USS Hornet Met Apollo 11 Astronauts 50 Years Ago

By Jim Knowles

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  07-10-19

A piece of American history that you can walk up to and touch is docked right nearby in Alameda.

The USS Hornet is a museum now, but when it was in service it picked up the Apollo 11 space capsule along with the three astronauts that made the first moon landing.

This month is the 50th anniversary of the mission to the moon when Neil Armstong became the first human to set foot on a celestial body other than the Earth. And over the next couple of weeks, the Hornet is celebrating that historic event.

When the astronauts came back and landed in the Pacific, the Hornet was there to meet them. First a crew of navy divers jumped from a helicopter to place a flotation collar around the capsule, until the ship could arrive and lift Apollo 11 to its hangar deck.

The footsteps are painted on the floor of the Hornet’s hangar deck where the astronauts walked to the quarantine trailer where they spent the next few days.

They were quarantined in the specially built Airstream trailer because at the time no one knew what germs may have been on the moon.

President Richard Nixon came aboard and greeted the three astronauts from outside the trailer as they peered through the window with smiles.

Also back aboard the Hornet was the 22 kilograms of lunar soil and rock, giving Earthling scientists something to study for years to come.

Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon on July 20, 1969, as the third astronaut Michael Collins orbited the moon in Columbia, the command ship. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours on the moon, two hours conducting experiments, and then back aboard Eagle for a lunar nap.

Four days later, they re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 24,000 m.p.h. and landed in the Pacific where the Hornet awaited.

An Apollo capsule, similar to Apollo 11, is on display in the hangar of the Hornet. Cutaway sections of the space vehicle reveal the wiring and the thickness of craft, which was built by North American Aviation to survive the heat of re-entry at over 20,000 miles per hour.

The 1960 electronics looks outdated today, but put your hand on the spacecraft and your senses tell you this thing was built solid.

The thick honeycomb aluminum walls are stuffed with fiberglass for insulation.

You can walk right in the footsteps of the astronauts from the Apollo capsule to the containment trailer, a beauty of an Airstream, but it might as well as been made of aluminum foil compared to the space capsule.

And to think the thin walls of this little trailer were all that came between the possibility of deadly outer-space germs and the rest of humanity.

But after Apollo 14, astronauts no longer were quarantined since it was understood that moon germs didn’t exist.

The USS Hornet, completed in 1943 to fight in World War II, was involved in campaigns in the Mariana Islands and the liberation of the Philippines among many other battles.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The USS Hornet will hold a “Splashdown 50” celebration from 1 to 2:30 p.m. next Wednesday, July 17. Come aboard to hear stories about some of the unique artifacts on exhibit, including a Moon rock from the Apollo 16 mission that is on a short loan from the vaults of NASA Ames. Admission for this event is included in the Museum’s General Admission.

On Saturday, July 20, the Splashdown 50 celebration continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with expanded exhibits and presentations by individuals who participated in the Apollo mission recoveries, and the screening of the Smithsonian Documentary on Apollo at 2:30 p.m. in Hangar Bay 1.

Additionally, the Museum’s standard exhibits will be open to visitors as will docent-led tours through parts of the ship inaccessible to visitors on their own. Admission is $25 for adults, $15 for youth ages 7-17.

The USS Hornet is docked at 707 West Hornet Ave. in Alameda. 

For more information on the Splashdown 50 celebration, visit uss-hornet.org/splashdown50!

CAPTION: The World War II Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet, now a national museum, is docked in the city of Alameda and will be holding public celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in coming days.

PHOTO BY FRED ZEHNDER

The Apollo 11 crew await pickup by a helicopter

from the USS Hornet, prime recovery ship for the

historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.

The fourth man in the life raft is a United States Navy

underwater demolition team swimmer.

PHOTO COURTESY OF US NAVY

Dump Truck Damage

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  07-10-19

Have you noticed a steady stream of dump trucks on Redwood Road lately? Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) Chair Marc Crawford has, and he isn’t happy about it.

At Monday night’s MAC meeting, Crawford spoke about the trucks, which have been dispatched by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to carry soil from the Upper San Leandro Reservoir area to Alameda.

The soil is the byproduct of trench dredging that EBMUD does. It used to be disposed of at their property along the northern boundary of Redwood Road. Now, they are moving the dirt to Alameda.

Crawford said in his Chair’s Report that because there is no weigh station between Castro Valley and Alameda, the trucks will likely be

see MAC on page 15

 over-weighed which will cause damage to Redwood Road.

Crawford further criticized EBMUD for exempting themselves from an environmental impact report and expressed his concern that the dirt could be contaminated.

“They didn’t tell anybody — even the Director of Public Works didn’t know about it,” said Crawford. “By the time they’re done, they will have pretty much destroyed Redwood Road.”

Crawford said that the trucking is set to continue through October and traffic will be impacted further when school goes back into session.

“It’s really frustrating,” said Crawford. “This is one of those times where you really wish you lived in a city because if you lived in a city you wouldn’t be taken advantage of like this. I don’t think EBMUD would dare to do this to a city like Hayward or San Leandro. Castro Valley is bearing the brunt.”

Other Business

Alameda County Arts Commission director Rachel Osajima told the MAC that painting is set to begin next week on the “community identifier” that will read “Castro Valley.” It will be painted on the I-580 overpass at Redwood Road.

The MAC also unanimously approved a permit to construct a new 3,900-sqaure foot single-family home and granted a renewal of a permit to allow the continued operation of a storage facility at 5182 Crow Canyon Road.

The MAC also heard an update on the county’s ongoing General Plan implementation. A draft of the zoning ordinance amendments for the General Plan is expected to come back before the MAC in early fall, when the council will make its final recommendations before it goes to the county Planning Commission.

CV Finally Getting its Long-Awaited Sign

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  07-10-19

Artist Rob Minervini will begin painting Castro Valley’s long awaited sign —officially known as a “Community Identifier” — next week.

It will be painted on both sides of the I-580 Highway overpass above Redwood Road, with a tentative start date of Tuesday, July 16, according to Rachel Osajima, director of Alameda County’s Art Commission. Minervini’s design will feature the words “Castro Valley” over a long, slim panoramic landscape that depicts Lake Chabot and the Bay.

The artist will work weekdays during daytime hours and professional traffic control will be on site to control lane closures and to keep both motorists and pedestrians safe. But Osajima cautions that drivers should expect some delays during the three weeks or so that will be required to finish the project.

At about the same time, the Arts Commission will also launch the Utility Box Art Program in Castro Valley.

Art Designs created by seven artists and artist teams will be printed on vinyl wraps and placed on 40 county-controlled utility boxes throughout Castro Valley. The vinyl wraps will be installed throughout the summer and will be on view for some three years.

Both of the art projects were developed with public support for the goal of providing a welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike, and community members were involved in both, contributing to surveys, participating in community discussions and providing comments about the artists’ proposal designs.

The projects were approved by the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council, the Arts Commission, and the Board of Supervisors.

For questions or comments, call the Project Hotline at 510-891-5597. For project updates and more information, visit www.acgov.org/arts.

CAPTION: Artist Rob Minervini’s will begin painting his design on the I-580 overpass above Redwood Road starting on Tuesday.

ARTIST RENDERING COURTESY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION

Swalwell Ends Run

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  07-10-19

Congressman Eric Swalwell announced on Monday that he has ended his campaign for president.

“After the first Democratic presidential debate, our polling and fundraising numbers weren’t what we had hoped for, and I no longer see a path forward to the nomination. My presidential campaign ends today,” Swalwell told reporters at a news conference in Dublin.

Swalwell thanked his supporters and said he would never forget the lessons he had learned while traveling around the nation.

“I will take those lessons back to Congress, serving my friends and neighbors in California’s 15th District while using my seats on the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees to make our nation safer and uphold the rule of law for all Americans,” Swalwell said.

Two Families Evacuated as Garage Erupts in Flames

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  07-03-19

Quick action by two off-duty police officers and a retired Alameda County Fire Department captain managed to safely evacuate two residents and a dog who were asleep in a house in the 3000 block of Keith Ave. in Castro Valley Friday night after their garage burst into flames and spread to the house.

The two-alarm fire, which broke out around 9:30 p.m., extended to a second neighboring residence, according to Fire Department Spokesperson Aisha Knowles.

Due to the full involvement of the garage, a second alarm response was requested and additional fire units responded to the blaze.

Before firefighters arrived, retired Fire Department Capt. Bruce Armstrong, who lived near by, ran to the scene. He was joined by two off-duty police officers, J. Kalsbeek of the San Leandro Department and another off-duty officer, who wished to remain anonymous.

see FLAMES on back page

The three attempted to wake the occupants by yelling and knocking on windows and doorss. When that didn’t work, Kalsbeek threw a flower pot through a window to rouse them. Armstrong and Kalsbeek then entered the home and quickly assisted the occupants out of the house.

Armstrong was also able to rescue Samie, a one-year-old family dog that was hiding under a bed.

In the neighboring home, three occupants and a dog were also able to safely exit their home prior to the arrival of firefighters.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no reports of injuries.

Between the two homes damaged by the fire, a total of five people and two dogs were temporarily displaced. Assistance from the Red Cross was declined by both families as they were able to secure alternate housing arrangements with family members nearby.

The Castro Valley office of the California Highway Patrol, the Alameda County Sheriffs Office, Paramedics Plus and PG&E crews also responded to offer assistance.

CAPTION: Firefighters work to extinguish a two-alarm garage fire that damaged two houses in the 3000 block of Keith Avenue in Castro Valley Friday night. A total of five people and two dogs were evacuated from the homes. There were no injuries. The fire is under investigation.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE DEPT.

Grand Jury Report Critical of BART, County Missteps

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  07-03-19

The Alameda County Grand Jury Final Report, issued last week, criticizes regional leadership in the handling of key civic issues, including BART passenger safety, and losing out on $5.6 million of federal funds for Urban Shield.

While not every issue is relevant to our readers, the Castro Valley Forum did pick up on a few specific areas that do impact our area in the 148-page report.

BART Safety

The most scathing critiques centered on passenger safety within the BART system. Violent crime on BART — including robberies and aggravated assaults — increased by 115% over the last five years, according to the report.

During the same time, BART lost 8% of its ridership, even as the Bay Area population grew and several new stations were added to the system.

“Much of the violent crime increase has been driven by snatch-and-run cellphone thefts that are considered robberies because they involve the use of force or fear,” the report said.

To combat these trends, BART has been asked to add more police over the next five years and better educate riders on crime prevention.

The Grand Jury also found improving cleanliness, reducing fare evasion, and working with groups that specialize on homeless issues would not only improve BART rider satisfaction, but would also curb the amount of crime on the trains and the stations.

Urban Shield

Urban Shield was an annual gathering of first responders who train for all types of emergencies. More than 100 police, fire, and rescue teams would descend on 32 different locations around the Bay Area including Castro Valley to learn how to best approach dangerous situations and hone their skills.

The program was suspended this year following complaints of racial profiling, immigration involvement (ICE), and militarization of law enforcement.

After a two-year process with lots of boisterous meetings and recommendations/warnings from Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern and others, the report said

 Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors mishandled the negotiations did not state their requirements clearly and listened to a biased ad hoc committee without an independent review.

The result was a loss of $5.6 million in federal funds and a lapse in first responder training that would have helped prepare the area in case of attack or mass incident.

“Representative government is messy,” the Grand Jury wrote. “However, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors failed in managing this process. As one supervisor put it, ‘If we lose this grant, I will have nobody to blame but myself.’”

Independent Living

For older adults in Castro Valley, residential care facility rates currently range from about $4,000 to $12,000 or more per month, depending on facility size and location, single or double occupancy, and level of care.

In addition to being unaffordable, there are now significantly fewer licensed residential care facilities in Alameda County. The Grand Jury found the tipping point originated following the shutdown of the Valley Manor Residential Care home in Castro Valley in December 2013. The event triggered an investigation of independent living facilities in Alameda County. The report referred to the standards in our area as the “Wild West.”

On a brighter note, the Grand Jury did find that Supervisor Nate Miley’s Group Living Facilities Working Group (GLFWG) was effective within the district’s Eden Area Livability Initiative and that its procedures to identify and respond to group living issues should be adopted countywide.

The Grand Jury report finally reviewed county oversight of Community-Based Organization (CBO) contracts, Santa Rita Jails’ intake, release and grievance procedures, and an inspection of Camp Wilmont Sweeney, which is situated near the Juvenile Hall facility on Fairmont Drive. The report did not make any new recommendations, nor did it require official responses from officials.

Every year, a hand-picked jury reviews Alameda County’s policies and practices to ensure transparency and efficiency in law and justice, social services, government, and education.

Double Homicide:

Suspect Identified

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  07-03-19

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office has identified a suspect and one of the victims in the double homicide discovered in Castro Valley last week.

The suspect is 49-year-old Steven Michael Carlson, a resident of Castro Valley and Pleasanton. One of the victims, a woman, was identified as Lisa Deanne Carlson, 45, of Pleasanton.

The bodies of a man and women were found — slain from gunshot wounds — at about 10:15 a.m. last Wednesday by Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies during a welfare check at a guest house in the 20500 block of Forest Ave. near Castro Valley Blvd.

The welfare check was requested by a relative who said they hadn’t heard from a family member for several days, according to Sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly.

When deputies arrived at the address they received no response so they walked to a cottage in the rear of the lot and discovered the bodies, which had apparently been dead for several days.

Anyone with info, call the Sheriff’s Office at: 510-667-3636.

CAPTION: CRIME SCENE: Yellow tape surrounded a home in the 2500 block of Forest Avenue for several hours last Wednesday as Sheriff’s deputies investigated the slaying of a man and women in a rear cottage. Police have named Steven Michael Carlson as the suspect.

PHOTO BY LINDA SANDSMARK

Fireworks Are Illegal in CV, But 4th Fun is Still Around

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-26-19

It’s an American tradition that predates the Revolutionary War, but it’s illegal in Castro Valley.

They are the fireworks we use to celebrate the upcoming Fourth of July and beyond. You hear them after dark—the bang, the pop, the hiss, and the crackle with just a hint of flash spraying overhead.

More than $296.2 million worth of fireworks were imported to the U.S. from China in 2016. Last year, Alameda County Sheriff’s confiscated 10,000 pounds of illegal fireworks. The number should be about the same this year, according to Sgt. Ray Kelly with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

“When the economy is good, and people have disposable income, we see a lot of illegal fireworks in the county,” Sgt. Kelly told the Forum.

You can buy and set off “safe and sane” fireworks in only two places in Alameda County: Dublin and Newark. Outside of those two cities, the department will crack down on illegal fireworks – ones that launch in the air, the cherry bombs, and the M-1,000 explosives.

But deputies won’t be relying on special surveillance equipment to report fireworks abuse. Instead, they are counting on phone calls from the neighborhood to snuff out especially dangerous displays of firepower.

“We’re looking for that one block or one house on the street where the activity and noise is a danger to the community,” Sgt. Kelly says. “There is nothing worse than having to walk up to a family and confiscate their fireworks in front of their kids. We know this is an American tradition, but we want people to be responsible.”

While fireworks are fun to watch, they are dangerous. The loud noise—often more than 150 decibels—can result in severe stress, fear, and anxiety in pets, the elderly, and people with special needs.

Explosions often injure the person handling the rockets as well as bystanders.

Faulty fireworks also carry the danger of setting off fires. The Alameda County Fire Department will be on high alert that first week of July in case of a vegetation fire, says spokesperson, Aisha Knowles.

“We ask residents to be aware of the fire dangers and keep trees and shrubs trimmed away from their homes to prevent flames from spreading quickly,” Knowles says.

If you want to see fireworks, there are several cities in the Bay Area offering large-scale shows. San Francisco is offering several fireworks displays along the Embarcadero and Pier 39 all the way to Crissy Field. The USS Hornet’s 4th of July Celebration in Alameda starts at 2 p.m. and ends with fireworks by 10 p.m. The Berkeley Marina’s 4th Of July Fest & Fireworks show starts at 9:30 p.m. Livermore’s 4th of July Family Fun Fireworks Celebration closes off several blocks for downtown viewing at 9:30 p.m. The Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton is launching fireworks nightly—except for July 4.

Back in Castro Valley, the Sheriff’s Office asks if you see an illegal and dangerous display of fireworks that you contact its non-emergency line at (510) 667-7721.

CAPTION: More than $296.2 million worth of fireworks were imported to the U.S. from China in 2016.

Rep. Swalwell in Dem. Presidential Debate Tomorrow

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-26-19

Rep. Eric Swalwell, whose California congressional office is on Castro Valley Blvd., will be one of 10 presidential hopefuls appearing on  tomorrow evening’s nationally-televised Democratic Presidential Debate in Miami.

This first debate is taking place over two nights — tonight and Thursday — on NBC (KNTV Channel 11), MSNBC and Telemundo — from 6 to 8 p.m. PDT.

Moderators for the two nights include MSNBC show host Rachel Maddow (formerly of Castro Valley and a graduate of CVHS), NBC News’ anchors Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie, and Chuck Todd, and Telemundo’s José Diaz-Balart.

NBC selected the field of 10 candidates for each debate by random drawing, set up so that a mix of higher-profile and lesser-known candidates will appear each night.

Rep. Swalwell told the San Francisco Chronicle last week that he will decide in December whether to register to run for re-election to Congress, depending on his standing in the polls and whether he continues to qualify for the debates.

Earlier this year, before announcing his bid to become president, Swalwell said he didn’t plan to seek re-election to California’s 15th Congressional District if he became a presidential candidate. His district covers Castro Valley, most of eastern Alameda County and part of central Contra Costa County.

PG&E Expanding Operations to Monitor Wildfire Risk

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-26-19

Pacific Gas and Electric Company is expanding its network of weather stations and high-definition cameras in the East Bay to improve the company’s ability to predict and respond to extreme wildfire danger.

By the end of 2019, PG&E officials say they plan to have at least 600 weather stations and 100 high-definition cameras in high fire-threat areas.

More than 200 of the new stations and 25 cameras have been installed in the Bay Area to date, including 11 in Alameda County, to capture localized, real-time temperature, wind speeds and humidity levels.

The high-definition, pan-tilt-zoom cameras allow firefighters, first responders and electric power companies to confirm and monitor potential wildfires.

The gear, installed in more than three dozen counties, is part of many additional precautionary measures the company is implementing to reduce wildfire risks following the state’s devastating 2017 and 2018 wildfires.

“The enhanced meteorological data we are receiving from these weather stations is bolstering our ability to forecast high fire-risk weather conditions with further granularity so that we can take swift action to protect public safety,” said company Vice President Sumeet Singh.

“Personnel at PG&E’s 24/7 Wildfire Safety Operations Center will use these weather stations and cameras to better monitor wildfire risks and coordinate prevention and response efforts, and the data is shared publicly and with agencies such as CAL FIRE.”

During extreme weather events, electric power may be shut off for public safety in an effort to prevent a wildfire, a procedure called a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).

PG&E’s meteorologists will feed data from these new stations to the company’s Wildfire Safety Operations Center team, where it can be utilized to help inform actions such as PSPS.

Before any such shut-offs occur, PG&E will review criteria including predictions of strong winds and very low humidity levels. Data collected by the weather stations is made available to state and local agencies and the public through online sources such as the National Weather Service.

The system is used by fire managers and has been instrumental in tracking more than 500 fires since it was first developed in 2013. Images from the system are viewable online at www.alertwildfire.org.

In addition to improving real-time monitoring, PG&E and intelligence capabilities, other actions PG&E is putting in place enhanced safety measures to strengthen the safety and resiliency of the electric grid in an effort to further reduce future wildfire risks.

More information can be found at pge.com/wildfiresafety.

CAPTION: A PG&E technician installs one of more than two dozen weather stations in the East Bay to monitor and reduce wildfire risk. By the end of the year, the utility plans to have at least 600 such stations and 100 high-definition cameras in high fire-threat areas.

PG&E PHOTO

Village Barber Hangs Up its Scissors

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-19-19

The Village Barber—a mainstay in the Castro Village shopping center since 1950—shut its doors this past Saturday with an uncertain future.

A sign posted on the window of the iconic shop announced the closure with instructions to contact individual barbers for their next shave or trim.

“We want to thank all our loyal customers for your support and friendship over the years. Call your favorite barber for news about your next haircut. We’ll see you soon: not retiring, just relocating!”

Al Proietti, who has owned the business since 1999, told the Castro Valley Forum the time was right for him to close and leave the location in favor of cutting hair elsewhere in town.

In a message posted online, Proietti says the barber shop was facing an upgrade to provide disability access and that the Village management’s group (Crosspoint Realty Services) was willing to extend his lease. However, after 20 years of managing the business, Proietti says that it is a good time for he and his wife to have some personal time with their four grand kids and two great-grand kids before he gets behind the chair again.

“We’ve had a lot of laughs and tears sometimes, but mostly the laughs,” Proietti says. “So many people have come through those doors. We’ve even cut hair for famous baseball players like Castro Valley High School alumnus Jason Castro (Minnesota Twins).”

