Hispanic Medal of Honor Society’s Legacy of Valor Exhibit to be on Display Nov. 13-20
Staff Contact: Alexander Lin
Alexander.Lin@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5027
Veterans Day, on November 11, serves as a powerful annual reminder of the steadfast dedication, bravery and sacrifice of our U.S. Military Armed Forces. That is why Supervisor Dave Cortese and I are honored to host – from Friday, November 13 to Friday, November 20 – the Hispanic Medal of Honor Society’s Legacy of Valor exhibit in the County Government Center breezeway. The exhibit celebrates the 60 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients of Hispanic descent, as well as Hispanic astronauts, prisoners of war and civic leaders through photos and artifacts. The Society has been transporting the exhibit (which is authorized and sanctioned by Congress) around the country since 1993.
The Hispanic Medal of Honor Society is dedicated to promoting an awareness of the loyalty, patriotism and gratitude which Hispanic Americans have for the United States. The Society honors the sacrifices of all who serve in the U.S. Military Armed Forces to protect the freedom that Americans enjoy.
To commemorate the exhibit, Supervisor Cortese and I are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, November 16. It will take place at 4:45pm in the Isaac Newton Senter Auditorium.
Downtown San Jose Health Center Set to Open in April of 2016!
Staff Contact: Paul Murphy
Paul.Murphy@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5028
That new building on Santa Clara Street across from Walgreens on 17
th you have seen going up is the County’s new Downtown Health Center which is nearing construction completion. On Tuesday, November 3, our Board voted to approve over 150 new positions to staff the clinic. During the Board discussion, I expressed my gratitude to Roz Dean and her late husband Al Traugott for their fierce advocacy to restore this level of service to Downtown San Jose. Roz and Al started their advocacy in 1999 when our community learned the San Jose Medical Center would close its doors and I remember joining them at their first demonstration. In addition to the services described below, the Downtown Clinic will be open for Urgent Care from 8 am to 10 pm seven days a week. This full service clinic in collaboration and partnership with our community clinics in the area will deliver a much needed level of local health services to the Downtown San Jose area and its residents.
Roz and Al’s advocacy has been followed by leadership and contributions of many others including Bob Brownstein who saw the opportunity for the 2008 Measure A bond measure to fund the clinic, the Board of Supervisors who took the bold step to purchase the former Medical Center site and our Community Clinics like Gardner and Indian Health Center who provide services in the area.
Since I assumed office as your County Supervisor, I have been working with the neighbors and neighborhood associations to manage the impact of the County purchasing the former Medical Center Site. We will continue this work as the clinic prepares to open. Please contact my office with input or feedback about how the County can continue to be a good neighbor to the downtown residents and businesses as we move forward towards the April Clinic opening.
With an eye towards prevention, primary care and improving the health of our children, the Downtown Clinic will incrementally provide the following services after it opens in April:
Urgent Care | Pharmacy
Diagnostic Imaging and Lab | Family Practice
OB/GYN | Adult & Pediatric Psychiatry
Pediatric Healthy Lifestyle Center | Medical Legal Partnership
Internal Medicine | Pain Management
Diabetes Management | Retinal Screening
Podiatry | Nephrology/Dermatology
Other Services will include Patient Navigation, Health Education, linkages to other services and dental from Community Clinic partners.
Please look for the date of an Opening Celebration for the Downtown Clinic in future newsletters so you can join us to celebrate the house that Al and Roz have built!
Power point Presentation from the November 3, 2015 Board of Supervisors Meeting:
http://sccgov.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=4&ID=142661&MeetingID=6066
Blue Ribbon Commission on Improving Custody Operations Commences its Work
Staff Contact: Maja Marjanovic
Maja.Marjanovic@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-6418
On November 7, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Improving Custody Operations held its first meeting. The discussion was challenging, but productive. The commissioners affirmed their desire to keep the process going.
The more perspectives and expertise we bring to solving problems in our jails, the more likely it is that we will be able to generate meaningful change. In the upcoming phase of the Commission’s work, we will develop a work plan which will be a comprehensive reflection of what the commissioners want to address.
