Year in Review 2023: Open for Business
More new businesses and community engagement opportunities opened in Castro Valley in 2023 than in years past. We gathered as a community to celebrate the Rowell Ranch Rodeo, the Fall Festival, the Light Parade, and the 70th anniversary of the Christmas tree lighting in the Village.
This year was also a time of great individual contributions and achievements. Musicians, actors, dancers, filmmakers, and artists of all disciplines inspired us to dream big and get loud!
As a community, Castro Valley was not shy about voicing its opinion. We openly discussed the possibility of Castro Valley becoming an official city, the Central Business District Specific Plan, and how to fix the roads that washed out in the January storms.
Here’s a monthly breakdown of the major stories that the Castro Valley Forum brought to you:
January: Castro Valley rang in the New Year with nearly 8 inches of rain. The water runoff from the hills and streams destroyed parts of A Street and shut off full access along Crow Canyon, Lake Chabot, and Redwood Roads. Repairs to the last two roads are still not complete.
February: The heat was on Alameda County to pass tenant protections for renters in the unincorporated communities as the COVID-19 eviction moratorium was lifting. Six Castro Valley High School athletes participated in National Signing Day. And we chronicled the opening of Sacred Pig BBQ and Pizza the Bay.
March: Groundbreaking preparations were the focus this month. Castro Valley High School announced it would open an on-campus health center, and CV Sanitary District prepared for its new facilities on Center Street—both happened later in the year. The Forum also put a spotlight on musician Pete Gidlund and the new Crossroads Specialty Foods.
April: Spring was in the air, and the Forum celebrated the season with stories on native gardens, the return of FamFest, and the county’s efforts to beat illegal dumping. We brought awareness to autism, Eden Area ROP, and Castro Valley Student Citizen awards. We also welcomed Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats Rescue to town.
May: It was time to put on our boots and 10-gallon hats and hold on tight for a lot longer than 8 seconds as the Rowell Ranch Rodeo was back in town—so many horses at the parade! We also took time to acknowledge local poet Zoe Dorado and her Presidential Scholar Award and CV Sports Foundation’s Rachel Lunt.
June: Castro Valley was all about the “pomp and circumstance,” with more than 700 students receiving diplomas from CVHS and Redwood High Schools. The School District announced a major shift in how we’ll vote for the Board of Trustees. We also followed the Allen brothers in their quest to raise money for preventive care and become doctors themselves.
July: Fireworks sparked massive fires in the hills of Castro Valley, including one close to homes and 3Crosses Church and another at Lake Chabot. We followed the CV Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) as it reviewed more public art and our local climate plan. This was also the month when Castro Valley got a new toy store called The Prize Booth.
August: More than 300 people gathered to discuss the idea of cityhood for Castro Valley. We also saw public outcry when trees near the library were removed and when the MAC discussed housing issues and the old library. This was also the month when Beard Papa came to town.
September: Nearly 40,000 people attended this year’s Fall Festival, and the Chamber of Commerce celebrated the addition of its 300th member. The MAC wrestled with the Central Business District plan. And we met 103-year-old Vince Dufresne, a super-senior who plays bocce.
October: Nothing spooky about the announced return of Tony Gemignani with his Slice House at the Marketplace. We reported on the conversion of Ruby Meadow into housing, efforts to fight retail theft, more discussion on cityhood, and Alameda County’s state of emergency on homelessness.
November: Castro Valley was lit this year as the Light Parade took over the Boulevard, and family-owned flooring and carpet business owner Dan Willits led the way. We saw local governments review Castro Valley’s cityhood plan, a mobile home park that is more than doubling rents, and the re-opening of the Kenneth C. Aitken Senior Center.
December: This holiday season brought us music, with Jon Chau scoring “Baby Shark’s Big Adventure” and Tyler Coolidge getting a Grammy nod. We began celebrating the 2024 Sports Hall of Fame inductees. And we fell in love with the marriage of Ed Dugan and Lucy Beccera in the ICU wing of Eden Medical Center.
So, where will 2024 lead us? No one can be sure. But you can always count on the Castro Valley Forum being on your doorstep every week to give you the local perspective.