Originally opened in 1950, the barbershop is known for its four haircut stations where patrons line up to discuss the news of the day while getting a beard trim, straight razor shave, or even a hot towel.

The Village Barber was also a “first” tradition destination for families. The shop regularly is-

sued a “First Haircut Certificate” to children getting their first trim. The barbers would periodically take a photo and send it to the family as a keepsake as well.

“Some babies that we cut their hair come back in with their own kids who have graduating from college,” says Proietti. “If it wasn’t for the little kids the job would not have been as interesting. I like to clown around with them and they do the same with me. I do little magic tricks with them and make it special.”

The staff is a talented bunch. Proietti is also known for performing the Charlie Chaplin “Little Tramp” character. Al Martinez is a vegetarian and plays piano. Ernie Olivieri is a member of the Good Guys Auto Club. Spence Petsas also has a passion for classic cars and had been working at Village Barber since 1995. Ty Kemp—the youngest of the bunch—plays guitar in various bands.

Crosspoint Realty Services declined to confirm that it was working with a new owner or that it would renovate the space prior to re-opening with a new business.

Proietti says if the space does reopen as a barber shop, some of the guys will be staying, but it’s not sure which ones.

CAPTION: END OF A TRADITION: Al Proietti gives a haircut to Jeff Stone, his first customer at the Village Barbers. At left is Bill Rogers who got the final haircut from Proietti at the shop.

Public Services Stretched

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-19-19

The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) heard a variety of updates on Monday from organizations that provide services around town, including the Faith Lutheran Church food pantry, the California Highway Patrol, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Alameda County Code Enforcement, and AC Transit.

Food Pantry

Faith Lutheran pantry coordinator Teri Donat told the MAC that more and more working poor are using the pantry’s services for food – there has been an 18 percent increase people seeking help in the past year. As of the end of May, they distributed 60,000 pounds of food to 5,175 people.

The pantry gives out two days’ worth of food for low income families and individuals every Thursday evening and also accepts referrals from the Alameda County Food Bank on Mondays, Wednesday, and Friday when they pack up two days’ worth of food made available the same day the person seeking help phones the food bank.

They also receive donations of fresh unsold produce from the San Leandro Farmers’ Market, Donat said.

“No one gets turned away,” said Donat. “Everybody gets something. We are trying to make the most with the few resources we all have. Our goal is to serve our clients with dignity.”

CHP Staffing

Next up was CHP Lt. Stephen Perea, who told the MAC that the Castro Valley CHP office is struggling with staffing, due to the high cost of living in the area and that some of his officers live as far away as Roseville and Fresno.

MAC Chair Marc Crawford said one idea would be a dorm of sorts for officers for use while on duty in Castro Valley.

“It almost sounds like we need a CHP halfway house to house our officers during the week,” said Crawford.

Marijuana-Related DUIs

Perea said that a major trend he’s noticed in law enforcement recently is the increase in marijuana-related DUIs.

He said the Golden Gate CHP has made 7,713 DUI stops where they detected marijuana so far this year, compared to 9,000 in all of 2018. Perea added that in Castro Valley specifically, 435 people were pulled over and found to have the odor of pot, but not arrested due to a lack of evidence of intoxication.

There was also a 58 percent increase in property damage marijuana DUI collisions (with no injuries), according to Perea.

“People are getting more complacent about smoking and getting behind the wheel,” said Perea. “The marijuana issue continues to grow and I don’t see any end to it whatsoever.”

Crime Trends

Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Commander Colby Staysa then spoke about crime trends his office has noticed in Castro Valley, including the prevalence of homeless encampments.

Staysa said that because many drug arrests have been essentially decriminalized or lowered from felonies to misdemeanors, many of the addicts who used to be forced in to treatment programs are now living on the streets instead.

“All these misdemeanor crimes people aren’t staying in custody for, what I’ve seen as the jail population decreased, the homeless population had a similar increase,” said. Saysa.

Staysa also spoke about Urban Shield, the public safety training exercise that the Alameda County Board of Supervisors decided to end this year after public outcry about the militarization of police.

Staysa said that, although Urban Shield will no longer take place, the sheriff’s office will continue training in order to keep the public as safe as possible.

“The sheriff is very committed to the safety of his stall and the community,” said Staysa. “The sheriff is not going to let his community down so we still train, but not at that level. Always looking for new ways and best practices to serve.”

Code Violations

County Code Enforcement officers told the MAC that the most common violations they are seeing in Castro Valley include unapproved home businesses, unapproved garage conversions into living spaces, unapproved signs and banners, and unapproved storage of RVs, boats, and trailers.

Code enforcement is complaint-based, meaning residents have to tell the county about the issue before an officer is assigned to the case.

If a violation isn’t corrected after an officer issues a notice if violation fees can be assessed. For example, if you get dinged for leaving your trash cans out all week, you get a warning and then a $100 fine. If those cans still aren’t put away, the third notice is a $200 fine and then each subsequent notice is $400.

Other ongoing issues include overgrown weeds, piled up trash­ — especially mattresses and furniture — graffiti, and inoperable vehicles parked permanently on streets.

AC Transit Changes

Finally, AC Transit representatives spoke to the MAC, detailing changes to their lines that went into effect this past weekend (a full list of changes available at bit.ly/2Ip5UrR). They also said that bus fares will increase by 25 cents as of July 1 but discounts will be available if you get a Clipper card.

Celebrating 30th Year This Friday

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-19-19

Looking for a place to brighten your day? Maybe a guitar jam, an active fitness class, belly dancing, a game of table tennis or pool,  or just a quiet time to read?

All that and a lot more are available at the Kenneth C. Aitken Senior and Community Center at 17800 Redwood Road in Castro Valley.

Known for its variety of activities, whether for recreation or learning, the center also hosts a variety of seasonal events — an ice cream social luau is coming up on July 11th — and it serves as a polling place during elections. It’s annual flea markets, “high teas” and holiday parties attract guests from all over the East Bay.

The public is invited to celebrate the center’s 30th anniversary as a key part of the Hayward Area Recreation District (HARD) this Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. with cake, punch and live music, hosted by Recreation Coordinator Jennifer Tibbetts and her staff.

“It has been a real honor for me to watch the Kenneth C. Aitken Senior  and Community Center evolve and grow throughout the years, and I am very proud of the staff and volunteers for making all this possible,” says Tibbetts, who’s overseen the center’s dizzying array of activities for 13 years.

Originally named the Redwood Senior and Community Center, it was dedicated by HARD to provide a state-of-the-art facility for a variety of activities and ages on June 23, 1989 at a cost of $2.8 million.

In the fall of 1992 it was re-dedicated and renamed for Kenneth C. Aitken, who had served as a HARD Board member from 1961 to 1992.

CAPTION: Recreation Coordinator Jennifer Tibbetts has overseen the busy operation and wide variety of activities at the Kenneth C. Aitken Community and Senior Center for the past 13 years.

PHOTO BY FRED ZEHNDER

Class of 2019 Bids Farewell to CVHS

By Linda Sandsmark

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-12-19

“Four years of endless hard work and the desire to succeed are what brought us here,” Student Body President Michelle Terhell exclaimed to her classmates Thursday evening in a Castro Valley High School Stadium filled with family, friends, balloons and flowers.

Some 630 members of the Class of 2019, who had made their entry minutes before accompanied by the CVHS Band’s traditional “Pomp and Circumstance,” listened as Terhell’s remarks were followed by an “International Welcome” in the dozens of languages spoken by the student body and their families — Bosnian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Russian, Somali, Romanian, Polish, Swahili, Urdu, Tagalog, Vietnamese, even a speech generator device.

The ceremony, including “The Star Spangled Banner,” was translated into American Sign Language by student ASL signers. CVHS Choir Seniors sang “Rise Up,” led by director Laryssa Sadoway.   

Senior class president Nicolette Paredes urged the students to make those sitting in the stands proud. 

Student speaker Katelyn Lance gave a humorous recap of four years in high school, then ended on a serious note: “Get out there and vote. Start a dialogue!”

School Board President Dot Theodore congratulated the students.

“This is an amazing day,” she said. “We are so very proud of you.” Then she, too, added a note of caution — to remember that, “No means no, and it’s okay to say no.”

Principal Blaine Torpey presented the Class of 2019, and CVHS counselors distributed diplomas, calling each student by name. Closing remarks were provided by Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi.

PHOTOS BY LINDA SANDSMARK

‘Last Ride’ for Pleasanton Cattle Drive

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-12-19

Hundreds of hooves will tromp through the streets of Downtown Pleasanton Friday for the final time as the Alameda County Fair hosts the “Last Ride” of its Opening Day Cattle Drive.

The event will feature over 150 large steers parading down Main Street, as well as a procession of cowboys, cowgirls, fair entertainers and more.

The Cattle Drive will start at the Fairgrounds near the Rose Ave. Gate and then move down Del Valle Parkway and continue on to Main Street in the downtown area at 10:30 a.m.

It will be the final opportunity to witness a real, live cattle drive through a major urban area.

“It has been a wonderful opening celebration, but the Alameda County Fair is always changing and evolving,” said spokesperson

Angel Moore. “We want to be able to create new, fun experiences that will keep all our fair-goers excited about attending year after year.”

Several downtown businesses will be giving away free fair tickets while supplies last, and the Museum on Main will provide fun activities for kids. Plus, the fair will be offering free admission to everyone on opening day until 3 p.m.

Main Street will be closed during the cattle drive, while side streets will undergo rolling closures to keep traffic moving.

The festivities will continue with special attractions for the fair’s “Western Weekend” celebration. The band War will perform opening night to kick off the 2019 Big O Tires Concert series.

The fair runs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily from June 14 to July 7, but will be closed the Mondays and Tuesdays of June 17-18, 24-25 and July 1-2. Carnival hours are noon to closing on Wednesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to closing Friday through Sunday.

Horse racing is scheduled for June 14-16, 20-23, 27-30 and July 4-7. Free concerts are 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. followed by fireworks nightly.

On Father’s Day, June 16, Dads will be admitted free until 5 p.m.

For more additional details, including schedules, discount days, and concert and ticket info, visit www.alamedacountyfair.com.

CAPTION: Last year’s Alameda County Fair cattle drive on its way to Downtown Pleasanton.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PLEASANTON WEEKLY

Crawford Re-elected To Chair

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-12-19

Despite some previous controversy over who will lead the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), current Chair Marc Crawford was quickly elected to serve as Chair again at this week’s MAC meeting.

Back in October, the MAC unanimously approved changes to its bylaws after several months of debate regarding the appointment of internal leadership.

MAC Chairs are typically elected in June, but this time last year, Crawford and MAC member Ken Carbone were both nominated by fellow MAC members to serve as Chair of the council for a one year term. Ultimately, after several weeks, Carbone withdrew and Crawford was elected by his fellow MAC members to a second term.

Since then, some champions of leadership changes – namely Dave Sadoff and Linda Tangren – have left the MAC.

Under the new bylaws, the Chair may serve for no longer than two consecutive years, so this will be Crawford’s final year as chair, at least for a bit. Also, a 12-year general term limit has been established for all MAC appointees.

The vote this time around was 4-0-1 in favor of Crawford. MAC member Shannon Killebrew was not at the meeting and MAC member Dolly Adams abstained. Both are relatively recent additions to the MAC, replacing Tangren and Sadoff.

Public speaker Michael Kusiak, a frequent critic of having an appointed, rather than elected, MAC, chided the board for giving Crawford another year as chair with virtually no discussion of the matter.

Kusiak pointed out that the same vote for chair was tabled several times last summer when various MAC members were not at meetings, but this time a vote happened when a member was absent.

“We need change in this town,” said Kusiak.

CV Marketplace Update

In other MAC news, the council gave their support to a plan for two murals to be painted on the walls of the Castro Valley Marketplace at the old Daugherty’s site.

Ted Riche took the opportunity to ask Marketplace developer Craig Semmelmeyer whether they were still on track for a mid-August grand opening as previously planned and his answer was “no.”

Semmelmeyer said there have been some hold-ups with county permitting and that he is currently aiming for an October opening date. He said most of the space has been leased, but they are still looking for the perfect florist and dessert tenants. He also promised artwork related to Castro Valley’s past in farming on the Marketplace’s interior walls.

Charter School Approved

Also at Monday night’s meeting, the MAC unanimously approved a plan for the Epiphany Lutheran Church to operate a charter school for up to 360 kids in kindergarten through eighth grade at 16248 Carolyn Street.

Heat Wave is Over for Now

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-12-19

Temperatures moderated today from a Bay Area heat wave that began over the weekend, but not before it had shattered records in many places on Monday, causing power outages in the East Bay, delays on the BART system, and dangerous wildfire conditions.

Highs in Castro Valley hovered around the 100-degree mark at the start of the week, but began dropping by Tuesday. The cooling trend will continue for the rest of the week with temperatures down to the lower 70s by the weekend.

Smalltown Purchases the Historic Chabot Theater

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-05-19

Smalltown Society, in partnership with First Presbyterian Church of Hayward, has purchased the historic Chabot Theater on Castro Valley Blvd., in an effort to preserve and build upon its historic legacy, and to make it a community asset for years to come.

“When I first heard the theater was for sale, I knew we had to get involved in order to preserve this landmark,” said Smalltown Society Founder Paul Keim, who will serve as director of operations for the Chabot Theater.

“The more discussions we had with community leadership and residents, the more it became clear — not only could we preserve it, but we had the potential to re-establish it as a community hub in Castro Valley.”

To keep the iconic theater at 2853 Castro Valley Blvd. from being destroyed or utilized for alternate purposes, a team of local residents was formed to purchase the theater and launch a new business that began operations yesterday. All profits from the enterprise will be reinvested into local art and advocacy projects.

Keim said Smalltown Society will continue to operate The Chabot as a community “first-run” cinema house, while implementing some exciting new ideas and plans for the future, including enhancing both the property and schedule, and establishing the theater as a cultural hub in Castro Valley.

The Chabot will continue to run as normal through the summer, with an official grand opening scheduled for late 2019.

Opened in 1948, the Chabot Cinema has been operated by the independent CineLux Theatre chain. It has seating for about 400 and is one of only a handful of single-screen theaters remaining.

Summer Months Most Dangerous For Teen Drivers

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-05-19

The 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are considered the most dangerous for teen drivers. In the past five years, during that time, nearly 3,500 people across the country were killed in crashes involving teen drivers.

The three most common behaviors that contribute to the spike in teen crashes during the summer months are speed, impaired driving, and distracted driving.

More than a quarter (28%) of teen crashes involve speeding.

One in six (17%) teen drivers test positive for alcohol in fatal crashes.

More than half (60%) of teen crashes involve distraction.

To keep roads safer this summer, AAA encourages parents to:

• Lead by example and minimize your own risky behavior when driving.

• Talk with teens about the dangers of risky driving situations, such as speeding, impairment and distracted driving.

• Make a parent-teen driving agreement that sets family rules for teen drivers.

• Become familiar with resources like TeenDriving.AAA.

com, which can help prepare families and teens for the summer driving season.

Teen Driver Safety Class

The California Highway Patrol and the Castro Valley Library will present another of their “Start Smart” teen-driver safety classes at 6 p.m. next Tuesday, June 11, at the Library for new and future licensed teenage drivers between the age of 15-19 and their parents.

CHP officers will talk about traffic collisions, their causes and avoidance techniques, seat-belt usage and driver responsibilities.

To register, call 510-581-9028 (CHP) or 510-667-7900 (Library), or visit: www.aclibrary.org

She’s 105: Her Secret to Youth? Always be Learning

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  06-05-19

Virginia Gates celebrated her 105th birthday today surrounded by friends and family who refer to her as a “warm, caring, and positive person.”

“Even if it was raining, Virginia would have a smile on her face and tell people how she looks forward to each day,” Rev. Shijung Shim told the Castro Valley Forum before a special celebration at Castro Valley United Methodist Church this past weekend.

Born Virginia Liebhart on June 4, 1914, in Dickens, Missouri, she moved to the San Joaquin County town of Manteca with her family at age eight.

The youngest of five children, Liebhart went to Manteca High School and then graduated from nursing school at Highlands Hospital in 1936. She married Donald Gates in 1937.

The couple raised two children Edward and Donna (Driver) in Oakland. Gates has five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.

The family still gets together every Thursday for lunch to play cards and talk.

“People think she’s still in her 80s because she still gets around and looks so good,” Driver says. “Until a few years ago, mom would do the cooking for lunch.”

Donald passed away in 1988 after 51 years of marriage. Gates lived in the family home in Oakland for 70 years before moving to Castro Valley more than 10 years ago.

She is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star branch of the Masons as well as the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Gates secret of youth? Keep on learning.

Gates always had a passion for gardening but started learning Spanish in her 70s. Her real passion though is genealogy, which turned into a lifelong commitment to connecting with friends and family.

“Mom had four friends in Manteca that she kept in touch with until the last one passed away 25 years ago. But even to this day, their children and grandchildren

see 105 on page 3

 visit her and share their stories,” Driver says.

Because of her passion for the family tree, Gates was able to trace back her roots to Europe in the 1700s and homes in Pennsylvania.

Fifty people including family members from Wisconsin, Oregon, and California are expected to be on hand for a private birthday event this week.

CAPTION: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!: 105-year old Virginia Gates in a photo taken this past Mother’s Day.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNA DRIVER

Student Citizens of 2019

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-29-19

Each year, the Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce honors a Student Citizen of the Year from each school, chosen by their teachers and school faculty, at a luncheon at Redwood Canyon Golf Course. Receiving the 2019 Student Citizens of the Year Awards at Redwood Canyon Golf Course on May 23 were:

Blain Engeda, Arroyo High School; Lynee Sims, Canyon Middle School; Christopher Yan, Castro Valley Adult School; John Tak, Castro Valley Elementary; Declan Galli, Castro Valley High School; Adrianna Jaime, Chabot Elementary School; Madeline Almonte Armas, Colonial Acres Elementary; Jennifer Mi, Creekside Middle School; Emma Thanos, Independent Elementary School; Sebastian Sandoval, Jensen Ranch Elementary; Andrea Barrios, Marshall Elementary; Ellie Deorsey, Our Lady of Grace School; Isaiah Maier, Palomares Elementary School; Valeria Iniguez, Proctor Elementary School; Azure Young, Redwood Christian Elementary; Isaac Hague, Redwood Christian High School; Malachi Matangelo, Redwood Christian Middle School; Kaitlyn Didderich, Redwood High School; Douglas Estupinian, San Lorenzo High School; Isaac Shane Mohammed-Smith, Stanton Elementary; Martin James Strasburger, Vannoy Elementary School; and Leigha Pierson, Washington Manor Middle School.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CASTRO VALLEY/EDEN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Solemn 25th Anniversary

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-29-19

An overflow crowd of more than a hundred attended the 25th anniversary of the loss of Jenny Lin, Friday evening at the Castro Valley Library.

Jenny, a young, talented musician and a straight-A student, was murdered in her Castro Valley home on May 27, 1994, at the age of 14. The brutal slaying devastated her family and shocked the community.

Jenny’s parents, John and Mei-lian Lin, vowed to continue working with the police until the case is solved, and to carry on Jenny’s dreams to see her life extended in a unique fashion.

For 25 years, the Jenny Lin Foundation has offered music scholarships and free music programs to the community each summer, and has organized numerous safety fairs, workshops and activities to raise awareness of child safety issues and to improve safety knowledge and precautions for parents and children. 

“We appreciate everyone’s care and support for our family and the Jenny Lin Foundation,” John Lin said on Friday.  “As we cross the quarter century mark of her passing, I want to reiterate our commitment to finding Jenny’s killer.

“Working with law enforcement agencies and the public, we won’t rest until her killer is apprehended and convicted. And I urge whoever knows anything about the case to come forward and help us find justice for Jenny.”

The family is hopeful that through continuous police effort, advances in forensic technology and public help, this senseless, horrifying case will soon be solved. 

Recent breaks of several age -old murder cases has boosted the family’s hope that one day the killer will be caught. A $100,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of Jenny’s murderer is still available. 

Following Friday night’s memorial service, a candlelight walk was held along the Boulevard to remind the public of the unsolved homicide and to raise awareness of child safety.

Anyone with information about the Lin murder is asked to call the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office at 510-667-7721 or the toll-free hotline at 855-4-JENNY-LIN.

CAPTION: An Alameda County Sheriff’s motorcycle escort, above, prepares to lead Friday night’s candlelight walk through downtown Castro Valley.

PHOTO BY FRED ZEHNDER

A Night for Mariachi Music

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-22-19

One hundred and twenty youngsters from all over Castro Valley will perform in a district-wide Mariachi celebration this Friday, May 24 at the Center for the Arts.

“Voces del Valle” (Voices of the Valley) enrichment program, now in its third year, includes students from all ethnicities.

The musical performance will feature vocals and five instruments: trumpet, violin, vihuela, guitar and guitarron. 

Participants range from third grade through high school. The young musicians will play and sing a variety of songs, including “La Bamba.”

