Dear Neighbor,

Last week, we kicked off a very San Jose Holiday. We shopped local on Saturday, we lit the tree at Christmas in the Park on Friday, and we joined over twenty-three thousand neighbors for the Turkey Trot on Thursday!

But the fun doesn’t end here. 

Downtown Ice is open, Enchant is lit up and we have toy drives and food drives set up to share that holiday cheer with others in our community. 

Speaking of traditions, one of my favorites this time of year is reminding friends and family of how much they mean to me. So this is my chance to say how thankful I am to live in and work for a city filled with people like you.

San Jose is a special place to me not because of all the innovation or 300 days of sunshine (although those are certainly worth asking Santa for) – it’s special because of the people who call it home. People who come together in moments of crisis and moments of joy. People who aren’t afraid to put in a little elbow grease to create a better, safer, cleaner city. 

And we are getting better, safer and cleaner. That work doesn’t stop so we can celebrate. That work is what we should celebrate. So sometime soon, I’ll be raising a San Jose Sour to how far we’ve come and how far I know we still can go.

Cheers!

Mayor Matt

Earlier this month, SJPD arrested a suspect for multiple counts of grand theft and attempted grand theft. Even just four retail thefts is too many – over 40 is ludicrous. 

I want to thank our Police Department’s Organized Retail Theft Detail for leaning in and using the resources we have available to arrest those harming our community. We’re counting on our District Attorney and judges to use new tools like Prop 36 to intervene in cycles of crime long before it gets to this point. Our community deserves a criminal justice system that leans in earlier and more aggressively to get people the help they need and hold them accountable.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve driven past this building and dreamed about taking a sledgehammer to it myself. And last week, that dream came true! 

The old ranger station sits at one of our main gateways to downtown. And as I said last year, when we beautified the area just down the road off of 87 — first impressions matter. 

And right now, when visitors are coming for a Sharks game, commuters are on their way to work or neighbors are on a stroll, they have to walk past a burned out, sometimes lived-in, symbol of blight. 

I want to thank Councilmember Davis for her advocacy here. I know she’s dreamed of tearing this thing down for probably longer than even I have. But we’re not just tearing it down and leaving a hole. Next summer, we’ll come back to unveil a plaza in its place. 

This is part of a larger push to take pride in our city. We’re cleaning up San Jose and making it a destination. And part of that involves holding negligent property owners accountable — even, and maybe especially, when that property owner is the City.

We’re battling the beetles here in San Jose – and we need your help. There’s a lot of them — but there’s a million of us. And I know our community cares about our trees.

Beyond making our streets and parks beautiful and green, our tree canopy is a huge part of keeping the temp down in our valley. It also makes our air more breathable and absorbs rainfall to reduce our risk of flooding. It’s a vital part of our ecosystem. And we know we’ll be battling these beetles for years to keep it healthy and thriving. 

You can join the beetle battle by monitoring the trees in your area. If you see signs of this pest, including small holes with dark staining radiating from them, thick gumming, or a sugar-like buildup, report it using the form at bit.ly/ishb or contact the City of San José at arborist@sanjoseca.gov

If you are interested in lending a hand or would like more information, contact our Forester's Office at the same email address or call 408-794-1901. We’ll also be hosting two informational sessions over zoom in January and February that you can sign up for on our City website.  

Finally, avoid picking up wood scraps or leaving wood scraps by the side of the road and do not attempt to treat, prune, or remove an infected tree without alerting the City.

We’re not just fighting back, we’re also planting far and wide. In fact, we’ve planted nearly 3,000 trees so far this year. We’re working hard to protect the trees we can and replace the ones we can’t. There is a long road ahead but with the support of our neighbors, I know we can win the beetle battle.

Christmas in the Park

Sunday, December 1st to Wednesday, January 1st

Plaza de Cesar Chavez, 194 South Market Street Drive, San Jose, CA 95113

Ring in the start of the holiday season with Christmas in the Park! For over 44 years, this beloved San Jose classic has brought people from all over the Bay Area together during the holidays. Grab a photo with Santa, watch nightly live performances, and enjoy holiday-themed beverages! Learn more here. 

Clean-Up at Roosevelt Park

Saturday, December 7th at 8:30AM

Roosevelt Park, 900 E Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA 96116

Join Team Mahan, BeautifySJ, and Roosevelt Park neighbors to beautify a local park! We’ll be picking up litter, pulling weeds, and building connections with fellow San Joseans from across the city. Learn more and RSVP here.

Mural Painting with Lone Bluff Senter Neighborhood Association

Saturday, December 7th at 9:00AM

2905 Senter Road, San Jose, CA 95111

We’re painting our way through San Jose! With the help of our TogetherSJ program and California Volunteers, we’ve covered up graffiti and blight with vibrant murals and community art projects across 8 different neighborhoods in just 2 months. Want to be part of the solution? Join us and the Lone Bluff Senter Neighborhood Association by signing up here.

Enchant Christmas 

Sunday, December 1st to Sunday, December 29th

PayPal Park, 1123 Coleman Avenue, San Jose, CA 95110

Enchant Christmas is returning to San Jose with endless light mazes, a holiday village, an ice skating trail, and of course, Santa Claus himself! Learn more and purchase tickets here.

Grateful to kick off Thanksgiving Day with Silvia, Nina, my in-laws Sabrina and Danny, and over 23,000 runners at the 20th annual Turkey Trot in Downtown San Jose. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!

It’s a very San Jose Holiday! I was honored to drop the puck for the San Jose Sharks while encouraging residents to shop local! We had local small business owners from across the city join us to help cheer the Sharks on to victory — and thank them for keeping our city’s economy vibrant and unique. To shop, dine, and celebrate at small businesses this holiday season, visit here.

Meadowfair Neighborhood Association is one year old and making a difference! Our TogetherSJ program funded by California Volunteers helped these neighbors come together, form an association and organize to create the change they want to see. I know many of us feel divided these days and I want to remind you that at the local level, we have more in common than we may think. We all want the same thing — a safer, cleaner, more vibrant city. And together, we have the power to make that happen. Join us next week at bit.ly/cleansj.