SAM'S CORNER

A Note on the Recent Tragedy in Our Downtown

The tragic death of 2-year-old Mateo Ortiz, resulting from the fallen tree on 7th Street, leaves many of us in the downtown community deeply saddened. Our hearts go out to Mateo’s parents, and to his extended family, which has deep roots in our downtown community.

Along with other City officials, I have continued to communicate with family members to address their needs during their time of mourning. We have examined some other trees in the area to address potential hazards to their neighbors.

The family would appreciate your support and prayers. If you’d like to reach out to help the family with funeral and related expenses, we encourage you to do so. You can contribute to a fund established by Mateo’s family at any Bank of America branch, by making checks payable to the “Mateo Ortiz Memorial Fund,” account #00420-71353. Electronic transfers should also use the Bank of America routing number, 121-000-358. Alternatively, you can send that check c/o Omar Torres (Mateo’s cousin) at 812 Vine Street, San Jose, CA 95110, please direct any questions to Omar at sjomartorres408@gmail.com.

This tragedy serves to remind all of us to periodically have a qualified arborist examine our trees for health, and trim our trees as needed. At our upcoming Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting, we will discuss what we can do collectively to reduce the cost of addressing safety hazards from trees, sidewalks, and other property-related conditions. We’d like to explore expanding a successful model used in Naglee Park, where blocks of residents pool together to purchase trimming services more affordably. Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 17, at 6:30 pm, at City Hall (17th floor); as always, all residents are encouraged to attend.

La Mesa Verde is Sprouting Good Health and Self Sufficiency

As we encounter the massive scale of suffering by the Haitian people on our television screens and front pages, millions have felt moved to act to help those who suffer from the twin scourges of natural disaster and extreme poverty. If you haven't given, or you think you can give more, the website of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation features several reputable organizations with a track record of disaster relief.

Closer to home, of course, we see poverty as well, and a response seems equally compelling. In very difficult times like these, the need can seem too overwhelming to know where to start, and giving can become daunting where many of us have to tighten our own belts.

In the coming months, our newsletter will briefly highlight ways in which we can make contribution to our local community even when we're challenged making the rent or paying the mortgage. Our energy, talents, and time can become a precious gift to a non-profit organization savvy enough to leverage those resources to help our neighbors in need.

One extraordinary such non-profit in our community, Sacred Heart Community Services, has committed its staff and volunteers to combat poverty for over half a century. From its headquarters on Alma Street, Sacred Heart has recently sprouted an innovative program, La Mesa Verde, which encourages families to improve their health and self-sufficiency by building home gardens. The brainchild of Raul Lozano, a longtime leader in our arts community and a Gardner neighborhood resident, the program has blossomed in only a few months with the financial backing of The Health Trust. The New York Times gave Lozano's program national acclaim in a recent article, noting its impact on many families in our Latino community.

On the Martin Luther King holiday, I joined two hundred volunteers slogging through the rain, mud and worms to build seventy vegetable gardens for families throughout the downtown and East Side. Remarkably the downpour didn't diminish the spirits of the volunteers, whose numbers exceeded the expectations of Raul and the rest of the organizers. Special thanks to Dayana Salazar, Sami Monsur and the Montaño family for their efforts. These and other volunteers clear the land, build garden beds, distribute seeds and educate residents about gardening. Over time, the beneficiaries will become master gardeners in their own right, and will have the responsibility of tutoring other families in their community to boost yields, exchange ideas and build community.

If you'd like to volunteer or donate to this wonderful program, you can do so through Sacred Heart's website, or by calling (408) 278-2171. Here's an idea of what your gift can do; $50 buys seedlings that will return $1,000 in produce for a family and their neighbors, $100 buys materials to build two beds for a family or the soil to fill them and $250 covers all the materials for an entire family. If you'd like to volunteer with La Mesa Verde, please call Matt King at (408) 772-1014 or email at mattk@sacredheartcs.org. In tough times like this, your time, talents and treasure matter more than ever.

Sincerely,

Sam Liccardo

Contact Us
P: (408) 535-4903
E: district3@sanjoseca.gov
W: www.sanjoseca.gov/district3

D3 Staff
Sam Liccardo, Councilmember
Ragan Henninger, Chief of Staff
Roma Dawson, Policy Director
Fred Buzo, Council Assistant
Ruth Cueto, Council Assistant
Rhonda Hadnot, Exec. Assistant

Sparking Economic Development in a Recession

Sam, joined by Mayor Reed and Councilmember’s Rose Herrera and Nancy Pyle, recently released a proposal to the San José City Council to adopt new incentives that will spark economic development and job growth in San José. With the city’s unemployment rate at 12.5 percent and the nation suffering from the worst recession since the Great Depression, their proposal encourages the City act boldly to encourage investment in San José. In the midst of this recession, many businesses are considering decisions such as relocation and layoffs, which have impact beyond their own employees, but also affect suppliers and surrounding service providers such as restaurants and retailers.

