Greetings,
I hope you all had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend. This federal holiday has always been of unique significance to District 2 as it honors the American labor movement and the hard work of laborers that we can all easily take for granted, many of whom are essential workers.
September brings much change as we leave the summer months and transition into the fall season. With the season changing and kiddos, big and small, returning to school please remember to drive safe. As people return to work and with many more kids walking or biking to school it is critical that we drive safely to protect our children and others on the road. While schools reopen and welcome back students, COVID-19 continues to mutate and remains a source concern for teachers, parents, and students. Elementary and middle schoolers have increased risk as children aged 11 and younger are not yet eligible for the vaccine. As we transition from the outdoor activities during the summer months to classrooms and indoor spaces, it's important to remember that masking and other common sense precautions should not be viewed as political statements – we all have personal responsibility to those we love, as well as social responsibility to our neighbors and community members.
Vaccination continues to be the most effective way to protect against COVID-19, including the Delta variant. The good news is that 89% of Alameda County residents ages 12+ have received at least one dose of the vaccine and hospitalization rates have stabilized and may be declining. We are continuing to be vigilant to address this ongoing pandemic and hope more residents take advantage of the opportunities to get vaccinated. If you have lingering questions on the state of the pandemic, please consider joining me and County Health Officer, Dr. Nicholas Moss, as well well Assemblymember Alex Lee, and Santa Clara District 3 Supervisor, Otto Lee at our COVID-19 Townhall Update on Monday, 9/13 at 6pm. More info in the newsletter story below.
September is National Suicide Prevention month. With all that we've dealt with in the past year and a half and are still dealing with, mental health continues play a key role in our well-being. Please continue to treat each other and ourselves with compassion and kindness. If you know of anyone struggling with mental health or suicidal ideations, please visit Alameda County's crisis support services or Alameda County Behavioral Health Services. To learn more about statewide campaigns to raise mental health and suicide prevention efforts review this excellent presentation to the Board of Supervisors Public Protection Committee from June 2019 here.
Sincerely,
Richard Valle
This month, we're highlighting Connie DeGrange, a Sunolian, wine maker, and community advocate.
District 2: Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?
Connie DeGrange: II'm a fourth generation Californian; born in Berkeley and grew up in Santa Clara County. I went to [undergrad at] San Jose State University and to grad school at UC Berkeley studying Industrial Hygiene. I worked at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and recently retired as a manager. I have served the Sunol Citizens Advisory Council for 3 and a half years.
D2: What attracted you to the community of Sunol?
CD: I moved to Sunol in 1981. I was attracted to the surrounding environment and openness and loved the trees, the agriculture, and the parks. I also like that it has a sense of community; it has a rural character yet it is only one hour from San Francisco. It seemed like the ideal location.
D2: What has that been like on the Sunol Citizen's Advisory Council?
CD: When it was formed in the late 1980s, the original objective was to communicate and to advise on Sunol-related issues to the Board of Supervisors. Over time, the Council has taken on more self-generated planning issues. Sunol is a special place. The residents share some common things we want to achieve. Everybody wants to protect the natural environment and the agricultural feeling of the town. Everybody wants to revitalize the downtown. We want to see it flourish again; we want a place to meet and have a renewed sense of community. We want a plan for the future and address our aging infrastructure. I believe Sunol should have more self-determination.
D2: What are your visions for Sunol?
CD: I would like Sunol to be more pedestrian friendly. My dream is that residents and visitors can ride the Niles Canyon train, which is a living museum; walk the downtown and have lunch; then walk to the Water Temple and the new watershed interpretive center. I'd like Sunol to be a place where people want to visit again.
D2: Now that you’re retired, what are your hobbies?
CD: I enjoy painting, mainly acrylic or oil. Making wine is also something I enjoy. Since I’ve been on the Sunol Community Advisory Council, that has become a hobby. Two of my paintings that I put on my wine labels received gold medals, one was awarded "best of show." I also wrote a book about Sunol history in the mid 90s.
D2: How does someone get started in wine making?
CD: When I was attending San Jose State, my professor, Lanny Replogle, offered a class about the chemistry of winemaking. I thoroughly enjoyed the class. Tom Harland, who is an artist in Sunol, found out I took this class and other classes at UC Davis and had inherited some equipment from my father. He talked me into working with a small group to make red wine. We have been making it ever since. It’s been about 10 years and it has been a lot fun.
D2: What’s the most rewarding thing about wine making?
CD: I enjoy working as a team with my neighbors and, of course, the awards are nice. It is one of the few ways that one can have fun with friends doing science and math!
Sunol is a beautiful town nestled between Fremont, Pleasanton, and Livermore. Its scenic trails, quaint downtown, and vibrant community members make it a wonderful place to know. Take a trip and see what this District 2 gem has to offer.
 As you may know, California is facing an increase in COVID cases due to a more transmissible variant. Both Santa Clara County and Alameda County are making changes in COVID safety precautions and requirements to combat the rise. Although the pandemic is ongoing and ever-changing, our office is hosting a townhall to clarify what this means for safety guidelines, variants, booster shots, etc.
Please join Assemblymember Alex Lee, Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle, and Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee for a townhall about COVID-19 and recent developments. County Public Health Officers from both Alameda County and Santa Clara County will provide up-to-date information and answer any questions you might have about the delta variant, the updated COVID safety guidelines, the vaccine booster shot, what FDA approval means for our district, and more. Hope to see you there!
