CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
YEAR 37
INSIDE YOUR
FORUM
Eagles Honored
Three new Eagle Scouts from CV Troop 708 honored at ceremony
Page 2
Free Lecture
Author Gary Howard will ring in the New Year with a free lecture
Page 4
Give Me a Sign
How to assist physically impaired persons sign legal documents
Page 10
INDEX Classified Ads ........ 8 Homes ..................... 6 Home Services ...... 8 Obituaries ............. 11 Opinions ............. 11 Our Town ................. 3 Seniors .................. 10 Sheriff’s Report ..... 3 Sports ..................... 5 Weather ................ 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025
NO. 1
Construction Bringing New Year, Hope in the New Year New Set Of Laws
By Michael Singer
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Up and down Castro Valley Boulevard, companies are preparing for 2025 with the promise of a fresh start. However, some are making bold changes that will be noticeable from the outside and the inside. Here are a few businesses in construction mode right now. The most obvious changes are coming to Wendy’s fastfood site between Strobridge Avenue and Stanton Avenue (also known as Hamburger Island). According to papers filed with Public Works, the home of the “Baconator” and the “Frosty” is redesigning its outside area by reducing parking stalls from 38 to 33. They are adding two shortterm bicycle parking spots near the entrance and rebuilding the trash enclosure to be larger with additional landscaping to hide it better. The construction also included the recent breakup of the asphalt on Stanton Avenue to improve drainage and utility service to PHOTO BY MICHAEL SINGER the building. Changes on the inside inChanges are coming to this classic ice cream shop, including clude updating seating areas redesigning the seating area. One thing that will not be changing see HOPE on page 4 is the delicious ice cream flavors as well as the excellent service.
Castro Valley Road Repairs out, cutting full use of A Street near Knox Street, Crow Canyon near the SPECIAL TO THE FORUM Contra Costa County border, Lake Chabot Road near Astor Drive, and It’s been two years since hard rains washed away some roads sur- Redwood Road past the Redwood rounding Castro Valley. And while Canyon Golf Course. Of the four roads, federal funding some were immediately repaired, others are taking much longer to fix. helped quickly repair eastbound A During the winter storms of De- Street along San Lorenzo Creek cember 31, 2022, and January 2023, by the summer of 2023. Later that creeks flooded, and hillsides washed year, Lake Chabot Road was cleared By Corinne Davidson
of debris on the Castro Valley side of the western side of the lake, allowing through traffic to San Leandro through the Bay-O-Vista neighborhood. However, a washout underneath the road near Chabot Terrace and a landslide above Lake Chabot near Astor Drive have yet to be repaired. San Leandro officials are reviewing plans to restore the see REPAIRS on page 11
By Mike McGuire
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
An increased minimum wage, a limit on apartment security deposits, tougher penalties on retail theft, and a parking ticket you may not expect are among the changes in state laws Californians will see in 2025. Effective January 1, the statewide minimum wage will rise 50 cents to $16 an hour, with some occupations seeing a higher minimum a few months into the year. Security deposits for those renting an apartment will be limited to one month’s rent, making moving in a little cheaper for some. A host of laws and a state initiative, Proposition 36, aim to greatly discourage retail theft, which had sometimes become an organized group operation. And don’t think you can park near a crosswalk without getting fined just because no sign or curb painting tells you otherwise. Fines, which will vary by locality, can now be charged to those parked within 20 feet of a crosswalk, marked or unmarked. That “daylighting” law, meant to help vehicles and pedestrians see each other better, had been in effect for a year, but only warnings were issued until now. Castro Valley once banned cars cruising slowly down Castro Valley Boulevard but now promotes an annual cruise night so people can show off cars they’re proud of. AB 436 now bars cities and counties from imposing bans on cruising. Crime was a big political issue in 2024, and legislators responded with at least 11 major bills to toughen penalties and enforcement of often high-profile crimes. Governor Gavin Newsom decried “loopholes” that had prevented stricter penalties against those accused of crimes at multiple businesses or in multiple jurisdictions. This often made each offense considered by itself a misdemeanor, which rarely resulted in prison or jail time. Newsom praised several new laws that let district attorneys and prosecutors combine multiple offenses, even in different jurisdictions , so they can be tried in a single jurisdiction as felonies. Substantial prison terms could be imposed for those convicted. see LAWS on page 5