June 2023

Greetings in June,

After a three-year hiatus, San Leandro is bringing back the annual Cherry Parade and Festival on Saturday, June 3rd, 2023. This festival has been a community favorite since its inception in 1909, and it expects to attract nearly 50,000 visitors to the heart of historic San Leandro.



The Cherry Parade will commence at 10 a.m. at Parrott Street and San Leandro Blvd, travel on East 14th, and then end at the Main Library. You can expect everything a small-town parade should have, including marching bands, family-friendly fun, silly floats, and more!

After the parade, head to West Estudillo Ave. for the Cherry Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be two stages, including a community stage and a main stage featuring various Bay Area’s best party bands. New this year is the Fun Zone, hosted by local schools, where kids can play fun carnival games for prizes, and people of all ages can try out pickleball.

At the Festival, you can browse over fifty artisans selling handmade and originally designed products, including unique and whimsical jewelry from the local makers at Unpossible Cuts. Additionally, twenty-five food vendors will sell cuisine from around the world, and you can indulge in delicious treats like cherry ice cream from San Leandro’s own Koolfi Creamery. And for adults, there will even be local beer and sangria to enjoy.

For complete details, visit www.SanLeandroCherryFest.com. Hope to see you there!

The City of San Leandro will raise the Progress Pride Flag in front of City Hall on Monday, June 5th, at 5:30 p.m. A reception in the Sister Cities Gallery will follow the ceremony.

This year’s event theme will focus on inclusion and belonging. According to Cornell University, belonging is the feeling of security and support in a person’s community, and inclusion welcomes them into the community without prejudice. "As a proud resident of San Leandro, I believe that our city's diversity is inspiring and impactful. We must continue to cultivate an inclusive environment where each person feels welcomed and celebrated," shared Mayor Juan González. "Our LGBTQ+ community has my unwavering support, as we work together to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect."

The ceremony and flying flag will also be visible from East 14th Street and passing motorists. Elected officials and community leaders have confirmed their attendance at the ceremony. Attendees can park in the north parking lot at E. 14th Street and Lorraine Ave. There is limited free parking on E. 14th Street in front of City Hall.

First Milestone Achieved on CalFire Tree Planting Work 

After much work this past year, City of San Leandro hit its first milestone in the CalFire tree planting grant, with 530 trees planted, just over 10% towards the goal of 5,000 trees planted by March 2026. The latest tree planting was completed with staff from the City Manager’s Office and IT Department along the Washington Ave underpass, with mulching by Finance Department staff. These trees will help reduce urban heat, improve air quality, and address climate change. The tree planting season will be wrapping up this month and community partner Common Vision will be shifting to watering and tree care duties for the summer, with assistance from Student Conservation Association youth crews. 

If interested in joining tree planting events in the fall, sign up here: https://forms.office.com/g/zfg8iK2VyG

Survey on Installing Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers at Senior Community Center 

City of San Leandro is partnering with East Bay Community Energy to install public fast EV chargers at city facilities across San Leandro. One of the potential locations being considered is the Senior Community Center. Please fill out this short 6-question survey (English, Spanish, and Chinese) to help us determine the ideal number of chargers to install at this location: https://forms.office.com/g/3vYNXVUpPQ 

Spotlight: Green Business Resources

A variety of resources are available to help businesses ‘go green’, which can reduce their bottom line and respond to consumer demand. This month we are highlighting two top programs – the Green Business Certification program and the CALeVIP electric vehicle charging funding, which is accepting applications through July 31, 2023. An ongoing list of green business resources can be found on the ‘Sustainability at Work‘ section of the City’s Sustainability website.

The California Green Business Network

The California Green Business Network leads the state and nation in working with small to medium sized businesses to create a vibrant green economy. Led by a coalition of cities and counties, the Green Business Network contributes by...

Four New Restaurants Open in San Leandro

San Leandro’s restaurant scene continues to grow and evolve, and just in the past few weeks, four new restaurants have opened, adding to the diversity of dining options in the city.

On May 9, 2023, after much anticipation, Nick the Greek opened at 1509 E. 14th Street, offering free lunch on opening day. Since then, diners have raved about the restaurant, applauding the quality of the food and the portion sizes.

Nick the Greek is a gyro and souvlaki restaurant, offering staple...

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant - Estudillo Canal and Neptune Drive Flood Protection Project

We are pleased to share the attached Initial Public Notice for the Estudillo Canal and Neptune Drive Flood Protection Project. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) intends to provide federal financial assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District in Alameda County, California to:

1. Modify the Estudillo Canal by making improvements to the tidegate
2. Lower a portion of the canal
3. Create a berm and floodwall along Neptune Drive

The proposed action would mitigate impacts from flooding by increasing flow capacity and redirecting flow in the Estudillo Canal, thus increasing shoreline protection at Neptune Drive to prevent coastal flooding from entering the project area. The funding will be used to construct projects that remove approximately 1000 properties from the 100-year flood zone. The City recommends that every property owner maintain flood insurance; however, this action will remove the requirement for flood insurance from these properties. The amount of the grant is unknown at this time, additional funding may be required to construct the entire project. Engineering staff will provide updates as they become available.

On Saturday, May 20th, over 35 SLPD members and their families represented at the CPOA Run to Remember 5k and 10k runs in Pleasanton to remember and support those officers lost in the line of duty.



From interns to management, from employees with just weeks at our department to others nearing the end of their career, we had just about every division and unit represented.

Shout out and congratulations to three of our members for placing in their age group categories!

WEAR OUR BLUE

The San Leandro Police Department is NOW HIRING for the following positions:

• Records Clerk $5208-$6331
• Police Officer Recruit Trainee / Academy Attendee $6,647-$8,079
• Police Officer Academy Grad / Lateral $9,180-$12,302
• Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor $8,691-$10,564



If you want to JOIN OUR TEAM and WEAR OUR BLUE, visit:

www.wearourblue.org or https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/cityofsanleandro

The ACFD Reserve Firefighters & CAL FIRE Firefighters were successful in serving the community of Castro Valley with our Chipper Program.

They were able to assist our community with defensible spacing and awareness regarding wildfires. 

Learn more about Alameda County's Chipper Program here:

https://fire.acgov.org/chipper-program/

On May 24, 2023, the Alameda County Fire Department and Alameda County Firefighters Association-Local 55 were honored to receive an award at Raising Leaders’ Tree Dedication Ceremony.

The ceremony honored Ms.Davida’s students who have lost their lives throughout her career & former Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle.

Raising Leaders was founded solely to build partnerships that would give their students elite opportunities. Ms. Davida, also had a mural reveal in her Hayward Adult School OneChild Clothing the Spirit Store to honor the new classroom expansion of the store to recognize each of her partners that support and donate to Raising Leaders!