Monday, September 13
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
You can join by Zoom, Phone or Facebook: Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/09132021
Phone: 1-669-900-6833 (Access Code: 996 0522 4828)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/assembly.alex.lee
If you are unable to join, the recording of the town hall will be posted shortly after the event to Assemblymember Lee's website at https://a25.asmdc.org
 Many Fremont residents and businesses have asked how they can help our Afghan community members during this incredibly difficult time. The City of Fremont’s Human Services Department has established an Afghan Refugee Help Fund to be used for food, shelter, clothing and other items or services to assist refugees expected to arrive in our area. The City’s Human Services Department will work with local Afghan partner organizations to determine the priorities and needs in our community. No donation is too small!
Visit the City’s website at www.fremont.gov/ARHelp to make a donation now!
To make a donation by check, make check out to City of Fremont, with AR Help noted in the memo, and mail to City of Fremont Human Services Department, P.O. Box 5006, Fremont, CA 945337-5006.
 The Food Entrepreneurship Training Academy (FETA) is a free 10-part series offered by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center and the Alameda County Economic & Civic Development Department. The FREE online course is offered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30pm - 7:30pm from September 13 to October 13, 2021. You will learn how to start and grow your own food business and turn your idea into reality.
Space is limited. Register here today at www.acsbdc.org
 The Alameda County Arts Commission invites visual artists to submit an application to the new Alameda County Artist Registry, a prequalified list of artists that will be used for upcoming public art opportunities managed by the Alameda County Arts Commission. Public art opportunities for emerging, mid-career and established artists that will include outdoor and indoor projects with a range of budgets and will be appropriate for artists working in a variety of materials and styles. Open to artists from the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Yolo.
View the complete Call for Artists at: https://bit.ly/ArtistRegistryCall
Applications for the Artist Registry must be submitted online through the CaFÉ™ website by Wednesday, September 15, 2021 (10:59pm Pacific Time) at: https://bit.ly/ACCAFElink
QUESTIONS & CONTACT INFORMATION
For questions regarding this opportunity, please contact the Office of the Alameda County Arts Commission at (510) 208-9646 or artscommission@acgov.org.
 |
|
Residents of Hayward, Castro Valley, Fairview, Cherryland, Ashland, San Lorenzo or unincorporated San Leandro who are 18-69 years old with a disability or 70 years old or over may be eligible for subsidized on-demand rides from the Hayward Operated Paratransit program.
Find out if you're eligible and enroll by calling Hayward’s Paratransit Program at 510-583-4230.
|
Visit the 211 website for more transportation resources.
  Ready to buy your first home?
Down payment assistance is available!
AC Boost provides financial assistance to middle-income working households to purchase a home in Alameda County. The program offers shared equity loans of up to $210,000 to first-time homebuyers who live, work, or have been displaced from Alameda County.
Applying for Down Payment Assistance from AC Boost is free, fast, and simple! For eligibility and more info, visit acboost.org
 C.A.R.E.S. is a program created by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office in partnership with La Familia. It stands for “Community Assessment, Referral and Assessment, Referral and Engagement Services.” This program diverts individuals away from jail and the criminal justice system and into supportive services.
Services Provided:
- Respite
- Peer Counseling
- Housing Services
- Employment Services
- Mental health referrals
- Substance use treatment referrals
Learn more through this video
We would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word as we recruit for various positions including instructors, recruiters, data entry, outreach, warehouse - logistics support, and drivers - to name a few.
Many roles require candidates to be bilingual in English and one or more of the following languages: Burmese, Chinese, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Mien, Mongolian, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Telugu and Vietnamese.
Please encourage all candidates to apply immediately as this recruitment may close at any time. Interested candidates may apply by using the following link: CLICK HERE TO APPLY
 On July 8, Governor Gavin Newsom called on Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent with simple measures such as reducing landscape irrigation, running dishwashers and washing machines only when full, finding and fixing leaks, installing water-efficient showerheads and taking shorter showers. The voluntary reduction is supported by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), Hayward’s wholesale water supplier.
In his executive order, Governor Newsom also expanded the regional drought state of emergency to include nine additional counties. Alameda County has been on this list since Governor Newsom’s previous emergency proclamation, signed May 10, 2021.
For tips on saving water, visit www.saveourwater.com. To learn more about current conditions, the State’s response, and informational resources available to the public, view the State’s new drought preparedness website. To learn about water conservation tips, programs, and rebates in Hayward, visit www.hayward-ca.gov/your-environment/green-your-life/conserve-water.
 |
|
Civil Service Commission, 1 opening (Must be a District 2 property owner and county registered voter).
The County of Alameda Civil Service Commission (Commission) is a Charter-mandated body charged with administering the County’s civil service system. The Commission performs many duties, including:
|
- Classification and reclassification of all positions in the classified civil service system
- Allocation and reallocation of positions to classes in the system
- Oversight of competitive examinations to determine the relative fitness of applicants for employment and promotion
- Certification of employment and promotion eligibility lists
- Establishing probationary periods for each classification
- Acting as the appellate body for disciplinary appeals of classified employees who are the subject of removal (termination), suspension, or reduction in rank or compensation
The Commission consists of 5 members appointed by the County of Alameda Board of Supervisors for a term of 5 year. Commission members must be County residents, electors (voters), and their names must be listed on the assessment roll (as property owners). They may not hold another county salaried office. Members take a state prescribed oath of office.
Commission members receive a stipend of $100 per meeting; meetings are held every other Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. Commission members are required to file financial disclosure statements (Form 700s), are subject to the Fair Political Practices Act, and must participate in state-mandated training.
If interested, please contact the Office of Supervisor Valle, staff member Ginny DeMartini at 510.670.6150.
|