“Our Mariachi program provides participating students in grades 3 to 12 additional music instruction from classically trained musicians after school. Just as important is the opportunity for our students to learn about and celebrate the Latino heritage, culture and music,” says Superintendent  Parvin Ahmadi.

Nancy Nodal, the district’s parent/community liaison, adds that the program provides the opportunity to play an instrument for students who might not otherwise be able to afford one of their own. 

“I really wanted to join the Mariachis,” says third grader Samantha De Santiago. “This is my first year. I learned chords on the vihuela, which is the smaller guitar. I’m also a soloist.”

Fifth grader Sebastian Sandoval has been able to use his Mariachi musical skills in school as well. He played his guitar, accompanied by his brother on the violin, at the Jensen Ranch Elementary School talent show.

“I’m learning guitar because I thought it would be a fun experience to learn a new instrument and learn about my culture,” says Sandoval.

The students have been practicing for this performance since October of 2018. The advanced group has already played at the Latino Achievement Awards night at Castro Valley High School, and at Proctor Elementary School’s multi-cultural fair.

see MARIACHI on back page

Director of the Mariachi program is Felipe Garcia, assisted by maestros Jorge Rodriguez, Miguel Chavez on guitar, Victor Singh on trumpet, and maestra Monique Valenzuela as voice instructor. 

Chavez says, “It’s always been a passion of mine.  I grew up doing a lot of music, and having the opportunity to pass the tradition to the next generation gives me joy.”

Parent Anita Arechiga is pleased with the Voces del Valle program. Her daughter, Gabriela, is in her third year playing the large guitarron (bass).  Gabriela is a student at Canyon Middle School.

“It’s a good program. It’s exposed her to an instrument, one that they don’t play at school,” says Anita.

Voces del Valle’s Mariachi Program End-of-the-Year Celebration will be held this Friday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Castro Valley Center for the Arts, 19501 Redwood Road.   

There is no charge for the concert, but space is extremely limited due to the large number of participants.

More about Voces del Valle is viewable  online at  https://vimeo.com/272422488

CAPTION: “VOCES DEL VALLE”: The 120 students in the Castro Valley School District’s Mariachi Program, who will be performing this Friday evening at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts.  

PHOTO BY DEBBIE TEE

CV Sign Is Still in Limbo

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-22-19

The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) heard updates on everything from potholes to the future of Cull Canyon at their Monday night meeting.

The first subject was picking a design for what the county is calling the “Eden Area signage” project.

Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Cherryland, Ashland, and Fairview will all have their own unique color-coded signs on major thoroughfares and near freeway exits directing people to libraries, shopping areas, and other amenities.

Jaimie Orfanos, the county’s economic and civic development manager, said that most other communities have already picked a small, simple image as logo of sorts for their signs though an informal public surveying process, but Castro Valley residents weren’t too happy with the suggestion of a hawk in flight so no design has been selected yet.

San Lorenzans have picked a line drawing of the art deco Lorenzo Theater; a lone tree was selected for Fairview; an ash leaf was chosen for Ashland; and cherries and Meek Manor were chosen for Cherryland.

The MAC didn’t care for Orfanos’ hawk or other suggestions of Lake Chabot or a redwood tree that were generated by an Oakland-based municipal design consultant.

Orfanso said that a formal call for artists to offer new proposed images would be a lengthy and costly process and Crawford suggested asking people in the community to share their designs for free.

Crawford said he already received one alternative design from a resident — a canoe, which he said was “hilarious.” Of course, the poorly-received “Welcome to Castro Valley” sign featuring a canoe became the town’s most instantly infamous piece of public art back in the 1990s.

MAC member Chuck Moore described the hawk, lake, and tree designs as too generic and applicable to many other towns. He suggested something to do with Castro Valley’s agricultural history.

“I looked at these pictures and they really don’t tell me that I’m in Castro Valley or anything about Castro Valley,” said Moore.

In the end, the MAC voted unanimously to have the community development agency start a process to ask for volunteers and advertise for a new design to present to the council at a later date.

Public Works Report

The county’s Public Works agency also delivered its annual report to the MAC on Monday evening. Public Works director Daniel Woldesenbet said that 2018 saw almost $21 million in transportation projects in Castro Valley, including $9.3 million for pavement management.

The state of roadways are ranked on “pavement condition index” or PCI of 1-to-100 the PCI in the unincorporated area is 73, which Woldesenbet says is much better than neighboring cities including San Leandro and Hayward. He identified 75 streets in Castro Valley which received pavement improvements last year.

Woldesenbet also shared a summary of smaller Public Works activities preformed in Castro Valley in 2018: 8,700 miles of streets were swept, 211 trees were trimmed, 83 pieces of graffiti were removed, and 1,436 pot holes were repaired.

Later, Hank Ackerman of the Alameda County Flood Control District gave an update on Cull Canyon. In 2016, the dam there was modified to create a creek. Eventually, the district wants to create trails for walking and hiking.

That will likely be a few years in the future because the California Fish and Wildlife Service and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board requires that native trees, grasses, and shrubs be planted in the area.

Right now, the land which will eventually become the trails is fenced off so the native plants can fully take root.

Once the plants are established, the trails and benches will be built, according to Ackerman. The area will look more like a natural habitat than a manicured park.

CAPTION: CULL CANYON: Once native plants are established, trails and benches will be built and the area will look more like a natural habitat than a manicured park.

ALAMEDA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPT.

Sen. Wieckowski to Run for Congress

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-22-19

California State Senator Bob Wieckowski announced his candidacy for California’s 15th Congressional District on Tuesday.

The 10th Senate District he currently represents in the State Legislature overlaps with the 15th Congressional District, and covers most of eastern Alameda County, including Castro Valley.

The district is currently represented by Democrat Eric Swalwell, who previously announced his candidacy for president and has said he would not seek reelection to Congress.

Wieckowski is a former bankruptcy attorney who served as Vice Mayor of Fremont, and as a member of the State Assembly before his election to the State Senate.

He received his B.A. from the University of California and his J.D. from Santa Clara University Law School. He lives in Fremont with his wife, Sue.

Watching the Parade

Go By

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-15-19

Hundreds of people lined the Boulevard Saturday morning for the Annual Rowell Rodeo Parade, but this little girl, holding a flag,  got a close-up view from the median. The parade is sponsored every year by the Rotary Club of Castro Valley. The winning entries can be found on page 12

PHOTO BY FRED ZEHNDER

Dried and Tied Set To Close

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-15-19

After 43 years in business, long-time Castro Valley retailer Dried & Tied is closing its doors this spring.

The store began humbly in 1976 when co-owners Kathy Rousey and Jan Gonsalves came together to serve an open niche of offering dried flowers and specialty gifts.

Current owner, George Mathai announced his retirement earlier this year. The remaining managers said they could not continue without a strong partner like Mathai and are now preparing to close the shop in a month or so.

“Although bittersweet, the time is right for us to move on,” Mathai says.

An announcement posted on the store entrance and a posting on the Dried & Tied Facebook page mentioning the closure caught customers by surprise.

“So sad to hear this. This is where I go to buy gifts for my friends for any occasion,” Castro Valley resident, Kathi Wilson Finley posted on Facebook. “My husband shops for gifts for me there because he knows he can always find something I’ll love. I’m really, really going to miss this store a LOT!!!”

Dried & Tied customers will agree that the store was more than a retail outlet. It was a place where people would go to have a shopping experience – get decorating advice, and visit with employees that ultimately became friends.

“We have some customers come in to shop with us while their family members are at Eden Hospital. Rousey told the Castro Valley Forum. “They talk to us while they shop. It gives them a feeling of being grounded. They feel better in a place that has nice things that may remind them of simpler times and of home.”

Over the years, the store built a strong brand and following, becoming a destination in Castro Village Shopping Center for generations.

“We bring with us many memories and are so grateful to the community and loyal customers for their support over the years,” Rousey adds. “I had a customer come in recently with a stroller who said she loved coming to the store when she was a little girl and her mother brought her in to shop.”

Starting out of their own homes, Rousey and Gonsalves answered requests by friends and family to have home parties. They expanded quickly and at the height of its success, the partners managed a 2-story 4,000 square foot space. The brand was built around elegance. Just as Tiffany’s has its blue box; Dried & Tied has its gift bow, gold sticker, and fragrance spray.

“Our motto has always been, ‘If you don’t see it here, you don’t need it,’” Rousey quips.

At the time, there were not as many shopping choices for home decor. Dried & Tied made a name for itself by decorating the store every holiday including Christmas and Halloween. Since then, online retailers and jumbo home furnishings chains have displaced locally owned stores like Dried & Tied.

Rousey and Gonsalves “retired” once before in 2005 when they sold the store to George Mathai, who said he wanted to invest in a local business. Rousey returned to work in partnership with Mathai in 2011 right up to current day.

The store is expected to continue with sales until its final day.

CAPTION: The Dried and Tied crew: Antoinette Streeter, Kathy Rousey, Dawn Altman, Marsha Stowe.

Photo by MICHAEL SINGER

Medical Office to Be Built

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-15-19

A developer got the go-ahead to raze three old buildings and construct a new two-story 25,000-square-foot medical office near the 3-Crosses Church at Monday night’s meeting of the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC).

The site, at 20630 John Drive, doesn’t have a tenant yet, but it will be used for medical purposes, according to the developers.

The developers also included plans to build a large “Welcome to Castro alley” sign, as the site is near the freeway and faces traffic Castro Valley Boulevard, but the MAC had reservations about the design and told them to come back for further discussion on the specifics of the sign.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the MAC postponed a decision on whether to allow an indoor children’s recreation facility at the corner of Castro Valley Boulevard and Chester Street — the site of the former Trader’s sporting goods store.

Several members of the MAC told applicant Mary Ann Dones that she had a good business idea and they’d like to see the facility open for the kids of the community, but there is no dedicated parking for the store and that’s a problem.

The lack of parking for that stretch of the Boulevard (which includes Lucca’s Deli and ABC Music) wasn’t a major issue for Trader’s which had a couple of customers at a time, but the MAC foresaw Dones’s play facility having dozens of customers at once during birthday parties and other events.

MAC member Ted Riche said the parking issue will only get worse once the Castro Valley Marketplace opens up a couple of blocks away this summer.

Other MAC members said they couldn’t give Dones permission to move forward with a lack of parking, as it wouldn’t be fair to the many applicants who’ve had their projects turned down or modified because of parking problems in the past.

MAC Chair Marc Crawford directed Dones to talk with surrounding business and see if they could be persuaded into committing to give up their parking spots during their off-hours or when they aren’t too busy. The item was continued to a non-specified meeting in the future.

“I can’t support this with the parking demand that it has,” said Crawford. “The need is there — I’m sure it would be very popular — but that would just increase the parking problem. The applicant needs to do some homework.”

The MAC also heard an update on the county’s ongoing General Plan Implementation Project. During the discussion, Pastor Jake Metcalf of the First Presbyterian Church on Grove Way told the MAC that mixed use housing should be a priority as long-term plans are made in the area.

First Presbyterian has non-offical plans for a large housing development on their site, with the idea of having the Trader Joe’s market on the first floor and affordable apartments on the upper floors.

That proposal upset several members of the MAC, as they has just recently voted to allow tiny homes on the property after more than a year of discussion.

CV Mourns the Passing of  ‘Dobie’ Gelles

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-15-19

Donald L. “Dobie” Gelles, one of Castro Valley’s most respected and beloved citizens, passed away at his home on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

Mr. Gelles was born on July 3, 1938 at Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Johnstown Catholic High School and then joined the Army, where his buddies called him “Dobie,” a name that stuck with him for the rest of his life. He served an additional eight years as a reservist.

After his stint on active duty, Mr. Gelles attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Science and Math.

He moved to Livermore in 1964 and later to Castro Valley, obtaining a lifetime teaching credential and earning a Masters Degree in Counseling from Cal State Hayward.

He worked as a teacher, counselor, principal and director of the Castro Valley Adult School and was a member of the Castro Valley School Board. He served on many other local boards including Eden Hospital and the Castro Valley Sports Foundation, and was president for the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs.

He was a longtime trustee of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District and served as board president twice during his tenure.

He was honored as a recipient of the Fulfilling the Trust Award conferred by the Community College League of California, for his two decades of service as a California community college trustee.

His dedication to students and his communities was evident through his service. For many years, he took graduating eighth-graders to Washington D.C., on his “Dobie’s Proud to be an American” trip.

Bruce Johnson, Superintendent Emeritus of Redwood Christian Schools, called Gelles a “friend to everyone, and one who could always be counted on for a positive word of encouragement.”

Mr. Gelles was preceded in death by his wife Shirley and brother Jack. He is survived by his brothers, Charles (Esther), and George (Terri), his nieces and nephews, his “lady friend” Minga, his children Dawn (Dave) and David, and his granddaughters, Emma and Elise.

Friends and family are invited to a service honoring his life at 2 p.m. this Sunday, May 19, at Transfiguration Church, 4000 East Castro Valley Boulevard.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Castro Valley Education Foundation. Please reference the “Dobie Gelles Scholarship” in the memo section. Mail to CVEF, Attention Scholarship Program, P.O. Box 2693, Castro Valley 94546.

CAPTION: Donald L. “Dobie” Gelles 1938 - 2019

Holy Macaroni! They’ve Added Something New to the Cook-Off

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-08-19

Castro Valley’s annual Rowell Ranch Rodeo kicks off this week with the usual pomp and circumstance and a little unexpected twist.

In addition to the popular Chili Cookoff—Friday night starting at 5 p.m.—event organizers added a Mac and Cheese competition to encourage homegrown chefs to show off their talents.

“This is the 23rd year that the Rotary Club has sponsored the Chili Cookoff, so we wanted to mix things up a bit,” CV Rotary Club member and Chili Cookoff co-chairperson Kern Lewis told the Castro Valley Forum.

“We have five entrants this year, so we’re excited to see what they can come up with. Mac and cheese is really popular with the kids and you can do all sorts of things with it to make it unique.”

The Chili Cookoff at the Rowell Ranch Rodeo grounds will spotlight 20 entrants, each with their own style and range of spices and heat.

Making 10 gallons of chili is a big commitment for the cooks, Lewis notes. Each contestant must also bring their own booth and decorate it in addition to making the chili and serving it up for hungry fans.

“Some entrants are local businesses and groups who take it very seriously,” Lewis says. “The Foothill Sportsmans Club holds little mini competitions amongst its own members. The winning recipe goes up against the rest of the community. They always place as one of the top contenders.”

The rodeo theme for 2019 is, “Be The Inspiration,” which coincides with the Rotary Club International’s community message this year.

One of the unsung heroes of the Chili Cookoff is Rotarian Bobbi Aufdermauer, who stocks a table full of cookies, brownies, and other treats for sale.

Aufdermauer uses the proceeds along with a matching fund from her company, Chevron, to fund the Rotary Club’s college scholarships through the Castro Valley Education Foundation. Last year, the scholarship received $3,000 as a result.

Other pre-rodeo festivities include the Art & Essay Contest and the Pancake Breakfast at the Alameda County Fire Station No. 4 on San Miguel Avenue on Saturday morning.

This year’s Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade—Saturday starting at 10 a.m.—will spotlight about 100 entries with community groups, horse riders, local businesses, car clubs, and student groups.

The Castro Valley Sports Foundation was chosen as the official parade marshal this year. Honorary parade marshals and parade sponsors include Redwood Christian Schools and Eden Medical Center.

The parade route will take the traditional promenade down Castro Valley Boulevard starting at Nunes Avenue and heading west toward Wisteria Street where it will make a turn back towards Redwood Road and then head back west before exiting at Wilbeam Avenue.

Parking will be limited. Check out www.rowellranchrodeoparade.com to find the best places to see the parade and more rodeo information.

CAPTION: Chili lovers of all ages congregate at Rowell Rodeo Park during last year’s Chili Cookoff.

PHOTO BY GARY BOSLEY

Your Phone Number to Get Longer

Pretty soon, you’ll have to dial 11 digits to make any phone call, even if you’re just calling across town.

Next month, a new area code – 341– will be added to the same area that is now 510 in an “overlay,” according to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

The number of available prefixes (the first three numbers after the area code) are expected to run out soon, so the new 341 area code will start being assigned to new phone accounts in mid-July.

The change goes into effect on June 22, but the CPUC recommends that you start dialing all 11 digits now to get used to it.

If you have a 510 number, you’ll keep the same number, but you’ll have to dial 1-510 before any call, even if it is to another 510 number.

Now is the time to update any speed-dial 7-digit phone numbers to include all 11 digits. And make sure personal stationery, bank checks, emergency contact numbers and pet ID tags, all have the area code included.

Service numbers such as 911, 211, or 511 will remain 3-digit numbers.

Two Armed Carjackings End in Violent Crashes

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-08-19

Two teenage boys have been arrested and two more are wanted following two armed carjackings which both ended in violent collisions last week.

The teens who have been arrested are not being identified by police because they are minors, ages 16 and 17, according to Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident began in San Leandro shortly before midnight on May 2 when a man sitting in his parked car and talking on the phone in the lot of the Main Library at 300 Estudillo Avenue saw four suspects in dark clothing approach his car and hand smash a back window, according to San Leandro Police Lt. Isaac Benabou.

The victim got out of the car and the suspects demanded his keys and cell phone.

When the victim reached into his car to retrieve his dog, he was stabbed in the back of his leg with a small knife, Benabou said.

The victim was then kicked to the ground and assaulted until he gave up his keys and phone. The suspects then got in the car and drove off, but did give the man his dog and phone back.

The victim called 911 and paramedics arrived at the scene to treat his stab wound, which was not life-threatening.

About 30 minutes later, the suspects went to a home on the 4800 block of Seven Hills Road in Castro Valley where they threatened a woman sitting in her car in her driveway with a knife, again demanding her keys. The woman struggled with the suspects and didn’t not give them her keys until her 11-year-old daughter came out of the house.

The suspects took off again, this time in two different cars.

An officer spotted both cars driving together near James Avenue and Brickell Way in Castro Valley. More officers arrived on the scene and the car that was stolen from Castro Valley led police on a 12-mile high-speed chase before crashing into a fence in San Leandro.

Around the same time that car crashed, the car that was stolen form San Leandro wound up crashing into a home on Parsons Avenue in Castro Valley, severing electrical and gas lines.

Two elderly women who lived there were home at the time, but were not injured. PG&E crews secured the damaged lines within minutes.

The passengers in both cars were arrested, but police are still looking for the drivers.

Anyone with any information on the case is asked to call 510-577-2740.

CAPTION: The house on Parsons Avenue that was heavily damaged after a carjacked vehicle crashed into it early Friday morning. The home’s two occupants were not injured.

PHOTO BY CARL LAWLER PHOTOGRAPHY

BART Beefing Up Its Security

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-01-19

In the face of millions of dollars in property losses annually, the Bay Area Rapid Transit District’s Board of Directors last week unanimously approved the deployment of automated license plate readers at four of its 48 parking lots.

District officials say there has been an average of 930 auto break-ins, 354 car thefts, and more than a hundred catalytic converters thefts at BART parking lots since 2017, accounting for $7 million in losses each year.   

During the test period, four previously purchased license plate-reading cameras will be installed to capture data from vehicles entering and exiting at unspecified lots. The data will be stored for not longer than 30 days.

The board’s action came Thursday, just the day after the transit system installed three emergency call boxes on its Coliseum Station platform as a pilot program that’s part of a sweeping plan to improve rider security on the system.

The call boxes, located in the middle and at each end of the platform, provide a 9-1-1 style service to those who do not have a cell phone or cell reception.

Each call box has a direct intercom to BART Police dispatch and each is equipped with a camera that begins to record video whenever the intercom button is pushed.

The call boxes display a site location to the dispatcher and a flashing blue light when activated.

BART stations currently have white courtesy telephones that connect to the station agent booth, but emergency call boxes offer a much quicker connection to BART Police. BART also offers a free app that allows riders to discreetly communicate via text with police dispatchers about criminal or suspicious activity.

“Riders at Coliseum Station now have another way of immediately reaching BART Police,” said Director Robert Raburn. “Dispatchers will have a real time connection with riders through both audio and camera visuals to better understand what is happening. I’m looking forward to installations at other station platforms.”

The success of this platform emergency call box pilot program will drive decisions related to systemwide implementation, which is estimated to cost under $10 million dollars.

CAPTION: One of the three emergency call boxes on the BART Coliseum Station platform in a pilot program to improve safety on the system. With the push of a button, a rider can immediately connect to BART Police and turn on video cameras.

BART PHOTO

Future of Land ‘Up In the Air’

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-01-19

A 300-acre swath of land in the foothills once set for an expansion of I-238 will instead likely be turned into affordable housing. One Castro Valley resident is making sure that the large project doesn’t interfere with San Lorenzo Creek.

In the 1960s, Caltrans bought the land for what was once termed the 14-mile “Foothill Freeway,” but the project never materialized and the City of Hayward eventually bought the land, which is divided into 10 parcels.

