HONORING ALL WHO SERVED FRIDAY NOV. 11
Veterans Day
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
YEAR 34
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2022
Somerset to Get Sidewalks; Bike Lanes Debated
INSIDE YOUR
FORUM NEWS
By Michael Singer
Just a Costume?
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
What could you do to put on the ‘costume’ of a more successful you?
Page 2 OUR TOWN
Humming Along Kevin L. Hinkley Auto Tech is celebrating its 40th anniversary
Page 3 SPORTS
LET’S LIGHT THE Lights By Michael Singer
Take a Swing at It RCHS senior Sarah Yeh qualifies for NorCal CIF golf championship
Page 12
INDEX Calendar .................. 4 Classified Ads ......... 8 Crosswords ............. 9 Homes .................... 6 Merchants ............... 5 Obituaries ............ 11 Opinions .............. 11 Our Town ................. 3 Sports ................... 12 Weather ................. 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
NO. 45
Get ready to light up the Boulevard! After a two-year hiatus, the Castro Valley Light Parade returns this Saturday, November 12. This is the 10th anniversary of the event, and this year is expected to be bigger and brighter than in years past. More than 75 entries including 12 schools will be marching up and down Castro Valley Boulevard. Some 2,500 people are expected to walk alongside their lighted floats, vehicles, and even wagons and strollers. The parade ends with the arrival of Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. Event organizers anticipate about 10,000 people watching along the parade path. “The Light Parade is special because it’s not just coming down to watch, it is coming down to participate,” event founder and organizer Mel Speed told the Forum. “This is a community thing where anyone can enter. We don’t have just businesses, community groups, and schools with a float. We have four or five individual families participating this year.” New for this year is the “First Responders Thank You” theme. Every lighted entry in the parade can designate one or several participants to be their own Grand Marshal—someone who has helped the community overcome the COVID pandemic such as a police officer, firefighter, healthcare professional, or community volunteer. see LIGHT on page 5
A plan to install concrete sidewalks on Somerset Avenue between Stanton Avenue and Redwood Road will move forward. However, a decision on how to accommodate street parking while making it safe for bicycle traffic will depend on the results of a pilot study. Supervisors Nate Miley (District 4) and David Haubert (District 1) voted on Monday to allow Alameda County Public Works Agency (PWA) to install 5-foot sidewalks along both sides of the one-mile stretch of Somerset Avenue. The east-west thoroughfare
is among the busiest in town, with approximately 10,000 cars, buses, bikes, and pedestrians traveling throughout the day. The project is intended to improve pedestrian and bicycle access to Castro Valley High School, Castro Valley Elementary School, Our Lady of Grace School, and the Castro Valley Downtown area. PWA Director Daniel Woldesenbet outlined different options including one that would eliminate parking spaces on either the north or south sides of the street. The plan is to allow bicycle traffic to either share the roads directly see SOMERSET on page 10
Health Experts: Get Flu Shots and COVID Boosters that people’s immunity to the flu is down because few have CASTRO VALLEY FORUM been exposed to it in the last Late fall is traditionally flu several years. Measures originally introseason in the U.S., and with COVID-19 still with us, health duced to lessen the spread experts urge people to quickly of COVID ended up greatly protect themselves against both reducing cases of influenza as well. diseases. Those measures have been COVID experts Dr. Erica gradually relaxed, said Dr. Pan, Pan and Dr. Robert Wachter California’s state epidemiolosaid on November 1 that a gist who formerly was Alamsurge in COVID is likely in eda County’s health officer. the coming months, though the Bay Area has a low rate of She spoke on a Nov. 1 online infection currently. They also panel discussion hosted by State Senator Nancy Skinner, both warned we might never joined by Dr. Wachter, head of completely get rid of it. the medicine department at UC The Centers for Disease San Francisco. Control and doctors at major see SHOTS on back page medical centers are warning By Michael McGuire