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.

Three Escape CV House Fire

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-02-19

Three people including an 18-month-old girl have been displaced, and two dogs were killed by a house fire that broke out on the 18400 block of Milmar Boulevard in Castro Valley early Saturday morning.

Firefighters responded to the home shortly before 6 a.m. and saw smoke and flames coming from the first-floor windows of the two-story home.

By the time emergency responders were at the scene, the  residents – an adult man and woman and the toddler – had already evacuated on their own.

The man suffered second degree burns while trying to extinguish the fire with a garden hose before help arrived, according to the Alameda County Fire Department. He was taken to the hospital and treated and released.

The family’s two dogs died in the blaze.

The fire is thought to have been caused by a space heater which was left on overnight and placed too close to a couch which caught fire.

The fire department says the home’s first floor was destroyed and the second floor has significant damage from smoke.

The fire was contained to the home and was put out within 20 minutes, officials said.

The Red Cross’s top tips for home fire safety are:

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, especially inside bedrooms

• Test smoke alarms every month and if they aren’t working, change the batteries.

• Talk with all family members about a fire escape plan and practice the plan twice a year.

• If a fire occurs in your home, get out, stay out and call for help. Never go back inside for anything or anyone.

A New Year, A New You!

By Linette Escobar

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  01-02-19

According to an article in Forbes magazine, about half of Americans make a New Year’s resolution, but only 8% succeed. 

One way to make your resolution a reality is to take a class at Castro Valley Adult & Career Education.  You not only get a supportive group and teacher, you also instantly have a scheduled commitment to help keep you on track. No matter what your resolution, they’ve got a class for you.

Do You Want to Explore a New Hobby and Meet New People?

A community interest class is a great way to meet people and have fun.  Release your inner artist with a silk screening, collage, birding, or photography class. 

If your creativity is in the kitchen, there is a new batch of cooking classes including truffles, homemade yogurt and cake decorating. 

You can also delve deep into your psyche with classes in dream interpretation and understanding personality through storytelling. 

Do you want to keep your mind sharp? Castro Valley Adult & Career Education’s Italian and Spanish teachers create a fun group atmosphere that will delight your inner armchair traveler or get ready for that summer trip.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

While Castro Valley Adult School can’t promise you millions, it can help you get your finances in order.  Have you ever wanted to sit down with a CEO? Dev Mahadevan former CFO and CEO of both Eden Hospital and Kaiser Permanente returns with his popular 3 session “Taking Control of Your Finances” class.

Are you ready to work on estate and trust planning? James Phillips teaches a one day class and is a certified specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. Both classes offer a cost effective way of working with a pro and getting going on that plan you’ve been “meaning to do.” 

Who doesn’t want to be happier?

If you find yourself so busy there is no time to relax, give yourself the gift of an hour a week in “Meditation for Busy People.” There’s also a new class, “Finding Your Joy” by Victoria O’Kane, the author of Journey to Joy: 13 Steps to Heal Your Self Esteem to help you create more joy and self-confidence in your life.   

And, of course, healthier?

Do you catch every cold or flu in town? Take “Boost Your Immune Defenses” with nutritionist Susan Blanc. Commit to exercise with a pilates, Zumba, Qigong, or yoga class. For those with limited mobility there is “Nice and Easy Movement” class and chair yoga, too.

Whatever your New Year’s resolution, Castro Valley Adult & Career Education has a class. Visit their website at www.cvadult.org or call 510-886-1000.

Linette Escobar is Marketing Director for Castro Valley Adult & Career Education.

Veteran Turns Memories to Art

By Jim Knowles

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-26-18

  Jim Hardy had a recurring dream where he was trying to run in the sand and his legs kept getting bogged down.

  One day, the former combat photographer was scanning negatives from pictures that he had never printed. An image appeared on the screen of the picture he took in Vietnam from a Huey helicopter firing rockets.

  “It came back to me right then,” Hardy said. “That’s what my dream was about.”

  The memory came back after 50 years. Hardy said he remembers the pilot flying low behind the sand dunes along a beach, so the dunes would block the sound of the chopper. And then the helicopter rose up over the dunes and people started running. The chopper, along with another Huey, let go a volley of rockets.

  “I said I think they’re farmers,” Hardy recalled. “But the pilot turned around and said, ‘No, those are Viet Cong.’ That’s what I was dreaming. I was one of the people running from the helicopter.”

  Hardy and a few other artists were on hand last Friday at the Veterans Memorial Building on Bancroft Avenue in San Leandro for a luncheon for the Veterans Art Project, hosted by the Alameda County Arts Commission and the Oakland Veterans Center.

  Hardy’s sketches and photos are on display at the Concord Veterans Center, but he made copies that he had on display at Friday’s luncheon. But the first thing to catch your eye is his carvings of soldiers in Vietnam.

  After the war, Hardy decided his art degree wasn’t going to get him a job, so he learned to weld. After work he wanted to do something else, so he started carving balsa wood.

see VETERAN on page 3

  He used his photos to make the carvings, so they aren’t just generic soldiers, each is a specific person, and all his drawings are signed by the subject of the drawing.

  “I didn’t want to put my name on it – I thought their name should be on it, so I asked them to sign the drawing,” Hardy said.

  The carvings have great detail – the radio operator, the medic, the guy with the grenade launcher. And one is of Hardy himself, with his camera hanging from a shoulder.

  A couple of the carvings got knocked over and broken when on display with the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall. 

  “The park ranger kept apologizing,” Hardy said. “I said, ‘No problem. These are grunts. I’ll just patch ’em up and send ’em back out.’”

  Another artist at the luncheon, Ehren Tool, works with pottery and displayed his cups. Tool works in the art department at UC Berkeley and is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

  Another veteran, Sal Castaneda, said he resumed working in film and cinematography after 50 years because of the Veterans Art Project.

  “Art can tell a very complicated story in a simple way,” Castanada said.

David Joseph, director of the Oakland Veterans Center, emceed the luncheon and thanked numerous people who contribute to helping veterans, from Dorothy Salmon and the Pathway Home for donating furniture to a woman who helps vets file their claims to the yoga instructor, who got in a word for his class.

  “Don’t think hippie yoga, or yoga pants, it’s just bettering ourselves,” he said.

  Art is part of healing from PTSD, said Violet Juno, the county Arts Commission coordinator.

Juno said one of the veterans told her, “It’s better to make art than talk about it.”

One figure stands out in Hardy’s carvings, a bespectacled fellow with a bow tie, overcoat and a Panama hat with big, boxy camera on a tripod.

  “That’s Matthew Brady,” Hardy said. “So you have a combat photographer from the 1860s and a combat photographer from the 1960s.”

CAPTION: Veteran Jim Hardy made many carvings of soldiers in Vietnam, including this one of himself.

PHOTO BY JIM KNOWLES

Butterfly Mural to Protest Separated Kids

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-26-18

   A classroom of Hayward High Art Students are assisting their teacher,  Award-winning East Bay Artist Andrew Kong Knight, on a portable mural featuring 13 soaring monarch butterflies on wooden panels, which represent the 140 kids still separated from their parents living in detention camps. The butterflies will be permanently placed on a 50 foot sound  wall on West Tennyson and Patrick Ave. 

in South Hayward later this month.

Bridge Tolls Going Up On January 1

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-26-18

  The cost of commuting for many East Bay motorists will take a jump next Tuesday.

  For the first time since 2010, tolls will increase on the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges on New Year’s Day. These include the first of the $1 toll increases confirmed by voters last June. 

  Additional $1 increases will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and on Jan. 1, 2025.

  At the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, regular tolls for two-axle cars and trucks will climb to $7 from the current $6 on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

  During weekday off-peak hours from 12 midnight to 5 a.m., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and from 7 p.m. to midnight, Bay Bridge tolls will rise from $4 to $5; and on Saturdays and Sundays, Bay Bridge tolls will increase to $6 from the current $5. 

  Regular tolls at the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges will rise to $6 from the current $5 on Jan. 1, 2019.

  Tolls for vehicles with three or more axles also will rise by $1 on Jan. 1 at all seven of the state-owned toll bridges: to $16 for three axles, $21 for four-axles, $26 for five axles, $31 for six axles, and $36 for combinations with seven or more axles.

  Peak-period toll discount continue for motorcycles, carpools and qualifying clean-air vehicles crossing any of the state-owned toll bridges on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., but the discounted toll will increase to $3 on Jan. 1 from the current $2.50.

