The Valley Lifestyle Magazine is back with its July 2026 issue (Year 4, Edition 7) — the free monthly celebration of local life around Castro Valley and the East Bay that’s been highlighting the good life since 2013. Here’s a look at what’s inside this month.
Cover Story: Handling the Pressure at Castro Valley Tire Pros
This month’s cover feature, “Where There’s a Wheel, There’s a Way,” profiles Jeff Candelario, owner of Castro Valley Tire Pros. Candelario got his start as a teenager washing windows, stacking tires, and sweeping floors at Bay Area auto shops, and has run his full-service shop on Castro Valley Boulevard since 1988 — now serving three generations of returning customers. The shop credits old-fashioned quality service as its secret, and recently added a fully equipped mobile repair van that comes to your home for tires, brakes, wipers, batteries, and oil changes. A San Leandro native, Candelario takes pride in his adopted hometown. The shop is located at 2470 Castro Valley Boulevard.
Community Features
From the Sketchbook of Cathy Raingarden — A spotlight on the urban sketcher and illustrator, now based in Berkeley and formerly of Castro Valley, who rediscovered her love of drawing while earning a degree in landscape architecture.
Branching Out: Local Landscapes — A visit to Xin Dong’s dense, lush Castro Valley garden, built around native plants that draw butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and finches — plus an ingenious Bluetooth-controlled irrigation system that harvests 1,600 gallons of rainwater and reclaimed laundry water.
Ulti-Mutt Grooming — Meet Nathan and Katie Austin, the husband-and-wife Certified Master Groomers behind A Cut Above, who’ve been pampering local pooches since 2019. Their award-filled salon is at 2536 San Carlos Avenue.
Pigments of Imagination — A profile of San Leandro artist Doyle Wegner, whose surreal acrylic and watercolor work reflects a decade studying the Japanese “Nan Ga” painting style in Japan.
Changing Lives — Castro Valley’s Helen Lac is making her mark in the male-dominated field of Scalp Micro Pigmentation at her business, Hybrid Ink (20861 Wilbeam Avenue, Suite #5).
Food & Recipes
Valley Kitchen Stories — This month’s reader recipe is Kaleia Lilinoe’s Apple Crumble Loaf, a comforting summer treat combining warm cinnamon, sweet apples, and a buttery crumble topping.
Valley Restaurant Review — Lavanta Mezze Bar & Restaurant in San Leandro earns a glowing 9.9 out of 10 for its friendly service and standout house-made Greek chocolate ice cream. The stylish, welcoming spot offers vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options.
In Memoriam
This edition also honors longtime local advocate Marc Darin Crawford, who passed in July 2026 at age 59. A proud Castro Valley native, Crawford served over a decade on the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council and more than six years on the Alameda County Planning Commission, and was widely respected for his integrity and dedication to his community.
