FRIDAY, APRIL 22
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2022
YEAR 34
MAC MEETING
INSIDE YOUR
A Simple Business License?
FORUM FITNESS
By Amy Sylvestri
Core Values Castro Valley fitness trainer shares four pro tips for a better core
Page 2 NEWS
Don’t be Rattled With warmer weather comes your annual rattlesnake advisory
Page 5 SENIORS
Senior Services Non-profit helping local seniors who face food insecurity and isolation
Page 8
INDEX Classified Ads .......... 12 Crosswords ............. 13 Homes ...................... 10 Horoscope ............... 16 Legal Notices ........... 14 Obituaries ................ 15 Opinions .................. 15 Our Town .................... 3 Seniors ....................... 8 Weather ....................... 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
NO. 16
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) wants to make getting a business license in Castro Valley a simple, streamlined process and at their Monday night meeting, they took the County to task for the complicated exercise it has become PHOTO COURTESY OF FORESTR.ORG for small-business owners. About 15 people apply ForestR.org, a Castro Valley-based company helped renovate this plot of land in front of the Castro Valley library with drought-resistant plants and a fig tree. The company is helping host this year’s Earth Day cele- for business licenses daily, bration at the Castro Valley Library on Saturday. explained Elvia Quiroga, Chief Deputy Tax Collector, whose department oversees the process. This includes traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, handymen and contractors The “Come Out to Play for Landscapes, FMG+Company model environmentally friend- doing specific projects, and By Michael Singer Earth Day” event this weekend Architects, CLIFBar, and ly landscapes. The small plot home-based businesses like CASTRO VALLEY FORUM will focus on how to clean, extends along the east side of Etsy and eBay sellers. Forestr.org, a three-year-old green, and feed Eden Area the driveway entrance into the Quiroga said that proAn Earth Day celebration company founded by Yon communities. this Saturday at the Castro Hardisty and Nimone Li-Hard- Library on Norbridge Avenue. spective business owners can The celebration is a collab- isty of Castro Valley. The Park includes drought-re- expect a three-day turnaround Valley Library owes a big sistant plants such as sages, on their application. thanks to a Castro Valley cou- oration between the library, The outdoor event will large decorative logs for local But MAC Chair Ken Carple dedicated to planting trees VeggiePalooza, Friends of include the official opening wildlife, and a fig tree. bone said the reality is that the and gardens as well as creating the Castro Valley Library, of Sage Park, a permaculture GreenThumbWorks Native see FORESTR on page 7 see MAC on page 7 green jobs. pocket park near the library to
Getting CV Green for Earth Day
Report: 809 Homeless Dead in Alameda County 2020) and examined the cause of death, and disparities in race and gender. More than 800 people HCSA said it developed died while they were homethe report out of a growing less in Alameda County consciousness nationwide of between 2018 and 2020. This the role that local governments is according to an inaugural have in preventing and reducreport released last week by ing deaths in the unhoused and the Alameda County Health how to implement policies and Care Services (HCSA) for the practices to reduce the impact Homeless program. on their families, friends, carThe report shows a dramatic egivers, and the community. 89 percent increase in the num“We believe no one should ber of annual homeless deaths die alone or unknown in homeover those three years (195 in lessness,” said HCSA Agency 2018, 246 in 2019, and 368 in Director, Colleen Chawla. “A By Michael Singer
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
homelessness system of care, including housing, health REPORT SHOWS A DRAMATIC clinics, hospitals, emergen89 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE cy room, behavioral health, NUMBER OF ANNUAL HOMELESS social services, outreach, and DEATHS OVER THREE YEAR SPAN criminal justice,” said David Modersbach, Grants Manager with HCSA. “Health care and homeless services providers responsible and just commuon April 11 and shared with nity must work to be closely homeless advocacy groups in- will have the access to analyze aware of the deaths of all its cluding EveryOne Home. The the data and create recommenmembers and strive to learn plan is to carry out a Homeless dations for policy and practice meaningful ways to improve Mortality Report on an annual changes that contribute to the reduction of preventable deaths program planning and shape basis. among people experiencing policy.” “The report will aid in homelessness.” The report was first present- the efforts to forge multisee REPORT on page 7 ed to the Board of Supervisors ple touchpoints across the