WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY WARM Early clouds, late sun HIGHS:69-74 } 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 } LOWS:53-58 San Leandro Times AN INDEPENDENT HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SERVING SAN LEANDRO, ASHLAND, SAN LORENZO AND SHEFFIELD VILLAGE VOL. 29 • NO. 27 THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2019 SAN LEANDRO • CALIFORNIA Supervisors to Decide on San Lorenzo Project Village Green project goes to Alameda County Supervisors By Jim Knowles San Leandro Times The Alameda County Board feasible if all the workers are paid of Supervisors will decide next a union wage. Tuesday whether to OK a new A lawyer representing Dem- apartment project in the long-va- mon, Rob Selna, said the unions cant, former Mervyn’s site in the don’t really want an environmen- middle of San Lorenzo. see SUPERVISORS, page 8 San Lorenzans have always mourned the loss of the original Mervyn’s that was the heart of town. When it closed in 1995, adjoining smaller stores fell Saag’s shortly after like dominos leaving an empty slab of concrete for over Closing two decades at Hesperian Boule- PHOTO BY DENIS PEREZ vard and Paseo Grande. Kaleb Johnson, an 11th grader from San Leandro, does a wheelie on his bicycle in front of Vic’s Bike Shop on If the project is approved, the SL Plant East 14th Street. Village Green apartment complex will fill that vacant property with By Denis Perez 163 apartments in five buildings San Leandro Times that will be four-stories tall. Smithfield Foods shut down Wheeling Around Town If the supervisors say no, the production of the 41-year-old vacant property will remain an Saag’s Products sausage factory Teens say biking gives them a sense of community; some empty lot in the center of San in San Leandro and will be laying Lorenzo, right across Hesperian off 81 workers. drivers hostile, but most kids keep it peaceful and fun from the long abandoned Loren- Continuing production in zo Theater. the San Leandro facility at 1799 By Denis Perez He refers to being in a group of 10 or “When you are in the middle of a ride The plan was approved by Factor Ave. would no longer be San Leandro Times more riders taking over a part of the street. like that, all your problems go away,” the county planning commission cost-efficient, said a Smithfield Warm days and summer vacation drive a “When we ride out as a group it is safe Garcia said. in February, but a labor group spokesperson. number of San Leandro youth to congregate, to ride in the street,” he said. Garcia and a group of around 20 young filed an appeal to block it on the “Smithfield recently made the ride bikes, do tricks and create a culture. When they do ride on the street, Garcia bicyclists met up in front of Vic’s Bike Shop grounds of the California Envi- difficult, but necessary decision “It feels hella good,” says one of these said it is to be able to do tricks and ride on East 14th at around 5 p.m. on June 18. ronmental Quality Act (CEQA). to shift production from our San riders, 14-year-old Isaac Garcia. freely. see BIKES, page 8 The group of four trade unions Leandro, California facility to calls itself East Bay Residents for other Smithfield plants in order Responsible Development. to drive efficiency and optimize The unions say the developer, our production network,” Smith- Demmon Partners, has not given field’s Executive VP of Corporate them the construction work. But Affairs and Compliance Keira Hornet Met Apollo 11 Crew 50 Years Ago Demmon says the project isn’t see SAAG’S, page 14 By Jim Knowles When the astronauts came San Leandro Times back and landed in the Pacific, On the Fourth of July, a piece the Hornet was there to meet INSIDE YOUR TIMES of American history that you can them. First a crew of navy div- walk up to and touch is docked ers jumped from a helicopter to ■ SL MUSEUM Auto ......................6 right nearby in Alameda. place a flotation collar around Museum to screen Apollo 11 Calendar.................4 The U.S.S. Hornet is a mu- the capsule, until the ship could documentary. Page 2 Classified Ads ........ 12 seum now, but when it was in arrive and lift Apollo 11 to its Crime ....................3 service it picked up the Apollo hangar deck. ■ NEWS 11 space capsule along with the The footsteps are painted on Crossword ............. 14 three astronauts that made the Apartment fire put down, Homes ................. 10 the floor of the Hornet’s hangar Page 3 first moon landing. deck where the astronauts walked building saved. Home Services ....... 11 Inquiring Reporter ... 15 This month is the 50th an- to the quarantine trailer where ■ SPORTS niversary of the mission to the they spent the next few days. Letters ................. 