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Hi Neighbors,
It has been a little over a year since I took office and made a commitment to hit the ground running. That is exactly what I have done, and I have no plans of stopping any time soon.
Earlier this month, we hosted the first set of community workshops to envision the future of the Pleasant Hills Golf Course. As part of my commitment to the long-term success of our community, I strongly advocated for a robust community engagement process for this site. Follow this survey if you would like to share your thoughts about the Pleasant Hills visioning process and inform us about your priorities.
Last week, we broke some big news for District 8 on the anticipated reopening of Raging Waters this summer! This Tuesday, the Council will be hearing the latest update from City staff on the reopening of Raging Waters. While more work remains to be done, this new operator is a big step in bringing back our local family-oriented destination. That's why I submitted a proposal that will help the City better serve our community by outlining additional requirements for any future site operator. Please tune in this Tuesday afternoon for the City Council meeting if you would like to express your support for reopening Raging Waters.
Since I took office, I have also been listening to neighbors at crime prevention meetings on the importance of doing more to combat catalytic converter thefts. Thanks to this community support, I worked with my Council colleagues to submit and unanimously approve a proposal that strengthened laws prohibiting the unlawful possession of a catalytic converter. You can read more details below in my newsletter's City Hall Update.
Finally, I am hosting two movie nights later this week.
Movie Nights in District 8
5PM to 8PM; movie starts at 6PM
Thursday, February 29th at Welch Park
Friday, March 1st at Meadowfair Park
I hope to see you at one or both of these upcoming events! These are free and open to the public.
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Domingo Candelas
Councilmember, San José District 8
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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.
Please share this with your neighbors and let them know what's happening in my district. They can sign up by following this link.
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Movie Nights in District 8
5PM to 8PM; movie starts at 6PM
Thursday, February 29th at Welch Park
Friday, March 1st at Meadowfair Park
This week, I am hosting a movie night at Welch Park and Meadowfair Park from 5PM to 8PM; movies start at 6PM.
Bring your blanket and chair to enjoy a movie under the stars. These are free events open to the public.
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Dumpster Day on Glen Hanleigh Dr off Tully Rd
Saturday, March 23rd
8:30AM to 11AM
RSVP
Bins start loading by 8:30 AM; last drop off at 10:50 AM. Please refer to the list of allowed and NOT allowed items. Staff will be on-site to help answer any questions.
RSVP is not required. Let us know if you have any questions!
What's Allowed
Old Furniture, Desks, Drawers, Mattresses, Box Springs, Hardware, Toilets, Glass, some Lumber, Lawn Mowers (fluids drained), Plastic Toys, Rims, Clean Concrete, and More
What's NOT Allowed
Automotive and Cleaning Products, Fertilizer and Pesticides, Fluorescent Light Bulbs, Gas Cylinders and Tanks, Paints, Solvents, Medications, Needles, and More
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Councilmember Candelas at the Farmer's Market
@ Evergreen Village Square
Stop by and share your thoughts and questions with me at the Farmer's Market. No appointments needed.
Every 3rd Wednesday and 3rd Sunday of the Month from 9AM - 10AM
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Lunar New Year Celebrations
Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate! In 2024, we celebrate the year of the dragon which symbolizes power, growth, and abundance.
It was an honor to be in the community with so many of our neighbors during this month. Thank you to all of the incredible individuals and organizations that helped organize numerous Tết events throughout February. Wishing everyone a year full of happiness and prosperity!
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Pleasant Hills Golf Course February Workshops
Thank you to everyone who attended our first Pleasant Hills Golf Course Community Workshop as part of the City-led process. I was fortunate to have personally heard input from residents and attended both the in-person and the virtual meetings these last two weeks.
Our community must be at the forefront of this work. By sharing ideas and concerns, we can help form a vision that considers various factors that impact everyone.
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Community Beautification
With the help of dedicated neighbors, we were able to fill 5 dumpster bins this past Saturday on Arcade Avenue right outside Evergreen Valley High School. Together, we are making a difference in our community!
Earlier this month, I also collaborated with the Welch Park Neighborhood Association to clean up our community. Together, we made a positive impact beautifying our streets and parks. Special shoutout to all the volunteers who showed up early to lend a helping hand!
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Brigadoon Park Movie Night
Thank you to all the neighbors who came out to my Viva Parks Movie Night at Brigadoon Park.
Looking forward to the next two movie nights this upcoming week!
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American Heart Health Month
In partnership with Councilmember Davis, our office recognized February as American Heart Month! Established in 1963 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, American Heart Month empowers organizations like the American Health Association to promote conversation around cardiovascular health and drives efforts for advanced research to better the millions of people's lives.
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Evergreen Valley High School (EVHS) Law Club
It was a pleasure to visit my old stomping grounds and speak with students in the EVHS Law Club. Thank you for the engaging conversations.
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Department of Transportation Commendation
This month, we recognized the Department of Transportation’s Pavement Maintenance Team for their incredible work in paving and maintaining San José’s streets. In 2023 alone, they paved over 242 miles of roadway citywide.
The rapid turnaround in communication and tangible work is what many of our residents have come to appreciate and applaud. When we focus on an issue and direct resources to the right solution, progress is attainable.
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King Road Complete Streets Redesign
Share your thoughts on the design concepts for King Road!
During the summer of 2023, more than 600 of your neighbors shared ideas about making the 6-mile street safer and more convenient for people who walk, bike, roll, ride public transit, or use a mobility aid.
We are ready to share these proposed improvements with you!
Please comment on the first round of design concepts by March 15, 2024. Together, we can help make King Road safer for everyone. Survey here
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City Hall Update
Combatting Catalytic Converter Thefts
Earlier this month, the council unanimously passed a memo authored by Councilmembers Ortiz, Davis, Jimenez, Doan, and me to strengthen laws against catalytic converter thefts and give our officers another tool to combat crime. The ordinance makes it a misdemeanor to possess a catalytic converter that is not attached to a vehicle without proper documentation, punishable by up to six months in jail with a scaling fine structure per violation; $2,000 for the first offense, $4,000 for the second, and $6,000 for any subsequent offenses in a 36-month period.
Reopening Raging Waters - New Lease Agreement
This Tuesday, the Council will review the potential for a new lease agreement authorizing a new third-party operator to reopen East San José's Raging Waters. Since I took office, I have worked with City Parks staff to develop opportunities for restoring Lake Cunningham and improving Raging Waters' amenities for our residents.
While more work remains to be done, having an interested and vetted site operator is a big step in both reopening Raging Waters THIS SUMMER and making sure we offer residents a quality experience. For this reason, I wrote a memo to establish additional requirements for the site operation of Raging Waters. First, any early termination of a lease agreement would forfeit any reimbursement costs for the site operator. I want residents to know they can trust the site operator to operate in good faith and honor the full term of their lease agreement with the City. For the long-term RFP process, I want to ensure the future site operator works to empower local youth with entry-level jobs. Finally, the future operator should work to establish pathways for expanded community access to Raging Waters. More than ever, opportunities for water-based recreation are extremely limited in our City and region, and we must work to ensure our youth and families are afforded access to these spaces - especially where they are locally available.
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