CASTRO VALLEY FORUM CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
State Senator Aisha Wahab (at right) and Alameda County sheriff’s deputies were joined by many other volunteers to give away turkeys and other Thanksgiving meal items to some 900 households on Friday, November 22.
The turkey giveaway took place at the community kitchen run by the Deputy Sheriffs Athletic League (DSAL) on Fairmont Avenue near Castro Valley.
Renovations Coming to Four Local Skate Parks
By Michael Singer CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Adobe Park’s skating area is expected to get a facelift early next year as part of Hayward Area Recreation and Park District’s (H.A.R.D.) plan to renovate its four above-ground skate parks. At its meeting this month, H.A.R.D.’s Board of Directors reviewed a plan to spend $266,081.33 to cover revitalization of Cherryland Park, Adobe Park, Mervin Morris Park, and Stratford Village Park.
“The skate park equipment at these locations has reached the end of its service life due to extensive wear and tear, making replacements essential,” H.A.R.D. board member Peter Rosen said.
The current obstacles at Adobe include two rails, a box, a platform with a ramp, and a short quarter pipe. According to comments posted by skateboard enthusiasts who visit the park, the features are mostly metal, making them a bit slicker and causing many injuries.
The new designs include replacing the existing features with brand-new materials, including an improved quarter pipe design, a better grind ledge and grind boxes, a skate bench, bank ramps, and a pyramid structure.
The upgraded materials are designed to require less frequent repairs and replacements, resulting in lower maintenance costs. The modular design also supports easier graffti removal, H.A.R.D. said.
see SKATE on back page
By Gary Howard SPECIAL TO THE FORUM
Stephen Falk has had a notable career in municipal government. He has served as the city manager for several cities. He was city manager of Lafayette for 22 years and interim city manager of Richmond (twice), Oakland (twice) and Martinez. In 2019, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission presented Falk with the Bay Area Metro Award. The citation stated: “Under Falk’s leadership, Lafayette experienced a modern-day renaissance. He led efforts to revitalize the commercial downtown area, improve the city’s roads, build a new state-of-the- art library and Veterans Memorial Center,
acquire open space and improve the recreational facilities at the local community park.”
Falk began by noting that government does the things that individuals cannot. It doesn’t make sense for every home to have a fretruck or a police offcer. So individuals join together to have fre houses and police stations that serve larger areas.
Many cities use a governmental structure that features an elected city council and a city manager. The city council functions similar to the board of directors for a corporation. The board discusses policies and directions. The city manager then takes those directions and tasks city department see CITY on page 10
Supervisors Side With Renters in New Ordinance
By Mike McGuire CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Renters in unincorporated Alameda County are expected to receive mediation of landlord-tenant disputes, and tenants may be protected against some evictions after the county Board of Supervisors took action at its November 12 meeting.
The board gave fnal approval to setting up a dispute
resolution process for disputes between landlords and tenants that might have otherwise ended in eviction. It gave initial approval on a 3-2 vote to a “Just Cause” ordinance that would further limit evictions beyond what state law allows. The ordinance was based mainly on Community Development Agency (CDA) recommendations. The board must pass it again at its December 10 see RENTERS on page 10
Holiday Helpers
Kiwanis Club gets an early start on making holiday donations
PHOTO BY MIKE McGUIRE
TURKEY GIVEAWAY
CV Scout Troop 722 Turns 65
By Louise Shaw SPECIAL TO THE FORUM
Scouts and their families with Troop 722 are celebrating their 65th anniversary this year. Established in 1959, generations of Scouts in Troop 722 and their families have had fun, made friends, learned new skills, and helped the community. The Troop typically meets once a week at Faith Lutheran Church on Redwood Road.
Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troops are Scout-led, so Scouts plan outings and events with the help of adults. Through the years, Scouts in Troop 722 have planned hiking, biking, swimming, and camping events while learning leadership skills. Older Scouts teach younger Scouts skills,
such as knot tying and frst aid, and organize events, including going to escape rooms, ziplining, and snow camping at Yosemite National Park annually. Scouts also fnd hobbies or possible future career interests by completing merit badges.
Troop 722’s frst Eagle Scout, Daniel Soldahl, was honored in January 1969. Since then, 143 boys (Troop 722) and four girls (Troop 2722, est. 2019) have achieved the rank of Eagle and projects benefting our local communities. Some benefciaries have included the East Bay Parks Regional District (bat boxes), Castro Valley High School (HOPE sign), Our Lady of Grace School (additional art displays), Marshall Elementary (buddy bench), and 3Crosses Church (garden).
Troop 722 also participates in Scouting’s annual Scouting for Food drive and posts fags in downtown Castro Valley on special days, like Memorial Day, continuing the tradition started by Troop 801, as a way to honor our country and those who came before us.
On its 115th anniversary, February 8, 2025, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) will change its name to Scouting America. This name will better refect the inclusion of female Scouts in the program and the diversity of Scouts in BSA.