I hope that we will be courageous and propose bold and actionable recommendations. On Saturday, Commissioner Judge Stephen Manley spoke passionately about the importance of a holistic approach and of looking into alternatives to jail for incarcerated individuals who suffer from mental illness. I agree with him wholeheartedly. I am interested in the Commission exploring the possibility of a “no-entry center”, to complement the work of our County Re-Entry Center, to echo somewhat Judge Manley’s suggestions.
Regardless of what shape our work plan takes, we should always keep in mind what is really important here – the safety and well-being of incarcerated individuals, their families and communities.
We want to hear from the community. Please get in touch with the Commission. We welcome your questions and comments. Please email us at
custodyopcommission@cob.sccgov.org.
The Children, Seniors and Families Committee Hosted the Santa Clara County Board of Education at its November Meeting
Staff Contact: Betty Duong
Betty.Duong@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5026
As Chair of the Children, Seniors and Families Committee, I had the immense pleasure of hosting a joint Committee meeting with the Santa Clara County Board of Education on November 5. We discussed the opportunities for collaboration to support early education programs such as Strong Start.
Strong Start is a coalition of community leaders, early education providers, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, members of the business community and other key stakeholders who are committed to expanding access to high quality early learning opportunities for all children age zero to eight in Santa Clara County. Supervisor Cortese and I will be bringing a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to join the Strong Start coalition and integrate these efforts with relevant County initiatives such as School-Linked Services.
Looking forward, I am eager to learn more about the Foster Youth Task Force convened by the Santa Clara County Office of Education to strengthen support for foster youth throughout the County.
To find out more about the Children, Seniors and Families Committee please visit
http://sccgov.iqm2.com/citizens/default.aspx?frame=no for meeting times, agendas and minutes from previous meetings.
Rev. Jethroe (Jeff) Moore II Gave a Powerful Invocation at the Nov. 7th Board Meeting
Staff Contact: Alexander Lin
Alexander.Lin@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5027
On November 3, Reverend Jethroe (Jeff) Moore II, President of the San Jose/Silicon Valley National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), gave the invocation at our Board of Supervisors meeting.
Reverend Moore is current Pastor of the Rehoboth Christian Center. His wife, Audrey Hill, and he have two sons: Jethroe Zion Moore III and Josiah Javon. He is on the Santa Clara County Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Models for Change Executive Steering Committee as well as the San Jose Police Department Community Advisory Board. He also serves as an East Side Union High School District African American Student Advocate. In the past, he sat on the Santa Clara County Blue Ribbon Commission on Foster Care and was a board member of Santa Clara County School-Linked Services.
Thank you, Reverend Moore, for your powerful words of prayer.
To watch Reverend Moore's invocation, navigate to the 9:10 mark of the Board of Supervisors Meeting video outline: http://sccgov.iqm2.com/Citizens/SplitView.aspx?Mode=Video&MeetingID=6066&Format=Minutes#.
Thanksgiving Volunteer Opportunities
Staff Contact: Van Lan Truong
VanLan.Truong@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5025
As Thanksgiving approaches and the year is beginning to wind down, I am sure that many of you, like me, are looking for opportunities to give back to the community. It may not come as a surprise that Thanksgiving is one of the most popular times of the year to volunteer and give to charities. In Santa Clara County, especially in the City of San Jose, there are numerous charitable organizations that offer volunteer opportunities. Whether it be serving or delivering food to the homeless or seniors or helping the agencies with other tasks to serve people’s needs, your volunteerism is greatly appreciated during the holidays. Some of these agencies are:
- Sacred Heart Community Services - (408) 278-2160
- Second Harvest Food Bank - (408) 266-8866
- The Health Trust Food Basket - (408) 961-9862
- Salvation Army - (408) 282-1165
- Christmas in the Park - (408) 200-3800
- RAFT-Resource Area for Teaching - (408) 451-1420
- Our City Forest - (408) 998-7337
- Japanese American Museum of San Jose - (408) 294-3138
- Family Supportive Housing, Inc. - (408) 926-8885
Please reach out and make that connection to the charity agency(ies) that offers suitable opportunities for you. It will surely warm your hearts as well as others’. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to do good in the community!