15 moon when Neil Armstong be- They were quarantined in the SL Swim Team stays Lifestyle .................7 undefeated. Page 5 came the first human to set foot specially built Airstream trailer PHOTO BY JIM KNOWLES Obituaries ............. 14 on a celestial body other than because at the time no one knew An Apollo capsule like the one that brought back the first 38,500 EVERY THURSDAY Seniors ..................9 the Earth. see HISTORY, page 16 astronauts to land on the moon is on display on the Hornet. THE LARGEST FREE-DELIVERED NEWSPAPER IN THE EAST BAY 01 FRONT PAGE 07-04-19.indd 1 7/3/19 4:38 PM 2 THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2019 San Leandro Times San Leandro Times An independent hometown newspaper serving San Leandro, Ashland, San Lorenzo and Sheffield Village EDITORIAL Fred Zehnder Editor and Publisher Jim Knowles Managing Editor [email protected] Steve Schaefer Auto Editor PRODUCTION Howard Morrison Manager Kayla Steinorth Art Director It’s kitten season and the Hayward Animal Shelter has its Moxie Morrison hands full of little kitties who need a home. Assistant OPERATIONS It’s that season again and and hoping for a loving family Claudette Morrison what started as a trickle of incom- to adopt them and take them Apollo 11 includes never-before-seen footage of the first moon mission. Business Manager ing kittens has turned into a flood. home. ADVERTISING The shelter has many kittens For more information, call Display Advertising of all ages, colors, personalities the Hayward Animal Shelter at Claudette Morrison and energy levels just waiting 510-293-7200. Movie on Moon Landing, Apollo 11, Classified Advertising Patrick Vadnais Will Be Screened at SL Museum HOW TO REACH US Cherry City Toastmasters San Leandro Times The Cherry City Toastmas- the number one fear in America. At 9:32 a.m. on July 16, 1969 existing footage, NARA staff ing the moon, the nerve-racking 2060 Washington Ave. ters Club meets every Tuesday If this sounds familiar, you the world watched as Apollo 11 discovered an unprocessed col- attempt to touch down before the San Leandro, California 94577 from 12:05 to 1:05 p.m. in the are not alone. took off from Kennedy Space lection of 65mm large-format lunar module ran out of fuel, and Office hours: Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trustees Room on the first The club offers a safe, sup- Center carrying astronauts Neil footage, never before seen by the the journey home. Main Office: (510) 614-1555 floor at the San Leandro Main portive environment to grow Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and public. The amazing discovery Experience the tension, pride www.ebpublishing.com Library, 300 Estudillo Ave. your public speaking and lead- Michael Collins to the moon - a changed the course of the film and overwhelming joy of the ©2018 East Bay Publishing Corporation Public speaking is said to be ership skills. voyage of over 240,000 miles. project from just filmmaking to team that made the mission a To celebrate the 50th anni- historic preservation and curation. historic success. The film is rated versary of the moon landing, the The multiple cameras and au- G and 1:33 minutes in length. San Leandro History Museum, dio feeds take viewers moment by Admission is free. For more 320 W. Estudillo Avenue, will be moment, from blastoff, to orbit- information, call 510-577-3991. COMMIT YOUR FAMILY TO BE FIT! showing the 2019 documentary We Are Different From Other Fitness Clubs. Apollo 11 on Saturday, July 6. We Have A Family Atmosphere! The film will be shown at 11:15 Full Gym • Over 40 Group Exercise Classes • Lap Swimming Year-round a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Senior Lunch Menu Not to be confused with the Aqua Aerobics • Swim Lessons • Pro Tennis Lessons • $1Babysitting drama Apollo 13, starring Tom Lunch provided by Spectrum Community Services Hanks, Apollo 11 is purely a doc- A low-cost senior lunch pro- pasta primavera, marinated REDUCED INITIATION FEE!* umentary of archival footage on vided by Spectrum Community carrots, oranges. the first mission that put a person Services is served on weekdays Tuesday – Turkey sandwich For Families $400 Reg. $800 on the moon. at the San Leandro Senior Cen- on whole wheat bread with let- The winner of two Sundance For Singles $200 Reg. $400 ter, 13909 East 14th St. tuce and tomato, garden salad, Film Festival Awards, Apollo Everyone age 60 and up strawberries. JULY FREE! 11 allows viewers to relive the can have lunch. A suggested Wednesday – Chicken mission as it unfolded. The doc- *When you join early and pay your first 2 mo. dues. donation is $3.75, but no one is breast with apricot glaze, hearty umentary is constructed from refused for lack of funds.