The proposal aims to encourage business growth. Under the proposal, the City and Redevelopment Agency could offer incentives to spur business development, including:

• Waive business license fees for new small businesses.

• Waive fees on parking leases for two years for businesses that enter into or renew a lease in a downtown office or commercial retail building.

• Enter agreements with driving industry businesses that expand in San José to share any “net new” taxes or tax increment received as a result of the company’s new business activity. Note: Driving industry companies are in fields such as computer technology, bioscience, CleanTech, nanotechnology, and informatics that are at the forefront of innovation and product development.

• Defer impact fees over an extended period of time, using Community Facility Districts or other mechanisms to generate the same net present value payment.

The San José City Council will consider these, and other, economic development strategies at a study session on February 8, 2010. To view a copy of their proposal, click here.

Make Your Voice Heard - U.S. Census Needs Your Help

Keep your eyes open in March for a census questionnaire. The City needs you or a household member to fill it out and mail back to ensure an accurate people count in San Jose and Santa Clara County. Every residence will receive a short form with 10 questions that is simple and fast to complete. Forms are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese and Russian; language assistance is available in 50 languages by calling (866) 872-6868. The language center will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a starting Feb. 25th. The federal government uses census numbers to allocate more than $435 billion annually for community programs and services such as education, housing, public health, senior services, transportation, neighborhood improvements and more. Your participation allows the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County get their share of the funds. For more information on local Census activities, please visit the local website.

Make A Difference: Apply for Citizens Redistricting Commission
CoIf you think you might be interested in helping your community and the state by playing a leading role in the 2011 electoral line-drawing process, apply for the new Citizens Redistricting Commission. Applications will be accepted online until February 12, 2010.

To qualify for the 14-member panel neither the applicant, nor a member of his or her immediate family, may have done any of the following within the 10 years immediately preceding the date of application:

• Been appointed, elected, or have been a candidate for federal or state office.

• Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a political party, or of the campaign committee of a candidate for elective federal or state office.

• Served as an elected or appointed member of a political party central committee.

• Been a registered federal, state, or local lobbyist.

• Served as paid congressional, legislative, or Board of Equalization staff.

• Contributed $2,000 or more to any congressional, state, or local candidate for elective public office in any year.

• Be staff members and consultants to, persons under a contract with, and any person with an immediate family relationship with the Governor, a member of the Legislature, a member of Congress, or a member of the State Board of Equalization.

For more information on eligibility information, please visit: http://www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov.

VTA Nighttime Upgrades – Construction Notice

Beginning Saturday, January 16th - February 4th, the VTA light rail will undertake a rail grinding project at selected locations. Rail grinding removes surface irregularities caused by train operations. The work does not impact VTA light rail service schedules during the late night hours and minimizes impact for motorists. Noise levels caused by the maintenance are equivalent to a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner. The project is scheduled during the hours of 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., ending February 4, 2010. The benefits of rail grinding include lessened noise impacts and a smoother and more comfortable ride for passengers. Crews will make every effort to keep traffic delays to a minimum when working an intersection. For more information, please call (408) 321-7575 or email community.outreach@vta.org. Sites scheduled include; Children's Discovery Museum Light Rail Station to Gish Light Rail Station, Tasman Avenue between the Lafayette overcrossing and Old Ironside Light Rail Station, Gish Light Rail Station to the Mountain View Transit Center.

Discount Prescriptions Available for County Residents

Last month, the County of Santa Clara launched a discount card program to help consumers cope with the high cost of prescription drugs. The County is making free prescription discount cards available under a program sponsored by the National Association of Counties that offers an average savings of 22% off retail price of commonly prescribed medicines. The discounts only apply to prescriptions not covered by health insurance. The cards may be used by all County residents regardless of age or income and are accepted at over 200 pharmacies in the county. The program has no enrollment form, no membership fee, no restrictions or limits on frequency of use. Card are available at County libraries, the County Government Center and Social Service Agnecy headquarters. For more information call 1-877-321-2652 or visit the County website.

Construction Update for the 13th Street/Japantown Area

The following construction activities can be expected during the months of January and February in the 13th St / Japantown area:

