FIRST DAY IS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7TH
BACK TO SCHOOL
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CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2024
YEAR 36
NO. 28
CV CITYHOOD
INSIDE YOUR
Speaker Series Considers CV 2030, Beyond
FORUM
Helping Hands
Deputies gather school supplies to distribute to needy students
By Michael Singer
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
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PHOTO BY MIKE MCGUIRE
Big Book Sale
Friends of the Castro Valley Library indoor book sale this weekend
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Members of My Eden Voice demonstrated for more renter protections in the unincorporated areas outside the Tuesday, July 23, Board of Supervisors meeting in Oakland. The Board put off taking any action until the fall.
County Renters Continue To Seek More Protections By Mike McGuire
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Congratulations Dee Rosario named 2024 CSDA board member of the year
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INDEX Classified Ads ........ 8 Crosswords ............ 9 Homes ..................... 6 Horoscope ............ 12 Obituaries ............. 11 Opinions ............... 11 Our Town ................. 3 Sheriff’s Report ...... 3 Sports .................. 12 Weather ................ 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
Demonstrators gathered outside the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, July 23, demanding more protections for renters in Alameda County’s unincorporated areas. About 30 people from several communities, members of the community groups My Eden
Voice and Eden Renters United, joined under the slogan “Just Cause For Eden” to call for supervisors to pass an ordinance limiting evictions to 11 specified just causes. These include several reasons commonly cited by landlords for an eviction, including nonpayment of rent, damaging the property, or criminal behavior on the property. see RENTERS on page 10
The group hoping to convert Castro Valley into a bona fide city is sponsoring a series of one-per-month discussions with experts on city planning and governance starting in August 2024 and continuing through next year. CastroValleyCity.com spokesperson Gary Howard said each free lecture will be held at 2:00 p.m. at the Castro Valley Library. The first is scheduled for August 18. He says the goal is for the speakers to share their experience in transforming cities for success in the future. They will provide information for the community to consider for the Castro Valley-specific plan and potential incorporation. “These are all outside experts rather than our local talent,” Howard told the Forum. CastroValleyCity.com is a group of like-minded residents who hope to encourage others to support transforming Castro Valley from an unincorporated town in Alameda County into a full-fledged city. The cohort gained momentum last year following a Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) report suggesting that Castro Valley becoming a city is feasible but would initially be financially challenged. While voters twice rejected incorporating Castro Valley in 1956 and 2002, there may be an appetite for cityhood this time. The community of Mountain House recently voted overwhelmingly to become the first California city since 2011. see SPEAKERS on page 10
Organized Retail Theft Hurting Local Businesses stores in Alameda, Dublin, and Pleasanton on July 19. The SPECIAL TO THE FORUM other victim stores include Valley Health Mill in Pleasanton, On July 19, around 6:45 Castro Valley Natural Grocery, p.m., six people ran in and Alameda Natural Grocery, and robbed the San Leandro Sprouts in Dublin. branch of Health Unlimited. According to Ethan Falls, the The robberies were conductmanager of the Castro Valley ed by a group of six people branch, the thieves ran out with (four adults and two children), about $4,000 in merchandise. Falls said. In response, Health According to Falls, the same Unlimited sent a flier to its group also robbed health food stores and other local merBy Corinne Davidson
chants to ensure that people were aware of and on the lookout for the group. The group is wanted for shoplifting, and Health Unlimited called the incident a “grand theft felony.” Falls said he normally doesn’t see theft like that in the Castro Village Shopping Center. “I mean, sporadically in the store, we see some stuff. And then I’ve seen some stuff
at Ross where people come Organized retail theft differs running out with stuff, but it’s from shoplifting, a category of not too much,” Falls said. larceny in crime data involving the theft of items valued Organized retail theft has increased each year since the at $950 or less. Commercial burglary is reported in the bur2020 pandemic. Property glary category. Both Organized crimes were up 7 percent retail theft and commercial in 2023 compared to 2022, including 40 reported cases of burglary are considered proptheft or larceny, such as robber- erty crimes. ies and car break-ins, according According to a report this to Alameda County Sheriff’s month by the Little Hoover Office estimates. see THEFT on page 3