  To qualify for this discount, carpoolers, motorcyclists and drivers of qualifying clean-air vehicles must use FasTrak to pay their tolls electronically and must use a designated carpool lane at each toll plaza.

  A 50-cent toll discount for two-axle vehicles crossing more than one of the state-owned toll bridges during weekday commute hours of 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. has been established. To be eligible for the toll discount, which is to be applied to the second toll crossing of the day, motorists must pay their tolls electronically with FasTrak.

  Carpools, motorcycles and qualifying clean-air vehicles making a second peak-period toll crossing in a single day will qualify for an additional 25-cent discount off the already-discounted carpool toll. The two-bridge discount will not be available to drivers who use cash to pay their tolls.

  Tolls on the Golden Gate Bridge, which went up by 25 cents across the board last July, are administered by a separate district.

  New FasTrak customers can obtain toll tags at hundreds of Walgreens and Costco stores around the Bay Area.

Spreading Holiday Cheer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-19-18

 Santa Claus and his helpers arrive at the Adult School by fire engine — sirens blaring and lights flashing —as the The Rotary Club of Castro Valley hosted its annual Children’s Christmas Party for kids and families living in local shelters. More than a  hundred children and adults attended the Dec.11 event where each child received a personal gift and a word of encouragement from Santa.   Dinner was prepared and served by Rotary members Cliff Sherwood, Randy Vanderbilt, Stephen Gray and Dan Willits, and members of the Castro Valley Sanitary District. The party was chaired by Rotarian Mark Poniatowski with help from others in the club and the community. Gifts were provided by the local California Highway Patrol Toy Collection Program and wrapped by student members of the Redwood Christian High School InterAct Club.

PHOTOS BY CV ROTARY CLUB

$10 Million Plan to Assist Homeless OK’d

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-19-18

   The Alameda County Board of Supervisors has approved a three-year “homelessness action plan” for Castro Valley and other unincorporated areas, including San Lorenzo, Cherryland and Ashland.

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

   The $10.5-million plan begins in January on services for the estimated 440 homeless people living in the unincorporated area, said Chris Bazar, director of the county’s community development agency at a Board of Supervisors meeting last week.

   The plan’s basic goal is to meet immediate needs of the homeless by linking them to services including temporary shelter, food, and showers. The overall goal is to reduce the number of people living on the streets, Bazar said.

   For every homeless person seen on the street, many more are living in the creeks and in hidden encampments according to data from both the county public works and sheriff’s offices. The homeless population has increased in Alameda County by nearly 40 percent just since

   According to data from both the county public works and sheriff’s offices, for every homeless person you see on the street, there are many more living in the creeks and in hidden encampments, Bazar said. The county says the homeless population has increased by nearly 40 percent in the past three years.

   Last January, the county mapped out these encampments where up to 15 people live together on a semipermanent basis. Many are located along the San Lorenzo Creek. There’s one at Cull Canyon in Castro Valley and another by the railroad tracks on Springlake Drive.

   One of the first steps of the new action plan will be to contact the residents of the encampments and determine how to best help them, county officials said.

The biggest cost identified so far is $1.2-million to establish three to five safe parking sites where people living in their cars can park overnight. There would be access to restrooms and outreach workers at each site, but locations have not yet been decided.

    The county estimates that around 50 people are living in their cars in the unincorporated area on any given night.

   The plan also includes $310,000 in funding earmarked for the “tiny home” project in the First Presbyterian Church parking lot at 2490 Grove Way in Castro Valley.

see PLAN on page 6

   That project came one step closer to becoming a reality last week after over a year of consideration when the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council gave its approval for a conditional use permit to operate in the church’s parking lot.

   The tiny home plan will now go to the county Board of Zoning Adjustments next month and to County Supervisors in February, with the hope of starting to accept applications from prospective tenants in March, according to Chizu Buckalew, the church’s community development director.

   Other proposed projects for the county’s unincorporated homeless plan include $460,000 for a mobile hygiene unit – a mobile home with restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities.

Over $310,000 has been earmarked for the creation of a “downtown streets team” of homeless people who would be hired to clean up litter and debris in the western unincorporated county.

   The county will also spend $718,000 to convert two existing winter warming centers into winter shelters, plus $380,000 for 25-bed shelter for men. There is no current men’s shelter it the unincorporated area.

CAPTION: BIG IDEA: Tom Flemming, who was long bothered by the plight of the homeless, with one of the “tiny houses” he built last year in his Hayward back yard.

FILE PHOTO BY BRUCE ROBERTS

Record Holiday Travel

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-19-18

   The busiest holiday travel season in state history begins this Saturday with AAA predicting that more than 12 million Californians will hit the road during what for many will be a four-day weekend.   

   “There will be almost 700,000 more Californians traveling in 2018 compared with last year, which was the state’s previous record forecast, says Michael Blasky of Triple-A.

   INRIX, a global mobility analytics company, expects drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion starting today – as commuters and holiday travelers mix on the busiest roadways. Tomorrow, Dec. 20, will be the nation’s worst day to travel.

   In addition, more than 1.5 million Californians will take flight, up about 5.5 percent from last year. Expect all major airports to be extremely busy — this is AAA’s highest projected air travel since 2003.

That’s

A WRAP

Some of the dozens of presents to be given out at this week at the Castro Valley Rotary Club’s annual Christmas party for children from local shelters. Helping with the wrapping were student members of the InterAct Club at Redwood Christian High School, shown above with Club Adviser Erin McGrath (far left), and CV Rotarians Rita Sablan (fourth from left) and RCHS Superintendent Emeritus Bruce D. Johnson (far right). Packages were donated by people to the California Highway Patrol and coordinated by CV Rotarian Ceta Dochterman, shown at right, surrounded by CHP officers.

MAC OK’s Permit for Tiny Homes

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-12-18

  There were cheers from the standing-room-only crowd at Monday night’s Castro Valley Municipal Advisory (MAC) meeting when the council voted unanimously to approve a conditional use permit which will eventually allow the construction of six “tiny homes” for the homeless.

  After over a year of consideration and fighting through red tape at the county and state levels, the tiny homes came one step closer to being built in the parking lot of the First Presbyterian Church of Hayward at 2490 Grove Way in Castro Valley.

  The plan will now go to the County Board of Zoning Adjustments in January and the Board of Supervisors in February, with the hope of starting to accept applications from prospective tenants in March, according to Chizu Buckalew, the church’s community development director.

  Speaker after speaker told the MAC of their support for the project, which many said is needed now more than ever, as the affordable housing crisis continues.

  “I don’t remember homeless people in Castro Valley 50 years ago,” said speaker Bruce Campbell who has lived in town for that long. “I have a personal friend who lived with his mother, she passed away, he now has no place to live. He can’t find a job because he has no address. A program like this will give these people a footing so they can get a start. It’s not a handout, it’s just a place to start.”

  Other speakers expressed worry that housing the homeless would lead to more transients loitering in the area, crowded parking in the church’s lot, and other issues.

  Buckalew said that her fellow staff members at the church would make every effort to make the tiny homes a win-win for the community.

  “We have been working on making this a project all of us can get behind,” said Buckalew. “As we’ve gone though this process we’ll have  good time talking to neighbors, we’ve had a lot of positive feedback. We don’t tolerate disruptive behavior.”

  Buckalew said one of the tenants will be a live-in advisor and won’t allow the others to be disruptive. Among the prohibited behaviors are drug use, playing loud music, and keeping a messy home.

  MAC member Ken Carbone congratulated the church on coming up with a viable tiny home community, which involved everything from sewer set-ups, to electricity, to studying mobile home regulations.

  “It’s tough to be a forward thinker,” said Carbone. “I do hope that this is successful. You’ve got to think on the positive side.”

  MAC Chair Marc Crawford agreed.

  “This has a been a long road,” he said.

  New MAC Members

Also at the MAC meeting, the council welcomed two new members for their first meeting ­— Shannon Killebrew and Dolly Adams.

  Marketplace Update

 And MAC member Ted Riche gave a brief update on the CastroValley Marketplace, saying there have been slight delays at the old Daughtrey’s site due to contract issues with prospective tenants.

  “They are running just a little but behind,” said Riche, who spoke with the developer that morning. “They are looking to open in May or June instead of April.”

  Utility Box Art

  The MAC also heard plans to decorate 40 utility boxes around town with art from local artists. The cost would be $116,840 (just under $3,000 per box). The MAC said they wanted to see drafts of the art before signing off on them.

