Hi Neighbors,

Autumn is finally here, and I am planning some big things for the month of October to bring together families and our community, including the Fall Family Festival at Lake Cunningham Park on October 28th from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M.

I will also be working with neighborhood groups on beautification events, most notably the Autumn Great American Litter Pick-Up on October 21st from 9 A.M. to 11 A.M. I expect hundreds of volunteers to come to a neighborhood near you to clean up our parks, trails, schools, and streets.

During the month of September, I am proud to share the success of my small business grant program. My office distributed grants to 57 small businesses. Supporting small businesses is important. They form the fabric and identity of our community. My parents are small business owners, and I understand keeping your doors open when times are tough is easier said than done.

Lastly, I want to thank all of you for reporting concerns to my office. It is so valuable to hear from residents to help solve issues and cut through the bureaucracy — from potholes to community safety concerns. Homelessness has been a top issue across major cities in California, especially in San Jose. My staff has been working with you to help connect RVs with Safe Parking resources and collaborate more effectively with our Police Department, Homeless Response teams, and County Mental Health partners. I am taking a unique approach to bringing a more permanent solution to homelessness instead of moving the problem from one street to the other.

Check out the rest of my newsletter and see what I have been doing and what events I have planned for District 8!

Domingo Candelas

Councilmember, San José District 8

Learn more about our community work and accomplishments in my past monthly newsletters from February 2023 onward, which provide a wealth of information including updates on legislation, community events, and important issues like the City budget, public safety, homelessness and more.

Upcoming Events

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Meeting

Wednesday, October 4th from 6PM to 8PM

@ Evergreen Village Square Library

4001 Evergreen Village Square, San José

Join Councilmember Candelas and the City of San José

in the community and share your ideas,

questions, or concerns on CERT in District 8!

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness

for hazards that may occur where they live.

Follow the District 8 CERT Facebook or see the San José CERT Program for more information and see how you can be involved!

Autumn Litter Harvest

Saturday, October 21st from 9AM to 11AM

@ Various Locations:

Carl's Jr. - Quimby Rd Plaza,

Meadowfair Park,

TREBA - Lion Plaza,

Welch Park

Join us as we beautify our neighborhoods throughout the district! 

We had an extremely successful Great American Litter Pickup this past Spring and want to keep supporting our neighborhoods in the Fall. Hope to see you there! 

Fall Family Festival

I am happy to continue this long-standing San José tradition

with support from city departments, local organizations, businesses, and community volunteers.

Please join the festivities at: 

Lake Cunningham Regional Park on

Saturday, October 28th from 10AM – 2PM.

We are bringing our community together to enjoy local entertainment, interactive children’s activities, and light refreshments.

We will also have an informational resource fair where the community can gain beneficial services and learn about valuable opportunities offered by local non-profit, government, and community-based organizations.

Councilmember Candelas at the Farmer's Market

Every 3rd Sunday of the Month from 9am to 10am

@ Evergreen Village Square

Join me every 3rd Sunday of the Month from 9am to 10am. No appointment needed. Stop by and share your thoughts and questions with me at the Farmer's Market.

Thank you to those who took the time to chat with me this month; expressing concerns, and learning about community involvement opportunities.

As a part of my mobile office hours, I will be out in the district

every 3rd Sunday of the month in the

Evergreen Village Square. See you at the next one!

In the Community

Celebrating Mexican Independence Day

On September 15th, thousands of people came together to

celebrate Mexican culture and heritage through music, food, and dance.

The city of San José is home to people and cultures from

all over the world and we are proud to celebrate our diversity! 

Thank you to the Mexican Consulate, Telemundo, and the

many leaders of the Fiestas Patrias committee for helping bring

so many cultural groups and entertainers to our residents.

Vietnam Veterans POW MIA Ceremony

I had the privilege of recognizing the Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America (AVVA) for their dedication to advancing awareness

of issues affecting Vietnam war veterans, their families,

and their communities at their annual POW & MIA Ceremony. 

Silicon Valley Pride

It was an honor to be able to join our community in celebrating

and praising love, diversity, and equality at this year's SV Pride March! 



Let’s continue to stand together to create a world where

everyone can love and live freely! 

Thank you to our Evergreen High School's Gender & Sexuality Alliance student group who joined me during the Pride March.

Small Business Check Distribution

Thank you to all the dedicated small businesses who applied

for our District 8 Economic Vitality grant program!

We distributed grant checks to 57 small businesses

and independent contractors in our district!

Thank you to Supervisor Sylvia Arenas for joining me in this effort

to support small businesses! Looking forward to

boosting mom-and-pop small businesses!

Music in the Square

A huge thank you to the District 8 Community Roundtable for

making this revival series possible!