If you are interested in what scouting offers, fnd a Pack (grades K-5) or Troop (grades 6-12) that’s a good ft for your family at BeAScout.org. To learn more about Troop 722 and 2722, visit: troop722.org.
Naval Sea Cadets Corps. as Sea Scouts, a different organization. The cadets pictured are from the Hancock Division out of Hayward. They were also there the day before to clean the memorial in preparation for the ceremony. The Forum regrets the error.
Kiwanis Club Gets Early Start On Making Holiday Donations
On the heels of its recent ffth annual irtual Fall ala, the ayward- astro alley iwanis lub is already spreading holiday donations to community members who might be short on joy this season. The lub has sent 6 to the lameda ounty Food ank, which will provide almost 1, meals to local families through food pantries, senior centers, and after-school programs. ore than 7 was donated to obody’s Perfekt ogs and ats which will secure veterinary care and foster support for injured, sick, and abused animals. was given to the ayward orps of the Salvation rmy to assist in providing hristmas toys and new clothing for children who would otherwise go without. The iwanis lub has supplied volunteer ell ingers to the Salvation rmy for over forty years, and this year iwanians will be ringing at the kettles in front of Safeway in ayward on ecember 7 and Safeway in astro alley on ecember 1 . embers of the iwanis youth leadership program, the ey lub, at astro alley igh School will be
on hand for some spirited caroling. iwanians have already gathered to get the kettles primed for oliday heer. f you are interested in learning more about the
community work done by the iwanis lub or wish to help with any of the upcoming projects and programs, email haywardcastrovalleykiwanis gmail.com
CVSan Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule
astro alley Sanitary istrict San) offces will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, ovember 2 , and Friday, ovember 2 . Please call 1 ) 6- 21 for sewer emergencies. ecycling, organics, and garbage collection services by lameda ounty ndustries ) will occur one day later for customers whose regular service day falls on the Thanksgiving holiday or after. ustomers with Thursday and Friday service days are affected. Thursday
customers will have their containers serviced on Friday. Friday customers will have their containers serviced on Saturday. For holiday service information, please visit alamedacountyindustries.com San oliday.
Nominate Community Volunteers
The ayward rea ecreation and Park istrict . . . .) is e cited to announce that nominations are now open for the 2 2 nnual oard of irectors’ ward for istinguished ommunity Service.
Since 1 62, . . . . has celebrated individuals and organi ations whose efforts make a meaningful impact on the istrict and its community. This award program serves as an opportunity to formally recogni e those who demonstrate e ceptional dedication to . . . .’s mission of providing high- uality recreational facilities and programs. ommunity members are encouraged to nominate individuals or organi ations that demonstrate outstanding service. ominees should have made a meaningful and positive impact on . . . . and its community through their efforts.
omination eadline is Friday, ecember 2 , 2 2 . inners will be announced onday, anuary 6, 2 2 , at the oard of irectors’ meeting. n wards uncheon will be held Friday, anuary 2 , 2 2 .
To submit a nomination, please download the nomination form at www. aywardec.org awards, pick one up at the istrict ffce, or contact driane ee ird at 1 ) 1-67 . list of previous year’s winners are available on the website. isit www. ayward ec.org awards.
Sheriff’s Reports
Fighting in the Street Sunday, ovember 2 t 1 a.m., Sheriff’s eputies arrested two men from astro alley on suspicion of assault and battery. The men were outside a business on ake habot oad near Eden edical enter and involved in an altercation when deputies arrived. 22-year-old man and a 2 -year-old man were handcuffed and taken into custody. The older man also was charged with destroying private property.
Attempted
Break-In at a
Supermarket
Saturday, ovember 2 t a.m., three people without permanent residence were arrested for an attempted break-in at a grocery store on edwood oad near rove ay. eputies responded to a call from the manager about someone trying to access a container in the back.
-year-old man was charged
with breaking and entering, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of methamphetamine drugs and pepper spray, and violating the terms of his parole. 2-year-old man was also charged with breaking and entering, conspiracy to commit a crime, and possessing illegal drug paraphernalia. -yearold woman who was with the men was charged with possessing illegal narcotics. ll three were taken into custody.
CV Man Arrested for Spousal Assault ednesday, ovember 21 t 1 1 p.m., a -1-1 call about a loud and aggressive-sounding argument sent deputies to an apartment on enter Street near rove ay. There, they arrested a 2 -year-old man from astro alley on suspicion of spousal assault. The man was handcuffed and taken into custody. The victim was treated at the scene.
Local Civic Leader, Erma Smith, Celebrates 95th Birthday
By Terry Liebowitz
Civic leader and arts enthusiast Erma Smith celebrated her 95th birthday with family and friends Saturday, November 16, at Redwood Canyon. Mrs. Smith was serenaded by her beloved Castro Valley High
School Madrigals, the school’s premier chamber choir. Erma and Owen Smith have been champions of the arts in Castro Valley for decades. The Smith Theater in the Castro Valley Center for the Arts (CFA) is named in their honor. Mrs. Smith has underwritten the costs of choral accompa-
nists for the choral program for over 20 years. In addition, she started a scholarship program providing students with private vocal and instrumental lessons during the summer. Mrs. Smith was one of the co-founders of the Castro Valley Arts Foundation.
