I moved with my family to Castro Valley in 2000. Impressed by the excellent public schools, nature trails, and BART access, I was willing to overlook the fact that our unincorporated town seemed to drift a bit when it came to having a distinct identity. The plethora of fast food restaurants and beige strip malls were offset by the quaint Village Shopping Center and great parks. In the intervening years I have made wonderful friends and I love this place.

And yet after nearly 20 years here, I have more than an inkling of what the American colonists complained about when they decried their fate of taxation without representation. My first brush with how disconnected Castro Valley is from local governance came when a staffer for our county supervisor scolded me for seeking help in restoring public access to a nature trail that the county tried to close. Eventually my neighbors and I succeeded in getting the county to back down on its trail closure (which was contrary to all kinds of county public health policies). When funding for bicycle lanes and sidewalks near schools became available in California (via the Active Transportation Program), I figured Alameda County would certainly take care of its unincorporated community of some 63,000, which lacked even sidewalks (let alone bikeways) near our public schools. Yet I saw that cities – organized and empowered by locally elected residents – got the most money in the early rounds. (Castro Valley did eventually get this important funding, after local residents banded together to partner with dedicated county staff to advance grant proposals.) I saw the same scenario play out as Alameda County designed its transportation sales tax renewal (Measure BB) for voter approval: many projects were earmarked for cities, with only one – out on Crow Canyon Road – for CV. We are eligible for various programs funded from our taxes, but very little is guaranteed to come our way, thanks in part to the fact that we have no mayor or city council to advocate for us.

Perhaps our leadership void was most acute when a CV resident harassed a group of Muslims trying to pray at Lake Chabot, eventually throwing her coffee on a man trying to fend off her hostility. Again I craved a voice from local leaders denouncing this hate attack in the strongest terms. A resident who was elected to serve on our school board did step forward and speak out (thanks, Dot Theodore!) at a rally organized by the Eden Area Interfaith Council. But again, the incident demonstrated the dearth of Castro Valley voices empowered by elected office to speak at times when it is really needed.

So what is a civic-minded person in Castro Valley to do? There is strength in numbers. The best way to advance goals for our community – whether it’s public art, a more vibrant downtown, safer streets for walking and bicycling, a more comprehensive approach to homelessness, or a clear stand against racism, bigotry and hate – is by joining your neighbors who share a similar vision for a better Castro Valley.

Did you know that a local nonprofit — Castro Valley Matters (CVM) — is working on multiple fronts for a better Castro Valley? CVM’s local governance committee is working to find ways to make the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) — appointed by and accountable to our Alameda County supervisor — more reflective of and responsive to the diverse needs of Castro Valley. Its place-making group is working with officials at the state and county level on a mural to identify Castro Valley on the freeway overpass at Redwood Road and Interstate 580, as well as on a host of other local arts initiatives (think of the cool, art-clad utility boxes you see all over Hayward, San Leandro and many other cities). Castro Valley Matters also stepped up to express concern when a developer sought to turn the long-vacant Daughtrey’s building on Castro Valley Boulevard into a party space and gym for small children, noting that the building had been intended as a major retail or dining gathering spot to inject new vitality into the downtown economy. CVM also supports efforts by another local group, BikeWalkCV, to partner with Alameda County Public Works, Caltrans and others to advance sidewalk and bicycling projects, as well as other traffic safety improvements, such as the distinctive crosswalks near many schools and at the Lake Chabot Marina. These are but a few of the initiatives this volunteer-run nonprofit organization is helping to advance.

So how can you help? If you have the time, please consider joining us at one of our regular meetings, which are on the 2nd Thursday of every month, September through May, at 7 p.m. Check the website and follow us on Facebook for locations and other updates. No time for meetings? No worries, you can support the efforts of CVM through a membership contribution of just $30 per year. Your tax-deductible donation helps cover costs for the all-volunteer CVM to engage with local residents at events like the Fall Festival and Castro Valley Pride, or hosting non-partisan voter education events, such as the one slated for October 9th at the CV Library. It also pays for printing flyers, web site hosting, and other expenses, such as the cost of sending newsletters to keep residents up to date on opportunities to get involved in issues that affect us. Here’s the thing: $30 is about what you would pay for six fancy coffee drinks. Today more than ever, we need to cultivate grassroots leadership to articulate a vision for a Castro Valley we can be proud to leave behind for the next generation. If you have some cash to spare, your contribution will help keep our town on a progressive path toward more local engagement in decisions that affect us. So how about foregoing a few cappuccinos or lattes and investing in the future of Castro Valley?

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