Castro Valley News - Year 1, Number 2

CASTRO VALLEY NEWS YEAR 1, NUMBER 2

WWW.CASTROVALLEYTV.COM

County are at 9,132 which is a 14% increase from last year’s 8,003. For 2013, the Castro Valley CHP have recovered 79 stolen vehicles, had 99 stolen vehicle reports and made 16 auto theft arrests.

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aw enforcement agencies in Castro Valley and across Alameda County are stepping up their investigative game to keep up with the increasingly popular crime of auto theft.

DECEMBER 2013

Meza claims most auto theft incidents could be prevented by using a locking “Club” device or by keeping valuables out of sight in parked cars.

“Vehicle theft is a crime of opportunity and by remaining vigilant, you Larson recalled to CVN an early increase the odds of not becoming a WWW.CASTROVALLEYTV.COM WWW.CASTROVALLEYTV.C November incident where a stolen victim,” explained CV CHP Com1990’s Honda driven on a “joyride” mander Lt. Chris Sherry, who sugby a trio of 15-year olds crashed into gests deterrents such as an alarm a parked car on Somerset Avenue. system, not leaving a car running All three suspects were arrested. unattended and reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement immediAlameda County Regional Auto ately.

CHP officer Bradley Larson runs a licence plate Theft Task Force Investigator Derek CV number and checks an automobile V I N number.

Tracking Auto Thieves in CV with Law Enforcement

“When out on duty, I am constantly looking for stolen cars,” explains California Highway Patrol Officer Bradley Larson as he cranes his neck from his cruiser to scrutinize parked cars for signs they may be “hot” or stolen.

Stolen vehicle incidents for 2013 in Alameda

-Story & stills by Robert Souza

Volunteers Book Big Numbers in Donations to CV Library

Hundreds

of thousands of dollars have been raised by the Friends of the Castro Valley Library whose fundraising efforts help pay for educational programs and circulation materials at the library.

In the four years since the new library opened on Norbridge Avenue in 2009, the nonprofit organization raised a whopping $255,622 though bookstore and online sales, contributions, memberships and tri-annual book sales.

“It has been a good four years where the community has allowed us to provide an enormous amount of support to the library,” said Ned Lyke, who just termed out from serving as president for the organization since 2009.

The group is made up of about 50 volunteers who pitch in countless hours of help to the

Above: Friends of the Library volunteer Carol Lyke sorts through donations. Below: Shoppers and readers enjoy perusing the library bookstore.

organization per week. Most of their members can be seen sorting, stacking and pricing donated materials at the library bookstore every day.

Moments after having a $37,720 materials and program “wish list” approved by the friends, library manager Carolyn Moskovitz said, “There is no other group like the friends. They allow us to to do so much and do things extremely well here.”

-Story & stills by Robert Souza

“Dancing Full Circle” with Samantha L. Siegel

Castro Valley native and professional danc-

er Samantha L. Siegel has come “full circle” passing along her passion for performance by teaching the art of movement and dance.

During a recent visit from her new home in New York City, Siegel taught swing dance to family and friends at the CV Performing Arts Studio where she started learning dance at the age of six. “The whole point of dance is sharing it. Otherwise there is no reason for it to exist,” said Siegel, who studied dance at the CV studio up to the age of eighteen.

After high school Siegel studied medicine at UC Berkeley, but left the Cal books behind to follow the passion for dance she still pursued as a hobby. What came next was a four year stint at New York University where she studied modern dance and ballet.

View a full story video by scanning this QR code with your smart phone:

“What was ‘hobby’ became passion and has now become what I professionally pursue,” said Siegel who teaches, choreographs and performs in New York City with her dance partner Brian T. Lawton. The pair were recently featured in the book, “Dancers Among Us” by Jordan Matter that is on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Siegel has traveled the United States and gone as far as London to teach dance and says she loves to choreograph, perform and instruct others how to dance. “I have found myself in dance. I am so happy to have found a means for my authentic expression,” she added.

-Story: R.Souza / Above photo: Christopher Duggan

Cooking With Igor Breyman: Traditional Fall Pumpkin Pie

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“ f there’s something that screams “fall” to me other than Castro Valley’s undecided weather patterns, it would be pumpkins. Squash of all sorts lining grocery stores, outside people’s houses, and the inside of pie shells. Now that the holidays are in full swing across town, kitchens are once again becoming the “eye of the storm” for holiday meals that traditionally include a delicious pumpkin pie. Here is how to make one.” ~ Chef Igor CRUST 1c. All Purpose Flour, 1/4c. ice cold water, 1/4 tsp salt, 4oz. or approximately 1 stick of butter.

FILLING 2c. of pumpkin or squash, 3/4c.-1c. sugar, 2-3 eggs, 1c. to 1.5c. of heavy cream, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cloves or allspice, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. vanilla.