Director Laryssa Sadoway
calls Mrs. Smith “a Castro Valley legend... Her generosity has paved the way for generations of students to be able to train with stellar resources and professional support. Because of her support, students leave CVUSD performing arts programs with an experience that inspires and propels many to
further pursue music in college and beyond.”
The Madrigals is an Honors ensemble who serve as musical ambassadors for Castro Valley High School. Earlier this year, they placed frst in the Northern California Golden State Choral Competition. When asked about gathering
for a singing engagement on their day off, Madrigal senior Allie Otteson shared, “It was an honor to meet the woman who helped build my second home, the CFA.” The public can attend the CVHS Winter Choral Concert December 6 at 7pm and December 7 at 2pm. Tickets: cvcfa.com/events
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6TH 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
TREE LIGHTING AT 6:00 PM
SPECIAL TO THE FORUM
Redwood Christian Elementary’s Harvest Day Banquets
Over the two day period of November 21 and 22, more than 750 students, family and students guests, faculty and staff celebrated of Redwood Christian Elementary celebrated Thanksgiving at their annual Harvest Day Banquets.
Parents provided a wide variety of foods to share, including turkey, chicken, spareribs, pizza, pasta and so many desserts.
Miss Megan Sinisi, Redwood Christian Elementary Principal, opened the lunches reading Psalm 103. These lunches gave the students and their guests the opportunity to thank the Lord for His many blessings and enjoy time together with family members, in addition to the families of the other students. Parents helped with set-up and cleanup
for the three banquets as well as preparing all of the delicious food. All present enjoyed gathering together for a great feast and time of remembering the real reason Thanksgiving is celebrated - to give thanks for the many things so easily taken for granted.
Principal Sinisi stated “I look forward to these two days every year. Not only is there an abundance of delicious food, but we get to have rich conversation, too. So often we are hurried and distracted at drop off or dismissal times that we rarely get to just chat and truly hear how the people in our community are doing. Today we shared our blessings around the table and one of God’s greatest blessings to me is our amazing faculty, staff, students and parent community.”
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By Carl Medford, CRS
October Market Rebound May
Be a Positive Sign
By Carl Medford, CRS Special to the Forum
It is no secret that the real estate market has been in a slump. eginning with soaring interest rates in ay, 2 22, 2 2 home sales have been decried to be the worst since 1 . ow, in a bit of good news, the rebound we have been hoping for may be at hand.
arion cPherson with nman ews, uoting stats from the
ational ssociation of Realtors (NAR), states, E isting-home sales which include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops increased . percent month-over-month and 2. percent year-over-year to a seasonally adjusted rate of . 6 million. The median home price increased . percent yearover-year to 1,6 , with all four regions posting price increases. These are national numbers, so the real ues-
Experience Matters! Thinking of Buying or Selling a Home? Call for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
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REALTOR® BRE# 00550782
Ken Kremer, Broker, CRS, ABR, SRES 510-301-1957 KrEmerTeam@aol.com
tion here is how do we stack up here in the ay rea, especially lameda ounty
To begin, ctober of 2 21 saw 1,22 completed home sales with an average price of 1,2 , . ctober of 2 22, however, refected the changing interest rates as sales plummeted to 7 2 and the average price dipped to 1,21 , . 1 2 2 saw a further reduction to 6 sales and an even lower average price of 1,21 , . ecember 2 2 was dramatically worse, with only sales less than a third of the 1, 1 homes sold in ecember of 2 21. ctober 2 2 , however, saw an increase to sales, up 17.2 from 2 2 . The average price was also up to 1,2 1, a boost of 1. 2 . hile it is a bit early to offcially call this a rebound, it is a hopeful sign that things may be fnally turning around. Lawrence un, ’s hief Economist, echoes the sentiment, stating, The worst of the downturn in home sales could be over, with increasing inventory leading to more transactions. Additional job gains and continued economic growth appear assured, resulting in growing housing demand.
Yun adds, “For most frst-time homebuyers, mortgage fnancing is critically important. hile mortgage rates remain elevated, they are e pected to stabili e. The ongoing price gains mean increasing wealth for homeowners nationwide. Additional inventory and more home building activity will help price increases moderate ne t year.
Prior to the election, many held their breath wondering what impact the results might have on the market. ith the election over, let’s hope we can now focus on getting the housing market back on track with increased inventory and lower interest rates. f ever there was a time to see things turn around, it is now.
Carl Medford is a licensed Realtor with Keller Williams Realty and a licensed general contractor. This article is sponsored by the Central County Marketing Association.
RECENT HOME SALES
Castro Valley
If You’re Transplanting Roses, Now Is the Time
By Buzz Bertolero The Dirt Gardener
I’m revamping my rose garden and would like to know when I can successfully move established roses to another location.
