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COFFEE WITH A COP EVENT
CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH
DOWNTOWN CV CAR SHOW
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2023
YEAR 35 INSIDE YOUR
FORUM
Redwood High School Graduates Celebrate Overcoming Adversities By Alyssa Phillips SPECIAL TO THE FORUM
Screen Time Skin cancer is the hidden danger of having fun in the sun
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Olympian Awards CVHS Olympian student journalists garner 19 awards
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June Rotarians Randy Vanderbuilt one of three June Rotarians of the month
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INDEX Calendar ................ 4 Classified Ads ....... 8 Health & Fitness ... 12 Homes...................... 6 Legal Notices .......... 9 Opinions ................ 11 Our Town ................. 3 Sheriff’s Report ....... 3 Sports .................. 12 Weather ................ 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
Graduating with an educational journey like no other, Redwood High School’s Class of 2023 faced and overcame great challenges throughout their high school careers. On May 31, these graduates were recognized for their accomplishments at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts. Redwood Staff Speaker, Josh Wheeler, told of the adversities the graduates had faced and honored the strength it took to overcome them. He gave a message of adaptation and recognizing your own self-worth through conquering life’s unknowns. “Nothing worthwhile comes easy; where there is opportunity, there are opportunity costs. So let the world give you its best because I know you can take it,” said Wheeler. For the first time ever, the school granted its ‘Keep on Rising’ award to four graduates to encourage their future endeavors of attending college, vocational programs,
NO. 24 EBMUD PLAN
MAC Blasts Project
awarded based on extraordinary academic performance, school leadership, and impactful contributions to the Redwood community. Tina and John Sachs, Gary Howard By Amy Sylvestri and Shirley Valdivia, and Dan CASTRO VALLEY FORUM and Kristy Willits presented the awards. The Castro Valley MuniciCelebrating the students’ pal Advisory Council (MAC) hard work included promihad some harsh words at their nent school figures, including Monday night meeting for the Castro Valley Unified School East Bay Municipal Utility District (CVUSD) SuperinDistrict (EBMUD), criticizing tendent Parvin Ahmadi and the utility’s plan to transport members of the Board of tons of dredged soil through Trustees. History teacher, Matt town on trucks. Hassebrock, hosted ten StuIn order to replace old pipes, dent Speakers that highlighted EBMUD plans to move 17,000 the perseverance of themselves cubic yards of trench soil and their fellow graduates from a site on Miller Road in and the love and support from the Castro Valley Hills to the friends, family, and staff that Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline allowed them to reach this in San Leandro. achievement. Also earning This would entail approxtheir degrees were nine seniors imately 150 trucks making of the Castro Valley Virtual round trips down Redwood Academy. Road and through Castro Redwood High School graduate Mia Mariella PinedaLike other graduates this Valley daily for the duration Rivas, one of four ‘Keep on Rising’ award recipients. year, Redwood High’s Class of of the project, set for 9:00 a.m. 2023 saw immense challenges through 4:00 p.m. weekdays and joining our community’s Hakim Craig Jackson, Saroyah at the beginning of their high from July 10 through August school careers due to the 8. workforce. Seniors Ignacio Diamond Monroe, and Mia see GRADUATES on page 7 see MAC on page 11 Alejandro Valverde Pino, Mariella Pineda-Rivas were
DA Seeks Reduced Charges in CV Murder Purvis, Vega, and other friends were playing with Vega’s gun and smoking marijuana in the A Castro Valley man conbedroom of an apartment on victed of murdering his friend the 3400 block of Redwood could see his sentence changed Court in Castro Valley, accordto involuntary manslaughter ing to police reports. and time served cut to 4 years The gun jammed when instead of 50 years to life, the Vega attempted to test-fire Alameda County District it. Vega, Purvis, and a group Attorney’s office said last of friends examined the gun. week. Another man took it apart and James Joseph Vega is curcleaned it. Witnesses said Vega rently serving time without bail and Purvis were playing with at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin the gun and laughing when the for the April 2020 murder gun accidentally fired. Purvis of 18-year-old Jarin Purvis. was shot in the face and killed. By Michael Singer
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Initial police intelligence the Alameda County District tionally shoot his friend,” suggested that Purvis shot him- Attorney’s office says it will said District Attorney Price. self. Reports at the time called file to amend the charges in the “This was clearly a mistake. the self-inflicted fatal wound fatal shooting. Vega will now Mr. Vega admits that. Other “suspicious.” After further face involuntary manslaughter witnesses agree. His behavior investigation, Vega provided a because of the amended com- was inexcusably negligent, but full confession and told police plaint. He also faces charges this was an accident. While he did not realize the gun was related to carrying a concealed we deeply empathize with Mr. loaded. and loaded firearm. Purvis’ family and friends, In November 2020, invesAlameda County District James Joseph Vega should not, tigators charged Vega with Attorney Pamela Price said she potentially, spend decades of murder with a special circum- came to the decision because his life behind bars for a tragic stance enhancement, which “there is no evidence of an mistake.” exposed him to a sentence of argument, conflict or animosity DA Price’s office said that 50 years to life. before this tragic incident took prosecutors met with Purvis’s Based on the factual analplace.” family to explain the new ysis of evidence in this case, “This man did not intencharges.