Hayward describes the parcels as being in a pre-planning state and have earmarked large portions of it for affordable and market-rate, multi-family housing

Some of the parcels are much closer to being developed than others. In fact, construction is already underway on 472 townhomes on Parcel 1 near the south Hayward BART station. But the future of parcels 8 in Castro Valley and parcel 9 in Cherryland are still up in the air.

Parcel 8 consists of nearly 19 acres, with 13 acres in the unincorporated area, and runs between Grove Way and Carlos Bee Park. It’s zoned for neighborhood commercial and residential uses of up to medium density and also for open space.

Parcel 9 is called the “Apple Oak parcel” and is 4 acres, with 1.5 acres in the unincorporated area. It’s zoned for high-density residential and commercial office uses.

“There is not a set site plane yet,” said John Stefanski, management analyst with the City of Hayward. “A large portion of the land is set aside for open space and we have no intention of doing anything to take away from that.”

Stefanski stressed that there would a lot of public outreach as the project moves forward.

“It’s an open-ended conversation,” said Stefanski. “We are still trying to work it out.””

Bruce King of the Friends of the San Leandro Creek, says that now is the time to make sure that, whatever winds up happening with the I-238 lands, the creek is well-preserved.

“The difficulty with the project is that it deals with multiple justifications and I’m not seeing a consistent plan for the whole area,” said King. “Hayward, the county, and HARD (the Hayward Area Recreation District) need to start working together and working with the community to preserve the land. More land next to the Creek is always better — not parking or dense housing.”

Stefanski said that King has given the city lots of background information about creek preservation and that consideration for the creek and open space will be made as the project continues.

Whatever happens with the land, Hayward will need to finalize plans by 2022, or the property automatically will revert back to Caltrans as per terms of the contract. 

Famed Quilter Marion Coleman Passes Away

By Linda Sandsmark

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  05-01-19

Internationally renowned Castro Valley quilter Marion Coleman passed away last Wednesday, April 24.

She leaves behind remarkable works of art that combine traditional quilting materials with beads, plastic, paint, and vintage and recycled materials of all types. Tributes to her standing in both the artistic and quilting communities are pouring in.

“Marion was a longtime colleague and friend of mine,” says Alameda County Arts Commission director Rachel Osajima. “Everyone who knew her will miss her deeply.

“The artworks created by Marion that are in the Alameda County Art Collection, such as the quilts at the Castro Valley Library, will continue to be seen by thousands of people. Marion will live on through the beauty and inspiration of these artworks.”

Joanne Lenigan, publicity chair for the Amador Valley Quilters, recalls Coleman as an extraordinary quilter and dynamic speaker. Having mastered the art of folk quilting, her works told important stories that celebrated African American culture, political trends, and affirmations of power.

“One quilt that I will never forget hung at the Alameda County Fair in 2017,” says Lenigan.  “It had a large ‘dropped mic’ in the foreground, and a tall African American man exiting through a door in the background.  The words ‘Miss me?’ were appliqued in large red/orange letters. What a subtle, and yet powerful statement!”

Coleman was a social worker by profession, who cleverly combined social work with quilting. Born in Texas, Coleman learned to sew from her grandmother and great-aunts.

She moved to California where she earned a Bachelor’s degree from U.C. Riverside and Master’s in Counseling from Cal State Hayward.

She united her 30 years of social service experience with quilt-making to provide community art education in schools, libraries, and even juvenile detention centers.

A prolific artist, her works have been displayed in prestigious venues around the world. These include the Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Ohio); Orange County History Center (Florida);  Bullock Museum (Texas); Michigan State University Museum, and Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, to name a few.

Internationally, her work has been exhibited in South Africa, Europe, Japan, Costa Rica and the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem.

Locals may recall seeing her quilts at Castro Valley Center for the Arts,  Castro Valley Library, Hayward Area Historical Society, Ashland Youth Center, and Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Leandro.

Last year Congressman Eric Swalwell entered a commendation for Coleman into the Congressional Record, recognizing her receipt of a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, which is the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. 

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors awarded her an Arts Leadership Award in 2009.

More information and a portfolio  of Coleman’s work and accomplishments may be seen on her website, marioncoleman.com.

Marion Coleman has lived in Castro Valley since 1984. She is survived by four children and three grandchildren. 

At her request, there will be no memorial service. However, the family welcomes donations in her memory to Alameda County Arts Commission (www.acgov.org/arts/pdfs/Foundation_Donation%20Form.pdf) or American Lung Association (action.lung.org/site/Donation2?df_id=31271&mfc_pref=T&31271.donation=form1).

CAPTION: Internationally known quilt artist Marion Coleman at quilting demonstration at the Castro Valley Library in 2013.

PHOTO BY FRED ZEHNDER

Celebrating Easter with Community Sunrise Service

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-24-19

More than 150 community members gathered above Lake Chabot before dawn on Easter morning to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ at the Community Sunrise Service, hosted by Redwood Chapel and Castro Valley First Baptist Church. James Bohn led the throng in songs declaring the love and power of God. Sue Hague shared a testimony of her transformed life and Paul Triplett encouraged the audience of all ages with a message of hope.

PHOTO COURTESY OF REDWOOD CHAPEL

EBMUD Seeks Rate Hike for Aging Pipelines

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-24-19

Every two years, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) makes a new budget and – more often than not – that means rate hikes for water and waste water customers.

At a budget workshop last month, the district proposed a 2019-2021 budget that totals $2.3 billion. If adopted, it will include a 6.5 percent rate increase for water service this July 1 and another 6.25 percent increase on July 1, 2020. Additionally, wastewater rates would increase by 4 percent in fiscal years 2021.

EBMUD says the proposed budget is what it will need to cover more than $800 million towards improving the aging water infrastructure in the next two years, as well as its information technology department where outdated financial and human resource systems need to be replaced.

The EBMUD board will vote on the proposed increase at a public hearing on June 11 at their administrative office at 375 11th St. in Oakland. The public is invited to attend the meeting and also to address questions and comments to EBMUD at 866-403-2683 or at ebmud.com.

The new proposed rate increases are part of a pattern of regular annual rate hikes. During the last biannual budget process in 2017,  water rates went up 9.25 percent beginning that year and another 9 percent on July 1, 2018. That was on top of rate increases totaling over 35 percent since 2013.

Community Praised Following Hearing Device Theft

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-24-19

A seven-year-old girl from Independent Elementary learned a few life lessons following a theft of her hearing device: One, that people deserve a second chance… and two, that the Castro Valley community has a huge heart.

Back on April 7, a burglar broke into the school and took laptops, money for a field trip to Sulphur Creek Nature Center, and a device that looks like a cell phone.

But instead of a cell phone, it was a $1,500 hearing device called a Phonak that helps First Grader Alicia Lyding isolate her teacher’s voice, so she is not distracted by background noise.

Word spread on social media about the theft and people started coming out of the woodwork to help. Alicia’s mom, Meghan Lyding has nothing but praise for the community and how overwhelmed the family felt for the support.

“It was a shock to us when we heard the news that Alicia’s Phonak got stolen, but we’re glad that there is a happy ending here and that it brought the whole community together,” Lyding told the Castro Valley Forum.

The list of groups coming to help Alicia and her classmates is long.

The Castro Valley Unified School district immediately got a similar device on loan and ordered a replacement device for Alicia to use.

Strangers pledged to set up a couple of GoFundMe fundraising pages to pay for a replacement. The staff at Sulphur Creek waived the fees lost in the theft. The president of Phonak was touched by Alicia’s story and sent her a new type of device that can help her hear clearly even in a crowded restaurant. A local television station spotlighted Alicia’s story twice.

While much of the media focus has been on her daughter because of her hearing impairment, Lyding wants to remind the community that the rest of the class was impacted during the theft as well.

“Alicia is one of a couple of students at Independent with hearing issues, so it’s good that the community understands what it’s like for students like Alicia in the classroom and that they know what kinds of equipment is necessary for some of them to learn,” Lyding says.

see THEFT on page 15

Lyding was also very touched by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies stopped by to reassure her daughter they were on the case and brought a K9 dog and squad car for support.

“We know how hard it can be for someone that young to experience a theft. Alicia says she wants to be a police officer one day, and so we wanted to show her our support,” Sgt. Ray Kelly says.

As for the 19-year-old homeless man arrested for the theft, he is also getting a second chance.

The same person is suspected in ten other burglaries in Castro Valley. Deputies identified him on surveillance cameras at the school. While Alicia’s device was never recovered, the man wrote and apologized to Alicia noting that he thought the device was a radio and would not have taken it if he knew it would hurt a person with a hearing

impairment.

Alicia publicly forgave the man for the theft. Her mom is grateful that the man can get a second chance.

“They told me that he was homeless and stealing to pay for drugs, but the Sheriff’s department is working with him to help him hopefully turn his life around,” Lyding says.

CAPTION: Phonak hearing device

KGO Anchor Dion Lim with Alicia

Photos courtesy of Meghan Lyding

CV Mom is ‘Lethally Blonde’ on Wheels

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-17-19

By day, Liz Vincent is a Castro Valley mom and a labor and delivery nurse. But by night, she’s a roller derby queen known as “Lethally Blond.”

“I can be a real bad ass,” Vincent told the Castro Valley Forum. “I’m very gentle with my patients and of course my kids, so it’s really a stress relief to strap on my boots and get out there and get physical.”

Skating for the Oakland Outlaws since 2008 (except for a few years off to have kids), Vincent is also a member of the Castro Valley Mother’s Club.

“I skate because I love it,” Vincent says. “I’ve been having so much fun and I’m hoping to inspire more moms to get involved. I have a few Castro Valley moms in mind who I think would be great roller derby skaters.”

Vincent got inspired to skate in a circle because of her father and great grandmother who attended live derby bouts in Los Angeles in the ’50s and ’60s. Vincent saw a story about a league playing at Fort Mason in San Francisco more than 10 years ago and decided to join soon after.

“We have an 8- to 10-week boot camp class that can get anyone in shape to roll with us,” Vincent says. “I was not a good skater at first but now I’m pretty good.”

The Outlaws are a part of the Bay Area Derby league (or BAD) and compete locally with two other Bay Area Teams (The San Francisco Shevil Dead and The Berkeley Resistance).

The three local teams will often bout against other Northern California teams including Santa Cruz, Sacramento, and even Humboldt, but the Bay Area Derby teams consistently have the best record. Skaters from all three teams make up the Bay Area All-Stars, a Top 20 ranked team which competes around the country.

The derby is a volunteer organization made up of women of all demographics and professions. Some are former roller skaters and ice hockey players. The flamboy-

ant nicknames and bold fashions are all part of the fun. Fans can sit rink side and feel the whoosh of the skaters as they whiz by.

The Bay Area has a rich roller derby heritage. In the mid-50s, the San Francisco Bay City Bombers were the crown of the National Roller Derby League with stars like “Blond Bomber,” Joan Weston and “Banana-Nose” Ann Calvello.

League owner, Jerry Seltzer negotiated television contracts with KTVU in the 1960s and fans could see their local stars battle crews from other cities in venues as large as the Cow Palace and Oakland Coliseum.

Nowadays, the three Bay Area teams currently hold bouts at the Palace of Fine Arts. Member dues, fan gear, concessions, and tickets help pay for rink time.

The season opens this weekend (April 20) with local bouts scheduled for June 1 and July 13. The season culminates during the Championship Game on August 24 at the Palace of Fine Arts.

If you want to join one of the teams or watch the action, visit BayAreaDerby.com

CAPTION: Liz Vincent, at far right, battles for position on the Oakland Outlaws.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILL TOFT

CAPTION:

Liz Vincent with her two boys.

Homeless Population Increasing

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-17-19

The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) heard an update on the problems of homelessness in the area, with an emphasis on unsheltered youth and families at their Monday night meeting.

Jennifer Ellis from the Family Emergency Shelter Coalition (FESCO) told the MAC that there are approximately 5,600 homeless people in Alameda County and 711 of them are part of a family unit, with about 9 percent of the total homeless population under the age of 18.

Later, Castro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi told the MAC that there are an estimated 95 homeless students attending schools in town.

Homeless in the case of many of the students doesn’t necessarily mean living on the streets: they could be living in a car or couch-surfing with friends or family, but they don’t have permanent accommodations.

“This is an increasing problem, more people need more help,” said Ellis. “Folks are one crisis away, living paycheck to paycheck. One $400 bill could take them off their path.”

Ellis said that FESCO focuses on homeless people in mid-Alameda County and is financially dependent on grants from the county as well as cities including Hayward and San Leandro. She added that individual donations are also vital and to that end, she invited everyone to participate in their largest fund-raiser of the year, the “FESCO Shuffle.”

The shuffle is a one-mile walk around the San Leandro Marina on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to noon. The public is invited and anyone can pre-register or make an online donation at fescoshuffle.org.

The MAC then heard from the school district who discussed the measure they’re taking to support homeless students attending Castro Valley schools.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jason Reimann reiterated that there are 94 unhoused students in the district his year, out of a total enrollment of around 9,350 students.

Reimann said that not only is the number disturbing, the figure has increased dramatically since the beginning of the school year.

“We began the year with only 64 students who qualified as homeless, so that’s a 50 percent increase we’ve seen and it has not even been an entire school year,” said Reimann. “That’s a pretty substantial shift that obviously no one wants to see. It’s not only the number but the rate of growth we are concentrated within our community.”

Reimann said that every single student who is experiencing housing instability is personally contacted by the district’s counselling staff and that put in touch with resources.

Every homeless student directly contracted by counselling staff.

Student Services Director Jim Kentris told the MAC that Marshall and Stanton have non-perishable food banks and the district office has a freezer which holds perishable meat and produce for those who need food.

Kentris said everyone is working hard to do all they can, but he believes they are at a disadvantage being in an unincorporated area without direct resources from a city, which can result in red tape when contacting various service providers.

“I’m finding out that being that we are in an unincorporated area, we don’t have the same resources,” said Kentris. “There is a lot of great intentions out there and a lot of different groups out there, but it’s not coordinated.”

Other business

Also at Monday Night’s meeting, the MAC approved designs for 40 proposed utility boxes which will be covered in decorative vinyl wraps all over town.

MAC member Chuck Moore has long been critical of the $117,000 public art project, saying he appreciates the skill of the artists and hard work of the county staff, but believes the public’s money could be better spent elsewhere, a point he reemphasized this week after hearing the presentations on homelessness.

“I sat here and listened to the homeless issue and the problems we have,” said Moore to Alameda County Arts Commission Director Rachel Osajima. “Nothing against the wonderful job you’ve done, I think it’s nice. But I think it’s the wrong-spend for our dollars where there are so many homeless people and people who need money.”

Osajima said that installation of the box art is set to begin in June and also told the MAC that the “community identifier” mural which is set to be painted on the I-580 overpass at Redwood Road is also expected to be installed over the summer.

BART’s General Manager Grace Crunican Announces Retirement

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-17-19

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BART’s General Manager Grace Crunican Announces Retirement

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-17-19

In an abrupt announcement last week, BART General Manager Grace Crunican, announced she would be retiring as of July 6. She had led the transit system for nearly eight years.

In her statement, which came during the agency’s Thursday board meeting, Crunican, 63, said her partnership with the directors had “put in place essential elements which will help the Agency to thrive in the next decade.”

“The entire rail car fleet is being replaced and expanded,” she said. “The train control system, nearly 30% of the power system and billions in other infrastructure components are either scheduled or are being replaced.”

Her announcement came just days after BART’s Police Chief, Carlos Rojas, announced he would be stepping down next month.BART has some 425,000 riders each day and operates with a $2.3 billion budget. 

CAPTION :BART GM Grace Crunican

RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-10-19

Congressman Eric Swalwell, whose California office is on Castro Valley Boulevard, formally announced his bid for the 2020 nomination  for president Monday night.

Appearing on CBS-TV’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Swalwell said he would “go big on the issues we take on, be bold in the solutions we offer and do good in the way we govern.”

Swalwell, 38, is serving his fourth term representing California’s 15th Congressional District, which includes Castro Valley and most of eastern Alameda County and parts of Contra Costa County.

Since being elected to the House, he has flown back to the district on many weekends to participate in local events both large and small.

He has been a vocal and harsh critic of President Trump’s White House, appearing almost daily on cable news channels and network television newscasts. A member of the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees, Swalwell has repeatedly accused the president of colluding with Russia during the 2016 election.

He is also making gun control a central focus of his campaign.

He comes from a family that is mostly Republican and is the son of a police officer. He was a former Alameda County prosecutor and Dublin City Council member. He is the first in his family to go to college.

He joins a crowded Democratic field fast approaching 20 contestants and says he will not seek reelection to the House after 2020.

Swalwell will make his first extended TV interview appearance since his announcement this evening on MSNBC at 6 p.m. when he will be questioned live by talk-show host and former Castro Valley resident Rachel Maddow.   

CAPTION: Rep. Eric Swalwell during Monday evening’s taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

MAC Feels ‘Misled’ by New Plan

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-10-19

Just weeks after giving the go ahead to “tiny homes” being built on the First Presbyterian Church property at Grove Way and Redwood Road, the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) has heard dramatically different plans for the future of the property.

MAC Chair Marc Crawford recently learned that First Presbyterian and Eden Housing approached the county with a tentative idea to build a 199-unit affordable apartment complex in the site, which would include razing and rebuilding the existing Trader Joe’s and church.

Although no formal application has been made, Crawford and fellow MAC member Shelia Cunha expressed that they felt misled if not outright betrayed by the new plan.

“We made it very clear during the tiny homes application that we would take that leap of faith on the understanding that there would be no additional residential use,” said Crawford.

Cunha agreed that it appeared the church was disingenuous with the original proposal.

“I am so disheartened,” said Cunha . “We spent so much time on the tiny homes. That’s misleading and dishonest.”

The development would be the largest in Castro Valley history, according to Crawford. It’s in the very earliest stages of planning and it would not necessarily prevent the tiny homes from being built if only on a temporary basis.

MAC member Ted Riche acknowledged that affordable housing is badly needed and that churches are constant evolving in the modern age. He said the project could eventually be a winner but there needed to be a lot more information and discussion.

At their Monday meeting, the MAC also voted against approving a variance that would have allowed the construction of a home in the 1900 block of Lomita Drive. They cited the lot size and shape, tight setbacks, and the height of the structure as reasons for denial.

“I look at this lot and it seems unbuildable to me,” said Crawford.

CVHS Seniors’ Annual ‘Mr. CV’ Extravaganza

By Linda Sandsmark

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-10-19

Castro Valley High School’s ever-popular “Mr. CV” program was held last Friday night, highlighting the talent, humor and outright bravery of the class of 2019.

Nowhere else can one watch original songs and dances interspersed with prom invitations, or experience a lifeguard diving into a blow-up pool onstage to rescue a swimmer from menacing sea life. 

The event is held annually as a fundraiser for Castro Valley High’s Spirit Team. This year’s pageant had a “Beach Party” theme, and all 21 contestants and their lovely escorts donned beachwear for group dances and individual performances. Beach Boy music and other summery songs played throughout the evening.

The talent portion opened with a group calling itself the “Asian Invasion,” dancing to “Baby Shark.” Dancer Kyle Bales, who wore a muu muu, won an online audience vote for the People’s Choice Award.

A  “Baywatch” skit featuring Connor Kincaid, Lennart Richter and Max Smith surprised the audience with a dramatic onstage water rescue, complete with lifeguard, CPR, a mysterious water animal and an unexpected slide off the stage stairs as they exited.

Nolan Keating and Kevin Li  sang their own original composition, and a unique take on “Dueling Banjoes” was performed in the dark by Jacob Ikuma and Payton Morgan, using “flashlights stuck up their noses.”

Several contestants displayed actual musical skill.  RJ Maes and Sam Tedjakusuma played guitar, and singers Caleb Castaneda and Amir Tadros were on key. The

see MR. CV on page 15

 grand finale was a “Bohemian Rhapsody” sing-along, led by piano-playing contestant Andy Jerome  — dressed as Freddie Mercury.

The top five contestants were Nolan Keating, Lennart Richter, Caleb Castaneda, Andy Jerome and Major Greene.  Jerome was also First Runner Up and Connor Kincaid was chosen Mr. Congeniality.

In the end, Major Jefferson Greene was crowned Mr. CV. He performed a memorable song and dance number wearing rain boots, shorts, a straw hat and shades. Greene thanked his dad as he received his crown, saying, “I model myself after you.” Greene’s biography states that his next stop after graduation is West Point Academy.

Hosts Alejandro Olvera and Alex Kwan kept the program moving along before this year’s panel of distinguished judges, Paul Bagai, Jayson Bandal, Brian Centoni, Maribel LaLanne, and Ashley Strasburg.

Behind-the-scenes support came from Men’s Warehouse in Pleasanton, Casablanca Bridal and Tuxedo in Hayward, Gigi’s Florist, JP’s Restaurant, Engravit, Studio One Photography, Griffin Hastings, Samuel Levine, Judy Brackin, Karen Johnston, Michelle Nicol, Kimberly O’Young, Kelly Schroeder, Dayna Speed, Kennette Yoshimura, TMC, Crush Comics, Village Barber, Halo, Intero Real Estate, CV/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Kentris, Mr. McMaster, volunteer choreographers, and many others.