The transplanting season for roses and various other plants begins in mid-November when daytime temperatures are under 70 degrees. This includes ornamental landscape trees and shrubs but not citrus. Citrus are moved after the danger of frost passed in March. It concludes in early April. It’s also the ideal time to root-prune established container plants and replant them in the same pot. With roses, ’d prune them frst to make the move easier. You reduce the height, bring in slides, and fnish the pruning next year. If the new site isn’t ready, you can temporarily transplant the roses into plastic or paper mache pots. The roses can thrive for six to eight months in pots. Suppose Mother Nature disrupts your plans with wet and muddy conditions. In that case, the temporary containers are an excellent Plan’ B.’ If the temperature has cooled off, under si ty-fve degrees, you could bare root the bushes, lay them on shady concrete, and cover them with a Tarp. You replant them when it’s convenient.
The randifora and ybrid Tea varieties are placed at the rear of the space, with four feet between varieties. These varieties grow to fve to si feet. You don’t want them to block the shorter-growing foribunda varieties f you don’t know, google the name to fnd the rose type.
QLast winter, I planted several bareroot blueberries. They’ve done very well and nearly doubled in size but have grown leggy. Should I prune them back to encourage branching or wait until January?
ABlueberries are very popular today, as they’re easy to grow and require little care to be successful. owever, an annual pruning is recommended to maintain size, shape, and productivity. While they could be pruned today, I’d recommend waiting until mid to late January for pruning. This timing is benefcial as it helps train blueberries into the desired shape for fruit production. Pruning back the leggy branches in January will help shape the plant and improve fruit production. You’ll also want to remove any crisscrossing branches to allow more sunlight into the center of the plants, increasing the air circulation along with any branch whose berries would touch the ground. In addition,
Spray
Plan your dormant fruit spraying schedule to coincide approximately with cool-weather holidays, when the rain lets up for a few days. Specifc cues are the fall of the last leaves Thanksgiving), the height of dormancy ew ear’s ay) and when buds swell, but before they show color alentine’s ay). Spraying at the precise period of bud swell is particularly important—after the blossoms open it is too late.
Mulch
Renew mulches under grapes and berries. Strawberries and blueberries beneft from loose, acid mulches such as pine needles or rotted sawdust. Raspberries and blackberries prefer hay or straw mulch.
Remove mulch from under trees back to the drip line. Bare soil can more easily absorb the day’s warmth. This also discourages overwintering of disease-carrying bacteria and insects.
Wild owers
ow, between showers, is a good time to sow wildfower seeds for spring fowers. alifornia poppies are a good bet for anybody’s yard.
Vegetables
Cool-season perennial vegetables may be planted now — artichokes, asparagus and rhubarb.
remove any damaged canes or twigs and the soft basal shoots that develop late in the season. Removing two of the oldest and usually least productive canes yearly is recommended. After pruning, one application of an acidifer is made to keep the soil on the acid side. A. GreenAll True Blue
or Aluminum Sulfate are two acidifers available at your favorite garden center. It’s also applied to ydrangeas to turn
the fowers blue or maintain a blue color. Finally starting in March, an Azalea, Camellia, and Rhododendron fertilizer is applied.
Buzz Bertolero is an Advanced California Certifed Nursery Professional. The Dirt Gardener’s website is www.dirtgardener.com, and questions can be sent by email to buzz@dirtgardener.com.
Mortgage Rates Tick Up
ortgage rates ticked back up this week, continuing to approach 7 percent. eading into the holidays, purchase demand remains in the doldrums. While for-sale inventory is increasing modestly, the elevated interest rate environment has caused new construction to soften.
BUZZ BERTOLERO
THE DIRT GARDENER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
You can run a classified ad for a little as $35 a week. Your ad runs in both of our newspapers, the Castro Valley Forum on Wednesday and the San Leandro Times on Thursday. You can also save by placing your ad on our website at castrovalleyforum.com or sanleandrotimes.com. We’ll call you for your credit or debit card info for payment. To place an ad by phone call Patrick Vadnais at 510-614-1560, Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
CONCRETE SERVICE
S.L. CONCRETE SERVICE Driveways, Sidewalks, Stamped Concrete, Retaining Walls, Tree and Drain Service. Lic.#982202. 510856-8937.
CONTRACTOR SERVICE
NOTICETO READERS
California law requires that contractors taking jobs that total $500 or more (labor or materials) be licensed by the Contractors State License Board. State Law also requires that contractors include their license number on all advertising. Advertisers appearing on this page without a license number indicate that the contractor is not licensed. You can check the status of your licensed contractor at www.cslb.ca.gov or (800) 321-2752. Unlicensed contractors taking jobs that total less than $500 must state in their advertisements that they are not licensed by the Contractors State License Board.