  “The MAC has been supportive of this project since the beginning so long as the designs come back before the board for approval before they are etched in stone,” said Crawford.

  Alameda County Arts Commission Director Rachel Osajima said she’d be back  before the MAC around May with an update and installation should begin around June.

  The MAC approved the utility box project 6-1 with member Chuck Moore dissented. Moore said  nothing during this vote, but in the past he has been vocal about not spending money on art before other county projects are funded.

  Other Business

  The MAC also unanimously approved a plan to subdivide one parcel into two at 19183 Carlton Avenue.

  The MAC continued two land use proposals. The first was an application to subdivide two parcels into four lots on Ewing Road, the second was an application to allow a home on 1900 block of Lomita Drive to have no front set-back in an area where 20 feet is the current requirement and also to allowed a height of 30 feet, the current maximum.

Rain Brings Mushrooms but Watch Out as Many are Toxic

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-12-18

  Mushrooms pop up all over the Bay Area after the first fall rains and while they are ecologically important and often look beautiful, some of them contain dangerous toxins.

  The Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) and Western Destroying Angel (Amanita ocreata) are two of the world’s most toxic mushrooms, and both can be found growing locally during the rainy season. Both contain amatoxins.

  “Both the Death Cap and Western Destroying Angel grow near oak trees,” said East Bay Regional Park District Naturalist Trent Pearce, who documents the fungi in East Bay parks. “They can be lethal to both humans and pets if consumed.”

  In mammals, the liver and kidneys are typically the first organs affected after ingestion. Symptoms don’t usually appear until up to 12 hours after consumption, beginning as severe gastrointestinal distress and progressing to the liver and renal failure if treatment is not sought immediately.

  The Death Cap is a medium-to-large mushroom that typically has a greenish-gray cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem, and a large white sac at the base of the stem.

  Though the death cap is mainly associated with oak trees, it has been found growing with other hardwoods. It was accidentally introduced to North America on the roots of European cork oaks and is now slowly colonizing the West Coast. The Death Cap is not native to California.

  The Western Destroying Angel is a medium-to-large mushroom that usually has a creamy white cap, white gills, a white ring around the stem that disappears with age, and a thin white sac at the base. It fruits from late winter into spring. It is associated exclusively with oaks. Unlike the death cap, it is a native California mushroom.

  “Collecting mushrooms in East Bay Regional Parks is not allowed,” said East Bay Regional Park District Public Information Supervisor Dave Mason. “The

see MUSHROOMS on back page

Park District urges the public to be safe and be knowledgeable about toxic mushrooms.”

  Both types of mushrooms can also be dangerous for pets.

   “Dog owners should keep a close watch on their dogs during the winter months,” said Mason. “Pet owners should contact a veterinarian immediately if they suspect their pet may have eaten a toxic mushroom.”

  While the Death Cap and Western Destroying Angel mushrooms are responsible for most cases of mushroom poisonings in California, deadly toxins can also be found in Galerina and Lepiota mushroom species, both which occur in the Bay Area as well.

  The public can learn more about the fungi of the East Bay Regional Parks at the annual Tilden Fungus Fair, Sunday, February 3, 2019, at Tilden Nature Area’s Environmental Education Center.

  For more information, visit www.bayareamushrooms.org

CAPTION: Death Cap mushrooms on the left and Western Destroying Angels on the right, two of the world’s most toxic fungi and both common to the Bay Area after rains.

You Better Watch Out... When Transporting that Tree

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-05-18

  The big Christmas challenge for many Castro Valley families this time of year isn’t selecting the right tree — it’s getting it safely from the tree lot to the house.

  “Although it may be an annual tradition, transporting a Christmas tree isn’t as easy as you think,” says Michael Blasky, spokesperson for AAA Northern California. “Every year, drivers break the law and damage their cars by improperly securing their Christmas trees.”

  Vehicle damage, such as scratched paint, torn door seals and distorted window frames, from an improperly secured tree, could cost up to $1,500 to repair.

  In addition, trees that not properly secured are a safety hazard for other drivers.

  It’s best to transport a Christmas tree on top of a vehicle equipped with a roof rack, if you have one.

  Bring strong rope or nylon ratchet straps to secure the tree to your roof rack. Secure the tree at its bottom, center and top. Use fixed vehicle tie-down points and loop around the trunk above a lower branch, to prevent any side-to-side or front-to-rear movement.

  Before you leave the lot, give the tree several strong tugs from various directions to make sure it is secured in place and will not blow away.

  If you don’t have a roof rack, use the bed of a pickup truck, or a van or minivan that can fit the tree inside with all doors closed.

  Always place the tree on a roof rack or in a pickup bed with the bottom of the trunk facing the front of the vehicle.

  Use an old blanket to prevent paint scratches and protect the vehicle finish.

  On the way home, avoid freeways and take city streets or back roads, if possible. Higway speeds create significant airflow that can damage your Christmas tree and challenge even the best tie-down methods.

  Drivers can face hefty fines and penalties as well as jail time if an unsecured tree falls off their vehicle.

  According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, road debris – which includes improperly secured Christmas trees that fly off cars and land on the road or on other cars – was responsible for more than 200,000 crashes over the past four years.

CAPTION: The Daneshvar Family of Castro Valley on their first visit to the Christmas Tree Farm on Redwood Road Sunday afternoon. Watching daughter Lidia wield the saw are dad Daniel Daneshvar, mom Hajnalka Turan, and little sister Hannah. The choose-and-cut farm, which covers about 12 acres north of town, sells “a few thousand” trees each year, according to prize-winning grower Paul Illingworth who has owned the farm for 44 years. It is open from 9-5 on Friday, Saturday & Sunday, and 11-5 on Wednesday and Thursday,  closed Monday and Tuesday. Visit www.cvchristmastreefarm.com for more information.

PHOTO BY FRED ZEHNDER

Hanukkah on the Boulevard

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-05-18

The message OF LIGHT: Congressman Eric Swalwell greets celebrants on the first night of Hanukkah on Sunday, then lights a candle on a large Menorah set up on the Boulevard near Castro Valley Creek. About 80 people turned out for the service, conducted by Rabbi Shimon Gruzman of the Chabad of Castro Valley. “The message of Hanukkah is the message of light,” said Rabbi Gruzman. “The nature of light is that it is always victorious over darkness.”

County Explains ‘Goofy’

Block-Long Bike Lane

By Linda Sandsmark

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  12-05-18

  Sure, San Francisco may have the crookedest street in the world, but Castro Valley has its own roadway tourist attraction.

  Longtime Castro Valley resident Mary Valens recently noticed something odd on Sydney Way, the street where she’s lived for 40 years.

  “I was driving to the grocery store when I saw this teeny little bicycle route painted on the street,” she says. “It goes for one block and then it stops. It’s really goofy.”

  The bike route in question is indeed short — less than one-tenth of a mile. It runs between Dubin Court and Lake Chabot Road.

  “I’ve been trying for years to get the county to paint ‘25 MPH’ on the street to slow down the speeding cars,” adds Valens. “I was always told they couldn’t do it, yet they did paint that little bicycle route instead.”

  Rick Yeung of Alameda County’s Public Works Agency gives this explanation:

  “The Class III bike route signs and markings were put in with the pavement rehab project on Sydney Way. The pavement rehab only covers the short segment between Dubin Court to Lake Chabot Road. That’s the reason for the fairly short Class III bike route on Sydney Way.”

  According to the Caltrans website (www.dot.ca.gov), a Class III bike lane provides for shared use with pedestrian or motor vehicle traffic, typically on lower-volume roadways. Although the logic for creating a one-block bike lane in the first place remains unclear, Mary Valens sees an upside.

  “Maybe this will be our claim to fame,” she says. “We might have the shortest bike route in California, or at least Castro Valley.”

Hundreds Celebrate Grand Opening Of the

Bruce D. Johnson Gymnasium

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  11-28-18

  Energy and joy filled the Bruce D. Johnson Gymnasium at its Grand Opening in San Lorenzo on Saturday, where over a hundred student and alumni athletes competed in the 40th Annual Redwood Christian Schools Alumni Games.

  The newly completed 20,520-square-foot facility is on the campus of Redwood Christian’s middle and high schools at 1000 Paseo Grande.

  “Today is a day 49 years in the making,” RCS Superintendent Al Hearne told the more than 500 people who attended the afternoon ceremonies. “A day RCS has longed for since its founding in 1970.  We now have a home court for the Eagle Nation.”

