TOMORROW IS THANKSGIVING
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2022
YEAR 34 INSIDE YOUR
FORUM NEWS
Aisha Wahab Leads State Senate District 10 Results By Michael Singer
NO. 47
MAC Meeting: COVID Update, Watershed Maps
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Show Gratitude Develop a gratitude practice to stick around beyond Thanksgiving
Page 2 NEWS
Green Friday Park entrance and activity fees waived this Friday at EB Parks
Page 4 NEWS
Hot Topic Free public artist talk highlights local effects of climate change
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INDEX Calendar .................. 4 Classified Ads ......... 8 Crosswords ............. 9 Homes .................... 6 Horoscope ............. 10 Obituaries ............ 11 Opinions .............. 11 Our Town ................. 3 Sports ................... 12 Weather ................. 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
While mail-in ballots continue to be counted, California State Senate District 10 candidate Aisha Wahab says she’s confident in the outcome. As of Monday, at 12 p.m., Wahab generated 113,208 votes. Her opponent, Lily Mei had 48,892 votes with a spread of 7.4%. “While it is the Registrar of Voters and the Secretary of State’s responsibility to call the race, I’ve been contacted by California State Senate Leadership to schedule my orientation and prepare me for transition as our lead has grown each night since Election Day,” Wahab told the Forum. The candidates are vying to replace State Senator Bob Wieckowski, who is terming out at the end of this year. Following the redistricting agreements in December 2021, representation for State Senate 10 has removed Castro Valley see WAHAB on page 10 State Senate District 10 candidate Aisha Wahab
By Amy Sylvestri CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
COVID concerns may seem like a thing of the past these days, but around 11 people per 100,000 residents in Alameda County are still testing positive daily, the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) heard during an update at their meeting Monday night. That puts the county in what the Centers for Disease Control consider a “low” community level positivity rate, but that number is likely to increase as we get into winter months, according to Kimi Watkins-Tartt, Alameda County Public Health Department Director. Watkins-Tartt updated the MAC on current COVID-19 and other respiratory infections. Currently, 86 people are hospitalized for COVID, with eight people in the ICU. There have been 495 COVID deaths in 2022 to date.
Watkins-Tartt said she understood that the public may be fatigued with virus news and that many people have effectively turned a corner in the pandemic, but still advised vigilance going into the holi “We have been using wastewater surveillance more and more,” said Watkins-Tartt. “Our wastewater data shows COVID increasing more and more. It remains to be seen if it’s a blip or a winter wave.” She added that County health officials still recommend that everyone be vaccinated and boosted. Nearly a million Alameda County residents (69.7 percent) have received the first vaccines and a second booster but just 265,992 Alameda County residents (19 percent) have been fully boosted with the Bivalent shot. “We really would like to see everyone vaccinated and boosted,” said Watkins-Tartt. see MAC on page 10
Managing Alzheimer’s at Holiday Gatherings Bay communities including San Leandro, with the aim of keeping them in their own There are times when dwell- homes while getting their ing on the past can be a good needs met. “I really like to look at what thing, and one of those times people can do, not what they is when an older person with memory loss joins loved ones can’t do,” Mittelberger said. With Alzheimer’s, the most at a holiday gathering. That’s common form of dementia, the according to Dr. Jim Mittelberger, medical director at the loved one’s personality remains intact in the early stages of the Center for Elders Independence (CEI), where many sen- disease. So does their thinking iors with Alzheimer’s disease ability, he said. “They’re still there,” the and other forms of dementia doctor said, “but they forget are among the clients. things.” Their ability to plan CEI provides daytime services and transportation to effectively can also be affected, he added. older people in several East By Mike McGuire
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
It’s things that happened relatively recently that a person with early Alzheimer’s may forget, he said. Older memories are often quite intact. “So, talk about old times, which they’re likely to remember clearly, particularly when they had shared those with others present,” Mittelberger said. Conflicts over recent or current events are best avoided, he added. “Holidays are a great time to bring out old pictures and things from the past,” Mittelberger said. You can also bring out
Dr. Jim Mittelberger possessions they’ll remember, along with playing or singing music. Music can bring great joy to a person with memory loss, especially if they remem-
ber enjoying it with some of the people present. One can also talk about food, at Thanksgiving, in particular, he said. The older person may greatly enjoy helping prepare it, especially if they did so previously with family members or friends who are there. Another Thanksgiving tradition, everybody watching a football game, may present a bit of a problem. Music is much easier on the nerves of a person with Alzheimer’s, he said. For the same reason—too much going on at once—it’s see HOLIDAY on page 5