FENCES/DECKS
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Design - Construction - Maintenance. Cleanups, New Lawn, Artificial Grass, Irrigation, Patios, Pathways, Brick, Stone, Concrete Fence/ Decks. Free Estimates! Lic.#925130. 510-691-8852. www.beautygardenlandscaping.com
JAIME’S GARDENING
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GIVEAWAYS
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HAULING SERVICE
HAULING: Small and Big Jobs. Furniture, Concrete, Wood, Trash, Metal, Demolition. Also house inside/ outside cleanups. 510-715-1578.
HELP WANTED SERVICES
Mistletoe Madness a Christmas Fair November 30, 2024 from 10am-4pm. 15301 WicksBlvd., San Leandro. An amazing craft fair!
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RENTALS
LANDLORDS – Advertise your units! Avacancy day is money lost forever ... R. Bowman
RENTALS/RV SPACES
RV/ Trailer space in San Leandro and Oakland& Hayward. $950/ month. Call 510-481-9901.
NEED - MUSIC LESSONS or PIANO TUNING?
Check the Classified Ads under “MUSICALSERVICES” for help.
CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE: Monday 5:00 p.m.
TREE SERVICE
*ACAREFULTREE SERVICE. Certified. Arborist. Lic.#694067. Trimming, Removals. FREE Estimates Bonded. Call 510-581-7377.
YOUR INFO
HANDYMAN & CONTRACTORS
You can run a classified ad for a little as $35 a week. Your ad runs in both of our newspapers, the Castro Valley Forum on Wednesday and the San Leandro Times on Thursday. You can also save by placing your ad on our website at castrovalleyforum.com or sanleandrotimes.com. We’ll call you for your credit or debit card info for payment.
To place an ad by phone call Patrick Vadnais at 510-614-1560, Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Saturday, November 30
Sonos Handbell Concert
World-traveled Sonos is joining us in Castro Valley on Saturday, November 30 at 7pm. Faith Lutheran Church of Castro Valley (20080 Redwood Rd) welcomes world-traveled “Sonos” as they present “From Steeple to Steppe”. Join us at 7pm this Saturday, November 30, for an evening of music. Sonos is bringing their lauded brand of handbell innovation and artistry to a venue near you. Come see what audiences the world over herald as the pinnacle of handbell performance as they perform music spanning from West to East. No tickets required; donations accepted. Visit: sonostemp.org/
Sunday, December 1
The Goodness of Sleep
Stop by the Castro Valley Library this Sunday, December 1 at 2 pm for a presentation from sleep health professional and RN Robyn Woidtke about the fundamentals of sleep. She’ll discuss: why we sleep and why it is important, the consequences of poor sleep and sleep deprivation, the major sleep disorders, what we need to sleep well, and more. Robyn Woidtke, MSN-Ed, RN, RPSGT, CCSH, F ST, began working in the emerging feld of sleep medicine in 1985. She worked a variety of roles within the sleep clinic, including conducting overnight sleep studies. She has authored numerous publications, book chapters, and research-focused abstracts and lectures on a variety of sleep-related topics. Registration is required. For info and to register, visit www.aclibrary.org or call 510-667-7900.
Sunday, December 1
Betty Loeffer Art Reception
The public is invited to a very special Art Reception and sale for the extensive works of Castro Valley’s Betty oeffer, Sunday, ecember 1, from - pm at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts (19501 Redwood Road). Betty’s work which includes handmade paper, prints, and monotypes spans almost 100 years.
Tuesday, December 3
Rotary Club’s Festive Holiday Lunch
Join Rotary Club of Castro Valley for a festive holiday lunch with a purpose at Redwood Canyon Golf Course (17007 Redwood Road, Castro Valley) from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. In true Rotary spirit, we’ll wrap gifts to bring cheer to those in need while enjoying good food, great company, and plenty of holiday fun. The buffet lunch is $20, and reservations must be made by 9pm on Sunday, December 1, at castrovalleyrotary.org. Bring your wrapping skills—or just a willingness to help—and join the holiday spirit of service and fellowship.
Friday, Dec. 6 to Sunday, Dec. 8
Friends of the CV Library Indoor Book Sale
The Friends of the Castro Valley Library will hold an indoor book sale December 6 - 8 at the Library, 3600 Norbridge Ave., in Castro Valley. Sale times are as follows: Friday Dec. 6: 6 to 8 p.m. Member preview. Memberships will be available at the door, or you can join any time by visiting the bookstore or our website. Saturday Dec. 7: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Check the December 4 Forum for our $2 coupon, good on Saturday only. Sunday Dec. 8: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Fill a Bag day. Fill a standard grocery bag for $5. We will have all categories of books available fction, mystery, children’s books, most genres of nonfction, s, music s, audiobooks, jigsaw pu les, games, and lots of miscellaneous items, all at bargain prices. We will also have a selection of antiquarian, special price, and gift quality books. Cash, checks, and credit cards accepted. Proceeds pay for library programs and amenities that would not otherwise be possible.
Renters: Just Cause Ordinance Extends Protections
continued from front page meeting for it to become a county ordinance. In rental law, the term “just cause” requires landlords to have a reason to evict a tenant from a rental unit.