CAPTION: Dancers filled the stage at the opening of Friday night’s “Mr. CV” Contest and Talent Show at the Castro Valley High School Cafeteria.

PHOTO BY DEBBIE TEE

First Baby Girl of Girl Scout Week 2019

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-03-19

Girl Scouts from Castro Valley and Hayward celebrated the organization’s 107th anniversary this month by honoring the first baby girl born at Eden Medical Center during Girl Scout Birthday Week.

Alaya Valdes born at 5:17 a.m. on Sunday, March 10, to proud parents Kevin and Raquel Valdes of Hayward. She weighed in at 7 pounds 1 ounce and is 20 inches long.

The family received gifts, including baby blankets, clothes, toys, diapers, and bath supplies, which were donated by various local Girl Scout Troops.

This is the 14th year for honoring the first baby girl born during Girl Scout Week at Eden Medical Center, a tradition originally started by Castro Valley Troop No. 30711 and which is now sponsored by Girl Scouts of the Chabot Service Unit.

Girl Scouts was founded on March 12, 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low with a commitment to helping girls grow strong in developing character, leadership skills, social skills, individual strength while performing service to the community.

For more information about Girl Scouts, call the council office at (510) 562-8470 or e-mail info@girlscoutsnorcal.org.

CAPTION:Girl Scouts pictured from left, Laney Vaughn, Shelby Vaughn, and Cassie Vaughn from Troop No. 30839 with proud dad Kevin Valdes, Baby Alaya and big sister Ariel.

Businesses Filling Up Building

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  04-03-19

While the stark-white building outside looks nearly unchanged, there is a flurry of activity going on inside the Castro Valley Marketplace project in preparation for its opening this summer.

Any given day, work crews can be seen buzzing inside and on top of the three-story, 44,900-square-foot building, each with their specific upgrades to the former Daughtrey’s Department Store on Castro Valley Boulevard.

This week, contractors are cleaning the cement floors in preparation for an industrial-grade high-polish finish. The walls have been stripped down to the studs in many places and some markers visible to identify the new tenants.

In a month or so, workers will build a new entranceway closer to the west parking lot to accommodate the building designs.

While renovations are expected to last through the summer with an official opening eyed for August, locals are chomping at the bit for the Marketplace to open.

“I’m so excited to finally have a place to build community where people can come together and hang out and find a bunch of things that we haven’t seen in our area that we would like to see,” says Bridget Galli, co-owner of Castro Valley Yoga. “I’m looking forward to the fresh bread and fresh meat. I think what they have planned is awesome.”

Main Street Property Services, which oversees the renovation, recently reported that the property is 90 percent leased to grocers, restaurateurs, and artisans. The remaining 10 percent of the available space is on the ground floor and the mezzanine.

Building management says it is currently looking for a florist, local makers for pop-ups, and one last restaurant.

The latest map of the Marketplace shows two spaces — 448-square-foot areas apiece — available near the entrance on Castro Valley Boulevard and a half dozen 10-foot by 10-foot kiosks that local makers can lease to show their wares.

In the mezzanine gallery upstairs, there is a 1,635-square-foot space available for lease right next door to the Night Owl, a craft cocktail lounge run by the same owners of the Gogi Time and Blind Tiger in North Oakland.

In addition to the Night Owl, other businesses expected to open at the Marketplace include:

• Castro Valley Natural Grocery, started by Donna Layburn

• Barons Quality Meats

• Seven Hills Baking Co.

• Pop Out Kitchen, cooking school

• Lab 200, a dedicated co-working space

• Good Common Sense Naturals, skincare

• Akemi Japanese Cuisine

• Cannery Kitchen and Tap

Daughtrey’s redesign is the largest and most significant update to the face of the downtown community since the Castro Valley Boulevard “Streetscape” makeover.

“It will be phenomenal and a hubbub of activity for the downtown,” says Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council chairman Marc Crawford noted at the March 25 staff update.

Soon, work crews are expected to begin external work to the building, including constructing a mosaic near the entrance and adding in additional patio space on the boulevard that may require the removal of a planter.

Businesess interested in leasing space are encouraged to visit castrovalleymarketplace.com.

CAPTION: Soon, work crews are expected to begin external work to the building, including constructing a mosaic near the entrance and adding in additional patio space on the boulevard that may require the removal of a planter. 

PHOTO BY FRED ZEHNDER

Katie Ward-Crummey Crowned ‘Miss Rowell Ranch Rodeo Queen’

Katie Ward-Crummey of the small town of Acampo near Lodi, was crowned Miss Rowell Ranch Pro Rodeo Queen on March 23 at the rodeo’s kick-off dinner event in Hayward.

Ward-Crummey’s coronation was the culmination of a full-day of competition that began with horsemanship in the morning followed by interviews and speeches during the banquet program.

Rodeo has always been a part of Katie’s life and taught her many of the values and strong work ethic that has helped her succeed. She is 22 years old and attended Galt High School before moving on to Lincoln Tech Academy for their Medical Assisting Program.

She started showing halter horses at the American Quarter Horse Association competitions and later added Showmanship, Western Pleasure, Trail and English riding to her list of accomplishments. An accomplished rider she also rode for a Roping and Cow horse Trainer.

The Rowell Ranch Rodeo had three top cowgirls competing for the honor of being the 99th Rowell Rodeo queen. Also competing were Katie Spies of Castro Valley and Alexa Parco from Tracy.

Each year, the Queen Contest is held to select a young lady who has the desire and enthusiasm to serve as an ambassador for the Rowell

 Ranch Pro Rodeo and Castro Valley’s western heritage. The competition is based on poise, personality, interview skills and horsemanship.

The 2019 queen will receive more than $1,000 in scholarships and prizes, and will represent the Rowell Ranch Pro Rodeo for the coming year at events and rodeos throughout California and Nevada.

The 99th Rowell Ranch Pro Rodeo will take place May 17-19 at Rodeo Park in Castro Valley. Tickets, ranging in price from $17 to $30, are on sale now at rowellranchrodeo and can also be purchased at the gate the day of the performance. Reserved seating is available.

For details about how you can take part in the full cowboy experience and a complete calendar of rodeo activities visit rowellranchrodeo.com.

CVHS Composer Set to Perform Tomorrow at Center for the Arts

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-27-19

Damian Anderson is an average high school senior. He loves electronic music, he is involved with school activities, and he is preparing to go to college next year.

He is one of a handful of senior soloists at this week’s CVHS Concerto Concert at the Center for the Arts. The event will feature works by classic composers such as Rossini, von Weber, and Schubert. It will also feature an original 8-minute concerto Anderson wrote called River Fantasy in D Minor.

During an interview at his home, Anderson — who is on the autistic spectrum — talked about his love of music and composing “I was looking for a classic piano piece to for the auditions in November 2018, but I didn’t like how I was playing any of them,” Anderson told the Castro Valley Forum. “I wanted the music to be original. So last summer, I decided to write my own piece instead.”

With the help and support of his music teachers, Laryssa Sadoway and Steve Hendee, Anderson is thrilled to have his piece selected as one of the featured concertos. River Fantasy features piano (which Anderson will play) and the orchestra (strings, percussion, wind, and brass instruments).

Practicing his piece, Damian’s fingers fly over the keys. He smiles with satisfaction after hitting the final chord.

“I feel the music in my fingers and in my mind,” Anderson says. “I want the audience to feel excited and sad, and then excited again.”

The River Fantasy composition started out with an exploration of the key of D Minor and does not have a specific river in mind as its source. Anderson says his inspiration for the piece was Felix Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides, a Romantic period overture sometimes referred to as Fingal’s Cave.

Anderson’s journey in music started with piano when he was 4-years-old. He learned to play the standing base in 4th Grade and has since gone on to learn other string instruments.

Often found composing songs for his church, Anderson also sings. His family moved to Castro Valley when Damian was in the 8th Grade and he gravitated toward the music programs at CVHS including school’s famed Madrigals Choir.

The family does have a piano in the home, but Anderson composes much of his music on the computer. For the classical pieces like River Fantasy, he uses a software program that separates the different instruments and prints out their specific parts.

For an 8-minute piece, the piano alone has more than 20 pages of music.

When he is not practicing his classical composition, Anderson also likes to program electronic dance music. While more melody heavy than a typical beat-heavy EDM track, he says he has dozens of tracks that were built over the last few years.

Damian’s mother Jennelle is the middle school choir accompanist at Creekside Middle School and enjoys watching her son perform.

“Music is the best way to know Damian. The way he sings and composes and plays are amazing. The family is very proud of him,” she says.

Beyond performing his own concerto piece, Damian says he is looking forward to becoming a Mathematician or Research Scientist in college.

The CVHS Concerto Concert will be held at the Center for the Arts tomorrow at 7 p.m.

CAPTION: Damian Anderson, a student at Castro Valley High School with autism, will be performing at the CVHS Concerto Concert tomorrow evening at the Center for the Arts. Damian wrote the concerto and he will perform as the pianist and soloist.

Updates At MAC Meeting

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-27-19

The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) heard news about some of the town’s most notable developments at their Monday night meeting: the long-empty gas station at the corner of Stanton Avenue and Castro Valley Boulevard, the billboards at the storage facility on Dublin Canyon Road, the tiny home project, and the Castro Valley Marketplace.

The MAC informed the crowd that the Castro Valley Marketplace (the new food hall in the old Daughtrey’s building) has a new tentative opening date sometime in August, pushed back from the original estimate of June. The building is 90 percent leased with foodie-friendly tenants.

“It’s going to be phenomenal,” said MAC Chair Marc Crawfrod. “I can’t wait.”

The board then approved a conditional use permit for the new owner of Lockaway Storage – the facility notable for having three large billboards visible from I-580 which were not approved by the county.

The former owner is currently in the middle of a legal battle over the billboards, but new owner Scott Ramser promised the MAC that he’d abide by any legal decision and is prepared to take down the billboards.

“We want to be a good neighbor to Castro Valley,” said Ramser.

On the matter of the tiny homes, the MAC unanimously approved general plan amendments which will allow the First Presbyterian Church to move forward with project on their Grove Way property. The MAC made the stipulation that residents be allowed to stay no longer than 18 to 24 months.

Finally, the MAC approved an application for United Pacific to re-open the service station and convenience store at 2412 Castro Valley Boulevard, which has been fenced off and empty for more than a decade.

“Opening this station has been a long time in coming,” said MAC member Shelia Cunha.

This will be the company’s first Northern California location, but the company owns hundreds of gas stations in Southern California. The company promised the MAC they’d have the cheapest gas on the Boulevard and be in direct price competition with Arco. But unlike Arco, they’d allow credit card sales.

A couple of gas station owners asked the MAC to reconsider the proposal, saying the large corporation would hurt smaller, locally-owned businesses.

“We have worked so hard and now we are getting pushed by some big corporation,” said Mandeep Singh, son of owner of neighboring Stop N Save.

But the MAC said competition is healthy and people have wanted that disused gas station reopened for years.

“Ninety-nine percent of people want this gas station reopened,” said Crawford. “This has been a thorn in the side of this community the whole time it has been closed.”

$3 Fraudulent Purchase Leads to The Arrest of CV Murder Suspect

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-27-19

After seven years on the run, Cody Tripp was arrested last week in Utah in connection with a 2012 Castro Valley murder case.

Tripp, 33, who had formerly lived in Castro Valley, had been on the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office “most wanted list” as the main suspect in the killing of 29-year-old Jordan Vigil who was found dead in Tripp’s Castro Valley garage on May 14, 2012 after a party.

Investigators did not say how Vigil was killed at the time, but described a bloody scene at the home.

A seemingly minor $3.08 purchase on a stolen credit card at an Ogden, Utah store led to his arrest, according to the Ogden Standard-Examiner newspaper.

Tripp had been employed by a furniture moving company and had allegedly stolen the credit cards of one of its customers.

Through a phone number, Ogden police traced Tripp to a Salt Lake City apartment where authorities took him into custody last Wednesday.

He was booked into Weber County Jail in Utah where he is being held without bail.

Police records show that Tripp had been convicted of other crimes and was on probation at the time of the killing.

Alameda County authorities flew to Utah last week to continue the investigation.

Tripp will be extradited to Alameda County to face charges.

CAPTION: Fugitive Cody Tripp

          San Lorenzo Students Join International Student Walkout

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-20-19

Several hundred Arroyo High School students gathered in the quad at lunchtime on Friday to call attention to climate change, part of an international student walkout that day that took place in more than 100 countries. Student organizers got on a bullhorn to call everybody to the outdoor stage where four students took turns speaking to the crowd, reminding them that the adults of the world haven’t cut emissions so students must take the reins for the sake of their future. “California is the biggest state, so it will make a substantial difference if we get things started right here,” said student James Molina. At the end of the speeches, Molina said that this isn’t a one-and-done. It’s something that has to be followed up on. About the need to control emissions for the future of the planet.

PHOTO BY JIM KNOWLES

Feds Revoke Funding for Urban Shield

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-20-19

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security revoked a $5.5-million public safety grant to Alameda County for the Urban Shield exercise after the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ made major changes to the regional emergency preparedness event.

Those changes shifted the focus of the training from anti-terrorism and SWAT exercises to community emergency preparedness in response to criticism that Urban Shield promoted the militarization of local police departments.

The board voted 3-2 on Tuesday to make changes to the program despite the threat of losing the money. Supervisors Wilma Chan, Kieth Carson, and Richard Valle voted for the changes while Supervisors Nate Miley and Scott Haggerty dissented.

“I am not going to take any action to jeopardize the funding,” said Miley at last Tuesday’s board meeting.

Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern had warned that the elimination of anti-terror exercises would violate the county’s current agreement with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and jeopardize the grant.

Ahern met with the Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) on Thursday and, as he predicted, they took back the funding which ended Urban Shield.

UASI instead gave the county $800,000 for equipment and the wireless emergency alert system. The remainder of the grant money will likely be redistributed to other Bay Area counties including Santa Clara, San Francisco, and San Mateo, who are all expected to apply to stage similar training events next year.

The changes approved by the board included:

• No longer calling the event “Urban Shield” after an ad hoc committee deemed the term to be combative and not reflective of a community preparedness approach to training.

• Eliminating SWAT competitions in favor of more community disaster preparedness type training.

• Eliminating the vendor expo at the County Fairgrounds during Urban Shield that advertised such products as drones, guns, cameras, “smart” TASERs, body armor, and “Peacekeeper” brand expandable batons.

The Sheriff’s Office had been vocal about keeping Urban Shield as it is, accusing opponents of making false statements about the program in order to undermine the police.

“This is very concerning because a great deal of misinformation has been spread,” wrote Sgt. Ray Kelly in a press release. “First responders know the elimination or reduction of this program will make our region much less safe in responding to terror attacks, natural disasters, mass casualties and other critical incidents.”

Urban Shield had been held each September since 2007 with over a hundred agencies responding to staged scenarios at sites all over the county. Past Urban Shield exercises have included SWAT teams responding to a terrorism incident at the Oakland Airport and an active shooter on a BART train.

CV Team Qualifies for State Science Olympiad Tourney

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-20-19

A Creekside Science Olympiad team will will compete against 28 of the best teams in Northern California next month for the first time in the six-year history of the Castro Valley program.

On March 2nd, 135 students on nine teams from Creekside, Canyon, and Castro Valley High schools competed in the Regional Tournament at Cal State East Bay, against a thousand students from across the Bay Area, with the top four teams advancing.

Students spent months preparing for this competition, experiencing the collaborative and explorative nature of science, in the same ways they would in college and in life. 

Challenged with the intracacies of thermodynamics, anatomy, forensics, astronomy, and computer programming, they worked together to build such devices as mousetrap-and-battery-powered vehicles, gliders, structures, roller coasters and musical instruments.

Three teams from Creekside placed 4th, 13th, and 15th overall, and Canyon teams placed 10th, 17th, and 19th in their division. The three teams from CVHS placed 7th, 11th, and 24th. 

Collectively, Castro Valley teams earned a record 40 medals in the 46 events, with 70 Top-10 finishes. 

Of particular note, Castro Valley teams swept medals in the “cantilevered beam build” event at both the middle school (1st, 2nd, and 4th for Creekside) and high school levels (1st, 2nd, and 3rd for CVHS). 

In Anatomy, Aparna Anandkumar and Leah Biruk earned gold for CVHS, while Adim Rai & Tony Mei earned silver and Sean Chen and Terry Deng claimed 5th place for Creekside. 

Hudson Lim and Nathan Jew took the silver medal in Thermodynamics for Canyon. Vilius Staraitis & Andy Ng claimed gold in Battery Buggy for Creekside, while Yuri Overton & Yang-Jie Qin from CVHS took gold in Sounds of Music and Geologic Mapping. 

Justin Lui and Jessica Lu from CVHS took 2nd place for their Wright Stuff gliders.

“Science Olympiad exposes students to science and engineering subjects that they might not have considered before, and challenges them through the excitement of competition,” said Science Olympiad Club founder Garland Dughi.

Castro Valley Science. a non-profit organization promoting STEM education, is run by parent volunteers and high school students, building competitive teams at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as hosting community science talks by world-class scientists. 

Find out more at CVscience.us

CAPTION: Derek Huie (left) and Giorgos Sotiras took 1st Place in the Boomilever category at the Science Olympiad Regional Championships at Cal State East Bay on March 2.

Former CVHS Graduate Races in Alaskan Iditarod

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-13-19

In the frozen tundra of the Alaska wild, a Castro Valley High School alumnus is making his debut in this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Ryan Santiago, 35, was born and raised in California and graduated from CVHS in 2001. His mother, Nora Cherubini Santiago, also a CVHS graduate, cheered him on at the Iditarod start.

Ryan’s aunt, Carol Leytem who still lives in Castro Valley, remembers his passion for adventure.

“Every time we would see him, it was as if there was another adventure he was telling us that he just got back from or was planning on going to,” Leytem says. “Ryan has a huge heart and loves to bring out the best in people.”

Santiago attended college at UC Santa Cruz where he received a degree in History in 2006.

After college, he worked for eight years in sales for various restaurant industry distributors. He briefly moved to Austin, Texas in 2011 to continue his career.

Then in 2013, Santiago dropped everything and started adventuring abroad. He’s been to Nepal and New Zealand and hiked alone along mountain paths for days at

see IDITAROD on back page

 a time. In 2014, had had the opportunity to work with sled dogs at Nature’s Kennel, a business owned by eight-time Iditarod legend Ed Stielstra and his family.

Things took off from there and he moved permanently to Alaska in 2016. For the last three years, Ryan has been a shop manager at the Seavey’s IdidaRide Sled Dog Tours in Seward, Alaska. Santiago lists his hobbies as hiking, water sports and traveling.

“Ironically, friends of ours from Castro Valley were on a cruise to Alaska and took one of those side trips where you can take a tour on a dogsled,” Leytem says. “Ryan just happened to be one of the tour guides and was very excited to find out they knew his grandparents.”

Sporting bib number 49, Santiago’s team includes huskies who travel an average of 9 miles an hour. Earlier this month, TV station KTVA-11 in Anchorage interviewed Santiago at a checkpoint. Ryan is racing a group of dogs from three-time Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey’s kennel.

“I have twelve 2-year-olds and 6-year-old whose name is Django and he won the Iditarod in 2017,” Santiago told the television reporter. He added that the dogs prefer the colder weather but acclimate extremely well during their summer training where temperatures can reach 80 degrees.

The Iditarod is sometimes referred to as, “The Last Great Race on Earth.” Fifty-two racers and their teams will cover more than 1,000 miles of grueling terrain including treacherous hills and long hours of darkness. The race starts in Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast. Racers are positioned based on their speed between checkpoints.

Santiago signed up as a late entry for this year’s race and took the mandatory rookie training in December 2018. The race started on March 2. Racers are expected to cross the finish line around March 17.

“Ryan is not chasing a dream, he’s just living his life to the fullest,” Leytem says. “The entire family is so proud of Ryan and we are all cheering him on.”

CAPTION: CVHS Alumnus Ryan Santiago signed up as a late entry for this year’s Iditarod and took the mandatory rookie training in December 2018. The race started on March 2. Racers are expected to cross the finish line around March 17.

Parking Lot Plan For Car-Dwellers

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-13-19

Supervisor Nate Miley unveiled a county plan at Monday night’s Municipal Advisory Council meeting to create a designated parking lot for people who live in their cars on the Fairmont Hospital campus.

“I don’t often come to your meetings, but when I do, it’s either for something that’s important or controversial,” said Miley. “This is important and I don’t think it’s controversial.”

A few of the Hillcrest Knolls residents who spoke up against the plan disagreed – they said that having homeless people living in their cars on county land would lower their property values and attract crime to the area.

“If you live near the Fairmont campus, you live next to a very bad neighbor: the County,” said speaker Richard Hancox. “It’s where they put things that other people wouldn’t tolerate.” He gave the juvenile hall as an example. 

