On August 4, communities nationwide will gather together with local law enforcement to encourage safer and better neighborhoods. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement, providing an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.
  
Neighborhoods across the nation host block parties and various community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and exhibits. There are numerous events in Union City, Hayward, Newark, and Fremont. We encourage you to join one of these events to promote safer communities across Alameda County, and nationwide.
  

Now more than ever, we need to promote safer communities and better relationships with our law enforcement. On Thursday, July 23 Sergeant Scott Lunger was killed in the line of duty. Sgt. Lunger was a 15-year veteran and a well-respected member amongst those in the Department. This is the first officer death in over 27 years in the Hayward Police Department. We send our sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and the entire Hayward Police Department as we lose a valuable member of the community.
  
There have been unspeakable tragedies nationwide and we need to find a way to end the violence as a whole. Events like National Night Out encourage more open and positive relationships with law enforcement and residents. By communicating with each other we open channels for trust and improvement, and I hope this year’s National Night Out creates a chance for residents and officers to be better acquainted with one another.
  
For more information about ways to be involved please visit our website at www.acgov.org/bos/district2. Thank you for doing your part to help keep District 2 safe.
  
Thank you,

This month's spotlight we highlight Hayward Promise Neighborhood, a five-year federally funded initiative led by California State University, East Bay. This initiative is designed to wrap children in integrated, coordinated, high-quality academic, social, and health programs and support them on their path from the cradle to college to career. 
  
Hayward Promise Neighborhood specifically serves residents in Hayward's “Jackson Triangle”, an area bounded by Harder Road, Whitman Street and Jackson Street and students that attend six schools within the Hayward Unified School District. The six schools within the Hayward Promise Neighborhood are Harder Elementary School, Park Elementary School, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Winton Middle School, Hayward High School, and Tennyson High School. The initiative brings together eleven local agencies to provide approximately 35 programs to ensure both student and community success. 
  
Hayward Promise Neighborhood funds new programs and contributes funding to expand existing resources such as the City of Hayward's 21st Century Learning Centers. The 21st Century Learning Centers provide students with homework support services from trained volunteers. The additional funding for this program has allowed for the Centers to expand to now be available at all six of the Hayward Promise Neighborhood schools. 

In an effort to partner with the community, Hayward Promise Neighborhood hosts Advisory Board meetings at California State University, East Bay to bring together Hayward residents to provide community perspective to the initiative’s leadership, as well as, updating the public on the progress. The next meeting will be held on Saturday, August 29 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Art & Education Building (Room 142) at California State University, East Bay. Free child care, refreshments and Spanish translation are provided. 
  
In April of this year, our office visited the 21st Century Learning Center at Harder Elementary School (picture of Supervisor Valle with the students). It was evident that the students and the facilitators enjoy their work and our office appreciates the continual investment the Hayward Promise Neighborhood program is making in the community.

The Hayward Volunteer Recognition and Awards Dinner is a cherished time every year to honor outstanding volunteers who give their time and energy to benefit individuals, local human services, non-profits and other programs in Hayward. In the 38 years of the Volunteer Dinner, almost 500 awards have been given to volunteers.
  
This year there are 39 volunteers that will be recognized by local non-profits for their outstanding efforts. In addition to the volunteers that were nominated by organizations, four awards will be distributed to individuals that have gone above and beyond in the City of Hayward. The City of Hayward’s Mayor Award will be given to Kay Thomas for her efforts at Literacy Plus. The Alameda County Supervisor’s Award will be presented to Obray Van Buren, who has been a tireless advocate for worker’s rights and Hayward schools.
  
The John N. Pappas Humanitarian Award recipients are Jeanne Gocker and Steve Sapontzis, who founded the Hayward Friends of Animals organization. In 1985, Jeanne and Steve started the organization to develop a volunteer program for the municipal shelter in Hayward. Through their work with the community, Jeanne and Steve expanded the volunteer program to include dog walking and grooming programs, cat socialization, lost and found coordination, adoption counselors, foster home programs, and much more. Thanks to the efforts of Jeanne and Steve, thousands of animals have been rescued, adopted and cared for my loving community members.
  
The Gail Steele Lifetime Achievement Award will be honoring the many years of service by Ilene Weinreb. Ilene has dedicated most of her adult life to public service, including being elected as the first female Mayor of Hayward in 1974. She has served on the Board of Directors of the non-profit affordable housing developer Eden Housing for over 30 years. She also serves on the Eden I&R board, which connects people in need in Alameda County with community resources. Ilene continues to be an advocate for affordable housing, public health issues, incarcerated women, services for people with special needs, and emergency human services. Ilene will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, because of her continual dedication to the City of Hayward and the many lives she’s touched by her positive commitment to public service.
  
