HALLOWEEN IS THIS SUNDAY. CELEBRATE BY SLASHING PRICES
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CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021
YEAR 33
INSIDE YOUR
FORUM
OUR TOWN
Welcome Back!
CV Center for the Arts is excited about hosting audiences again
Page 3 NEWS
Halloween Fun
Not-too-scary Halloween programs this weekend at Regional Parks
Page 4 NEWS
Spirit of Children George Mark Children’s House hopes to bring Halloween to the kids
Page 5
INDEX Calendar .................. 10 Classified Ads ............ 8 Coupons .................... 5 Crosswords ............... 9 Homes ....................... 6 Horoscope ................. 3 Legal Notices ........... 10 Obituaries ................ 11 Opinions .................. 11 Weather ....................... 2 PHONE: (510) 614-1560
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NO. 43
MAC MEETING
COVID VACCINE
Property Rezoning Proposal
Officials: Get Your Booster
By Amy Sylvestri
By Michael Singer
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) gave their tentative support to an early-stage preliminary proposal to rezone a property at 1446 A Street from residential low-density multifamily housing to mixed-use development. The item heard at the MAC’s Monday night meeting was information only, so the rezoning would have to be voted on at a future meeting, but the MAC all indicated that they’d like to see the property eventually host a commercial element, something that is not allowed under the current conditions. The parcel is a corner lot at the intersection of A Street and Ruby Street. As is, there is a two-story, 6,600-square-foot brick building that was built in 1939. It was the site of a former piano store. The new owners, The Lakeside Investment Company, proposes remodeling the existing building with two ground-floor commercial stores for retail or a restaurant. The second floor would maintain the two existing residential apartments. see MAC on page 2
As the community prepares for Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos activities this weekend, Alameda County health officials are recommending some groups get their COVID vaccine booster soon to avoid a health scare. Those 65 or older are eligible for this booster shot, according to the Public Health Department, so are people 18 and older with an underlying medical condition or who work or live in a high-risk setting. It is not yet known if or when the COVID-19 vaccine booster will be recommended for other groups. “COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be highly safe and effective, and booster doses will help ensure we get the greatest possible benefit,” said Alameda County Health Officer, Dr. Nicholas Moss. The announcement sent out last Friday also noted that the “mixing and matching” of boosters are also now permitted by health officials. That means if you got the Pfizer vaccine more than 6 months ago, you could get a vaccine boost from Moderna. see COVID on page 10
PHOTO COURTESY OF DARRELL LAVIN
DOWN COMES THE RAIN: This past weekend’s atmospheric river drenched the Bay Area with more than a foot of rain at Mt. Tamalpais, according to the National Weather Service. Hayward and Livermore both saw more than 4 inches of rain, while the north portion of the Oakland hills received 7 inches. The runoff caused flooding on streets and downed some trees. But it also provided some beautiful sights at the Lake Chabot waterfall on the east side of the lake.
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Debra Flores: A Survivor’s Story By Mike McGuire
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a good time for women to remember to get screened against the disease by getting a mammogram said Kaiser Permanente Senior Vice President Debra Flores. The other 11 months of the year are good times, too, according to Flores. She is a
breast cancer survivor herself, a registered nurse, and the area manager for Kaiser in southern Alameda County. Women should be examining their breasts every month for lumps in addition to getting mammograms once a year, Flores said. Usually, mammograms should start at age 40, but an individual with a family history of breast cancer might need to start them earlier.
Be sure your doctor knows the age when a mother or grandmother got diagnosed, Flores said. “If you find a lump or a mammogram finds one, treatment is much more effective and often much simpler the earlier you find it,” Flores said. Breast cancer caught in its earliest stages has a 10-year survival rate of 98.9 percent, she added.
“Of course, you want the mammogram not to find anything wrong,” she said. “But if something’s wrong, you do want it found as early as possible.” Most of the time, a mammogram comes back negative for cancer, Flores said. “It’s true that one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime,” she see FLORES on page 5
Debra Flores
10/26/21 5:32 PM