That a ust ause bill fnally passed came as a pleasant surprise to organi er risten Hackett of My Eden Voice (MEV), a community group that has spearheaded the fght on behalf of the tenants.
“Mediation without just cause would have been a lost cause,” Hackett said. “It might not have prevented very many evictions, and evictions have been continuing.”
Landlord groups have argued that state protections, passed after a wave of evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, were more than suffcient to guard against arbitrary loss of someone’s dwelling.
Supervisors Elisa r ue from District 2, District 3 Supervisor Lena Tam, and istrict Supervisor eith Carson voted in favor. District 4 Supervisor Nate Miley and District 1 Supervisor and Board President David Haubert voted against it.
Supervisor Tam said in an email, “I believe after two years of working with housing providers and tenant groups, we have a balanced ordinance that will support more housing in Alameda County and security to tenants against being unfairly treated by housing providers. Tenants must have a sanctuary to retreat to at the end of the day that is private, safe, and comfortable.”
Members of community group My Eden Voice meet with Supervisor Lena Tam (in purple) as the Board of Supervisors considered a Just Cause eviction protection ordinance, which the supervisors later passed.
Supervisor Miley’s chief of staff, Tona Henninger, said Miley was in the middle of suggesting further changes to the proposal at the November 12 meeting when Supervisor Elisa r ue interjected that the board had been debating the protections for far too long and should vote on them immediately. They did, and the ordinance passed.
Henninger said she does not know if Miley would propose any additional changes at the second reading, likely on December 10. Second readings of proposed ordinances are meant to correct minor errors and make needed technical changes in bills before fnal passage.
Henninger said any major changes would require starting over on a new bill, adding that Miley was well aware of how long the issue had been under discussion.
Most of the reasons landlords often give for an eviction remain legal: nonpayment of rent, damage to the property, creating a nuisance, or illegal activity, among others, where the tenant is at fault. A state law passed in 2023, SB 567, closed some loopholes in socalled no-fault evictions, where tenants are told to leave for other reasons. These include the property being taken off the rental market, the landlord or a relative moving in, major renovations or repairs, or a gov-
ernment agency declaring the dwelling uninhabitable. The county Just Cause ordinance would extend protections to groups of tenants left out of the state laws, such as those renting a single-family home from a landlord who rents out fve or more of those in the unincorporated areas, often a corporation rather than an individual or couple. A nofault eviction will require extra notice if the household includes a school-aged child, elderly person, disabled person, or low-income person. However, at the landlord groups’ suggestion, the amount of relocation assistance for a no-fault eviction would be reduced to two months from three months.
City: Pay More to Gain Control of Your Community?
continued from front page heads to take care of what the city council wants. Being city manager was a great job for two reasons. First, every day is different. Second, you have to use every skill that you have. Most importantly, you can really help people.
Some cities have started as a public service district. There are some advantages and disadvantages. It is a cheaper way to begin, but it gives only a partial solution. For example, a PSD has to negotiate with various county departments for funding to accomplish their job. Lafayette is a particularly interesting model for us. Like Castro Valley, it has a long linear business district with a busy road down the middle. After multiple attempts, Lafayette fnally incorporated. Since then they have developed their downtown, brought in many
new businesses and restaurants and other amenities that the community wanted. For example, to make the busy four-lane main street more attractive, they raised money and planted 50 sycamore trees down the middle of the street. Now many years later, the trees are mature and the street is beautiful. Falk is not sure that they could have done all of those things without incorporating.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat this,” Falk said. “It will cost you more to incorporate than not doing that.” However, the question is really would you pay more to gain control over your community? Unincorporated areas have no control over how much they pay in taxes and what the taxes are spent on. Our tax dollars go to the county, and the county is governed by fve supervisors. We only get to vote on one of
them. The county also decides on our planning, oning, housing, specifc plan, and all other issues.
Falk noted some taxes that were less painful than others.
Property transfer taxes are paid by the seller of property. The good thing about this is that you are taxing people who are leaving the community.
Alameda charges $1.10 per $1000. Cities around us change much more. In doing so they raise funds that can be used for parks, recreation, and other amenities for the community.
Hotel occupancy taxes are paid by those visiting here, not the residents.
California has two types of cities: general law and charter cities. General law cities use a “cookie cutter” model of city structure and are granted specifc authorities and responsibilities. Charter cities
write a contract with the state that details what they can and must do. Thus, a charter city has some fe ibility in how it is run. For example, Lafayette was a charter city. As such, they began with three employees and contracted for services with the county or other entities. Over time, they brought some of those services in house. In that way, they could tightly manage expenditures. When Falk was city manager, Lafayette still had fewer than 30 employees.
The series will continue at 2pm on Sunday, January 26, with Alex Chamaro, executive vice president of Lowe’s. He will talk about the developing housing and retail in our community. To see videos and summaries of previous presentation or to see more info about Castro Valley City, visit: www.castrovalleycity.com
Rotary Club of CV Donation Goes to Support Guide Dogs
n ovember 16, a 2, check from the astro alley otary lub was presented to uide ogs of merica in as egas to help pay e penses for the dogs that serve the visually impaired, veterans, and children with autism.
ncoming otary President isti Short, who owns lassy anine’s iggle umps, helped facilitate the fundraiser, which coincided with the annual ogs and eputies event in September. The check was initially presented to awgs for ogs, a charity motorcycle group.