Miley said that there is no one solution to the homelessness problem, but the county must do all it can to try to help.

“We’ve declared an emergency for homelessness,” said Miley.  “There are already a number of

homeless encampments on the Fairmont campus. The county needs to respond to this issue, it’s a crisis.”

Miley said that the county recently received $16 million in funding for homelessness from the state, and approximately $1 million has been earmarked for the unincorporated area.

The immediate plan is to identify around 12 to 15 single adults who are already living in their cars and allow them to park in a monitored lot on a more remote area of the Fairmont campus. That could begin as early as later this month.

The county estimates that 22 percent of local homeless people are living in cars. In order to stay in the Fairmont parking lot, parkers will have to have a running vehicle (no RVs) with insurance and registration and a valid driver’s license, according to Dr. Kathleen Clanon, medical director of the Alameda Health System.

“People living in their cars are independent,” said Clanon. “A lot of them are first time homeless. It takes a little more work with them to get them to accept some help.”

Eventually, a “navigation center” may also  be created on the campus, which would serve a different population who are living in encampments or on the street and would have dormitory style modular unit living available on a temporary basis, according to Clanon.

“That would allow people to get their papers together, get their plans together,” said Clanon.

MAC member Chuck Moore suggested that a homeless parking program be instituted in East Bay Regional Parks because they have a lot of space and have pre-built restroom facilities. Miley responded that if homeless people wanted to be living in the park, they’d be there already.

“We are trying to address this on county property,” said Miley.

Eve Holgate, who lives near the Fairmont campus, seconded the parks idea and even suggested that the homeless be given land to farm.

“We’re really sad about the homeless people and it’s a really big problem,” said Holgate. “We are just concerned. There are solutions, but people have to be really creative.”

Patricia Sores lives in her car at the First Presbyterian parking lot on Grove Way as part of a similar program and sent a letter saying dedicated parking programs work.

“I’ve been homeless for almost three years now,” wrote Sores. “In my present situation, I’ve felt content and safe. I keep my doors locked and stay to myself. I am truly thankful and blessed to have a place to go.”

Roxanne Stanton used to live in a parking program in Union City and said it helped her work her way out of a bad situation.

“Me and my kids utilized the program from June to October of last year,” said Stanton. “During the day, I’d be working and my kids would be in school. Eventually we got into our own place. I hope this program starts up so it can start benefiting others.”

Miley was at the meeting to give information on the program, not to gain the MAC’s consent. MAC Chair Marc Crawford asked that a citizen’s oversite committee be started for the concerned neighbors and that Miley come back around June to give an update on how the parking program was going and get more public feedback. Miley agreed.

“The homeless have rights, but all the rest of us who aren’t unsheltered have rights too, and we are trying to balance that equation,” said Miley. “The poor are always going to be with us. What we have now is a crisis; it’s never been this extensive before. There is no magic answer. Somebody said this ‘isn’t a solution.’ We aren’t saying this is a solution, this isn’t a panacea. This is just an approach that tries to address the problem.”

However necessary or successful the parking program turns out to be, it will probably only last 18 month to two years before being moved because the location interferes with a planned remodel of Camp Sweeney, the county’s minimum security juvenile justice facility.

Sports Foundation to be Parade Grand Marshalls

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-13-19

The entire Castro Valley Sports Foundation’s Board of Directors will be the Grand Marshalls of this year’s Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade.

The parade, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Castro Valley for 30-plus years, will take place on Saturday, May 11, along Castro Valley Boulevard.

The Rotary Parade Planning Committee unanimously selected the Sports Foundation Board of Directors as a perfect example of the parade’s 2019 theme, “Be the Inspiration.”

“This is a great choice as the individuals serving on the CVSF Board are committed to Castro Valley’s children from elementary through high school promoting health, fitness, and youth sports activities,” said Todd Anglin, Rotary President-Elect. “They truly serve as an inspiration to everyone through their individual and collective commitment to our community.” 

The Parade Committee encourages individuals, organizations, and businesses to sign up and participate in the parade, including the many pre-parade activities.

For more info or to register to participate in the parade, visit RowellRanchRodeoParade.com.

CAPTION; SPORTS FOUNDATION BOARD: Back row, from left, Jennifer Oliver, Karl Pacheco, Frank Mellon, Tojo Thomas and Mel Ashford; front row, Cal Sakamoto, Rachel Lunt, Rob Stiving and Sandy Stiving. Not pictured are Bridget Cunningham, Eileen Cunningham, Candace Giuntoli, Bruce D. Johnson, Ted Riche and Patrick Ryken.

PHOTO BY BRUCE D. JOHNSON

Computer Glitch Shuts Down BART

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-13-19

An apparent computer glitch shortly before 3 a.m. on Saturday caused a rare, system-wide shutdown of BART train service for nearly five hours, delaying hundreds of riders getting to their destinations. Full service wasn’t restored until  about 11 a.m.

BART engineers are performing a comprehensive evaluation to determine the cause of the system failure and a report is expected to be delivered to the transit district’s board of directors at tomorrow’s meeting.

Young Man in a Hurry

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-06-19

Castro Valley native Joshua Thomas Weed graduated

from Castro Valley High School on March 1st by taking

extra credits so he could ship off to join the U.S. Marine

Corps on his 18th birthday. Awarded “Student of the Year”

by the Castro Valley School Board, he will leave for boot

camp on March 25, the day before his 18th birthday.

He has been doing physical training with the Marines

for the past four months. He is the son of Jacob and

Serena Weed of Castro Valley.

Swalwell Risks Safe Political Future if he Seeks Presidency

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-06-19

Rep. Eric Swalwell, a regular on the cable news networks over the past two years, says he will not run for re-election to Congress if he decides to make a bid for the White House.

Last week Swalwell, whose district office sits behind the KFC restaurant on Castro Valley Blvd., told Chronicle political columnist Joe Garofoli, “I would want people to know that I’m putting my all into this and I don’t have a life insurance policy.”

Swalwell, a Democrat, says he wouldn’t resign his influential seat (he’s on the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees) if he decides to make a run for president, but that his name would not be on the next 15th Congressional District ballot if he does.

It is generally assumed that he would coast to an easy victory for a fifth term in Congress in 2020.

The 38-year-old Swalwell is married to Brittany Watts, an executive with Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay and has two young children.

He told Garofoli the impact on his family would play an important role in his decision on whether to seek the presidency. 

Urban Shield Changes Proposed

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-06-19

Last week, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors heard a report on several proposed changes to Urban Shield, the regional emergency preparedness exercise where law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics and other first responders act in response to staged scenarios at sites all over the county.

Past Urban Shield exercises have included SWAT teams responding to a terrorism incident at the Oakland Airport and an active shooter on a BART train.

Volunteers wear fake blood and sport realistic make-up wounds and role-play as if the scenario is real as law enforcement attempts to secure the site and rescue them.

Among the recomendations made by the Board was changing the name of the exercise and switching the focus to responses to natural disasters, rather than active shooting scenarios or other criminal matters.

Emergency responders say that Urban Shield is valuable in training them in intense emergency scenarios. But the concept of Urban Shield has proved controversial as some opponents say the exercise promotes the militarization of local police forces.

Also among the recommendations was to increase sensitivity about police using military language or gear.

Funding for Urban Shield is largely provided by a $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Sheriff Greg Ahern told the Board of Supervisors any drastic changes to the program could violate the agreement with Homeland Security and may jeopardize the grant.

The Board of Supervisors new direction for Urban Shield began last spring when they formed an ad hoc committee to examine the program. These current recommendations are based on the ad hoc committees findings.

The board has now directed Ahern to work with the committee before the grant deadline to see if they can find a compromise.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office has been vocal about keeping Urban Shield as it is, accusing opponents of making false statements about the program in order to undermine the police.

“Opponent activism against Urban Shield is at an all-time high,” wrote Sgt. Ray Kelly in a press release. “This is very concerning because a great deal of misinformation has been spread. We have tried to rebuke these false statements and have proven we are sensitive to community concerns. Despite these efforts, the future of Urban Shield is uncertain.

“First responders know the elimination or reduction of this program will make our region much less safe in responding to terror attacks, natural disasters, mass casualties and other critical incidents.”

The Urban Shield issue is scheduled to go back before the Board of Supervisors at their March 12 meeting.

Coldest February in the East Bay Since 1949

By Mike Pechner

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-06-19

It’s been a remarkable winter so far for all of California. The entire state has been removed from the “drought” category by the National Weather Service.

Rainfall is well above normal from the Bay Area to San Diego, and record snowfall in the Sierra has filled all of the East Bay Municipal Water District lakes ensuring an adequate supply of water for next year.

Both Comanche and Pardee reservoirs are at 83% capacity and are certain to spill with the spring snow melt. In the East Bay, Chabot, Briones, Lafayette, San Pablo and Upper San Leandro all average around 87% of capacity.  The Sierra snowfall is even more impressive with the Caples Lake area showing 125-inches of snow on the ground, which is 168 percent of normal (the average for this date is 76 inches). 

Unofficial data shows that this past February was the coldest on record at the Oakland Airport since the establishment of the weather station there in the 1930’s.

The 10 to 16 day forecast from the National Weather Service for the East Bay shows near to above normal for precipitation and near normal temperatures. 

Mike Pechner operates Golden West Meteorology, a private long-range forecasting service.

CAPTION: Blizzards have pounded the Sierra Nevada, burying the mountain range in massive amounts of record level snow.

PHOTO: CALIFORNIA DEPT. OF WATER RESOURCES

Large Scale CVHS DRILL Tomorrow

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  03-06-19

Tomorrow, March 7, Castro Valley High School and Eden Medical Center will be participating in the “Every 15 Minutes” program.

This exercise simulates a crash with multiple rescue agencies responding and a helicopter evacuation of a mock trauma patient designed to teach students the dangers of driving under the influence.

The public is reminded that any sirens or helicopter landing you hear at or near the high school are part of the simulated drill.

Apartment Project Approved for San Lorenzo Village

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-27-19

There is a concrete bench just outside the entrance to the Castro Valley BART station where people can sit while waiting for a ride. But it’s the colorful ceramic mosaic adorning the seat that is catching people’s attention of late.

Three tiles at the top read out, “Hayward,” “Farmers,” and “Market.”

“It’s very unfortunate that the bench says Hayward when the weekly Castro Valley Farmers’ Market is held about 100 feet away from this bench,” Castro Valley resident Pamela Bovyer told the Castro Valley Forum. “It’s hard enough to get signs around town that say Castro Valley, so this is very frustrating.”

Bovyer is one of a dozen community organizers who is hoping to swap out the single tile or even replace the bench entirely to correctly reflect its Castro Valley address. The group has been haggling with BART and the artist for the last five years only to realize the bench and its Hayward tile are staying put for now.

The bench was a gift from East Bay Paratransit, which is why it sits at the foot of the pickup and drop off sign outside of Castro Valley BART, according to BART

see BENCH on page 6

 Communications Department Manager, Alicia Trost.

The bench was originally manufactured for a Hayward location but ended up as surplus inventory. BART installed the bench in the median near the bus entrance for Paratransit passenger use, but anyone waiting for a ride from the station is welcome to use it.

“It is not our place to change or move what was a gift and the bench serves the important purpose of assisting people with disabilities while they wait for a ride,” Trost told the Forum.

When asked if the single mosaic tile could be altered to read out Castro Valley, Troust replied that “the artist doesn’t want it changed.”

A GoFundMe page has now been set up under the “A Castro Valley Bench For Castro Valley BART.” The group is looking for as much as $10,000 to help build a new bench and pledges to work with BART to relocate the existing bench in favor of a new one.

“This is the only display of public art at the Castro Valley BART — it should reflect the Castro Valley community, not the city next door,” the funding page reads.

In the meantime, the bench will continue to read out Hayward Farmers’ Market. Recently, handwritten notes reading “Castro Valley” have been spotted covering the Hayward tile.

Illegal vandalism or defacement of public property is a misdemeanor crime, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.

The concrete bench just outside the entrance to Castro Valley BART station reads: Hayward Farmers Market.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CASTRO VALLEY MATTERS

                                                                                 Recently, handwritten notes reading “Castro Valley” have been spotted 

                                                                                 covering the Hayward tile.

Bike for Education

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-27-19

The Castro Valley Educational Foundation (CVEF) will launch a campaign on Sunday, April 7, to raise $95,000 to hire a dedicated college and career counselor at Castro Valley High School.

It will be kicked-off with a fund-raising inaugural “Bike for Education” ride that morning, followed by a BBQ and entertainment in the afternoon. The event will be for the entire community, not just for bike riders.

Bike rides will be staged in three categories: a 62-miler beginning at 8 a.m. to Dublin and Livermore, an 18-mile fun ride at 9 a.m., and finally at 4-mile kid ride at 9:20 a.m. A community BBQ, games and raffles will follow from from noon to 2 p.m.

The Foundation is looking for community partners and parents to help with the costs for the college and career counselor. Sponsors of the biking event can have booths and their names displayed on T-shirts, the website and at the event.

Support for the new resource to CVHS will improve the experience and opportunities of all students to realize their post-secondary goals. 

To contribute to the goal, visit: cvef.org and donate (via credit card or PayPal), or mail a check to P.O. Box 2693, Castro Valley, CA 94546. To sign up, visit: cvef.org, and click “Sign up Now.”

Apartment Project Approved for San Lorenzo Village

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-27-19

The Alameda County Planning Commission voted to approve a new apartment complex with retail stores in San Lorenzo Village last week, despite a last-minute push from a trade union group opposing it.

But some San Lorenzans are happy to see any development on the site, which has been empty in the middle of town for the past 25 years.

Developer Demmon Partners got the go-ahead to build an art deco style mixed-use project with 163 market-rate units in five buildings along Hesperian Boulevard and Via Arriba at the old Mervyn’s site, which has been empty since 1994.

The 5.1-acre parcel would be developed with three- and four-story apartment buildings, a pool, dog park, open space on the rooftop and a shuttle to BART.

Demmon has plans for 233 off street spaces, including 109 spots in the garage. There would be 33 parking spaces for the retail shops and 60 on-street spots along Via Arriba and Via Mercado.

There will be 12,000-square-feet of retail space on the corner of Hesperian Boulevard and Paseo Grande, with room for at least six different shops ranging from 1,300 to 2,600-square-feet. As part of the project, developer Terry Demmon said they will also remodel the marquee on the Lorenzo Theatre across the street.

The Planning Commission approved the project by a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Jim Goff dissenting. Goff said he wasn’t completely satisfied that the project was best for the area and thought San Lorenzans might want more of a community hub in the centrally-located site.

Public speaker Randy Wage suggested that more of the community could benefit from the project if it had more retail, but Demmon said that traditional brick and mortar stores are dying out and he wasn’t comfortable with adding even more retail space.

“It’s been about three years that we’ve worked on this project,” said Demmon. “We’ve tried to reach out as best we can to get community input.”

A few speakers addressed the Planning Commission in support of the project, saying they are tired of the central part of their town sitting empty so long.

“I’m living in an area that’s become almost a ghetto,” said San Lorenzo resident Mario Caserias. “It’s been eroding throughout the years. When someone wants to build something nice, people come out and oppose it.”

The opposition at last Tuesday night’s meeting didn’t come from neighbors, but from union representatives.

Demmon said that he worked for months to try to reach an agreement with the trade unions, but could not.

John Dalrymple, political affairs consultant with Sheet Metal Workers Local 104, said that Demmon was looking to hire workers who make in the range of $33,000 per year, while the union workers make $45,000 annually.

Sarah Dudley of the Alameda County Residents for Responsible Development, a labor union coalition, urged the Planning Commission to reconsider the project’s environmental impact report (EIR).

But the Planning Commission said the EIR was valid and the project could go forward.

Demmon Partners said that the unions were trying to stop the project not out of legitimate concern, but because it was non-union.

In the end, the Planning Commission decided to approve the Village Green and Demmon estimates that construction will take about two years.

CAPTION: An art deco apartment building will be constructed in the vacant space in San Lorenzo Village where the Mervyn’s store was demolished 25 years ago. The 5-acre parcel will have apartments, a pool, dog park and a shuttle to BART.

County’s Homeless Numbers Increasing

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-20-19

A census of people living on the streets of Alameda County late last month will likely show that more than 6,000 homeless people reside in the county, though the exact count won’t be available until summer.

The census was conducted by EveryOne Home, a nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness.

To make the count, more than 600 volunteers scoured the streets, creeks, and freeway overpasses countywide with the help of homeless and formerly homeless guides during the early morning hours of Jan. 30, while outreach groups counted people in their shelter beds that night.

The count is taken every two years to helps cities and homeless charities determine where services are needed the most and their eligibility for federal funds, according to Elaine de Coligny, director of EveryOne Home.

The number of homeless people in all of Alameda County rose by nearly 40 percent to 5,630  between the 2015 and 2017 counts, and de Coligny says that she expects another increase when CAPTION: A homeless encampment near Center Street and Grove Way in Castro Valley.     the 2019 results are finalized.

“It’s clear there will be an uptick in numbers from the last survey,” she said.

The census is a “point-in-time count” that happens during the peak winter cold season when more people seek shelters or warming centers, giving a more accurate count. But even with the most thorough methodology they can manage, it’s difficult to count every homeless person.

“There are a portion of people who are unsheltered who live in encampments,” said de Coligny. “We consider an encampment an area with two or more individuals living in tents of makeshift structures. That’s probably about one-fifth of the homeless population and they’ve become increasingly visible in recent years. Others are in their cars or on the streets.”

County officials say there are encampments at Cull Canyon in Castro Valley, along San Lorenzo Creek and one by the railroad tracks on Springlake Drive near Washington Ave. in San Leandro.

After the census, the next step is a more detailed survey of people living on the street and in shelters. de Coligny says her colleagues ask people about their histories, how long they’ve lived in Alameda County, the reasons behind their being on the street, and more.

According to the 2017 survey, the number one cause was money problems, with 57 percent saying that was keeping them from a permanent residence.

Mental health issues caused 12 percent of the cases and substance abuse accounted for another 12 percent.

Nearly half said they had some disability that limited their ability to maintain work or housing. The most common self-reported conditions were psychiatric (41 percent), post-traumatic stress disorder (29 percent), and physical disability (27 percent).

Over 80 percent said they lived in Alameda County before becoming homeless.

In December, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors approved a three-year “homelessness action plan” specifically for the unincorporated area, including Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Cherryland and Ashland.

The plan would include dedicated parking sites for people living in their cars, tiny homes, a mobile hygiene unit, two winter shelters, a downtown street litter team, and more.

The board announced plans to spend $10.5 million beginning in 2019 on services for the estimated 440 homeless people living in the unincorporated area.

If you are having a housing crisis or in need of other support, 211 is a toll-free phone number that provides info and referrals on housing and health and social services. Information is also available at www.211AlamedaCounty.org.

PHOTO BY DEBBIE TEE

Strongest Storm of Season Hits State

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-20-19

Last week’s storm, the strongest of the season to hit Northern California, knocked out power at spots around the Bay Area, sent creeks and rivers over their banks, flooded roads, and caused dangerous landslides. The California Highway Patrol was kept busy clearing up accidents and spinouts.

In the Sierra, traffic was backed up for miles on Interstate 880 as lanes were closed several times on Sunday. Heavier-than-expected snow flurries bombarded the higher elevations and chains were required at Colfax for cars heading east.

Hail was reported in several East Bay areas Sunday evening. The storm even brought snow for a few hours to Castro Valley’s hills last week.

The good news is skiing is great on many California’s slopes and, combined with all that rain, more water is in East Bay reservoirs.

Castro Valley rainfall totals now exceed the average for this date by 2-plus inches and surpasses last year’s totals at this time by more than 11 inches.

While possible afternoon showers are forecast for today, the next few days will likely be dry, cool and mostly sunny through at least next Wednesday.

Snow? In Castro Valley?

HERE’S THE HOLE STORY:

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-20-19

 A broken water main created a sinkhole last Wednesday morning on a busy stretch of Somerset Ave., between Santa Maria Ave. and Redwood Road. One car got stuck in the sinkhole shortly after 8 a.m. and the Alameda County Fire Department, Sheriff’s Office, a Public Works crew and the East Bay Municipal Utility District were all called to the scene. There were no injuries and the driver was able to safely get out of the car with help from the fire fighters.

PHOTO BY ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT

GoFundMe for CVHS Athlete With Leukemia

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-13-19

On Friday, February 1, Bryce Turner was taken to the Doctor after his mom noticed an odd rash and some bruising. However, not in a million years did she nor the family expect to hear that Bryce has cancer. 

    The 15-year-old 6-foot-4 football and basketball sophomore standout at Castro Valley High school, who was just at school being “silly Bryce,” has cancer. 

Tests would later confirm and determine that Bryce has childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a very aggressive and fast-growing cancer if not treated promptly.

The aggressive nature of this disease has immediately placed Bryce in the hospital for the next four to five months while he undergoes intensive chemotherapy with a multitude of tests and procedures.

