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CONVERSATION ON HOMELESSNESS
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TRUNK OR TREAT
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CASTRO VALLEY SINCE 1989
YEAR 36
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024
NO. 40 MAC MEETING
INSIDE YOUR
EBMUD To Enforce Penalties
FORUM
Oh My Squash Grab your apron and let’s dive into the world of pumpkin delights
By Amy Sylvestri CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
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PHOTO COURTESY OF DISNEY BRANDED TELEVISION/DISNEY CHANNEL/WDTV PRESS
Fit and Festive Tips to celebrate a Halloween of both health and fun
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“Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” features Castro Valley teen Alkaio Thiele, left, and costars Taylor Cora and Janice Leann Brown.
CV Teen Alkaio Thiele Stars in Disney Series
If you are behind on your East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) bill, prepare to have your water restricted or have a lien placed against you. EBMUD officials visited Monday night’s meeting of the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) to talk about their plan to begin enforcement against delinquent customers. Before the pandemic, the utility district would shut off water for non-payment, theft, or tampering. During the pandemic, EBMUD would not turn off water or do any enforcement for health reasons, but as of October 1, they will, starting with the oldest and highest overdue bills. Previously, customers were in a total of see MAC on page 11
THIS SATURDAY By Linda Sandsmark CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Boxing Phenom CVHS Sophomore is an accomplished amateur boxer
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INDEX Classified Ads ........ 8 Crosswords ............ 9 Events .................... 4 Health & Fitness .... 10 Homes ..................... 6 Obituaries ............. 11 Our Town ................. 3 Sheriff’s Report ...... 3 Sports .................. 12 Weather ................ 2 WWW.MYCVFORUM.COM
Fourteen-year-old Alkaio Thiele from Castro Valley has hit the big time — landing a starring role in a Disney sitcom called “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” which premieres October 29 and 30. He’ll be playing Roman Russo, a high-strung, uptight, rule-following bookworm who loves order, straight A’s, and being right. “I’ve been told that when I was young all I ever did was sing and perform and draw attention to myself,” says Alkaio, “So when I was 11 my parents told me I had to try musical theater.” “I auditioned for a role in ‘High School Musical’ at I Can Do That! Performing Arts Center in Danville, and the entire experience was life changing. I was in tears after closing night and told my parents that this is exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” That was 2021. It was mid-pandemic, but Alkaio’s timing was good. His mother, Alexis Kollias Thiele, says he had always been musical and very funny. She helped get his career started by submitting his profile through casting databases. She says, “The pandemic had given birth to self-tape auditions from home, which allowed equal opportunity for talent inside and outside of Los
Angeles. It felt surreal having Alkaio audition for feature films starring famous actors from the comfort of our home.” Alkaio’s parents are both registered nurses, so they were able to arrange their schedules to make trips as needed to Los Angeles for acting assignments. He also got voiceover work, for which the family built an in-home recording studio. Once Alkaio had some reel footage from those jobs, they e-mailed several agents in Los Angeles and eventually got him proper representation with access to larger projects. Now Alkaio has several movies under his belt, and voiceover work as Spidey (Peter Parker) in the animated TV series “Spidey and His Amazing Friends.” His film credits include “A Christmas Mystery,” for HBO Max, “I’ll Be There,” and “Ultra Red.” Photos and details of his work can be seen on imdb.com. Once he landed the part of Roman in the Disney series, it became clear that he’d have to live in LA. The family relocated there in March. Now Alkaio is on set Monday through Friday and continues his schooling through daily online courses. He says his character is “a little neurotic and has a lot of similarities to young Justin Russo from the original series, who is now my dad on the show.” see THIELE on page 10
Discussion Focuses on Homeless By Michael Singer CASTRO VALLEY FORUM
Over the last five years, members of First Presbyterian Church of Hayward (FirstPres) on Grove Way have made serving their unhoused neighbors a priority within their overall mission. Every day, the congregation provides shelter, food, and other resources to hundreds of needy people at two locations. As part of its activism and community outreach, church leaders are hoping to share their knowledge about homelessness, “teach towards truths,” and share some solutions that need whole-community participation. see HOMELESS on page 2