It was great to see everyone having a wonderful time

with friends and family!

Thank you to Interstate and Cadillac Jack for the lively music. 

Also, thank you to all the Village Square businesses

who helped support this event. Stay tuned for more next year!

Ethiopian Flag Raising

We recognized our Ethiopian-American community with the

raising of the Ethiopian heritage flag at City Hall. It was a great way to ring in the Ethiopian New Year. I want to wish the community a prosperous New Year!

Town Halls

Thank you to the neighbors who joined me and Congressman Jimmy Panetta in discussing important matters, sharing insights,

and strengthening our neighborhoods at the Evergreen Community Center

and the Evergreen Islamic Center this past month. 

Community Coffee

Our Community Coffee at Le Boulanger Café was a success!

Thank you to the neighbors who joined me and Supervisor Sylvia Arenas

to share their concerns; active participation fuels change in our district! 

Mama Rocs Kitchen Grand Opening

I am grateful I was able to celebrate the grand opening of Mama Rocs Puerto Rican & Caribbean Kitchen at the Evergreen Village Square!

Subway Reopening at Eastridge

We proudly supported a local business with the grand reopening

of Subway at Eastridge Center! 

Marc Spears Recognition

I was proud to recognize East San José Native Marc Spears at the

City Council for receiving the 2023 Naismith Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award for his impactful contributions to the game of basketball.

He will also be honored by our alma mater, San José State University, with the William Randolph Hearst Award for excellence in professional journalism.

It’s been incredible to witness the impact he has made.

A true inspiration to us all.

Back to School Events

As our families and teachers get acclimated to the new school year,

it’s important to recognize all the efforts that go into educating our youth.

Over the last couple of weeks, I attended back-to-school events

throughout District 8 including Evergreen Elementary,

Tom Matsumoto Elementary, Katherine Smith Elementary, and Carolyn Clark Elementary. I also donated school supplies to our hardworking teachers at Katherine Smith. I hope our families have a great school year!

School Crosswalk Enhancements

As we get back to school, it is important to take into account

the safety of our students. Crosswalk enhancements are not

just about fresh paint; it’s about enhancing safety and accessibility.

These upgrades are vital for protecting pedestrians in our

neighborhoods so stay tuned for more District 8 street improvements!

Heroes and Cheerios at Atria

Thank you to Atria Senior Living for hosting a pancake

breakfast for their residents and our local service providers.

I had the opportunity to drop off boxes of Cheerios

and catch up with their amazing staff and residents.

Welch Park Neighborhood Cleanup

Thank you to the Welch Park Neighborhood Association

for continuing to better our community.

Together, we filled over 20 bags of litter, helping keep

our neighborhood clean!

Thompson Creek Trail Walk and Neighborhood Cleanup

Earlier this month, I hosted a trail walk with neighbors of the

Thompson Creek neighborhood focused on community safety.

I was also happy to support a neighborhood cleanup hosted by

the Thompson Creek Neighborhood Association who

cleared over 10 bags of litter in one morning.

Looking forward to more cleanups in October!

City Hall Update

My council colleagues and I voted to approve and ratify the agreement with our two largest unions and prevent a strike that would have been devastating to our residents. This was a critical decision that I made with the well-being of residents in mind. I wanted to ensure that for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, vital programs and services would be funded to serve you all.

On another note, I have worked diligently on ensuring that our residents have access to real-time translation of city council meetings in Spanish and Vietnamese. This is crucial for civic engagement and honors our commitment to transparent government.

Five Wounds Trail

It was gratifying to cast my vote as a Councilmember to approve purchase of the properties extending the Five Wounds Trail from E. William Street to the proposed Little Portugal BART Station. When I first got involved with the Five Wounds Trail, I was a student representative to the trail committee at San José State. Throughout the years, I’ve been a part of dozens of cleanups, community planning sessions, and walk-and-talks. Thank you to Terry Christensen, CommUniverCity, and the Friends of the Five Wounds Trail for their continued advocacy.

This was a long overdue step in safely connecting San José pedestrians to local transit and business districts. I look forward to ultimately extending our city trail network connections for District 8 from the Lower Silver Creek Trail to the Five Wounds Trail and beyond.

Youth Commission

The Council also approved a pay stipend to our Youth Commission earlier this month. I believe this is an important move to compensate all our youth commissioners, giving equitable access for our youth to participate. They attend meetings and retreats all while continuing to attend school. This is a step in the right direction and shows that our City strongly supports and encourages youth participation. 

Announcements

Slow Down Pledge

We still have a pressing need for expanding Vision Zero in San José.

Vision Zero is a vital initiative aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries, making our streets safer for everyone. We must continue to take steps to prevent such senseless tragedies from occurring in the future. Take the Pledge to drive the speed limit.