Happy 2010! I hope your holidays were well spent and that you enjoyed your New Years festivities. It seems like yesterday I was being sworn into office, and now I am kicking off the last year of my first term. Wow!
Thank you to the neighbors and interested residents who supported and participated in District 1's first-ever "Download Day" and resident-aided blight assessment on December 12, 2009 at the West Community and Policing Center. A room full of people, representing a broad range of groups from neighborhood leaders to our District 1 Youth Advisory Council, braved the cold, wet and windy weather to download and learn more about "Mobile City Hall," the new blight-busting iPhone application by CitySourced that allows D1 residents to easily report problems such as graffiti, potholes, illegal dumping, illegal signage and abandoned cars.
Thank you also to everybody who came out to support my second shot at acting as I performed in "Santastic" at the Retro Dome over the holiday weekend. I had a blast playing an imposter Santa, and I hope that you enjoyed the show as much as I did (and hopefully you noticed a little bit of improvement from my first attempt).
For those who weren't able to join us, click here for more details from the event and read about what we accomplished. If you have an iPhone, but haven't yet downloaded the Mobile City Hall application, you can find it in the App Store by searching for "San Jose 311." If you don't have an iPhone, don't worry, the application will be available for other smartphones in early 2010.
I would like to update you on a couple of issues that will affect the District in the very near future. First, if you haven't already heard, the Calabazas Branch Library will be closing early this spring to begin construction on a new, upgraded and expanded facility. Click here to learn about what’s in store for the new library. Our new facility will be bigger and better.
In order to help local businesses, a portion of Winchester Boulevard has been designated a Targeted Business Area (TBA). The TBA designation is the first of its kind in San José and was created to support new and existing businesses within the area while the City prepares to make the area a Neighborhood Business District (NBD). To learn more about what is in store for Winchester Boulevard, click here.
Another piece of exciting news is that Bay Area transportation planners have recently approved funding to overhaul and improve one of the biggest traffic headaches in the South Bay Area, which is located right in our backyard - the interstate 280/880/Highway 17 interchange near Westfield Valley Fair. Living near this shopping center and congested area, we know first-hand how bad it can get. I'm happy to report that needed improvements are on the way, and to read about what's in store, click here.
If you are interested in giving back to the community, helping children and have a little bit of extra time to spare, Forest Hill Elementary School is looking for temporary crossing guards. Ten volunteers are needed for 10 weeks to help maintain the safety at the crosswalk at Harriet and McCoy, as the City of Campbell works to find a more permanent solution for the busy intersection. The Campbell Police Department will train volunteers and provide the needed equipment. Click here for more information or if volunteer. Thank you in advance to those of you who are willing and able to lend a hand in this effort to keep our community safe.
Well, here we are, off and running into the New Year. I hope that the worst of the recession is behind us and am looking forward to a more prosperous new year. I am ready for an exciting year of new challenges and opportunities in 2010!
Your Neighbor,
Pete
P.S. My community office hours for the month of January will be from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 6, at the West Valley Branch Library, and from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m., Thursday, January 21, at the Cypress Senior Center. For a listing of my 2010 office hours in the district, click here.
