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CVEA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INVITES YOU TO GET SOCIAL
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022
YEAR 34 INSIDE YOUR
FORUM NEWS
Get Your Tickets CV Arts Foundation is bringing tenor David Burnham to town
Page 2 NEWS
New Director Chamber of Commerce names Gary Slate as next Executive Director
Page 3 NEWS
The Right Foot Taking care of your feet plays a big role in how your whole body feels
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INDEX Calendar .................. 10 Classified Ads ............ 8 Crosswords ............... 9 Homes ........................ 6 Horoscope .................. 5 Merchants .................. 4 Obituaries ................ 11 Opinions .................. 11 Our Town .................... 3 Weather ....................... 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
NO. 32
MAC MEETING
‘HIKE WITH YOUR REP’
General Plan: A Review
Locals Hike The Lake for Town Hall
By Amy Sylvestri
By Michael Singer
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
On Monday, the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) heard a report about the progress on its longrange, big-picture General Plan, the document that will guide Castro Valley’s future on a large scale. As for specifics, stay tuned. Alameda County staff said that the various elements of the area-specific General Plan will continue to come before the MAC over the next several months before the document is finalized. State law requires that each city and county in California have a comprehensive General Plan, a local policy document that guides growth on the physical, economic, and environmental level. The County’s general Plan (which has been adopted by the Board of Supervisors) contains within it three Area Plans. The Castro Valley General Plan, the Eden Area General Plan, and the East County General Plan Each Plan serves as a “roadmap” for future development by assessing current see MAC on page 10
A group of about 60 people from Castro Valley and surrounding cities walked along Lake Chabot this past Saturday to hear from their congressman—U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell—and how he is working on their issues and concerns back in Washington DC. It was the sixth time Swalwell (Calif. District 15) invited the community to his “Hike with Your Rep.” event. “I love coming to Castro Valley because I want to hear directly from the community about how they are doing and what is on their mind,” said Swalwell. “Each year I choose Lake Chabot as the venue because of the work the community has done to open up land to the public.” After a 30-minute trek, the crowd settled in for a discussion near Coot Landing where the park district stocks the lake with trout and catfish. “We’re very grateful over the years for all the work we’ve done with Congressman Swalwell,” said East Bay Regional Park District Board President Colin Coffey. “Each time we purchase new land to transform into park space, he has been right there to fight for us.” After an acknowledgment of the land trust of the indigenous tribes who historically lived in the area, Swalwell used the town hall and open-air discussion to cover issues including the economy, community safety, and immigration, as well as the upcoming elections in November. “I believe that this [Midterm election in November] is not just to register to vote and go see HIKE on page 5
PHOTO BY DARRELL LAVIN
THE BUCK STOPS HERE?: A young contestant participates in the 59th Annual Rowell Ranch Junior Rodeo this past weekend in Castro Valley. The family-friendly event featured riding and roping horses and steers for ages under 18. Organizers are now focused on continuing the tradition. A proposed ordinance before the Alameda County Board of Supervisors threatens rodeo activities in Castro Valley, Pleasanton, and Livermore. Proponents of the ordinance are asking for a ban on wild cow milking and the use of bucking straps, spurs, and non-release ropes. On Tuesday, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley removed the item from the Board’s agenda to allow the public agreater opportunity to provide feedback. The matter is expected to come up next month.
School’s Back, Drive Safely, Officials Caution driving, especially around schools. “When school opens The new school year began everything changes,” says Gary Howard, Castro Valley school yesterday for Castro Valley and in Hayward, San Leandro, board member and board member of the Chamber. “New and San Lorenzo next week. So, law enforcement and local schedules and traffic patterns, businesses are joining school young students are excited to officials in urging everyone to see classmates, and parents are trying to get to work. We need exercise extreme care when By Michael Singer
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
to be extra careful.” The Chamber and Rotary Club offer this advice: Slow down, eliminate distractions, and watch carefully for students walking and riding bikes. Children on bicycles can be unpredictable. Everyone is trying to learn a new routine. Remember to stop for school buses with their red
lights flashing. The areas near schools are particularly busy. Law enforcement could not agree more, says Alameda County Sheriff Lieutenant Ray Kelly. The first few weeks of school drop-offs are the most hectic, especially with new parents and students arriving on campus. “If you’re not familiar with
your school drop-off zones take a trip by the campus before school starts,” Lt. Kelly told the Forum. “We will have deputies around the campuses to support traffic safety. Be mindful that it may be hard to see a smaller student walking to school. We would also remind parents to preach the fundaments of pesee SCHOOL on page 3