If you know Bryce you know he has a million-dollar smile, has the sweetest and silliest personality, and loves to hang out with his friends.

This amazing family is part  of our community... and they need us more than ever right now.

We are are asking for any help as this family endures every parent’s worst nightmare, and all the associated medical cost that will incur during a five-month hospital stay and the life-saving medications and treatments.

If you are unable to donate monetarily, please help lift this family in thoughts, prayers and love, and let them know they are not alone!

We, together can help cover this family in love! #battleforbryce or www.gofundme.com/f/battle-for-bryce-turner

—from the Bryce Turner

GoFundMe page

CV ‘Tiny Homes’ On Hold

By  Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-13-19

Castro Valley’s Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) continued an item related to the proposed “tiny homes” project at its Monday night meeting.

While plans are moving forward for the creation of the project designed to house some of the town’s homeless on the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church at 2490 Grove Way, general plan and zoning changes will be required in order for the tiny homes or other similar projects to be sanctioned.

Council members said they needed to be cautious in order to create a clear precedent moving forward.

“I don’t want to make this overly complicated but it’s open season,” said MAC member Ken Carbone.

“We have a model and we have no idea if it’s going to work. Until it is actually functioning, we won’t know.”

MAC Chair Marc Crawford said things like allowable locations, spacing regulations between units, and more have all yet to be determined.

“We need to take a look at the list of our zoning designations and see where we want it,” said Crawford. “The way that this is worded right now, it’s carte blanche.”

The MAC also continued three land use agenda items to a later date.

The board said a proposal to build eight-and-half foot tall retaining walls and fencing at 18701 Walnut Road was negatively affect the line of sight to the rad and sent it back to the drawing board.

An application to allow two new wall signs at 3223 Castro Valley Boulevard (the former Milkcow ice cream shop) was delayed to later this month.

And a plan to subdivide a parcel at 4749 Mira Vista Drive into four parcels for potential residential development was deemed too dense. The MAC told the property owner to come back with a design that would accommodate just three lots.

Gleaning, Swapping and Fixing During Zero Waste Week

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-13-19

The Castro Valley Sanitary District hosted its 4th Annual Zero Waste Week last Wednesday through Sunday with a variety of activities aimed at reducing the amount of waste going to landfills.

Above at left, some three dozen volunteers visited 20 different properties of generous homeowners on Wednesday, gleaning 1,895 pounds of oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and lemons that otherwise might have gone to waste.

The fruit went to food pantries at Faith Lutheran and the Greek Orthodox churches in Castro Valley.

On the right, Zero Waste Week concluded on Sunday afternoon at the Castro Valley Library with two popular events — the Clothing Swap ’N Sew and “Fix-It Clinic.” The community repair workshop attracted a lot of owners of small, non-working appliances of every sort, from computers to space heaters and vacuum cleaners to smart phones to learn how to keep them from going into the trash can.

Big Weekend of Amateur

Boxing Begins on Friday

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-06-19

One of amateur boxing’s most exciting, prestigious events, returns to the East Bay this weekend, hosted by the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs Activities League (DSAL), the Sheriff’s Office and USA Boxing Northern California.

The California Golden Gloves Region 1 Qualifiers for the State Championships will be decided at the Hayward Adult School Gym at 22100 Princeton Street beginning on Friday.

This premier amateur boxing event will feature young competitors from throughout Northern California competing in as many as two matches during the tournament for an opportunity to advance to the California Golden Gloves State Championships in Southern California in April 2019.

“Having the opportunity to host this event for the second year in a row is a symbol of hard work, which has been recognized by Northern California Amateur Boxing,” said Alameda County Sheriff’s Sgt. Oscar Perez. “In addition to recognizing the hard work and training put in by the amateur boxers, the event will also

offer an economic boost for the community while showcasing DSALs Boxing Academy.”

Friday’s weigh-ins are at 3 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. for showtime at 7 p.m. On Saturday, weigh-ins begin at noon and doors will open at 3 p.m. for showtime at 4 p.m. Sunday’s weigh-ins are at 10 a.m., with doors opening at 1 p.m., for showtime at 2 p.m.

Ringside seats are $25, general admission is $15, children ages 5 and under are free.

In addition to boxing, the weekend will include food, entertainment, activities for kids, and a 50/50 raffle. Buy tickets online at www.acdsal.org. Online ticket sales end when sold out. Limited tickets will be available for purchase at the door. 

Proceeds of the event will benefit the nonprofit DSAL Boxing Academy and the Natalie Corona Memorial Fund. Natalie Corona, a rising star in the City of Davis Police Department, was tragically killed in the line of duty this past January 10.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY DSAL 

Girls Wanted for Scout Program

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-06-19

If you are a girl between 11 and 17 and looking for adventures like rock climbing, hiking, and camping, Castro Valley’s Cassandra Clark is looking for you.

“I’m a Scoutmaster in need of some Scouts,” says Clark, who will serve as Scoutmaster for the Troop 722 associated girl troop.

Troop 722 is one of two local Scout groups that have opened its doors to girls to join. Troop 708, under the leadership of Scoutmaster Derek Hudson, is the other interested group.

A handful of girls and parents joined the informational meeting last week at Our Lady of Grace. Many were curious how the Troop would be mixing boys and girls in activities such as camping.

“There were a lot of good questions, especially about the different ways girls will be able to do everything the boys get to do now,” says Brett Pletcher, with Troop 722. “We’re just looking for a few more girls to participate.”

As of Feb. 1, Scouting BSA allowed girls to join the boys to earn merit badges and achieve ranks as high as Eagle Scout. Adding girls to Scouts BSA is a continuation of what occurred in 2017 when the Boy Scouts of America began allowing both boys and girls into its family-based Cub Scout program.

Scouting BSA is making the program friendlier to the new recruits. There are new manuals which replace images of boys with those of girls and references to “she” and “her” in place of “he” and “him.”

The girls will also have uniforms available that are designed in their sizes instead of relying on boy’s shirts and pants.

Clark, who has two sons in Scouting, says the addition of girls to Boy Scouts is a natural progression considering the Cub Scouts are so family-oriented and female siblings often tag along on activities.

“Right now, the boys have been coming up with lots of ideas for outings and opportunities for us to earn badges. I will be asking the girls to come up with their own ideas where the boys can also participate,” Clark said.

The combination of boys and girls will be considered a “link

see SCOUT on back page

 troop,” and will utilize many of the same committee members, equipment, and meeting locations as their male counterparts. The girls will join the boys on hikes and campouts but will likely come up with their own activities.

The Troops are also looking for adult leaders to help. Leaders can be registered in both troops so there’s no need to choose one over the other.

“It’s great to have people behind me that are pros in Boy Scouts and their activities, otherwise we would be starting this Troop from scratch, which has a huge start-up cost,” Clark said.

The Boy Scouts of America has been opening its membership in the last few years. In 2013, the organization lifted the ban on openly gay scouts and in 2015, ended the prohibition on gay leaders. In 2018, the organization rebranded itself as Scouts BSA and announced it will allow scout members that self-identify as male, creating room for transgender members.

While girls will be allowed in Scouts BSA, troop meetings will be single-gender based, just as they are in the Cub Scouts. Female leaders are required wherever girls are involved at all program levels.

The girls will operate in a patrol-like structure—a smaller unit within a Boy Scout Troop that typically clusters youth together based on either ages or rank such as Tenderfoot or First Class.

The girls are expected to participate at the Troop 722 meeting this Thursday (Feb. 7) at Faith Lutheran Church on Redwood Road. Troop 708 meets on Tuesday nights at the First Presbyterian Church on Redwood Road near Trader Joe’s.

Anyone interested in learning more about the scouting program for boys or girls is invited to contact Brett Pletcher at brettpletcher@yahoo.com.

CAPTION: A group of girls and parents attended an informational meeting last Wednesday at Our Lady of Grace Church.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER J. PETRICK

Just for Kicks

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  02-06-19

Castro Valley’s Nick Lima has taken time away from playing for his professional soccer team the San Jose Earthquakes in order to represent his country as a member of the United States Men’s National Team. Lima, No. 2, is one of the starting defenders and has been a solid force for the U.S. team, keeping their opponents scoreless in their first 2 friendlies (exhibition games). He has also been very impressive on the offensive side, helping his team attack the opposing defenses and took a swerving shot that hit the left post barely missing a goal in a 2-0 win against Costa Rica on Saturday at Avaya Stadium in San Jose. In a 3-0 win against Panama, Lima assisted with the second goal of the game after a tackle that resulted in Lima stealing the ball from a Panamanian player, he dribbled the ball up and delivered a beautiful cross to Walker Zimmerman for a header into the goal, easily the play of the game, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Jan. 27. This concludes the January training camp for the U.S. team, which will play again in March against Ecuador and Chile. Visit mlssoccer.com for highlights.

DECA: Tomorrow’s Leaders

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-30-19

    Castro Valley High School business student Olivia Davidson thinks it would be incredible to become a CEO one day, able to pursue something that she’s genuinely proud of and passionate about.

The 17-year old senior shares with Katelyn Lance the title of co-president of the CVHS chapter of DECA, a global organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, hospitality, finance and management.

DECA, formerly “Distributive Education Clubs of America,” has more than 215,000 high school members worldwide, all driven to win the “DECA Glass” – the trophies awarded at competitions.

Davidson says it takes a certain kind of student to join DECA. During their role-playing events, students have just 10 minutes to read and come up with a solution to a business-related scenario, and another 10 minutes to present the information to a judge. Written reports range from 10 to 20 pages. Finally, students take a 100-question exam to test their business knowledge.

“There’s something about completing a competition that is so satisfying,” says Davidson, who’s interested in marketing and international business. “You can finally take a step back and look at

see DECA on page 6

all of your hard work. I think that we’re all proud of ourselves and the work that we have been preparing for months prior.”

Although DECA is a huge time commitment, its members are involved in other activities – sports, improv, choir, band. Davidson participates in track and cross country.

The Castro Valley DECA chapter has 83 members who have the opportunity to begin a hands-on professional education.

“From learning the proper dress attire, to writing comprehensive business plans, DECA has taught me so many professional skills that I know will be useful through every chapter of my life,” says Davidson.

In March, DECA members will attend the State Career Development Conference in Anaheim. From there, qualifiers from California will attend the International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida.

CAPTION: Fifty-six Business students from the Castro Valley High School DECA Chapter form the “DECA Diamond” with their hands during a group photo while attending the Northern California Career Development Conference on January 18 in San Ramon. The diamond is the official symbol of DECA, Inc., a non-profit organization formerly known as the Distributive Education Clubs of America.

Santa Maria Redo Begins Next Week

By  Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-30-19

Some long-awaited construction is beginning on Santa Maria Avenue from Castro Valley Boulevard to Wilson Avenue – approximately from the Village to the high school.

At its Monday night meeting, the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) heard an update on the project from Bill Lepere of the Alameda County Public Works Agency.

Construction on the $4.4 million project is set to begin next week and continue until September. When it is finished, Santa Maria Ave. will have new high-visibility crosswalks, ramps, curbs and gutters, trees and bike lanes.

The final step will be a new slurry seal for the road itself.

Lepere said that the construction will mean a vastly improved thoroughfare, especially for pedestrians and bicyclists.

“When completed, Santa Maria will be a great link to downtown,” said Lepere

The Alameda County Public Works Agency will be posting project updates at: www.acpwa.org.

The MAC also approved an application from the McDonald’s restaurant at 2905 Grove Way to remodel and repaint the building. The council had ejected a previous application for having a monotone gray exterior, but approved the new plans which now include tile and some beige elements.

“The added color helped break this thing up so it doesn’t look like a huge box” said MAC member Ken Carbone.

see MAC on page 7

The MAC reminded the McDonald’s owners that no advertisements are supposed to be posted on the windows of fast food restaurants in Castro Valley.

In other business, the MAC continued two items: an application to subdivide a parcel into two at the Bay Gospel Hall at 4779 Heyer Ave. and review of the conditional use permit for the storage facility at 8555 Dublin Canyon Road. That property is known for having large electronic billboards visible from I-580 which are the subject of ongoing litigation with the county.

East Bay’s 2019 Water Outlook Good Thanks to the Recent Series

of Storms

By Mike Pechner

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-30-19

The recent series of storms that began just before Christmas has boosted California’s water outlook to near or slightly above normal for this time of year. 

Last year on this date, snow water equivalent in the High Sierra was around 25 percent compared with 103 percent today.

The wet season in the East Bay looks very promising so far with rain expected in Castro Valley every day this week through Sunday. 

Last year, the first half of winter was extremely dry, however the Pacific storm track fueled by a strong westerly jet stream returned in late February through mid-March and produced significant snow in the Sierra and abundant rainfall in lower elevations, filling most local reservoirs and lakes. 

Up in the Mother Lode, Pardee Reservoir is 92 percent full to date and will reach its capacity during the spring snow melt. Comanche Reservoir in the San Joaquin Valley is at a healthy 77 percent of storage. 

Local East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) lakes, Briones, Chabot, Lafayette, San Pablo and USL, hold a combined average storage 77 percent for the season so far, putting the total for all of EBMUD facilities at 81 percent.

Since the beginning of the season, rainfall in some local areas is ahead of last year. As of today, Oakland International Airport has received 8.49 inches of rain which is 79 percent of normal (10.79 inches) for this date. Hayward Airport data shows 5.02 inches of rain, about 55 percent of average. 

This winter started out with a weak to mild El Niño pattern which is now decreasing in intensity. What effect that may have on the weather,  only time will tell.

Mike Pechner operates Golden West Meteorology, a private long-range weather forecasting service.

Forum Now Adjudicated

The Castro Valley Forum and the San Leandro Times newspapers have been adjudged by the Alameda County Superior Court as newspapers of general circulation and can now publish any county legal advertising, including Fictitious Name Statements for new businesses.

Those interested in legal advertising in either paper should call Patrick Vadnais at 510-614-1558.

The adjudication was made possible thanks to the number of subscribers who signed up during last year’s Loyal Reader subscription program.

Martin Luther King Day 2019

A crowd of around 200 turned out for Monday morning’s celebration and march for Martin Luther King Day at Hayward’s City Hall Plaza. Rallies were held at a number of locations around the East Bay and the nation to celebrate the 90th birthday of the slain civil rights leader. The theme of this year’s event was “Lack of Shelter – Homes for Everyone.”

PHOTO BY FRED ZEHNDER

Rate Payers Puzzled by EBCE Bill

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-23-19

PG&E bills have begun showing up with an unfamiliar line item for “East Bay Community Energy” (EBCE) in the account summary.

The EBCE is a new “community energy” agency that recently became the energy provider for over half a million Alameda County homes, though nobody signed up for it.

In Alameda County, all cities except Alameda, Pleasanton, and Newark are part of the EBCE.

EBCE is an electricity provider that was created to provide an alternative to the PG&E monopoly, they say. EBCE is a “community choice aggregator” that pools cities together to have greater buying power to purchase electricity directly from the source.

But the electricity will still come over PG&E’s lines.

Currently, the EBCE says it is using energy from a variety of sources including hydroelectric dams in the Pacific Northwest and wind farms in Southern California.

It says customers can expect about a one-and-a-half percent savings over PG&E for an average monthly bill of $90.60, because EBCE is a non-profit governmental agency that “runs lean” with a small number of employees and, unlike PG&E, doesn’t have to answer to shareholders.

The infrastructure of how energy gets to your home remains the same since the EBCE pays PG&E for transmission and repairs to the electric grid. So if the power goes out, it will still be a PG&E truck pulling up to fix the lines. PG&E will also continue to handle the billing.

You can leave the EBCE and stick with PG&E by visiting www.ebce.org and selecting the “opt out” tab at the top of the screen. You’ll have to enter your PG&E account number, name, and zip code. You can also opt out by calling 1-833-699-EBCE.

If you opt out before June 1, there is no fee but EBCE will charge a $5 exit fee after that date. Another option is to “opt down” and reduce the percentage of energy that comes from clean energy sources and get a lower rate while remaining in the EBCE program.

EBCE is holding a series of public meetings to help people understand their new electricity bills and answer questions about the program, including one next week on Thursday, Jan.31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Zocalo Coffee, 645 Bancroft Ave. in San Leandro.

Boy Scout Troops to Recruit Girls to Join the Adventure

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-23-19

  Next week, on February 1, local  Boy Scouts will welcome girls ages 11 to 18 into the scouting program for the first time in their history, opening a door for them to earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout. 

  On that same day, the century-old Boy Scouts of America, will drop the “Boy” from its namesake program, changing its name to Scouts BSA as it ushers in this new era.

  Last summer, Cub Scouts —for children 7 to 10 years old — began welcoming girls in the first wave of the organization’s push for inclusivity.

  Next Wednesday, Jan. 30, local Boy Scout Troops 708 and 722 will host an informational meeting for girls interested in learning more about joining the scouting program. It will be held at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace Church at 3433 Somerset Ave. in Castro Valley. In addition to learning about the program, there will be fun scouting related activities for the girls to enjoy.

  “I am very excited that girls will now be able to fully participate in the scouting program,” said Cassandra Clark, who will serve as Scoutmaster for the Troop 722 associated girl troop. “At the information night, we will share with the girls how they can join in on the fun and adventure that is scouting.”

  Derek Hudson, who will serve as the Scoutmaster for the Troop 708 associated girl troop, said he’s also looking forward to sharing the excitement with his girls at next Wednesday evening’s meeting.

  “My girls have loved the Cub Scout program and are really looking forward to the adventures in Scouting and the opportunity to earn their Eagle Scout awards,” he said.

  Troop 708 meets on Tuesday nights at First Presbyterian Church, 2490 Grove Way, while Troop 722 meets on Thursday nights at Faith Lutheran Church at 20080 Redwood Road. 

  Anyone interested in learning more about the scouting program is welcome to join the meeting on Jan. 30.

—Brett Pletcher

Adult Leader Troop 722

CAPTION: A HISTORIC TIME FOR BOY SCOUTS: A recent meeting where a number of girls visited Castro Valley Troop 722 and were introduced to the troop by scout leaders.

Castro Valley’s Last Bridal Shop Closing its Doors After 22 Years

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-16-19

Castro Valley’s only bridal store will close its doors at the end of March.

After 22 years, Debra LaSpina Goldwater, who has sold hundreds of wedding gowns to women and — years later ­— to some of their daughters, has decided to close the Dori Anne Veils Bridal Salon on Seven Hills Road and retire.

Goldwater got an early start in the business while a student at Castro Valley High School, when she worked with her mother doing clothing alterations in the 1970s.

Later she attended design schools in San Francisco and Southern California and for a time worked as a freelance costume designer.

The wedding apparel business, like most others, has evolved over the past 22 years.

“There’s been a big change in the way people buy because of the Internet and social media and the ability to shop online,” Goldwater says.

And styles, too, have changed, but slowly.

“In the end, brides just want to look beautiful,” she says.

All of the merchandise in the store, including hundreds of designer gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses, jewelry, shoes, veils and other accessories, is being liquidated at discounts of up to 50 percent.

“With a store like ours closing, we expect our inventory to sell out quickly,” Goldwater told the Forum.

Besides the shop’s merchandise, the sale also includes store fixtures and furniture.

“I am going to miss all of my brides and friendships created, and I am grateful to have been a part of so many memories,” says Goldwater, who will be moving later this year to Grass Valley where her 92-year-old father lives.

Dori Anne Veils Bridal Salon is located at 4270 Seven Hills Road, phone 510-690-0100.

CAPTION: On March 31, Debra LaSpina Goldwater will be shuttering Dori Anne Veils Bridal Salon on Seven Hills Road, the only bridal shop in Castro Valley.

PHOTO BY BY FRED ZEHNDER

On Track For June Opening

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-16-19

  Look for fencing to go up around the Daughtery’s building at 3295 Castro Valley Boulevard any day now as construction is set to begin no later than next week on the new Castro Valley Marketplace.

  At Monday night’s meeting of the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), the board heard a brief update on the project and learned the building is almost totally leased-out with tenants and is still scheduled to open in June.

  The MAC also updated the crowd on Castro Valley’s second most famous empty building — the Redwood Road library. Local veterans groups want to turn it into in to a resource center, but the project has been caught up in red tape with the county General Services Agency.

  The latest news is that the veterans have formed their own non-proft 501(c)(3) organization. The library project will next be discussed at the MAC’s Tuesday, Feb. 5 meeting.

  Other business at Monday’s meeting included the approval of a conditional use permit for ABC Preschool to continue operating at 20135 San Miguel Avenue. The school and day care for 41 children has been in business since the 1960s.

  The MAC also approved a plan to combine two parcels and then subdivide them into four to build single-family residential lots on Ewing Road, near the intersection of Ewing, Vineyard, and Almond roads. Neighbors weren’t thrilled with the design, which involves a second long driveway next to an existing driveway.

  The MAC felt that the owner did his best to try to negotiate shared use of the original driveway but couldn’t, so the MAC gave him approval despite neighbor’s concerns.

