is building back it's services and attention to this very victimizing crime.
If you or someone you know is experiencing Domestic Violence, please know that there is a community ready and waiting to help. Resources are available and can be found on the Department of Justice Website, or by calling either Next Door Solutions: 408-279-2962 or the YWCA of Silicon Valley: 1-800-572-2782
If you have thoughts on this or any other topic, feel free to contact my office at District9@sanjoseca.gov or by phone at 535-4909.
Sincerely,
Donald Rocha
Halloween Safety Tips
Halloween can be a fun holiday for kids, but a worrisome one for parents. Concerns about children's safety--whether they are out in the neighborhood or back home with bags of booty--can darken the day more quickly than a black cat. But not to worry! To make Halloween a treat, follow these safety tips.
ADULTS
Welcome trick-or-treaters with your porch lights and any exterior lights on. Patrol your street occasionally to discourage speeding motorists, acts of malicious mischief and crimes against children. Report any suspicious or criminal activity to your police department immediately. In San Jose call 9-1-1. Do not give homemade or unwrapped treats to children.
If your children are Trick-or-Treating, make sure that they walk in a group or with a buddy and are accompanied by an adult with a flashlight. Placing strips of reflective tape on the backs of costumes and shoes will also help children be noticed in the dark. Watch out for uneven sidewalks, especially if your child is wearing a mask.
MOTORISTS
Exercise extreme caution when driving a vehicle. Be on the alert for excited youngsters, whose vision may be obscured by masks, darting out into traffic.
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS
Remind your members to leave their lights on and follow the tips outlined above. Consider distributing a fun image of a pumpkin or witch or other Halloween icon for neighbors to print out and place in their window, noting that they are participating in safe Trick-or-Treating!
Please visit the City of San Jose Police Department's Website for more safety tips.
Affordable Care Act
Millions of Californians will soon be able to enroll for coverage through the Covered California™ health insurance marketplace. Open enrollment begins in October 2013 and continues through March 2014. Starting in January 2014, most Californians over age 18 will be required to have public or private health insurance or pay a financial penalty.
One of the first steps for individual consumers to prepare for enrollment is to get familiar with the health insurance plans Covered California offers. You can learn more about coverage in Santa ClaraCounty by viewing this presentation here: http://www.coveredca.com/news/101-presentations/101%20Consumer%20Region%207.pdf
Still confused about the Affordable Care Act? This video from the Kaiser Family Health Foundation gives a fairly comprehensive overview of how the ACA will work: http://youtu.be/JZkk6ueZt-U. For specific answers to your questions or to purchase coverage, visit http://www.coveredca.com/ or call (800) 300-1506
To help the community, Senator Jim Beall is hosting two health forums in October. The forums will provide important tips on how to find an affordable health plan that fits the community's needs and how to avoid mistakes that could cost hundreds of dollars in health care and prescription costs.
FREE Health Fair and Forum
DATE: Saturday, October 19
TIME: Forum 9:00AM-12:00PM Health Fair from 10:00AM-2:00PM
LOCATION: Mayfair Community Center, 2039 Kammerer Ave. San Jose
Co-hosted by Sourcewise (previously Council on Aging Silicon Valley) & SEIU Local 521 Vietnamese and Spanish translation available for those who call ahead.
RSVP at www.sen.ca.gov/8326/healthfair or call (408) 558-1295.
District Wide and California Student Speaker Contest
District wide and Calif Student Speaker Contest for any high school student who is interested in public speaking. Our Lions District has a Student Speaker Contest each year for high school students. The topic this 2013-14 year is "Community Service--What Does It Mean and Why Does it Matter?" The speech must be between 5 and 10 minutes long and the winners can go on to win $4,500 from our District and then the winner goes on to the Calif contest where they can win a $10,000 scholarship.
Contact Karen Fillmore at karenfillmore@gmail.com for more information or you can go to studentspeaker.md4lions.org for more detailed information and the rule book from last years contest.
Build A Playground in Your Community!
KaBOOM! is excited to announce that we will be partnering with a corporate sponsor to build a playground in San Jose in Fall 2013! KaBOOM! is currently accepting applications from community groups, non-profit organizations, schools, and civic associations who are interested in building playgrounds in their communities.
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has built over 2,200 playgrounds using our signature Community Build Model that rallies local communities to build playgrounds in a single day and strengthen their communities while doing so. Visit their website to learn more about our Community Partner Program.
Benefits of becoming a KaBOOM! Community Partner:
- Receive a new playground that is custom designed by your community for your community. Visit KaBOOM'S photo gallery to view some past KaBOOM! playground projects!
- Engage community members by working towards a common goal: a safe place to play for their children.
- Participate in an 8-10 week playground planning process led by a skilled KaBOOM! project manager that will help provide access to new fundraising tools, engage residents and neighbors, build lasting relationships, and develop media relations and insight that can be used to enhance the success of future community projects.
- Establish ongoing relationships with KaBOOM! and other communities who have rallied together to build playgrounds across the country through our alumni program and a playground sponsor who is invested in positively impacting your community.
Want to learn more? Wondering whether your organization is eligible for this opportunity? Questions about how you can apply?
Contact Keara Cormier-Hill at 202-464-6428 or kcormier-hill@kaboom.org to learn more!
Changes to Garbage Billing
Last month, the City Council voted to shift away from bi-monthly billing for residential garbage and recycling services for single family homes, adding the amount onto the bi-annual property tax bill instead. Understandably, there is some confusion over the new model which will take effect in May/June of 2015. To help constituents with questions about the property tax billing for garbage and recycling services, Environmental Services staff created “New Garbage & Recycling Billing Model FAQs” and posted them online. Starting from the City’s home page, click on Environment, then Recycling & Garbage, then Residents. The FAQs are under Resources on the left side of the screen: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/Index.aspx?NID=1542.
Staff has an e-mail box that is monitored daily for resident’s questions and feedback, feel free to provide this to any resident that may call: recycleplus@sanjoseca.gov
Mayor's Town Hall Meetings
Please note correction to flyers-all meetings will take place from 6:00pm-7:30pm
Please view the flyer here in Spanish and Vietnamese
PRNS community centers have a wide variety of programs, activities and special events for everyone. From classes, sports programs, fitness classes, therapeutic programs and special events, there is something for individuals of all ages. The Camden Community Center is conveniently located just off Highways 85 and 17/880 near the intersection of Camden and Union Avenue.
For more information on the fall offerings at Camden, please visit the following link:
Camden Community Center Fall Brochure.
CALLING ALL VIDEOMAKERS!
CreaTV San Jose is accepting entries for The 2013 CreaTiVe Awards. Videomakers from the Bay Area and Santa Cruz are invited to submit videos for competition in one or more of 10 categories. NEW FOR 2013! NO MORE DVDS New entry form allows you to enter into multiple categories, make one payment and upload your video for judging, all at the same time, at www.creatvsj.org.
Call for Entries Deadline: November 1, 2013 Entry Fee: $30 per entry, per category
Winners receive the Adobe Creative Suite Professional Edition, valued at $1,800! Winners announced on January 18, 2014 at The CreaTiVe Awards Gala at the California Theatre in San Jose. Special guests include Community Media Champion Awardee, Ed Asner and Rudy Parris from “The Voice.” Questions? Contact Pam Kelly at (408) 295-8815 ext. 307 or pam.kelly@creatvsj.org.
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