It was just another Saturday in San José - except for the groups of cheerful volunteers picking up trash, scrubbing graffiti and cleaning up 1200 homes in the Seven Trees neighborhood.
 
On August 1, 2009, Mayor Reed joined over 600 volunteers to help clean up the neighborhoods of San José. The event, Project Restoration, a part of the Beautiful Day project, took place at Cryy Out Christian Fellowship and was the result of an ongoing partnership between the city and local faith communities to restore neighborhoods blighted by foreclosures and vandalism. Volunteers from 14 different churches showed up and the City of San José provided 40 dumpsters for the event.
 
"Cryy Out Christian Fellowship was a great host for this inspiring time of cooperation among faith based communities, the City of San José and local businesses," says project director Charles Strouss. "Unity and community were the buzz words of the day. The neighborhood people jumped right in to participate and many told me they felt blessed and loved by complete strangers!" 

The residents at Bradford Way and Donna Lane in San José are determined to see changes happen in their neighborhood. On August 4, 2009, as over 37 million people around the country celebrated National Night Out, the Bradford/Donna neighborhood put together its own event that brought together local law enforcement and concerned residents to discuss how improvements could be put into effect.
 
The neighborhood meeting was attended by Mayor Reed, Vice Mayor Chirco and other city staff members. Since February 2009, residents have been dedicating their time, energy and resources toward their Improvement Plan, which aims to build community and solve neighborhood problems. Vice Mayor Chirco also played an integral role in helping the residents with their community plan.
 
After all of the hard work and dedication put in by the residents and Vice Mayor Chirco, the neighborhood group brought their Improvement Plan before the City Council on August 11, 2009. The City Council approved the plan, and the excited residents are well on their way to creating a safer and more cohesive neighborhood for them and their families.
 
Vice Mayor Judy Chirco was impressed to see how the neighborhood was working together. "It is truly inspiring to see residents taking such an active role and partner with the City," she said. "They are the inventors and creators of this Neighborhood Improvement Plan, and their passion and excitement are contagious."

The San José/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant will continue offering free tours every first and third Thursday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon, and every first and third Saturday from 9-11 a.m. and from 1-3 p.m. Participants will be able to see the treatment process in action and also have the chance to provide input on best uses of the Plant's 2,600-acre site.
The Water Pollution Control Plant processes more than 110 million gallons of wastewater from 1.4 million residents and 16,000 businesses across eight cities. Recently, EPA recognized the plant on their list of top 20 organizations that produce green electricity on site. 56% of the plant's electricity usage is derived from green energy produced on site. The plant is located at 700 Los Esteros Road, San José, CA 95134. The tour is free, but space is limited so make a reservation by visiting the plant's website or calling 408-975-2556. 

You may have read about the losses experienced by public pension systems in California. When the market tanked, San Jose's two retirement systems lost over $1 billion. The City is holding public outreach meetings to explore new oversight structures for the City's pension systems. Two public outreach outreach meetings have been scheduled for August 26th and 27th. Please attend if you would like to share your thoughts.
 
Date: August 26, 2009
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Location: Wing Rooms 118 and 119
 
Date: August 27, 2009
Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Location: Council Chambers