Their booth was impossible
to miss, Short said Filled with arley- avidson riders, they are kind-hearted gentlemen with beards and leather jackets, each radiating warmth and passion for their mission. They also displayed a towering, three-story infatable bull terrier at the ogs and eputies event.
Short and otary past president wight Perry presented awgs for ogs representative Sam Saiu with the check. Saiu then rode the check into egas on ovember 16. e presented it to the uide ogs group at the rd nnual illiam . inpisinger harity an uet,
emceed by talk show host osie ’ onnell. The donation helps provide 1 percent care for the dog, from medical to food to maintenance, for the dog’s life, so the recipient does not have to pay for anything but gets to reap the benefts of having a service dog at no cost to them. Short said she was moved by the bikers’ commitment to volunteer their time and energy to this mission and used it as an inspiration during her otary leadership training. hat started as a learning e ercise has become a true e pression of otary’s motto, Service bove Self, she said.
FESCO Brings Holiday Cheer With Adopt-a-Family Program
uying presents for the holiday is a strain on many parents, even those who have jobs and regular incomes. hildren see tempting advertisements for the latest toys, electronics, and clothing their friends have. For families who are struggling or living in a shelter, and are working toward goals that will enable them to move from the shelter or current situation to their own rental house or apartment, it’s doubly diffcult to provide those things on their child’s ish ist.
Families who are part of FES , the Family Shelter and a Familia, family non-profts both head uartered in ayward, are fortunate to have help with this dilemma. They are able to give assistance through a program that the
non-profts have sponsored for a number of years. Their dopt-a-Family Program pairs families in need with individuals, organi ations, churches and businesses who adopt the family. The family provides a ish ist with the ages, si es, and suggested gifts for members of the family there’s a dollar limit), and the adoptive buyer uses the suggestions to buy them, wrap the gifts and turn them over to FES a Familia by early ecember.
This season, FES is gathering gift cards to provide e tra support for those in need. our generous contributions will help ensure that individuals have access to the essentials and e perience a little e tra joy during the holiday season.
FROM THE BOULEVARD
From Calm to Care in CV: Expansion of ‘Care Courts’
By Thomas Lorentzen SPECIAL TO THE FORUM
In my last column I refected upon the calmness of astro alley. n this column continue within the same stream of thought. The fow, however, now brings me to another term of value caring. hat fosters this thought is a news story about the e pansion of care courts within our state. t makes me refect on this initiative, and its importance. hat, after all, is a care court t is a term that is new in the nomenclature that governs our thinking about the journey to justice within our society.
ith candor, countless people e perience diffculties with the challenges of modern life. mong them are the ubi uitous pain e perienced from the dread of addiction, whether it be drugs, alcohol, or other potent presences within our lives. The same with the diffculties of mental health and mental competency. ictims from within these domains often end up in systems that are incompatible with the origins of their problems.
ecause of a lack of alternatives, they have been deposited for decades within the hallways of our criminal justice system. The causes of their problems, however, have often been emotional and biological. ith that, there has been a mismatch between the problem and problem-solving.
f you’re a community member who would like to support this program, you can contact FES or a Familia at lramire livelafamilia. org or mail a gift card to 2 1 Southland rive, Suite , ayward, .
The deadline for participating in dopt-a-Family is Friday, ecember 1
FES is a Family Shelter, founded in 1 6, which provides a wide range of resources for families with children including shelter, meals, case management, family counseling, classes for parents and children and employment assistance. a Familia is a full-service non-proft with a wide range of programs for families, youth, veterans, foster youth and individuals.
uring the two years that was the senior federal health offcial in the western states e plored the labyrinth of laws and systems that address these problems. hat helped me fnd my way through the ma e was a classmate from the astro alley igh class of 1 6 . er name was Peggy ora now deceased). er career began as a defense attorney. ater, she became a judge. y working in these domains, she witnessed the confusion and contradictions imbedded within public policy approaches to these issues. She became an e plorer, searching for new and better ways to address their conditions. She understood that the root causes of these problems were not criminal in nature. They were issues of health. y listening to Peggy, began to see a way through the fog. ith that invited her to e plain her rationale to the senior staff at the egional ffce of the U.S. epartment of ealth uman Services in San Francisco. uring her presentation she made a solid case for a broad adoption of care courts to deal with them. She became a lead national advocate for their adoption and utili ation. er case was solid the problems were born in the soil of health, not in sins of crime. ith that, when necessary, the trials
of the troubled needed to be homed in courts designed and developed to deal with them. ence are ourts. hen look at the present e pansion of are ourts in alifornia and nationally, pause and think about Peggy and the leadership she provided. s these courts e pand and mature in effcacy, they will provide greater care and compassion for the troubled. ith time, tens of thousands of people will beneft. Eventually, it will become millions. t is a major step in the right direction for all of us.