  The crowd included members of the public, elected officials, students, alumni and their families, who heard speakers express their gratitude to the many contributors who helped to make the dream of building the gymnasium a reality.

  The other speakers included RCS Board Secretary Cathy Breslow, Superintendent Emeritus (and gym namesake) Bruce Johnson, and Athletic Director Jim Cleveland, all of whom credited community support in making the gymnasium a reality. Many RCS alumni used their professional skills to advise in the planning, construction, and finishing stages of the facility.

  The gymnasium was named after Redwood’s second superintendent, Bruce D. Johnson, by a unanimous vote of the Redwood Christian School Board. Johnson was honored for his 42 years of service to the school and was credited for the many roles he served at RCS. 

  Johnson gave special recognition for the support received since 1974 from 3Crosses Church and Redwood Chapel Community Church, both in Castro Valley, as well as the Castro Valley, Hayward, San Lorenzo, and San Leandro School Districts, Valley Christian School, and Chabot College, who opened their facilities for RCS’ use. 

  The new facility seats 600, provides team locker rooms, and features high definition scoreboards and a state-of-the-art sound system. 

  Also honored on Saturday was the school’s founding superintendent, Gus Enderlin.

  RCS currently has over 700 students. While the gym will be the most used facility on the campus in San Lorenzo, school officials said it would be shared by the community at large.

CAPTION: More than 500 people were on hand for Saturday’s Grand Opening of the Bruce D. Johnson Gymnasium on the Redwood Christian Schools campus in San Lorenzo.

PHOTO BY CATHY BRESLOW

MAC OK’s Redesign Of Park

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  11-28-18

  The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) gave lukewarm approval to the expansion and redesign of Fairmont Terrace Park, among other land-use decisions at their Monday night meeting.

  Plans to double the size of the park on Manchester Road have been in the works since 2012 and a series of public meeting were conducted by the Hayward Area Recreation District (HARD) to see what kind of amenities people living in the surroundings neighborhoods might like.

  Plans were presented to the MAC to expand the park from 1.6 to 4.7 acres with a dog park, playground, picnic tables, trail connections, a basketball court, and a field of native grasses.

  “The community has long wanted to see the park upgraded and enlarged,” said Jeff Ferber of HARD.

  But MAC Chair Marc Crawford called the plans “inferior” and had misgivings about the amount of open space as well as how wastewater was being handled.

  Residents in the room were vocal in their support of the plan and, after much discussion, MAC member Dave Sadoff made a motion to approve it, which passed 3 to 2 with Crawford and Moore dissenting.

  “This to me is what the neighbors wanted,” said Sadoff. “It’s obvious what they wanted and it would be a disservice to not give it to them.”

  The MAC also continued a discussion of the Castro Valley General Plan, which was written in 2012 and now set to be implemented. At this week’s meeting, the focus was on residential zones and standards.

  The plan is available to read as www.cvgpimplementation.com. Once the MAC and the public offer feedback in the coming weeks, it will go to the county Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.

  The MAC also considered a permit from the KEY Academy to operated a charter school for up to 278 kindergarten through eighth grade students at a building in a residentially-zoned area at 16248 Carolyn Street, 100 feet north of Foothill Boulevard.

  Crawford said he wanted more like 240 students and no portable classrooms and school officials were concerned about a number of the conditions that the county wanted implemented, such as parking and sidewalk improvements. The item was continued to a future date and Crawford said he’d make a visit to the site.

  The MAC also approved an application to allowed a parcel to be split into two in a single-family residential zone at 4519 Heyer Avenue.

A Thanksgiving Story

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  11-28-18

  While many of us were enjoying a nice Thanksgiving meal in a warm, cozy house, two lifelong friends who are also local first responders, worked together in the darkness and driving rain to save a man’s life.

  Alameda County Sheriff’s Officer Erik Holm and Alameda County Fire Department Capt. Paul Mahar responded to a call regarding a man falling down a steep hill in the Columbia Development of Castro Valley.

  The man was located by the ping of his cell phone. Officer Holm made his way down the embankment in the rain and mud to find the man lying face down and unable to get up.  With the help of Capt. Mahar, they were able to rig the man up and pull him up the hill. He was then transported to the hospital.

  Later, following the rescue, Officer Holm joined his family in the home he grew up in, just up the hill from the incident for Thanksgiving dinner, showing up wet and muddy but thankful he was able to help the man.

  Both Officer Holm and Capt. Mahar were raised in Castro Valley and attended Vannoy, Canyon, and Castro Valley High schools. Their parents all graduated from Castro Valley High together in 1971. Both of their mothers were teachers in the Castro Valley School District.

  Officer Holm’s father is a physician at Eden Medical Center and his grandmother is Lucille Lorge, Castro Valley’s official historian. At age 88, she still lives in her Castro Valley home and continues to speak in many venues about Castro Valley history.

CAPTION: From left, Alameda County Sheriff’s Deputy Erik Holm and Alameda County Fire Department Captain Paul Mahar following Thursday night’s rescue in Castro Valley.

Overnight Rainstorm Expected to Bring Relief from Noxious Smoke

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  11-21-18

  Firefighters and sheriff’s officers from Alameda County are continuing to provide mutual aid in the deadly wildfires that are plaguing the state.

  The Camp Fire in Butte County is the deadliest fire in California history with a death toll of 77, a number that is expected to rise as more than 900 have been listed as unaccounted for.

  Three people have died in the Woolsey Fire in Ventura County in Southern California.

  Since Nov. 8, 25 local strike teams consisting of over 620 firefighters have been

see RELIEF on page 10

battling the two fires. Among them were two bulldozer operators who helped create fire breaks at the Camp Fire in Butte County. Unfortunately, despite working all night to contain the fire, the blaze ended up jumping the dozer lines, according to fire officials.

  The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office has also deployed mutual aid resources to the Camp Fire and is assisting with search and recovery efforts in the city of Paradise. They have sent emergency managers, animal services technicians, coroner investigators, search and rescue volunteers and police dogs, according to Sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly.

  Winds have continued to carry noxious smoke into the Bay Area where air was listed in the “very unhealthy range” on Friday. Air quality in parts of the Bay Area were listed as the worst on the planet. People were advised to stay indoors and to wear masks when going outside.

  Events Canceled

  All Alameda County public schools were closed on Friday as were most scheduled outdoor events.

  Castro Valley’s Meet-in-the-Street and annual Christmas Light Parade, which had been scheduled for Nov. 10, then postponed for a week, finally had to be cancelled on Thursday afternoon as air quality continued to worsen.

  Parade organizer Mel Speed, who had been working on the project for months, sent out an email saying, “We are deeply saddened to make this decision and recognize the amount of community effort it takes to put on such a large event that is filled with so much pride, love and togetherness! 

  “Public health and safety is our first priority here at the Light Parade/Meet in the Street and we hope to see everyone back on the Boulevard in 2019!

  “Our hearts go out to the fire victims all over California. Thank you again for your patience and stay safe during the difficult time for California!”

  Rain on the Way

  A storm — the first of two — was expected to move into the Bay Area overnight which should begin to clear the air for the long Thanksgiving weekend.

  By Amy Sylvestri & Fred Zehnder

CAPTION: Castro Valley Boulevard was shrouded in a dirty haze on Friday afternoon that masked street signs two blocks away. Air quality fell to a near-hazardous level and residents were urged to stay indoors. An overnight storm is expected to start bringing relief to the area today.

PHOTO BY FRED ZEHNDER

Museum Building For Sale

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  11-21-18

  The Hayward Area Historical Society announced on Monday it is putting up for sale its showplace Museum of History and Culture building on Foothill Boulevard as part of a financial and operational restructuring of the organization.

  The Society purchased its 50,000 square foot home at 22380 Foothill Blvd. in a foreclosure sale for $1.87 million in 2010 and moved in four years later after an extensive but still incomplete $5 million renovation project.

  Today, however, the cost of those renovations combined with the expense of operating the facility have proven far greater than originally expected and are threatening the solvency of the Historical Society and its ability to continue to fulfill its important civic, cultural and educational mission.

  “The Hayward Area Historical Society has been dedicated to preserving and interpreting our community history for more than 60 years, and the action we are taking today is essential for us to be able to continue to so for the next 60 years,” said Historical Society President Richard Patenaude.

