CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2025
YEAR 37
MAC MEETING
INSIDE YOUR
FORUM
Updates by CHP, Code Enforcement
Cold Case
Park District police identify murderer in a 35-year-old case
By Amy Sylvestri
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Page 2
PHOTOS BY MIKE McGUIRE
Meet Cosmo
Meet Cosmo the Magician this Sunday at Center for the Arts
Page 4
Karen Fernandez of the Big Tent San Leandro organizations welcomes people to a rally in support of Sonia Reed being welcomed to her new house in Ashland, held at Hillcrest Knolls Park on Saturday, February 22. Reed herself is pictured third from left.
Rally Against Racist Graffiti By Mike McGuire
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
It’s Mardi Time!
Bring the spirit of New Orleans to your home for Mardi Gras
Page 5
INDEX Classified Ads ........ 8 Events .................. 4 Food ........................ 5 Health & Fitness ... 10 Homes .................... 6 Obituaries ............ 11 Opinions ............... 11 Our Town ................. 3 Sheriff’s Report ...... 3 Sports ................... 12 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
NO. 9
Some 60 people rallied at Hillcrest Knolls Park in Ashland on Saturday, February 22, in support of a new homeowner in the neighborhood whose welcome had been marred by racist graffiti painted on her fence. San Leandro community group Big Tent San Leandro organized the event.
“I did not know a month after closing on my house I’d be doing this,” Sonia Reed told the crowd, who she thanked for coming out. Reed had overcome both addiction and homelessness decades ago to go to school, begin working, and start her climb to a supervisor position at a healthcare nonprofit. She saved her money and applied for every kind of first-time homebuyer assistance available before finding
her house on Upland Avenue, off 150th Avenue near Fairmont Drive. Racing to buy the house in time for Christmas, she got the keys on December 22 last year. It needed some work, so she hired some workers right away to fix the house up. She said she looked forward to building a porch on which she could sit with her grandchildren, see RALLY on page 11
CELEBRATING 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Little Reds’ Barnyard where she brings various farm animals to birthday parties, schools, church events, and Chickens and ponies and day camps. Little Reds’ is goats… oh my! celebrating its 20th anniversary In 2005, Castro Valley res- this year, and Buerke hopes to ident Debbie Buerke realized host a celebration in downtown the value of animal therapy for Castro Valley. kids and adults. She started a “We have done so many family-owned business called wonderful events throughout Little Reds’ Barnyard Friends, the Bay Area,” Buerke told the By Michael Singer
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Forum. “I have made so many solid friends, and it is also fun to be invited to the same child’s birthday party year after year. Our animals touch the lives of so many. It is very rewarding to share our animals with children and adults who do not get to see animals on a daily basis, let alone hold a chicken.” see REDS on page 3
The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) met last Thursday to hear updates from the California Highway Patrol, the Alameda County Public Works Agency (PWA), and County Code Enforcement. While the cops received kudos, the MAC criticized the County. The MAC first heard one of its regular updates from CHP Officer Jen Pabst, who said traffic patrolling in Castro Valley and Hayward went particularly well over the holiday, which is typically a perilous period. Pabst said that the local CHP led the state for contact during the maximum enforcement period over the holidays. She reported zero fatal crashes over the Christmas and New Year period. Pabst provided a few statistics for January 2025: 373 traffic tickets were issued in Castro Valley, four DUI arrests, 12 injury crashes, 34 non-injury crashes, and one abandoned stolen vehicle recovered by the department. Another highlight was the CHP’s increased enforcement against “sideshows,” large, sudden gatherings of cars doing donuts and other unsafe driving. Pabst said that the CHP teamed with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and the see MAC on page 3