s watch this endeavor unfold, think of Peggy and her leadership. lthough her name will not endure in neon, it will in terms of improved methods and outcomes for those with troubled conditions. This is an intrinsic legacy to have and one of immense public value. t does not provide fame or fortune. There is no cademy ward or Super owl ring given. The reward comes in uietude. t comes by observation in seeing troubled people treated in thoughtful ways for our common good. There will be no drums beating and no horns blown for recognition. et, it is in this modest article, that remember a person from astro alley named Peggy ora. ecause of her leadership she will enable countless people to have hope for their lives. This is a gift of hope for those with issues, as well as the soul of our society.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Tyler Skjong
Our Athlete of the Week is Tyler Skjong. This Senior at Redwood Christian High School capped off his season with a career game at Esparto High School on November 1. On offense, he had three catches for 50 yards. On special teams, he had a kickoff return for 20 yards and a tackle on special teams in which he forced a fumble and made a recovery, which prevented a sure touchdown for Esparto. On defense, he had two pass breakups and a career-high six tackles on the night. reat a to end his senior ear believe with hard work and dedication, Tyler can defnitel have a future in this sport if he so chooses,” said Head Coach Tolo Faumunia.
Skate: Four Parks to be Renovated
continued from front page
The district collaborated with the American Ramp Company, a well-known skate park design and renovation frm, to develop updated facility layouts for each site. The board will consider these at one of its meetings next month. The skate park, formerly known as Harry R. Francis Skate Park, was dedicated in June 2015. Francis served on the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (H.A.R.D.) Board of Directors from 1995 to 1996 and on the Greater Hayward Area Recreation and Park Foundation Board in 1988. Francis lobbied for the skate park s inclusion in the 2009 renovation of Adobe Park.
Lab’s,
Support Smalltown On Giving Tuesday
By Mitch Rothbardt SPECIAL TO THE FORUM
want to thank you for reading this from the bottom of my heart, as this will be my last column for the Castro Valley Forum (San Leandro Times). All good things must come to an end, so for my fnal column, ant to remind everyone of 10 important things hope ou ve learned from reading my columns over the last few years.
. f ou have chronic pain, start by looking at your posture and movement patterns. Back and knee pain rarely start with back and/or knee issues.
2. Do something. Anything. Don t orr about the perfect workout program or diet. Just do something you can commit to doing 100 percent.
. ou don t activate our
core by sucking it in. While standing, lightly push your fngers into the sides of
your abs. Push them out using your core. Notice the pressure that goes from the front of your belly all the way around our back That s sound core activation.
4. Consistency matters above all else.
5. Sure, age means something, but not nearly to the extent that you may think. There s no reason that an one at an age can t get healthier with exercise.
6. Having said that, the longer you wait to do something, the harder it is to get started.
7. Fitness and nutrition are simple—not necessarily easy, but simple. Don t fall for some
complex, overly detailed plan that ou likel on t be able to follow. Remember number 4: Consistency is everything.
. itness doesn t al a s prevent injuries, but it does make you less likely to get them, and the ll be easier to recover from.
. f someone talks about their diet like a religion, back away slowly.
10. Remember our motto: The most important thing anyone can get from a workout is the desire for another one.
Thank you so much for reading m columns. hope you learned a few things along the way. Happy holidays!
Mitch is the owner and head trainer at Castro Valley Fitness. He loves answering your ftness questions at the dog park with Penny, Max, and Tex or by emailing him at: Mitch@ CastroValleyFitness.com.
H.A.R.D. manages the skatepark, but the Castro alle nifed School District offciall o ns the propert . Community members are encouraged to stay engaged with project updates as the Board evaluates the proposal. The proposal promises a safe, vibrant environment for skaters and contributes to H.A.R.D. s mission of supporting active, healthy lifestyles in the community.
Tuesday, Dec. 3:
Support Smalltown this Giving Tuesday
Kick off this giving season by supporting Smalltown Society. Your donation helps fuel workshops, events, and programs that inspire our vibrant artist community. Every donation makes a difference—start giving today to help us thrive! Visit: www.smalltownsociety. com/donations
Wednesday, Dec. 11: The LAB: Featuring Casket Ring The Lab’s, featured artist, Casket Ring performing. The Lab is our monthly gathering for songwriters and poets to workshop their creations, collaborate, and share performances in a welcoming space. e re thrilled to feature Casket Ring, bringing their unique artistry to inspire and
Mike Mahoney (left), retired Castro Valley Public Works Director, shows off his two hours to reel in tuna which was caught last year in Cabo San Lucas. This particular reat Catch’ was enough for a Thanksgiving feast Have a reat Catch’ you’d like to share Please email to flesforforum gmail.com
The Matt Wilhite Team is proud to sponsor Athlete of the Week Tyler Skjong
The
featured artist, Casket Ring performing.