Week in Review: 'Mr. Teeth' Dies; Is Castro Valley a Foodie Wasteland?

Here’s a brief look at the three most-read stories on Castro Valley Patch this week:

Five-Foot Caiman "Mr. Teeth" Found Guarding 34 Pounds of Pot

Sheriff's deputies found 34 pounds of marijuana being guarded by a five-foot caiman during a probation compliance check in Castro Valley on Tuesday afternoon. The dried, processed marijuana was found in a bedroom at a home in the 19000 block of Mt. Jasper Drive around 1:30 p.m., along with the live 5-foot-long alligator-like creature — named “Mr. Teeth” — which was living in a Plexiglas tank.

Mr. Teeth, who the owner received in 1996 to honor the death of rapper Tupac Shakur, unfortunately died Wednesday morning at the Oakland Zoo where it was taken to be evaluated.

Mr. Teeth’s owner, 32-year-old Castro Valley resident Assif Mayar, was arraigned Thursday and charged with one felony count of marijuana for sale.

Is Castro Valley A Foodie Wasteland?

A discussion over the new Pizza Hut last week touched a nerve with readers, sparking a long debate. So we used it as a jumping point to talk about Castro Valley’s overall dining options and food culture. Do we want trendy chefs shown here? Or are good parking, prices and portions more important? Join the discussion here.

Castro Valley's Eichler Homes Have A Fan Club

Residents of Castro Valley's Greenridge neighborhood, where Joseph Eichler built about 200 stylish homes in 1959 and 1960, are sitting on a much-desired asset, according to realtor and businesswoman Monique Lombardelli. Lombardelli is a devotee of Joseph Eichler, the developer who built about 11,000 of these distinctive homes in California between 1949 and 1974. Now Lombardelli wants to bring her fascination with Eichler homes to a new level by resurrecting his designs and making them compliant with current energy efficiency standards.