  The MAC also approved a new 122-sqare-foot wall sign at office space at 20861 Wilbeam Avenue.

  A plan for a new paint job, new signs, and modifications to the drive-thru at the McDonald’s at 2905 Grove Way was continued. The MAC said the largely gray color scheme was too dull and monotonous. Similar to the recommendations they gave the Kentucky Fried Chicken on Castro Valley Boulevard, the MAC suggested using stone of wood for accent features to break up the stucco wants.

  The designer is going to bring back new color samples at an upcoming meeting, which will be the third time the McDonald’s project will be before the MAC. The MAC is known for being exacting when it comes to fast food design in town.

  “This will be visit number three and I think we’ve gone three of four in the past to get these right,” said MAC Chair Marc Crawford.

Martin Luther King Day Rally on Monday

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-16-19

  This year’s Martin Luther King Day celebration and march will be held in Hayward starting at 9:30 a.m. this coming Monday, Jan. 21, at City Hall Plaza, 777 B Street.

  A community of local congregations — the South Hayward Parish — sponsors this annual event. The Parish runs food distribution, shelter, civic engagement and referral programs, and has advocated on issues of poverty and social justice in Hayward for more than 50 years.

  The theme of this year’s event is “Lack of Shelter – Homes for Everyone.” 

  Dr. King, a tireless advocate for fair housing, initiated the Chicago Open Housing Movement in 1966 which laid the groundwork for the country’s Fair Housing Act. The 1968 act outlaws discrimination in renting or selling homes based on an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status.

  But today, because of increasing housing costs and the steady gentrification in local communities, thousands are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

  Monday’s rally will include music, readings from Dr. King, and a talk by Hayward City Council Member Sara Lamnin on the topic “Housing Hayward - moving beyond soup and sandwiches.”

  Lamnin is a past president of South Hayward Parish and a member of Congregation Shir Ami of Castro Valley. She has directed programs aimed at mitigating economic hardships affecting mainly homeless members of the community.

  After the rally at City Hall Plaza, participants will march along the main streets of downtown Hayward. The event will conclude with closing remarks after the march at about 11:30. All are welcome at this event.

PHOTOS BY DEBBIE TEE

Stormy

Weather

The first big winter storm of the year hit Castro Valley on Saturday bringing heavy rains and wind gusts up to 45 miles an hour, snapping tree limbs, causing minor flooding and flight delays. After a dry Monday, the rain and strong winds returned Tuesday. By noon yesterday, rainfall totals in Castro Valley had reached 6.45 inches, less than a half inch below normal. A wind advisory remains in effect until 10 p.m. tonight. Several feet of snow have piled up in the Sierra. Interstate 80 from Colfax to the Nevada state line was closed Sunday afternoon due to zero visibility.

Stay ‘Alert’ With County Notifications

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-09-19

  In an emergency, seconds count and knowing what and where events are happening can help protect your family.

  So, the Office of Emergency Services with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents they can sign up to “opt into” the Alameda County “AC Alert” System to receive mass notification messages on fires, earthquake, floods and other emergency incidents in the county and nearby cities.

  The alert system has been active since 2016, but Emergency Manager Paul Hess said a recent tour of Castro Valley’s border along Lake Chabot Regional Park as well as the devastating fires and flooding in California prompted the agency to get the word out about how residents could get alerts sent to their cell phones or computers.

  “In mid-December, I spoke to County Supervisor Nate Miley’s agriculture committee meeting and they asked if we could help facilitate getting the word out on how residents could sign up,” Hess told the Castro Valley Forum. “They were concerned that a fast-moving fire could travel rapidly into the community and cause severe damage and injuries. We believe that having people sign up for these alerts can help save lives and lessen property damage.”

  AC Alert is the Mass Notification System used by City and County agencies throughout the East Bay. By signing up, you can receive notifications via phone calls, text messaging,

e-mail and more based on locations you care about. You can choose to receive notifications about events that may affect your home, workplace, family’s schools.

  For example, if you live in Castro Valley but work in Oakland and the kids go to soccer in Dublin, you can sign up for all three cities and get alerts in case of emergency including a massive fire, red flag warning, shelter in place, PG&E shutoff, flooding, hazmat, earthquake and post-earthquake safety information.

  “We want to make it simple for people to enter in your information and be connected with your family in an emergency,” Hess said.

  The alert software is supplied by outside software vendor Everbridge and its Nixle mass notification application. The program is funded by a federal grant related to national security. Hess said the AC Alert program is more customizable than say the Presidential notification system that was tested back in October 2018.

  “If you have an alert that covers multiple cities, you don’t have to worry about reading the same information again and again,” Hess said. “The application will know that you saw the alert once and stop sending further alerts with the same message unless something changes.”

  Additionally, each city in Alameda County has additional notifications for things like traffic updates, police advisories, public safety alerts, or public events.

  To register to get emergency messages, go to www.acalert.org.

Pot Sales Flourishing at Local Dispensaries

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-09-19

  Business has been good at the two nearby pot dispensaries in Ashland and Cherryland since recreational cannabis use became legal a year ago.

  There’s been no shortage of customers at either, but issues including heavy taxation and a thriving black market have complicated sales statewide.

  “The support from the community in this first year of recreational cannabis sales has been tremendous,” said Nick Rose of Garden of Eden on Foothill Blvd. in Cherryland. “People have been coming from all over the Bay Area to see our newly remodeled storefront and many of them are trying cannabis for the first time.

  Over at We Are Hemp in Ashland, Jaime Arevado said sales were great in 2018. “There has obviously been an increase in interest and there have been a lot of first-timers. We’ve seen a lot of people willing to come in and try cannabis now that it is seen as ‘legit,’ whereas they may have been scared before. It’s definitely been very busy this year.”

  Arevado added that about 40 to 50 percent of their customers still come in with valid medical marijuana permits because We Are Hemp offers a 10 percent discount for medical clients.

  While business is booming in the unincorporated area, statewide tax revenue from sales were below projections and the black market continues to thrive, undercutting legitimate dispensaries with lower prices.

  At the beginning of 2018, Governor Jerry Brown predicted $630 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales, but as of November only $234 million in taxes had come in.

  At the end of December, the average price of regulated cannabis in California was $1,183 a pound. According to the most recent official estimates, the state was producing about 15.5 million pounds of marijuana and consuming just 2.5 million pounds. The surplus was smuggled to eastern states where it was selling for as much as three times more.

  People are still willing to buy illegally because the legal stuff is taxed so heavily, including a 15 percent state tax on top of city and county taxes which can reach up to 60 percent in some jurisdictions. Additionally, the wholesale price of pot has dropped, so profit margins are slimmer.

  Earlier this year, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) held a special summit on marijuana traffic safety, specifically

see POT on page 15

 the increase in DUIs that law enforcement has seen since legalization of pot.

  The CHP estimated that the Bay Area will experience a 70 percent increase in pot DUI arrests in 2018 over the previous year when recreation use wasn’t yet legal.

  Complicating matters, there is no breathalyzer equivalent to measure marijuana intoxication like there is for drivers suspected of being drunk. So there’s no “legal limit” on marijuana intoxication like the .08 blood alcohol threshold

  For now, officers must use their observation skills during field sobriety tests and find probable cause for an arrest. At the station, an officer with specific training as a “drug recognition expert” can request a blood test which can determine levels of THC present.

  Recently, the Golden Gate CHP released their figures for DUIs for the Christmas period. The CHP arrested 157 people for DUIs, up from 144 from the same period last year. The campaign was dedicated to CHP Officer Andrew Camilleri, who was killed on I-880 in Hayward on Christmas Eve 2017 by a driver who was suspected of being under the influence of both alcohol and cannabis.

  “Impairment of any kind while driving is illegal. Alcohol, cannabis, or legal or illegal drugs can all affect your driving,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley in a written statement.“Impaired driving is a serious crime that can lead to an arrest, serious injury, or death.”

  The CHP also reports that pot-related DUIs were on the increase in the Castro Valley/San Leandro/San Lorenzo area even before legalization

  In 2017, there were 441 DUI arrests by the CHP in the Eden Area and 34 were from drivers with just drugs in their system, with no alcohol aspect – that number was nearly doubled from 2016.

CAPTION:  Garden of Eden in Cherryland, which is open 365 days a year, says it has about a thousand customers a day.

FILE PHOTO

The Year That Was

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-02-19

   January

After the East Bay’s driest December in history, the weatherman finally had good news on Jan. 1, forecasting showers later in that first week of the New Year.

  The drought-like conditions during 2017 had taken a heavy toll in the North Bay Area, creating what was then the worst fire season on record in the state. That record, we would come to find out, would be broken a few months later in Butte and Ventura counties.

  Eden Medical Center, which had just marked its fifth anniversary, reported it had treated more than a quarter of a million patients and delivered 5,842 babies since it opened. The first baby on New Year’s Day 2018 was Prince Abraham McElligott who arrived at 2:11 a.m., the son of Edlyn Rodriguez and Reuben McElligott.

  New Year’s Day was the first day for legal recreational marijuana sales in California and the two nearby cannabis shops were open for business. We Are Hemp on East Lewelling Boulevard in Ashland and Garden of Eden on Foothill Boulevard in Cherryland had big crowds of customers all day. “We are extremely busy right now,” a woman at Garden of Eden told the Forum by phone. “It’s chaotic.”

  The California Highway Patrol said DUI arrests were up 22 percent statewide over the three-day New Year’s holiday with officers arresting 936 people statewide who were allegedly under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both.

  On Jan. 19, the first ten of BART’s new train cars went into service, promising a quieter and more comfortable ride.

  The following day, hundreds of women and men marched from Castro Valley to join a rally of around 50,000 people at the Alameda County Court House followed by a march in support of women’s rights and against the Trump administration.

  During the last week of January, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley held his first live-streamed “State of the District” speech in which he declared Alameda County was “in good health financially.”

    February

Traders Sporting Goods, a longtime, family-owned sporting goods store that specialized in gun safes, ammunition, and supplies for hunting and fishing, announced it was shutting its doors for good after 60 years in the community.

  Andrew Stanciulescu, a senior at Redwood Christian High School, was winner of the 2018 Castro Valley Rotary Club Speech Contest held on Feb. 20.

  Planetary Scientist Dr. Pascal Lee, internationally recognized for his study of Mars, attracted a standing-room-only crowd at the Center for the Arts for his speech, “Mission: Mars—Toward the First Human Journey to the Red Planet.”       

    March

   Retired longtime Alameda County Sheriff Charles Plummer passed away peacefully at his home on March 4, at the age of 87.

  The Castro Valley Sanitary District’s proposal that homeowners pay for repairs to the lateral (sewer) lines which extend from their homes to the larger municipal pipes was soundly criticized by the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council. CVSan said the issue isn’t sewer water getting out, but rather rain water getting in and overwhelming the system.

  Becca Savery of Hayward was crowned Miss Rowell Ranch Pro Rodeo Queen on March 17 at the annual rodeo kick-off dinner and queen coronation.

  Congratulations were in order for the Castro Valley Varsity Competition Cheer Team, under the direction of Coach Eileen Drury, for advancing to the finals at the USA Nationals and bringing home a 3rd Place trophy.

  Hundreds of Castro Valley activists including students, parents and teachers, joined a massive rally against gun-violence at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza on March 24.

  Winda Shimizu of Castro Valley was inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame for her contributions to culture and art., at a luncheon and awards ceremony on March 24 at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Oakland.

    April

More than 200 worshipers gathered at the Nike Missile Site above Lake Chabot in Castro Valley on a brisk April 1 morning for the annual Easter Sunrise Service.

  Redwood Road at mile marker 7.38 reopened after being closed for more than a year by the onslaught of heavy 2017 winter rains which caused a large section to slip away.

  The Italian-American Buon Tempo Club celebrated its 60th anniversary with a big dinner on the first Saturday in April. The club has a long history of philanthropy including an annual open bocce tournament and dinner fundraisers to support the George Mark House, a children’s hospice in San Leandro.

  Castro Valley “Street Eats” and the Food Truck Mafia returned for the 2018 summer season on April 10 at the Adobe Art Center.

  The Castro Valley MAC heard preliminary plans by First Presbyterian Church to build six “tiny homes” on its parking lot next to Trader Joe’s for homeless people.

  Palomares Elementary school celebrated its 150th anniversary on Saturday, April 14th, 150-years ago to the day that Palomares opened at the mouth of Eden Canyon. The school hosted a community celebration with more than 400 past and present students, staff, community members and distinguished guests attending.

  Two Castro Valley teachers, Krista Samboy and Kelly Abbott, were honored on April 19 for their extra efforts in the classroom by the Crow Canyon Masonic Lodge.

  The Student Citizens of 2018 from Castro Valley and Eden Area schools were honored on April 26 in ceremonies at Redwood Canyon.

    May

     Although the winter hadn’t been very rainy, EBMUD reported that its water supply was in good shape with its the reservoir system at 109 percent of average and 89 percent of capacity.

  There was singing, rapping, dancing, sketches, light-saber battles, and dancing avocados, but in the end only one Senior would be crowned “Mr. CV 2018” at the annual Castro Valley High School event. The coveted title went to Senior Class President Peter Mania, who performed a comedy sketch with a fellow senior under the moniker of the “Avo-Ca-Dudes.”

  The 2018 Rotary Club’s Annual Chili Cook-Off winner was Meals on Wheels, with second place going to Castro Valley Independent Sports League.

  At the next day’s Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade, Payton Gilliam and her Horse “Dog” won the Dale Yearian Memorial Equestrian Sweepstakes.

  Cheering fans at the 98th Rowell Ranch Pro Rodeo saw the rodeo close on May 20 with a 16.92 (seconds) ride by 2017 World Champion cowgirl Nellie Miller on her barrel horse of the year, “Sister,” to take home the prize money.

  Memorial services for the 24th anniversary of the loss of Jenny Lin were held on Friday, May 25, at the Castro Valley Library, followed by a candlelight walk in downtown Castro Valley to raise awareness of child safety and to honor the slain music student.

    June

  Just a quarter of Alameda County’s registered voters turned out for the June 5th California Primary Election which resulted in re-electionwins for State Sen. Wieckowski, District Attorney O’Malley and Sheriff Ahern.

  Nearly 700 Castro Valley High School graduates were honored at the June 7 commencement ceremony, which hosted a standing-room-only crowd in the football stadium.

  Longtime community champion Ken Martin died on June 11 after an illness that left him wheelchair-bound in his later years. Martin, a member of several Italian-American clubs including Buon Tempo in Castro Valley, was instrumental in bringing bocce to the Adobe Park.

  The Alameda County Fair opened Friday, June 15, with a second annual cattle drive through downtown Pleasanton. More than 423,000 attended the fair during its 18-day run.

  Castro Valley Rotarian Gary Bosley was named “Rotarian of the Year” at the club’s annual banquet on June 19 at Rowell Ranch. 

  Several activist groups joined together in Castro Valley on Saturday, June 23, to protest the Administration’s practice of separating immigrant children from their parents.

    July

  Northern California’s rainy season officially ended with Castro Valley precipitation totals measuring four inches below normal and less than half of what they were on July 1, 2017.

  Castro Valley Pride was back for its 8th annual celebration on Saturday, July 14, at Castro Valley High School, with a lineup of entertainers, speakers, food trucks and more than 70 vendors and community groups.

  After 20 years of hosting classic Cadillacs, Thunderbirds, Camaros, and Woody Wagons, the Redwood Chapel Car Show rallied its final event on Saturday, July 14. Jerry Gamez, who started the show back in 1998, credited the nearly 100 volunteers who kept the show’s engine running smoothly.

  Around 275 people, 90 of them First Responders, attended the 19th annual Castro Valley “Night of Honor” hosted by Redwood Chapel on July 30. 

    August

  CVSan held its 2018 recycles day, collecting tons of hazardous and e-waste, on Saturday, Aug. 4, at Canyon Middle School.

  This year’s Relay for Life, a combined effort of the Castro Valley, San Leandro, Hayward and San Lorenzo organizations, raised more than $100,000 for the American Cancer Society. Close to 1,000 people participated in the 24-hour event, held at the Alden E. Oliver Sports Park in Hayward.

  Due to extreme fire conditions, Cal Fire has banned all outdoor burning in early August in all East Bay Regional Parks and all other areas of state responsibility in Alameda County.

  Castro Valley residents were invited to take a look at the downtown’s past and future on Aug. 9, when the old Daughtrey’s building offered tours and presentations on its upcoming renovation as the Castro Valley Marketplace with expectations of bringing new life to the downtown area.

  Dozens of Castro Valley residents took a short hike up Ten Hills Trail off Redwood Road on Aug.13 to discuss fire danger along the valley’s many parkland areas with representatives from Cal Fire, East Bay Regional Parks District, the Alameda County Fire Department, East Bay Municipal Utility District and Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) participated.

  A reminder of decades past in Castro Valley returned on Saturday night, Aug. 25, when hundreds of drivers hit the Boulevard from Stanton Ave. to Norbridge in their classic and exotic cars in a sort of salute to “American Graffiti.”

  Nearly 9,200 students returned or started classes in Castro Valley’s public schools in August. Another 215 students enrolled at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School and 700 students began attending Redwood Christian Schools.

    September

  More than 5,600 visitors turned out to enjoy Labor Day at Lake Chabot Regional Park, hiking, boating, fishing, relaxing and, of course, cooking and eating. The weather was perfect for the late summer season.

  Throngs of people came to Castro Valley over the weekend of Sept. 8-9 to enjoy the 46th Annual Fall Festival, the food and the free musical entertainment.

  The Buon Tempo Club hosted its 10th Annual Big Salame Bocce Tournament at Adobe Park on Sept. 15, renaming it the Ken Martin Memorial Big Salame Shoot Bocce Tournament in memory of its founder, the late Ken Martin. 

  VFW Post 9601 held a Patriot Day remembrance ceremony on Sept. 11 at the Castro Valley Community Center’s Veterans Memorial.

  Hundreds of residents turned out Friday, Sept. 21, for the 26th Annual Cop Shop BBQ hosted by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office at First Presbyterian Church. The popular annual event helps pay the rent for the Sheriff’s community policing satellite office in Ashland as well as many other community programs. 

    October

  BART’s Board of Directors voted to crack down on fare evaders by hiring 10 additional inspectors to increase police presence on-board trains and platforms, and help send a message to customers that everyone must pay to ride the trains.

  A new drumline program was launched by the Alameda County Deputy Sheriff’s Activities League for young people ages 12 to 21 called the “Rhythm Cadets” that emphasizes teamwork, commitment and leadership.

  Officials from the Castro Valley and Oro Loma sanitary districts broke ground for a new $19-million state-of-the-art treatment plant in San Lorenzo to improve water quality and the health of the bay.

  Fans of the printed page turned out Oct. 27 to celebrate Castro Valley Library’s 100th birthday, with cake, ice cream and entertainment sponsored by Friends of Castro Valley Library, a volunteer organization that raises money to support Library endeavors.

    November

  The General Election on Nov. 6 brought out about two-thirds of Alameda County’s registered voters, with incumbents winning most of the contested races. 

  Firefighters from all over the Bay Area have been dispatched to the devastating wildfires that burned in Northern and Southern California, including personnel from Fire Station 25 in Castro Valley, who were sent to the Woolsey Fire in Ventura County.

  Alameda County firefighters were able to quickly contain a grass fire along Cull Canyon Road in CV on Oct. 10 that briefly threatened several homes — a reminder of the local high fire danger.

  Protesters filled all four corners of the intersection of Castro Valley Blvd. and Redwood Road on Nov. 8 in response to President Trump’s ouster of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, fearing that replacement Matthew Whitaker would derail the Mueller investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election.

  As firefighters and sheriff’s officers from Alameda County continued to provide mutual aid in the deadly wildfires that were plaguing the state, a dirty, smoky haze shrouded Castro Valley and nearly all of the Bay Area, closing schools and canceling the already-postponed Christmas Light Parade as well as most other outdoor events.

  Meantime, stacks of donated food and household supplies from Castro Valley residents were loaded into cars and onto trucks for delivery to fire victims who were living in shelters in Butte County.

  On Nov. 19, the Hayward Area Historical Society announced that it was putting it showplace building — The Museum of History and Culture on Foothill Blvd. — up for sale as part of a financial restructuring.

  More than 500 people were on hand for the Nov. 24th Grand Opening of the Bruce D. Johnson Gymnasium on the Redwood Christian Schools campus in San Lorenzo.

    December

  The Castro Valley Christmas Tree Farm on Redwood Road was a busy place as cars lined up to enter and cut fresh trees for the holidays.

  Rabbi Shimon Gruzman of the Chabad of Castro Valley and Congressman Eric Swalwell greeted celebrants at a large Menorah set up on the Boulevard near Castro Valley Creek on the first night of Hanukkah. About 80 people turned out for the service.

  Santa Claus and his helpers arrived at the Adult School by fire engine, with sirens blaring and lights flashing, as the Rotary Club of Castro Valley hosted its annual Children’s Chistmas Party for kids and families living in local shelters.