• Utility Undergrounding by PG&E and City - Through January, PG&E (ARB-Contractor) will be trenching along 6th Street between Taylor and Empire Streets and on Jackson Street between 6th and 7th Streets.  Trenching along Taylor Street between 4th and 7th Streets continues through February. During construction, there will be temporary lane and sidewalk closures with proper traffic control.  PG&E is required to maintain driveway access at all times.  
• Hensley District 3rd/ 4th St Enhancements – Construction is currently underway on 3rd Street at the intersections of Julian, Empire and Jackson and on 4th Street at Washington and Jackson and is approximatley 70% complete.   Work on the 3rd and 4th Streed median island monuments is temporarily on hold in order to evaluate safety concerns related to pedestrian and traffic visibility. Construction on all other improvements will continue and it is expected that sidewalk access and roadway work will be complete in late February.
• Jackson Street/ Japantown Pedestrian Corridor Project - Construction is underway on Jackson Street between 1st and 4th Streets and approximately 75% complete with trenching activities fully complete. Signal work at the intersection of 3rd and Jackson Streets is currently underway. It is expected the project will be complete in late February.    
• Julian / St. James Couplet Conversion - The project converts Julian Street and St. James Street from one-way streets to two-way streets with one travel lane in each direction between 4th and 17th Streets. The project has been divided into two phases. Phase One, began January 19th and includes seven traffic signal modifications and "civil" improvements on seven non-signalized intersections on Julian Street. The civil improvements incldue new sidewalks, curb and gutter, wheelchair ramps, drainage improvements and roadway striping. This phase is anticipated to be complete in late August or early Septemeber 2010. Phase Two, includes similar work as Phase One, however, the work will be on St. Jame Street and is estimated to be complete in October 2011.

For more information on projects scheduled for the 13th Street / Japantown Area, please visit https://cpms.sanjoseca.gov/pub/index.cfm.

Free Tax Preparation for Low Income Households

Celebrating its 10th year of operation , the Tax EZ program of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County will be serving low income residents with free tax preparation at multiple sites from January 21st to April 8, 2010. In response to the growing demand, this year there are two new sites offering services: St. Joseph Catholic School and Most Holy Trinity Church. Services are offered in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. Below are the six sites;

1) Vietnamese Martyrs Chapel - Monday's from 2 - 6 p.m.

2) East Side Neighborhood Center - Tuesday's from 4:30 - 8 p.m.

3) Serra Cottage - Wednesday's from 12:30 - 5:30p.m.

4) Catholic Charities, Thursday's from 5 - 8 p.m.

5) St. Joseph Catholic School - Saturday's from 9a.m - Noon

6) Most Holy Trinity Church - Mon, Wed & Fri from 6 - 8 p.m.

If you have questions, please contact To Lam at (408)325-5105 or Raul Rocha at (408) 325-5241.

Tips for Helping Haiti

For the most up-to-date information please continue to monitor www.whitehouse.gov/HaitiEarthquake.

Cash donations are the most efficient and effective way to help the relief effort in Haiti right now. They allow humanitarian organizations to purchase (often within the affected region itself) the exact type and quantity of items needed by those affected by the crisis. Read about the advantages of monetary donations here. You can immediately donate to the Red Cross to assist the relief effort. Contribute online to the Red Cross, or donate $10 to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting " HAITI " to "90999." You can also find more ways to help through the Center for International Disaster Information, or through USAID’s interactive website, which has a list of NGOs and instructions on how to help.

Local Event Benefits Haiti

San Jose artists, musicians and South First Billiards are teaming up to host a fundraising event for Haiti earthquake disaster relief. The event, on Friday, January 29th, begins at 9 p.m. at South First Billiards (420 S. First St.) and includes live music, spoken word, live painting and dance performances. Admission is just $10 and all proceeds will go to the Red Cross Haiti relief effort. Donors will receive a coupon valued at $10 for one hour of free pool, donated by South First Billiards. For more information, call (408) 294-7800 or visit the website.

Great American Litter Clean-Up!

Help the City of San Jose and your neighbors clean up litter at the Great American Litter Pick Up on Saturday, March 20th. To participate in this year’s Litter Pick Up, call (408) 277-3208. Think about organizing your neighborhood to join, it’s a great community building activity! For more information contact Servando Perez at 277-3208 or servando.perez@sanjoseca.gov.

Donate Pajamas and Enter to Win a Stay at the Fairmont

Fairmont Hotels partnered with the Pajama Program’s Open Your Heart Campaign, which will deliver warm sleepwear and nurturing books to children in need. On Friday, February 12, 2010, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., drop off pajamas, books, and cash donations at the Fairmont San Jose for this philanthropic effort. All of the collected items will be distributed to local philanthropic organizations. Donors could be entered into a drawing for a “sleepover” for two (one night complimentary stay), two Fairmont bathrobes, two Fairmont pairs of slippers, two Fairmont teddy bears, and milk and cookies too.

Mayor's Annual Community Breakfast
Thursday, February 18, 2010
7:30 a.m. to 9a.m.

This annual community breakfast features Mayor Reed's State of the City address. The event also recognizes outstanding citizens from each City Council District and presents exemplary City employees with the Pride of San Jose award. For more information or to purchase tickets online, please visit the Mayor's website at www.sanjoseca.gov/mayor.

Camera Cinemas
Movies in Digital 3D Screen
Various dates/times

Camera Cinemas has a new digital 3D screen. There are some big 3D movies coming up including Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland opening March 5th, not to mention Golden Globe winning Avatar, playing right now. For more information, please visit www.cameracinemas.com.