  The Historical Society Board of Directors voted unanimously to sell its Foothill Boulevard property in June. It took the action after accepting the resignation of former Executive Director AT Stephens in March and appointing Curator and Archivist Diane Curry as interim executive director.

  Curry said that in addition to shedding its property, the Historical Society is going to need to operate as a smaller organization on a smaller budget to survive — possibly in a smaller space in its Foothill building under the new ownership, or elsewhere in one or more locations.

  “The main priority of the Board of Directors and staff is to maintain and protect the collection of artifacts and documents entrusted to us over the years, and to continue serving our community,” Curry said. “Collection items will not be sold to cover any financial deficits.”

  During the transition, she said the Historical Society will continue to operate and provide access to its galleries and historical resources.

  For more information on Hayward Area Historical Society educational programs, research services, exhibits, collections and other resources, visit online at haywardareahistory.org. For ways to become a financial supporter of the Society, contact Board President Richard Patenaude by email at president@haywardareahistory.org.

Donations Delivered to Fire Survivors

By Linda Sandsmark

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  11-21-18

  Twenty-three-year old Cameron Lewis of Castro Valley delivered a trailer-full of donations to the survivors of the Butte County fires this weekend, just in time for Thanksgiving.

  “This was a family affair from the beginning. Butte County is like my second home,” says Lewis. “A lot of our family is in the Oroville - Paradise area. We have an emotional connection. ”

  The Lewises received news that their cousin, Nichole Jolly, nearly lost her life in the fire, and that their aunt, Jolly’s mother, lost her home.

  “We felt somewhat helpless down here, and wondered what we could do to make a difference,” says Cameron. “My sister Kait,

see donations on page 15

 who works at Studio W Salon, started collecting donations. We put out the word on social media. I got my employer, USA Hot Cars in San Ramon, on board and they let us use their warehouse to fill one of their trailers to take up there.”

  Additional help arrived from Deja Blue Salon and Faith Lutheran Church’s Boy Scout Troop 722 (where Cameron earned his Eagle Scout). Many others from the area stepped up as well.

  They collected gift cards, new blankets, pillows, and towels, pet food, gloves, food, first aid kits, toiletries and more. A huge USA Hot Cars trailer, which usually transports classic cars, was completely filled. Cameron drove the donations to Oroville Hope Center on Sunday.

  “It was really up to the community. Everyone was great,” he says.

  Cameron’s story was broadcast on local TV stations this past weekend, and his cousin Nichole, a registered nurse at Adventist Feather River Hospital in Paradise, told her dramatic tale of survival on CNN and Good Morning America. Cameron says that seeing his cousin on national TV was “surreal.”

  “She didn’t lose her house, but she can’t go back for several months until the utilities are working again,” he adds.

  The Lewis family sends thanks everyone in the community who helped bring much-needed comfort to the Camp Fire victims.

CAPTION: Stacks of locally donated supplies destined for Butte County fire survivors ready to be loaded onto trucks for delivery over this past weekend.

CV Activists Join Trump Protest

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  11-14-18

  Several dozen protesters gathered on all four corners of Castro Valley’s main crossroads last Thursday evening, joining a nationwide protest against Donald Trump’s replacement of Attorney General Jeff Sessions with Matthew Whitaker.

  They said they feared that Whitaker, a Trump ally, would derail special counsel Robert Mueller‘s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

  “I’m here because no one is above the law,” said protester Clovetta Mack. “They shouldn’t hire someone to fire Mueller. What is the president hiding? We would like to know.”

  The protest — at the intersection of Castro Valley Boulevard and Redwood Road — was one of over a thousand similar demonstrations held across the country that night, according to organizer David Siegel.

  “On Tuesday the people spoke loud and clear, by electing a majority of Democrats to the people’s house,” said Siegel. “Our response in the minutes and hours following this new power grab will dictate what Congress does to reign Trump in. Our nation is not a reality show.”

  Protesters held signs and chanted, “What do we want? Justice!” and “Trump is not above the law.”

  Retired teacher Nancy Jacobson attended the protest with a large group of friends.

  “I’m standing up for America,” she said.  I’m a retired teacher and the daughter of a serviceman. I’m just concerned about our constitution and government right now. I’m doing my part as a citizen because I care.”

–Linda Sandsmark

CAPTION: Protesters at the intersection of Castro Valley Boulevard and Redwood Road last Thursday evening in response to President Trump’s ouster of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.

PHOTO BY LINDA SANDSMARK

Battling the Blaze

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  11-14-18

  Fire fighters from all over the Bay Area have been dispatched to the devastating wildfires that are burning in Northern and Southern California, including personnel from Fire Station 25 in Castro Valley, who were sent to the Woolsey Fire in Ventura County.

  Since Thursday, 25 local strike teams consisting of over 620 firefighters have been battling the Camp and Woolsey fires, according to the Alameda County Fire Department. ACFD Chief David Rocha is the Region II coordinator.

  In addition to those from Alameda County, firefighters from the East Bay Regional Park District and the cities of Oakland, Hayward, Berkeley, Fremont, Alameda, Piedmont, Albany, and Livermore-Pleasanton have been deployed.

  Two ACFD bulldozers and heavy equipment operators are on the scene in Butte County where the Camp Fire death toll is 42 and expected to rise. Some 117,00 acres have been burned and more than 7,200 structures have been destroyed. As of yesterday, the fire was about 30 percent contained.

see BLAZE on back page

  In the Woolsey Fire, 92,000 acres have burned and it remains at 20 percent containment as of Monday.

  While the nearest fire (the so-called “Camp Fire” in Paradise) is some 170 miles from Castro Valley, smoke has created poor air quality locally. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District rates air pollution in a scale from 0 to 500. As of Monday, the Air Quality Index  (AQI)  in Castro Valley was 165 – AQIs in the 151 to 200 range are considered “unhealthy.”

  Light Parade Postponed

  The smoke pollution caused postponement of last Saturday’s scheduled Meet-in-the-Street and Light Parade events on Castro Valley Boulevard. If the air quality doesn’t worsen, the events will be held this coming Saturday, Nov. 17, beginning at 3:30 p.m. with the parade beginning at 5:30.

  Parade organizer Mel Speed said plans are “cautiously moving forward” and that a final determination will be made at 10 a.m. on Friday. Information on the event should be widely distributed by noon that day.   

  Castro Valley High School’s sports games and practices were cancelled last week and and P. E. classes were moved indoors.

  A winter Spare-the-Air alert that began last week was extended though at least this Friday.

How to Help Fire Victims

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  11-14-18

  Families who have lost their homes and possessions in the Camp Fire in Butte County are in need of all kinds of supplies, especially toiletries, new clothing, bottled water, blankets, non-perishable goods, towels, first-aid items, cold medicines and new stuffed toys for children.

  The Hayward-Castro Valley Moose Lodge located at 20835 Rutledge Road in Castro Valley is accepting donations. The drop-off area is the fire pit under the Boy’s Scout logo.

  The Church of the Nazarene at 19230 Lake Chabot Road in Castro Valley is also collecting supplies from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through Nov. 28. For a complete list of needed items, visit castrovalleynaz.org. Pastor Steve Redmond is asking for people who would be willing to house evacuees. People are living in their cars and on the streets. Hotels and evacuation centers are full. 

Expect Thanksgiving Travel Congestion

   Thanksgiving celebrants are expected to stuff the roads next week, with travel times predicted to be up to four times longer over the holiday week. Some 5.9 million Californians will hit the road, and motorists can expect to pay the highest Thanksgiving gas prices in four years, with a statewide average of $3.75 as of last week, 54-cents more than a year ago. An additional 770,000 Californians will take flight, with airfares up about 6 percent over last year. Most travelers have already booked flights, paying an average ticket price of $478 roundtrip. Based on historical and recent travel trends, the AAA predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion Thanksgiving week during the early evening commute period, with drive times starting to increase on Monday. AAA expects to rescue more than 101,000 California motorists at the roadside over the five-day Thanksgiving travel period. Dead batteries, lockouts and flat tires will be the leading reasons. The Thanksgiving holiday period is defined as Wednesday, Nov. 21 to Sunday, Nov. 25.

