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“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2024
YEAR 36 INSIDE YOUR
FORUM
90 Years! Celebrating 90 Years of East Bay Regional Parks
CV Schools: Post-COVID Test Scores By Mike McGuire
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So A-peel-ing You and your family will go bananas over these recipes
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CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
According to the California Department of Education scores on statewide student achievement, Castro Valley students show mixed results in recovering from learning setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report released on December 15 outlines 13 different measurements by the state including English, Math, graduation rates, college and career advancement, parent and family engagement, and support for English learners. According to the education department’s website, California School Dashboard, figures for Castro Valley students were down from the previous school year by 4 percent in English and 1 percent in math. Statewide figures fell slightly
see SCHOOLS on page 10
Get Inspired How to set inspiring health and fitness goals for 2024
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INDEX Calendar ................ 5 Classified Ads ........ 8 Crosswords ............. 9 Health & Fitness ... 10 Homes ..................... 6 Merchants ............. 10 Obituaries ............. 11 Our Town ................. 3 Sports .................. 12 Weather .................. 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
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MAC: Swim School Stays In Operation By Amy Sylvestri CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
A beloved decades-old family-run business will continue to operate but must make some critical changes to get a permit, according to the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC). At their first meeting of 2024, the MAC determined that Patti’s Swim School at 4621 James Avenue could continue providing swimming lessons to youth in the community but did need to work on compliance with signage, safety regulations, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, among other factors. The County Department of Environmental Health sent owner Patricia O’Brien multiple notices of violation, saying the facility lacked appropriate finishes in a lavatory, drinking water, a hook and life ring in the pool, capacity signage, and more. Additionally, neighbors complained of customers taking up street parking at the school, which is in a residential area. The MAC acknowledged the problems but said that the school provides a valuable service in Castro Valley and that O’Brien is working towards fixing them, so they recommended that the item be continued for a vote at a future meeting and that classes should continue in the meantime. see MAC on page 11
From CV to TV: Broadcaster Brodie Brazil By Lowell Hickey CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Brodie Brazil, a senior at Castro Valley High in the fall of 1998, noticed a guy filming a Trojans’ football game, so he thought he’d introduce himself. That turned out to be one of the best decisions he ever made. The cameraman was J.D. Pruess, a reporter for KICU-TV’s High School Sports Focus show. Brazil told Pruess of his interest in video making
and sports, so Pruess gave Brodie his business card and said to give him a call. Brodie did, and by the next spring, he was interning at Channel 36 in San Jose. Bay Area sports fans now recognize Brodie Brazil as the face of the pre-game and postgame telecasts for the Oakland A’s and San Jose Sharks on NBC Sports California, and it can all be traced back to that eventful night at the old Trojan football field. Shows what a little initiative can do.
“I got to do it all,” Brazil recalled of his internship at KICU. “I figured out how to use a camera. I’d edit highlights and write the script to go with it. And I was still in high school. I had to pinch myself sometimes.” Brazil continued working for KICU while attending San Jose State and majoring in broadcasting. In 2003, he became co-host of High School Sports Focus, where he won his first of 13 Bay Area see BRAZIL on back page
Brodie Brazil (right) receives an Emmy Award with San Jose Sharks announcer Randy Hahn.