BECAUSE SAVING MONEY MAKES CENTS
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CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022
YEAR 34
CV GENERAL PLAN
INSIDE YOUR
MAC Mulls CV Central Business District Vision
FORUM
NEWS
Student Oasis
By Amy Sylvestri
Castro Valley has created a sanctuary of mental health for its students
Page 2 LIVING
PHOTO BY MIKE MCGUIRE
Quick Breads
Quick, versatile and (best-of-all) foolproof bread recipes
Page 4 HEALTH
Congressman Eric Swalwell speaking Friday at the Washington Avenue bridge over San Lorenzo Creek, joining San Leandro and San Lorenzo.
Local Bridges Earmarked For Infrastructure Funds By Mike McGuire
Just because a bridge is on the list of possible improvements, doesn’t mean it is in immediate danger of collapse, though, said A Castro Valley bridge is among those Josh Richman, Swalwell senior advisor. that might be getting updated with federal The Grove Way bridge, built in 1988, help from the trillion-dollar bipartisan infra- carries approximately 31,000 vehicles a structure deal recently signed by President day including local traffic and vehicles Biden. that cut across south Castro Valley to head Congressman Eric Swalwell came to the eastbound on the freeway or northeast onto Washington Avenue bridge over San Loren- Crow Canyon Boulevard. zo Creek last Friday to say that aid to fix The Builders Association list of strucaging Bay Area highway bridges and other turally deficient bridges list also includes infrastructure would be arriving soon. The the I-238 eastbound bridge over East 14th press event at the bridge marks the San LeStreet, which carries 121,000 vehicles a day, andro—San Lorenzo border and is crossed and the I-580 eastbound bridge over East by 31,000 vehicles a day. The overcrossing Castro Valley Boulevard, which carries might be on the list, Swalwell said. 84,000 a day. But a bridge in Castro Valley is also on The East Castro Valley Boulevard bridge the same list Swalwell’s office is looking at. may not see fresh federal funding for repairs, Caltrans and local officials will make the however, as Caltrans recently announced final decisions. repairs to the I-580 bridge, Richman said. California is expected to get a $4.2 billion There are problems with other bridges, cut of Biden’s infrastructure funds to fix and too, the Builders Association says. improve some of its bridges, Swalwell said. The builder’s website lists dozens of other The Washington Avenue bridge was built highway bridges in the area that are classiin 1954. It is considered structurally deficient fied as structurally deficient. by the American Road & Transportation “This means one of the key elements is in Builders Association, as is the bridge on poor or worse condition,” the website added. Grove Way just south of I-580. see BRIDGES on page 5 CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Get Screening
Get Screened this month for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
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back in 1993, and while the physical parameters as defined CASTRO VALLEY FORUM in the central business area are largely the same, retail had What will Castro Valley’s transformed considerably in “Central Business District” look like in the years to come? the past 30 years. The old plan tried to predict The Castro Valley Municipal things like the BART station’s Advisory Council (MAC) heard an update on the Castro impact on retail centers and how much office space is needValley General Plan with a focus on the downtown area at ed in town. The document also amusingly touches on some their Monday night meeting. classic Castro Valley conunThe general plan, drafted drums- namely the overabunin 2012, establishes a new vision for the next 20 years and dance of fast-food joints on the Boulevard. we are currently in Phase 2. “Many people in the The 330 + page general plan document is available to read community feel that Castro Valley is known pejoratively as at: acgov.org/cda/planning/ ‘the Fast-Food Capital of the generalplans. World’” reads the 1993 The previous central busisee MAC on page 10 ness update was drafted way
District Spending $150K on Ethnic Studies Training By Michael Singer
law by Governor Gavin Newsom has its roots in California Assembly Bill 101. In its unanimous (5-0) vote, Castro Valley Unified Board of Trustees voted last Thursday the Board said the training will help teachers create a new to spend $150,000 as part of course that is specific to the a broad training program for needs of Castro Valley students its Ethnic Studies teachers in and the surrounding commuanticipation of the upcoming nity. The goal is for students to state graduation requirement understand the perspectives of for public schools. major underrepresented racial Every public high school groups in the United States student in California will be including African Americans, required to take a semester Chicanx/Latinx, Asian Ameriof Ethnic Studies starting cans, and Indigenous groups. with those graduating in the Teacher training is set to 2029-30 school year. The requirement that took effect on begin on March 4. see TRAINING on page 7 January 1 and was signed into CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
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