Instead of muttering to your coffee cup, contact an agency that is set up to help!

Blighted Property in the neighborhood:
If the property is in the City of San Jose, use this form: Code Enforcement Blight Report on line.

If the property is in the unincorporated County, call Thom Upson at 299-5770 or send an email with the ADDRESS and description to thom.upson@pln.sccgov.org

Graffiti problems:
Send an email to: lisa.rose@aem.sccgov.org, or call the Graffiti Hot-Line 277-2758. You will need to provide the location, approximate size, and the color of the background, plus your name and number. Taking a photo is a good idea too, and those photos can be emailed to Lisa Rose.

You can also pick up your own anti-graffiti kit at 501 Vine Street in downtown San Jose. Or contact (408) 277-3208 or e-mail: antigraffiti@sanjoseca.gov

Broken, bent, damaged signs: Contact the West Side Maintenance Yard: 366-3100.

Overgrown weeds:
County Weed Abatement Program: 282-3145

Damaged street signs: Call the Westside Maintenance Yard: 366-3100.

Abandoned Shopping Cars:
For Safeway shopping carts:Call 629-6030 and leave a message. Usually picked up within 24 hours.
For Food Max shopping carts: Call 1-800-252-4613 and leave a message. Usually picked up within 48 hours.

Used motor oil: Take it to the Kragen's Auto Supply at the corner of San Carlos and Leigh!

Used batteries: It is illegal to throw batteries away in the garbage! Radio Shack on Branham near Almaden Ex. will take regular alkaline batteries. Ikea in Palo Alto has a receptacle for used batteries.

Extra fruits and vegetables: Do you have fruit trees? Have an over-abundance of fruit or vegetables in your garden? Do you need help harvesting your tree? Want to share with the hungry? Village Harvest, a non-profit organization, is looking for homeowners who have a large amount of fruit and need help harvesting their trees. If you have a modest amount of fruit and can harvest it yourself, please visit our website for drop-off locations near you: www.villageharvest.org To volunteer the fruit from your tree(s) as a tax deductible contribution, or if you'd like to be part of a harvesting team, please call: (888) FRUIT 411 (888-378-4841) or info@villageharvest.org

Other worthy organizations: Second Harvest Food Bank and Martha's Kitchen

Computer parts, printer cartridges, etc.: If it's not worth your time to try to sell it on ebay or craigslist.org, contact PCDisposal.com. You may have to pay a bit, but it will get recycled. Business notes that 10 units or more entitles you to free shipping. Also try Dell Recycling and Hewlitt Packard. A full listing of places that recycle e-waste: at http://www.svep.org/.page_creator/recycletable.html

Useful Building Materials: Whole House Building Supply and Salvage They don't take *everything* but if you're remodeling and getting rid of old fixtures, wood frames, windows, etc., they will certainly consider taking it

Useless Items: Dumpster Days! The Buena Vista Neighborhood Association has a Dumpster Day (in conjunction with various city and county agencies) every 6-8 months, and it's a perfect way to get rid of broken concrete and lumber and other building materials, ruined furniture, car parts, etc. Watch our calendar for the next Dumpster Day -- or come to an Association meeting and find out more about scheduling them!

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