1)—Halve pumpkin or squash and scoop out the seeds. If the flesh is thick, prick with a fork and place cut side down on a sheet tray. Pop into the oven at 350° F for about 20-30 minutes until it’s fully roasted and tender.

2)—To make crust, slice butter fairly thin, about 1/4” or less and pop into the freezer. Once cold, add the flour, salt, and butter together with your fingers pressing butter into corn flake like pieces. Butter should not melt. If it gets warm, pop it back in the freezer.

3)—Add water and give a gentle mix by hand. It should still look fairly powdery, but that is fine.

Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and cool about 20-30 minutes.

4)—Once cooled, your are ready to roll it out and

View a step by step video of this recipe by scanning this QR code with your smart phone: bake it. Flour a work area and roll the dough to fit your pie pan or tart pan. Make sure it stays cold or the butter will begin to melt. Press into the pie pan and flute the edges by either pressing them in, or using a fork to design it. Dock the crust by piercing the bottom with a fork so air can run through it.

5)—Bake for about 15 minutes at 350° F until crust is golden brown.

6)—For filling, cool pumpkin and scoop into a bowl. With a spoon or whisk add all of the ingredients and mix. Pour into the prepared pie crust and bake 15-20 minutes until filling is done.

CV Volunteer Dedicated to Guide Dog Training

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or the past sixteen years, Brenda Rae of Castro Valley has volunteered countless hours training labrador puppies to be service dogs for the blind and vision impaired.

Each dog has been mentored and trained to assist mobility of a person who is blind.

Specifically, each pup learns to lead, obey commands and avoid all distractions. Rae gets each dog at the age of 8 weeks old and trains them until they are 14 to 18 months old.

“To meet the criteria, they have to want to do the job,” explained Rae, who volunteered to school and mentor 14 service dogs for the Guide Dogs For The Blind organization based in San Rafael. She said she got involved in volunteering to train because she experienced sight problems as a child.

Skills trained guide dogs need to learn: be self assured, have good socialization skills

Above: Pup in training “Randall” gives Brenda Rae a smooch. Left: When not in training, 11-month old black lab “Randall” is always ready to play.

and be confident on public transportation. Rae is currently training her 14th pup — 11 month old “Randall” who is coming along quite nice in his training in learning to be a guide dog.

“Most rewarding about this is these dogs open doors for people who may not go out in the world and do things. These dogs give them confidence,” Rae added.

-Story & stills by Robert Souza

Letters To The Editor Submissions must be no more than 300 words, include writers first and last name, phone number and city of residence.

CVN may edit letters as needed.

Email all submissions to: castrovalleytelevision@gmail.com Editor: In regards to the recent letter (November CVN issue: Post Office protestors compare President Obama to Adolf Hitler) from Aran Mimran. I just happen to have a photo of the poster she was speaking of. This is from 11/ 13 / 12:

rights as a photographer to take photos in public.

Editor:

~Carl J. Lawler II/ Castro Valley

Some people seem to think that we, our babysitters or nannies can “drive” to places like CV Community Center or Greenbridge (in Crow Canyon) when the simple fact is Adobe Park is the only park in the Village / downtown area . Why would I want to drive to a park two miles away when there is a space such as Adobe that has inadequate play structures that are geared toward kids age five and up? There is that big grass area with BBQ ‘s etc. but not a place where a lot of kids can play at.

There is no place downtown at all for kids (unless you skateboard). CV offers nothing other than CV Community Center with any decent play structure/ park and CV Community Center is a good walk from downtown. There is no place to really play after school downtown.

~Anastasia F. / Castro Valley

These people have a bad habit of blocking the sidewalk so it’s hard for people to walk by. I asked them if they were anti-government or just anti Obama. They said anti-Obama.

They are directly connected to a Lyndon Larouche group with members nationwide. They didn’t want me to take photos, but I did anyway knowing my

Editor: I went to Little Caesers Pizza for dinner with my two kids, my niece and my friends son. I was appalled to see a smoke shop (in the Adobe Shopping Center) next door ! Grant it, I am a non smoker, quit over a year ago. So the thought is really disgusting and I can’t understand how it’s a “faze” to all gather in one room with the doors closed and “smoke”.

How is this okay but so many CV residents had a problem with a Goodwill store? Are you kidding me?

This is a shame. Sure it will bring tax revenue, I get it. But really? A cannabis shop would bring revenue too. Doesn’t mean I want it in my town.

~Bobbie Howland / Castro Valley

“What Castro Valley Issue Is On Your Mind?”

Asked at Pete’s Hardware

“None right now. I think

Castro Valley has improved a lot lately.”

April Gallardo - Castro Valley Resident

“Speeders and crime.

We need smarter people in general here.”

Gerald Christian - Castro Valley Resident

“More things in town for teens to do. Something like a recreation center.”

Paula Haywood - Castro Valley Resident