MON. MAY 30 REMEMBER AND HONOR
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2022
YEAR 34
INSIDE YOUR
FORUM
NEWS
Free Concert
Community Orchestra concert to spotlight Dvorák, Ideo, Verbytski
Page 2 NEWS
The Big Screen
Daughter, dad debut homemade horror film at the Chabot Theater
Page 3 NEWS
Cowgirl Spirit
Billie Sherwood is 2022 Maggie Rowell Cowgirl Spirit Award winner
Page 5
INDEX Calendar .................. 10 Classified Ads ............ 8 Crosswords ............... 9 Homes ........................ 6 Horoscope ................. 4 Legal Notices ........... 10 Obituaries ................ 11 Opinions .................. 11 Our Town .................... 3 Weather ....................... 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
NO. 21
MAC MEETING
Housing Projects Get OK
OLIVIA SHERMAN
ROWELL RODEO QUEEN
By Amy Sylvestri
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
By Michael Singer
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
When she was 13, Olivia Sherman attended a horse show where she discovered the world of the Rodeo Queen. The sparkly crown-adorned hat, the glittery chaps, and the colorful sash—all while sitting upon a trusted steed—were all the motivation she needed to start her own journey. This past Saturday, the Castro Valley native was crowned as the 2022 Rowell Ranch Rodeo Queen—an extra special honor this year as it is the rodeo’s 100th anniversary. The 20-year-old will now spend the next year traveling to dozens of other Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PCRA) events and visiting schools as an ambassador of both Rowell Ranch Rodeo as well as Castro Valley. She hopes to inspire other young women to get involved in rodeo and achieve their own goals. “I am really excited to represent my hometown and share the love that I feel throughout see QUEEN on page 5
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DARRELL LAVIN/ LAVINPHOTOS.COM
This past Saturday, Castro Valley native Olivia Sherman was crowned as the 2022 Rowell Ranch Rodeo Queen.
The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) gave its swift and unanimous approval to the construction of two large residential properties from the same owner at their Monday night meeting. Owner Ying Sha Miao applied to construct a 6,909square-foot residence with a 320-square-foot additional dwelling unit and 880-squarefoot garage at 5427 Jensen Road and an 8,063-square-foot residence with a 335-squarefoot additional dwelling unit and 881-square-foot garage on an adjacent property on Jensen Road. Jensen Road is in a low population density area on the east side of town. “I look forward to seeing your project get off the ground,” said MAC Chair Ken Carbone.
Labor Leader Ortega Seeks Assembly’s District 20 Seat By Mike McGuire
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Liz Ortega wants to move from heading organized labor in Alameda County to representing residents in the State Assembly’s District 20. She emphasizes her ability to talk to people and get things done as one reason to give her the job. Long-time incumbent Bill Quirk decided not to run for re-election in District 20, which recently saw its lines
redrawn. The District borders now include Castro Valley, San Leandro, Ashland, Cherryland, San Lorenzo, Fairview, Hayward, Sunol, and Union City. Parts of the district were shifted from District 18, represented by Mia Bonta. Ortega became the first Latina to head the Alameda County Central Labor Council after decades of working for labor unions. She had previously spent five years as a Sacramento lobbyist for the American Federation of State,
County, and Municipal Employees, a bit public-employee union. “I learned about the budget process and about negotiating with the governor. I found out what goes on, or doesn’t, in the middle of the night,” Ortega said. She also learned that most people at the Capitol didn’t share her background or the perspective of an immigrant PHOTO COURTESY OF LIZ ORTEGA woman who moved here when she was three. Assembly candidate Liz Ortega in front of a mural at see ORTEGA on page 4 the Teamsters Local 853 hall in Oakland.