AAA and INRIX have identified these 10 hot spots in the

metro Bay Area for Thanksgiving travel congestion:

• 1-80 E @ I-80/I-580 (Eastbound)

•  1-80 E @ Pinole Valley Road (Eastbound)

•   1-580 E @ Santa Rita Road/Tassajara Road (Eastbound)

•   1-80 W @ Bay Bridge (Westbound)

•   1-680 N @ Calaveras Road (Northbound)

•   A-37 E @ Wilson Avenue (Eastbound)

•   l-880 N @ 23rd Avenue (Northbound)

•   CA-24 E @ I-680 (Eastbound)

•   US-101 N @ Petaluma Boulevard (Northbound)

•   CA-1 N @ US-101 (Northbound)

New MAC Guidelines In the Works

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  09-26-18

  After being roundly criticized by the public last month for acting unprofessionally during a recent internal reorganization, the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) is considering adopting new bylaws.

  In June, MAC member Dave Sadoff suggested that MAC member Ken Carbone take over as Chair of the committee from Marc Crawford. Crawford then said that he would not continue his ongoing work on several projects if he was no longer Chair.

  At a meeting weeks later, Carbone withdrew his name from consideration for the Chair’s position, saying he couldn’t commit the same amount of time to all of those projects as Crawford does, so Crawford was reappointed.

  Moments later, Crawford publicly questioned the legality of Sadoff’s position as a MAC member because Sadoff is also a member of the Castro Valley Sanitary District Board of Directors.

  That is legal and Sadoff has held both positions for years, so Sadoff responded that he felt Crawford’s words were a direct retaliation for suggesting that someone other than Crawford be Chair.

  At the next meeting, speaker after speaker told the MAC that the situation was poorly handled.

  Because the guidelines about appointing a new Chair and several other MAC bylaws haven’t been updated in more than a decade, the MAC discussed new rules and regulations for over an hour at Monday night’s meeting. Ultimately, they directed county staff to organize their suggestions into clear bylaws for possible approval at their Oct. 8 meeting.

  Among the new bylaws will likely be a rule that the Chair and Vice Chair positions are rotated after a maximum of two years. The MAC is also considering voting via private ballot if two or more members are seeking the Chair’s position.

see MAC on page 15

  Other Business

  Also at Monday’s meeting, the MAC unanimously approved a plan to allow a new paint job at the Kentucky Fired Chicken restaurant at 3625 Castro Valley Boulevard.

  The fast food chain originally sought to use a bold red and white striped motif, but were shot down multiple times by the MAC over the past year and eventually agreed to a more subdued gray and white color palate with black and red accents.

  The new look for the KFC isn’t entirely settled yet. Crawford requested that the store’s owner get any signs (including a planned large image of the Colonel himself) approved by the MAC before they are installed.

  “The first time they brought it in they were trying to make it look like a bucket of chicken,” said Crawford.  “But I think this is fine.”

  The MAC also unanimously approved an application to allow the expansion of a veterinary clinic at 2423 Grove Way. The plan was approved after additional parking was added at the request of the MAC.

  The veterinarian also announced that he would be extending his clinic’s urgent care hours so that Castro Valley pet owners wouldn’t have to travel to Dublin or San Leandro in the case of an after-hours emergency.

  The MAC also approved the expansion of a Montessori School at 20104 Center Street to expand to up to 77 students at certain times of the year due to summer educational programming.

  Finally, the board allowed an addition to a single family home at 20883 Rutledge Road.

International Day of Peace

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  09-26-18

The Eden Area Interfaith Council in conjunction with the East Bay Regional Park District hosted a gathering of some 70 people Friday evening at the Cove Picnic Area at Lake Chabot to celebrate The International Day of Peace with song, word and prayer. The Council was founded shortly after September 11, 2001, and reignited in December 2015 following an attack on a Muslim man at Lake Chabot Park in Castro Valley. The International Day of Peace, established by the United Nations, is observed around the world to promote a world of peace in spite of cultural and religious differences.

CVHS Annual Homecoming

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  09-26-18

  Castro Valley High School celebrates its Annual Homecoming this Friday, Sept. 28, beginning with the popular parade at 1 p.m. from Santa Maria Ave. to Wilson Ave. to Redwood Road to Mabel Ave.

  This year’s homecoming theme is “Castro Valley Goes Pixar.”

  An assembly will follow at about 2 p.m., with the junior varsity football game against the Encinal (Alameda) Jets at 4:30 p.m. in Trojan Stadium and the varsity game at 7 p.m.

Private Sewer Lateral Inspections Required With Sales of Homes

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  09-12-18

  The Castro Valley Sanitary District passed an ordinance last week that will require all properties within the district’s boundaries to have a private sewer lateral compliance certificate when they are bought or sold.

  The CVSan Board of Directors passed the controversial measure on a 5-0 vote during a public hearing at last Tuesday’s regular meeting. It will go into effect on July 1, 2019.

  Under Ordinance No. 179, known as the Private Sewer Lateral Regulatory Inspection (PSL) Program, homes in the district that were built less than 30 years ago, or that have had at least half of their sewer lateral replaced in the last 10 years, will automatically be issued compliance certificates.

  Properties that don’t fall in those categories will be required to have their private sewer laterals inspected by closed circuit television (CCTV) before the property can be sold.

  Within CVSan’s boundaries, the homeowner is responsible for maintenance and repairs for the entire private sewer lateral up to and including the connection to the public sewer main, while CVSan is responsible for the public sewer main itself.

  During a property sale it is not uncommon for the buyer and seller to negotiate who will assume responsibility for the inspection and repair costs. The average cost for replacing an entire private sewer lateral runs from about $4,000 to $5,000, according to CVSan. The CCTV permit will cost $230.

  CVSan modeled this program after industry standards in place in such cities as Alameda, Berkeley, and Oakland.

  Its purpose is to reduce the amount of rainwater entering damaged sewer laterals and ending up at the wastewater treatment plant during storms. This excess flow is more than the system was designed to handle and results in the plant unnecessarily treating rainwater.

  For more information on the PSL Program, visit www.cvsan.org/PSL.

Labor Day 2018

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  09-05-18

 More than 5,600 visitors turned turned out to enjoy Labor Day at Lake Chabot Regional Park on Monday, hiking, boating, fishing, relaxing and, of course, cooking and eating. The weather was perfect for the late summer season.

Young Candidate Seeks Five Offices

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  09-05-18

  When Nicholas Harvey moved to the Fairview area two years ago, he saw room for improvement.

  Cars were speeding in his neighborhood, weeds were overgrown, and there were several blocks without sidewalks.

  Harvey started attending meetings and speaking to his various representatives on the Fairview Municipal Advisory Council, the county Public Works department, the school district, and even the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

  But he said they just weren’t listening. So Harvey has decided to do something about it.

  He’s running for five separate offices in this November’s general elections.

  “Every time I’ve spoken about these issues, they’ve fallen on deaf ears,” said Harvey. “I’ve just become very fed up. No one wants to do anything, so I will.”

  Harvey is running for East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) Ward 7 seat, the Eden Health District Board of Directors, the Fairview Fire Protection District Board, the Hayward School Board, and AC Transit Board Ward 4.

  Harvey admits that he’d most like to take the AC Transit spot, as he questions opponent incumbent Mark Williams’ financial honesty. Williams did not file campaign finance reports between 2012 and 2016 and was fined $60,000 earlier this year by the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

  Harvey says the transit system is just plain badly run, with AC Transit’s per-ride operation costing roughly twice that of San Francisco’s Muni. And he would know — Harvey is reliant on public transportation, taking buses, trains, and his bike everywhere.

  “I’ve never owned a car, but I do own a house,” said Harvey,

who has a degree in chemistry and now runs his own real estate consulting business.

  But Harvey says he’d be content to win any — or all — of the five races.

  “If I win all five, I’ll serve all five,” said Harvey. “When I filed (to become a candidate) it was my intention to serve, so I will. I have the breadth of knowledge to serve on all five.”

  EBMUD Ward 7 incumbent Frank Mellon has been openly critical of Harvey casting such a wide net when it comes to the election.

  Mellon, who has been on the utility board for 24 years, often is unopposed for reelection. He last faced an opponent 8 years ago.

  But Mellon says’s it’s not the fact that he’ll have to campaign that he’s worried about, its the cost of Harvey’s gambit.

  Elections cost the county (and therefore the taxpayer) hundreds of thousands of dollars and the cost is based on of the number of voters. If a race is uncontested, if doesn’t appear on the ballot and so doesn’t cost taxpayers money.

  Mellon said that Harvey’s five-race campaign was superfluous, but Harvey defended his right to run.

