CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2025
YEAR 37 INSIDE YOUR
FORUM
NO. 8
CV Woman Promotes Women’s Extension Heart Health at the US Capitol Of Tenant Protection By Linda Sandsmark
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Art Reception Plein air artist Cedric Williams at CV Center for the Arts Saturday
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Loss of Spouse The crucial steps to take after the death of a loved one
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Watch Out Regional Park District issues annual wild mushroom advisory
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INDEX Classified Ads ........ 8 Events .................. 4 Homes .................... 5 Obituaries ............ 11 Opinions ............... 11 Our Town ................. 3 Seniors .................... 5 Sheriff’s Report ...... 3 Sports ................... 12 Weather ................ 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
Michelle Sheely is on a mission — to make sure no other women experience potentially fatal heart events like hers. Sheely traveled to Washington D.C. with WomenHeart.org this month to convince as many members of Congress as possible that funding for women’s heart health must be a priority. “I’m on a mission to save as many women as I can,” says Sheely, a longtime Castro Valley resident. “I don’t want any families and children to go through what mine did.” Up until five years ago, Sheely thought she was healthy. She was a vegan “health food nut,” soccer player, and long-distance runner. But when she was 44, she started having chest pains. She saw a doctor, was told she had indigestion, and was sent home with Pepcid. Two days later, she was in the Emergency Room getting an EKG, which revealed a potentially fatal, unrecognized heart condition. She had open heart surgery that saved her life. This is a common story, says Sheely. Women present different symptoms than men, and funding for women’s health lags behind that of men’s. Yet one in five women will die from heart disease in the U.S. – more than all cancers, diabetes, and stroke combined. To help change that, Sheely joined see ADVOCATE on page 10
By Mike McGuire CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
WomenHeart Champion Michelle Sheely of Castro Valley traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate for women’s heart health.
Tenants in unincorporated Alameda County, including Castro Valley, received additional housing protections from the county Board of Supervisors at its February 4 meeting. The supervisors unanimously passed an extension of protections to renters of single-family houses if the owner operates five or more units in unincorporated areas. (Single-family houses are exempt from the state law. Cities or counties can pass their ordinances or choose not to go beyond the statewide protections.) Eviction notification periods were extended to 90 days for some especially vulnerable tenants, compared with the three days protected by state law. Those groups include households with children, elderly or disabled members, and low-income households. The provision also requires two months’ rent in relocation assistance when tenants are evicted without fault, such as when major renovations are scheduled, or the unit requires extensive repairs due to a natural disaster. The ruling was hailed by tenant advocacy group My Eden Voice, whose members mostly live in unincorporated Ashland, Cherryland, and San Lorenzo. see TENANT on page 10
Lana Carlos Honored with Safety Checkpoints Drivers can expect a law enforcement presence outside of the 12 campuses around town. This coming Monday, Feb- Pedestrians and bicyclists ruary 24, marks the fifth year will also be guided to make since 12-year-old Lana Carlos smart decisions. In addition to was struck and killed crossing badged officers, the CHP will Crow Canyon Road. In her have its senior volunteers drivhonor, the California Highway ing around to ensure people Patrol will be in force that obey the traffic laws. morning, bringing attention “They don’t necessarily to pedestrian safety around make traffic stops, but they’re Castro Valley schools. there to write down license By Michael Singer
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
plates when they see drivers behaving badly,” CHP Officer Jennifer Pabst told the Forum. “We will also have marked units of patrol vehicles and motorcycles going through the school zones, ensuring that drivers are obeying the laws.” Additionally, the CHP will be staging a random pedestrian operation somewhere in town. This is where a CHP volunteer wears visibly bright clothing
and crosses at a crosswalk without a light or a stop sign. Drivers are expected to stop before coming to the crosswalk. Those who don’t should expect to get a moving citation and a reminder to share the road. While CHP pedestrian enforcement and school zone safety days are often held in the fall, the idea of tying it to Lana Carlos was struck Lana Carlos’s death came after and killed crossing Crow Canyon Road in 2020 see LANA on page 3