ROWELL RANCH RODEO
PARADE SATURDAY IS THIS
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022
YEAR 34
INSIDE YOUR
FORUM
NEWS
Rowell Ranch Rodeo Fun New Book Maps Kicks Off This Weekend Evolution of CV By Michael Singer
By Linda Sandsmark
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
CV life coach explains where your focus goes, your energy flows
Break out your 10-gallon hat and dust off your boots, it’s time to get back in the saddle again. After two years, the Rowell Ranch Pro Rodeo is returning this month with even more excitement than usual as this is the event’s 100th year. A full slate of celebrations kicks off this Saturday, May 14. From 7 to 10 a.m., the Alameda County Firefighters are holding their pancake breakfast at the San Miguel fire station with the proceeds benefitting the ALCO Firefighters charity fund. Then at 10 a.m., the Rowel Ranch Rodeo Parade hits the middle of town. More than 60 entries are expected to march up and down the Boulevard between Nunes Avenue and Redwood Road. The procession will include traditional entries such as the Alameda County Sherriff’s Mounted Posse, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Aahmes Shriner’s as well as business-oriented floats and banners from Classy Canine’s Wiggle Rumps, Shamrock Realtors, and Body Mechanix After two years, the Rowell Ranch Pro Rodeo is returning this month with even more excitement Fitness. see ROWELL on page 2 than usual as this is the event’s 100th year.
INDEX
Thriving in Pot Pie Paradise
New Musical
Plethos Productions Presents the musical ‘Once on This Island’
Page 2
OUR TOWN
State Olympiad
Castro Valley students put themselves on the Science Olympiad map
Page 3 NEWS
Stay Focused Page 4
Classified Ads ............ 8 Crosswords ............... 9 Homes ........................ 6 Horoscope ................. 6 Legal Notices ........... 10 Obituaries ................ 11 Opinions .................. 11 Our Town .................... 3 Sheriff’s Reports ........ 7 Weather ....................... 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
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in Indonesia, Gunawan and many students from her counCASTRO VALLEY FORUM try went to college in Germany in the 1970s. From Indonesia to Castro Valley by way of Germany, “Everybody wanted to go chef Theresia Gunawan has there. The educational system had a remarkable life. Once a was better in Germany, and doctor in Germany, she now they offered free tuition at that sells high-quality pot pies at time,” says Gunawan. “I went our Farmers’ Market in Castro to medical school, graduated in Valley. Munich, and became a doctor “Things will turn out if you for a couple of years.” do what you like and give your Then she got married, and heart to it,” she says. moved to the U.S. with her Raised on the Island of Java husband. She discovered thatBy Linda Sandsmark
to enter the medical field here, she would basically have to start her studies all over. She took college classes, but found it too expensive to continue. There was also the language issue, with English being her third language (after Indonesian and German). “So I looked for a job where I could pursue my hobby, which was cooking. My first job here was in a German restaurant,” she says. see PARADISE on page 5
During the past two centuries, Castro Valley has seen many changes, and a local author is finishing a book about the valley’s transitions in land development. Historian Rick Kelly documents how Castro Valley went from chicken ranches to suburbia in his new book, “Rancho to Ranch Homes, Mapping the Evolution of Castro Valley.” “There are at least four other books on Castro Valley history,” says Kelly. “This one is about how and why the town evolved the way it did, including land use and commuting patterns. It also corrects some myths about Castro Valley history.” The book started with Kelly’s personal quest to identify his neighborhood’s original landowners. It expanded after Kelly requested information from the community. The book eventually grew to over 400 pages and is expected to be out in print in June or July. Kelly partnered with the Hayward Area Historical Society, which has helped him through his years of research.
Descendants of prominent residents have provided previously unseen pictures, documents, and stories. The book includes over 200 photographs and drawings, 200 maps of the area dating from 1824, an index of the suburban housing tracts from 1942 to 1970, and an index of almost 800 people who played a role in local history. “It’s a fabulous book,” says Castro Valley realtor Tracy Bonal, whose interest in neighborhoods has prompted her to help promote Kelly’s book. “It covers from the days when there were ‘squatters’ here, all the way up to the present. Everybody in Castro Valley will love this book. It’s taken Rick four years to write,” she says. see EVOLUTION on page 4
Theresia Gunawan of Pot Pie Paradise