  “I couldn’t care less if someone is running against me; my concern is waste,” said Mellon. “Am I really running against someone who stands for something or just a guy that wants some sort of Guinness record? I’ve worked really hard for our rate-payers and I have a record of that.”

  But Harvey said if that’s Mellon’s concern why is the cost being pinned on Harvey’s candidacy and not Mellon’s?

  “How is the cost to the county from me running and not him?” asked Harvey, who says he does have a platform. He says his scientific background will help him grasp the work of the utility and that he intends to reform the tiered-rate paying system to help lower-income residents. Harvey went on to say that he’d also focus on water conservation efforts.

  In August, Mellon went to Harvey’s home and dropped off a load EBMUD staff reports and other documents.

  “I dropped off the documents to show him what kind of work he’d have to do,” said Mellon. “Apparently, he took umbrage with that.”

  Harvey called Mellon’s action “unprofessional” and added that he’d like people to look at him as a serious, well-rounded candidate for each of the offices, not just a novelty.

  “Before people criticize me, I’d say they should reach out and get to know me,” said Harvey.

High Priority: Keeping Stoned Drivers Off the Road

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  09-05-18

  Recreational marijuana use has been legal in California since the first of the year and the effects are being seen out on the roads.

  The California Highway Patrol estimates that the Bay Area will experience a 70 percent increase in pot DUIs (driving under the influence) arrests in 2018 over the previous year, when recreational use wasn’t yet legal.

  That sobering message came during a special marijuana traffic safety summit with enforcement officials hosted by the CHP and Mothers Against Drunk Driving last week at the Alameda County Office of Emergency Services in Dublin.

  Complicating matters for the Highway Patrol is the lack of an instrument to measure marijuana intoxication like the alcohol breathalyzer test. And 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 to 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 the driver’s level of THC, the psychoactive element in cannabis.

  An oral swab  and breath test are in the research stages, according to Dr. Philip Drum, a pharmacist and one of the speakers at the summit.

  Driving after ingesting marijuana is also complicated by the fact that the potency of pot isn’t regulated by the FDA and mitigating factors contribute to how long it stays in the body, so it’s difficult to determine how long to wait after consuming pot before it’s safe to drive, according to Drum.

  A lot is still unknown about marijuana DUIs, he said. There are joints with the potency of a Bud Light and edibles that are as strong as Everclear (a commercial beverage containing more than 75% alcohol).

  Drum said dispensaries label their products, but consumers don’t always follow the “serving size” and may be getting higher that they realize.

  Because the pot-growing industry is getting so lucrative and becoming more mainstream, the number of pot-related traffic accidents will only rise.

  Drum didn’t pretend to be objective during his talk to the audience of more than 100 people, most of whom were in law enforcement. Drum’s sister was killed by a driver who was high on cannabis in Seattle shortly after Washington state legalized recreational use. 

CAPTION: Caltrans signs remind drivers thatx stoned driving can get you a DUI just as it can with alcohol.

The Spokes-Person FOR BIKE ISSUES

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  08-29-18

Jason Tilton of Bike Mobile works on one of the 37 bicycles brought to the Castro Valley Library on Saturday for repairs. Up to half of the students in the county do not ride their bikes due to such minor issues as a flat tire or worn-out brakes. Through the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools program, the mobile repair clinic offers its free services to schools, community organizations and public events. It is funded by the county and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. For more information, visit bikemobile@alamedacountysr2s.org

Residents Upset Over Public Squabbling Amongst Board

By Amy Sylvestri

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  08-29-18

  The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council had a full agenda for their Monday night meeting, but it was the normally quiet public comment period that was the most interesting portion of the evening.

  There has been palpable tension on the board ever since MAC member Dave Sadoff suggested that Ken Carbone replace Marc Crawford as the council Chair.

  Carbone withdrew himself from consideration earlier this month and Crawford was ultimately reelected as chair on a 5-2 vote with members Sadoff and Linda Tangren dissenting.

  That should have been the end of that. But immediately following his reelection, Crawford said that he had received complaints about Sadoff being a member of both the MAC and the Castro Valley Sanitary District board, and that he intended to get in touch with the county’s legal counsel to see if Sadoff should leave the MAC.

  Sadoff’s service to both boards is legal and he has been active in both for years. He and Crawford have worked alongside each other on the MAC since 2010. Sadoff reacted with surprise that Crawford made the statement seemingly out of the blue and said he felt it was “retaliatory” for suggesting that Crawford be rotated out of the chair position.

  At Monday night’s meeting, Crawford, Sadoff, and the rest of the MAC were mum, but over a dozen members of the public had their say, many lauding Crawford for his dedication to Castro Valley and others calling him a bully who regularly steamrolls over other MAC members, speakers, and people with business before the MAC.

  Speaker Michael Kusiak, who has long been a proponent of having MAC members elected rather than appointed by Supervisor Nate Miley, said there was no question Crawford attacked Sadoff because he was angry about the suggestion to change the chair.

  “It is a retaliatory and vindictive act on Mr. Crawford’s behalf,” said Kusiak. “This MAC doesn’t represent my Castro Valley.”

  Speaker Sherry Johnson pointed out that the MAC bylaws do state that the Chair position should be rotated and said that the in-fighting on the MAC was unprofessional.

see MAC on page 11

  “Like many people in this room, I want to see you work together and have bylaws that are transparent and followed, and that leadership is transferred in a logical and kind way,” said Johnson. “Work together and be kind and polite to one another.”

  Former Eden Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bill Mulgrew defended Crawford, saying no one does as much to look out for the town’s best interests.

  “Mr. Crawford cares for the betterment of Castro Valley,” said Mulgrew

  Peter Rosen, a frequent MAC meeting attendee and speaker, said that he’s grateful for the MAC’s work but critiqued Crawford’s behavior.

  “It’s a huge commitment to be on the MAC,” said Rosen. “My concern is that not only did you attack another MAC member, you did it vindictively after you’d already won the election. I don’t see any reason for doing that other than to feed your own ego. That’s what a bully does.”

  Later in the meeting, Rosen got up to speak on an agenda item about water connections in a residential area far away from his own home and Crawford made a comment that Rosen was unnecessarily delaying an already nearly four-hour meeting.

  “You live like four miles away,” said Crawford as Rosen took to the podium. “Sure Peter, keep us out here later ‘cause you have something to say’.”

  After 45 minutes of at times pointed public comments, the MAC turned to the business on the agenda. They unanimously approved an application to allow renovation at a gas station at 18950 Lake Chabot Road to build a convenience store in the place of two former car service bays on the property.

  The Council also unanimously approved an application for the operation of a 14-child day care home at 21654 Dolores Street, and heard a preliminary plan for a 25,000-square-foot outpatient medical office at 20630 John Drive.

  Craig Semmelmeyer, developer of the Castro Valley Marketplace project, said construction on the old Daughtrey’s building is scheduled to begin on Oct. 1 and tdhat he still plans to open in spring 2019. He said he’s found tenants for 70 percent of space so far.

San Lorenzo Pastor Says County Trying to Shut His Church Down

By Jim Knowles

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  08-29-18

  A San Lorenzo Baptist minister says the county is trying to take away his church’s tax-exempt status and shut it down to build housing or shops that produce more tax revenue.

  Rev. Michael Wilson of Cornerstone Fellowship on Lewelling Boulevard says the county has been harassing him and threatening to take away the church’s tax-exemption. He says he believes that his church has been targeted with inspections by the county’s health and building departments as part of a county plan to force out the church.

  “What Alameda County is doing is illegal. Under our Constitution we are allowed to worship freely and at a place of our choice, especially one that has been a place of worship for seven decades,” Wilson says.

see CHURCH on page 6

  Wilson says he now has two tax bills, totaling $17,000 on his desk. And the county has threatened to sue the church if the bills aren’t paid.

  But Wilson maintains a church should be tax exempt. Besides that, the church only has 21 members and could never afford to pay that price anyway. Wilson says that Cornerstone is an older congregation and in the last few years a lot of its older members have passed away.

  “We would have to declare bankruptcy, go out of business and sell the land and I think that’s what they want,” Wilson says.

  The church hall is rented out four to six times a year for Quinceaneras by two Catholic churches in the area that don’t have a hall, and for weddings, Wilson says. He says the county told him that makes it a business, so it’s taxable.

  In addition, the church has had a few, small pot luck dinners. But Wilson says lots of churches have things like that and they aren’t hit with tax bills.

