CHANGE OF DATE
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the 15th Congressional District Town Hall is now scheduled for 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. this Friday, August 27.
ANNUAL DAHLIA SHOW RETURNS!
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CASTRO VALLEY FORUM SEE PAGE 10
A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2021
YEAR 33
CVUSD Debuts COVID Safety Plan, Dashboard
INSIDE YOUR
FORUM
NEWS
By Michael Singer
Back-to-School
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Castro Valley Adult & Career Education offers an array of new classes
Page 2 LIVING
PHOTO BY MIKE MCGUIRE
From left, Afghan Coalition Executive Director Rona Popal, coalition member Harris Mojadedi and Rep. Eric Swalwell at Friday’s press conference in Fremont on helping Afghanis and Americans trying to leave Afghanistan.
CHAOS IN KABUL
In the Bag
Nutritious and delicious lunches to kick-off the new school year right
SWALWELL OFFERS HELP TO AFGHAN FAMILIES
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NEWS
Meet a live snake, toad or turtle at East Bay Parks’ free program this Sunday
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P01 FRONT 08-25.indd 1
By Mike McGuire
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US Representative Eric Swalwell’s office is ready to help people get loved ones out of Afghanistan now that the country has fallen to extremist Taliban insurgents, the Congressman told a virtual town hall this past Friday. He called on the US government to make that exit easier, especially for those who had already applied for visas to come to the US but are now stuck in Kabul airport while they are processed.
Creepy Critters?
INDEX
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“An airport with crying kids is a terrible place to process paperwork,” Swalwell noted. Afghans and Americans fleeing Afghanistan should be evacuated first and fill out official forms in safety later, Rep. Swalwell said. “Don’t leave people on the ground because they didn’t check all the boxes,” Swalwell pleaded at a Fremont press conference preceding the town hall. “One box we keep hearing about is a letter for a recommendation from someone you aided on the battlesee SWALWELL on page 7
Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) released its comprehensive health safety plan for the 202122 school year last week with the addition of a new feature: a dashboard that tallies the number of students and staff who have tested positive for COVID-19. In a letter to parents and students on August 15, school superintendent Parvin Ahmadi praised the months of preparation and support from public health officials that have allowed CVUSD to open all campuses to in-person instruction with safety protocols and restrictions. “A huge thanks to staff for making sure students’ first week was as smooth as possible during these challenging times,” Ahmadi wrote. “Thank you for your patience and support as we embark on this school year with COVID still a global health concern.” CVUSD’s comprehensive COVID Safety Plan includes all California Department
of Public Health requirements and guidance from the Alameda County Department of Public Health. The plan includes information on masking, handwashing, cleaning, food service protocols, ventilation, health screening required, testing, vaccination, and a clear and concise action plan for tracing and tracking cases. While schools have clear-cut protocols for protecting against the spread of the coronavirus, the district is still waiting for updated guidelines for athletics from the state’s Department of Health. “In the meantime, testing requirements such as testing remain the same as last year until further notice,” Ahmadi told the Forum. “We are finalizing guidelines for spectators during competitions outdoors and indoors which will be shared with families as soon as it is done.” COVID-19 Positive Case Dashboard The COVID-19 case dashboard is a new addition to all California public school districts, Ahmadi said. The State see CVUSD on page 3
Homelessness, Solutions Lead MAC Meeting By Amy Sylvestri
Director Lucy Kasdin spoke about street health outreach resources. Homelessness and solutions Hammad said that there to helping the unhoused was were 111 calls for service in the big topic at last week’s Cas- July relating to transients and tro Valley Municipal Council there are 36 transient encamp(MAC) meeting. ments in Eden Township Sub Alameda County Sheriff’s station Area. The deputies visit Deputy Jawad Hammad shared known encampments weekly, a report on homeless encamp- but Hammad said that they don’t have the authority to arments and Alameda County rest anyone for trespassing. The Healthcare for the Homeless
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main encampment with 14 residents is in the creek near Grove Way is a Caltrans property and the Sheriff’s Office no longer have an open-ended complaint to make those type of arrests, according to Hammad. Instead, Kasdin’s office offers resources such as information on where shelter beds are available of where people can receive counseling services, food, and other
basic necessities. While the county’s hands may be tied, the California Highway Patrol can make trespassing arrests on Caltrans property. “We keep a handle on it,” said Hammad of the Sheriff’s Office’s frequent visit to the encampments. “We don’t want these encampments to grow so that we can’t do anything about it.” Hammad added that lately,
fires have been a cause of concern in the encampments, as people frequently are using propane, so the officers have been passing out fire extinguishers. Ultimately, Hammad said the best solution they have currently is to provide resources and hopefully, get people housed. Kasdin then provided some statistics, saying that the most see MAC on page 3
8/24/21 2:14 PM