The Hayward Volunteer Dinner and Recognition Awards will be held on Tuesday, October 6 at 6 p.m. at St. Rose Hospital’s Grand White Tent. Formal invitations will be mailed in September, for more information please contact Ginny DeMartini at (510) 259-1097.

What’s better than fresh produce in your neighborhood? How about local, fresh produce delivered right to your door!
  
Dig Deep Farms is a social enterprise that grows, harvests, and sells organically grown produce as a means for creating jobs for people in our community who have barriers to employment. It is the customer base that will enable them to sustain these opportunities and continue to grow. Currently, Dig Deep Farms operates farm stands in partnership with Alameda County Social Services Agency in Hayward, Oakland, and San Leandro. To find a nearby farm stand visit http://digdeepfarms.com/our-farm-stands/.
  
In addition to the local farm stands, Dig Deep has begun its newest program, Community Supported Agriculture, providing weekly drop off and deliveries. A weekly assortment of vibrant organically produced fruits and vegetables are available to be purchased for individuals, couples, or families. Learn about Dig Deep Farms and sign up for the Community Supported Agriculture program by visiting http://digdeepfarms.com/get-local-organically-produced-fruits-and-veggies-delivered/.

Alameda County is conducting an Older Adult Survey that asks about the needs, issues, and concerns of older adults. Let your voice be heard in the County-Wide survey that will inform planning through the summer and fall of 2015. The anonymous survey will provide important input from the community that will help make Alameda County a better place for older adults to live. 
  
The County hopes to reach as many Alameda County residents who are age 55 or older as possible. Survey results will inform and guide a comprehensive public planning process that will result in Alameda County's new plan for older adults. The effort is a collaboration of Alameda County's Social Services and Health Care Services Agencies, and is guided by a planning committee composed of representatives from community-based services, housing, healthcare, public health, behavioral health, and the senior community.
  
To take the survey online, go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ACOlderAdultSurvey2015. If you want to download printed copies, go to http://seniorservicescoalition.org/alameda-county-older-adult-survey-toolkit/.
  
If you have any questions, please contact Wendy at Senior Services Coalition of Alameda County at wendy@seniorservicescoalition.org or (510) 577 -3544. Additional information on senior services can be found at www.seniorservicescoalition.org.

AC Transit is requesting the public’s input as routes are being recommended to expand and improved. Input received through July 31 will be considered in crafting the final proposals for a presentation to the AC Transit Board of Directors for review and public hearing.
  
AC Transit is proposing approximately 40 updated recommendations for routes and schedules throughout the transit service area. Detailed information about this Service Expansion Plan (formerly known as the Comprehensive Operations Analysis or COA) is available on the AC Transit website at actransit.org/sep.
  
You can view the recommendations for individual bus lines and make specific comments on those and/or on the plan in general.

BART Transbay train service suspended: August 1 & 2 and September 5-7 
  
BART will suspend all transbay train service in order to perform critical track maintenance. This means no trains will run through the Transbay Tube on the following dates:
  
All Day- 

Saturday, August 1

Sunday, August 2

Saturday, September 5

Sunday, September 6 

Monday, September 7 (Labor Day)
  
If you are traveling within the East Bay or within the West Bay, service will be slightly better than usual as trains will run to and from all destinations within the East Bay more frequently than usual. There will be a Bus Bridge between the 19th Street Station in Oakland and the Temporary Transbay Terminal in San Francisco. Please plan on your transbay trip taking an hour or more to complete. 
  
The following options will be available for transbay travel:

• Bus Bridge service provided by AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit, Muni and SamTrans (most buses will be ADA-compliant)

• Muni Buses from the Temporary Transbay Terminal to the Embarcadero Station. You will also be able to travel further down Market Street and to some destinations in San Francisco if you wish.

• Elevator to Elevator Shuttle service- There will be a special pickup site at the 17th Street elevator entrance to the 19th Street Station (in front of 1750 Broadway) to take you to the elevator at Embarcadero Station (via California Street). To return to Oakland board the shuttle on California Street. 
  
BART must perform necessary maintenance work on a critical section of trackway between the West Oakland BART Station and the Transbay Tube in order to ensure the safe and reliable operation of future train service. Specifically, this project involves replacing hundreds of wooden rail ties, switches (otherwise called crossovers) and rail, most of which are as old as the system itself and are at the end of their useful life.
  
For more information regarding BART maintenance or service schedules please visit http://www.bart.gov/.