  But Alameda County officials say the church has been renting out space for events, which negates at least some percentage of the church’s tax-exempt status.

  “In short, a church is 100 percent exempt if it’s used as a church 100 percent of the time,” said Brian Hitomi at the Alameda County tax assessor’s office.

  “We’ve found that he rents rooms out commercially,” Hitomi said. “Once you begin using some of the property for non-exempt purposes, then that portion being used is no longer exempt.”

  Hitomi said that the county has been in touch with Wilson about the use of the property, and is still in the process of determining the percentage of the exemption.

  “If you rent the property out, then it’s quite possible that you would lose an exemption for that area of use,” Hitomi said.

  So it’s the county’s position that the church would pay a fraction of the tax bill it received. How much of the property is exempt depends on the percentage of exemption.

  But to determine the percentage of exemption, Hitomi said the county needs more information from Wilson.

  “We’ve talked to him and asked for further verification of his rent of these properties,” Hitomi said. “We’ve asked for written documentation as to the nature of commercial use and we have yet to receive it. We just need that for us to make our determination. They say they don’t have them.”

  But Wilson says other churches have functions that raise money, in some cases a lot more.

  “They had a big pot luck at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland for $1,500 a plate fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and the county didn’t do anything,” Wilson says. “We’re small. So it’s no equal application under the law.”

  Wilson says the county is wrong, the church isn’t a business. These events are just church fundraisers, like all churches have.

  Around six years ago, Wilson says the county told him that if the events are not the sole income of the church, it’s all right. But this year he says the county told him the rules had changed.

  “Now they said they can retroactively go back 10 years,” Wilson says.

  Wilson says he’s gone to many county planning meetings and gotten an idea of what the county wants. He believes they want to put in housing or upscale shopping, attracting higher income residents to boost tax revenue.

  “We’re a test case,” Wilson says. “If they succeed here, they’ll go after other places, Goodwill and places that pay no property tax.”

CAPTION: Rev. Michael Wilson, working on the lighting last week at Cornerstone Fellowship Baptist Church in San Lorenzo, says the county is illegally trying to make the church pay taxes. 

Band Lineup for 2018 Fall Festival

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  08-29-18

  The Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the bands for the 46th Annual Fall Festival that will take place on the Boulevard on the weekend of Sept.8-9

  Entertaining the crowds on Saturday will be Brewer’s Brass, Gilly (’90s), Bad Boy Bruce and The Blues Mob, Faux Show, Grovality, Rockhenge (Classic Rock), Dead Guise (Grateful Dead Style), and Tay and The Janglahdahs.

  Performing on Sunday will be In Full Swing (the Castro Valley Adult School Big Band), The Surf Hounds, Pretending/2Jet,  The Riptides, Earthquake (’60s), Standoff (Rock N’ Roll) and Fleet Street (Classic Pop).

  But that’s only the half of it. Another big lineup of entertainment will be taking place both days on the Bedford Stage, including such favorites as the Eden Aoba Taiko Japanese Drummers, the Castro Valley School of Music, Pallen Martial Arts, the HARD Belly Dancers, the Standoff Rock N’ Roll Band, Castro Valley Performing Arts, Bedford Studios Variety Show, Bedazzled Dance Studio, Zumba Fitness, the Phil Santos Violins and the Joan Bascom Group.

  Next Wednesday’s (Sept. 5) Forum will have the complete program with times of all the performance events.

  More than 150 vendors and artists will be on hand for what is being called the biggest Fall Festival in years, offering all kinds of food and drink, and a Kids’ Zone.

  The Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday on the Boulevard in the Downtown. Keep in mind that the Boulevard will be closed to traffic from midnight Friday until midnight Sunday.

  The Fall Festival and parking are both free. 

Back-to-School: Castro Valley Schools Back in Session

By Michael Singer

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  08-22-18

  Madeline and Olivia Albright say it will be very hard getting out of bed this week since summer is ending and they know that they must get up early to get to school.

  “I might need a second alarm clock,” Madeline, a fifth-grader at Chabot Elementary, told the Castro Valley Forum.

  The Albrights join nearly 9,200 students returning or starting classes in Castro Valley’s public schools (Elementary: 4,068, Middle: 2,138, High School: 2,960) this year. 

  In private schools, there will be 215 students enrolled at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School and 700 students attending Redwood Christian Schools.

  “We are looking forward to the upcoming school year,” Redwood Christian Schools Superintendent Al Hearne shared with the Castro Valley Forum. “Each new school year provides the opportunity for us to be a part of the amazing growth and development that takes place in our students’ lives.”

  To make that transition from summer to school easier, kindergarten students at Redwood Christian received a personalized welcome earlier this month that reads “RCS Welcomes (you) to Kindergarten.”

  The RCS faculty and administration personally delivered the signs throughout the East Bay, including Castro Valley, San Leandro, and San Lorenzo.  In addition, parents were asked to post a picture to social media on Monday morning using #RCSReady to promote enthusiasm for the 2018-19 school year. RCS enters its 49th year looking forward to the grand opening of the Bruce D. Johnson Gymnasium in the late fall at the middle school and high school campus in San Lorenzo.

  Over at the Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD), Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi reports maintenance and grounds teams worked diligently to clean, make repairs, and prepare classrooms and schools for the students’ arrival.

  Already, the District is putting the finishing touches on modernization projects throughout Castro Valley thanks to Measure G bond funding approved by voters in 2016. 

  Among the improvements are the playgrounds at Castro Valley Elementary, Chabot Elementary, Independent Elementary, Marshall Elementary, Palomares Elementary, and the replacement of stadium track and artificial turf at CVHS as well as air conditioning and classroom modernization of permanent building for the Wellness Center and Engineering Pathway.

  “We have added mental health counseling staff in middle and high school in order to support students’ academic and social-emotional wellbeing,” says Superintendent 

see SCHOOLS on page 11

Ahmadi. “The past three years we have developed various means to better hear our students’ voices and gather their input through several committees and platforms before we make decisions. Not surprisingly, they are wise, willing to share, creative, compassionate and conscientious.”

  Through reprioritization of funding, CVUSD will now have counselors available for elementary schools, Ahmadi added. And with concerns over dangerous intruders on all campuses, Ahmadi says the school district is implementing a new lockdown procedure this year called ALiCE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate).  With Measure G funds, new security cameras have also been installed at all school sites.

  While the physical improvements are certainly welcome, students like the Albright sisters really say they want to see their friends, meet their new teachers, and have fun learning.

  “Not to mention, it was great getting new clothes for school,” Olivia, an 8th Grader at Creekside Middle School added.

CAPTION: There were lots of smiles around Redwood Christian School on opening day.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE KADY

Offering Bargains to Public,

Life Skills to Special Needs Adults

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  08-22-18

  Whether you’re looking for a table lamp, a set of dishes or almost anything for your home, you’ll likely find a special treasure at a bargain price at the Treasure Chest Thrift Shop.

  Tucked away in the Sorensdale Center for Adults with Special Needs in Hayward, the shop opened four years ago as part of a larger operation that offers vocational training for persons 22 years and older who have intellectual disabilities.   

  Here, special-need adults from Castro Valley, Hayward, San Leandro and San Lorenzo get real life experience working in the store, restocking shelves, helping customers with purchases and donations, and even ringing up sales at the cash register.

  Some 100 participants learn and practice recreational, educational, daily living and community skills, including raising vegetables in the center’s gardens and harvesting fruit from the orchard that borders the store.

  Other program activities include literacy, math, computer skills, job preparation skills, communication skills, personal health skills, physical fitness, arts and crafts, performing arts and music. Life skills learned in the classroom are practiced in the community.

  The Treasure Chest Thrift Shop is open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m .to 3:30 p.m. at 275 Goodwin St. in Hayward.

  Donations of gently used items are always welcome. Items can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the Sorensdale Recreation Center, Room 9.

  For directions or more information call 510-881-6778 or visit: haywardrec.org/SpecialNeeds.

CAPTION: Instructor Laura Stull and student Jeanne Rosenblum oversee operations at the Treasure Chest Thrift Shop, part of the Sorensdale Center for Adults with Special Needs, operated by the Hayward Area Recreation and Parks District.

PHOTO BY FRED ZEHNDER

2018 Fall Festival Coming

CASTRO VALLEY FORUM  08-22-18

  Castro Valley’s big annual street party is just a little over two weeks away.

  Last-minute preparations are underway at the Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce as it gets set for this year’s 46th Annual Fall Festival that wil